Plugin pack missing

[mittfh]

So I spent some time pruning my Plugins folder, moving ones I didn't use to PluginsDisabled (just in case I need them again). Afterwards, I load the game, and SimCity is kind enough to inform me that "Plugin Pack 274755764 missing". Yes, very helpful (not!). How do I work out which plugin the number relates to? I'm assuming the number isn't chosen at random and actually refers to somethingorother inside the dat or lot. However, a file contents search through my entire SC4 folder hierarchy for the number doesn't reveal any documents, which probably means it's encoded.

So, two questions:
a) Does anyone know what particular value in the file the ID relates to, and
b) Is there a tool that can open up the dats and find which one relates to that particular number.

I haven't noticed any ill effects in my city, and BSC Cleanitol with the latest mega props list can't see any missing dependencies. So, apart from moving all the "disabled" plugins back, and spending endless hours repeatedly loading SimCity, see if the message has returned, and if not exiting it, removing some more plugins, and trying again, is there a way to tell the error message to bugger off (apart from obliterating my city, which I'm strangely reluctant to do after nuturing it for the past 125 game years...)

[BarbyW]

Look for the brown box in the city and query it. A missing plugin means the model is missing so a box should show.

[cogeo]

Barby, yes a missing model (*.SC4Model) will cause a brown box. This is the best case, because it's easy to find and identify. But many (most, I would say nearly all) prop-packs are released as datfiles (*.dat) containing both the model stuff (S3D, FSH) and the prop exemplar. In this case the only effect will be a missing prop in a lot, which is very hard to find, especially if the city is large, and the prop is small, like a small plant or bush.
I think installing as many of the BSC mega packs as possible is the best way to make this less likely.

Also, I would propose that members who have made tools capable of reading plugins (I can only recall Andreas Roth with his SC4Tool  ) add a feature that scans the Plugins folders (and, mostly needed, a user-requested folder) for plugin-pack IDs. It would also be nice to extend this feature and make it possible to find TGI IDs and exemplar names (needed for props).

[BarbyW]

A missing prop will not cause the "Missing plugin" message - at least as far as I am aware. It is missing building models that cause that and will show a brown box.

[Andreas]

@cogeo: I didn't make SC4Tool, that was simrolle. I only "invented" it, so to speak, and was the primary beta tester. But Barby is right, such a message only shows up if a model file is missing, and missing model files will cause a brown box. It might be possible that the box is hidden under a large prop or something like this, though, or - in case mittfh has installed PEG's "Oops Mod" - has been replaced with a rather tiny colored splotch. Unfortunately, the ID that is listed in the "Something is missing" window doesn't help much. It would only be useful if there was a database of all TGIs that have ever been created by the entirety of the custom content creators.

[RippleJet]

So I spent some time pruning my Plugins folder, moving ones I didn't use to PluginsDisabled (just in case I need them again). Afterwards, I load the game, and SimCity is kind enough to inform me that "Plugin Pack 274755764 missing". Yes, very helpful (not!). How do I work out which plugin the number relates to? I'm assuming the number isn't chosen at random and actually refers to somethingorother inside the dat or lot. However, a file contents search through my entire SC4 folder hierarchy for the number doesn't reveal any documents, which probably means it's encoded.

That Plugin Pack number is a decimal representaion of the missing exemplar's Instance ID. 274755764 is in hex 0x106070B4. Without a program that could scan the IID's of all exemplars in our plugins folder, it is virtually impossible to find it. You could search in your PluginsDisabled folder for a filename including 106070b4, since normally (unless changed by the user or merged into a dat file) that Instance ID is included in the names of SC4Desc files and SC4Lot files.

Unfortunately, the ID that is listed in the "Something is missing" window doesn't help much. It would only be useful if there was a database of all TGIs that have ever been created by the entirety of the custom content creators.

The only somewhat useful information that can be retrieved from that IID is the date and time that exemplar was created.
0x106070B4 translates to 6,320,308 seconds since 5.8.2005 21:24:16, which in gives a creation date and time of 18.10.2005 01:02:44.
Note however, that the file you'll be looking for can have a much more recent date, if it's been edited afterwards.

[mittfh]

The mystery deepens...

The culprit appears to be the reward CSX Sweet Lelanie Farm. Delete it, save, reload, no message. Plop it, save, reload, message appears.

Next step: grab SC4tool, run a dependency scan on CSX Farm - Sweet Lelanie_ef9f8f4c.sc4lot
Result: SC4tool can find all dependencies.

I have PEG's OPPS mod, so for the benefit of anyone familiar with this particular lot, the missing prop is the farm building.

And I've just asked Windows Vista to search filenames and contents for that hex string (106070b4), and it can't find it anywhere within either plugins or pluginsdisabled...

I'll try downloading / installing the lot again, just in case...

[BarbyW]

It is the building that is missing and it is a bit late to look for it now. I shall look again in the morning and post the missing building needed.

[High5Tower]

The residence that is missing from the Sweet Lelani Farm dependency list list is "RLS Homes, The Highgrove. Its on the STEX and it nuimber is 11925 by simgoober. On March 23 of this year I had this problem and barby was kind enough to find it for me. At that  time I also asked if the file could be added to the Sweet Lelani file so otheres in the future would not encounter this problem. I just checked the LEX and I see that it (Highgrove) has not been added to the file. So I guess it is impossible to add this to the dependency list?

[BarbyW]

Thanks, High5Tower. I knew I had answered the question before but it was too late to go searching last night. I have added the RLS Homes, The Highgrove to the dependency list on the LEX but it is not in the Readme. I shall try to do that at some stage.

[mittfh]

Hooray! Sweet Lelanie is now complete!

However, I've now plopped Rosebarb, and guess what?!

This time, it's the building in the far corner, adjacent to the two bay shed (a barn?).
Again, SC4tool can't identify any 'missing' props (are they hiding somewhere SC4tool isn't looking? I'm still puzzled how it fails to identify the Highgrove dependency for Sweet Lelanie - there's no mention of it even now, when installed)
ID: 275276764 (which translates as 106863DC hex)

In the meantime, I'll extend the island my city is built on, with a little financial help from Moolah

[BarbyW]

mittfh: you are missing BSC BAT Props JFM Vol02 available here: http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=581
I will update the lot description with this information and also upload an updated zip with the dependency shown in the Readme.

I am testing Wou's new X program and that helped with this

[mittfh]

Thankyou! Hopefully I'm now completely up to date with dependencies (including the "hidden" ones)...

...so this thread should be able to be closed...

...unless any other lots I haven't used yet have unlisted dependencies