Downloadable buildings?

[xboxlive4ever 2]

Hey! How do you download those individual buildings? You know the ones that aren't in the game to start with but people make them and upload them. I tried to download some, but the ones that develope from zoning don't show up. Any Tips?

[Yuu Caa Sim 55]

You have to unzip them using Winzip or some similar program to:

Vista: C:\Users\\Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins

XP: C:\Documents and Settings\\My Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins

After that, make sure that all Building Styles have been selected in that particular city, and then build a city large enough for the downloaded buildings to grow, and then hope the game chooses them to grow.

[Boggy1 45]

Boggy1's  Quick  Guide  to  All  Things Custom  Content!

How To Install Buildings

To install custom downloads, except maps, from the Simtropolis Exchange, follow the below instructions.

Firslty, you simply download what you want by clicking on the download button. You will most likely be presented with a pop-up, which asks you if you want to save the file, or open it. Select save, but remember the directory where you saved it to. Wait for it to download; remember, it may take several minutes to download depending on your connection and the size of the file.

Once it has downloaded, browse to where ever you saved the file. I recommend creating a folder in your My Documents, specifically for downloads from simtropolis.com, so that they are all in one place.

You will most likely be presented with a .zip file, which looks like a folder with a zipper running across it. To unzip the contents of this file, right click it, select "Extract All", and then unzip the files to the directory: "My Documents/SimCity4/Plugins".

Remeber, that you should always read the README file, and the Online Description on simtropolis.com to check for information and dependancies. Dependancies are extra little downloads, like textures or props, that are required to make the file work properly, that don't come with the main file. They are linked to in the README or Online Description.

Make sure you have Sim City 4 Rush Hour or Sim City 4 Deluxe, and make sure you turn off the game before downloading anything; or the file will not work.

How To Install Maps

Downloading and installing maps from the Simtropolis Exchange is quite a bit different to downloading and installing a building. Follow this tutorial: https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=141&threadid=92955&enterthread=y

Organization It's generally best to organize your Plugins folder so that you can find each thing you download easily, such as sorting files in a directory like this: "My Documents/Sim City 4/Plugins/Name Of Author/Name Of Building/[FILES]".

This is so that if anything you download doesn't work or causes a problem, you can simply delete the folder without searching for hours for the correct files. 

Putting downloaded into sub-folders within your Plugins folder will not effect their appearance in the game.

Nightlights

Often, you might find that the nightlights on the buildings you downloaded do not show up when you switch to Night Mode in the game. To solve this issue, you need to download the two game updates, so follow the instructions below.

If you haven't already, you need to download the EP1 Update for the game. Go here: https://www.sc4devotion.com/SC4D_Maxis_files_EP1.html

For whatever region you live in, download the specific SKU file. For instance, if you live in North America, only download the file marked "sku 1".

Then, you need to download the SC4Update4BAT, which is here: https://www.sc4devotion.com/maxis/SC4Update4BAT.zip

Install the EP1 Update first, ignore the warning, and then install the SC4UpdateBAT file.

Then you're done!

Remember you need Sim City 4 Rush Hour or Sim City 4 Deluxe for these updates and most downloads to work.

Brown Boxes and Dependencies If brown boxes marked with "simcity.com" appear in your city in place of your download, then you know you are missing certain dependencies. Dependancies are extra little downloads, like textures or props, that are required to make the file work properly, that don't come with the main file. Make sure to always download them, or the custom content you downloaded may not work. 

Dependencies are usually linked to in the README or Online Description of the thing you downloaded.

Install them as you would anything else, by unzipping  to My Documents/Sim City 4/Plugins.

You will also need to download the Official Maxis Props, bldgprop_vol1.dat and bldgprop_vol2.dat, which can be found here: http://homepage.mac.com/WebObjects/FileSharing.woa/wa/default?user=zelgadis&templatefn=FileSharing1.html Remember you need Sim City 4 Rush Hour or Sim City 4 Deluxe for most of the downloads to work. 

Terminology

If you successfully downloaded buildings, but they do not show up in any of the menus, then check to see if the building you downloaded is a GROW or PLOP.

A GROW building will grow on it's own; it will not appear in any menus. You need to place down residential/commercial/industrial zoning, and then it will grow itself.

A PLOP building is the opposite. It will appear in the menus, and you can plop it down anywhere you like, without waiting for it to grow in a zone.

You may also encounter these:

A PROP file is just a tiny little element, like a flagpole or pedestrian, which goes onto the lot of a custom building. You only really need to download these if they are linked as a dependency, or if you are a custom content creator.

A TEXTURE is a pattern or image, like brick or glass, that is used in custom content creation  You only really need to download these if they are linked as a dependency, or if you are a custom content creator.

A MESH or a MODEL file is the barebones of a custom creation; before it has been properly imported into the game. You generally don't need to download these unless you are a custom content creator.

A BAT file is a custom content, like a building, that is created using the special 3D modelling software gmax or 3ds Max and the Building Architect Tool. They are generally created entirely from scratch by the creator. 

A LOT file is a custom content, like a building, that is created using Maxis' LOT Editor. They only use the Maxis-made buildings that came with the game.

Creating Your Own Custom Content

There are two options when it comes to creating custom content. 

Firstly, you could go the hard route, and use actual 3D modelling software.

GMAX and 3ds Max are both 3D modelling software, that allow custom content creators to create buildings and other content from scratch, by individually creating the wireframe body, and applying textures.

GMAX is free, and can be found here for free: http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax

3ds Max on the other hand, costs a lot of money, and can be bought here: http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=5659302

If you do go down this route, you will need to download the Building Architect Tool (BAT for short), which is the Maxis-created tool which allows you to import your models into the game. It can be found here: https://www.sc4devotion.com/SC4D_Maxis_files_BAT.html

Or you could go the easier route, and create custom content using the Lot Editor, which can be found here: https://www.sc4devotion.com/SC4D_Maxis_files_LE.html

Remember, even if you use GMAX or 3ds Max, you will still need the Lot Editor, as this enables you to place props and other elements on your model. 

[xboxlive4ever 2]

Now I'm stuck. A window pops up after selecting building to download. It asks what Firefox should do with this file. Options are Open with  and a Browse button next to it and below it says save file

[Boggy1 45]

That is the download window. This is standard for any download you ever initiate in Firefox anywhere on the web. Simply Save File somewhere (say..your My Documents), and then you can follow the rest of the instructions

[jwa1 0]

Go to the exchange