Installation folder and Steam

[scatbin 0]

Hi there, i've been wanting to tidy up my plugins folder to make it easier to switch between different sets. My aim is to put all the essential stuff (NAM, any MMPs, etc) into the pluging folder which resides in the install directory and have any theme related stuff in the docs plugin folder. The thing is, when i went to the install directory i only found the SC4 app and a backup exe. Do I need to just create a plugin folder or is it located somewhere else when installed with Steam?

[Turjan 1,048]

You looked one directory level too low. The files you mentioned reside in the "Apps" directory within the "SimCity4 Deluxe" directory. The latter also contains the "Plugins" directory.

 

However, I would only put stuff like DAMN there. The NAM is fine in your "Documents" folder with the other plugins. Specifically, you want to have your z_NAM folder there so it doesn't get overwritten when your plugins load.

[scatbin 0]

So don't put NAM in the install? OK, cool , I'll just have to have a seperate one for each set I guess...as to looking for the plugin folder, it IS in the install directory, C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe?  Because that is barren, only those 2 files are there. If i back out to the Maxis folder then all I see is SC4 Deluxe folder. Oh, and thx for the help

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Don't put anything in the install directory.  It'll be lost if you do a reinstall.  Also, stuff in there is global to all users.

[Turjan 1,048]

...as to looking for the plugin folder, it IS in the install directory, C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe?

 

From your thread title, I actually assumed you have the Steam version? Steam doesn't put your program there where you said you found those files. That looks like some remnant from an old installation. Steam lets you choose your installation directory, and mine is in E:\SteamLibrary\SteamApps\common\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Plugins. So yours might bei in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Plugins instead, or wherever you install your Steam programs.

 

 

Don't put anything in the install directory.

 

Except stuff like the DAMN I mentioned, which must go there.

[scatbin 0]

Ah, found it, thanks. Although from what I'm reading, I should probably leave it alone, which is a pain...still, there are other ways of skinning a cat, I'll work something out. Thanks again for the help.

[Metalpuritan 160]

You know how I organize my plugins?  I create a folder with the creator's name and then put all plugins made by that creator into their respective folders.  Custom content that has an installation application, I install them then create a folder with the creator's name and then cut and paste the installed plugin into their respective folder, the exception to this is the BSC creators, there are just far too many of them, so I just let those install as they are and just have one massive BSC folder.  

 

This system allows me to drop in and drop out mods of my choosing at any time, I don't take mods out very often, but this system allows me to if I so choose.  Also, if ever I see something I want from that creator again, it is very easy to organize the new content into my already existing system.

 

This system was initially designed for my archive folder.  I did it this way so that my archive folder, which is approaching 20+ gigabytes, can have some sort of organization.  Organized in the event I one day lost my plugins folder through some sort of catastrophic failure on my part, like I make some mistake or something, it happened once, took weeks to recover, and I never wanted to be out weeks ever again, so I developed this system as a backup.

 

Additionally, I have a quarantine folder I made in my plugins folder, all new mods go in there initially, they stay there until they are fully tested, no matter who made the mod, it goes here first.  If, at the end of the month, the mods in the quarantine folder have proven to have no issues, they get installed in their proper place.  This is so that I never have to "hunt" for any problem causing mods as that process is whole 'nuther pain all unto its own.  I actually patch my game as if I was the developer, at a scheduled time(end of the month every month).

 

I also dat pack my plugins folder, this speeds up loading times on my in-game menus, like I get a certain amount of lag when accessing my landmarks and parks menu, dat packing the plugins folder lessens the lag on opening those menus.  But before I dat pack my plugins folder, I use windows' search feature in the "computer" window to search for files that are not necessary for the game, my search terms include "readme", ".sav", ".bmp", ".png", ".jpeg", "text"(careful with text though, you will get a listing of your texture dependencies, I also use "html" as a search term and then I make sure all hidden files can be seen, then I search for "thumbs", thumbs are hidden system files, while in some cases deleting a thumbs file on your PC can actually be harmful, the thumbs files in your plugins folder are not and should be deleted.  This cuts down on the clutter.  The objective here is so that when I run the datpacker, it detects zero files that are not essential, also lessens load times, just all around less clutter.  All that is left after this, is to exclude any files where load order is important like, automata skins, the NAM and some other replacer files, like the AC airports, terrain mods, seaport mods, and then "essentials" files, I also exclude certain creators form my datpacking as well, like, paeng, he still creates content on a regular basis so his folder is excluded from datpacking, to me, he is one of the most trusted creators out there(imo), his files actually bypass the quarantine process and go directly to my plugins folder no questions asked.

 

It took me a year to develop these methods, I have been using these simple rules for my plugins folder now for a year or more.  Is it some extra work?  Yes, however, the pay off is that I have a game that does not crash and I have no brown boxes or missing textures and have never had any issues with prop pox.  So is all the extra work worth it?  The answer is yes, if you ask me.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Plugin organization is of utmost importance.  I keep two structures: one is the downloaded files (mostly .zip) divided up by author or source depending on the convenience, the second is the game plugin directory in the user area.  The plugin directory reflects the structure of the downloads directory where possible.  I've been doing this for many years.  Only plugin files go to the Plugins directory.  My disk space for plugins is just under 1GB, and I work hard to keep it that way.  I do not use DATpacker because i don't need it.

 

This is incredibly time-consuming at times, but it is so automatic for me now that I do it while downloading.  Something with a lot of new dependencies is the most time-consuming, but worth it in the end.

 

My downloads directory also includes non-plugin stuff like the downloads for Mapper, Terraformer, Landscape Designer, and other handy programs that are simply installed in my wine prefix.