Making a mod: Custom Building Tileset

[calculon000 0]

Hello, I am attempting to make a mod which adds custom build tilesets to the game in addition to the default four already included in the game.  I have managed to work out 90% of the menu GUI, every except how it interacts with the game variable which denotes which of the building sets are active at the time.

I was wondering if there was any information on what each variable in a building lot's exemplar files means, as well as how exactly the buttons in the gui of the building style menu communicate with the game.  I am looking at adding NEW building styles in addition to the four already in the game, and I have already tried to determine what all the variables in the exemplar files mean, but they are very poorly explained in the various reader and modification programs this site has to offer.  I have also tried using the search function on the forums to search "building styles", but was met with some kind of error which mentioned something about reserved words or some such.

If there is a guide or documentation or something detailing what all the variables in a lots exemplar file mean, how the general exemplar file system works, and how the building style tilesets work, that would be great.  I've really tried getting all the information on my own up until this point but it seems everyone just makes single buildings, and as far as I can tell no one has thus far attempted to produce an entire building set from scratch like I am.

Any help would be super awesome, as I'm afraid this is my very last option for learning what I need to know to make this mod and I'll probably be forced to give up otherwise.

Thanks for any help you can give.

[Andreas Roth 629]

Your UI looks really nice, but unfortuantely, the game doesn't recognize any other tilesets - the EXE would need to be modified for this.

[calculon000 0]

Aw man, I was afraid of that.  I really don't want to simply make a bunch of stand-alone buildings.

Would the only way to modify the exe be a hex editor?  Or maybe do you think e-mailing maxis and requesting support for additional tilesets would bear any fruit?

[Andreas Roth 629]

As far as I know, the EXE is encrypted, so you won't be able to edit anything in a HEX editor. Attempts to "encourage" EA were not fruitful in the past, so I doubt that there's any chance to get another patch/update for the game.

[warrior 169]

First I couldn't delete my double post, then I couldn't edit it, now it's deleted both of them. Oh well

You can use Ollydbg to look in the EXE, but you'll need a carkced EXE (no-CD) which is probably illegal to download. This may give some more infomation, but I highly doubt ou'll be able to edit it.

The picture sounds interseting but I can't see it btw,

[Aspire 3]

.... Hi everybody!

Well, i just wanted to know if anybody had wondered what it would be like to have a specific building set without having to plop the specific building down all the time, or just waiting for it to grow... well, i thought about it, and came up wih this idea of making an addon that allows a person to choose a building set for the city they are building. 

i really don't know how to program in SC4, and really wonder if someone can help meor teach me about the adding into the game... not really making sense right now.. 

(not really a good drawer either, but can do BATs, with the exeption of using plug in mgr to put in )

So, Tell me what you think!

[Albatross Domain 2]

That wouldn't be such a bad idea, especially if you only wanted a certain theme in that particular city... however if your working w/ a large city map, you'd also want diversity.

[His Divine Hand 244]

As far as I have ever heard, it is impossible to add new tilesets (building selecions) to the game.

[Aspire 3]

Albatross Domain - That wouldn't be such a bad idea, especially if you only wanted a certain theme in that particular city... however if your working w/ a large city map, you'd also want diversity. quote>

You would be able to select more than one of the themes on this.

His Divine Hand - As far as I have ever heard, it is impossible to add new tilesets (building selecions) to the game.quote>

They had it in SC2, and with jplumbley's NAM Congestion Scale, that edited SC4's travfic view i had started thinking about it. (i think there is an uodated one somewhere)


https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?id=19295

[RippleJet 36]

New tilesets have been desired since 2003, but no, there is no way of adding them.

And believe me, it has been tried over and over again.

Besides, the latest discussion on the subject isn't that far back:

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=41&threadid=99830&highlight_key=y&keyword1=additional%20tilesets