Unable to Locate the Prop Family I Created

[DonVitoCorleone 20]

Hello all:

 

I've tried twice to create prop families via different programs: 1. PIMX the first time 2. Ilive Reader. Using Pimx I actually found the family but I messed up on it and decided to use a different ID. Since then I haven't been successful. Yesterday I cleared out all pertaining files and reinstalled both programs. Some technical details:

 

1. Both times I put the applicable files into my sc4 plugins folder in my documents. With no success I then tried putting it in the game directory (in my case the Steam game directory plugin folder). After that- I tried putting them in both at the same time. After that didn't work I simply placed them with no subdirectories in the plugins folder.

 

2. I followed a tutorial on Pimx and am fairly certain I did everything right in that regard. I believe it is simply a matter of misplacing files or something. For my Ilive Reader attempt, I made the .dat file from existing props (simfox's, VIP and Grfe's trees), changed the group and instance, and added my own (assigned from the prop family database at SC4Devo) prop family ID to the exemplars. I did this via Jeronji's tutorial and followed it word for word. The one expection was that my exemplars did NOT have building/prop family ID's and I instead added a property and my own. The tutorial implied they would already exist.

 

3. I reindexed them after any work I did.

 

I know this is a lot to read, my apologies for not being more concise. Thank you in advance for any help you can give me. I look forward to putting up some cool stuff on the Stex very soon.

 

Don Vito Corleone

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Have you checked whether the building/prop family property has a Rep of 1 (and not zero)? It's been a while since I've made my last prop family, but I seem to remember there was something very easily overlooked.

[SimCoug 5,977]

Yep, my money is on TWreck's comment - I've been flummoxed by this in the past (not just once... many times... it's such a simple thing to overlook).

[DonVitoCorleone 20]

Ok, I had two separate prop family files- I didn't even realize the old one (made on pimx) was still there- but it is. So I attached two screenshots.

 

As suggested I added "1" into the building/prop family rep. it was 0. I reindexed after and saved. I did this in Ilive.

 

And since I had my "old" exemplars from Pimx- I saw the unnamed Family Prop ID in the Unnamed Listing- so I added a name "Mafia-StreetTrees" add it went to the "Named" section. All the prop rep's for the family prop ID for that was 1 as well. I attached screenshots.

 

If you could take a look please let me know if I am doing anything wrong.

 

Thank you so much Simcoug and Twrecks. I have spent so much time trying to make this work (a TON of time) and am so close yet not there. Really, really want to finish these as it was my last project before I launch my CJ and start doing some lotting stuff.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Don Vito Corleone

[rsc204 21,869]

It all looks fine to me, although testing in-game will give you more certain results.

 

This is useful information, I was stumped a while back by a couple broken ones and sure enough the rep isn't there in the prop exemplar properties. I wonder if this is related to adding it in PIM-X, since before when I did everything in the reader I never came across the problem?

[NCGAIO 562]

Just for curiosity ... other way.

Alternative to Prop Families

[DonVitoCorleone 20]

Ok I just read your link Ncgaio, very interesting. I liked the prop family system simply cause it was built in lot editor or pimx lot editor so once made I could be done with it- but I may try out that method instead. I am making a crapton of plaza lots right now as filler for cities. I am using a TON of detail so I wanted the trees I use to be random among my selections.

 

I am making like 60+ plaza's if not more.

 

Anyway, last question: I found PIMX to be unable to find any custom content in my sim city my documents plugin folder- but it would recognize them if I put them in my steam sc4 plugins folder.

 

Might this be part of my issue? Any ideas guys?

 

Thanks so much all- really appreciated.

 

Don Vito Corleone

[rsc204 21,869]

For some reason the Steam version of SC4 defaults to the plugin directory there and not in my documents, to my knowledge there is no setting for SC4 PIM to change the default path, so it will also look to load plugins from there. There are a few possible solutions if this doesn't work for you though. You could use symlinks to redirect your folders, everything in the my documents plugins folder would appear to applications to be in the Steam folder. Otherwise I believe there are some registry entries for SC4 that can be changed to alter the default path, I'm guessing SCM-PIM must be using this otherwise it wouldn't re-direct to the Steam folder.