Extract dat file

[robdragon 167]

Hey

 

Is there a way to extract the dat files. There is a dat file I want to edit the lot that is in it. The original lotter is no longer active and hasn't been for some time.

[rsc204 21,804]

The files inside a DAT are all the same as they would be inside a LOT file, it's just that a .dat usually contains multiple lots or other resources.

There is no simple "UN-Dat" operation you can carry out. To extract a lot from a DAT, you can manually do this using iLives Reader. But you need to get all the resources for a given lot. Usually that's a LotConfig and Buildings Exemplar, possibly also a PNG Icon and LTEXT files too.

If you just want to edit the lot, there is an easier way. PIM-X can load/save files that are in DATs without any problems. Otherwise the Maxis LE can open them, but it will save the lot as a new file in the root of plugins. If you use "Save" this new file will have the same ID as the one in the DAT. If you load the new file after the DAT, it will overwrite it. Otherwise, if you use "Save As" it will create a unique instance, which you can use as an additional lot.

[robdragon 167]

10 minutes ago, rsc204 said:

The files inside a DAT are all the same as they would be inside a LOT file, it's just that a .dat usually contains multiple lots or other resources.

There is no simple "UN-Dat" operation you can carry out. To extract a lot from a DAT, you can manually do this using iLives Reader. But you need to get all the resources for a given lot. Usually that's a LotConfig and Buildings Exemplar, possibly also a PNG Icon and LTEXT files too.

If you just want to edit the lot, there is an easier way. PIM-X can load/save files that are in DATs without any problems. Otherwise the Maxis LE can open them, but it will save the lot as a new file in the root of plugins. If you use "Save" this new file will have the same ID as the one in the DAT. If you load the new file after the DAT, it will overwrite it. Otherwise, if you use "Save As" it will create a unique instance, which you can use as an additional lot.

thanks I will probably go with Ilive I need the practice.

[rsc204 21,804]

Honestly, once you get the hang of identifying "groups" of files in DATs, it becomes pretty easy to do many things.

Open a normal lot file for reference, this will give you an idea of how things work. To copy the files, find the entries you need, right click, select "Add to Patch", then use the Patch button to create a new file containing only those you previously selected. Remember that this copying means a duplicate set still exists in the .dat file too, which you might want/need to remove later.

[robdragon 167]

great! thanks for that! I will be working on this in the next couple of days. Have a few like that I want to relot. I do sync backups of anything new or changed in SC4 so I'll have a backup incase I muff up. So