SC4 Devotion Forum Archives

SimCity 4 Devotion Custom Content Showcase => Network Addon Mod (NAM) => NAM Inactive threads => Topic started by: Tarkus on April 16, 2013, 12:39:03 AM

Title: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Tarkus on April 16, 2013, 12:39:03 AM
The NAM Team is pleased to announce the release of NAM Version 31.1.  NAM 31.1 is a full package, which improves upon the initial "open beta" that was NAM 31.  It fixes about 100 issues that had been reported since the NAM 31 release in March 2013, improving overall stability and performance.

Download Link on LEX (http://sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=851)
(You must be registered and logged in on the LEX to see the download link.  Forum accounts will not give you LEX access or a download link.)


For further details on the rest of NAM 31.1's functionality, please consult the enclosed (and extensive) PDF User's Guides.  You may need to install Adobe Reader (http://get.adobe.com/reader) in order to read these documents.

-The NAM Team
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: elhefebonito on April 16, 2013, 12:57:28 AM
 &apls Thank you guys so very much!  &apls
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: FrankU on April 16, 2013, 01:14:23 AM
And again, for the umptiest time, we are so happy with the work you have done! Kudos to all of you!
I am repeating myself, but I am happy to do so and I hope I will repeat myself many times in the future!
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: gn_leugim on April 16, 2013, 02:09:09 AM
a warm thank you for you all ;)  &apls
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: TheAttendee on April 16, 2013, 03:06:41 AM
Glad to have my RHW filler pieces back. Oh how I missed you so.

As always, excellent work NAM team. Kudos. &apls

Now it's time for a break.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: the81kid on April 16, 2013, 03:46:42 AM
Thanks guys!
I'll check this out later on
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Lach77 on April 16, 2013, 07:02:23 AM
Yay, seems the servers are overloaded, hopefully I can get it tomorrow morning  ;D
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Tarkus on April 16, 2013, 07:51:01 AM
Download locked.  Seems somehow the diag-to-orth transitions on RHW networks are zorked--how the heck that happened, I have no freaking clue.  Download locked until I have time to fix it tonight.

-Alex
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: rivit on April 16, 2013, 08:53:15 AM
Hi NAM Team,

  Got your 31.1 tonight (apparently just in time), and I have to say very impressed overall at the packaging and general improvements in organisation apparent from v30. I'm also somewhat overawed at the flood of road textures now existent - although it seems not too much changed in rail. Documentation is very thorough and a great intro before installing - its a pity most of the world will find that TLDR. Also the selfdestruct lifters/diggers are brilliant.

   I did a complete (s) install (custom option to see what was there) with AUS euro tex. Game loaded up into just on 1GB private mem without any other plugins, and at this ran well - I'm on a 2004 3GB Memory Dell Pentium4 so strapped for grunt.

Two things in my test walkthru tonight.
1. Many of the new custom stations trigger underground mode when selected - dont know if this is deliberate.
2. I got the z_Lefthand Plugin, controller s179_LHD and the vehicles are on the right of the road (ie US setup). Now the installer says I'm going to get them driving on the left of the road, as does the PS manual. They are in fact correctly named as installed because LHD vehicles travel on the righthand side of the road. Its just the nomenclature thats been flipped. The old US/UK delineation was less ambiguous if parochial... 

For me too the final determination of the correct rules for stations etc. would be a handy technical addendum in the NAM main manual - that way other stations can be modded to fit - as it is for me only the maxis stations were in my existing set of stations.

  regards and thanks Ron
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: TEG24601 on April 16, 2013, 11:06:55 AM
I'm looking forward to this tonight!
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: fefenc on April 16, 2013, 01:03:00 PM
I hope that the 5 minutes of loading screen bug has been fixed .-.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: spot on April 16, 2013, 01:04:58 PM
Quote from: rivit on April 16, 2013, 08:53:15 AM
...Documentation is very thorough and a great intro before installing - its a pity most of the world will find that TLDR. Also the selfdestruct lifters/diggers are brilliant....

The 311 pages of documentation is ridiculous. Poor souls who wrote it.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: MandelSoft on April 16, 2013, 01:10:25 PM
One poor soul here. The other is Ganaram. Lots of hard work has been put into this ;)
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: jdenm8 on April 16, 2013, 06:05:37 PM
Quote from: fefenc on April 16, 2013, 01:03:00 PM
I hope that the 5 minutes of loading screen bug has been fixed .-.

It's not a bug, it's the game parsing the RUL2 file. It's VERY big for a SimCity file (Larger than a lot of BATs) and takes a long time to parse.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Nosimx on April 16, 2013, 08:24:59 PM
Thank you all!


Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: thinkdude on April 16, 2013, 09:14:02 PM
So excited, cant wait for 31.1 to be unlocked again.  Thanks  for all the hard work on this mod!
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: smf_16 on April 17, 2013, 04:01:40 AM
Well, since the download is locked, is there a way to get the documentation already? I'd love to read about all the features I still don't know about!  ;D
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: MOREOPTIONS on April 17, 2013, 04:21:32 AM
Questian,  is the NAM31.1 the same I downloaded before that's close to 300mb's??? or is the larg file from simtrop not the same???
Quote from: smf_16 on April 17, 2013, 04:01:40 AM
Well, since the download is locked, is there a way to get the documentation already? I'd love to read about all the features I still don't know about!  ;D
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: fefenc on April 17, 2013, 08:49:39 AM
Quote from: jdenm8 on April 16, 2013, 06:05:37 PM
Quote from: fefenc on April 16, 2013, 01:03:00 PM
I hope that the 5 minutes of loading screen bug has been fixed .-.

It's not a bug, it's the game parsing the RUL2 file. It's VERY big for a SimCity file (Larger than a lot of BATs) and takes a long time to parse.

But the 5 minutes is so..... boring, but just happens when u open a first tile since you entered the game, it can be a city or just an empty terrain.

After this, the loading screen takes 15 ~ 30 seconds to load the tiles.

This is the cause that I think this is a bug.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: aka.john on April 17, 2013, 09:06:18 AM
Quote from: fefenc on April 17, 2013, 08:49:39 AM
Quote from: jdenm8 on April 16, 2013, 06:05:37 PM
Quote from: fefenc on April 16, 2013, 01:03:00 PM
I hope that the 5 minutes of loading screen bug has been fixed .-.

It's not a bug, it's the game parsing the RUL2 file. It's VERY big for a SimCity file (Larger than a lot of BATs) and takes a long time to parse.

But the 5 minutes is so..... boring, but just happens when u open a first tile since you entered the game, it can be a city or just an empty terrain.

After this, the loading screen takes 15 ~ 30 seconds to load the tiles.

This is the cause that I think this is a bug.

Doesn't quite take 5 minutes for me for that file to load, and yes when you open new tiles this delay is gone.  The reason I think is that once the file is loaded into memory, it doesn't need to reload again until you exit and re-enter the game.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: fefenc on April 17, 2013, 10:30:15 AM
Quote from: aka.john on April 17, 2013, 09:06:18 AM
Quote from: fefenc on April 17, 2013, 08:49:39 AM
Quote from: jdenm8 on April 16, 2013, 06:05:37 PM
Quote from: fefenc on April 16, 2013, 01:03:00 PM
I hope that the 5 minutes of loading screen bug has been fixed .-.

It's not a bug, it's the game parsing the RUL2 file. It's VERY big for a SimCity file (Larger than a lot of BATs) and takes a long time to parse.

But the 5 minutes is so..... boring, but just happens when u open a first tile since you entered the game, it can be a city or just an empty terrain.

After this, the loading screen takes 15 ~ 30 seconds to load the tiles.

This is the cause that I think this is a bug.

Doesn't quite take 5 minutes for me for that file to load, and yes when you open new tiles this delay is gone.  The reason I think is that once the file is loaded into memory, it doesn't need to reload again until you exit and re-enter the game.

by the way... I'm hoping that this delay can be minimized, cuz it's so boring to wait 5 minutes, and the game crashes to desktop, and wait more 5 minutes. I know that the "crash to desktop" and another bugs are being fixed in 31.1, but this delay is horrible. For me, this is the worst issue of NAM 31 :S
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: titanicbuff on April 17, 2013, 10:53:41 AM
I was one of those lucky enough to grab it before it was locked- I ptted several issues incluing some drag issues with highway over road- but overall I'm 99% impresses- The team deserves a big hand on this!!!!!

&apls  ;D    &apls
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Tarkus on April 17, 2013, 11:49:55 AM
And the corrected NAM 31.1 is now on the LEX.  Thank you all for your patience.

-Alex
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: z on April 17, 2013, 12:44:36 PM
Quote from: rivit on April 16, 2013, 08:53:15 AM
1. Many of the new custom stations trigger underground mode when selected - dont know if this is deliberate.

This is true of all stations that include subway access; it's built into the game.  All of the elevated custom stations contain optional subway connections, so that's what you're seeing.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: mikeseith on April 17, 2013, 02:20:25 PM
I tried to download it but I'm getting this message ...

"Download Quota for this lot has been exceeded ..."
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Swordmaster on April 17, 2013, 02:27:17 PM
I don't. Is there maybe a limit how many times a user can download a certain file?


Cheers
Willy
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: z on April 17, 2013, 05:01:33 PM
There is a per-day limit.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: mySimCities on April 17, 2013, 05:32:56 PM
I downloaded with no problems and I am quietly impressed with the improvements.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: fefenc on April 18, 2013, 08:12:19 AM
It worked here, the delay on loading screen is taking less time to load the first tile.

BRASIL-SIL-SIL!
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Jack_wilds on April 18, 2013, 02:25:40 PM
exceptionally well done set of NAM-readmes...  &apls   :thumbsup:
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Diggis on April 19, 2013, 12:58:15 AM
Quote from: fefenc on April 17, 2013, 08:49:39 AM
Quote from: jdenm8 on April 16, 2013, 06:05:37 PM
Quote from: fefenc on April 16, 2013, 01:03:00 PM
I hope that the 5 minutes of loading screen bug has been fixed .-.

It's not a bug, it's the game parsing the RUL2 file. It's VERY big for a SimCity file (Larger than a lot of BATs) and takes a long time to parse.

But the 5 minutes is so..... boring, but just happens when u open a first tile since you entered the game, it can be a city or just an empty terrain.

After this, the loading screen takes 15 ~ 30 seconds to load the tiles.

This is the cause that I think this is a bug.

This isn't a bug.  Many programs, and SC4 in particular, take a long time to load the first time, however, are significantly faster after that. It's normal.  I'm not a hardware expert, but I believe it's because much of the information is retained in the Cache after that first load. Unfortunately it's just the price we have to pay for large plugins.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: z on April 19, 2013, 02:28:31 AM
Quote from: fefenc on April 16, 2013, 01:03:00 PM
I hope that the 5 minutes of loading screen bug has been fixed .-.

Virtually none of the time taken from starting SC4 to reaching the Region view is due to the NAM.  On a typical computer (i.e., mine), the NAM adds about 25 seconds to the time you start loading a city and the time it finishes loading.  Subsequent loads of the city are faster.

If you are taking five minutes to get to the Region view, or even to load a city, this is due to a large Plugins folder, and most likely you are not DatPacking your files.  Use the DatPacker - it will make a huge difference.  It also eliminates most of the time delay involved in returning from the Zones view or the NAM Subway Building view.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Durfsurn on April 19, 2013, 09:30:03 PM
Well we found bugs and you, the amazing people that you are, fixed them with great speed and effort! You have lives yet some of you are writing 331 PAGES of documentation! I think you people are a cut above! While not having actually downloaded it yet I'm sure it will be up to the extremely high standard of the NAM! Thanks again NAM team for keeping a 10 year old game alive!
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: jdenm8 on April 19, 2013, 10:45:53 PM
Quote from: z on April 19, 2013, 02:28:31 AM
If you are taking five minutes to get to the Region view, or even to load a city, this is due to a large Plugins folder, and most likely you are not DatPacking your files

This is an issue highlighted by slow hard drives and is endemic to most laptops since nearly none of the manufacturers have moved on from using 5200RPM mSATA drives introduced in about 2005.

If you have a desktop PC, there are PCIexpress cards you can buy which add SATA3 ports to your existing system. I would recommend moving SC4 and its plugins to a new SATA3 capable hard drive, this will drastically improve loading times if you've already DATPacked your plugins and are unhappy with the increase. By the speeds you're getting, you're running it on an ancient SATA drive that could be highly fragmented.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: DJSun1981 on April 19, 2013, 11:01:07 PM
Many many thanks for the update, dont have crash yet, but whats the problem here:

(https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F44zFzPR.jpg&hash=68191aa1bc9078fda1c85a9a5dee0b46610016a6)
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: z on April 19, 2013, 11:16:17 PM
That is the classic symptom of a dual NAM installation.  You need to find the other copy of the NAM and get rid of it.  If you've DatPacked your files, be sure to check in there.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: DJSun1981 on April 19, 2013, 11:23:31 PM
How can I find it? I search for "NAM", but I didn found all files
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Tarkus on April 20, 2013, 12:04:49 AM
Very few of the NAM's files actually have "NAM" in the name--usually, it's spelled out "NetworkAddonMod" or "Network Addon Mod".  Unless you renamed your NAM installation directory, the most likely name for a DatPacked NAM file would be "Network Addon Mod.dat" (with the spaces).

-Alex
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: TEG24601 on April 20, 2013, 10:59:32 AM
Thanks guys for all the hard work.  As one of the few Mac users, not using Wine or Bootcamp, I can confirm that it appears NAM 31.1 works great, with the exception of the Bridges Plug In.  By not working, I mean you can use it to build the required bridges, but only when the game is paused.  If you start the clock it freezes.  I have solved the problem by simply removing the controller.  I'm still able to use the bridges I've built, I just need to add the plug in back to build new ones.  Everything else is perfect, and this is only a minor issue, so kudos, especially for a platform you guys don't really support.
Title: Re: NAM 31.1 Release Announcement
Post by: Tarkus on June 03, 2013, 08:48:34 PM
NAM 31.1 has been succeeded by NAM 31.2, and is no longer available or supported.  Thank you to all our loyal users who reported issues, making the improvements in NAM 31.2 possible.

Thread closed.

-Alex