JakeMD

What do you mean by GIFs? Animated demonstrations? if we do that, I don't see why videos should be out of the question. There's an idea.

For now, see if you can send me a PM. We won't have it live for a while, but I can sure take it!

I'm definitley seeing plenty of "likes" on posts which I didn't. Maybe something is screwy on your end. (and we really need to make it so people can't uprate their own posts. Too easy to abuse the feature otherwise). There is, however, no way to generate a list of all your posts which have been uprated. I was refering to posts that you made yourself, not others

You can! On the bottom right you will see the number of times someone has rated your post or comment. It will show up as a green number. But I think you have to rate the post up yourself, in order to see it. Humm.

It would be interesting to do some tests to try to get the pageflip bug back. I have a feeling that it will never appear on this software, but I don't know for sure.

What's going on, and how could I fix it? You don't have permission to delete a post, but you can remove it from public view. What post are you referring to?

Devil's advocate - then why implement it in the first place? It just seem unnecessary... The old forum software had forum friends, too. I think most forum softwares have some kind of "buddy's list". It's a way of finding people easier. Especially those you interact with a lot.

It's not an overly huge deal to have friends on ST. There is nothing different about what you can see/not see when you have a friend, in case you were wondering..

The Omnibus will be completed in due time. There's a lot of work to do, after all.

I tried the beta and wasn't too happy with it as there were a huge amount of bugs, i'll have to re download it!

Very nice job on this one, it is really impressive.

I only have one skin...

What would web design be without it? Easy? Bahaha! I've tested in the latest Chrome, Firefox, Safari,and Opera. The only bug I found was in the latest IE. Again, using windows 7 x64

In IE 9.0.8, javascript doesn't even launch a popup. Windows 7 x64.<br><br>When I click on Compatibility View, the popup still doesn't work.<br>

Want to see who's chatting? To see who's chatting, look at the navigation bar. Hover over the number next to "Live Chat" and it will display everyone who is currently chatting.

SimCity 4 in Windowed Mode Putting your game into "Windowed Mode" means that it does not launch into full screen. You can move it around like any other window and switch between programs and the game. To do this, find the Sc4 shortcut you use most often. Right click on it, and choose properties. Your window should look something like this. Under Target, add the following few items in this order to the end of the target. [code]-w -r1600x900x32 -CustomResolution:enabled -Intro:off[/code] The -w is there to star the windowed process. My resolution of choice is 1600x900. Yours may be different. For example, you may choose 1024x768 based on your screen size or preference of window size. The x32 is the 32-bit color option. If you wish to load in 16-bit color then use x16. -CustomResolution is to enable a custom resolution not supported by the game. If you use a standard resolution size supported by the game then this is not needed, but helpful should you change your resolution later. Intro:off is to turn off the intro video and jump right into region mode. (Depending on how many plugins you have, the Sc4 logo could sit there for a bit) Your target should now look something like this: [code] "D:\Program Files\EA Games\Simcity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -w -r1600x900x32 -CustomResolution:enabled -Intro:off[/code]

I can see if I can "extract" the tutorial from somewhere. I'll let you know.

The Dependency Debate Please PM North Country Dude if you have a question regarding this article Introduction. After SimCity 4 and it's add-on Rush Hour came out 3 years ago, there have been many fansites all over the world supporting some sort of BAT/Lot/Mod file exchange in one form or another. This, in turn, has provided the SC4 player with over 10,000 different new and unique BAT models, Lot configurations, and Modifications to the game. For people who are, even today, just discovering the SimCity 4/Rush Hour game, this amount of custom content can be somewhat overwhelming. In addition to the amount of custom content, people all over the world have been adding more props, more tile textures, and just plain more variation to the original game, for nearly three years. Much of these new props and tile textures have been released to the public, free of charge mind you, in the form of "dependencies". "What's a dependency?" Ever search through the STEX and find that perfect Lot for your City, only to read the description and find that it contains, *gasp*, a dependency? or even a *gulp* list of dependencies? A dependency is a file that is required by that Lot for it to appear in the game. Without that dependent file(s), the lot will either appear as a big brown box, or show up with strange or missing props or textures. If you really want that Lot, you need to get the dependent files it requires. "Why do people post Lots with dependent files?" Two reasons. 1) The user has a BAT, set of props, or Mod that is universal to the Lots that he or she is posting, and for the sake of simplicity and space, has posted the dependent file(s) prior to the release of their Lot. 2) The user has posted a Lot that includes the use of buildings, props and/or textures created by another member. More often than not, these dependent files have been previously posted as prop or texture packs, specifically for that purpose, for other people to use in their own creations. "Why don't they just include those props or textures with their Lots?" Again, two reasons. 1) The dependent file is universal to the User's creations. By releasing a prop or texture pack that is common to all or most of a User's work, he has saved you, the consumer, time and space in downloading their work. 2) Most important of all reasons, it may not belong to them. To include work produced by another without permission is considered Plagiarism. Copyright Law defines anything that you post on the Internet as "de facto" copyrighted by you. Posting another person's work in your own is illegal and will get you permanently banned from this site! A typical newcomer will sometimes ask a Lot maker to do this, and the experienced Lot maker will either tell you "NO!" or ignore your request. The best advice is: Don't bother asking, you're just wasting your time. It's easier and safer if you just get the dependent file yourself. The download time is the same anyway. "What if I have a problem with the Lot after I download it?" 1) Make sure you read and fully understand the description( and read-me file). Sometimes detailed instructions and uses are included here. 2) Make sure you have all of the listed dependencies. Also, check to make sure the dependent file doesn't have a dependent of it's own. Sometimes this happens. 3) Check to see if the Lot maker has a Building Support thread. Most experienced BAT and Lot makers have this and a link is usually posted in the description. It is easier to post a better description of the problem on the thread than in the comments box. Remember, you can't post pictures in the comments box, and a picture tells a thousand words! "What if there are a lot of dependent files?" That depends on how you feel about the Lot. If it is something you want, get the dependent files. If you feel that you can do it yourself without the dependent files, open your Lot Editor and get to work! "How many dependencies is too many?" Chances are, most of the dependent files are fairly common ones that you already have. If you don't already have them, get them anyway, obviously the Lot maker thought they were worth using. If the Lot maker is somewhat experienced, you will find that there is a standard set of dependencies he or she uses, and after downloading a few of their lots, you will notice that the dependency list is actually shorter than it appears. Also, you will find that many dependent files are common to many of the high quality Lots on the STEX. Many people will claim that dependencies are a hassle or they take up too much bandwidth or installing them slows the game down. Many people brag that their BAT's or Lot's have no dependencies and feel that the majority of the community will clap them on the back and say that is how it should always be done! This where the debate begins. The scope of this section is, hopefully, to put to rest the negative attitudes regarding the use of dependent files and to bust one or two 'myths' surrounding them. The Dependency Debate. Lately, there has been a great deal of conflict and negative comments and ratings surrounding the issue of dependent files and their use on the STEX. For the person who does include a few dependencies with their Bat or Lot, those who despise or dislike the idea of using dependent files will invariably give the submitted file a bad rating(1 or 2) and a negative comment in the hopes that the author will be persuaded to never submit something that the anti-dependent person feels is unwanted by the general community. There have actually been peopled who have been flamed or given harsh unwarranted criticism for their creations based entirely on the one fact that the submitted Lot does or doesn't have dependencies! The one fact that most people have overlooked is that having dependent files is expressly not forbidden, and is in fact encouraged in order to prevent flagrant plagiarism and decrease bandwidth! The myths. "This is unacceptable because of the dependencies, especially[for] the Dial Up users." -This is a generalization that is plainly based on preference. I'm a 56k Dial-up user and I have no problem with downloading dependent files. In addition, I've also been collecting SC4 stuff since the game came out in 2003. I've found out ways to get around the slow speed of dial-up and have adjusted accordingly. Using downloaders and scheduling my downloads is just one of the ways I've adjusted to the huge amount of custom content available. "I hate having to download 4[or 6,or 8]Mb of props for just one[Lot]." -So do I, and downloading huge files for one little lot is ludicrous. But if you plan on getting more stuff in that series, or the Prop/Texture Pack is a common file used by many authors, why not get it? Also consider, the lot or package may be geared toward a more advanced playing style and clearly not meant for the beginner. The Lot or package may reflect a certain type of city or region. It's not the author's requirement that you have to use it. It may not be your style, it might be too advanced or complex, but for what ever reason, if it doesn't meet your needs, look for something else. Keep in mind that SC4/Rush Hour has been out for a long time and many people have been playing, tweaking, and making custom content for it for just as long. There are also many people who are just picking it up for the first time and are overwhelmed by the amount of user-created content that is available. Because of this fact, it is entirely fair to classify the playing styles as beginner, intermediate, and advanced. This should also be true for the custom content as well. More on this later. "Dependent files take up too much bandwidth, or space on my hard drive." -I have to say that this is entirely not true with regards to bandwidth, and as far as space on the hard drive, well that's up to you. In regard to bandwidth, basically, the dependent files are meant for downloading multiple lots in that series. You download the first file(the essentials, props and/or textures), which is large, and then each subsequent file(the building model and Lot file), which are not large. "My BAT has no dependencies!" [paraphrased and usually printed in bold red letters] -Good, as a BAT model, it shouldn't. Saying so is just redundant. Sometimes this brag applies to Lots, in which case, it's a matter of preference and purpose. If it's a single Lot that is not part of a series or larger package, this is feasible and desirable, and again, the remark is redundant. But also consider that if the Lot's intention is to provide something new, and/or unique, to the game, and using the standard Maxis '8 color crayon' scheme is not sufficient to present the author's concept or idea, then dependencies may be used. There is a lot of stuff that the Maxis designers left out, but to compensate for this they gave us, the consumer, the LotEditor, the Building Architect Tool, and a somewhat open-ended game platform. Clearly the intention was for the consumer to create their own custom content and share it with anyone interested. By using the dependent files and giving credit, this person is supporting and recognizing the hard work of the many members who have contributed to this and other websites featuring SC4 custom content. Why make it seem as if they are doing something wrong? "Dependencies slow down the game." -This is a generalization that is incorrect because of the one fact that every single plugin you download is a dependent file where the game engine is concerned. What slows the game down is, primarily, the number of Plugins that you have installed. Keep in mind that the printed System Requirements and Recommended System for playing SimCity 4 with the Rush Hour add-on Pack don't take into account the number of plugins that you can possibly have. The more plugins you have, the larger the look-up table becomes and subsequently the slower your game will run. Dependencies are plugins. They expand the amount of props, buildings and tile textures the game engine can use. Faster CPU's, larger amounts of RAM, and a decent graphics card will enable you to use many plugins without any noticable slowdown. But, if you have an older, low-end computer, then you might not be able to use as many plugins as you would like. It does not matter if the plugins are dependencies, BATs, Lots, Modds, or a mixture of all, data is data. The game doesn't care if you have too much data. If you have 100 BATs with 0 dependents, or 10 BATs with 10 dependents each, and you find that your system runs slow, it's not because you have too many dependencies, it's because you have too much stuff! Again, whether or not you use dependent files, is a matter of personal preference, and personal ability. If you are selective about your plugins, periodically clean out the unused stuff and store it offline, and occasionally defrag your hard drive, you will find that you can get more enjoyment from the game and the Simtropolis community in general. Advanced Playing Styles. As mentioned earlier, this game has been around for awhile. This means that there is now custom content made by and for people who are intimately familiar with the game's inner workings. This is stuff that often takes many hours of dedicated work and attention to detail. Then, they present this stuff to you, for free! Lot series and packages that are somewhat complex and have dependent files are primarily meant for a more advanced playing style. There is a lot of content on the STEX and similar exchanges around the world, that is meant for City Journal style of play, as well as for people who want to make a certain style or period of city. There is content for Sci-Fi, ancient times and everything in-between. There is variation everywhere and more is constantly being added for all playing styles. Conclusion. The argument over dependencies is juvenile and is primarily a matter of preference. Downloading a file and it's associated dependents is entirely up to the user. Flaming or leaving immature comments is also up to the user, but said user runs the risk of appearing foolish to the entire world, and flaming can get you banned. What you keep in your plugins folder is up to you. I have no control over your preferences, the amount of RAM you have, or how much space you have on your hard drive. That's your responsibility. Limiting yourself to the number of plugins you can have is entirely up to you. Dependent files are a fact. They are used everywhere. Bashing some author's creation just because it has dependent files is like bashing someone for breathing, or having too much hair, or wearing a purple shirt with a green tie. How many is too many? That's up to you but to the general community, it really isn't a valid criticism. Example of a un-informed response: http://www.simtropol...x.cfm?id=15200� -see comment by 'cebolinha65' I'll be honest, this kind of remark had only one intention, to hurt. What this user doesn't realize is, that he or she has just shown what type of person they really are to the rest of the community. Some suggestions for handling dependencies: Use a downloader program. I use Stardownloader, because of it's simplicity and lack of 'in your face' advertising that some downloaders have. It also lets you schedule your downloads, and will automatically dial up and even continue interrupted downloads. It integrates with almost any browser, including Firefox. www.stardownloader.com There are many other downloader programs available that will greatly improve the downloading road-block for 56k dial up users.(I live in a rural area with no alternatives for access to the Internet) Organize your plugins folders. Surprisingly, many people are not very computer savy, but getting to know and love your Windows Explorer program will certainly improve the playability of your game and is an invaluable tool for organizing your plugin folders. I organize my folders into BATs, Lots, Mods, Props, and Textures. But what works for me, may not work for you. Devise a system of organization that makes sense for you and your playing style. When making Lots, pay close attention to the dependencies you are using. This is for both the experienced and inexperienced Lot and BAT maker alike. If you find that you are using only one prop from a large dependency pack, consider either omitting that prop, or getting permission from the props author for inclusion into your Lot. Since I'm a notorious 'kit-basher', what I do is load only the prop and texture packages that are relevant to the type of lot I'm trying to create. This way, I keep my dependencies list shorter than if I loaded everything I have. My lists do tend to be longer than the average, but after using the same ones over and over, for each subsequent Lot that I release, if the user has any one of my Lots, for them the download list is actually very short. Another useful tool for many reasons is the SC4Tool and can be found in the Modds and Downloads section of this website. (What things were like before this handy tool came out, I shudder to think of the late nights spent debugging malfunctioning Lots) Pay attention to what you are downloading! For single BAT structures, and Lot files, read the descriptions before downloading. If there are dependents listed and the file is not part of a series, or the dependents are not really necessary for the Lot, consider doing it yourself, passing it up, or getting the Lot without the dependents and add your own. If the BAT or Lot is part of a series or is part of a larger concept or project, then you can almost be sure that the file has dependencies. If it's not what you want, then move on. Consider also that the Lot may be large, like an Airport, or a factory complex, or something that represents a large installation of some kind. This kind of package will certainly have dependencies and is more than likely for a more advanced style of play. If that is your style, or what you were looking for, get it and the dependents. Kit Bashing. That's what I do. Basically all I'm 'selling' is a package of instructions on how to build what you see on the box's picture. Some of the models used in my packages are not included on the STEX and you must register at a different site to retrieve the required models. For example; I sometimes use Gizmo's vehicle props in my lots. The lots will work without them(no brown boxes). But I actually had some one flame the Lot because of this fact. All the ***** had to do was ask me, and I would have told him how to get the props or how to work around it. If the problem was downloading from Gizmo's site after registering, I would have informed him that his site does not allow downloaders and help him work around that problem too. Sometimes, I use BAT models from Japan. Navigating those sites can be difficult if you don't speak Japanese, but there is help for the asking. I always provide as direct a link as possible to the BAT model in question, or just not use the model at all. Remember to check the 'Support Thread'! Suggestions for newcomers. Although the term 'Lurking' has on the face of it, a bad reputation, it is, in practice, not a bad thing at all. Lurk before you Leap, is the best suggestion I can give a newcomer to any website. Read the tutorials. Search the threads for concepts that aren't clear to you. Read and follow the instructions. And again, read, read and finally, read some more. Under no circumstances should you trash or flame a person's Lot just because you thought it had too many dependencies! Keep in mind that 'Flaming' is a banning offense. Also, if you trash an experienced Lot maker's work with negative comments, you run a very high risk of appearing very immature and foolish to the other Simtropolis members who are familiar with that person's work. In order to make yourself look good to the other members on this site, and possibly keep yourself from getting permanently banned, it is best to follow this advice: If you like it, get it and it's associated dependencies, if you don't, just move on. No sense wasting your time writing a negative comment that will help nobody, when you could be searching for something more to your liking. Don't just leave a comment saying that it looks nice, (based on the STEX pictures) and rate it with the caveat that it has too many dependents for your taste. That's not very intelligent at all. Without actually downloading it and putting it together, you really have no idea of whats in the box. For the people who don't like the fact that some of the things on the STEX require you to get Prop Pack A and Texture Pack B, they shouldn't really bother to comment, since the use of dependencies is allowed. If the Lot or package clearly states "some assembly required" or " paint and glue not included" , there's really no point in complaining about it. If you don't have something constructive to add, why bother saying anything at all? Here is a special caveat I put into one of my Lot descriptions: "I try to keep the list of dependent files to a minimum, but at the same time, try to create unique, realistic, and visually interesting Lots based on my custom Railyard Textures. Consider, I went to the trouble of searching, downloading, assembling, and finally, testing the modified Lot. You only download it and the dependencies required. Your job is easy." Some friendly advice from: ncd, and Arf of the North

Getting Started on the STEX for Macintosh Users By: Zelgadis with additional material by GoaSkin Please PM Zelgadis if you have any questions about this article. Table of Contents PurposeAssumptionsWhere to StartMaxis Landmarks and FixesAfter DownloadingOther Important Download Facts and InformationRendering Region MapsMaking Your Own BATs with MacintoshRegistering at the Official SimCity 4 WebsiteSTEX Building NightlightingCredits 1. Purpose The purpose of this article is to provide additional information to Macintosh users for using the STEX. This guide is supplemental to the general STEX guide found here which was written primarily for Windows users. As such, this guide will cover mostly the areas where Windows and Macintosh differ. It is therefore highly recommended that you read the general STEX article in addition to this one. 2. Assumptions This guide assumes that you have the Rush Hour expansion pack installed. Most, but not all, items on the STEX will work only with the Rush Hour expansion pack. This guide also assumes that you installed your copy of SimCity 4 and the Rush Hour expansion pack in the default location. 3. Where to Start Now that you are a registered user of Simtropolis, it is time to begin downloading. Where do you start? What do you download first? It all depends on what you are personally interested in. It is most important to note that not everything on the STEX will work on your Macintosh. Additionally, some things work better than others. Here is a list of items that are likely to work on your Macintosh: - NAM, Macintosh version.* - Anything from the BSC Mac Archive.** - Buildings by NDEX, SOMY, and BSC. (In my own, personal experience) - Almost all props and textures. (I have never encountered one that did not work.) - All maps. - And many other things. * There is no compatibility difference between the Windows version and Macintosh version. However, the Macintosh version addresses some of the patch issues that EA released for Windows but Aspyr did not for Macintosh. ** If the BSC Mac Archive has moved, you can find the new location at the BSC Mac Archive thread in the SimCity 4 Mac Users forum. Kbooms1w's signature will also always carry the current link. If the site doesn't load the first time, keep trying. It will. There isn't enough time in the world to download and test absolutely everything, so sometimes you'll just have to try something you find interesting for yourself. Things that do not work: It is very rare indeed that you will find anything on the STEX that is not Macintosh compatible. Therefore, when testing files, that is the last thing you should assume. It is far more likely that you are missing a dependency of some kind. If, despite your best efforts, a STEX file just doesn't work, it is most likely not working properly for many Windows users as well. You will find that there are many downloads on the STEX that are .exe files. There are two ways to deal with this problem. First of all, though it is true that a stock Macintosh cannot access .exe files, a Macintosh with a Windows emulator such as Virtual PC or FileJuicer (freeware) can. While Macintosh is not naturally able to work with .exe files, the files extracted from .exe files by a Windows emulator are identical between Macintosh and Windows. NOTE: Kbooms1w has written a FAQ on FileJuicer which can be found on page five of the BSC Mac Archive thread. Secondly, some STEX creators upload their files on the STEX as .exe files but maintain separate websites where non-exe versions are available. Pegasus Productions (PEG), for example, does this. Most STEX creators who maintain websites will supply their personal web pages either in the readme file or on the Simtropolis download page which contains one of their creations. 4. Maxis Landmarks and Fixes Landmarks If you try to register at SimCity.com and try to get the extra landmarks that are on their site, you’ll find that you can’t do it. As a Mac user, you’re simply out of luck as far as the official site is concerned. But there is a solution. I had a conversation with the people at EA and they have given permission for anyone to freely distribute the Maxis landmarks. You are free to do so as you wish, however they were very clear to stipulate that you are not permitted to make money from the distribution of Maxis landmarks! I am hosting the landmarks on my file sharing site. Be sure to read the instructions and follow the links. Included are all the Maxis extra landmarks, bldgprops_vol1.dat, bldgprops_vol2.dat, the Lot Editor, and the Building Architect Tool. Fixes SC4_RH&Deluxe_Pre2PostUpdate1_InstallationFilesDifferential.zip Aspyr never released the SC4 Rush Hour update that Windows users received. You’ll therefore notice that expressway on and off ramps for avenues don’t have crossovers. There are a few other things that this patch fixed. Thanks to Tropod and the NAM team, we have the fix! It is also available on my file sharing site. Next, follow the instructions made by jjakucyk: Download the update files from Tropod, and rename the folder SC4_ RH_Deluxe_Update1 such that there's a space at the start. Put that folder in /Applications/SimCity 4/SimCity 4 Data/Plugins/, the space will put it at the top of the list of plugins, making it load first, where it needs to be. If you use the Network Addon Mod (NAM), put all the installation files for the NAM in a folder called •NAM also inside /Applications/SimCity 4/SimCity 4 Data/Plugins/. This makes the NAM load second, after the update. In the end, you should have something like this: Graphics Rules.sgr This file is NOT for use by just anyone! If you are having gameplay smoothness troubles with your Mac, download this file. If you’re using a G4 or G5 Mac, you should definitely try it. After downloading, go to your SimCity4 Data folder and move the current graphics rules.sgr file to a safe place. Then place the new graphics rules.sgr file directly into your SimCity4 Data folder. DO NOT place it in any Plugins folders. If it works, yay! If not, throw out the new file and replace it with the old one that you carefully saved. 5. After Downloading You have downloaded your first building. What do you do with it? There are certain guidelines to follow when installing your STEX files. NOTE: This section is not applicable to region maps. See below for further instructions regarding region maps. The Readme file: Most STEX downloads are accompanied by a readme file. You must read and follow the instructions. Any of the information about installing downloads that comes after this paragraph is to be considered void if the readme file instructs you to do otherwise. A few downloads are not accompanied by a readme file. For those, you may install them according to the instructions that follow. NOTE: Some STEX downloads require additional files to work properly, known as "dependencies." Consult the readme file for any dependencies you might need. The Plugins Folders: If you installed your copy of SimCity 4 in the default location, you will notice that you have two plugins folders. One is at Home/Applications/SimCity 4/SimCity 4 Data/Plugins (hereinafter referred to as Applications Plugins). The other is at Home/Documents/SimCity 4/Plugins (hereinafter referred to as Documents Plugins). You may install your STEX downloads in whichever folder you wish by simply dragging the files from the download folder into the plugins folder of your choice. Remember, if the Readme file with the download states otherwise, follow the readme instructions. NOTE: If the readme file instructs you to place your file in My Documents/Maxis/SimCity 4/Plugins folder, the Macintosh equivalent is Documents Plugins. Likewise, if the readme file instructs you to place your file in the C:/ProgramFile/Maxis/SimCity4/Plugins folder, the Macintosh equivalent is Applications Plugins. Most often, those who create MODD files prefer them to be placed in Applications Plugins. There tends to be more leeway in where to put buildings and textures, but it's often best to keep them in Documents Plugins just to keep things organized. Organization: You may create subfolders within both of your plugins folders in order to organize your STEX downloads. It is up to you to determine your own preferred organizational process. Again, if the readme file is specific about whether or not you can place a file in a subfolder, follow the readme instructions. NOTE: A good recommendation is to begin whatever folder in which you place your textures and props with the number "1." This will ensure that the textures and props are loaded first when you start SimCity4 and that you will not experience any mysterious texture/prop disappearances or the infamous big brown box. For more details on how to rid yourself of the evil big brown boxes, visit the Getting Rid of Brown Boxes thread. 6. Other Important Download Facts and Recommendations - Two other important files are the BSC Essentials and NDEX Essentials files. Both are currently available on the STEX as .exe files. The non-exe version of BSC Essentials is found at the BSC Mac Archive. As of this writing, the NDEX Essentials download is .exe only, but you can download the latest version with the NDEX Touaron Tower or use FileJuicer to get the files you need. Note that both BSC and NDEX require that these files be placed directly in Documents Plugins and in no subfolders! - The BSC Mac Archive contains most of the prop files that you might need to use BSC buildings. I recommend downloading and installing all of them immediately. Though tedious, it will make things easier on you later. 7. Rendering Region Maps All instructions regarding the downloading and installation of region maps are essentially the same for Macintosh as they are for Windows. Remember that all downloaded region maps must be placed in Home/Documents/SimCity 4/Regions. You may notice that there is a regions folder in your Applications folder, but you cannot use your region maps there. Instructions for installing maps can be found here. 8. Making your own BATs with Macintosh This is tricky. Opinions as to whether a gamer can make BATs with the Macintosh vary greatly. In the end, it may even depend on exactly what hardware you have, but even that is in debate. In the end there are two facts that are apparent. -While some claim that Virtual PC will not run the GMAX tools, others claim to have gotten it working. See the lot editor and virtual PC thread for details. -Other 3D modelers do work for Mac, though you will need a person running windows to finish up your work so that your BAT will run on SimCity 4. You need to have a 3D modeler that can save in the 3ds file format for this to work. Several of these, such as Sketchup and Cheetah are available at the Apple website. Search under Imaging & 3D. 9. Registering at the Official SimCity 4 Website If you try to register at the official SimCity 4 website, you will discover that your CD key is not accepted since your game was exported and distributed by Aspyr. You can register far enough to use the forums but not to use any of the downloads. Please see section 4 for information on Maxis downloads. 10. STEX Building Nightlighting You will notice that the buildings you download from the STEX will not light up when you are in night mode. This is a bug in the game for which EA made a patch but Aspyr did not. GoaSkin has manually altered a few STEX buildings to make the nightlighting work and they can be found in the Mac Pack Vol 1 on the STEX. For those of you who would like to alter your STEX to make nightlighting to work yourself, I asked GoaSkin to provide instructions on how to do so, which he kindly supplied me with for inclusion. Nightlighting Your STEX Buildings By: GoaSkin First of all, you will need either Virtual PC or Bochs (freeware) to run iLive Reader. To begin, I will explain why night-illuminations work on original buildings: The FSH-files (texture-bitmaps) on original buildings use group ID 1ABE787D and a unique instance ID. The right group ID on FSH files is why night illumination works on original buildings. On BAT buildings, on the FSH files, a random generated unique group ID is used while the instance IDs mostly start at 0. The first step is to set 1ABE787D as group ID on the FSH files of a BAT building. But then you have a conflict with other buildings because the combination (group/ instance) will exist multiple times. That means wrong textures are shown on the wrong models. To avoid this, the second thing you have to do is to look for free ranges of Instance IDs. You need to find out Instance ID blocks which aren't used neither on the Maxis files (simcity1-5.dat) nor on the Maxis landmarks. When you have a range, the easiest way is to clone all of the FSH files on a sc4model file and to shift meanwhile the instance IDs into a free range, and then delete the original FSH files. You can use the iLive Reader to do it (it needs virtual Windows on VPC or Bochs). The last step is the modifications on the S3D files of the model. Because the Instance IDs of the used FSH files have changed, you need to adjust them. That's all. To understand it better, you should compare a changed and an original building. Try it with a 1x1 building first! One example: sc4model file with FSHs like this (group/instance) 2358973A 00000123 2358973A 00000124 2358973A 00000125 2358973A 00000126 after adjusting the group-IDs: 1ABE787D 00000123 1ABE787D 00000124 1ABE787D 00000125 1ABE787D 00000126 and after shifting the instance IDs to a free range: 1ABE787D FFF00123 1ABE787D FFF00124 1ABE787D FFF00125 1ABE787D FFF00126 Then you have to regard all of the S3D files. Look in tab mats ID and you'll find the old instance IDs. Replace the old prefix (000) everywhere with the new (FFF). 11. Credits This article was made a reality with the help of the Simtropolis Help Squad Special thanks to Meg, who endured my silly questions and inane banter to get this thing finished. <a href="forum/messageview.cfm?catid=1&threadid=90619&enterthread=y#Index">[ ^TOP ] If you have any questions about this article, please PM Zelgadis.

haha thanks everyone! And a big job well done to the man in charge.