TheCraftKid's Guide to Modding | Bi-Weekly Updates!

[TheCraftKid 52]

Have you wanted to have a new type of building in the game? Do you want some kind of overhaul or addition in the game? Would you consider D-I-Y modding projects to solve your problems?

If you do, take an interest in SimCity (2013) modding!

 

 

New Information -

First lesson of the new year will be released on January 6, 2015! Mark your calendars for education!

 

Guide Information -

You will learn the basics of SimCityPak and how to modify objects and properties in the game; in fact, you'll learn how to think like a programmer and learn how you are really one when modifying the game.

When you complete a course, a new piece of knowledge will enlighten you about the mechanics of SimCity and why and why not Maxis and/or modders haven't conquered supposedly easy requests.

 

If I haven't answered your modding needs in The Guide, you can always PM me for specific information! I might even tell you things I probably wouldn't have mentioned in The Guide!

 

 

Guide Format -

Each course will have multiple lessons which explain, in-depth, what I will teach you, how it will be taught, and why I am teaching you such things; for example, I would use an opening sentence such as, "By understanding the property types and contents, you will understand the capabilities of SimCityPak." In fact, that might actually be one of the opening sentences...

Courses should be divided into different posts, but lessons will just be separated into headed sections with bold labels.

Every course will encourage you to explore what I explored, and some will ask for you to create a mini-mod as a challenge!

 

I just know you'll learn a whole new love for the game!

 

 

Guide Content -

Course I - Preliminary Nonsense (Things You Must Do)

    - The Left Column

    - The Primary Interface

    - That Bar on the Top

    - [Packages]

    - Objects

    - Properties

    - TGIs

The Process of Change

    - This is really easy!

    - Or maybe not...

    - Don't crash your buddy!

Simtropolopolis

    - Sharing is Caring

    - Ignorance isn't strength.

    - English, Sminglish.

Packaging the World

    - Secret Information

    - SimCity_Game.package

    - SimCity_App.package

 

Course II - Existential Quantifiers (Some Things to Learn)

Scripts and Such

    - How do these work?

    - Overhauls and Reworks

Points of Plopping

    - What's in a snap point?

    - Click click click click click PLOP

    - Mystery properties

Inside the Package

    - Dependencies, dependencies.

    - Naming and the Community

Paving a New Path

    - Mechanical Genius

    - Father Maxis

    - Introduction into Xoxideland I

Mass Integration

    - Scripts files

    - Regular files

    - Unknown properties

    - Where most of you will stop

Course III - Universal Quantifiers (Everything Else to Know)

Xoxideland I

    - What's in a Path?

    - UDoNs' Parents

    - Filetyping

Xoxideland II

    - Behold the MagLev!

    - Highway Dilemma

    - Bi-Level Madness

Building Buildings

    - Danny5021's Mastery

    - Maxis' Resources

    - A video?!

 

Course IV - Extraterrestrial Modifers (Things Not of This SimCity)

DLC World

    - Master Planning

    - Master Modding

    - Master Packaging

Expanding with Packs

    - Cities of Yesterday?

    - What's the difference?

 

 

Resources -

SimCityPak, which is sort of needed to, um, modify packages in SimCity.

(Just click the big, purple "download" button on the right side of your screen.)

 

 

Answers to Questions -

When will each course come out?

    - When I can.

Why are you doing this?

    - I am fascinated with SimCity, and I know the simulation is a superior one for its time. I became hooked to SimCity 4, and when the reboot came out, I knew this generation would know the fun of design in a modern game set to wow anyone with cities.

You're a novice, though.

    - I don't see anyone else making a documented modding tutorial, except CapTon; besides, I like challenges, and I know I will learn a bit in the process.

 

Acknowledgements -

• Xoxide101 gave me much, gave SUGC much, and gave the whole community much. Jeff provided everything from moral support to individual mod questions. He started the community, so why not continue it for him? He did mention something about "[wanting] to retire, but [we] didn't let [him]."
• Oppie, for God's sake, created SimCityPak! Most of us wouldn't have stayed without the starting action of this man! It was a simple experiment which created our reality, and everyone who uses mods should be thankful of the guy which supplied the tool to do so!
• SUGC, the founding force of modders for SimCity, gave me the inspiration and dedication for giving the gift of knowledge to the community. We all just wanted to push through all of the hate over the launch and

[AidanA28 17]

Is this still a go?

[TheCraftKid 52]

Is this still a go?

 

Yes. I'm writing the first two lessons, and they'll be released on Saturday at 5:00 PM (Central Time). Each one will be released weekly on the same schedule.

(Let me add that to the questions section)

 

Don't worry. It's taking a while for some quality assurance. Screenshots are a pain, as well.

[AidanA28 17]

Lol. Do you need anything else besides SCP?

[Goldenlj 1]

Hello,

Where do I get the lessons??

[TheCraftKid 52]

Lesson 01 | SimCityPak and You!

You know what to use; however, it's just a matter of understanding how to use it. Hmm.

 

[Just remember that you have the latest version of SimCityPak installed in your computer. You can find it at the bottom of the Opening Post.]

 

Say hello to your new best friend, SimCityPak, which I will nickname SCP for the purposes of the Guide.

 

Here is a photo of your buddy:

 

 

That Bar on the Top

We'll begin the talk of modding at the menu bar, since Americans read from top to bottom, left to right.

1. The File menu is pretty standard: open packages, add packages, reload packages, close packages, and exit SimCityPak. The differences will be taught soon.
2. The Search menu, something we'll learn how to use later, does the function it's labeled: it searches for properties in the game, something you'll also understand later.
3. The Settings menu is what we're looking for; it should be the first thing you try to play with when you get a new program. It's the first thing I mess with!
4. The Tools menu is for very advanced users who wish to customize their bust buddy. Using some of the tools will crash your SCP if you don't know what you're doing. (I don't even know how to use them.)
5. The About menu gives some well-needed credits to the folks who made SimCityPak and contributed to the modding community. Oh, check to see if you're using version 0.3.1.0.

Before we start the somewhat tedious process of changing the game, we must get SCP to talk our language with the Settings menu.

 

This is what SimCityPak should look like when you first install it. (Don't worry about the... emptiness.) Just simply click the big "Settings" button, and we'll begin.

 

What's this? How do I use these settings?

As a first step, look at the "Locale File" box. Click the "Browse..." button and go to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\SimCity\SimCityData\Locale\en-us\Data.package," if you speak English; this will change the contents inside of packages, which you will open up soon.

Why did I do this? I see no effect. Due to the way Oppie, the maker of SimCityPak created the tool, everything was named in his language by default (He speaks native Dutch). By doing this, you will set SimCityPak to your default language.

Cool; what else can I do?

You might want to set the default package which appears when you start SCP. Add your SimCityData folder, or "C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\SimCity\SimCityData\SimCity_Game.package," to the box labeled, "Default package file."

 

If you want to overdo it, copy the last part from the picture. It adds some additional functionality later on.

 

Here is my final version of the Settings menu:

 

Be sure to exit SCP and relaunch it, then click here:

 

For the interested: The check boxes only change some technical stuff for advanced users, and I would suggest you have your settings menu like mine for some future lessons.

 

The Left Column

Before you learn how to do something, you must understand what you are doing.

 

This is very important to you learning the structure of SimCity packages; everything in SimCity has a specific file type, group, and instance of existence. Just observe for now, and you shall understand later, in Lesson Two | Objects, Properties, and TGIs.

 

The three menus at the top just help to filter out objects, or files, that make up the game. The one on the left deals with file types, the one in the middle deals with groups, something occasionally used when making mods, and the last one lets you filter out property names, but be aware that some items, like the names of buildings or how they work, won't be as easy to find as others.

 

 

The Primary Interface
I mentioned something about the section to the right, and properties, and objects.

 

 

You will use the "primary interface," the section to the right, to make all of the mods you may or may not make. All attributes and properties are displayed in a certain format, and you will understand why and how to modify them. For now, just understand how types, groups, and instances categorize everything in the game.

 

(If lots of this doesn't make sense, CapTon0202 has a nice video series on the subject of modding: )

 

I will go on, in depth, to these topics more, so:

 

Stay tuned for Lesson Two | Objects, Properties, and TGIs!

[minooble31 5]

 nice.Thank you very much

[AidanA28 17]

Ahhh... Formidibal!

[TheCraftKid 52]

Lesson 02 | Objects, Properties & TGIs

[Of Course One: Preliminary Nonsense]

"What's an object again?"

 

This lesson won't be very "how to mod"-like, but you will learn quite a bit of the fundamentals of the game here. If I sound like a teacher who is trying to teach one of the most boring things in modding, you may leave now, but lots of this stuff will expand your knowledge and understanding of the game.

 

 

[Packages] |

Even though it's not in the lesson title, just know this:

• All (Not actually) Most of what makes SimCity function is found in package files.
• All (acutally) of the things you will mod are found in package files.
• All package files also contain objects, which are like files in a zip file.

 

Now, I made the comparison between zip files and packages, but the key difference between those lies in functionality. Package files act as independent files which can be accessed through SimCity. It's more like a zip file with additional abilities.

 

If you're interested, that's a package you'll be working with:

 

Objects/"Files" |

Now that we have defined a term, I can define another. In programming terms, an object is a data type which can contain properties with data. For the purposes of the Guide, it's simply a mini-package of properties which define its existence, and I will say an Object is one of the items on the left side on SCP, which can be referenced through Properties.

 

If you were to open SCP, your buddy, and play with his objects, you can see each one has different attributes called properties; two don't look the same, but you probably don't know the real reason why; however, you did just give a name to those hundreds of faces which make up SimCity.

 

These are objects:

 

 

Properties |

A property determines a type of information 

Objects contain properties, just like in object oriented programming. Every object has at least one property. These properties are used by the game to make the simulation come alive. Each property has a visible name and a internal name which you'll finally learn how to use in the next lesson and beyond!

 

15 types of properties exist for SimCity, and they actually use TGIs, and each type has its own ID. The type of property determines its function:

• Bool (Checkbox)
• BoundingBox (Self-explanatory)
• ColorRGBA (Colors)
• ColorRGB (Colors)
• Float (Number)
• Int32 (Number)
• Key (TGI ID)
• String16 (Text)
• String8 (Text)
• Text (Text)
• Transform (Geometry?)
• UInt32 (Property)
• Vector2 (Geometry)
• Vector3 (Geometry)
• Vector4 (Geometry)

These are all properties of an object, specifically the "Short Tree Row":

 

Notice how these all have names, and realize that they all contain values, like in programming.

 

TGIs |

All objects in the game have a unique identifier, a way of telling things apart, and it's called a TGI ID. It's an acronym for Type/Group/InstanceID. These are IDs, and I will call them TypeIDs, GroupContainers, and InstanceIDs, with InstanceIDs being the most frequent.

 

Here are some ways of telling them apart:

• All objects have a Type, and you will never need to mess with them, for they are defined by Maxis, creators of the game. Two objects can exist with the same type, but they must have different InstanceIDs or GroupContainers. The type determines the subset of information it can hold, such as certain properties or data.
• Some Objects are in a Group, and you will never mess with them. Two objects can exist in the same group, but they only need different InstanceIDs; however, something different exists with GroupIDs: Things with the same group are typically related in some way, such as menu items - they all have the same GroupContainer of 0x09878a01.
• All objects have an instance, and they separate one object from another. Two objects cannot exist with the same InstanceID in the same group. If you refer to an instance, you will always be referring to one thing.

TL;DR: A TypeID is just like neutrons in an atom, while a GroupID is more like the valence electrons on an atom, (those predict what is inside of it), and the InstanceID really separates an object from any other one, like the protons in an atom, since if that changes, the entire thing changes.

 

Simple example of a TGI:

 

You know much more about the insides of the game, and I'm proud of you for reading all the way through, so -

 

Stay tuned to Course One, Lesson 03 | The (Infinite) Process of Change!

[AidanA28 17]

Bravo! Encore!

 

This is the best modding tut I've come across

(sorry cap ). I was drifting off from Simcitypak, but you managed to get me interested again at 9 at night! Only a very few can teach me at night, so bravo once more.

[TheCraftKid 52]

Bravo! Encore!

 

This is the best modding tut I've come across

(sorry cap ). I was drifting off from Simcitypak, but you managed to get me interested again at 9 at night! Only a very few can teach me at night, so bravo once more.

 

And it's one of the only! XD

Also, just remember you can PM me for more info, and don't worry, I'm friends with CapTon, and he thinks the tutorial is great!

[minooble31 5]

thanks

[dushi yingzaoshang 3]

I think this should be pinned so it's easier to find. Also to TheCraftKid this looks great is there more lessons coming now that xmas is over.

 

thanks and happy modding.

[TheCraftKid 52]

Oh, yes. More lessons incoming, with possibly a new format.

 

Have a Happy New Year full of modding!

[minooble31 5]

When will come out the new lesson?

And happy new year!

[Kaldir_II 29]

This post looks very promising, and might even tempt me to try some modding when more lessons arrive. I'll bookmark this to return to it from time to time. Keep up the good work.

 

I wish you a mod-able new year.

[roberto tomás 3]

looking forward to the rest - but a wikia page would be more suited to this sort of thing

[EarnestErnest 4]

Great work Kid! I have read your tuts and I hope more will come.

Actually I was hoping I could get some help here:

I am currently investigating the RCI ploppable feature in the akar mod in which you can just plop any RCI building construction site(which will be be built of course) and I wanted to make a personal mod out of it  in which I need to pay some amount of cash to place the ploppable ( instead of it being free ). I have struggled all day using SCP trying add the property scUnitConstructionCost and fix some value to a random item but it doesn't seem to work. When load my game, that plop is still free.

Would you know how to do this?

Regards