Rudricus Clocks Monuments weird files

[tariely 4,499]

I really don't know that other title and tag to put there.

I've always loved those Rudricus' little 2x2 plazas, which I find inventive and original and I've had them in my Parks folder like forever.

Now that I'm messing around with SC4 tools I thought I would like to lift the clocks models, make them into props and use them for relots -- I aim to give a second life to good SC4 stuff. I'd never seen the files in Windows mode, as I was playing on a Pure Mac before, not a Windowed partition, but what a surprise when I opened the folder ! These are the files that I saw (and I had just plopped the lots in-game without a problem) :

What the F*? Why do they appear to be stuffed ? But they are NOT (nothing destuffs them) ; no need to say the L.E. does not see them. Neither does the Reader. I didn't try with PIM or with DataNode -- maybe I should ? Anyhoo. Could someone tell me what is going on here ?

 

[rsc204 21,869]

SC4 doesn't really care what format a file is in, it will look at it and if it sees the correct data format, will load the content of the files. Hence it can load and work with files that are Compressed or Zipped (I'm assuming that's what Stuffed means in this context). Some of the third party tools however will not do this, they are specifically looking for the SC4 file types and will ignore all others. In any case, the solution is to de-compress the files should you need to work with them. Typically you can do this with a general purpose utility, 7-zip is the best of it's kind that I know of. But if that's not working, it's possible you must use the same application used to compress the files to de-compress them. If in doubt, I'd look for the original download and start there with a new copy of the files.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Well, you don't actually see the file extension, so there's no telling what we are looking at. This is one of THE most annoying default settings in Windows, and I could go all Blitzkrieg over Redmond whenever I see it.

My guess: The creator gave these files the extension ".DAT", and on your Windows PC, this extension is associated with a particular software. However, the files actually have nothing to do with that software. For example, you could take a BAT file named "MyHouse.sc4model" and rename it to "MyHouse.doc" - but that won't make it a Word document, of course! If MS Word is installed, however, it will think "Oh, this ends in .doc, so it must be a Word document", so the Windows Explorer will display the file with that little "W" icon and try to open it with MS Word when double-clicked.

In your Windows Explorer, proceed as follows:

• Click on the "Organize" dropdown button (Top left)
• Select "File and folder options"
• Change to the "View" tab (middle tab)
• Find the option "Hide extensions for known file types" and make sure it is NOT checked.

Congratulations, you can now tell what you're even looking at in that #@*|$ piece of software.

Well, there goes my blood pressure again. The pills, where are the pills?

/takes pill

/breathes deeply

/hopes that this post helped

[tariely 4,499]

@Robin : they are not zipped at all, (or they couldn't be plopped ingame -- or could they ? hm) Hence my befuddlement.

@TWrecks : indeed, when seen with the Mac, they say they are TextEdit files !!! I'm gonna try your trick and keep you'll posted. (just in case somebody else encounter that problem. Those are indeed nice, different clocks, IMO, worthy ob being showcased.) Sorry for the blood pressure (join the club, though .)

[rsc204 21,869]

15 minutes ago, tariely said:

they are not zipped at all, (or they couldn't be plopped ingame -- or could they ? hm) Hence my befuddlement.

As I explained in my previous post, it simply doesn't matter. SC4 doesn't care what they are called nor what extension they use. If the data in the file is in the DBPF format it will read and load them. Hence keeping non-sc4 files in your plugin folder can cause real problems, since the game will try to load them all upon startup. Perhaps though I misunderstood, by "stuffed" you mean simply broken?

In any case, if the file formats do turn out to be correct (file extensions), there is no reason the Reader shouldn't open them unless the files are broken. In which case I'd start over with a freshly downloaded copy. If you have a link to the download I could take a peek and see if there are any problems with them.

[tariely 4,499]

the icon corresponds to the (mac) Stuffit Expander -- which does nothing to the files). I put theling in the first post. If you are willing to have a peek at the files, I would be mucho gratitudinous ! :-)

[rsc204 21,869]

It looks like for reasons unknown the uploader decided to remove the file extensions for these files from it's name. That won't stop them working, I can open them in reader just fine and I know SC4 will happily read them regardless. But I think the simplest solution for you is simply to add said extensions back, by renaming the files and adding the following to the end:

• XXX Desc    --> XXX .SC4Desc
• XXX Lot       --> XXX .SC4Lot
• XXX Model --> XXX .SC4Model

Having correctly added the file extensions, they will work as you are expecting them too.

[tariely 4,499]

Second thing I tried (after trying to unstuff the files:-)), but (a) I still don't see them in the L.E., which (b) obdurately refuses to show me the lot, too ("stuff missing on your machine" -- UH ?). Neither does the Reader show me ANYthing ("no element corresponds to...”etc). How come it does your bidding but not mine ? I doth protest !

Now. Trying TWrecks trick.

Er... Twrecks, I'm afraid you're gonna need those pills again. "Windows Explorer... Organize dropdown Button... top left" ... yeees... (small voice : ) where, exactly ? [those are the modified files ; I haven't put the originals back yet.]   This is Windows 8.1.

yet.

 

 

 

[rsc204 21,869]

Well for starters you've not followed my formatting instructions for the file names. Where you have _SC4.Lot it should be .SC4Lot and so on.

As for the files opening in reader, I simply dragged the files onto an Icon (shortcut) for Reader on my desktop. It simply opens the file without error. However I wouldn't assume your install is setup to work this way, I recall having to manually configure it to work like this.

If you are trying to open them using the File / Open command, the window that appears has a section "Files of type:". As with many applications, by default it filters only those file types the application is expecting to find (which until corrected, these are not). However if you select "All Files" for this field, you should then see everything.

However, even without bothering to edit the filenames, they DO open in the LE just fine:

The clocks themselves (Models) are set as Buildings, so you'll need to make them into props to use them on lots. See the attached file "ClockProps.SC4Desc", I've made a prop exemplar for each model for you:

ClockProps.SC4Desc

If not using the original lots, you can simply keep the original Model files and ditch everything else from the downloaded package. If you want you can redistribute my file too, find them in the LE named "Rudricus_Clock_#" (#=1-3).

The real issue here though is that these files were there all along, your problem seems to be finding them in the LE. Perhaps it's worth pointing out once more, the file name you see in Windows, has nothing whatsoever to do with the name for objects in the LE or other SC4 tools. Sometimes if you load LE with only those files you are looking at (as I did here), it makes it much easier to find them. Otherwise, a quick peek in Reader at the property "Exemplar Name", will show you the Internal Name that you will find displayed in LE. Of course depending on whether you are looking for a Building, Lot or Prop, you must check the corresponding Exemplar's property, each could be different.

[T Wrecks 10,210]

I guess I know why the extension was removed by the author: it's precisely the fact that Windows hides extensions by default. He wanted to make sure that the average user (who would keep the default setting) would still be able to tell what is what.

• MyHouse.sc4model will, by default, be visible in the Windows Explorer as: MyHouse. In the "File Type" column, you could read anything, depending on what software you have installed: video, archive, text, ... (all nonsense!) or simply "file".
• Now, if the author changes the file name to Myhouse Model.sc4model, the file will be visible in the Windows Explorer as MyHouse Model. <= you see that it's a model even if the file extension is hidden.
• Since the file extension would be invisible and doesn't matter to SC4 anyway, I guess the author decided to remove it altogether. Highly unusual technique, that.

A little excursion into the professional world if you fancy reading it:

Spoiler

However, these shenanigans have led to some bizarre solutions and have affected the company I work for. You see, with file extensions being hidden, some people have chosen to do something similar to our SC4 author above: They added the file type to the file name:

• A file like 1stquarterresults.doc would be visible as 1stquarterresults.doc (extension greyed out because it will be hidden)
• So they'd call it 1stquarterresults_doc.doc, for example, trying to compensate for the hidden extension.
• Others would add a second extension because Windows would only hide the last one: 1stquarterresults.doc.doc
• Of course, double extensions are radical nonsense and, in fact, help spread viruses! You see, after a while even most idiots had learnt: Don't click on EXE files you don't know! They can execute program code! So then the virus makers simply turned their [virusfile].exe into - you guessed it - [virusfile].txt.exe, for example. They simply added a fake extension that would remain visible, making naive users think "Oh, it's just a harmless text file - surely I can click on that!" *virus infection*

Now to my real-world example:

• one of our customers had sent two files, an older version for reference and a newer version for us to work on and send back. The older one was a .PPT file (older PowerPoint presentation format up to Office 2003), the newer one was a .PPTX file (newer PowerPoint presentation format for Office 2007 and higher).
• The instructions were clear: "Send back the PPTX, not the PPT". Unmistakable, right? That's what I thought, too. I was proven wrong, though.
• You see, some idiot on the customer's side had added the file format to one of the file names. As a result, we had the following two files:
  [filename]_PPTX.PPT - shown in Windows Explorer as [filename]_PTTX, ... file type "PowerPoint Presentation"
  [filename].PPTX - shown in Windows Explorer as [filename], ... file type "PowerPoint Presentation"
  Then, some idiot on our side thought "Oh, two PowerPoint presentations... well, I only see the letters 'PPTX' in one of them, so that must be it" - and sent the PPT.
  *sends file*
  *customer rages*
  *complaint*
  *sigh*

As for showing the file extensions on a Windows 8 machine, I am on Windows 7, but here's a how-to guide for Windows 8.

[tariely 4,499]

You're both princes, and I respectfully stand at your feet, wincing at my noobishness ! :-))))) (really, Tariel, _SC4.lot ? Really ?!? Good Lord !)

(small voice : on the other hand, it was the right move, wasn't it ?:-)

EDIT PS : In fact --looking again at your picture, Robin --, I realized I would have found them without a hitch in the L.E. had I known they were called "Relojios" !!!! omg. [BTW, your trick of dragging the the file on the L.E. icon works!]

Well, it has been another learning experience for me anyway, so it's all good :-) (except for the pills, TWrecks, and another tear in Robin's patience...) Thank you both again !

[tariely 4,499]

arumph, another certainly stoopid question (I am beyond shame, now) : when you've made a prop out of a model, are you supposed to need the originals so as not have a flag on your lot ?

[rsc204 21,869]

So it breaks down as follows:

• If you want to use the original Lots:
  You must keep all the original files installed. My Props file is optional, but not required for the original files.
• If you want to just use the models on your own lots:
  You simply need the original Model files and my Props file.
• If you intend on using any combination thereof:
  You need to keep both the original set of files and my Props file.

[tariely 4,499]

I Stand Enlightened --again. Thanks !