A question about fixing brown boxes

[Futuristinen]

I had some brown boxes in my city (I'll use the Wisconsin Gas Building as an example). I had all the dependencies so I figured I'd download the BAT file. I downloaded it from this list. The file came with a readme, 2 pictures and an installer. I ran the installer, but it created its own folder in the plugin folder and I thought it wouldn't function as intended. I cut the files and pasted them to the correct folder. However, there already was a SC4LOT file in there. I deleted it. The thing is, the Wisconsin Gas Building installer installed two SC4LOT files and a SC4MODEL file, which I just dumped into the CO$$ folder. When I went in-game to check if the brown box had disappeared, the space where the box once was was now just a piece of grey ground and some flower pots.
Here are my questions:
1. Did I even download the correct stuff?
2. Should I have just ran the installer and not touch the files?
3. What is/are the correct files to put into the folder where the other CAMelots are?
4. Do I need to bulldoze the brown box before trying to fix it?

Stupid question, might be, but I don't know a lot about modding this game...

[catty]

at work so I can't post now, will later tonight (NZ Time)

[threestooges]

Long story short:

The "lot" in the game is a combination of several things. There's the model, props, and the lot itself. Every lot has a model (in some cases it's invisible, like the open grass lot, but it's still there) and not having that .model file is what triggers the brown box. Props are models too, but they aren't *the* model, so if you don't have them, they won't show up, but there won't be a brown box either.

You can have multiple lots that reference the same building (as long as the ID of each lot is different). In the case of CAM, each of the lots has been reworked to a new set of parameters.

So, when you used that installer from the download for the model, it likely installed the second lot as well. You can delete that second lot file and just make sure you keep the model file (if you're using CAM, you don't want a pre-CAM lot, or else it's likely to grow like a weed).

Adding the proper model file to your plugins folder should make the building appear properly. If it didn't, try bulldozing/rebuilding the lot. If that doesn't work, post a picture of the lot here for reference to make it easier to diagnose.

Hope that helps.

-Edit- This tutorial is a bit long-winded, but it should help explain the relationship a bit more.
-Matt

[catty]

I had some brown boxes in my city (I'll use the Wisconsin Gas Building as an example)....

Well I promised I'd be back   

Hopefully threestooges     has answered most of your questions, using your example

When you downloaded the CAM Commercial Offices BSC from here

http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=950

it contained everything the "Wisconsin Gas Building" needed to be a CAM plugin, but what it didn't contain was the model from the original non-CAM plugin which you needed to download from here

http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=950

So you needed to keep all the files from the first download and copy them into your plugins folder and only copy the SC4MODEL from the second folder into your plugins.

-catty

[Futuristinen]

Thanks for the help!

But now I've got another problem. I fixed some of the brown boxes and now the Wisconsin Gas Building works like it should. I also fixed a building called Marina Residence. The building itself shows instead of a box, but when I try to click it with the query, nothing comes up. It plays a sound like other buildings and when I hover over it with the query, it shows all the information about wealth and power etc. Wisconsin Gas Building gives me the info when clicked, though.

Edit: Oops, was missing a dependency...

Edit 2: Nope, downloaded all the dependencies, still no query... Help?

[catty]

I've downloaded the Marina Residence don't have time to take a look at tonight, will try and find some time over the weekend

   

[threestooges]

If it's a query issue, it's most likely the BSC Essential file which contains the stuff for the custom queries some lots use.
-Matt