How SC runs its files ?

[huzman 445]

My SC4D crashed out of use. So, after a total clean out of SC4D files and a fresh re-install, I started thinking "Why 2 copies of it ?" one in "my docs\SC4 Deluxe" and another one under "program files\SC4 Deluxe". How do they interact ? It would help me getting all my plugins/mods and assorted stuff back to the rightful places.

Much obliged.

[rsc204 21,814]

The Plugins folder in My Documents is for user added custom content. If you don't know how the second one in the install dir works, I'd advise you leave it alone. One small exception to this rule, you should place any .DLL files in the root folder of Plugins inside the install dir.

As for regions, NEVER use the one in the install dir, that is there to keep a backup of the default regions that came with the game.

[huzman 445]

1 hour ago, rsc204 said:

The Plugins folder in My Documents is for user added custom content.

That's the one we fool around adding and deleting things, right ?

 

1 hour ago, rsc204 said:

you should place any .DLL files in the root folder

But not in the first "my docs\SC4 Deluxe", right ?

[rsc204 21,814]

The install dir is usually the one in Program Files.

The user dir is found inside Documents (or My Documents). This is the one you should be using for plugins/regions.

[huzman 445]

I goofed in an answer to @rsc204 above.
When I said "But not in the first "my docs\SC4 Deluxe", right ?"
It should be "But not in the first "program files\SC4 Deluxe", right ?" That's the one you call the  root folder ?

[rsc204 21,814]

A root folder in this case simply means the actual folder itself, not a sub directory. So whilst any folder can be called a "root" folder, when someone says this, they just mean do not use another folder within it, it has to go in the first one.

So for DLL files, you should place them here (not inside a subfolder, but directly in the Plugins folder):

C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Plugins - This is the install DIR, or where the installation files of SC4 are located.

But for everything else, you should use this location (you can use subfolders, bearing in mind the load order required):

C:\My Documents\USERNAME\SimCity 4\Plugins - This is the User DIR, or where user mods/plugins should be.

One reason why people don't like to give specific paths, is because those are simply the defaults. But for example, on Windows 7, those paths are different from XP. Similarly, Steam and Origin don't use the same defaults either. Not to mention you can choose to have these folders located elsewhere. The key thing to understand is that within My Documents is where you should be placing your mods and cities/savefiles.

[huzman 445]

3 hours ago, rsc204 said:

The key thing to understand is that within My Documents is where you should be placing your mods and cities/savefiles.

All your comments are quite good. It clears a lot of fog in my comp, now that I'm trying to rebuild SC4

Merci !