[2010] Lot Editor and Plug-in Manager - Forum Archive

[kccl35 83]

Creating custom base textures

 How does one do it?

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Maybe this tutorial on the Omnibus contains what you're looking for? 

[Zoomulator 0]

Can't find residential building

I seem to be missing something obvious here, because I can't find any information about it. I tried following a few tutorials, and they all seem to leave out the building family option in the Plugin Manager. I think I read somewhere that you don't need to apply a family to make it show either, but it won't show in the Lot Editor unless I add my building to some family, which I don't want to.

Can I import my residential building to the Lot Editor as a stand alone building? If so, what am I missing here? My "building" is a mere 3x7m in size and won't show up in the Lot Editor even when the lot is 6x6 tiles. I've managed to make a prop out of it, and it works fine, if that makes any difference.

If I can't import it as a stand alone, can I make a custom building family without too much effort?

[Andreas Roth 629]

If you dragged your model to the "residential" category in the Plugin Manager, it should have made a proper SC4Desc file for you. In the Lot Editor, you need to start with another residential lot, though, and replace the original building with your model. It's not necessary to add your model to a prop or building family, though.

[Zoomulator 0]

I've dragged my building to the "Residential - ($) Low wealth" category in the PM, and I can see the new SC4desc file in the plugin folder. I've opened several different R$ lots in the LE but I can't find it anywhere in the list. Is it suppose to show up as a single building in the "Choose building family" monologue, or is another building button option suppose to appear? I've tried this with my own model aswell as the example model "Modest little house", but none will show up without assigning the buidling family!

Maybe it's an operating system issue? I'm using W7, and I've noticed that the SimCity 4 folder is located on my user document folder rather than the public document folder. Is SC4 suppose to be installed with XP compatibility to get the registry structure right?

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Just to get this clear, you will obviously not find your building under "Replace family", but under "Replace item". 

[Zoomulator 0]

Do I have a different version of the lot editor or something? The only button in the "Building" tab is called "add family". I can't find any "Replace item".

Checking the LotEditor.exe properties, it says "File version  1.0.1.0". Is this the current version?

Update:

It surely was the wrong version! There was a zip file called "lot editor for BAT" that got installed with the installer I used. The exe in that was version 1.0.12.0, which made the difference. I dug up the files on my old harddrive and I'm not even sure when they were downloaded. Way back anyway. I guess the "for BAT" editor is standard issue now days?

Anyway, topic solved!

[T Wrecks 10,210]

Aaaah, I hadn't thought about that! Ok, so this explained it. Glad that you were able to solve your problem!

My guess is that Maxis initially allowed people to modify lots, and thus released the Lot Editor. Then, people were probably asking if the guys at Maxis were going to give them a possibility to add new buildings, just like with SimCity 3000 Unlimited.

So the BAT was released in order to open up this possibility. However, the Lot Editor had probably not been designed to handle custom-made BATs in its first version, so Maxis updated it to make it compatible with additional, BATted buildings.

I'm not sure about all this, but this is what I can imagine, and it would be a logical explanation IMHO. Maybe someone with more insight into this matter can provide some more (and more reliable) information.

 

[c-doodlez-man 16]

Lot Editor Question

I want to replace the buidling with a BAT that I had made. In the Tutorial I'm looking at, it says to open a lot with the same type (CO$$). I did that, and now I want to replace the old building with a new one. There is no replace button though. What am I doing wrong, and/or what should i do?




Moved to the Lot Editor & Plugin Manager forum.
-CaptCity

[DCMetro34 577]

Well, do you have the building selected? That is all I can think of off the top of my head.

[c-doodlez-man 16]

Yeah, I thought if I select it the button would apear, but that didn't work. I don't know I'm just getting kind of frustrated. I got the BAT part down decently but the easy part won't actually work.

[DCMetro34 577]

You could always try the BAT as the building, and then try copying all the textures and props.....unfortunately, that is very time consuming.

[c-doodlez-man 16]

I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean use the BAT and insert my own props and skip the lot manager part?

[gio10469 24]

Try using another CO$$ lot.

[c-doodlez-man 16]

I've gone through a bunch of lots.

-I've used multiple different CO$$ lots and a few CO$$$ lots.

-I've selected the buidling.

-I've looked for it in the Add Family button.

-I've tried to find the plugin itself in the actual game. Can you still use it in the game before you add it to an actual lot? It is in the plugins folder so I wasn't sure.

[SimHoTToDDy 2,939]

You have an old version of the lot editor that doesn't have that button (I used t have the same problem).

Try the one from here: https://www.sc4devotion.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=42&Itemid=

[c-doodlez-man 16]

OK. I think I may have figured it out. I found it in Add Family. I'm just still not sure if it will actually apear in the game. I made a CO$$ and a LM version. Couldn't find the landmark version.

I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean use the BAT and insert my own props and skip the lot manager part?

Here's the actual building. I'm not sure if it will actually apear in the game. I'm waiting for some CO$$ demand. While we're here what do you think.

Please use the edit button on lower right to add to posts, instead of making new posts; posts combined.

--Liv

[Livin in Sim 83]

Hi, c-doodlez-man, and welcome to Simtropolis.  That's not a bad building at all.  You may want to start a BAT Thread in that forum, there is some good help available from experienced members.

You can also plop your building with the LotPlop function of the Extra Cheats DLL, just to see if it's there.  Follow instructions carefully for the DLL, and install it in the root directory of Plugins only.  It's a good idea to see if it does grow, however, and to try it out in a testing city to see if it works properly.  If you are using the old Maxis Plugin Manager, there is a new one made by wouanangaine of SC4 Devotion, thePIM-X, found on the LEX of SC4D.  You must register to download.  It works quite well, has a Lot Editor function, and balances the stats of BATs correctly.  The guide should be studied carefully.

Please let me know if you have further questions, and have fun.

--Liv

[Sam 163]

Yes, the lot Editor was originally released in about June 2003, about six months after the game. With this one you could only rearrange existing maxis props. When the BAT was released in December 2003 there was a new version of the Lot Editor released.

[portlander420 2]

maybe you need to re-download happend to me

[Parisian 556]

Lot Editor Problem

Hello everybody.

Well, I have an important problem since few days. I ve made a building with the BAT.  When I ve made it, I ve upload it (No problem). Then I go to Plug in Manager to put it in the Landmark menu. No Problem too...

Then, I go to Lot Editor, and when I replace the default building which corresponds in terms of tiles to mine (4x7), the building is strange. The north face is perfect, but when I turn around, the front looks flat without details. It's like if it was a simple texture. It works correctlt only in one side.

I ve another major problem with another building, when I put it in Lot Editor, the base is ok, but the top in made by different part of Simcity default buildings. I see that only when I m using maximum zooms (zoom 4 and 5). In the farest ones, it's ok, the building is normal.

Does someone has already knew this problem?

Thanks for your answers.

[3dpuzzlemaster 20]

I don't know anything about this, but, it might be just a glitch. I could be wrong though. Test it by finishing the lot and putting it in the game and see what happens.

[Parisian 556]

Thanks. The fact that in the game, it looks the same way... With the problem. It s really strange, sometimes it happens, sometimes not.. I reallt don't know why, but I noticed that it happens when the building is a medium size. When I make a tall one, it's all right, but I can't realise all the time tall ones.

It's really embarassing...

[timcravey 169]

You need to get the Texture Problem Fix from here: http://simcity.ea.com/downloads/getfile_pri.php?filename=ModelNames.ms

You must be registered at the official SimCity website to download.

If that link is unreachable try:   www.sc4devotion.com/index.php

Place the file in your gmax/gamepacks/bat/scripts folder.

This should solve your problem.

[Parisian 556]

Thank you very much for your answer. Unfortunately, it doesn't work. I have still my problem. I m just worry that nobody know what i have...

[littlewhitebutterfly 18]

Transparent textures

Hi, I wanted to move the building on a lot that has a transparent base texture, but then the program didn't let me save because it said there needs to be a base texture. What can I do? (please note: I didn't delete the texture, just moved the building)

[Biriali 58]

The LE won't let you save a lot if it doesn't have a base texture. So you have to put in a temporary texture. Then, when you have saved the lot and closed down LE, you can mod the lot using ilives reader. Here's a detailed tutorial on how to do it. (LINK)

Hope it helped ya!

[~Yoshi~ 0]

Rename prop

I always have a stupid 'Grass field' as name, because I select that in the Lot editor while making props. How do I change this?

~ Eggmaker

[thingfishs 417]

download Ilive's Reader http://sourceforge.net/projects/ilive-reader/ (the latest version 1.0b has just be released, after a 6 year hiatus!)

With just the file you want to change in your plugin folder open reader, open the file, click on the exemplar, and you'll have various properties that can be adjusted, including the name & description. I hope I've explained that properly, It's something I do now without thinking about it.

[~Yoshi~ 0]

lol.. A whole list with odd hex and string values.

I still don't get with one I have to change, because the one with sounds correct IS already the proper name..

*confused*