DISCOVERY: File Formats, The Known Formats (FSH,S3D etc.)

[Karybdis 34]

Included is the latest copy of the User Interface Spec.

NEW: At the bottom you will find a list of each control type along with all the properties this control type generally has. This is mainly for people creating new controls so that they know what they have to enter for each one. Other properties may be used, though they arent by default. Also the specs for properties have been updated so that only 12 are still in red. Here is the current list and their known details

-- 11 Remaining --
tipsflag (common)
winflag_sortable (common)
winflag_mousetrans (common)
allowinsert (textedits)
insertindex (textedits)
insertpos (textedits)
fnone (grid)
wingridcol (grid) - controls columns in a grid somehow
shiftcaption (button)
option (optgrp) - defines this options information
autofilltype (optgrp) - for filling the whole option control

selrule (grid) - DONE - Grid cell selection rules (see next spec)

[Karybdis 34]

Included here is the latest copy of the sound levels specification.

Anybody who knows about music could help with this one I think as its plain text.

Lev files are linked by groupid to a bunch of XA files which they control various properties for. These LEV files are called by the games exemplars, from which as I understand, they pick a random one of the sounds in the LEV based on probabilities.

[the7trumpets 10]

I'm not entirely sure if this is known, because I couldn't download the file attatched to the first post, but here goes:


in all the RUL file (and INI) specs, whenever it reffers to a tile position [pos], I think this was previously thought to be just a 0-8 number, 0 being the center tile, one being West, and continuing clockwise around the center tile until you got to the SW tile, tile 8.

However, I now know that this continues for at least one more rotation around the center tile, thus valid [pos] numbers are actually 0-24, with 9 being the tile two tiles west of the center tile, and 24 being the tile just below tile 9. It may continue for another rotation, or indefinately, I just haven't checked. Suffice it to say, this makes many projects I'm trying to do much easier

[Karybdis 34]

Hmm. no that was not known, thanks

added it to that part of the spec so it currently reads
-------------

2,x,A,B,C,D describes the squares that must be adjacant to it. The X value describes the relationship of this limiting tile in relationship to the reference tile. X uses the following convention:
1 == west
2 == north west
3 == north
4 == north east
5 == east
6 == south east
7 == south
8 == south west
(New addition - This continues for at least one more rotation around the centre)
9 == west 2 tiles from centre
10 == north west 2 tiles from centre
etc. to at Least 24

A,B,C,D follows the same convention as before.
----------------

As for the actual spec grouping from the first post, it was just the known formats that arent completed yet (TKD,UI,LEV,MAD, and Config). I think forum cleaning deleted it though. There was really never enough demand to make a full package for all stuff and post a thread for it, so its been by demand.

[Karybdis 34]

The final copy of the LEV spec. This one should hopefully be complete and usable. As always, feel free to report any errors or changes to me and I'll get it updated Hopefully once the new Datgen Spec area is online, this will be much easier to get the info around.

[the7trumpets 10]

Date: 8/23/2004 2:29:45 PM
Author: Karybdis
Hmm. no that was not known, thanks



(New addition - This continues for at least one more rotation around the centre)

quote>


ERRRggg....

Well, through 'trying' to do something, I found that it does not extend beyond the second rotation. The RULes simply don't work if that's the case. I'm pecking around, hoping to find some exemplar property that defines how many rotations it will continue around, because I'd REALLY like to extend it to 3 rotations, but so far I've had no luck.

[GoaSkin 2]

somehow off-topic:

if S3D-models use textures with group ID 1ABE787D, the night-illumination works without the BAT update from Maxis. There is no BAT update for the Macintosh version. So if this static group ID is used for the textures on custom buildings, you can make night illuminations on custom buildings possible for mac users.
But you have to be careful. This group ID maxis used on all the original textures. The instance IDs of the FSH files on BATs are allmost the same. So you have to shift the instance ID on every modded custom buildings to a free range and after that to change the material IDs in the S3D files.

Thats stupid and long work. The average time you need on each building (without testing) is 20 minutes.

[Karybdis 34]

Heh, there's been multiple times when I wish the bat created more inventive 2 byte Building ID's for the instance.... perhaps we'll have to make a tool to batch change them. Who knows.

[Karybdis 34]

Updates to the formats found here can now be obtained at

http://www1.modthesims2.com/wiki/Simcity4modding

 

Hopefully this will allow more regular updating. You can check the recently updated list to find out what is new.

[totof0306 2]

Does anybody know what must be changed into S3D or DIR-parts of DAT-file to make train vehicle skin work only for monorail?