Very strange user problem - Lots from a previous install all misisng from menus.

[mgb204]

A user New Amsterdam, over on ST has a problem using a plugins folder from a previous computer with his new machine. Despite the files all seemingly correct on the surface, none of them are appearing in-game in the menus.

After some initial attempts to help were getting nowhere, I asked for some affected files and was given these:

DMS Scorpio - David Lu Art Centre
Havok - Art Pavilion
NBVC - Stone Paths

I've a very basic plugins folder, pretty much just the NAM and some automata on a fully patched reliable game/system. Upon opening the game, I too have found that none of the items appear in the game menus. In the case of NBVC's paths, I have my copy which does not display the same symptoms.

OK then, corrupted files surely? But the plot thickens. All of these files when poked around in using the reader look just fine. Datanode reports no problems/faults that would cause this behaviour. But most bizarrely of all, all are selectable/ploppable with the LotPlop cheat, and work just fine:

.

The user has just mentioned (whilst I'm typing) these were used with DAMM, something I'm not familiar with. Could it simply be the DAMM connections are now a dependency for the items to work?

Otherwise, has anyone ever come across this behaviour or can help. I'm a bit lost, I will compare the faulty files against fresh downloads, but I figured someone here might know better than me what's at work here.

[CasperVg]

The user has just mentioned (whilst I'm typing) these were used with DAMM, something I'm not familiar with. Could it simply be the DAMM connections are now a dependency for the items to work?

I'm not 100% sure if that's the reason, but I did experience the same thing before. DAMN'ed files not appearing in the normal menu's anymore. Do the files still have the correct Occupant Groups set?

[mgb204]

Seemingly
"0x00001005,0x00001503,0x0000150F,0x00001A03,0x00001503,0x0000150F,0x00001A03,0x00001503,0x0000150F,0x00001A03" - that's from Havok's Art Pavilion.

I'm guessing whatever has been removed/changed worst case could just be fixed. But if I knew more about how DAMM worked (what it edits) that might help. In the interim I've proposed perhaps the DAMM-links can be setup anew, then presumably once again they would work?

[vortext]

Do the building exemplars still have Lot Resource Key property?

DAMN-ing lots makes a duplicate of the building exemplar, without this property, and stores the duplicate in zzzzzz_DAMN_Hidden. If the user has dat-packed the original files and the zzzzzz_DAMN_Hidden folder than the original building exemplar would've been overridden with the DAMN-ed building exemplar, thus breaking the link between building and lot.

To elaborate: the DAMN also makes a duplicate of the icon which it stores in the DAMN root folder in the Program Files plugins, along with modified LTexts and LUA - which establishes an alternative connection between lot and building.

[mgb204]

Makes sense to me. It does indeed appear the Lot Resource Key is what's missing. I've just added that to the affected lots, and eh, voilla back to normal.

Meanwhile, the user has restored the DAMM links for the lots shown, that is working. So I guess he has to decide if adding back all the Lot Resource Keys is worth the effort to remove DAMM from this setup.

Thanks Casper / Vortext for your assistance.

[vortext]

If the user made a back-up of the Program Files Plugins as well, than it'd be easy to re-store the DAMN. Unless of course he doesn't want to use DAMN any longer, than it's between re-downloading or adding LRK. . 

At any rate, just another reminder folks to always make a back-up before dat-packing.