How to: Make your own Mods

[dolz04 0]

hey iwas wondering if i can make a lot that is res. and comm. if so how would i do that. and what values would i change to alter the number of jobs/residents in the building?

thanks for all your help

[fmorel90 3]

This may sound a bit stupid but how do you change how much water a Water Purification Plant custom lot purifies?

[ALTX 40]

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On 8/30/2003 3:52:54 PM fmorel90 wrote:

This may sound a bit stupid but how do you change how much water a Water Purification Plant custom lot purifies?

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change the water consumed i think

[fmorel90 3]

thanks

[funforfree99 5]

*cough* no it's not *cough*

 

 

Use the new building tweaker, thats much easier, however if you really want to use the exemplar analyser its in pollution propertys somewhere.

[fmorel90 3]

thanks to you then.

[ALTX 40]

thats how i tweaked my custom water plant fff13

[fmorel90 3]

I'll just try both.

[Equinox 1,212]

Hmm, I remember seeing a tutorial somewhere on writing hexidecimal negative numbers, but...Wait, this is what you're talking about, right, ALTX?

[fmorel90 3]

Another stupid question of mine, how do you change a .kbi into a .dat?

[funforfree99 5]

hmmm, could be the kbi>>.dat button (this is found under the patch menu(click patch button from top toolbar))

 

however, its not perfect and some exemplars are occasionally dropped.

[fmorel90 3]

thank you again, and how is the venice project coming along?

[blip2 1]

What would be cool is if there were more mods on changes to vehicles i.e. Change buses into passenger trains and garbage trucks into biplanes.

[funforfree99 5]

*points at ALTX* it's his work thats still needed I have a few more boats and anomaly type bugs to remove but I'm nearly done....

 

as for you blip2, first congratulations on post 1, and if you post the same request on the changing vehicles thread I will cater for any requests.....

[TinySim 4]

Hi, I find you tutorials very interesting.

Now, I've made a ordinance, but how do I edit the name of it and the tooltip?

I'll let you know when my ordinance is done

[TinySim 4]

Oh, I foun out that you can do exactly as if you edited a lot name or something, but you should edit hex numbers in ToolTip and some other value next to it instead.

[funforfree99 5]

It's been a while since I have made a proper tutorial, so here are two "theory" tuorials

 

First, finding an unknown property.

 

1. Load up your reader and go to the exemplar analyser, look through a header you are interested in, for exmaple civic buildings. look through the propertys for one named unknown.

 

2. try to see if you can notice the value as a feature in game (write down this value at this point)

 

3. Edit it dramatically (easier to see a change), and save as a patch (.dat format) for ease of removal if there is a problem with the game.

 

4. Load up your game and test the feature you think you have edited.

 

If you were correct (the feature was changed) repeat steps 3 and 4 for other values, checking them all then goto 5

 

If you were wrong return to step 2 and try again.

 

Step 5, post the new propertys number (found underneath property name) on the all the exemplar propertys the reader knows

 

BONUS (AND NEW) STEP: um............I guess I should add something here. You should really add a step in here somewhere somehow. I say this because a number of properties exist in more than one exemplar file, and it is for this reason that when looking at an Unknown property, one must also be aware of any other Exemplar files that contain this unknown property.

So if you wanted to know what (other) Exemplar file(s) contained an Unknown property: (in the Exemplar Analyser window) copy the Property value down (this will be the hex value in the "Name Value" column). Then press the Left Prop button and select the ##Unknown## item near the top of the drop down menu; and then enter the Property value in the value box, and click find and it will bring up all the Exemplar files containing this same property, and show the properties' associated value. You can also edit any of these file(s) properties in this (Left) Prop window.

 THANKS TO TROPOD FOR ADDING THIS

[funforfree99 5]

and second: finding modd inspiration and planning a modd.

 

1. Think of the type of modd you are trying to create, for example; bug fix, unrealistic (cheat), balance modd, llama division style modd (my division, for fun, unnessacary modds), or lot modd

 

2. Think of what you are wanting this modd to do, what features it needs, what it should do in game, what features it has/will have, what values will need to be changed.

 

3. Begin looking through threads for any help, or previously created modds you can look through in order to help you along.

 

4. Sit down and prepare top create your modds, keep your plan nearby and try to keep to it.

 

5. Create and test your modds, then you can make your own thread, if you are changing multiple values (like in the venice modd) test 1 edit before you sift through 100 to find a problem.

 

6. Remember modding should be fun!

 

funforfree99 

[acpawlek 0]

Hi,
I created a middle school based on these tuts out of an elementary school. Everything worked just great, thanks for the help. Now, how do you suppose I can get it to behave like a unique type of educational building rather than another elementary with a different name?

Thanks again,

A

[Tropod 144]

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On 9/9/2003 3:25:57 PM funforfree99 wrote:

It's been a while since I have made a proper tutorial, so here are two 'theory' tuorials

 

First, finding an unknown property.

 

1. Load up your reader and go to the exemplar analyser, look through a header you are interested in, for exmaple civic buildings. look through the propertys for one named unknown.

 

2. try to see if you can notice the value as a feature in game (write down this value at this point)

 

3. Edit it dramatically (easier to see a change), and save as a patch (.dat format) for ease of removal if there is a problem with the game.

 

4. Load up your game and test the feature you think you have edited.

 

If you were correct (the feature was changed) repeat steps 3 and 4 for other values, checking them all then goto 5

 

If you were wrong return to step 2 and try again.

 

Step 5, post the new propertys number (found underneath property name) on the all the exemplar propertys the reader knows

----------------

um............I guess I should add something here. You should really add a step in here somewhere somehow. I say this because a number of properties exist in more than one exemplar file, and it is for this reason that when looking at an Unknown property, one must also be aware of any other Exemplar files that contain this unknown property.

So if you wanted to know what (other) Exemplar file(s) contained an Unknown property: (in the Exemplar Analyser window) copy the Property value down (this will be the hex value in the "Name Value" column). Then press the Left Prop button and select the ##Unknown## item near the top of the drop down menu; and then enter the Property value in the value box, and click find and it will bring up all the Exemplar files containing this same property, and show the properties' associated value. You can also edit any of these file(s) properties in this (Left) Prop window.

 

[funforfree99 5]

Thanks tropod, I have a abridged the tutorial above, I completely forgot about that

 

*hangs head in shame "back to llamas and bears then*

[wozzar 154]

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On 5/27/2003 2:50:18 PM funforfree99 wrote:

Hello fellow modders.

Here I present lesson 2. Fire/police station mods

6. Now to add more trucks BE WARNED. THIS COULD CRASH YOUR GAME IF YOU GO OVERBOARD WITH NUMBERS.

7. Find fire: trucks and change its value to 0x00000099

8. Find no to dispatch and change its value to 0x99

9. apply all changes and save your file.

Coming soon: lesson 3. Editing traffic capacity.

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Hi funforfree99
Can you please tell me what the number would be in the live editor for 10 fire trucks. Thank you for your assistance.

[funforfree99 5]

Which I supose I could do as a small lesson......

 

Lesson 15: Hexadecimal, oh joy.....

 

Hexadecimal is a form of counting that uses base 16 (we use decimal (a base ten system), from decem latin word for ten (although number systems also have routes in greek)anyway back to topic...)

 

base ten uses ten symbols as numbers

 

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

(the numbers from 0-9)

 

 

base 16 uses 16 symbols

 

0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F

(base 16 counting from 0-15)

 

in base 16:

A is equal to 10

B, 11

C, 12

D, 13

E, 14

F, 15

10 is 16

15, 21

20, 32

 

to work a number out in hexadecimal:

(from hex to decimal)

 

go to collums as so:

 

    -->( /16)        -->(/16)     --> (/16)

4096's     256's     16's      units

          (*16)<--        (*16)<--    (*16)<-- 

 

 

 

(In above diagram: to calculate you collum header take the previous one and multiply by 16)

 

If in hexadecimal you have the number FF you have F 16's and F units (for FFFF F 4096's F 256's F 16's and F units)

 

start by multiplying your 16's collum by the number in it (F translates to 15) 16 * 15 = 240

Then add your units (F units(F = 15) 240 + 15 = 255

 

FF = 255

 

for FFFF:

4096 * 15 = 61440

256   * 15 =  3840

16     * 15 =   240

1       * 15 =    15

                 ______

total         = 65535

 

Now did that make any sense? here is a list of numbers in base 16 up to 20

 

0=0, 1=1, 2=2, 3=3, 4=4, 5=5, 6=6, 7=7, 8=8, 9=9, A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, F=15, 10=16, 11=17, 12=18 13=19, 14=20 

 

 

This is my longest and most comprehensive lesson so far, be sure to PM me with any mistakes you find so that I may correct this work. Thankyou.

 

funforfree99

 

<EDIT> FIXED A MAJOR PROBLEM (collums sectionwas utterly wrong)

 

Also for those not interested inb this theory stuff there are quick ways like using windows calculator

[wozzar 154]

Quote

On 9/20/2003 8:52:09 AM funforfree99 wrote:

Which I supose I could do as a small lesson......

You completely lost me on this one. Oh well i was never good at math's anyway. So what is the number for 10 fire trucks. Also what does center strength and outer strength do.

[Tropod 144]

On your computer (in the start menu), find and open the Calculator. Generally, any Microsoft operating system has this on the computer.>>

Change the Calculator so that it is in Scientific mode (goto: View, then click Scientific mode).>>

Then from here, on the calculator you should notice two items, a Hex button and a Dec button. Dec = decimal and is (generally) what you see in the game (for a variety of things). Hex = hexadecimal, and is what's used in the files (generally).>>

These two buttons in the calculator will convert a decimal number to its hexadecimal equivalent. All you need to do, is make sure the dec button is selected, then enter a value (lets say) 20, then press the hex button, and this will give you the hexadecimal value that you need for the property you are editing (make sure though, that the Qword item is selected when the Hex button is selected).

This should surely be enough info for you (or anyone) to figure out what you need for decimal >to> hexadecimal conversions.

[wozzar 154]

Thanks Tropod for your help.

[jabber8809 0]

Hi! I have a small problem with my traffic speed increase mod. After i set all the settings in the tree thingy i click off analyser and hit save or save as, it askes to overwrite and i hit yes..Then i get a error and the Reader program stops responding. I have tried it 3 different ways.

Any ideas? It will help alot. TYVM

[dave1215 0]

I want to know how to increase the capacity of the clinic, to 1500 or 0x000005DC. I attempted it myself and it does not work.

Dave

[Tropod 144]

Sometimes when you're wanting to modd something, sometimes you need to change more than one property in order to get the desired effect.

 

Clinics/hospitals for example:

You need to change both of the following properties:

Capacity , user visible text (0x4AA60EBC)

Patient Cap. , used value (0x69220415)

Both of these need to be changed so, and they need to be the same.

 

 

For other buildings such as Mass Transit buildings for example, the following properties need to be changed:

Capacity , user visible text (0x4AA60EBC)

Capacity of a transit building (0xE90E25A3)

Again, both of these need to be changed and should be the same.

 

 

These are just some examples, but some other buildings/items also follow the same principle.

[funforfree99 5]

Chat anouncement:

 

Through the next week (beginning monday 13th October, Ending Friday 17th October) I plan to be in chat from around 4AM simtropolis time (9 Am uk) through to around 10am simtropolis time (3 am UK time). (There may also be ocaisoions I am on between 12 st time and 2pm st time)

 

This time is an ideal oportunity for those available to ask questions on modding, questions on Rush Hour modding, questions on the reader, and basicly questions on any other modding related topic.

 

If any other modd squad members read this:

 

If you are available at those times feel free to enter the chat room and help out.

 

How popular this is will determine wether I decide to run another such event or whether it will be easier for questions to be asked through the forums.