Lot Editor - Help

[WeekendCityPlanner 19]

thanks, that worked. man, I thought it could fit in a 7x7 lot, just had to go up to 10x10

[Stylesrj 0]

I have this problem with building my lot. I build a railway line and I got one of the corner pieces, but when I rotate it around, it does not fit with the other corner. How do I flip a piece so it will fit?

That's a screenshot of what I mean. Rotating won't work and I know how to rotate stuff. How do I flip stuff?

[I9113N 4]

Will someone please help me? I am sure other people have had this problem, and I have asked about three times now, but no one ha helped me. Whenever I try and run the lot editor, after a while it says that lot editor has encountered a problem and needs to close. This is extremely distressing because there is so much I want to do with Lot Editor. Please help me!

[RebaLynnTS 275]

Originally posted by: I9113N Will someone please help me? I am sure other people have had this problem, and I have asked about three times now, but no one ha helped me. Whenever I try and run the lot editor, after a while it says that lot editor has encountered a problem and needs to close. This is extremely distressing because there is so much I want to do with Lot Editor. Please help me!

quote>

 

1. Restart computer, run lot editor ONLY.

2. Be sure no other programs are running in the back ground, like anti-virus, memory recovery, spy swatters, etc. Some of these can cause problems.

3. Try to see if it happens at random, or when you do one certain thing, like save.

4. Uninstall, and reinstall the program, if all else fails.

PM me if none of this works.

[I9113N 4]

RebaLyonTS: I will try these things, but I have just read through this thread and found someone else with the same problem, and someone told them to remove all of their files that are in the plugin folder. I have decided to cut all of the plugins to cd's and see if that works. If not, i will try your solutions.

Ian

Edit: Ok, that did not work. I was hoping it would because it took me 14 minutes to put all the plugins on the stupid cds.

Now i will try your suggestions.

Unfortunately none of your suggestions worked, and this is getting frustrating.

HOW DID OTHER PEOPLE GET IT TO WORK?????

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: Stylesrj I have this problem with building my lot. I build a railway line and I got one of the corner pieces, but when I rotate it around, it does not fit with the other corner. How do I flip a piece so it will fit?

That's a screenshot of what I mean. Rotating won't work and I know how to rotate stuff. How do I flip stuff?quote>

 

I think "M" is for mirror, that should flip it so it works.

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: I9113N

HOW DID OTHER PEOPLE GET IT TO WORK????? quote>

 

I went back a page but didn't find what version of the game, or the version of the game exe.  If you could post those it might lead to a solution.

[I9113N 4]

Originally posted by: tungston

Originally posted by: I9113N

HOW DID OTHER PEOPLE GET IT TO WORK????? quote>

 

I went back a page but didn't find what version of the game, or the version of the game exe.  If you could post those it might lead to a solution.

quote>

the sc4 game is Sim City 4 Deluxe, wich includes Rush Hour. Lot editor is just Lot Editor.exe I am not sure what version of the game, and it really no longer matters because after cutting everything to the cds and putting them back on, i played the game and everything was gone. I don't think I will be playing sc4 for a long time, but thanks for your help.

Ian

[LordoftheWise 0]

I started fooling around with the LOT editor, Have changed some lots and just overwrite the originals, this works ok with some lots, but when i do this with Gascookers UK lots the lots will no longer appear ingame ?????? I tried saving them under a different name, for instance:

C$$UKWhiteSwan.blablablab, changed into AlexxWhiteSwan. But still the lot is nowhere to be found ingame. The file is in my plugin folder but for some reason it will not show ingame, any suggestions guys?? Am I doing something wrong?

Greetz

Alexander

[Sam 163]

Its not usually a good idea to modify someone else's custom lots without knowing precisely how they function. Especially in the case of someone like gascooker, the lots may have a lot of specialised modding which may be in more than one file, or which required additional programs other than the Lot Editor to achieve. When you try to save the modified file in the Lot Editor it may overwrite the required functions with defaults, or it may not save required modifications made in other programs or it may lose the required references to related files containing information on the functioning of the lot.

Some lots you just can't change a few things around in the LE and save them again. This is why in the LE you can't usually Save As for seaports, maxis farm fields and rewards. (Farm fields for example require alterations to the farms that call the fields for example, rewards need reward scripts and seaports need entries made for them in other files.)

[LordoftheWise 0]

Thanks for your reply! I understand why it is not a good idea to change these lots, but what is thgen the best way to get lots with Gascookersbuildings on them. How do i make the buildingprops form gascooker into modelfiles so i can make my own lots? I looked everywhere but could not find the answer, thats why i adjusted the original lots. I have the PIM, but dont now how to make a prop become a model, is this at all possible?

Greetz

Alexander

[Sam 163]

Well the model files should be fine if you have them in the pack. First put them in your mains plugins folder and open PIM the usual way. Now if you are lucky you will get a list of the models on the right, and a tree structure on the left. Just drag your chosen model files over your chosen building types in the tree. Then you will get a sc4desc file as well which contains the building exemplar. For other items on the same lot you will need to make them props by dragging them over the prop option in the tree. These should all have normal functions, except for garbage and pollution levels which may need to be fixed.

Then choose a suitable maxis lot (it must be the same type as the building descriptor you made, ie park with park, R$ with R$. Open the lot, use the change building tab and replace the old building with your new one.

[Acadi 0]

How do I edit a lot's capacity?

Like, I downloaded a lot, but feel the diapliated capacity is too unjustified and wish to change it.

I can't find where to edit growable lots in livereader (yet livereader can edit a ploppable's capacity)

What do I need to edit a growable plot's capacity?

[Sam 163]

You want the Capacity Satisfied property. The numbers are paired, the first is the Demand ID, the second is the amount. There will be one pair per wealth level, eg a $$$ lot will have 3 pairs, a $$ lot will have two pairs, and a $ will have 1 pair.

[Nerd_Guy 4]

Sometimes when I but a base texture on a custom lot and open it in the game, another texture appears.  For example, I have a concrete lot, no overlay texture, with a truck on it.  But when I plop it in the game, a grass lot shows up.  Even weirder is that sometimes the vehicle shadow will be the texture the lot was intended to be.  How can I fix this?

[blessed54 0]

Help! I'm having troubles getting my sims to accept seaport. What am I doing wrong? I tried to find info o the tutorals, but nothing there. I tried to do it after reading others thoughts but nothing seems to be working. This sims is so much different from simcity 2000. I like the graphics and am learning so muh but this part is frustrating.

Also, can animals cross city boundaries?

[Sam 163]

Hi  Blessed54, welcome to Simtropolis. Here at Simtropolis we have different threads to discuss different topics. If you have a question you should try to post it in the most appropriate forum and thread (if after searching you can't find a similar topic, please start a new thread in the correct forum).

This thread is for discussing how to create custom files using the Lot Editor program. It is not for asking questions about how to play SC4 itself. Please could you post your question in the SimCity 4 Discussion forum which you can find here: https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/categories.cfm?catid=22&entercat=y, or in the City Building Concepts forum which you can  find here: https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/categories.cfm?catid=23&entercat=y

Thanks for that, it will help keep the forums tidy and people will be able to find what they need to (and you will probably get a faster and better answer that way)

Nerd_Guy:

Are you sure you are not using a wealth dependent texture (if so it will have a 0-4 in the fifth digit of the iid). If you are then the game will pick not necessarily the texture you put on the lot, but the one from the same family which suits the wealth of the lot.

Also if you don't remove any base texture from a square before placing a new one, the game will randomly show either the old or the new, at different rotations or zooms.

Also some textures have multiple images in the fsh filefrom which the game chooses one.

You may also have a conflicting texture somewhere in your plugins folder.

Hope this helps.

[Acadi 0]

Originally posted by: sam You want the Capacity Satisfied property. The numbers are paired, the first is the Demand ID, the second is the amount. There will be one pair per wealth level, eg a $$$ lot will have 3 pairs, a $$ lot will have two pairs, and a $ will have 1 pair.quote>

 

I can't seem to find it in growable lots:

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/3332/sdfoo3.jpg

See?

Yet ploppable lots had the value.

Or am I just suppose to add that property? But the thing is, the lot already has a capacity, so why can't I see it?

[Sam 163]

The reason you can't find it is because you are looking at the lot exemplar, not the building exemplar. The capacity satisfied is in the building exemplar. For a growable, the building exemplar is probably not in the lot file unless you used the reader to put it there already. The building exemplar will be inside the descriptor file you made with the PIM (.sc4desc)

[Acadi 0]

Awesome, found it, thanks.

[hijodecordoba 74]

hello

actually i'm trying to edit some airport lots from voltaire (with the new props of tabi), but unfortunetly i can't save any of this files, because the "save as" button stays grey. (see picture)

this problem appears by airport lots only. i can save every other lot, that is not connected with airport tiles. do you have any ideas?

thank you

[Sam 163]

Copied from one of my other threads answered this week, since its exactly the same question:

Originally posted by: sam They [Airport Lots] aren't available to save in the Lot Editor because the airport files require a lot of extra modding in order to make them work. This extra modding is well beyond the capabilities of the Lot Editor. Even if you could save them in the LE they wouldn't work, as other files they require need to be altered to allow the new ones to work. So with airports (and seaports, farm fields and rewards) you can't just make a new version in LE and save it like you would with other lots.quote>

As mentioned above you need to do edit other files in addition to the Lot files to make airports work. So that's why Maxis did not allow the Save As button to be used for them. Any modding and editing would need to be done in the Reader - carefully. Incorrect airport modding is one of the few things that can cause a player's city to crash to desktop without possibility of recovery of the city.

[hijodecordoba 74]

oh ok, then i'll leave this for the people who know what they do

[bobinator 0]

I'm trying to edit a lot to put an airplane on a taxiway. I open the taxiway lot I want, but when I try to find any jet to place, there are none in the props page. The weird thing is, when I open up a pre-made lot (alaska 737 with a jetwalk), the airplane shows up fine as a prop. Where has the prop in the list gone?

edit-I'm an idiot (who knows nothing about lotting lol) My lot wasn't big enough. Problem fixed!

[cheesymonkey 0]

I got a quick question, how do i make it so that i can have vehicles drive on a lot, is it possible with lot editor?  Like if i were to create some sort of drive thru looking thing, could i put a drivable lane in, if so how???

[ixnayonthetimmay 16]

I'm not going to lie and say my question is quick, but it is something that is bugging me, and an answer would be greatly appreciated.

I first noticed this issue with the Sarah Bingham General Hospital modd (https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=12262), and it has appeared in other lots that I have been attempting to modify. Essentially, the budget for certain civic modds does strange stuff in game whereby I can set it to a value and at the end of the in-game month, the budget will reset itself either to the maximum or the minimum. No matter where I set the budget, it will be different by the end of the in-game month. Whenever a modd does this, it will affect all other modds and all the Maxis default buildings in the same category (e.g., the Sarah Bingham hospital's budget screwiness will make the rest of the hospitals' budgets screwy as well.)

I was wondering if there is any particular component in a .sc4lot or .dat file that can cause this kind of in-game budget wackiness to occur. Or is there something missing from a modd that would cause it to occur. Is there something hidden in the Exemplar or the XML entries of a modd file that needs to be reconciled so that this doesn't happen? Or is this one of those issues that could be caused by a multitude of sources and so there is no definitive reason a modd would behave this way. Regardless, I would really like to know. Any and all info on this would be very helpful. Thanks!

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: cheesymonkey I got a quick question, how do i make it so that i can have vehicles drive on a lot, is it possible with lot editor?  Like if i were to create some sort of drive thru looking thing, could i put a drivable lane in, if so how???quote>

 

You can't with the Lot Editor, but you can transit enable a lot with SC4 Tools.

[RippleJet 36]

Originally posted by: ixnayonthetimmay I'm not going to lie and say my question is quick, but it is something that is bugging me, and an answer would be greatly appreciated.

I first noticed this issue with the Sarah Bingham General Hospital modd (https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=12262), and it has appeared in other lots that I have been attempting to modify. Essentially, the budget for certain civic modds does strange stuff in game whereby I can set it to a value and at the end of the in-game month, the budget will reset itself either to the maximum or the minimum. No matter where I set the budget, it will be different by the end of the in-game month. Whenever a modd does this, it will affect all other modds and all the Maxis default buildings in the same category (e.g., the Sarah Bingham hospital's budget screwiness will make the rest of the hospitals' budgets screwy as well.)

I was wondering if there is any particular component in a .sc4lot or .dat file that can cause this kind of in-game budget wackiness to occur. Or is there something missing from a modd that would cause it to occur. Is there something hidden in the Exemplar or the XML entries of a modd file that needs to be reconciled so that this doesn't happen? Or is this one of those issues that could be caused by a multitude of sources and so there is no definitive reason a modd would behave this way. Regardless, I would really like to know. Any and all info on this would be very helpful. Thanks!quote>

 

That bug is called the Phantom Funding Sliders Bug.

Here are a couple of links for some more information:

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=24&threadid=87431

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=24&threadid=87761

[ixnayonthetimmay 16]

Thanks for the reply, RippleJet. I looked all around on the forums but couldn't find any info. I appreciate you pointing me in the right direction.

[Daryn07 0]

Okay now I have a question that may be very stupid of me to ask but at this hour I can accept that. :/ A few days ago I bought a new shiny computer. I did so because every one knows laptops eventually fry and then = death for gamers and coders or both in my case. When I installed SC4 Deluxe, the plugin manager and the lot editor all seemed to be functioning fine. However... when I decided to make a few train stations and some transit enabled lots, the lot editor gave me the following message:

"The plugins or files needed to open this lot have not been installed on this machine."

So I take a look at the editors config files and restarted but nothing seemed to avail the continuous outcome of that confounded message. I don't remember if there's a patch I need or an update perhaps for the lot editor, (though I did redownload it Via SC4's site WHICH was hard enough to find) but would some one give me a clue?- 'Cause as a programmer I just feel dumb :$

Thanks-

Daryn