ST 7.0 Tutorial Thread

[JakeMD 107]

Welcome to 7.0

Before writing or searching for a tutorial, or even asking a question, take a look at the Help Documentation that has been set up.

Do you have a tutorial on the workings of ST 7.0 you'd like to share? Do so here! Once the Omnibus returns, we'll migrate all these over there.

(If you see a tutorial that pertains to ST7 in another forum/thread, PM Swat-medic

Index:

• ***Useful Information To Newcomers***
  
• Opening Chat In A Tab, Rather Than A Window
• The Dependency Debate
  
• Linking Directly To Specific Posts
• Quick Tip: What is Warn Status and Reputation?
• Around the Forums, cool new features
• Customize Your Profile Background
• "Private" Threads in ST7
  
• Disabling Chat Sounds In FB Chat Bar
• Find the list of your STEX Uploads and Downloads
  
• Find the list of your CJ's in the CJ Section
• Getting Started on the STEX for Mac Users
• Easy Multiple Quotes in Replies
• Sc4 In Windowed Mode
• Want to see who's chatting?

Useful Information For Newcomers to Simtropolis

PM Mikeaut1 if you have a question regarding this tutorial.

First and foremost, welcome to Simtropolis! If you're looking at this thread, you are probably new to the community. I bet you're feeling overwhelmed with all the things that Simtropolis has to offer. Are you asking yourself "What do I download first? Where can I download this? What is the STEX? How do I download maps?" Hopefully this little article will direct you to all the essential downloads and great stuff you just can't miss on Simtropolis!

1. THE NAM

What is the NAM? The NAM is the most essential download on Simtropolis. Are you having trouble with commute times in SC4? Often times, Sims don't like to travel to work, they may even be too lazy to travel to work across the street. The NAM replaces the paths your Sims take to work, find an alternate route, and basically make all commute times either short or medium.

If you want realistic commute times, when you download the NAM, select Radical Custom Special from the traffic plugins dropdown menu during installation. Make sure you check this off!

During installation, you will see other options. Reading the readme that comes with the NAM will summarize it all for you.

Tired of the transportation in SC4? The NAM will provide you with alternate transportation, including transport types such as the Ground Light Rail. Again, all this stuff is in the readme associated with the NAM.

2. THE STEX

The STEX is where you get all the juicy downloads for your game. Buildings, mods, lots, you name it. The STEX currently has over 10,000 files to download!

To make browsing files easier, the STEX has a search option. If you want a specific college or university for your city, and you're tired of the Maxis university, type in "university" or "college" in the search and see what comes up! A few BATted universities!

The best of the best on the STEX:

If you're building a supercity with a huge downtown, you may want to variate your buildings. Tired of a downtown filled with Maxis? (That Wren Insurance can be a pain in the neck to stare at)!

NDEX - One of Simtropolis' major BAT groups, NDEX has over 250 files on the STEX! The main production of the BAT group are realistic skyscrapers. All of which are recommended for download!

BSC - The BSC is another large BAT group on Simtropolis, with almost 2,000 files! The BSC is probably the most variated BAT group, with downloads ranging from nice looking farms, to midsized skyscrapers perfect for any downtown. Spruce up your suburban areas with some notable stores such as Rite Aid. The BSC has their own exchange over at SC4 Devotion.

Of course, besides these two BAT groups, there are several others. For more information on other BAT groups, and other uploaders to the STEX, check out The Sim City 4 Custom Content Forum!

3. IF I NEED HELP, WHAT DO I DO?

If you need help navigating around the site, finding something to download, having trouble downloading or playing the game, or you just have a plain question for the site staff, please don't hesitate to PM us!

- You can find a list of all the active members of the site staff here.

- You can receive some help from The New Member Information Area.

- Check out Simtropolis Related for some information about the site.

- Need help with understanding an Omnibus article? Post here!

Article written by Mikeaut1. Will be updated from time-to-time.

---------------------

Opening Chat In A Tab, Rather Than A Window

Many users, like myself, prefer to have the chat room open in a tab for quick access. In the new version of ST, it opens in a new window via a javascript function, so there is no way to "Open in new tab" or middle click on it to open it in a new tab. Well here I have a solutoin.

*Your browser must support tabbed browsing in order for this to work.

First, like always, navigate to the home page.

The next step is to, of course, click on the chat button to bring up the new window. Chat will load up and you will be logged in as usual.

The next step is to open up a new tab in the new browser window. On most browsers the command to do this is holding down Control and hitting T at the same time.

This opened up a new tab for ourselves.

The next step is to drag the chat tab to our main browser window. I am using the latest version of Firefox outside of the beta. I am fairly certain that most tabbed browsers have this functionality but I am not 100% sure. If it doesn't work in your browser, try Firefox.

Drag the chat tab over to the main window, and there you have it!

The chat will refresh and you will be logged back in.

Happy chatting!

*Alternatively, if you use Userscripts, you can use this userscript:

http://userscripts.o...ipts/show/97872

Thanks, Simmaster

  Edited March 7, 2011 by swat-medic  

[Sniper296 83]

I can confirm this works with IE9, Firefox 3.6, Google Chrome 9.0, Safari 5.0 & Opera 11 but not IE8.

  Edited February 27, 2011 by Sniper296  

[JakeMD 107]

Linking directly to specific posts

Linking directly to specific posts is a lot like ST 6.0. There is a number on the right of the post with its unique identity tied in as a link. To link to the post, right click on it (or click on it and copy the URL once the page loads) and choose "Copy Link Location". Then, paste that link in as a url.

The URL for the second post is "http://www.simtropol...utorial-thread/page__view__findpost__p__1132426".

There is some information here that is useful, and some that isn't. The 7 numbers at the end are the unique post ID. Everything in green is what we want to keep. The stuff in red can be safely deleted from here on out.

The first part of the link should be whats in the URL already. In this case it was "http://www.simtropol...utorial-thread/". Then, add "#entry#######" to the end of the url. This should effectively allow you to navigate throughout the page without having to refresh.

I.E. For the second post in this topic, simply paste:

(ignore the single quotation marks )

[code]'Second Post in Topic'[/code]

Second Post in Topic

But lets say you do not want the page to refresh, saving time and bandwidth. Let's say, for example, you are creating a topic like this with numerous posts that make up separate tutorials. You then want to paste in the anchor, instead of the "hyperlink".

Here's how it works. An anchor is commonly put in web pages to create "way-points" as it were, to separate pages into sections. Each post is a section in a thread and therefore has its own anchor. In the previous example, the end of the URL was "1132426". This is the unique ID for that post. When linking from other threads or even off site, the above example works pretty well. If you wanted to link within the page, then linking to the anchor works even better.

For now, I have not figured out a way to do this with the current editor. In past versions of Simtropolis, the rich text editor had an in-depth link editor. The current version doesn't seem to have that. The editor will eventually be updated and enable us to do this. But for now, use the example above.

This technique, using both examples, is good for things like City Journals (in the forums), BAT threads, etc, etc. Good luck and happy posting!

  Edited February 27, 2011 by swat-medic  

[simmaster07 1,220]

Alternatively, instead of having to open a new tab and drag the tab to the other window, you can use this userscript:

http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/97872

[JakeMD 107]

I can confirm this works with Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari & Opera but not IE.

Hi Sniper,

I have the latest release candidate for IE and I can do it on that version. What version do you have?

[Sniper296 83]

Hi Sniper,

I have the latest release candidate for IE and I can do it on that version. What version do you have?

Sorry forgot to mention, IE is still 8.0.6001

  Edited February 27, 2011 by Sniper296  

[JakeMD 107]

Quick Tip: Reputation and Warn status

What is the warn status? It is a meter used by the moderators to label you as a "problem child" or a good-standing user. Generally, breaking rules and getting warnings will increase your warning status. It's best not to deviate from the rules too much.

So where do I get my reputation?? You get your reputation from users voting your posts up. Everyone can vote a post up, including your own. (for now). You can also get reputation by commenting on STEX uploads and City Journal entries. To vote up a post, click the button on bottom right of a post. The users reputation will go up by one!

Have fun!

  Edited February 27, 2011 by swat-medic  

[zuesian 4]

This is very helpful, thanks for making it! I never knew what warn status was. Its not a tutorial, but I have to say thanks.

  Edited February 27, 2011 by zuesian  

[JakeMD 107]

So, what does everything in the forums.. do?

First of all, the new forum software is awesome. Just putting that out there.

The software gives you a choice if you want to use BBCode, or a rich text editor. By default, it looks like you are using the default editor if you have not already discovered how to change it. To change it, go to my profile, and under general settings you will find "Post Settings". Check the box for "RTE (Rich Text Editor)" and hit save changes. You will now be using a similar text editor to word or Text Edit.

A cool feature of the new software is the ability to "watch" topics and forums. This is useful when you enjoy a certain forum and regularly check it. You can set the software to notify you whenever someone makes a new post based on your activity level.

To "watch" a topic or forum, look on the upper right hand side of the page and click "Watch Topic" or "Watch Forum".

When you watch a post or forum, you get to choose what kind of notifications you receive.

On the forum index, your watched forums and posts appear at the bottom right of the right panel.

You might be wondering what these funny little messages are above user's posts. It's called their "status". Much like the popular social networking site Facebook, users can update their status and it appears on their posts and on their forum profile. You can set your status from the forum index page or from your profile page.

  Edited February 27, 2011 by swat-medic  

[beebs 129]

Just wanted to say thanks to swat-medic for working on these. If anyone else comes across any tips or tricks they'd like to share, please feel free to do so in this thread. It's a new software, so there's bound to be shortcuts and whatnot hidden.

[simmaster07 1,220]

Customizing Your Profile's Background

With ST 7, you can customize your profile by adding a background. There are two options for customizing your profile: you can tile (repeat) an image, or you can use a large image to cover the entire background on almost all users' screens.

All backgrounds have to be uploaded off-site. That means your awesome background will have to go to an image host, such as:

• Tinypic
  
• Imageshack
  
• Photobucket
  

Or you can hotlink to other sites. However, sites with hotlink protection will ruin your background.

To set an image as our background, we have to go to our profile settings.

Then to the profile tab...

And lastly, to Profile Customization.

Tiled Images

A tiled image can be smaller and easier to make. Here's the background we'll be using for our example:

And this is the URL for it:

[code]http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb/20061223/Seamless-Tile-Background-Wallpaper-173225.jpg[/code]

Once in your Profile Customization screen, put the URL for the image in it and check the "Tile Image" checkbox. You don't need a background color for tiled backgrounds. Your Profile Customization screen should look something like this: Hit the Save Changes button, and look at your beautiful new profile! Non-tiled Images Non-tiled images are a little trickier if you're planning on making your own. If you want to make sure your background looks good on everyone's screens, you'll need a large image. Most of the ones I've seen were at least 1600x1000 pixels large. Here's my (very scaled down) background image: We're going to assume that the background's already been uploaded to Tinypic (there are other tutorials for actually uploading the picture), and we now have this URL:

[code]http://i54.tinypic.com/ff2vpt.jpg[/code]

We're going to do the same as we would with a tiled image, except when we will not check the "Tile Image" checkbox.

Ta-da!

  Edited February 27, 2011 by simmaster07  

[KCJC 367]

Great tutorials guys, should help everyone.

In Opera 11 you can just maximize the new window and it becomes a tab.

  Edited February 27, 2011 by 2b2gbi  

[simmaster07 1,220]

Private "Threads" in ST7

Unlike ST6, ST7 no longer has a dedicated forum for private threads. However, there's a similar feature in ST7 that you can access through your messenger. Firstly, go to your messenger.

Now click on the Compose New button.

For the recipient's name, if you're going to have multiple people, just put any recipient. It doesn't make a difference. If there's anyone else you'd like to add, put their names down in "Other Recipients" in a comma-separated list (the forum software makes suggestions and does the comma-separating). Make sure it gets sent as an invitation and not a copy. It only works as an invitation.

And send your message! When you go to your new private thread, you should see something a little like this:

If you ever want to delete your thread, just hit the Delete button on top. The entire thread will now be gone.

[KCJC 367]

Just a Quick Tip

Disabling Chat Notification Sounds

Chat Notification sounds getting annoying? You can easily disable them by simply un-checking the box in the image below:

Hope that helped those of you who were wondering what that noise was.

  Edited February 27, 2011 by 2b2gbi  

[hkboondoggle 20]

Nice tips & orientation, well done people!

Maybe I'm the only one, but your pic only shows a frog in icecube with text "Domain Unregistered" 2b2gbi

  Edited February 27, 2011 by hkboondoggle  

[JakeMD 107]

Nice tips & orientation, well done people!

Maybe I'm the only one, but your pic only shows a frog in icecube with text "Domain Unregistered" 2b2gbi

Can you see this one?

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

How to find the list of your STEX uploads... and also your Downloads.

>Click your user name in the top right.

>Click My Settings

>Click Simtropolis Exchange

This brings up your View My Files page, where you can see a list of all your STEX Uploads, see when it was submitted, updated, downloads, views and rating.

Also from this page you can click View My Downloads... this will show everything that you have downloaded (since the beginning of ST7).

At present there does not seem to be a direct link to this page from the main STEX homepage, however Dirk is definately working on stuff night and day to make improvements... so please be patient.

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

To find the list of your CJs in the CJ Section...

>Click your user name in the top right.

>Click My Settings

>Click City Journals

This brings up your Manage Your City Journals page, where you can see a list of all your CJs, see the number of views and comments, see the latest comments, and also start a new CJ.

At present, there does not seem to be a way to access this page directly from the CJ Section Home Page.

[Craig-Abcvs 1,595]

Turning Off Status Updates

So you have made a status update, about what you ate for breakfast last Tuesday, but now it is out of date, but you don't want to update it with something new?

I have found a way to remove a status update completely. However it is not perfect...

You just need to delete them... (the only problem is you have to delete all of them otherwise the previous one on your history will reappear).

However, if you can live with just one status update at a time in your list, and then you want to go sans-status... for a while then, yup, deleting it will return you to your glorious status free existence.

[JakeMD 107]

Getting Started on the STEX for Macintosh Users

By: Zelgadis with additional material by GoaSkin

Please PM Zelgadis if you have any questions about this article.

Table of Contents

1. Purpose
2. Assumptions
3. Where to Start
4. Maxis Landmarks and Fixes
5. After Downloading
6. Other Important Download Facts and Information
7. Rendering Region Maps
8. Making Your Own BATs with Macintosh
9. Registering at the Official SimCity 4 Website
10. STEX Building Nightlighting
11. Credits

1. Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide additional information to Macintosh users for using the STEX. This guide is supplemental to the general STEX guide found here which was written primarily for Windows users. As such, this guide will cover mostly the areas where Windows and Macintosh differ. It is therefore highly recommended that you read the general STEX article in addition to this one.

2. Assumptions

This guide assumes that you have the Rush Hour expansion pack installed. Most, but not all, items on the STEX will work only with the Rush Hour expansion pack. This guide also assumes that you installed your copy of SimCity 4 and the Rush Hour expansion pack in the default location.

3. Where to Start

Now that you are a registered user of Simtropolis, it is time to begin downloading. Where do you start? What do you download first?

It all depends on what you are personally interested in. It is most important to note that not everything on the STEX will work on your Macintosh. Additionally, some things work better than others. Here is a list of items that are likely to work on your Macintosh:

- NAM, Macintosh version.*

- Anything from the BSC Mac Archive.**

- Buildings by NDEX, SOMY, and BSC. (In my own, personal experience)

- Almost all props and textures. (I have never encountered one that did not work.)

- All maps.

- And many other things.

* There is no compatibility difference between the Windows version and Macintosh version. However, the Macintosh version addresses some of the patch issues that EA released for Windows but Aspyr did not for Macintosh.

** If the BSC Mac Archive has moved, you can find the new location at the BSC Mac Archive thread in the SimCity 4 Mac Users forum. Kbooms1w's signature will also always carry the current link. If the site doesn't load the first time, keep trying. It will.

There isn't enough time in the world to download and test absolutely everything, so sometimes you'll just have to try something you find interesting for yourself.

Things that do not work:

It is very rare indeed that you will find anything on the STEX that is not Macintosh compatible. Therefore, when testing files, that is the last thing you should assume. It is far more likely that you are missing a dependency of some kind. If, despite your best efforts, a STEX file just doesn't work, it is most likely not working properly for many Windows users as well.

You will find that there are many downloads on the STEX that are .exe files. There are two ways to deal with this problem. First of all, though it is true that a stock Macintosh cannot access .exe files, a Macintosh with a Windows emulator such as Virtual PC or FileJuicer (freeware) can. While Macintosh is not naturally able to work with .exe files, the files extracted from .exe files by a Windows emulator are identical between Macintosh and Windows.

NOTE: Kbooms1w has written a FAQ on FileJuicer which can be found on page five of the BSC Mac Archive thread.

Secondly, some STEX creators upload their files on the STEX as .exe files but maintain separate websites where non-exe versions are available. Pegasus Productions (PEG), for example, does this. Most STEX creators who maintain websites will supply their personal web pages either in the readme file or on the Simtropolis download page which contains one of their creations.

4. Maxis Landmarks and Fixes

Landmarks

If you try to register at SimCity.com and try to get the extra landmarks that are on their site, you’ll find that you can’t do it. As a Mac user, you’re simply out of luck as far as the official site is concerned.

But there is a solution. I had a conversation with the people at EA and they have given permission for anyone to freely distribute the Maxis landmarks. You are free to do so as you wish, however they were very clear to stipulate that you are not permitted to make money from the distribution of Maxis landmarks!

I am hosting the landmarks on my file sharing site. Be sure to read the instructions and follow the links. Included are all the Maxis extra landmarks, bldgprops_vol1.dat, bldgprops_vol2.dat, the Lot Editor, and the Building Architect Tool.

Fixes

SC4_RH&Deluxe_Pre2PostUpdate1_InstallationFilesDifferential.zip

Aspyr never released the SC4 Rush Hour update that Windows users received. You’ll therefore notice that expressway on and off ramps for avenues don’t have crossovers. There are a few other things that this patch fixed. Thanks to Tropod and the NAM team, we have the fix! It is also available on my file sharing site.

Next, follow the instructions made by jjakucyk:

Download the update files from Tropod, and rename the folder SC4_ RH_Deluxe_Update1 such that there's a space at the start. Put that folder in /Applications/SimCity 4/SimCity 4 Data/Plugins/, the space will put it at the top of the list of plugins, making it load first, where it needs to be. If you use the Network Addon Mod (NAM), put all the installation files for the NAM in a folder called •NAM also inside /Applications/SimCity 4/SimCity 4 Data/Plugins/. This makes the NAM load second, after the update.

In the end, you should have something like this:

Graphics Rules.sgr

This file is NOT for use by just anyone! If you are having gameplay smoothness troubles with your Mac, download this file. If you’re using a G4 or G5 Mac, you should definitely try it.

After downloading, go to your SimCity4 Data folder and move the current graphics rules.sgr file to a safe place. Then place the new graphics rules.sgr file directly into your SimCity4 Data folder. DO NOT place it in any Plugins folders.

If it works, yay! If not, throw out the new file and replace it with the old one that you carefully saved.

5. After Downloading

You have downloaded your first building. What do you do with it? There are certain guidelines to follow when installing your STEX files.

NOTE: This section is not applicable to region maps. See below for further instructions regarding region maps.

The Readme file: Most STEX downloads are accompanied by a readme file. You must read and follow the instructions. Any of the information about installing downloads that comes after this paragraph is to be considered void if the readme file instructs you to do otherwise. A few downloads are not accompanied by a readme file. For those, you may install them according to the instructions that follow.

NOTE: Some STEX downloads require additional files to work properly, known as "dependencies." Consult the readme file for any dependencies you might need.

The Plugins Folders: If you installed your copy of SimCity 4 in the default location, you will notice that you have two plugins folders. One is at Home/Applications/SimCity 4/SimCity 4 Data/Plugins (hereinafter referred to as Applications Plugins). The other is at Home/Documents/SimCity 4/Plugins (hereinafter referred to as Documents Plugins). You may install your STEX downloads in whichever folder you wish by simply dragging the files from the download folder into the plugins folder of your choice. Remember, if the Readme file with the download states otherwise, follow the readme instructions.

NOTE: If the readme file instructs you to place your file in My Documents/Maxis/SimCity 4/Plugins folder, the Macintosh equivalent is Documents Plugins. Likewise, if the readme file instructs you to place your file in the C:/ProgramFile/Maxis/SimCity4/Plugins folder, the Macintosh equivalent is Applications Plugins.

Most often, those who create MODD files prefer them to be placed in Applications Plugins. There tends to be more leeway in where to put buildings and textures, but it's often best to keep them in Documents Plugins just to keep things organized.

Organization: You may create subfolders within both of your plugins folders in order to organize your STEX downloads. It is up to you to determine your own preferred organizational process. Again, if the readme file is specific about whether or not you can place a file in a subfolder, follow the readme instructions.

NOTE: A good recommendation is to begin whatever folder in which you place your textures and props with the number "1." This will ensure that the textures and props are loaded first when you start SimCity4 and that you will not experience any mysterious texture/prop disappearances or the infamous big brown box. For more details on how to rid yourself of the evil big brown boxes, visit the Getting Rid of Brown Boxes thread.

6. Other Important Download Facts and Recommendations

- Two other important files are the BSC Essentials and NDEX Essentials files. Both are currently available on the STEX as .exe files. The non-exe version of BSC Essentials is found at the BSC Mac Archive. As of this writing, the NDEX Essentials download is .exe only, but you can download the latest version with the NDEX Touaron Tower or use FileJuicer to get the files you need. Note that both BSC and NDEX require that these files be placed directly in Documents Plugins and in no subfolders! - The BSC Mac Archive contains most of the prop files that you might need to use BSC buildings. I recommend downloading and installing all of them immediately. Though tedious, it will make things easier on you later.

7. Rendering Region Maps

All instructions regarding the downloading and installation of region maps are essentially the same for Macintosh as they are for Windows. Remember that all downloaded region maps must be placed in Home/Documents/SimCity 4/Regions. You may notice that there is a regions folder in your Applications folder, but you cannot use your region maps there.

Instructions for installing maps can be found here.

8. Making your own BATs with Macintosh

This is tricky. Opinions as to whether a gamer can make BATs with the Macintosh vary greatly. In the end, it may even depend on exactly what hardware you have, but even that is in debate.

In the end there are two facts that are apparent.

-While some claim that Virtual PC will not run the GMAX tools, others claim to have gotten it working. See the lot editor and virtual PC thread for details.

-Other 3D modelers do work for Mac, though you will need a person running windows to finish up your work so that your BAT will run on SimCity 4. You need to have a 3D modeler that can save in the 3ds file format for this to work. Several of these, such as Sketchup and Cheetah are available at the Apple website. Search under Imaging & 3D.

9. Registering at the Official SimCity 4 Website

If you try to register at the official SimCity 4 website, you will discover that your CD key is not accepted since your game was exported and distributed by Aspyr. You can register far enough to use the forums but not to use any of the downloads. Please see section 4 for information on Maxis downloads.

10. STEX Building Nightlighting

You will notice that the buildings you download from the STEX will not light up when you are in night mode. This is a bug in the game for which EA made a patch but Aspyr did not. GoaSkin has manually altered a few STEX buildings to make the nightlighting work and they can be found in the Mac Pack Vol 1 on the STEX.

For those of you who would like to alter your STEX to make nightlighting to work yourself, I asked GoaSkin to provide instructions on how to do so, which he kindly supplied me with for inclusion.

Nightlighting Your STEX Buildings

By: GoaSkin

First of all, you will need either Virtual PC or Bochs (freeware) to run iLive Reader.

To begin, I will explain why night-illuminations work on original buildings:

The FSH-files (texture-bitmaps) on original buildings use group ID 1ABE787D and a unique instance ID. The right group ID on FSH files is why night illumination works on original buildings. On BAT buildings, on the FSH files, a random generated unique group ID is used while the instance IDs mostly start at 0.

The first step is to set 1ABE787D as group ID on the FSH files of a BAT building. But then you have a conflict with other buildings because the combination (group/ instance) will exist multiple times. That means wrong textures are shown on the wrong models.

To avoid this, the second thing you have to do is to look for free ranges of Instance IDs. You need to find out Instance ID blocks which aren't used neither on the Maxis files (simcity1-5.dat) nor on the Maxis landmarks. When you have a range, the easiest way is to clone all of the FSH files on a sc4model file and to shift meanwhile the instance IDs into a free range, and then delete the original FSH files. You can use the iLive Reader to do it (it needs virtual Windows on VPC or Bochs).

The last step is the modifications on the S3D files of the model. Because the Instance IDs of the used FSH files have changed, you need to adjust them.

That's all. To understand it better, you should compare a changed and an original building. Try it with a 1x1 building first! One example:

sc4model file with FSHs like this (group/instance)

2358973A 00000123

2358973A 00000124

2358973A 00000125

2358973A 00000126

after adjusting the group-IDs:

1ABE787D 00000123

1ABE787D 00000124

1ABE787D 00000125

1ABE787D 00000126

and after shifting the instance IDs to a free range:

1ABE787D FFF00123

1ABE787D FFF00124

1ABE787D FFF00125

1ABE787D FFF00126

Then you have to regard all of the S3D files. Look in tab mats ID and you'll find the old instance IDs. Replace the old prefix (000) everywhere with the new (FFF).

11. Credits

This article was made a reality with the help of the Simtropolis Help Squad

Special thanks to Meg, who endured my silly questions and inane banter to get this thing finished.

<a href="forum/messageview.cfm?catid=1&threadid=90619&enterthread=y#Index">[ ^TOP ]

If you have any questions about this article, please PM Zelgadis.

[JakeMD 107]

The Dependency Debate

Please PM North Country Dude if you have a question regarding this article

Introduction.

After SimCity 4 and it's add-on Rush Hour came out 3 years ago, there have been many fansites all over the world supporting some sort of BAT/Lot/Mod file exchange in one form or another. This, in turn, has provided the SC4 player with over 10,000 different new and unique BAT models, Lot configurations, and Modifications to the game. For people who are, even today, just discovering the SimCity 4/Rush Hour game, this amount of custom content can be somewhat overwhelming.

In addition to the amount of custom content, people all over the world have been adding more props, more tile textures, and just plain more variation to the original game, for nearly three years. Much of these new props and tile textures have been released to the public, free of charge mind you, in the form of "dependencies".

"What's a dependency?"

Ever search through the STEX and find that perfect Lot for your City, only to read the description and find that it contains, *gasp*, a dependency? or even a *gulp* list of dependencies?

A dependency is a file that is required by that Lot for it to appear in the game. Without that dependent file(s), the lot will either appear as a big brown box, or show up with strange or missing props or textures.

If you really want that Lot, you need to get the dependent files it requires.

"Why do people post Lots with dependent files?"

Two reasons.

1) The user has a BAT, set of props, or Mod that is universal to the Lots that he or she is posting, and for the sake of simplicity and space, has posted the dependent file(s) prior to the release of their Lot.

2) The user has posted a Lot that includes the use of buildings, props and/or textures created by another member. More often than not, these dependent files have been previously posted as prop or texture packs, specifically for that purpose, for other people to use in their own creations.

"Why don't they just include those props or textures with their Lots?"

Again, two reasons.

1) The dependent file is universal to the User's creations. By releasing a prop or texture pack that is common to all or most of a User's work, he has saved you, the consumer, time and space in downloading their work.

2) Most important of all reasons, it may not belong to them. To include work produced by another without permission is considered Plagiarism. Copyright Law defines anything that you post on the Internet as "de facto" copyrighted by you. Posting another person's work in your own is illegal and will get you permanently banned from this site!

A typical newcomer will sometimes ask a Lot maker to do this, and the experienced Lot maker will either tell you "NO!" or ignore your request. The best advice is: Don't bother asking, you're just wasting your time. It's easier and safer if you just get the dependent file yourself. The download time is the same anyway.

"What if I have a problem with the Lot after I download it?"

1) Make sure you read and fully understand the description( and read-me file). Sometimes detailed instructions and uses are included here.

2) Make sure you have all of the listed dependencies. Also, check to make sure the dependent file doesn't have a dependent of it's own. Sometimes this happens.

3) Check to see if the Lot maker has a Building Support thread. Most experienced BAT and Lot makers have this and a link is usually posted in the description. It is easier to post a better description of the problem on the thread than in the comments box. Remember, you can't post pictures in the comments box, and a picture tells a thousand words!

"What if there are a lot of dependent files?"

That depends on how you feel about the Lot. If it is something you want, get the dependent files. If you feel that you can do it yourself without the dependent files, open your Lot Editor and get to work!

"How many dependencies is too many?"

Chances are, most of the dependent files are fairly common ones that you already have. If you don't already have them, get them anyway, obviously the Lot maker thought they were worth using.

If the Lot maker is somewhat experienced, you will find that there is a standard set of dependencies he or she uses, and after downloading a few of their lots, you will notice that the dependency list is actually shorter than it appears. Also, you will find that many dependent files are common to many of the high quality Lots on the STEX.

Many people will claim that dependencies are a hassle or they take up too much bandwidth or installing them slows the game down. Many people brag that their BAT's or Lot's have no dependencies and feel that the majority of the community will clap them on the back and say that is how it should always be done!

This where the debate begins.

The scope of this section is, hopefully, to put to rest the negative attitudes regarding the use of dependent files and to bust one or two 'myths' surrounding them.

The Dependency Debate.

Lately, there has been a great deal of conflict and negative comments and ratings surrounding the issue of dependent files and their use on the STEX.

For the person who does include a few dependencies with their Bat or Lot, those who despise or dislike the idea of using dependent files will invariably give the submitted file a bad rating(1 or 2) and a negative comment in the hopes that the author will be persuaded to never submit something that the anti-dependent

person feels is unwanted by the general community.

There have actually been peopled who have been flamed or given harsh unwarranted criticism for their creations based entirely on the one fact that the submitted Lot does or doesn't have dependencies!

The one fact that most people have overlooked is that having dependent files is expressly not forbidden, and is in fact encouraged in order to prevent flagrant plagiarism and decrease bandwidth!

The myths.

"This is unacceptable because of the dependencies, especially[for] the Dial Up users."

-This is a generalization that is plainly based on preference. I'm a 56k Dial-up user and I have no problem with downloading dependent files. In addition, I've also been collecting SC4 stuff since the game came out in 2003. I've found out ways to get around the slow speed of dial-up and have adjusted accordingly. Using downloaders and scheduling my downloads is just one of the ways I've adjusted to the huge amount of custom content available.

"I hate having to download 4[or 6,or 8]Mb of props for just one[Lot]."

-So do I, and downloading huge files for one little lot is ludicrous. But if you plan on getting more stuff in that series, or the Prop/Texture Pack is a common file used by many authors, why not get it?

Also consider, the lot or package may be geared toward a more advanced playing style and clearly not meant for the beginner. The Lot or package may reflect a certain type of city or region. It's not the author's requirement that you have to use it. It may not be your style, it might be too advanced or complex, but for what ever reason, if it doesn't meet your needs, look for something else.

Keep in mind that SC4/Rush Hour has been out for a long time and many people have been playing, tweaking, and making custom content for it for just as long. There are also many people who are just picking it up for the first time and are overwhelmed by the amount of user-created content that is available.

Because of this fact, it is entirely fair to classify the playing styles as beginner, intermediate, and advanced. This should also be true for the custom content as well. More on this later.

"Dependent files take up too much bandwidth, or space on my hard drive."

-I have to say that this is entirely not true with regards to bandwidth, and as far as space on the hard drive, well that's up to you.

In regard to bandwidth, basically, the dependent files are meant for downloading multiple lots in that series. You download the first file(the essentials, props and/or textures),

which is large, and then each subsequent file(the building model and Lot file), which are not large.

"My BAT has no dependencies!" [paraphrased and usually printed in bold red letters]

-Good, as a BAT model, it shouldn't. Saying so is just redundant.

Sometimes this brag applies to Lots, in which case, it's a matter of preference and purpose. If it's a single Lot that is not part of a series or larger package, this is feasible and desirable, and again, the remark is redundant.

But also consider that if the Lot's intention is to provide something new, and/or unique, to the game, and using the standard Maxis '8 color crayon' scheme is not sufficient to present the author's concept or idea, then dependencies may be used.

There is a lot of stuff that the Maxis designers left out, but to compensate for this they gave us, the consumer, the LotEditor, the Building Architect Tool, and a somewhat open-ended game platform. Clearly the intention was for the consumer to create their own custom content and share it with anyone interested.

By using the dependent files and giving credit, this person is supporting and recognizing the hard work of the many members who have contributed to this and other websites featuring SC4 custom content. Why make it seem as if they are doing something wrong?

"Dependencies slow down the game."

-This is a generalization that is incorrect because of the one fact that every single plugin you download is a dependent file where the game engine is concerned.

What slows the game down is, primarily, the number of Plugins that you have installed. Keep in mind that the printed System Requirements and Recommended System for playing SimCity 4 with the Rush Hour add-on Pack don't take into account the number of plugins that you can possibly have. The more plugins you have, the larger the look-up table becomes and subsequently the slower your game will run.

Dependencies are plugins. They expand the amount of props, buildings and tile textures the game engine can use. Faster CPU's, larger amounts of RAM, and a decent graphics card will enable you to use many plugins without any noticable slowdown. But, if you have an older, low-end computer, then you might not be able to use as many plugins as you would like.

It does not matter if the plugins are dependencies, BATs, Lots, Modds, or a mixture of all, data is data. The game doesn't care if you have too much data. If you have 100 BATs with 0 dependents, or 10 BATs with 10 dependents each, and you find that your system runs slow, it's not because you have too many dependencies, it's because you have too much stuff!

Again, whether or not you use dependent files, is a matter of personal preference, and personal ability. If you are selective about your plugins, periodically clean out the unused stuff and store it offline, and occasionally defrag your hard drive, you will find that you can get more enjoyment from the game and the Simtropolis community in general.

Advanced Playing Styles.

As mentioned earlier, this game has been around for awhile. This means that there is now custom content made by and for people who are intimately familiar with the game's inner workings. This is stuff that often takes many hours of dedicated work and attention to detail. Then, they present this stuff to you, for free!

Lot series and packages that are somewhat complex and have dependent files are primarily meant for a more advanced playing style. There is a lot of content on the STEX and similar exchanges around the world, that is meant for City Journal style of play, as well as for people who want to make a certain style or period of city. There is content for Sci-Fi, ancient times and everything in-between. There is variation everywhere and more is constantly being added for all playing styles.

Conclusion.

The argument over dependencies is juvenile and is primarily a matter of preference. Downloading a file and it's associated dependents is entirely up to the user. Flaming or leaving immature comments is also up to the user, but said user runs the risk of appearing foolish to the entire world, and flaming can get you banned.

What you keep in your plugins folder is up to you. I have no control over your preferences, the amount of RAM you have, or how much space you have on your hard drive. That's your responsibility. Limiting yourself to the number of plugins you can have is entirely up to you.

Dependent files are a fact. They are used everywhere. Bashing some author's creation just because it has dependent files is like bashing someone for breathing, or having

too much hair, or wearing a purple shirt with a green tie.

How many is too many? That's up to you but to the general community, it really isn't a valid criticism.

Example of a un-informed response:

http://www.simtropol...x.cfm?id=15200� -see comment by 'cebolinha65'

I'll be honest, this kind of remark had only one intention, to hurt. What this user doesn't realize is, that he or she has just shown what type of person they really are to the rest of the community.

Some suggestions for handling dependencies:

Use a downloader program.

I use Stardownloader, because of it's simplicity and lack of 'in your face' advertising that some downloaders have. It also lets you schedule your downloads, and will automatically dial up and even continue interrupted downloads. It integrates with almost any browser, including Firefox.

www.stardownloader.com

There are many other downloader programs available that will greatly improve the downloading road-block for 56k dial up users.(I live in a rural area with no alternatives for access to the Internet)

Organize your plugins folders.

Surprisingly, many people are not very computer savy, but getting to know and love your Windows Explorer program will certainly improve the playability of your game and is an invaluable tool for organizing your plugin folders.

I organize my folders into BATs, Lots, Mods, Props, and Textures. But what works for me, may not work for you. Devise a system of organization that makes sense for you and your playing style.

When making Lots, pay close attention to the dependencies you are using.

This is for both the experienced and inexperienced Lot and BAT maker alike. If you find that you are using only one prop from a large dependency pack, consider either omitting that prop, or getting permission from the props author for inclusion into your Lot.

Since I'm a notorious 'kit-basher', what I do is load only the prop and texture packages that are relevant to the type of lot I'm trying to create. This way, I keep my dependencies list shorter than if I loaded everything I have. My lists do tend to be longer than the average, but after using the same ones over and over, for each subsequent Lot that I release, if the user has any one of my Lots, for them the download list is actually very short.

Another useful tool for many reasons is the SC4Tool and can be found in the Modds and Downloads section of this website. (What things were like before this handy tool came out, I shudder to think of the late nights spent debugging malfunctioning Lots)

Pay attention to what you are downloading!

For single BAT structures, and Lot files, read the descriptions before downloading. If there are dependents listed and the file is not part of a series, or the dependents are not really necessary for the Lot, consider doing it yourself, passing it up, or getting the Lot without the dependents and add your own.

If the BAT or Lot is part of a series or is part of a larger concept or project, then you can almost be sure that the file has dependencies. If it's not what you want, then move on.

Consider also that the Lot may be large, like an Airport, or a factory complex, or something that represents a large installation of some kind. This kind of package will certainly have dependencies and is more than likely for a more advanced style of play. If that is your style, or what you were looking for, get it and the dependents.

Kit Bashing.

That's what I do. Basically all I'm 'selling' is a package of instructions on how to build what you see on the box's picture. Some of the models used in my packages are not included on the STEX and you must register at a different site to retrieve the required models. For example; I sometimes use Gizmo's vehicle props in my lots. The lots will work without them(no brown boxes).

But I actually had some one flame the Lot because of this fact. All the ***** had to do was ask me, and I would have told him how to get the props or how to work around it. If the problem was downloading from Gizmo's site after registering, I would have informed him that his site does not allow downloaders and help him work around that problem too.

Sometimes, I use BAT models from Japan. Navigating those sites can be difficult if you don't speak Japanese, but there is help for the asking. I always provide as direct a link as possible to the BAT model in question, or just not use the model at all. Remember to check the 'Support Thread'!

Suggestions for newcomers.

Although the term 'Lurking' has on the face of it, a bad reputation, it is, in practice, not a bad thing at all. Lurk before you Leap, is the best suggestion I can give a newcomer to any website.

Read the tutorials. Search the threads for concepts that aren't clear to you. Read and follow the instructions. And again, read, read and finally, read some more.

Under no circumstances should you trash or flame a person's Lot just because you thought it had too many dependencies! Keep in mind that 'Flaming' is a banning offense. Also, if you trash an experienced Lot maker's work with negative comments, you run a very high risk of appearing very immature and foolish to the other Simtropolis members who are familiar with that person's work.

In order to make yourself look good to the other members on this site, and possibly keep yourself from getting permanently banned, it is best to follow this advice: If you like it, get it and it's associated dependencies, if you don't, just move on. No sense wasting your time writing a negative comment that will help nobody, when you could be searching for something more to your liking.

Don't just leave a comment saying that it looks nice, (based on the STEX pictures) and rate it with the caveat that it has too many dependents for your taste. That's not very intelligent at all. Without actually downloading it and putting it together, you really have no idea of whats in the box.

For the people who don't like the fact that some of the things on the STEX require you to get Prop Pack A and Texture Pack B, they shouldn't really bother to comment, since the use of dependencies is allowed. If the Lot or package clearly states "some assembly required" or " paint and glue not included" , there's really no point in complaining about it.

If you don't have something constructive to add, why bother saying anything at all?

Here is a special caveat I put into one of my Lot descriptions:

"I try to keep the list of dependent files to a minimum, but at the same time, try to create unique, realistic, and visually interesting Lots based on my custom Railyard Textures. Consider, I went to the trouble of searching, downloading, assembling, and finally, testing the modified Lot. You only download it and the dependencies required. Your job is easy."

Some friendly advice from:

ncd, and Arf of the North

[Hamish 1,369]

MultiQuote

Want to quote five people at once?

What about just two people at once?

Wondering if the mulitquote button does this, but are unsure how to use it?

Your right! And its easy to use. Just click on the multiquote button for the posts you want to quote, and then use the full editor, which is now located in a button named "Use Full Editor" underneath the quick reply box. There you have it, all of the posts will now be quoted in the editor, just add your text as you feel necessary!

[JakeMD 107]

SimCity 4 in Windowed Mode

Putting your game into "Windowed Mode" means that it does not launch into full screen. You can move it around like any other window and switch between programs and the game.

To do this, find the Sc4 shortcut you use most often. Right click on it, and choose properties.

Your window should look something like this. Under Target, add the following few items in this order to the end of the target.

[code]-w -r1600x900x32 -CustomResolution:enabled -Intro:off[/code]

The -w is there to star the windowed process. My resolution of choice is 1600x900. Yours may be different. For example, you may choose 1024x768 based on your screen size or preference of window size. The x32 is the 32-bit color option. If you wish to load in 16-bit color then use x16. -CustomResolution is to enable a custom resolution not supported by the game. If you use a standard resolution size supported by the game then this is not needed, but helpful should you change your resolution later. Intro:off is to turn off the intro video and jump right into region mode. (Depending on how many plugins you have, the Sc4 logo could sit there for a bit) Your target should now look something like this:

[code] "D:\Program Files\EA Games\Simcity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -w -r1600x900x32 -CustomResolution:enabled -Intro:off[/code]

  Edited March 5, 2011 by swat-medic  

[JakeMD 107]

Want to see who's chatting?

To see who's chatting, look at the navigation bar. Hover over the number next to "Live Chat" and it will display everyone who is currently chatting.

[jj88 23]

Thanks, useful tips.

[kotonizna 0]

Hi i think im the noobest here. I just found this site yesterday and i find it very helpful and ofcourse awesome for having st exchange. I managed to download and installed some of the add ons successfully (but not all of them...I'm still figuring out the extracting-.EXE-thing since im on a mac. )

I have some stupid question here hope you guys understand;) What is 3ds model, bat, lot, etc etc? Could someone explain me what those categories mean pls or maybe share a link if there's a thread of this kind of question? I feel a bit lost everytime i check some items in stExchange . pls help;)

  Edited October 16, 2011 by kotonizna  

[hittwice99 618]

I have some stupid question here hope you guys understand;) What is 3ds model, bat, lot, etc etc? Could someone explain me what those categories mean pls or maybe share a link if there's a thread of this kind of question? I feel a bit lost everytime i check some items in stExchange . pls help;)

First of all, welcome to Simtropolis!

The following are the file types recognised by the game, and a short description of their purpose and how they are created:

• .SC4LOT - Can be created and edited using the Lot Editor. They contain the configurations of how objects (e.g. buildings, props) are positioned on a lot that can be built in game.

• .SC4DESC - Contains the properties for a lot. They are created using the SC4 Plug in Manager (PIM) when assigning a SimCity 4 model to a lot type.

• .SC4MODEL - A model file created using the Building Architect Tool (BAT). They are generally buildings or props that can be assigned to a lot using the Lot Editor, and then visible in the game.

• .DAT - A number of game files combined into a single file. These are used by some custom content makers to reduce the number of files in their downloadable packages.

There is also a whole guide about custom content for SimCity 4 here: Boggy1's Quick Guide to All Things Custom Content. This explains the basics of how to create and use custom content in the game.

Hope this helps,

hittwice99