Changing discriptions

[Watch3r]

Hello,

I haven't been playing simcity 4 for too long now.. started with some expiriments and now im doing my first 'serious' region.
I also downloaded quite some plugins and i got most of them working properly, but now i'm dealing with a small problem.
When you hover with your mouse over the several buildings in the menu, you see a small discription of that building (e.g. capacity, montly costs etc),
but many of my newly downloaded buildings don't, in their discription is other information stated like the name or the maker.
But before I place a building and pay the costs id really like to know its effect.
So could somebody tell me the easiest way to change these discriptions, and maybe give an example?
I have gmax installed in case this is needed, I have zero experience with it though; I installed it when i was despairingly trying to get some lights for BATs. still not working though .. I have also installed the update sku 2 update, building architect tool & its update.

[Indisguise]

You'll need a mod tool as the "Ireader"  or the "Sc4tool"  programs to edit the buildings discriptions. Both also allow you to view the stats of the lots before using them, even edit them to your personel liking as well.

I reader has more option available for modding but is bit complicated and may require a bit more research and reading on how to use.

Sc4Tool program a bit more user friendly but has more limited modding, but sounds like it would be more of what your looking for.

personelly I use the later.

[BarbyW]

May I recommend SC4PIM and the User Guide?

[Watch3r]

thanks for the replies,

I first installed sc4tools and found out how to change the discriptions (exemplar editor -> LText)
So far this has only succeeded once because ive encountered two problems;

-When ive changed the discription and want to save the program tells me that there is nothing to save.
-Many downloaded facilities don't have the folder LText in the exemplar editor, so I can't change the discription there.

So my questions are if you know how to fix the saving problem and how to change the discription if there is no LText.. do i need to make one myself, and how?

And also; where are the buildings of maxis located, how do i open those in exemplar editor?


Or if you think it's better to just use on of the other programs advised ill do that
thanks




*edit*
i installed the reader and noticed the same LText files as in sc4tools, I seem to have no saving problems here but how do I start a new line in the discription? Since i seem to be unable to hit enter..

[RippleJet]

Or if you think it's better to just use on of the other programs advised ill do that

Yes, I would follow Barby's recommendation...

And also; where are the buildings of maxis located, how do i open those in exemplar editor?

In that case you'd need to first extract the building from SimCity_1.dat (and for that you do need Reader).

[Watch3r]

alright, i have now all 3 advised programs installed, and with SC4PIM I can now change the discriptions.

I'm now trying to do something else: changing properties of buildings, for example building/monthly costs.
But that isn't working out for me yet, I read the part about 'Making changes to the exemplar properties' in the userguide, but I don't fully understand how it all works.
It says that after pressing 'recompute properties...' you should get two pop up boxes; one about the filling degree and one about the growth stage. But i only get the one with filling degree. It's all kinda confusing when you're new to modding, and i dont need to know everything about making my own buildings, so if it's not too difficult I'd just like to have explained how to change some properties. A small tut would be greatly appreciated

thanks

[Watch3r]

anyone? a small explanation would do..
With what program it's best to do?

[RippleJet]

It says that after pressing 'recompute properties...' you should get two pop up boxes; one about the filling degree and one about the growth stage. But i only get the one with filling degree.

The question about growth stage only pops up if you're recomputing a growable lot.
Thus, if you're recomputing a civic, or any other ploppable lot, you won't be asked about the growth stage.

[Watch3r]

ok that sounds logical, thanks for your reaction.

But now.. how do i change the properties of a ploppable lot then?

[RippleJet]

But now.. how do i change the properties of a ploppable lot then?

Same way. Right-click and recompute.
You'll get the question about the filling degree, but not about the growth stage.

[Watch3r]

oh haha, i just didn't the connection between the filling degree of the LOD box and a property, kinda stupid since that's described in the sc4pim guide

thanks

[Watch3r]

one more thing;
How do i edit the amount of water purified? I can't really find it in the list of building values..

[RippleJet]

How do i edit the amount of water purified? I can't really find it in the list of building values..

That's NOT in the property Water Treatment monthly capacity.
That property is unused, and set to 0 in Maxis' Water Treatment Plant.

Instead, the water treatment is given as negative water pollution,
in the properties Pollution at Center and Pollution at outer edge of circle.
The radius of that outer circle is given in the property Pollution radii.

In all cases, water pollution is the second value of these properties
(the first one is for air pollution, the third one for garbage and the last one for radiation).

[Watch3r]

that's what i was thinking of already but then i encountered a problem;

The Maxis Water Purification Plant:
Pollution at center water: -300
Pollution radii water: 48.00000000
and Pollution at outer edge of circle: 0x-00000FA.

The discription of the building says that it purifies 2400 cu/m water a month, but how is that calculated? How do I know whats 0x-00000FA?

[RippleJet]

The discription of the building says that it purifies 2400 cu/m water a month, but how is that calculated?

It isn't... it's hardcoded and constant in the item description... and thus irrelevant...

How do I know whats 0x-00000FA?

Interesting... that should appear as -250, in the same way as it appears as -300 for the Pollution at center...
I'l fix that in the next update of he XML file.

Hexadecimal arithmetics...

When double-clicking the property, you would see it as 0xFFFFFF06. That's how it's saved in hexadecimal.
However, you can enter decimal values in there as well.
Thus, if you want it to be something else but -250, just enter what you want it to be in plain numbers.

[Watch3r]

so 300x48 - 250x48 = 2400 is wrong? I was just trying out some possibilities with the numbers givin

[RippleJet]

so 300x48 - 250x48 = 2400 is wrong?

Yes!