A Note to all Batters & Modders..

[DocRorlach 25]

While working on the Download Manager I came across something I had encountered a few times earlier: a rising tendency of some folks to wrap their wonderful creations in a layer of folders. Here's an example (and I am not singleing out Shmails - others did it, too):

C:\Users\DocRorlach\Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins\Civic\Commerce\Shmails-JENX Commercial Finals\ShmailsFineWine&Cheese-JENXVakwerk6NRnl\ShmailsFineDesign-JENXVakwerk10j\Shmails' Fine Design - JENXVakwerk10j_6d5927a9.SC4Lot

Under Vista, this comes to a total of 220 characters. Under XP it not only gets longer, but comes dangerously close to disappear in the Window's "Black Hole", a trap that befalls any item the total path & name length of which exceeds 252 characters.

The least that happens is that the actual lot will never appear in the game. However, if the lot files and the dependency files are separated by one or more folders within the same path, trouble might appear. Worst of all, any straight copy backup or archiving will never include it because it cannot find the final files in the lowest folder.

The fault is largely Windows, because the path can be created, the files can be installed - they cannot, however, be retrieved. In the case above, the error waas mine, because I added two folders of my own. But I have also come across executable installations the final lots of which have never seen the light of day.

Thus: keep it short! If a folder organization is necessary, keep their length and depth to an absolute minimum. SC4 filenames are already long enough without anyone adding a hundred or so characters in path names.

Thanks.

[fukuda 351]

Thanks for the tip

[DocRorlach 25]

No sweat - but I just found one that is even more astounding: take a look at the following file name:

C:\Users\DocRorlach\Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins\SFBT\Railway Set\Freight Car Sidings\SFBT_Abstellgleis_8x1_3-4Gleise_7xKohle_3xFalns_2xRemms_1xHabin_1x_Shimm_1xDR243_1xBR185_1xBR232_elektrifiziert_760b7641.SC4Lot

[JakeMD 107]

Good catch!

[Cleaner475 150]

Thanks for the info. I actually didn't know anything about the implications lots of folders can have,

Richard

[un1 41]

Thanks for telling me. This will more then be useful.. (You might want to change the title to A Note to all Custom Content Creators, because Lots and Dependency packages should be included)

-un1

[JakeMD 107]

Especially Dependency Packages...

[High5flyier 7]

I have found it easy enough to reduce folders at the installation stage of each plugin. With careful folder naming I try and have just one folder for each download . In the above example I have reduced the folders to just "SFBT_Freight Car Sidings." With both plugins folders totaling around 5gb of stuff my game runs just fine. Proper plugin management is one of the most important requirements for playing this game. Anybody want some used manila folders? I have a big stack of them!

[Livin in Sim 83]

Hi, DocRorlach,

Wow, as others have said, I think this is good for anyone that designs, uses, and organizes custom content to know.  I had no idea there was a limit to the length of the filename.  Thanks for realizing and sharing this.

Enjoy the game!

--Liv