JadeCat95

Eureka!! I figured out what I was doing wrong. I was editing the "item order" number by simply changing the last 3-4 digits (ie; 0x00000000 -> 0x00000012). After reading the link that zimmie just posted, I tried again, but this time used the method in that link, which was to delete that number (0x00000000) and then use a regular number to replace it (10 or 100 or 500 or -500 etc). Using iLive's Reader, once you type it in that way and hit APPLY, the program automatically converts it to hexadecimal and looks more like 0xFFFD0CC (NOT a real entry, I just made that one up). After doing a few fast food joint this way, I started SC4 and sure enough, my fast food joints were at the top of the list!! I used -10000 for the national chains (McDonalds, Wendy's, BK etc, and -9000 for the more local ones. To put them in the order I wanted, I used sequential plop costs (ie; McD's=$5000, BK=$5001, Wendy's=$5002 etc.). This put McD's at the top and then the others. In case anyone wants to use my method, here is how I separated my lots: Fast Food Joints (-10000 & -9000) Dine-In Restaurants (-8000) Gas Stations (-7000) Bars/Pubs (-6000) Banks (-5000) Retail Stores (-4000) Shopping Malls (-3000) Lodging (-2000) Factories (-1000) Entertainment (bowling, NIMBY, Theaters etc) (-900) Car Dealerships (-800) Residential (-700) Office Bldgs (-600) Civic Bldgs (Museums, PD, FD etc) (-500) Misc Lots (-400) As suggested in the guide, I used negative numbers to put the mods above the stock Maxis files. Many thanks, again, to all of those who helped me with this project!! I so wish that I was talented enough to make some lots or something to repay everyone. I will work on writing up a more detailed guide on how I did this and post it when I get it done.

Thank you zimmie! Yes, most of that was the same as here except for the negative numbers. I wasn't aware that you could use negative numbers, so I *DID* learn something new.

Yes. I have even gone back through my plugins and gave them all sequential "item order" numbers starting with 0x00000001 and they still aren't showing in that order in the menu. The LM that was at the top of the menu, I went in and gave it an order value of 1000, far above the rest of them, and it's still at the top of the menu. <shrug> Is there a .dat file that I can safely delete and reinstall to dump the menu order memory? I've tried going to other Regions and checking the menu, but it's the same order everywhere.

Yes, I saved each file as I finished editing it. I was testing on a square that I had previously used, but there was no existing city on it. It has been my "test city". I will try it on a new region and see what happens. Thank you.

Ok, I just spent the last few hours going through all my LM plugins and reordering the "Item Order" and "Plop Cost" values, but when I started the game, the menu order hadn't changed. I don't know what I did wrong??? My first group was "Fast Food" which I gave all the lots a "Item Order" value of 0x00000001 and then plop priced them in the order I wanted them to appear. I then did the same thing for the next group with a menu value of 0x00000002 and continued this through all my groups up to a value of 0x00000015. After the first 5-6 groups, I wasn't worried about the order of the lots anymore, I just wanted them grouped together, so I didn't change any of the "Plop Cost" values. From my understanding of the instructions given, it seems it should have worked. Any ideas what I did wrong, or why it didn't work? Thank you.

Huge thanks to all of you who offered assistance!!! I greatly appreciate it! I wish I was talented enough to repay this group with some mods, but I'm not that smart. :-) If I can figure out a way to make this project easy for everyone, I will most certainly come back and share it with everyone. Thank you again!!

Thank you jdenm8, I think I understand. One thing though, when I look at the file in iLives Reader, I don't see "Menu Order", but I do see "Item Order". Am I correct in assuming this is the same thing? And, if so, the value is listed as "0x0000000xx" where the "xx" is, I assume, the order number. I just edit those "xx" numbers, correct?

Thank you for the quick responses!! I've looked around using SC4Tool and LEProp, but I didn't know what I was looking for. I will look around some more. I want to make sure I understand T Wrecks correctly here. Is what you're saying that I can, for instance, if I want, say, all the fast food joints at the top of the LM menu, I give them all the same low plop value, ie 100$, and then the next group would all be like 200$ and so on? Am I understanding that correctly? Or, if not, where do I find the "menu order" value? And what can use to edit that number? Again, thank you all for your answers. It'd be nice if you could just set the order by arranging the corresponding folders, but oh well :/

I read, understand, and utilize the sorting of folders explained on this forum, and I appreciate taking the time to give that information. However, I have a question about the possibility of even further organization of the DLC. My question is this; Is it possible, either by folder organization or file modification, to have the addons more organized IN GAME? For instance, I would like to have, in the IN GAME menu, all the restaurants grouped together, all the gas stations grouped together, all the parks grouped together and so on. So all the restaurants would be, say, at the top of the sub menu for landmarks. Under that, the next group of landmarks would be the gas stations etc. Is this possible?

I read, understand, and utilize the sorting of folders explained here, and I appreciate taking the time to give that information. However, I have a question about the possibility of even further organization of the DLC. My question is this; Is it possible, either by folder organization or file modification, to have the addons more organized IN GAME? For instance, I would like to have, in the IN GAME menu, all the restaurants grouped together, all the gas stations grouped together, all the parks grouped together and so on. So all the restaurants would be, say, at the top of the sub menu for landmarks. Under that, the next group of landmarks would be the gas stations etc. Is this possible?