Can't install the Building Architect Tools

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

When I try to install the Building Architect Tools downloaded from SC4devotion it gives me an error message that says: SimCity 4 Deluxe does not appear to be installed. You will need to install SimCity 4 Deluxe in order to use the Building Architect Tools.

 

I have SC4 Deluxe installed. Anyone know why this is happening and how to fix it?

[GrijzePilion 10]

Got the same error today. Make sure your game data is located in the same folder you installed it in - Origin versions, for example, in Program Files ((x86))/Origin Games

 

Don't know of anything else but it might work.

 

~ Pi 

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Well, if you installed the game from a torrent, forget it.  Those versions are invalid.

 

If you installed from CD, did you apply the two published patches?  You can get them from SC4Devotion.  On the left side of the home page near the bottom click the EA Support button and follow the links.  You want EP1 for your SKU (check the installation directory) installed first then the update4BAT from the BAT installation page second.  If you have installed NAM 31 or 32 you may have to reinstall the game because of the 4GB patch (this is conjecture at the moment).  For the patches to take, the check-sums must be right.

 

If you have the digital download things should be fine.

 

However, if you have not installed and activated gmax, things won't go very far either.  The BAT is a gmax gamepack and gmax must be not only present but activated (opened, licensed, and used once) before the BAT will install.

 

If everything here checks out, please post again with more detail.

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

Got the same error today. Make sure your game data is located in the same folder you installed it in - Origin versions, for example, in Program Files ((x86))/Origin Games

 

Don't know of anything else but it might work.

 

~ Pi 

 

Not sure what you mean. I can't install it, so how can it be located in the same folder as my game data?

 

 

Well, if you installed the game from a torrent, forget it.  Those versions are invalid.

 

If you installed from CD, did you apply the two published patches?  You can get them from SC4Devotion.  On the left side of the home page near the bottom click the EA Support button and follow the links.  You want EP1 for your SKU (check the installation directory) installed first then the update4BAT from the BAT installation page second.  If you have installed NAM 31 or 32 you may have to reinstall the game because of the 4GB patch (this is conjecture at the moment).  For the patches to take, the check-sums must be right.

 

If you have the digital download things should be fine.

 

However, if you have not installed and activated gmax, things won't go very far either.  The BAT is a gmax gamepack and gmax must be not only present but activated (opened, licensed, and used once) before the BAT will install.

 

If everything here checks out, please post again with more detail.

 

Of course I don't have a torrent version. You can't get very far with a bootleg. Anyone who really plays SC4 knows that.

 

I have a digital download version from Origin installed.

 

I don't have gmax installed or activated, but does this have anything to do with the message saying: SimCity 4 Deluxe does not appear to be installed. You will need to install SimCity 4 Deluxe in order to use the Building Architect Tools?

[GrijzePilion 10]

 

However, if you have not installed and activated gmax, things won't go very far either.  The BAT is a gmax gamepack and gmax must be not only present but activated (opened, licensed, and used once) before the BAT will install.

 

That's a shame, especially since BAT contains an updated version of Lot Editor, which doesn't work on Windows 8...thought trying out BAT might work...but no way i'm going to pay any money on a program I'm never going to use...

[catty-cb 4,413]

That's a shame, especially since BAT contains an updated version of Lot Editor, which doesn't work on Windows 8...thought trying out BAT might work...but no way i'm going to pay any money on a program I'm never going to use...

 

The BAT is free as is GMAX the only requirement with GMAX is setting up an account here

 

http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax

 

so you can get the serial number to use when you install it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

I suspect the BAT installer is looking for the game in the wrong place.  One of the stupid things that Origin pulls is installing the game where it has never been before.  And you MUST have an active installation of gmax anyway.  The BAT installer is probably looking at the file system instead of in the registry for the basic SC4 structure, and not finding it, gives up.  Yet another screw up by our "friends" at Origin (EA).  {Blessed are the Ori??}

[MilitantRadical 2,844]

Thanks for your help Nonny. Curse you Origin! Curse you!

[dazflint 25]

I couldn't get BAT to install on my shiny modern Windows 8 laptop.

 

Problem is, I'd downloaded SC4 via Origin. This meant that my game folder was in a place that isn't compatible with BAT; the BAT installer didn't even believe that SC4 was installed!

 

I had no problem installing GMAX, I've had that up and running.

 

So, I went back to an old laptop of mine, with an old original installation of SC4. I installed GMAX here, then I installed the BAT pack. It all worked fine, of course. 

 

Then I searched the timecode of the various files and folders in my GMAX installation, and copied these to my pen-drive. I transfered the files to my new computer, and put them into the corresponding folders (SC4's Apps folder, and GMAX's folders). Seems like it should have worked! Double-click on the BAT icon, and...

 

Not quite. I got an error, 'GMAX LOC environment error not found'.

 

Fortunately somebody (Timmystwin) had already posted about this error - thank you! - it seems it was related to me running Windows 8 (or perhaps, because I 'installed' the BAT via the back door). So I applied this workaround:

 

"If you're on 7, and I assume Vista, type variable into the search bar (In the start menu) and click edit system variables. At the bottom of that little window is a button called Environment Variables, click it. Add a new one on the lower box ( System Variables) called GMAXLOC with the Variable value as the path to your GMAX folder (Mine is D:/Gmax for example). Then it will all work nicely."

 

This worked fine - I now have the BAT pack up and running, where before it seemed useless! 

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Well done!  The people at Valve (steam) and Origin don't seem to give a tinker's patootie about after market stuff.  This is odd with respect to Origin, because they are a subsidiary of EA, but the bosses don't pay much attention to the clowns underneath them.  This problem doesn't exist if you get your copy of 1,1,641 from an authorized vendor that doesn't care about pretending to be DRM sensitive.