Editing Type Address and Group Address with Ilives

[ReshiramLover 50]

I downloaded a document that tells me how to make custom query sounds. not only is the document very hard to follow, many of the things it tells me to do, there seems to be no option to do these things like

c. Give the WAV file a Type Address of 2026960B and a Group Address of AA4D1933. Make the Instance Address a unique 8-digit HEX number.

Except I have no option to change the Type Address nor do I have an option to change the Group Address. or the Instance Address. I see them listed and they are currently 00000000 but clicking on them does not give the option to edit them, I do not see anything in the right-click menu to allow me to do this nor do I see anything in any of the buttons or menus that allows me to edit the Type Address, Group Address, or the Instance Address.

 

This document was written very sloppily and I had to figure a lot out just to get to this point.

 

How do I edit these addresses in Ilives?

[CorinaMarie 29,884]

Let's start with which version of iLive's Reader are you using. I have 0.93 and 1.5.4 so I need to know which one so I can see the same screen as you. (I also have 1.4.somthing, but I don't use that one.)

[ReshiramLover 50]

apparently 0.9.3

[CorinaMarie 29,884]

Ok. Click the Tools menu then the TGI Editor and that gets you to where you can change the Type, Group, and Instance.

[ReshiramLover 50]

I edited them but after I save the lot, the lot no longer appears in Sim City 4! and if I open it in Lot Editor, I get a "Sim City 4 Lot Editor has stopped working". It is as if ILives is writing corrupt files!

 

Does anybody know what the problem could be?

[CorinaMarie 29,884]

I'm mostly a neophyte with Reader having only made a few simple mods. We prolly need a linky to the document instructions you are following.

[SecretMbr_735754 2,158]

Are there 2 exemplars?  One is lot configuration and the other is building configuration.

[CorinaMarie 29,884]

In this case I suspect we need an LTEXT cause of the 2026960B. Or maybe that's just the reference to an LTEXT. (I'm quickly getting out of my league here.)

[ReshiramLover 50]

This is what is in the document. I downloaded it years ago. First time trying

 

For anyone interested, there are only 3 basic factors/elements/thingies involved in adding custom sounds to queries and/or the lot itself... and the process is fairly simple. It goes a little something like this:

 

 

 

 

1. The WAV file should be in PCM format and have a 22.050 kHz sampling rate. To reduce size (some sound files can be huge), it should also be a 8-bit mono.

 

a. You can use the Sound Recorder program that comes with Windows to convert almost any WAV file to the proper format.

 

HOW: Load the WAV file into the Sound Recorder program. From the File menu, select Properties. From the Properties dialog box, click on Convert Now. In the Sound Selection dialog box, set the format to PCM and the sampling rate (aka Attributes) to 22.050 kHz 8bit Mono. Click Ok, close the dialogs and save the file.

 

b. Insert the WAV file into your lot file using the Reader program's Insert & Compress option. Select WAV file as the format.

(can be done with DatGen as well)

 

c. Give the WAV file a Type Address of 2026960B and a Group Address of AA4D1933. Make the Instance Address a unique 8-digit HEX number.

 

d. You can test the WAV file using the Reader. Make sure it sounds right. If not, you can try different settings for the file using the Sound Recorder until the sound and volume are correct. If you have access to a good sound editing program, you can also modify it there, adding extra qualities and effects & filtering out distortion, etc...

 

 

2. Sound files are accessed in the game via TRK files. Each WAV file you use will need to have a unique TRK file. As these are complicated files containing EVIL NASTY mojo we don't fully understand, we will copy and reuse one that we know works.

 

Although TRK files can do many things, we are only concerned with their ability to control the WAV file's volume and whether the sound should repeat or not. Attached to this message is a DAT file containing two TRK files that you can copoy into your lot files. One is set up for use as Query SFX (073D41AB)that plays at full volume and does not repeat. The other (073D41A9)is suitable for background SFX and plays at a lower volume and repeats.

 

a. Each of these TRK files should be given a unique Instance address. DO NOT USE THE INSTANCE ADDRESSES THEY CURRENT HAVE. You will also copy that unique Instance address in the appropriate SFX property of the exemplar.

 

b. The TRK file must also point to the unique Instance address of the appropriate WAV file. When you click on the TRK file in the Reader, its values will display in the right pane. Copy the WAV file's Instance address to the third value, XA Instance. Be sure to click on the Apply button when done.

 

And that should do it. Be sure to Reindex & Rebuild the directory before saving. Test it in the game and see if it works. If it doesn't... well, you screwed up. Try again!

 

[SecretMbr_735754 2,158]

3 minutes ago, CorinaMarie said:

(I'm quickly getting out of my league here

No you're not out of your league at all Cori,  but the LTEXT is only for the menu, its not otherwise any influence on the programmed lot.

[CorinaMarie 29,884]

10 minutes ago, ReshiramLover said:

I downloaded it years ago.

Ok. I found the original of that here. Take a look at the post following that one by @BarbyW. There is an attachment that might be of some use. The posted pics, however, are gone.

 

8 minutes ago, RandyE said:

 the LTEXT is only for the menu, its not otherwise any influence on the programmed lot.

Oh, then I prolly should read more here cause I got that impression from this part:

Quote

The Type ID of an LText file is always 0x2026960B.

 

Edit: There also appears to be a tutorial attached to this post.

[ReshiramLover 50]

The zip file listed on that page is corrupt. Windows won't open it. Still no

[CorinaMarie 29,884]

Just now, ReshiramLover said:

The zip file listed on that page is corrupt. Windows won't open it. Still no

Phooey. Try the one I edited in that's on Devotion. I did open it ok in Windows. It's then an .rtf file.

[ReshiramLover 50]

That is the same document I posted. Still no required TRK files

[CorinaMarie 29,884]

Rats! Ok. It's beyond my ability then. We'll have to wait for the resident gurus to see this thread.

[SecretMbr_735754 2,158]

OK so the Item Description Key  is yet more so akin to the standard definitions, but as we digress, they are more so generic and specific to what we define.  

[CT14 2,486]

Interesting, thanks for the pointers to tutorials everyone.

In the absence of the original attachment, maybe a TRK from any lot that has a custom query sound could work. For example,

 

[CorinaMarie 29,884]

7 hours ago, CT14 said:

In the absence of the original attachment, maybe a TRK from any lot that has a custom query sound could work.

It's certainly worth a try. Let us know if it works out.

[Fantozzi 4,068]

There is a function in Reader (right click left window) - 'create new instance'. If I remember right for the first entry I used this function and then counted upwards for every new wav file I added.

You have to mark (highlight) the entry you want to generate a new  instance ID. Afterwards you have to refresh Index (command 'ReIndex' in Reader) to see the changes.

 

12 hours ago, CT14 said:

In the absence of the original attachment, maybe a TRK from any lot that has a custom query sound could work. For example,

 

This definitely works - just copy the TRK and use the Reader command to generate new group and instance.

In case you may use my audio essentials as a template, here:

https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=3495

 

Another thing - if you sample wav files from 16 bit (cd) or higher resolution down to 8 bit resolution (which is like pressing spaghetti through a strainer and hope they don't get broken) - look if you can find a dither algorithm. Otherwise on more complex sounds (with lower parts) you may get digital artefacts/noises.

For an explanaition of 'dithering' you may see here:

http://www.darkroommastering.com/blog/dithering-explained

 

[rsc204 21,866]

16 hours ago, ReshiramLover said:

This document was written very sloppily and I had to figure a lot out just to get to this point.

That's really unfair. I can understand it fully, however what this tutorial requires is some understanding of how Reader works, i.e. it's not for absolute beginners. You know it takes a lot of time to write such tutorials and I can totally understand why documenting a very niche modding process like this. The creator probably figured if you need to know how to use Reader, there are plenty of tutorials out there already that deal with that aspect.

Having said that, we should first establish one point, have you actually correctly imported your WAV file into a DAT/SC4Lot file?

15 hours ago, ReshiramLover said:

I edited them but after I save the lot, the lot no longer appears in Sim City 4! and if I open it in Lot Editor, I get a "Sim City 4 Lot Editor has stopped working". It is as if ILives is writing corrupt files!

Now this is where I think something might be going wrong. Why are you editing a lot at this point? The only part of the lot you need edit is to "link" back to the newly imported sound file. Assuming you've done that correctly, updating one property with a new ID will not corrupt your lot. Either you have ID'd things incorrectly or altered something elsewhere that's causing the lot to fail. That or you have correctly done it, but the sound file is not right and so when SC4 tries to use it, you get problems. Either way, if you've yet to create a TRK file that works in tandem with your WAV file, you are getting ahead of yourself.

Let's start simple, because it's impossible to see the problem without the file. Could you attach the file with your modified/custom sound and we can see what's going on more clearly.

5 hours ago, Fantozzi said:

There is a function in Reader (right click left window) - 'create new group and instance'. If I remember right for the first entry I used this function and then counted upwards for every new wav file I added.

According to the tutorial, you should be using Generate New Instance, not Group and Instance. Although many SC4 formats don't require a specific Group ID, some do, I honestly couldn't say, but for the purposes of starting out, I'd play it safe and use the Type & Group IDs given only.

[Fantozzi 4,068]

3 minutes ago, rsc204 said:

According to the tutorial, you should be using Generate New Instance, not Group and Instance.

You're right. I have to correct that.