Query regarding plugin folder size limit relating to CTD's

[nickvon 161]

Hello,

I'm having a problem regarding a new rash of CTD's that I am currently experiencing.  I believe I've narrowed it down to what the problem is, but I would like to get another opinion or two on this issue, and hopefully a working solution as well.

To start, here is some relevant info.  I'm running a 2011 Macbook Air using High Sierra.  The game copy has been downloaded from the mac game store.  I believe it is the 64 bit version but I am unsure as how to check.

Anyway, I've run into several problems with various tech things in my journey so far trying to play SC4, and I am getting so close to be able to play this game the way I want, but this recent problem has me kind of stumped. 

I believe my plugins folder has hit a threshold.  Plugin folder size is now 1.84 gigs.  Everything thing works more or less OK so far with a few glitches here and there, but anytime I add something new to my folder over the last few days, I'll try to load my region and it just looks blank and no tiles show up.  I will then take out new plugin and everything goes back to normal.  I then download a different plugin, and the same thing happens again.  It doesn't matter what it is, a dat, lot, model, desc.  Whatever I put in there it seems it brings the whole system down.  I also then though maybe it is something that I put in there a week or two ago that conflicts with anything new.  So I took out  half a gig worth of just housing.  The extra plugins that were just crashing the game initially work just fine now. 

So through the process of deduction, this has led me to believe that a plugin limit may be the problem?  I tried doing some google searching and Simtropolis forum searching but I couldn't really find much info about this.  One post I found had to with Aspyr actually removing a plugin folder limit?

 

However, this topic is 4 and half year old now.  But if this is true then I would see my problem as having nothing to do with a plugin folder limit, in which case it leaves me more perplexed.

Would it be worth it to post this over in the SC4 bugs forum as well?

Can anyone here offer more thoughts?  Experiences?  Ideas?  Diagnoses? 

Thanks in advance for your effort.

[xxdita 1,097]

There have been similar issues reported with the 32bit version, so this isn't a surprise to me. 

It's not really a matter of how large your Plugins folder is, but how many individual files it contains. Using JDatpacker to combine Plugins into fewer, larger files has been able to resolve this so far. As JDatPacker is Java-based, I believe it will work on 64bit MAC OS, but I don't have confirmation of that yet. 

One word of caution first: It probably isn't a good idea to datpack any plugins that may be problematic. That will make finding and replacing them once they're corrected much more difficult. So you may want to organize your Plugins folder a bit first. 

[nickvon 161]

19 hours ago, xxdita said:

There have been similar issues reported with the 32bit version, so this isn't a surprise to me. 

It's not really a matter of how large your Plugins folder is, but how many individual files it contains. Using JDatpacker to combine Plugins into fewer, larger files has been able to resolve this so far. As JDatPacker is Java-based, I believe it will work on 64bit MAC OS, but I don't have confirmation of that yet. 

One word of caution first: It probably isn't a good idea to datpack any plugins that may be problematic. That will make finding and replacing them once they're corrected much more difficult. So you may want to organize your Plugins folder a bit first. 

Thanks for the advice.  I don't know what that practice is or how to do it but I'm gonna try it!

[T Wrecks 10,209]

Well, the first, foremost and easiest practice is: Make a full backup copy of your plugins folder as it is.

Then use DATPacker on your active plugins folder, and if you mess up something, you have a backup.

 

A general rule of thumb: You should not DATpack files that are subject to change/update. The prime example would be the NAM. You may want to change your NAM setup, or maybe a new NAM version is released and you wish to update. If your NAM is DATpacked, this won't work properly.

All static stuff (RCI buildings, landmarks, civics, and so forth) can be DATpacked without problems in general. Typical problems that might occur there are as follows:

• You find out that you dislike a particular building or that a particular building causes problems. But now it's stashed away somewhere in a huge DAT, and you don't find it any more. [This is where you want to have a backup so you can kick out the building in question there and DATpack again!]
• You realize that your menus are too crowded and you drag a lot of stuff around that you don't really need in every city. You want your plugins to be modular to some degree. But now it's all bundled into one enormous DAT, and you don't know what to do.
  [This is why it can make sense to DATpack by wide categories, e.g. make one DAT with all airport-related stuff and put this DAT in your plugins only when you play your airport city. Leave it out when loading all other cities for slightly faster loading times and less crowded menus]

[xxdita 1,097]

Neither JDatPacker nor Wouanagaine's DatPacker (both of which are on the LEX, though only JDatPacker is compatible for MACs) alter the original files in any way. Backing up your Plugins before using them is a bit excessive. You will be able to safely move the original files to a backup folder of your own choosing, while your freshly compressed new files will be located in a new Plugins_Compressed folder, or whatever you choose to name it. 

While DatPacking NAM is not recommended for Windows users, it can be absolutely essential for MAC players under normal circumstances, according to several posts by @Tarkus. Right now isn't exactly normal, as the team is currently in between a public test version and final release of NAM 37. So I'll leave it to personal preference, since we know NAM 37 is imminent. And by that, I'm using the "menacingly soon" definition of imminent, as that just seems more fun. But it really isn't labor intensive to move the original NAM and zNAM folders back to your Plugins in order to install the new version when it's released. 

[nickvon 161]

On 5/26/2020 at 11:13 AM, xxdita said:

There have been similar issues reported with the 32bit version, so this isn't a surprise to me. 

It's not really a matter of how large your Plugins folder is, but how many individual files it contains. Using JDatpacker to combine Plugins into fewer, larger files has been able to resolve this so far. As JDatPacker is Java-based, I believe it will work on 64bit MAC OS, but I don't have confirmation of that yet. 

One word of caution first: It probably isn't a good idea to datpack any plugins that may be problematic. That will make finding and replacing them once they're corrected much more difficult. So you may want to organize your Plugins folder a bit first. 

Hey just wanted to extend a big thank you for your help.  I successfully downloaded, opened, and used the datpacker.  I was careful as well.  My plugins folder is somewhat organized so I strictly DATpacked the just the residential section.  It seems to have worked for now!  

 

On 5/27/2020 at 10:09 AM, T Wrecks said:

Well, the first, foremost and easiest practice is: Make a full backup copy of your plugins folder as it is.

Then use DATPacker on your active plugins folder, and if you mess up something, you have a backup.

 

A general rule of thumb: You should not DATpack files that are subject to change/update. The prime example would be the NAM. You may want to change your NAM setup, or maybe a new NAM version is released and you wish to update. If your NAM is DATpacked, this won't work properly.

All static stuff (RCI buildings, landmarks, civics, and so forth) can be DATpacked without problems in general. Typical problems that might occur there are as follows:

• You find out that you dislike a particular building or that a particular building causes problems. But now it's stashed away somewhere in a huge DAT, and you don't find it any more. [This is where you want to have a backup so you can kick out the building in question there and DATpack again!]
• You realize that your menus are too crowded and you drag a lot of stuff around that you don't really need in every city. You want your plugins to be modular to some degree. But now it's all bundled into one enormous DAT, and you don't know what to do.
  [This is why it can make sense to DATpack by wide categories, e.g. make one DAT with all airport-related stuff and put this DAT in your plugins only when you play your airport city. Leave it out when loading all other cities for slightly faster loading times and less crowded menus]

Thanks be to you as well.  Before I saw your comment this was something that made most sense to me.  Of course I would have to make a backup plugins folder!

[nickvon 161]

On 5/27/2020 at 7:13 PM, xxdita said:

Neither JDatPacker nor Wouanagaine's DatPacker (both of which are on the LEX, though only JDatPacker is compatible for MACs) alter the original files in any way. Backing up your Plugins before using them is a bit excessive. You will be able to safely move the original files to a backup folder of your own choosing, while your freshly compressed new files will be located in a new Plugins_Compressed folder, or whatever you choose to name it. 

While DatPacking NAM is not recommended for Windows users, it can be absolutely essential for MAC players under normal circumstances, according to several posts by @Tarkus. Right now isn't exactly normal, as the team is currently in between a public test version and final release of NAM 37. So I'll leave it to personal preference, since we know NAM 37 is imminent. And by that, I'm using the "menacingly soon" definition of imminent, as that just seems more fun. But it really isn't labor intensive to move the original NAM and zNAM folders back to your Plugins in order to install the new version when it's released. 

Cant wait for new NAM!  Curious to know what the changes/adds are....