How to: Ilives Reader, Beginners Guide

[Major Jacob66 0]

I tried making my own mod but when i start up sim city 4 it goes back to desktopoh well I guess I will download mods.   

[jvpd2992 0]

Hey, I got up to the point where you were showing us how to do the thing with the navigator, but when I click on the navigator it says " No exampler found. You have to open & select the file simity1.dat in the main screen in order to use the navigator".  I'm almost positive im doing this, it says simcity_1 Reader and everything on the top.Could anybody tell me what i'm doing wrong?

[thesohappy 0]

HEEEEELP! I tried to change the purpose of some buldings from commercial to residence and now they just disappeared from the menus,non of them , It's so weird,I just chnage the wealth and purpose types and added capacity of course,same thing happened when I tried to make a functional landmark,it was first on the menu and now it's gone ....what can i do? I used the reader and sc4 tool!

thanx

[Sam 163]

thesohappy, welcome to simtropolis!

I noticed you posted the same message in three different threads, so I guess you are desperate for an answer. However please, no matter how much you want an answer, could you pick one thread only when you have a question? Apart from cluttering up the forums, posting the same question in lots of different places will fragment the reply because people will reply in the different threads and make it very hard to follow the responses. Thanks.

Now I'm not sure what you mean, could you please describe in more detail what you are trying to do?

The reason I'm confused is you mention residentials, but these should never appear in the menus anyway, as you can't have ploppable residentials (they don't work) and growables do not appear in menus.

I'm assuming since you mentioned functional landmarks you are trying to follow simgoober's tutorial in the Omnibus?

If so check very carefully that you have followed all the steps and changed all the items he mentions. Especially be sure that the wealth in building exemplar matches the wealth type in the lot exemplar and that the purpose type in the building exemplar matches the purpose type in the lot exemplar.

Personally I don't try to convert different lot types eg residential to commercial. If I want a residential I start from scratch with a residential base lot and residential descriptor file (or building exemplar). If I want a commercial I start from scratch with a commercial base lot and a commercial descriptor file (or building exemplar). There are just too many things to change when converting, and too many things that can go wrong.

Converting growable to functional landmark using a commercial lot is normally ok, but you do need to be careful to follow all the steps. If you haven't found simgoober's tutorial yet, it is well worth a read, and you can find it here: https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=140&threadid=76236

[irongland 1]

I don't have any clue how to change growable lot into ploppable (something like landmarks or even plop without any effect). For example Vanderaap dutch rowhouses ( Vda Amsterdam Warmoesstraat 58 60 or other). I have Reader, Someone can help me ?

[RippleJet 36]

It is all explained in SimGoober's tutorial Making a Functional Landmark Lot.

[daniel06 0]

ok, i just downloaded raphealninja's buiding plop final mod.

now do i just unzip it and put it in the same folder like i would if i was downloading a lot??

and how do a bring up the building select menu in the game?

[JakeMD 107]

Is there a version where it is simple and easy to use, but has all of the functionality of the reader? I am having difficulty learning how to use it.

[RippleJet 36]

There is no other program with all of the functionality of the Reader.

Reader is the only tool available if you want to be able to mod all aspects of the game.

If you're only interested in tweaking custom lot properties, you can choose between a few other programs:

SC4Tool (download the images as well).

DatGen

LEProp

[Lextar 0]

Now is there a guide to all the different parameters/values that are used within the Examplars?

[megaplex4 0]

I've been fiddling around with a .dat file of lots that I downloaded from the STEX using Ilives Reader. I don't know what it is that I've done, but whenever I click on "Exemplar" in the list the program stops working. I can click on the ohters but "Exemplar" shuts it down every time.

Why?

[RippleJet 36]

Originally posted by: megaplex4 I've been fiddling around with a .dat file of lots that I downloaded from the STEX using Ilives Reader. I don't know what it is that I've done, but whenever I click on "Exemplar" in the list the program stops working. I can click on the ohters but "Exemplar" shuts it down every time.

Why?quote>

The most common reason for that is that you have entered an Item Description containing invalid characters, or being too long.

You should still be able to open such a building exemplar in SC4Tool though, where you can delete the Item Description. After that you should be able to open it in Reader again.

If you want to include non-ascii characters (or line-breaks) in the Item Description, you need to link to an LTEXT file with the Item Description Key instead. Use LEProp to add an LTEXT file!

[RippleJet 36]

Reposting Stooge's post from the first page, which got truncated in the crash May 2008:

---

Originally posted by: Stooge How to Mod something with the Ilive Reader

I decided to write this because the reader is not 100% user friendly. It's not that bad, but it takes some figuring out, and can be frustrating at times. Once you learn it, you can appreciate how powerful it is. Of course with any complex program, it has a learning curve. I couldn't find any tutorial on the reader regarding actually changing something or makeing a dat mod, so I decided to start my own.

I will try and make the information "prettier" later. I just wanted to get something out there for right now.

=================================================================

This is a quick down and dirty howto for the ilive reader. This article will assume that the user has some familiarity with hex values, as well as some basic computer knowledge, and can install the program on your own. This article will NOT explain how to figure out what unknown values are, or anything else of that nature. This article will focus solely on how to use the reader to change values. I posted this here, because I felt it was an extension of Tropod's work .. and his thread was stickied

I will continue to expand on this thread as I learn more. If anyone finds that I have done something wrong, then PLEASE correct me.

The first thing you will need to do is download the reader. You can find the latest version here:

https://www.simtropolis.com/modfiles/content.cfm?section=Programs

You can also find the latest properties.xml file at that location as well. You will need to download both.

Install the program.

Unzip the properties.xml file to the same location you installed the reader too.

Now start the reader by double clicking on the reader.exe program.

Before you do any editing you are going to have to setup the options correctly. At the top of the reader window click on the ' OPTIONS ' text. In the drop down box select the ' OPTIONS ' text. This will open the options window. You will need to fill out the following fields:

SimCityLocalte.dat file : \English\SimCityLocate.dat (Where SimCity Install Directory = the location you installed to)

SimCity Folder:

XML Properties file: properties.xml

Properties Folder : Should be set to the directory you installed the ilive reader too.

Once you have all of these setup, Click ok and restart the reader.

Now you will have a functional reader. Congratulations! For more information see Tropod's guide above

Now how do you edit a lot file, mod file, or one of the simcity dat files. Let's look at how to view the stats on one of the original dat files

On the left hand side of the reader you should have a quick launch area. It should have 4 different fields called

Loaded DAT

Simcity DAT

Lot Editor DAT

Plugins DAT

Click on the SimCity DAT one. If you have followed the instructions so far you should see several DAT files in this window. (ie simcity_1.dat simcity_2.dat simcity_3.dat, etc) Selec the simcity_1.dat file by left clicking on it one time. The title bar of your reader should have changed to read "simcity_1.dat - Reader". This means the reader is now ready to view that dat file.

Next click on the Tools option at the t

[madhatter106 3,903]

Just a quick note - the links to the Reader and the UI editor at the begining of the "custom query" tutorial are invalid - I found out the hard way as I wanted to install them both, but when I clicked on them it took me to the dead zone. Had to do a bit more searching but finally found them, but should the tutorial be updated with the correct links?

[Xyloxadoria 1,099]

Can reader do scripting or automated functions? or would i have to use DATGEN for that. I am trying to make a script that would automaticcly change some file optinons in reader when its run.  If it can be done in reader it would be easier as i alredy know what options need to be chagned.

[jumpstart201 0]

Really? Well can you tell me where you got it? I need it too but every link i press takes me to a blank page

[misterunknown12 0]

the link is dead.

[Legionhelll 15]

"Failed to Open /English/SimCityLocate.dat"

Yeah.... And Also....

[+Guest]

Your link doesn't bring me to download

[+Guest]

Is there a better tool? Ilive reader is too complicated, there's hundreds of opitions to choose for one lot, the only thing I want to change is basically, the type, the size of the circular coverage, and capcity and the name it display in the selection, and the money it costs every months.

[Bolland 1]

It's the link in that thread by Tropod on Simtropolis which is broken.

When Simtropolis upgraded to version 4 all downloadable mods were moved from the Mods section to the ordinary STEX.

The current link to Tropod's The Reader, Beginners Guide is here:

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/files/file/21372-the-reader-beginners-guide/

Got this from RippleJet over at SC4Devotion

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=11319.0

Hope this helps.

@MayorLawrence

It is really not that complicated. Only creating a new mod can be a little bit lengthy but not hard.

1. you open the file(simcity_1.dat or any other mod)

2. open up the Exemplar Analyser and switch it to tree view

3. find the exemplar that has the right name(like Elementary School)

if you are editing another mod:

4. just find the property you want to change, double click it and change it and save it

5. save the file

if you are editing the simcity_1.dat or another core file:

4. select the exemplar

5. Right click -> add to patch

6. do 4 and 5 for all you want to change later

7. back in the main window, under tools find Patch manager

8. select create dat

9. open that dat and change the properties you want to

10. save

  Edited August 28, 2011 by Bolland  

[rodolima 2]

Hi!

I'm an user of Ilives Reader for some time.

Actually, I use it only to change the names of lots.

(And that's the only thing I know how to do.)

I'm brazilian, therefore I translate many of the names, so they can better match the game.

But portuguese has a lot of accented characters, eg Ç, Ã, Õ, Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú, Â, Ê, Ô.

I've tried everything, even tried those weird XML codes for accented characters, but nothing has worked.

Is it possible to put an accented name, like "Estação José" (Joseph Station), to a lot?

Can someone please help me?

Thanks!

[Sonik-hedgehog 2]

I have a problem: automata generates a very large amount of buses. See that:

The properties of the road shows that only 80 passengers used buses. What would happen if they become greater than 500? It will be trains of the buses!

In iLiveReader I have these settings of the automata:

and "Bus clock":

[code]0.000000,0.200000,1.000000,0.250000,4.500000,0.250000,5.000000,0.250000,5.500000,0.250000,6.500000,0.250000,7.500000,0.250000,8.500000,0.400000,9.500000,0.400000,10.000000,0.250000,16.000000,-0.250000,16.500000,-0.350000,17.000000,-0.400000,18.000000,-0.250000,19.000000,-0.250000,20.000000,-0.250000,21.000000,-0.250000,22.000000,-0.250000,23.000000,-0.250000,24.000000,0.250000[/code]

How should I change these settings to get an adequate number of buses on the roads?

[Cougar2004 127]

All the links in this thread are broken. Can anyone provide a new link to the place(s) mentioned above?

Also the tutorial steps provided in this thread no longer work. The options it talks about, such as for a patch menu do not exist in ilive reader. It probably had value back in 2003 for the old ilive. Does anyone have a new tutorial for accomplishing the same goals? Thanks.

[lotherius 16]

Repeat the previous request... can someone provide a link to a working guide for the reader on this thread, or unsticky the thread. It's useless as is.

[CaptCity 4,752]

Links in the first posts have been updated.

[Slashback 136]

I have encountered a "small" problem with the reader and hope that someone is able o help me out.

 

I have been working on making some of my lots transparent with the reader but when I want to save,it says the following:

"Unable to save file. Operation aborted."

Do you know what the problem could be? I'm trying to override the present file but I have never encountered this problem before.

 

Best regards

[Thunde 0]

I get first that Ilives cant find simicityLocale.dat then when i click ok I get Microsoft visual c++ runtime error. 

[Aflack122791 13]

How to edit RLS Bats resident capacity.  Want to lower the population on some RLS bats i downloaded.

[T Wrecks 10,209]

You'll have to find the property "capacity satisfied" in the building exemplar file. This represents the amount of workers (commercial, industrial) or residents (residential) that a building holds. The building exemplar will normally be in the .sc4desc file. However, it could also be merged with the lot file. AFAIR, SimGoober has also modded some of his buildings such that there is a DAT file that contains the building model and building exemplar, and only the lot file is separate.

 

Anyway, next to the "capacity satisfied" property you'll see up to three hex values, depending on wealth level (3 for high wealth, 2 for medium wealth, 1 for low wealth). In the case of more than one value, the leftmost hex number represents the occupants when the building is dilapidated to low wealth level, and the rightmost value represents the number of occupants when the building is at its normal wealth level.