Colossus Addon Mod installer not opening DatPacker?

[rsc204 21,808]

Simply put, this will ALWAYS be mandatory, unless a modified version of Simcity_1.dat was included with the mod. For whatever reasons we can't absolutely decipher (because it's an abomination I tell thee), you can not edit the exemplar in question with an override, it will just be ignored. Hence the reason why this fix uniquely must be DATPacked to work.

[Sam4 22]

and also what about (IR Fix Only ) do it should be installed too? for exemple ( IR Fix Only + Midrise ) or only one of them?

[jeffryfisher 2,176]

9 hours ago, rsc204 said:

Simply put, this [IH fix dat-packing into Simcity_1.dat] will ALWAYS be mandatory, unless a modified version of Simcity_1.dat was included with the mod

...Or if you already did it some time in the past.

9 hours ago, rsc204 said:

you can not edit the exemplar in question with an override

You can, and the job-ratios change as expected for an override (thus giving you HT employment), but your census then counts things twice, and that screws up planning in other ways. I guess the programmer who wrote the census mechanism never expected those job-allocation exemplars to appear outside of Simcity_1.dat, so somehow it's adding instead of replacing something.

[rsc204 21,808]

Perhaps I should elaborate, I mixed up the file you mentioned in your last post "z_IH_census_10_78_12" with the equivalent from CAM (v2.1.0) "z_CAM_2.1.0_Stand_Permanent Merge.dat". So appologies, but that does rather change the answer I would give, which is whilst one of the fixes should be installed, both essentially do the same thing. Obviously as a CAM user, you'll want the CAM-optimised version, NOT the regular one.

Whichever file was last DATPacked with SimCity_1.dat, will be the version that is currently in use. So if you've packed the non-CAM file, you should pack the CAM version once more to ensure you've the right settings. Note if the CAM installer ran without error the first time, then you can run it again to handle this process for you. Otherwise follow the instructions here to manually extract/pack the files:

6 hours ago, Sam4 said:

IR Fix Only

I don't know where this file comes from, I suspect this is from an earlier version of CAM? If so, no I wouldn't install it unless the readme for CAM 2.1 explicitly states to do so.

[twalsh102 1,601]

If CAM 2.1.0 installs correctly, you do not need to merge the mentioned IH census fix.  CAM 2.1.0 includes a fixed exemplar, but it  is not the same as the IH Census fix mentioned (CAM 2.1.0 has some slightly different ratios).

[JimC 159]

I hope I'm not offending by restarting an old post - this thread is related my own problem.

- I have SC4DatPacker installed and working now, thanks to the DLL file links provided in this thread.
- I run the CAM installer and I get to the part where I exit the MS Notepad dialogue. Then, a box pops up and says "Errors occurred" please see a log file.
- Then I click X on the pop up and another pops up saying it failed to update your SimCity_1 dat file
- Then it asks me if I want to continue, I say no, then it hangs on the screen until I press cancel
- FYI, the Windows log file address it gives leads to an empty folder! 
- After I press cancel, there is a backup SimCity folder in my Documents and a CAM folder of some kind in my plugins.

I'm lost. What do I do?

Thanks

[CorinaMarie 29,605]

7 hours ago, Nebuchanezzar said:

I hope I'm not offending by restarting an old post - this thread is related my own problem.

No worries at all. We no longer get upset about bumping an old thread when the new post pertains to the topic at hand (regardless of the age of said topic).

 

7 hours ago, Nebuchanezzar said:

I'm lost. What do I do?

This part I'll have to leave to the experts since I don't know.

[rsc204 21,808]

I gave step-by-step instructions in the post linked above. But in-short you'll have to manually finalise this part of the install. There would seem to be a gremlin in the installer somewhere and the creator has since gone inactive, so I wouldn't hold your breath for a fix.

 

[JimC 159]

Thank you very much @rsc204. That link solved the problem. I can now use the CAM. A vital part of the solution to this problem lies in exploring the CAM installer using 7zip and extracting the relevant CAM files, as was stated by @jeffryfisher in the linked thread.

As someone else said, this problem is not straight forward to players like myself.

I have some spare time and I would be happy to write a tutorial on overcoming this problem, if that's something which could be beneficial.

[CorinaMarie 29,605]

1 hour ago, JimC said:

I have some spare time and I would be happy to write a tutorial on overcoming this problem, if that's something which could be beneficial.

That would be wonderful.

We could then add a green (or blue) message banner to the CAM Stex Description so peeps would know it's available. Or if you make it a standalone file, it could be added as an additional download option.

[JimC 159]

On 11/17/2018 at 11:50 PM, CorinaMarie said:

That would be wonderful.

We could then add  a green (or blue) message banner to the CAM STEX Description so peeps would know it's available. Or if you make it a standalone file, it could be added as an additional download option.

I created a walk-through and I have attached it as a PDF. It's quite long! Not sure if it can be edited down to banner size but I'm happy if you want to chop it apart so it's a bit smaller.

 

Solution to CAM Installation Problem Using Windows 10.pdf

[CorinaMarie 29,605]

6 hours ago, JimC said:

I created a walk-through and I have attached it as a PDF. It's quite long! Not sure if it can be edited down to banner size but I'm happy if you want to chop it apart so it's a bit smaller.

Excellent. I won't alter your document at all as I'm not a CAM user nor do I have Win 10 so I wouldn't know where to begin. What I have in mind is I'll upload your PDF directly to the server here and then add a banner message to the CAM STEX page which has a clickable linky in it to view/download your document.

Something like:

Finalizing the installation of CAM has several steps which must be performed manually.  See the Solution to CAM Installation Problem Using Windows 10.pdf for instructions.

Edit: A copy of your PDF is now hosted directly on our server and I've added a Banner Message to the file download page.

[CorinaMarie 29,605]

Copying these quotes from the comments of CAM on the STEX:

8 hours ago, necroshine123 said:

Hellow InvisiCam.

Thank you for your effort on creating Latest CAM.

I have a issue regarding installation of CAM. During CAM installation is "SC4DatPacker" is essential or can I just ignore it?  Coz Still the installation completes after ignoring and CAM is working in the game. Also the installer during installation ask to override/Merge the original dat file SimCity_1.dat with the existing file on that particular folder. which I did.

The thing is does all this activities is happening naturally? or do I just doing something wrong. I hope I addressed the issue properly for your valuable reply. Please enlighten me.

8 hours ago, CorinaMarie said:

Hiya, @necroshine123.

Unfortunately @InvisiChem has not been seen around here since July 2016. I do know finalizing the installation of CAM has several steps which may need to be performed manually. If the installer fails to run to completion, please see the Solution to CAM Installation Problem Using Windows 10.pdf for how to manually finish off the process.

I'm not a CAM user myself, but as I understand it the steps in there work for other versions of Windows too.

-Cori

1 hour ago, necroshine123 said:

CorinaMarie: During the process of installation even after sc4datpacker fails to update SimCity_1 file the installer give me choice weather to continue with installation or quiet it. As I continued, the process finishes and in the end it says you have successfully installed CAM.

To be more specific, in your Solution in 5.b its been said the installer will fail and rather than quitting it nothing else will happen but in my case the installer ask me whether I would like to continue with installation or quiet it. as I press continue then again another message arises which says you need to merge the file SimCity_1 from the original and so on (you know the rest). and finally the installation process completed and says " you have successfully completed CAM".

So how did it happen? as I failed to comply with the sc4datpacker.

I've moved the convo to this thread so the experts will be more likely to see it. I personally don't use CAM and I don't know how to answer.

[jeffryfisher 2,176]

CAM includes a high-tech fix, and that needs to be dat-packed into SimCity_1.dat to avoid some other duplication. If the CAM installer can't run the dat-packer to accomplish this, then you must do it manually. Cori can prolly start speaking to the process and prior threads knowing it's about the I-HT fix.

[woxihuanaa 1]

lol!!!!

After looking at the data in the Main Controller File, I found that CAM 2.1.0 is SOOOOOO unfriendly to players who want to get imcomes.

The Neutral Tax Rate is changing by a none-linear correllation with population in cities. If I had a city with 500,000 R, 300,000 CO and 100,000 I (not much, isn't it?),  the Neutral Tax Rate would be 7.4%!!!!!  I will face a 20% loss in income compared with initial rate of 9%, meanwhile the city is just only a baby, especially on a big map. 

Maybe I should drop off some R$ in my city....

[twalsh102 1,601]

It's more friendly than the default Maxis Neutral Tax rates where a city with a population of 500,000 would have a Neutral Rate of 6.1%.

[woxihuanaa 1]

On 2019/8/14 at 5:14 AM, twalsh102 said:

It's more friendly than the default Maxis Neutral Tax rates where a city with a population of 500,000 would have a Neutral Rate of 6.1%.

Whaaat?

I saw a table (not only once) showing a linear correlation, such as

Neutral Rate with 500,000 population was only 8.8%

[twalsh102 1,601]

If you are referring to the chart showing in @cogeo's post, it is wrong.  He states in that posing that he found those number s hard-coded into a LUA included with the original Census Repositories.  He also states " I don't know if the data are correct or where they came from."  Those numbers do not match the numbers included in the Maxis Demand Simulator Exemplar.  I have to admit that these old eyes are playing tricks on me again (counting zeroes in a page of zeroes), and that you are correct about the Neutral Tax Rate for a population of 500,000 is 8.8%. 

However, your assertion using that using your hypothetical population numbers and the CAM 2.1.0 Demand Simulator Exemplar, would result in a Neutral Tax Rate of 7.4 % would only be correct if SC4RH added population numbers of the three major Developer Types (R, C, I) together to determine Neutral Tax Rate.  If this were the case, it would not make sense for the game to allow you to be able to set the Tax Rates individually for each of the twelve Developer Types the game uses.  In fact the game separates the populations of the twelve Developer Types and applies the Neutral Tax Rate to each population separately.  So with your hypothetical population numbers, the Neutral Tax Rate for R Sims would vary with wealth level, as it would for the populations for CO and I.

If you are going to use CAM 2.1.0, the Demand Simulator Exemplar is in fact broken as installed.  A short explanation of the problem is included in the Change Log on the download page for the CAM 2.1.0 installer.  If anyone is not aware of the problem or has not manually fixed it themselves using Reader, an updated copy of CAM_2.1.0_Main_Controller.dat is included with the CAM 2.1.0 download (Click Download File and choose CAM_2.1.0_Main_Controller.dat).  Or you can download from my second June 24, 2018 post in this topic.

[CorinaMarie 29,605]

I've a couple new questions. CB made these pics to illustrate the only differences between the Maxis version and the CAM version:

The questions:

1. Would there be any reason that vanilla should not have the updated Construction Resources Min/Max altered the same way as CAM does? It seems to me this would simply allow more concurrent new construction to take place and therefore would be fine.
2. The Lot Developer Stay New Time is intrinsically the same value. However, CAM changes that to a Uint32 from the Uint16 of Maxis. This seems like a potential problem if other code in the game isn't expecting the larger Data Type. Or is this irrelevant and there's no cause for alarm?

The reason for the questions is for our upcoming mod. We'd like to have a single release that is good for both Vanilla and is CAMpatible.

[twalsh102 1,601]

Question 1:  I agree. The definition of this property (in Reader) is "Amount of capacity that can be under construction at any one time."  Since the definition specifically mentions capacity, and since many of the buildings used for upper-Growth Stage CAMelots have greater capacities than those used in Vanilla SC4, this only makes sense.

Question 2: Lot Developer Stay New Time

Rather than just saying "use Maxis", or "use CAM", I wanted to go over everything I thought would be relevant to help explain my conclusion (which doesn't necessarily mean that I'm actually covering everything that is relevant).

UINT16 vs. UINT32

UINT16

    UInt16 represents 16-bits (2-bytes) unsigned integer.
    UInt16 occupies 16-bits (2-bytes) space in the memory.
    As per the 2-bytes data capacity, an UInt16's value capacity is 0 to +65535.

UINT32

    UInt32 represents 32-bits (4-bytes) unsigned integer.
    UInt32 occupies 32-bits (4-bytes) space in the memory.
    As per the 4-bytes data capacity, an UInt32's value capacity is 0 to +4294967295.

Dilapidation / distress occurs when a building downgrades. So based on the way this particular property is defined, my takeaway is that whenever something occurs that would trigger dilapidation / distress, if that cause (usually a desirability issue) is not corrected within the number of days specified by the value for this property, dilapidation visually starts to occur in-game.

As a practical matter, if one wanted to create a mod to try to totally prevent dilapidation / distress of buildings and set this number to the maximum UINT16 number allowed, one might start seeing distressed buildings (in a long-played city or region) after about 179.5 game years. Using the maximum UINT32 number, one might start seeing distressed buildings after about 11.8 million game years (effectively never). I think that fixing any underlying causes of dilapidation would be more important (and effective) than creating a mod to effectively eliminate the possibility of dilapidation. CAM, in fact, fixes one of the primary causes of dilapidation by modifying the desirability triggers for upgrading / downgrading buildings in each of the Developer Exemplars in each of the Play-styles.

Having said all this, since CAM doesn't change the actual value from the Maxis exemplar, there is no reason to not use the Maxis data type (barring someone creating a mod as suggested above that gains widespread use). Conversely, I'm sure we would have heard by now if CAM was causing any weird, unexplained issues (beyond installation issues, most "issues" brought up seem to be due to lack of understanding of exactly what CAM does, and/or lack of understanding of ramifications of adding it to existing cities). This might imply that the change in data type isn't causing any problems (or at least not any that can be blamed solely on CAM). This would also imply that there wouldn't be an issue using the CAM data type. Given that there is no obvious reason for changing the data type other than allowing for a higher value (which default CAM doesn't use), probably the safest bet would be to use the Maxis data type until such time as it is proved to be problematic.

 

[CorinaMarie 29,605]

Tim,

Thanks so much for your detailed reply.

To clarify, we won't be changing the value of the Stay New Time.   I still remember your thorough explanation about that and why increasing the value from the default 90 days is a really bad idea.

They key things from your reply here are that we can make our mod use the same value for Construction Resources Min/Max as CAM does. And that using the Uint16 is a much better idea for the  Lot Developer Stay New Time. What we're doing doesn't care about either of those, but we do want one version that works for everyone.