how-to I have NAM 32 installed on my Mac with the Aspyr Re-Release Version. Well, most of it.

[brunoresende29 6]

Hello everyone.

 

After spending the last days of my life playing SimCity 4 more then ever before, I felt the necessity of having NAM on my game. Mostly due to the usability of the advanced intersection tiles I was used to have on my PC version years ago.

 

I have read that the NAM 32 was not compatible with the Aspyr version, it would only stall the game. After downloading the installer and performing a custom install in my Bootcamp, I copied all the files to my SimCity 4 plugins folder and, as I suspected, it did not work.

 

But I wasn't done. Most of what I wanted was the turning lanes and the real highway mod. What I did next was move all the files to a temporary folder and copy them part by part, figuring out what worked or not. After long hours of hearing the "EA Games - Challenge Everything" slogan over and over again, I came to what I believe is the best I could put in my game without the beach ball of death showing up.

 

Going straight to the point, this is what I have found out:

 

• Most custom bridges don't work!
• The custom EL Rail and the Elevated Monorail don't work.
• The Ground High Speed rail stuff don't work.

I have taken a screenshot of my plugins folder and the temporary folder with the items that did not work:

 

../SimCity 4/Plugins/Netwrok Addon Mod/:

 

../SimCity 4/Plugins/z___NAM/:

 

Temporary Folders (Files that did crash the game):

 

 

It is important to note that in multiple occasions I did not test every file, but instead just batches or folders. This was the case of the Additional Bridges folders.

 

Another important thing is that even having a MacBook Pro Retina with a SSD I did notice a significant increase in the time the game takes to load.

 

For some reason I could not get the road turning lanes to work I did get the Avenue turning lanes to work perfectly (they appear automatically when I build avenues), but the road turning lanes not. If this was a recent modification in NAM, then I am sorry. I didn't play SimCity 4 for quite a long time!

 

Please try this setup on your game and tell me if it works!

[rustonite 0]

I can confirm this works. Thank you so much for working this out!

[Tarkus 6,931]

 

For some reason I could not get the road turning lanes to work I did get the Avenue turning lanes to work perfectly (they appear automatically when I build avenues), but the road turning lanes not. If this was a recent modification in NAM, then I am sorry. I didn't play SimCity 4 for quite a long time!

 

The Road Turning Lanes were redesigned for NAM 31, and no longer appear automatically.  The reason for this is that the turn lanes interfered with other new features that added more functionality (NWM and the Draggable Fractional Angle Roads).

 

-Tarkus

[TEG24601 32]

I don't use the HSR, but I haven't had any issue with monorail or El.  The custom bridges can be used, but the controller (which I admit may make them cosmetic only) cannot be installed while the game is on Play.  So to build the bridges, you need to save, pause, quit, put the plugin back in, reopen, build, save, quit, and remove.  I certainly hope that the NAM team is interested in trying to solve these issues now that there is a "new" interest in SC4 for Mac.

[Tarkus 6,931]

 I certainly hope that the NAM team is interested in trying to solve these issues now that there is a "new" interest in SC4 for Mac.

 

As I mentioned in the main thread about the re-release, now that Aspyr is supporting it again, and one of our veteran devs obtained a copy (and is already looking into the issue), we have a fighting chance now.  Before, we had no feasible way of narrowing it down.

 

-Tarkus

[brunoresende29 6]

 

 

For some reason I could not get the road turning lanes to work I did get the Avenue turning lanes to work perfectly (they appear automatically when I build avenues), but the road turning lanes not. If this was a recent modification in NAM, then I am sorry. I didn't play SimCity 4 for quite a long time!

 

The Road Turning Lanes were redesigned for NAM 31, and no longer appear automatically.  The reason for this is that the turn lanes interfered with other new features that added more functionality (NWM and the Draggable Fractional Angle Roads).

 

-Tarkus

 

 

Thanks for the tip! I have looked upon this information and I am now able to use the road turning lanes properly.

[temana333 0]

Hi all!

Very useful tips! 

I got a question though for the community, I installed NAM 32 using wine, and tried desperately to change my traffic simulator (I tried to re-install it). I got the "medium" version of the controller (files in the plugin folder:NetworkAddonMod_Traffic_Plugin_Z_Medium.dat & NetworkAddonMod_Volume_Data_View_Z_Medium.dat) and I remember (since I stopped playing for a couple of years) that there was a folder with the different versions of the simulator and that we could switch quite easily from one to another... But I can't put my hands on it... 
Was wondering if someone had the same issue, or simply someone had an answer to my issue. Thanks

[2four 21]

 

 I certainly hope that the NAM team is interested in trying to solve these issues now that there is a "new" interest in SC4 for Mac.

 

As I mentioned in the main thread about the re-release, now that Aspyr is supporting it again, and one of our veteran devs obtained a copy (and is already looking into the issue), we have a fighting chance now.  Before, we had no feasible way of narrowing it down.

 

-Tarkus

 

Wow! This is AWESOME news Tarkus. Thanks to you and your team for looking into this. Hopefully, there will be an updated NAM for the updated OS X version one day :-)

[siblingshot 0]

Hi all!

Very useful tips! 

I got a question though for the community, I installed NAM 32 using wine, and tried desperately to change my traffic simulator (I tried to re-install it). I got the "medium" version of the controller (files in the plugin folder:NetworkAddonMod_Traffic_Plugin_Z_Medium.dat & NetworkAddonMod_Volume_Data_View_Z_Medium.dat) and I remember (since I stopped playing for a couple of years) that there was a folder with the different versions of the simulator and that we could switch quite easily from one to another... But I can't put my hands on it... 

Was wondering if someone had the same issue, or simply someone had an answer to my issue. Thanks

 

I would dearly love to know how you successfully installed NAM 32 using wine. I have never used it or winery previously, and made little in roads when I tried. Pun intended. A how-to tutorial of some kind would be very welcome.

 

Between this and brunoresende29's step by step screenshots of which mods to avoid, I would be more than happy to manually move individual files to the AppStore's default plugins folder. Assuming I could extract them from .exe.

[qazzy1122 2]

 

Hi all!

Very useful tips! 

I got a question though for the community, I installed NAM 32 using wine, and tried desperately to change my traffic simulator (I tried to re-install it). I got the "medium" version of the controller (files in the plugin folder:NetworkAddonMod_Traffic_Plugin_Z_Medium.dat & NetworkAddonMod_Volume_Data_View_Z_Medium.dat) and I remember (since I stopped playing for a couple of years) that there was a folder with the different versions of the simulator and that we could switch quite easily from one to another... But I can't put my hands on it... 

Was wondering if someone had the same issue, or simply someone had an answer to my issue. Thanks

 

I would dearly love to know how you successfully installed NAM 32 using wine. I have never used it or winery previously, and made little in roads when I tried. Pun intended. A how-to tutorial of some kind would be very welcome.

 

Between this and brunoresende29's step by step screenshots of which mods to avoid, I would be more than happy to manually move individual files to the AppStore's default plugins folder. Assuming I could extract them from .exe.

 

 

I think I am in the same boat as you. I downloaded wine to try and convert both NAM and some BATs, but it is waaaay to complicated for me. I ended up just sending the files to my friend who is on a PC, and then he sent me back the opened files. Worked like a charm.

 

Hope this helps, and feel free to msg me if you have any other questions I can help you with.

[Thyrsted 0]

Might it be possible, that someone with a PC could upload the NAM files somewhere? In that way, we would all be saved from a lot of complicated trouble.

[temana333 0]

 

Hi all!

Very useful tips! 

I got a question though for the community, I installed NAM 32 using wine, and tried desperately to change my traffic simulator (I tried to re-install it). I got the "medium" version of the controller (files in the plugin folder:NetworkAddonMod_Traffic_Plugin_Z_Medium.dat & NetworkAddonMod_Volume_Data_View_Z_Medium.dat) and I remember (since I stopped playing for a couple of years) that there was a folder with the different versions of the simulator and that we could switch quite easily from one to another... But I can't put my hands on it... 

Was wondering if someone had the same issue, or simply someone had an answer to my issue. Thanks

 

I would dearly love to know how you successfully installed NAM 32 using wine. I have never used it or winery previously, and made little in roads when I tried. Pun intended. A how-to tutorial of some kind would be very welcome.

 

Between this and brunoresende29's step by step screenshots of which mods to avoid, I would be more than happy to manually move individual files to the AppStore's default plugins folder. Assuming I could extract them from .exe.

 

I'd like to help you but actually there's not much to explain ^^, I just followed the installation steps asked by Wine. I mean basically, if I understood of course what it was doing, wine just enables us to run .exe files. So it's a windows look alike installation but on your Mac machine.

 

For me I thought it was pretty straight forward. In contrast with qazzy1122, I didn't have any issues installing NAM and my BAT's with wine. (thank's for the help btw ). But personally what bother me the most is that I can't have access to the traffic simulator options and I end up with the same plugins folder as   brunoresende29 with the medium version of the traffic_plugin. You will tell me that in one way that means that the installation with Wine failed at one point... 

[TEG24601 32]

Might it be possible, that someone with a PC could upload the NAM files somewhere? In that way, we would all be saved from a lot of complicated trouble.

The problem is the huge numbers of files and the volume of data.  It would be difficult to manage or download.  There used to be a Mac version of the NAM released as a ZIP file, but it was very difficult to get installed the first time, because of various dependencies, and it took a lot of trial and error for me to get it working myself.

[qazzy1122 2]

Hello everyone.

 

After spending the last days of my life playing SimCity 4 more then ever before, I felt the necessity of having NAM on my game. Mostly due to the usability of the advanced intersection tiles I was used to have on my PC version years ago.

 

I have read that the NAM 32 was not compatible with the Aspyr version, it would only stall the game. After downloading the installer and performing a custom install in my Bootcamp, I copied all the files to my SimCity 4 plugins folder and, as I suspected, it did not work.

 

But I wasn't done. Most of what I wanted was the turning lanes and the real highway mod. What I did next was move all the files to a temporary folder and copy them part by part, figuring out what worked or not. After long hours of hearing the "EA Games - Challenge Everything" slogan over and over again, I came to what I believe is the best I could put in my game without the beach ball of death showing up.

 

Going straight to the point, this is what I have found out:

 

• Most custom bridges don't work!
• The custom EL Rail and the Elevated Monorail don't work.
• The Ground High Speed rail stuff don't work.

I have taken a screenshot of my plugins folder and the temporary folder with the items that did not work:

 

../SimCity 4/Plugins/Netwrok Addon Mod/: Network Addon Mod.png

 

../SimCity 4/Plugins/z___NAM/: z___NAM.png

 

Temporary Folders (Files that did crash the game): Temp.png

 

 

It is important to note that in multiple occasions I did not test every file, but instead just batches or folders. This was the case of the Additional Bridges folders.

 

Another important thing is that even having a MacBook Pro Retina with a SSD I did notice a significant increase in the time the game takes to load.

 

For some reason I could not get the road turning lanes to work I did get the Avenue turning lanes to work perfectly (they appear automatically when I build avenues), but the road turning lanes not. If this was a recent modification in NAM, then I am sorry. I didn't play SimCity 4 for quite a long time!

 

Please try this setup on your game and tell me if it works!

 

Sorry, but your list of what works is rather confusing. Can you make a picture or list of what I can use in NAM?

[Tarkus 6,931]

 

Might it be possible, that someone with a PC could upload the NAM files somewhere? In that way, we would all be saved from a lot of complicated trouble.

The problem is the huge numbers of files and the volume of data.  It would be difficult to manage or download.  There used to be a Mac version of the NAM released as a ZIP file, but it was very difficult to get installed the first time, because of various dependencies, and it took a lot of trial and error for me to get it working myself.

 

 

Indeed.  And that was a large part of the reason we killed the .zip file, and won't go back to that approach in the future.  Additionally, the NAM Team does not support unauthorized redistribution of our files, especially if they've been repackaged and taken out of the installer.  It becomes a tech support liability for us and the unauthorized uploader.

 

-Tarkus

[qazzy1122 2]

 

 

Might it be possible, that someone with a PC could upload the NAM files somewhere? In that way, we would all be saved from a lot of complicated trouble.

The problem is the huge numbers of files and the volume of data.  It would be difficult to manage or download.  There used to be a Mac version of the NAM released as a ZIP file, but it was very difficult to get installed the first time, because of various dependencies, and it took a lot of trial and error for me to get it working myself.

 

 

Indeed.  And that was a large part of the reason we killed the .zip file, and won't go back to that approach in the future.  Additionally, the NAM Team does not support unauthorized redistribution of our files, especially if they've been repackaged and taken out of the installer.  It becomes a tech support liability for us and the unauthorized uploader.

 

-Tarkus

 

 

If you are not going to go back to zip, will there be some easier way for Mac users to get NAM that doesn't involve messing with .exe?

[Tarkus 6,931]

We're still determining the best option for that scenario, but the old .zip approach has already been removed from consideration.

 

-Tarkus

[1131989 223]

NAM works pretty well on my computer...when I'm connected to the Internet. I disconnect and the game is unplayable (all text is missing and I am delivered to a blank region that crashes to desktop if I try to open a city). Has anyone else encountered this before?

[foist 7]

...Please try this setup on your game and tell me if it works!

Works for me as well.

[qazzy1122 2]

So I downloaded NAM, and installed it, and removed the files that I THINK op was talking about. To be honest, op's guide was EXTREMELY confusing, so I am still not sure whether I took out more than I needed or less or what.

 

Anyway, I have read through the READ ME and the FAQ, but I still am not sure how to work some of the road peices, nor do I feel that it is worth learning. The only thing I really want is a subway/bus station that can be placed on roads. AND MY QUESTIONS:

 

1. Does NAM contain a subway/bus station that can be placed on roads? If so, where?
2. Is it worth trying to learn how the rest of it works, even when I can't use a sizable portion of it due to incompatibility with macs?

[Tarkus 6,931]

 

 

1. Does NAM contain a subway/bus station that can be placed on roads? If so, where?
2. Is it worth trying to learn how the rest of it works, even when I can't use a sizable portion of it due to incompatibility with macs?

 

 

#1: The NAM does not include those.  For road-top stations like that, check out the Road-Top Mass Transit (RTMT) package.  Make sure you get the most recent package (released by z1).

 

#2: The NAM is ultimately scalable; you can install as little as just the traffic simulator plugins (which will make the game's traffic patterns more logical--and works in conjunction with the most recent RTMT), or you can go full blast and install advanced features like the RealHighways and Dual-Networking.  And you can always go back and expand/reduce your package as you go.  As far as the incompatibility issues, if you're intimidated by that, wait until we have a publicly-available release that works with the new port.  There are some other complications we're still going to have to work out before we can actually release things (i.e. the fact that the port is unpatched, and the recently-discovered file number limitations and internet connectivity issues).

 

In your case, I'd just start out by picking one of the Traffic Plugin files--"Medium" is usually the default--and go from there.

 

-Tarkus

[qazzy1122 2]

 

 

 

1. Does NAM contain a subway/bus station that can be placed on roads? If so, where?
2. Is it worth trying to learn how the rest of it works, even when I can't use a sizable portion of it due to incompatibility with macs?

 

 

#1: The NAM does not include those.  For road-top stations like that, check out the Road-Top Mass Transit (RTMT) package.  Make sure you get the most recent package (released by z1).

 

#2: The NAM is ultimately scalable; you can install as little as just the traffic simulator plugins (which will make the game's traffic patterns more logical--and works in conjunction with the most recent RTMT), or you can go full blast and install advanced features like the RealHighways and Dual-Networking.  And you can always go back and expand/reduce your package as you go.  As far as the incompatibility issues, if you're intimidated by that, wait until we have a publicly-available release that works with the new port.  There are some other complications we're still going to have to work out before we can actually release things (i.e. the fact that the port is unpatched, and the recently-discovered file number limitations and internet connectivity issues).

 

In your case, I'd just start out by picking one of the Traffic Plugin files--"Medium" is usually the default--and go from there.

 

-Tarkus

 

Thank you for the advise! I think I will just use the traffic plugin for now, but advance onto some of the more complicated stuff once a version for the new port is made. I am very glad that you and your team are so active in helping people, it really makes the whole experience a lot better.

[Billish 1]

All:

 

I'm pretty computer literate, but I must confess that I'm having trouble following this thread.

 

1.  Does NAM work with the new re-release of SC4 in the Apple App Store or not?  And even if some NAM features do not work, is it causing more problems than it's worth?  It's very hard to parse this thread and summarize all this.... 

 

Also, one of the other threads on this forum seems to indicate a lot of people are having troubles getting NAM to work with the SC4 re-release, despite trying some of the same things this thread's originator laid out.  Some are reporting crashes or freezes with NAM installed with the new version, even after following some of the things this thread's originator outlined (e.g., people are seeing freezes when connecting to neighboring cities).

 

2.  Which post in this thread is the closest thing to a step-by-step install instruction to get NAM to work as well as possible with the new version while avoiding crashes or freezes?  And if that's not possible yet, is it worth even trying.  Perhaps we should all just wait to see if the NAM team can correct whatever issues need correcting?  

 

Note: I've successfully installed NAM on BOTH SC4 installs I have: One is an OS 10.6.8 installation of the Mac version (i.e., working with Rosetta).  The other is a Windows Vista installation within Parallels on the same MacBook Air.  Sounds like I'd be doing a FRESH install of everything, so what's the step-by-step checklist and procedure for installing NAM if one installs the re-release.

 

- Billish

[Tarkus 6,931]

All:

 

I'm pretty computer literate, but I must confess that I'm having trouble following this thread.

 

1.  Does NAM work with the new re-release of SC4 in the Apple App Store or not?  And even if some NAM features do not work, is it causing more problems than it's worth?  It's very hard to parse this thread and summarize all this.... 

 

Also, one of the other threads on this forum seems to indicate a lot of people are having troubles getting NAM to work with the SC4 re-release, despite trying some of the same things this thread's originator laid out.  Some are reporting crashes or freezes with NAM installed with the new version, even after following some of the things this thread's originator outlined (e.g., people are seeing freezes when connecting to neighboring cities).

 

2.  Which post in this thread is the closest thing to a step-by-step install instruction to get NAM to work as well as possible with the new version while avoiding crashes or freezes?  And if that's not possible yet, is it worth even trying.  Perhaps we should all just wait to see if the NAM team can correct whatever issues need correcting?  

 

Note: I've successfully installed NAM on BOTH SC4 installs I have: One is an OS 10.6.8 installation of the Mac version (i.e., working with Rosetta).  The other is a Windows Vista installation within Parallels on the same MacBook Air.  Sounds like I'd be doing a FRESH install of everything, so what's the step-by-step checklist and procedure for installing NAM if one installs the re-release.

 

- Billish

 

#1: The NAM can be used on the new port, but there are still a number of substantial issues you will encounter if you do so--i.e. crash-to-desktop (CTD) issues and beachballing with certain components.  It's something only for the adventurous user at this point.

 

The most recent reports, about the port crashing when running it without an internet connection, actually apply to any plugin, not just the NAM.  The "plugin limit" that has been discussed, which occurs both with and without the internet connection (having the connection mitigates the issue substantially), has been determined to be a case of the number of individual files in the plugins folder, not their size.  From what I understand, you can have a single 2GB file in there and it won't crash, but with a 1MB Plugins folder, containing a thousand 1KB .dat files, it will.

 

#2: The original post is probably the closest thing to a step-by-step guide, but based upon our findings thus far, we've discovered that the Bridge Controller file, which many Mac users have blamed for the CTDs in the post-Rosetta era, is actually not the cause.  It's the Additional Bridges themselves, and having them in at the same time as the Bridge Controller forces the game to load the reference to the exemplar files that reference those bridges.  In removing the bridges, the game can't pull up those references and runs fine with the Bridge Controller in place (which allows for LHD support).

 

As a few of my colleagues on the NAM Team have noted in other threads, we are progressing toward a solution, but there have been a few complications--the number of file limit and its online connectivity factor, the unpatched state of the port, in addition to determining how to distribute everything--that we have to sort through before we can truly and properly support the NAM on the re-released port.  Until that time, it's still a use-at-your-own-risk situation.  Something like what I advised to qazzy1122 is the minimal risk approach.

 

-Tarkus

[Billish 1]

Okay....thanks for the detailed reply.

 

I'm really only using NAM for the "intelligent traffic routing" and not much else.  It sounds like I'd likely be able to get that to work with the new re-release version, but potentially with issues even with that limited NAM-added functionality.

 

I may stick with what I've got on my Snow Leopard Mac (10.6. or run the PC version in Parallels.   

 

What sucks is that I'm keeping my Mac on Snow Leopard ONLY because I want to keep using the Mac version of SimCity4 and that requires Rosetta support....otherwise, I'd update to OS 10.9....sigh.

 

And the PC version runs crappily in Parallels on the Mac...sigh.

[kilograph 1]

I just thought I'd throw a reply in here to let you guys know that I'm giving this NAM thing a go on my Mac.  The last time I played SC4 was probably over 7 years ago and only recently with the release of Aspyr's port, have I gotten back into it.  The custom bridges, EL, and high speed rail options aren't a big deal for me so hopefully I can get the rest to work.

 

Thanks and keep up the development!  There's at least a few of us out here rooting for a Mac version of this.

 

Thanks!

[vuWIN 2]

I don't know what this patch Tarkus talks about is supposed to do, but my NAM seems to work just fine. I've removed the culprit files as suggested in the first post.

 

So far my cities show absolutely zero symptoms of this alleged NAM-related illness whatsoever. Everything runs just as expected, no CTDs, no no-job zots, no quirky pathfinding, no unexpected traffic issues... I already tested several transit-enabled lots, road and railway bridges, a few dual-network pieces, FAR, SAM, FLUP, pedmalls and Real Highway (before realizing that to build an interchange takes me as much time as to build a 100k city). No weird behaviors up to now from the NAM core package.

Haven't tested GLR yet.

 

However my game does freeze when I plop a transit enabled lot from the paeng's Urban Canals kit. Apart from that, it's a smooth sailing.

 

This is to give some hope to people approaching to the re-release for the first time.

 

I'm running OSX 10.9.2, 8GB ram, i7 processor.

[Tarkus 6,931]

I don't know what this patch Tarkus talks about is supposed to do, but my NAM seems to work just fine. I've removed the culprit files as suggested in the first post.

 

 

The update I mentioned is supposed to make it so you don't have to remove those files, and won't run into the number of files limit.  One of those files you removed is actually a pretty critical file.  You can use the NAM without it, as you've seen, but there's a fair bit you can't do--it's like the mod is missing a kidney.  Should you try to build a One-Way Road over a river, you'd find yourself completely out of luck, and if you're a British user on a Mac, you're completely screwed if you want the cars to drive on the left side of the road.

 

-Tarkus

[vuWIN 2]

 

I don't know what this patch Tarkus talks about is supposed to do, but my NAM seems to work just fine. I've removed the culprit files as suggested in the first post.

 

 

The update I mentioned is supposed to make it so you don't have to remove those files, and won't run into the number of files limit.  One of those files you removed is actually a pretty critical file.  You can use the NAM without it, as you've seen, but there's a fair bit you can't do--it's like the mod is missing a kidney.  Should you try to build a One-Way Road over a river, you'd find yourself completely out of luck, and if you're a British user on a Mac, you're completely screwed if you want the cars to drive on the left side of the road.

 

-Tarkus

 

 

Got it, thanks!

 

Let's hope the NAM team and/or Aspyr will fix it!

I'm extremely grateful to the NAM team for all what they did. They turned a nice game into an immortal game.

 

However, the core features of the NAM and a good deal of plugins are definitely usable on mac. While expert modders look into current bugs, it's still possible to enjoy the mac port with a lot of custom content. Let's be positive. I want to emphasize this in order to not scare new people off.   

[north_coaster 0]

We're still determining the best option for that scenario, but the old .zip approach has already been removed from consideration.

 

-Tarkus

 

I'm by no means a big-brained developer/programmer, but would a .dmg program work as an installer? I know that it's a pretty common (or is it standard?) format for software distribution on OS X.

 

Some apps that I've downloaded feature a step that shows the instruction to place the app icon/shortcut into the Applications folder, all from the .dmg's active window. Again, from my untrained perspective, theoretically could you program a step-by-step process of adding the user's preferred dependency into the appropriate operating folder, and then move on the next one, etc? It would be a bit sloppy compared to the nifty .exe installer, but it may be worth a shot to look into.

 

Thanks for doing what you do!