Sunken Highway Walls that Work on Macs?

[Monk's Dream 0]

Can anyone point me towards highway walls that can be used on Macs?  The only ones I can find require texture dependencies that also require the use of Cleanitol, which doesn't work with Macs.

much appreciated

[ArchangelMichael 51]

I'm assuming that you are referring to the walls offered by Jeronij.  All of his textures have been amalgamated into mega packs to make the game load and run faster, and to help clean up the mess in the plugins folder.  If you really want to use those lots, just set aside some time to do a file search for the .dats listed in the cleanitol file to determine whether you have them.  If you do, move them to a backup folder before deleting them, then install Jeronij's walls.  Or, if you would simply prefer some suggestions for wall sets that do not require an extensive search for existing files, I have two suggestions:

You'll find a nice selection of textures for retaining walls from Mas71 of Japan.  His first set of walls can be found here on Simtropolis, but the rest of his creations are available at sc4devotion.com.  Just log into the LEX, search for Mas71, and you will see his second walls set (along with two addons for that set) near the bottom of his uploads page.  Both of his walls sets can be used with sunken networks or as retaining walls on terraces.

Here on the STEX, do a search for buddybud.  His sunken highway walls are very nice, but take notice that they only look good when used with networks in a 14 meter trench.  Placing them on the walls of networks built in the usual 15 meter trenches will cause some pieces to produce a jagged effect in the texture called banding (particularly the piece that goes behind on/offramps).  Speaking of "jagged," you'll also need a jagged edges mod for this set (but it comes in handy even if you don't use buddybud's walls).  This one by Ennedi is the best one to use, especially if you use a terrain mod by cycledogg.  For digging holes and raising ridges, try this set of lots by shadow_assassin.  They're more versatile than the originals by smoncrie.  Buddybud's set of walls is only for use with sunken networks and cannot be used as retaining walls due to overhanging props that may collide with buildings and look ridiculous.  A very nice feature is the fact that he includes detailed readme files that show how to place the lots properly.

[bwatterud 7]

You don't actually need Cleanitol to use the texture dependencies, it's just a quicker and easier way to find and remove older dependencies that a new one replaces (but only if you're using windows, obviously). If you're just getting started downloading stuff, then you should be fine, since most of the stuff you download won't replace anything. Even so, Cleanitol works by reading filenames in a .txt file, which is included with the downloads. You can just use the txt file to see what files you need to remove, then Spotlight search to find them.

EDIT: k, I just read your other thread that kinda pertains to this.  You juice an exe in a file that wants you to use Cleanitol.  The dats that get juiced will work fine.  The uploaders just want you to remove "file x" either because it conflicts with the mod in question (only in a really major mod, like CAM, or the big BSC Seaport addon), or more often, because the file is a dependency megapack, that includes a bunch of previously released material.  Having both the new file and the old one won't cause any in game problems (except maybe a little longer load times).  Like I said, a txt file should juice with any files that ask you to use Cleanitol, which would contain the exact filenames of anything you should remove.  If it doesn't, then Spotlight searching for the name of the mod/texture pack should be sufficient (you haven't been downloading stuff for too long, so you shouldn't run into too much that needs to be removed).  Just make sure you do this before you install the mod/pack, since you may end up inadvertently removing what you just put in. 

[Monk's Dream 0]

Guys, thanks so much!  Okay, let me get started then.

"If you really want to use those lots, just set aside some time to do a file search for the .dats listed in the cleanitol file to determine whether you have them."

In another thread I pointed out that even when I juice something like the BSC MegaPack, I don't get a huge list of files anywhere.  All I get is a installBSC.dat file, just one.  So from your guys' responses, the files are somewhere else?  I can find them in spotlight?

"Speaking of "jagged," you'll also need a jagged edges mod for this set (but it comes in handy even if you don't use buddybud's walls)."

I was also reading through another person's recent textures mod thread for Macs.   I don't know what I installed, but SC4 kept crashing on me every time I loaded a city, and if I removed my mods, it was fine.  I tried, but I couldn't isolate the exact file that caused it, so I just deleted everything and started over.  That sucked, and I don't want it to happen again.

Sounds like texture mods can conflict with each other and cause crashes.  I am using the PEG pine trees and snow cap textures.   Will the jagged edges mod conflict with these?

Thanks for the wall suggestions.  I'll look into those links.

[ArchangelMichael 51]

Typically when you download something like a mega pack, it is a zip file that contains an installer in .exe format, a Cleanitol file in .txt format, and sometimes a readme file in .html format.  The long list of files to remove is contained in the Cleanitol text file.  If you do not see one of those in the zip file, then it probably did not come with one.  Let us know which walls you're trying to install and we may be able to offer more help.  Also, like bwatterud said, if you have few or no plugins, you probably don't have to worry about finding old dependencies.

As for the jagged edges mod, it should not conflict with any other mods.  Its sole purpose is to fix a cosmetic issue that occurs with the game's default terrain parameters regarding diagonal slopes.  It's difficult to explain the mod's function in words, but if you download the one I linked to and read the readme, you'll understand right away when you see the pictures.  The reason such a mod is required for retaining walls is because they will look really silly or perhaps not even function properly without it.  The only stipulation is that you must use one that matches your terrain mod, if you are using one.

When isolating the cause of a crash or other anomaly, start by removing half of your plugins and starting the game.  If the error still occurs, replace them and remove the other half, then start the game again.  Once you get the game to run smoothly, try replacing your plugins one by one until you get it to crash.  That should identify the culprit.  If you are using PEG's god mode pine trees in conjunction with other god mode trees by cycledogg, that is guaranteed to cause problems, as only one tree controller can be used at a time.