is it safe?

[LE0 5]

I have downloaded Lot editor, bldg props for Vanilla/ Rush Hour (I have SC4 Deluxe Edition)

Also should I download the Deluxe Edition update thing???

I know theres BAT which I will download, but what are more mod tools. i want to make mods?

All kinds of mods, texture replacement mods, BATS, Lots, Mayor Mode ploppables, transit mods, everything

any advice would be appreciated

thanks

[Sam 163]

Hi Leo, if you are wanting to make mods and lots then you absolutely must ensure your game is fully patched. It will save a lot of frustration and also if you are sharing your new mods with others they should be fairly compatible, which they won't be if your game is not patched properly.

Secondly you should clean up your plugin folders. There are some custom plugins that are obsolete and you should remove before you start modding and lotting. Otherwise people using your mods will have compatability issues.  Barbyw has written a guide to this here: Some advice on props and dependencies

Once you've done that, you may need different tools depending on what you want to do, as there are different kinds of modding for example Lot Modding, Transit Modding, Terrain Modding etc.

You will definitely need Ilive's Reader, which you can get from the STEX here: iLive - Reader 0.9.3

It has a very steep learning curve, but there is a Guide for Beginners written by Tropod here: The Reader, Beginner's Guide

If you are wanting to do Lot Modding, you will find Ilive's LEProp very useful for simple things. It can only do a few things like change lot costs, menu position and basic properties, but its much simpler to use than the reader. You can find it on the STEX here: LEProp 1.62

You will also find SC4 Tool handy especially for lot modding, as it will create dependency lists and readme's as well as let you mod properties. You can find the thread about it here: SC4Tool - Reference and Visual Editor for BATs and Lots

There's also lots of tutorials and forum posts about modding.

[LE0 5]

Yes I have these right now: I downloaded them all today, I havent installed them yet.

Lot Editor

bldgprop_vol1

bldgprop_vol2

Also the mods you linked to were made several years ago. are there any newer versions?

[Sam 163]

I didn't link you to any mods. What I've given you are links to modding tools and tutorials. You can certainly search the STEX for any more recent editions, but they were the first links I came to.

[timcravey 169]

You will also need the file ModelNames.ms from the official maxis site to prevent texture conflicts - It's listed as TextureProblemFix on the download page here:

http://simcity.ea.com/coolstuff/bat/index.php

[LE0 5]

Sorry for the bump...

i am serious about making mods, but i had another question? is it safe to upload mods or bats etc. i made from a computer with some...um spyware (i know but i cant get rid of it) is it safe?

because i plan for making a puzzle peices and texture mods etc and become a BIG modder

PLEASE answer its important

[Andreas Roth 629]

You never know what the spyware is doing on your computer, so if you can't remove it, you need to wipe your HD and reinstall Windows. This is the only way to be absolutely sure you got rid of it.

[Sam 163]

If you upload, the virus or whatever it is can spread to others, so please don't upload anything that has been exposed.

[LE0 5]

Originally posted by: sam

If you upload, the virus or whatever it is can spread to others, so please don't upload anything that has been exposed.quote>

what do you mean by exposed?

i would make the mod on the computer with the problems then put it on a flash drive and upload it from a different computer

[Andreas Roth 629]

That's like baking a cake in a room full of peope with a cold, then taking it to the post office and send it from there, hoping the cake hasn't been spoilt with germs - not exactly the best idea.

[Sam 163]

Any file that was on your computer at any time when your computer was infected may itself have become infected and may transfer that virus on to other people's computers if they download your file.

Only once your computer has been properly and thoroughly cleaned will you be able to create files that are safe for others (note, this means create from scratch, not copies taken from your computer when it was infected and then copied to your cleaned computer).

Once your computer is properly disinfected you will need to implement regular, thorough and effective anti-virus and spyware scans, as well as ensuring you always use safe downloading habits (ie proper scanning of incoming files and data) to keep it that way.

[LE0 5]

Yeah i know this migh sound paranoid but is SC4 disc contaminated and a flash drive if so?

[Sam 163]

Flash Drive yes, SC4 Disk no if it is a store bought disk (I have no idea about a online store software, depends what kind of protection they have on it)

[LE0 5]

and we disabled internet on the problem computer (also the computer we use to play sc4, sims 2 etc

I bought sc4 deluxe at target 3 years ago

So you mean if I played sc4 on the computer woth the spyware, then i reset and wipe the computer, and play sc4 there, it wont reinfect it?

[tungston 19]

If it is "spyware", there are free programs to get rid of it. Spybot Search and Destroy is a good one. You can find several at tucows.com, or cnet.com.

[LE0 5]

what else do i do

so the game is safe?

[tungston 19]

You should run a virus scan on all your files with a good antivirus program. There are free programs that are capable of keeping your computer virus free.

Spyware is not generally spread with the type of files you will be uploading.

If you can spend 45 USD on a program, Norton 360 v. 3 can do it all.  Symantec has overhauled Norton so it is no longer the bloatware, memory hog it used to be.  It has antivirus, antispyware, antiphishing, backup, and other handy things.

[LE0 5]

how do i wipe the computer? i need to eliminate all the spyware?

[tungston 19]

Start the computer with the Windows CD, you may have to set that in the BIOS.  When you do a fresh install, you can format the hard drive.  That will get rid of any virus, or spyware on that drive only.  Any other will need to be cleaned also, flash drives, or external drives.  If you have stored data on a CD/DVD you must be careful it is not infected.

It would be much easier to install antivirus, and antispyware programs than wiping all of the storage devices.  You will need those programs to keep the computer free of malware anyway.

[tungston 19]

I have never used any of the freeware, but I hear the AVG is good.

You might find freeware at tucows.com, or cnet.com.

Microsoft is going to turn the Windows Live One Care into a free malware some time soon.  That would be my choice, because I have used it for some time, I now get it free with the Qwest ISP.  I think there is a 90 free trial of it, and by that time the free version might be available.