SimCity 4 Deluxe for Windows 11

[rsc204 21,866]

On 23/01/2026 at 4:52 AM, daderic888 said:

Are there any other tutorials other than the one I have Googled?

Basic steps are:

1. Use FSHxDAT to extract all the FSH textures from a given model, for your first try it's simpler using a single SC4Model file.
2. Convert those FSH files into BMP.
3. Use the Adjust Colour function to change the Night setup as desired.
4. Convert the adjusted BMPs back to FSH.
5. Import the new FSH into a DAT.
   Load said DAT after the original file to test the changes. If everything worked, you can directly replace the original FSH with your modifed ones. Either by DATPacking them together or manually doing so using Reader.

[daderic888 216]

14 hours ago, rsc204 said:

Basic steps are:

1. Use FSHxDAT to extract all the FSH textures from a given model, for your first try it's simpler using a single SC4Model file.
2. Convert those FSH files into BMP.
3. Use the Adjust Colour function to change the Night setup as desired.
4. Convert the adjusted BMPs back to FSH.
5. Import the new FSH into a DAT.
   Load said DAT after the original file to test the changes. If everything worked, you can directly replace the original FSH with your modifed ones. Either by DATPacking them together or manually doing so using Reader.

Hi rsc204,

Thanks for that.

The thing I was missing in the process was to convert the FSH files to BMP's.

That's where I stopped and was searching this:

Thanks again mate. I'll give that a go.

Cheers.

[daderic888 216]

Hi again,

Fairdinkum.

I have converted the files into Darknite files.

I'm having heaps of trouble converting these Darknite BMP's back to FSH files in order to continue on to importing the FSH files into a DAT file.

I select the BMP, choose the colour image, click Automatic DXT (by Alpha), Compress FSH, make a scaled set of 5, Halve = 128/64/32/16/8, click Encode in the Batch Mode field and check Reader InList, and either I click 32Bit BMP or not.

After I click "GoFSH" in the bottom right hand corner, nothing is happening and there aren't any of the converted FSH files.

I haven't got a clue as to what's happening.

I have made numerous attempts at this.

Where on earth am I going wrong?

Cheers.

[CorinaMarie 29,882]

6 minutes ago, daderic888 said:

Where on earth am I going wrong?

Just reading it, it sounds right. A few years ago I was proficient with FSH to BMPs to Editing and then back to FSH again.

Would you mind to send me a BMP (or a set if there's more than one) and I'll see if I can figure out something. (You can send in a PM if you'd rather not attach to a public post.)

[daderic888 216]

3 minutes ago, CorinaMarie said:

Just reading it, it sounds right. A few years ago I was proficient with FSH to BMPs to Editing and then back to FSH again.

Would you mind to send me a BMP (or a set if there's more than one) and I'll see if I can figure out something. (You can send in a PM if you'd rather not attach to a public post.)

Hi CorinaMarie,

I just located the ReaderLoadList and a file named E86B1EEF-E86B1EEF-286B1F03.dir

I click Create .dat from LoadList.

Nothing is happening.

Thanks, I'll try to send one BMP then all 180 of them by PM if I can.

Thanks and cheers.

[daderic888 216]

4 minutes ago, daderic888 said:

Hi CorinaMarie,

I just located the ReaderLoadList and a file named E86B1EEF-E86B1EEF-286B1F03.dir

I click Create .dat from LoadList.

Nothing is happening.

Thanks, I'll try to send one BMP then all 180 of them by PM if I can.

Thanks and cheers.

I just PM'd you an image, not sure if you received it.

[CorinaMarie 29,882]

1 minute ago, daderic888 said:

I just PM'd you an image, not sure if you received it.

I got the PM, but the image throws an error when I try to access it. CB is looking into it under the hood. He's making it accessible to me in our chat room.

Hold tight for now.

[daderic888 216]

Oh okay.

Okay no worries, thanks, I'll hang on and wait.

Thanks CorinaMarie & Cyclone Boom.

Cheers.

[CorinaMarie 29,882]

Ok. I believe I've figured out the trouble.  

So the file name you sent is: 7AB50E44-2D2DC434-0019840A.bmp and it needs to be 7AB50E44-2D2DC434-0019840A-C0.bmp and then you can create the .fsh. 

I'll attach the .fsh to the PM for you to test with. Also, I'm pretty sure you don't need to make a Set of 5. I believe that's only for ground textures. For what you are doing I think it gets scaled by the game as you zoom in and out.

[daderic888 216]

44 minutes ago, CorinaMarie said:

Ok. I believe I've figured out the trouble.  

So the file name you sent is: 7AB50E44-2D2DC434-0019840A.bmp and it needs to be 7AB50E44-2D2DC434-0019840A-C0.bmp and then you can create the .fsh. 

I'll attach the .fsh to the PM for you to test with. Also, I'm pretty sure you don't need to make a Set of 5. I believe that's only for ground textures. For what you are doing I think it gets scaled by the game as you zoom in and out.

Ah okay, thanks for all that. I wasn't aware of the -C0 part of the file name.

I take it that I need to rename all of the other BMP's with the -C0 at the end of the file name and prior to the .bmp extension?

I'll have a go at the .fsh file which you sent to test.

Thanks heaps again 😁

You guys are legends!

Cheers.

[CorinaMarie 29,882]

1 minute ago, daderic888 said:

I take it that I need to rename all of the other BMP's with the -C0 at the end of the file name and prior to the .bmp extension?

Yes. And you could do that via a batch file if you are familiar with dos programming.

[daderic888 216]

1 minute ago, CorinaMarie said:

Yes. And you could do that via a batch file if you are familiar with dos programming.

Ah okay.

Thanks again.

I'll have another attempt at MN to DN process once I have renamed all of the BMP's.

Cheers 😁😁

[rsc204 21,866]

Are you renaming the output files at some point, the -A0/-C0 pairs is how GoFSH outputs by default so if that's not present I think you've been tinkering and you really shouldn't. Likewise, you can't use a scaled set of textures for BATs, since they aren't scaled in the same way Network and Lot textures are. Also, why are you messing with DXT settings?, it's not likely to help matters either, leave things alone unless you know what you are doing would be my advise.

With that all said, I've ran through a sample DAT file with some of my models and converted them from MN to DN (you might need a different Colour Correction, depending on the source files), but this shows you the process:

Note that the final DAT contains ONLY the new Nite textures, either load these later than the original DAT or (ideally after testing them), DAT Pack them into the original file so you don't end up with duplicates.

[CorinaMarie 29,882]

11 hours ago, rsc204 said:

Also, why are you messing with DXT settings?,

I very much suspect this was a matter of: This isn't working so I'll try everything I can (no matter how odd it might seem) with the hopes of getting something, anything! to output a .fsh.  

Then if something at all happens one can backtrack and try to fine tune.

I've done similar in modding. Like it there is some variable which we presume should be set from 1 to 10 for a desired effect and then when testing 3, 5, and 10 all seem to have very little (or no) affect, I'm likely to go against conventional wisdom and try 255 (or 65k depending on the variable type) just to see if I'm barking up the right tree.  

[daderic888 216]

Thanks CorinaMarie, Cyclone Boom and rsc204.

I'll follow the video and will see what happens.

I really want to do this and succeed.

As Shaun Wallace (The Dark Destroyer) on The Chase says, "Let's do this."

Cheers.

[daderic888 216]

All good so far,

Now I'm up to the end of the video. Everything has been done.

I saved the video on my mobile phone.

I think how I have to either load the DAT later than the original one or DAT-Pack them into the original file? Correct me if I'm wrong.

I might have to search on how to do so.

It looks like I might need to use the iLive Reader?

Thanks and cheers.

[CorinaMarie 29,882]

1 minute ago, daderic888 said:

I think how I have to either load the DAT later than the original one or DAT-Pack them into the original file?

Creating a new .dat file as an override to load later would work perfectly well. The reason for DAT-Packing is it would know to replace the original versions (based on load order) with you new updated FSH.

You can manually do the same thing by simply deleting the old FSH while you have the file open in Reader, then copy in your new ones.  

I wonder: Are you planning to release these for others to use? Is the plan to add DN versions to existing STEX entries? Or would it simply be an override that other peeps would want? Or is it all for your own use?

[daderic888 216]

3 hours ago, CorinaMarie said:

Creating a new .dat file as an override to load later would work perfectly well. The reason for DAT-Packing is it would know to replace the original versions (based on load order) with you new updated FSH.

You can manually do the same thing by simply deleting the old FSH while you have the file open in Reader, then copy in your new ones.  

I wonder: Are you planning to release these for others to use? Is the plan to add DN versions to existing STEX entries? Or would it simply be an override that other peeps would want? Or is it all for your own use?

Okay thanks CorinaMarie, I'll have to go through it slowly (loading the DAT file later than the original) in the hope of not stuffing it up.

Sorry, I might need some tips regarding this, I'm new at all this.

Yep, I'll be releasing these to the STEX for others to use. These could either be separate releases in addition to the original Maxisnite releases or an over-ride, depending on how I go. A heads up, this first one is the AMP Sydney Centrepoint Tower (Darknite). I might have to convert the .dat file to an .sc4model file using iLive Reader 0.9.3. I may have to get permission from the original creators too.

[Kel9509 1,477]

2 hours ago, daderic888 said:

A heads up, this first one is AMP Sydney Tower (Darknite).

You mean this one?

There's already a Darknite version of that though....?

[daderic888 216]

5 hours ago, Kel9509 said:

You mean this one?

There's already a Darknite version of that though....?

Sorry, not that one, I've already got that.

It's the Sydney Centrepoint AMP Tower (the tower on the right) 👇

I downloaded it some years ago and someone by the name "simnic" created it in the Maxisnite version only.

Unfortunetaly it's nowhere to be seen.

Something for "Can't Find It??.....ask here."      ???

[CorinaMarie 29,882]

7 hours ago, daderic888 said:

I'm still not familiar on how to continue on downloading the .dat later than the original.

I crossed out "down" because we are talking about the order in which the game loads the files from the plugins folder.  

 

Here are some references which might help:

• SC4 Folder and File Loading Order

• The Plugins Directory - How are files loaded?

• General Load Order?

And the simplest for your own testing is to have whichever file has the original MN file in a subfolder of Plugins and add your newly made .dat into the same subfolder. Then name it so it is alphabetically after the original.

Say you have Little_House_MN.dat. Then a very easy way is to name your file zLittle_House_DN_Override.dat and have both files in the same folder.

[daderic888 216]

Ah okay, thanks for all that CorinaMarie.

I'll give that a go.

I'll let you know when I've done that.

Thanks and cheers.

[CorinaMarie 29,882]

2 hours ago, daderic888 said:

CorinaMarie

Feel free to call me Cori. It's what I go by IRL (and it's quicker to type).  

[daderic888 216]

7 hours ago, CorinaMarie said:

Feel free to call me Cori. It's what I go by IRL (and it's quicker to type).  

Thanks Cori 😁 😊 

[daderic888 216]

On 1/31/2026 at 9:09 PM, daderic888 said:

Thanks Cori 😁 😊 

Well, here it is from all angles. The Darknite version of Sydney Tower as a .dat file and loaded and titled with the z and DN Override before and after the filename respectively.

I plopped it next to a power and water source. There aren't any nightlights yet. I'm not sure if that's normal from a .dat file.

Cheers.

[daderic888 216]

Ah, I just realised I might not have installed the EP1 Update.

I'm not sure whether I should install it from what I have been reading as the GOG version which I have is 1.1.641. It looks like it's not necessary as the version could already have it included.

Or would there be no nightlights because it's a .dat file? The red light on top of the tower flashes fine. Could this relate to what rsc204 said earlier in that the .dat file contains the new night textures only and not including the nightlights?

Cheers.

[rsc204 21,866]

The GoG version is pre-patched, so you don't need to worry about that angle.

So the first question is, does the original building have night lighting?, not all BATs do and if not, then GoFSH would not have any lighting to convert.

[daderic888 216]

Hi and thanks rsc204.

I just retested it.

I plopped both the MLC Centre and the Sydney Tower together.

The nightlighting works without the need to do anything else.

Now to convert the .dat file to an .sc4model file.

Cheers.

[Kel9509 1,477]

35 minutes ago, daderic888 said:

The nightlighting works without the need to do anything else.

Now to convert the .dat file to an .sc4model file.

I must say that looks really incredible.  How hard is this to do?  What other buildings are you considering?

[daderic888 216]

4 hours ago, Kel9509 said:

I must say that looks really incredible.  How hard is this to do?  What other buildings are you considering?

Thanks Kel9509.

I found it tricky at first as I'm new to this. rsc204 provided a video on part of the process and the CoriBoom team have helped out heaps too, together with your input.

The video showed me how quick and easy the process is.

Once I get the hang of it, the further I go, the easier I'll find it.

I have a lot of buildings in the pipeline.

Once I start releasing them to the STEX, I'll mention CoriBoom, rsc204 and yourself.

I might need to get permission from the building's (Maxisnite version only) original creators before I start releasing the Darknite versions to the STEX.

Thanks all of you 

Cheers.