I Have No Props!?

[TheDiplomat 0]

Ok, so I'm new to this whole modding thing, and it is fantastic! I have downloaded a lot of content, including props like freeway lights, railway catenaries, road signs etc... and have installed them into a folder called "props" in my plugins folder. Problem is though, absolutely none of them appear anywhere! How can I get my props to show so that I can use them?

[MandelSoft 2,769]

The following things may cause the problem:

- They don't appear simply because you have no LOTs plopped containing the props. This could be the case with the signs (and with the lights and catenaries too).

- The City Detail settings in the Graphics Menu is set to "low". A common beginners mistake. Change it to "high" and re-load your city.

- In case of the railway catenaries, it could involve a T21-mod, which will not take effect immediately. Click on the pieces of rail and they should appear in a small radius.

- You also have to check if you have the dependencies installed. Missing dependencies lead to problems like the notorious "Brown Boxes", or maybe no props appearing at all.

And also, welcome to Simtropolis!

Best,

Maarten

[TheDiplomat 0]

Thanks Maarten

It's weird, I've placed every lot I own to try find them but nothing... I also have all my graphics set to the highest. With rail catenaries however, I did find them sitting in my power grid menu, so that's actually no problem now.

All dependancies have been downloaded and installed, so I don't have the brown box problem, and it shouldn't be causing the missing props.

[jacksunny 741]

Do you mean there are no props at all on any of your lots? If so, it could be the prop pox.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Do you mean there are no props at all on any of your lots? If so, it could be the prop pox.

Can you post a picture of some of your propless lots in the game?

Prop collections are generally used when setting up lots in the Lot Editor, and are needed only to support lots so constructed.

[CaptCity 4,752]

Can you post a picture of some of your propless lots in the game?

And maybe the names of the downloads you are trying to use. As mentioned, "props" are usually not items that are plopped and won't be in the menus. Maybe some confusion on terminology.

[Mister Giggles 310]

At first blush, I doubt it's prop pox. TheDiplomat says he's new to modding, meaning, it's unlikely he's filled up an entire city tile with Maxis plops/buildings. AND, of course, just so happens to have the very few causes of the pox in his plugins folder.

Based on his first post, I think it's possible that he IS trying to plop props. Which has an easy answer: You can't silly!

[Indiana Joe 1,750]

I think the last few posters have the right idea. But no one's said the exact phrase, you've all kind of beaten around the bush, so I'll say it to end any more confusion for TheDiplomat:

Props do not show up in menus in-game. They cannot be placed in-game.

You have to put them on lots using the lot editor. Or search for/create some MMP mods (you'd probably have to ask about those).

[TheDiplomat 0]

Thanks for all the responses... Perhaps CaptCity is correct, there may be some terminology confusion. I did however download the SFBT Rail Catenary Prop Pack and that has come with ploppable props (they are all in my power utilities menu), which may also be adding to my confusion. Mister Giggles is also partly correct in that I was trying to plop props (given the SFBT props), and I therefore thank you for the clarification

The issue still remains however... I have tried to build EVERYTHING in my city to see how it works (I just don't save the changes) so that I can just go with it when the time comes... and this is where I'm not seeing the props. Do props have to be installed in exactly the same folder as the item they're for? ie, I have high speed rail catenaries in a "Props" folder, and then I have the High Speed Rail Project and all other High Speed Rail files in a folder called "Transport", all obviously in the plugins folder. Could this be a problem? The readme's were not specific on this issue. As far as I understand it though, it doesn't matter where you put the file in plugins, the game will load everything?

I was also wondering, I have the Hole Digger Lots, is there one for raising the terrain to create embankments?

[CaptCity 4,752]

...I did however download the SFBT Rail Catenary Prop Pack and that has come with ploppable props (they are all in my power utilities menu), which may also be adding to my confusion.

I'm not aware of a download named "SFBT Rail Catenary Prop Pack." Perhaps it's this set you downloaded (Link), as opposed to this one (Link). The first is a set of lots (not props) that are in the power menu and can be plopped in the game. Props (as in the second link) are items that are loaded into the game and appear on lots designed to use them. If you have something else, perhaps giving a link will help clear up the confusion. There are prop sets that do include test lots, and there are Mayor Mode ploppable props, but those a small percentage and don't seem to be what you are using.

... and this is where I'm not seeing the props. Do props have to be installed in exactly the same folder as the item they're for? ie, I have high speed rail catenaries in a "Props" folder, and then I have the High Speed Rail Project and all other High Speed Rail files in a folder called "Transport", all obviously in the plugins folder. Could this be a problem? The readme's were not specific on this issue. As far as I understand it though, it doesn't matter where you put the file in plugins, the game will load everything?

While true, the game does load everything in the Plugins folder, it may matter in what order things are loaded. Props do not have to be in the folder of the lots that use them, and most of the time it doesn't matter where they are, but sometimes items do need to be loaded after others. For example, your HSR catenaries (is it this one?) may need to load after the HSR since they could be of a different type of prop (the T21 mods mentioned by Mrtnrln above). These are added to the tracks and need to be loaded later. If the catenary file is in a folder named "Prop" it will load before anything in a folder named "Transport" since the game generally loads in alphabetical order. Reorganizing your plugin files may help.

Something else to be aware of is if the download includes something like "ZZZ" at the front of a folder or file name, they probably do need to be loaded after something, and installation instructions need to be checked and followed carefully. Changing the folder structure or file name could result in errors.

I was also wondering, I have the Hole Digger Lots, is there one for raising the terrain to create embankments?

There should be one lot called a "Lifter" lot that will raise the terrain 15m.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

If you want to experiment with props that don't appear in your menus, use the Lot Editor and try dropping them on a selected lot.

You shuold be aware that the lot editor will fail to load if there are too many files in your Plugins folder. You may have to divide the folder temporarily to contain only those items of interest.

[TheDiplomat 0]

Brilliant!! Thanks a lot! I reorganised my filing structure and things seem to be working fine now. Everything is in it's place.

Much appreciated! Thanks for your time!!