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PIMX Official support thread

Started by wouanagaine, November 04, 2009, 12:56:55 PM

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_Michael

So installed the XML update, the DLLs aforementioned in this thread and the Win7/8/8.1 Fix, but I'm still getting the error below. The error loads up in a text window, after the boot up logo.
Any ideas?
QuoteTraceback (most recent call last):
  File "SC4PIMApp.pyo", line 3454, in OnClose
  File "SC4PIMApp.pyo", line 3457, in ShowMain
  File "SC4PIMApp.pyo", line 2798, in __init__
pywintypes.error: (2, 'RegOpenKeyEx', 'The system cannot find the file specified.')

mgb204

Where did you place the .dll files? You should place them into the root install folder for PIM-X.

If that's not working, most likely there is some sort of permissions problem, causing the application to be unable to read the required librarys and preventing PIM-X from working. These issues are more prevalent with Windows 8/10 systems, hopefully running the application with Admin privilidges would be sufficient to get things going.

_Michael

All the files were in the root directory, but running as an admin solved the problem - facepalm. Thanks for the help!  :thumbsup:

Neo

Quote from: vortext on June 17, 2016, 11:54:19 AM
Hm weird, especially since SC4PIM did work on your pc two months ago, right ngpillow? If so, something much have changed since. And btw which OS are you running?

Just to make sure: have you guys tried using all the DLLs mentioned in the first post, in addition to the multiarray.pyd bugfix file, and have them stored in SC4PIMs installation folder?

Quote from: wouanagaine on November 04, 2009, 12:56:55 PMIf you have a problem running SC4PIM:
-Download the GLU32.dll and GLUT32.dll from http://www.dll-files.com/ and put them in SC4PIM folder
-Download the GDIPLUS.dll from http://www.dll-files.com/ and put it in SC4PIM folder
-Download the MSVCP71.DLL  from http://www.dll-files.com/ and put it in SC4PIM folder
For those struggling to get the PIM to work on Windows 10, downloading these DLLs sorted out the problem.

Thanks, Vortext!!

Tyberius06

#424
Hi!

I ran into two problems, but just one of them is related with PIM-X. First I discovered Xannepan's Airport lots and among them the Modular Multi Level Parking Lot set. I have an airport now I get a nice parking lot, and I'm happy. Of course just in my dreams. I'm using this airport, which was moded accidently as a Trans - railway item (it uses Swamper77 Traingenerator file as "building examplar" whatever), and therefore these are just a bunch of modular lots and they are don't have airport functionality. To make it functional SimcityFuturist, the creator of these lots, recommends to use the Airport Tram lot, which is kind of 1x1 plaza lot modded as functinal airport item. I haven't seem actual capacity on this however the sims arrive here with trains, buses, subways etc... this is still not a problem. Back to the JENX Airport Parking Lot set. With the above described settings whenever I want to plop a piece from the parking lot set (which is actually under the Airport menu and according to the Reader they are Building: Transportation, Building: Airport lots) I got a Crash to Desktop error immediatelly... So I'm not happy. I removed the Airport Tram (the functional airport) lot and the related Airport Support File and I can plop the Parking Lot pieces without CTD.
At this point I realized that somehow the Parking Lots were modded wrongly, and you won't find out this problem if you don't use "third party" functional Airport Lot.
So first I modified them into reader as a Building: MiscTrans instead of the Airport.
But later I thought what if I try to put them under the Airport menu but as Aiport Objects or Aiport Buildings (making relots with PIM-X) and not as airports. OK at this point. There is a lot of option in PIM-X what I'm not familiar with. I figured out last year when I made the Heretic Seaport Sets that the Harbour Building option put the lots under the Seaport Menu, but they don't have any other functionality. So I starting with this, I thought the same situation is true with the Airport Building as well. So first I wanted to use the  "Blank" model as a building examplar and put the building props later, after I wanted to use Xannepan modells...  :)
Well I couldn't try it out, because I got the followint error message:

""[(u'Jobs1', u'(int((100+20*LotSizeX*LotSizeY+int(Volume/5000))/100.))'), (u'Jobs2', u'(int((100+20*LotSizeX*LotSizeY+int(Volume/10000))/150.))'), (u'Jobs3', u'(int((100+20*LotSizeX*LotSizeY+int(Volume/50000))/300.))'), (u'BCost', u'(int(30+10/3.*CalculatedElevation*3.2)+10*int((LotSizeX+LotSizeY)/2.))'), (u'PCost', u'(50+40*LotSizeX*LotSizeY)'), (u'MCost', u'(13+5*int(LotSizeX*LotSizeY/5.)+int((10/3.*CalculatedElevation*3.2)/10.))'), (u'ParkAirPollution', u'(1*int((LotSizeX*LotSizeY)/4.))'), (u'ParkWaterPollution', u'(1*int((LotSizeX+LotSizeY)/2.))'), (u'ParkAirRadius', u'(2*int((LotSizeX+LotSizeY)/2.))'), (u'ParkWaterRadius', u'(1*int((LotSizeX+LotSizeY)/2.))'), (u'ParkWaterConsumed', u'(5*int((LotSizeX+LotSizeY)/2.))'), (u'BaseCapacity', u'(round(3+Volume/(3*15)))'), (u'BiasedBC', u'(int(round(min(500.,BaseCapacity)*max(1.,sqrt(BaseCapacity/500.)))))'), (u'AirPollutionFactor', u'(0.006)'), (u'WaterPollutionFactor', u'(0.004)'), (u'GarbagePollutionFactor', u'(0.003)'), (u'PowerConsumedFactor', u'(0.01)'), (u'WaterConsumedFactor', u'(0.04)'), (u'CalculatedElevation', u'(max(Height,Volume/(Width*Depth)))'), (u'BiasedVol', u'(Volume*min(1,0.51+(Volume/26000.0)**2))')]
ItemOrderForRunway
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "treeDnD.pyo", line 93, in OnData
  File "SC4PIMApp.pyo", line 2918, in OnDrop
  File "SC4PIMApp.pyo", line 2988, in CreateAnExamplar
  File "<string>", line 0, in ?
NameError: name 'ItemOrderForRunway' is not defined""

See Picture below, please!
Any idea, what just happened? Or what has Xannepann made wrongly which caused CTD in the first place?

Thanks in advance!

- Tyberius
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

Andreas

I didn't have a look at the aforementioned lots, but as a general rule of thumb, any "functional airport" and such requires some modding that can't be achieved with tools like PIM-X or SC4Tool, but you must use the Reader and edit the properties manually. There are quite a few of them that are needed for this kind of special functionality, and if just one is missing or used in a wrong way, it could cause crashes or other anomalies. If you want to use such lots individually, it might be best to re-create them from scratch with the desired usage (you can use PIM-X for that, picking the right category etc.). If you're familiar with copying the layout of a lot, you can do those steps after creating an empty lot with the right properties, saving quite a bit of time, though.
Andreas

Tyberius06

Andreas, that's what I'm talking about! The unmodified parking lots are causing the CTD (if I use the functional Airport Tram airport lot).
I modified them with Reader, I changed the Occupant thingy from Buildin Airport to Building MiscTrans. I haven't tired them, but as an independent project from this I wanted to remake from scratch Xannepans parking lots, but when I dragged the Xannepann model files (and previously the basic "BLANK building") into the Airport Building Option (in the PIM-X) I got the error message what I copied and atteched as a picture.

I'm aware of the conflicts with functianal airports etc... This is not the problem. I was supprised that those parking lots behave as some kind of airport lots (even if they are in the Airport Menu) and conflicting with the functional aiport lot. I have the Seaport lots they are not conflicting with anyting because they are behave as landmarks or so under the Seaport Menu and I made all of them putting the BLANK model under the Harbour Building Option.
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

Andreas

#427
Ah, ok, then I misunderstood what you were trying to do in the first place. Having a closer look at the error message, I spotted the line "NameError: name 'ItemOrderForRunway' is not defined" - this might mean it's actually a bug in some PIM-X config file. Have a look at the installation folder, there should be a "settings.ini" or a "config.ini" with some lines that specify an ItemOrder property, including one for Runway. Try to delete that line, that might resolve the bug. Or maybe there isn't a line for Runway, then add one accordingly.
Andreas

Tyberius06

#428
Thank you, giving the "ItemOrderForRunway" to the system.ini file solved the problem, your help was essential!
However I ran into some other quite head-scratching issue. First I made from scratch a 2x1 Lot for JENXAirport parkinglot Entrance, I used the BLANK building, and drag it into the Air-Candy/Airport Building menu. That gave the lot a Building Transportation, and a Building Airport Occupant Group property, which means, it will apear under the ingame Airport Menu. Switching to the LE (oh forgot, I made the previous steps with PIM-X), I saw, that I can't modify the dimensions of the lot, and can't use the "Save as..." options either. Which I quite don't understand. If it's a non functional Air(eye)-Candy building, why is it behaving like this? Or with the Airport menu we don't have such a choise like between Seaports and Waterfront/Harbour Buildings? In this case both version is using the ingame Seaport Menu, however they have two different occupant groups (Seaport - I guess for the functional buildings, and Waterfront Buildings - for the rest like my Modular Seaport Set was, or other waterfront items like embankments, seawalls etc...).
And here is the other interesting thing (and sorry maybe these stuffs totally evident for you and for a lot of other creators, but since I've started this LOTting thingy last year and doing this occasionly, and we are way over the best and busyest days of the SC4 custom content creation, these are quite new for me, so easier to ask what is going on and why than read throu god knows how many pages half relevant and non-relevant informations...). When I made my set last year, I've experienced that if I made a blank lot draging the model into the Harbour Building, I can modify the dimensions (dept and high f.e. from 2x2 to 3x4) and "save as..." it into the LE, but if I drag it into the Waterfront Object menu, I can't modify the dimensions or use the "save as..." option. What is the difference?

Back to the airport stuffs.
So I made the lot as an Airport(candy) building, but I couldn't modify it in the LE. With the Reader I gave it a MiscTrans OG and deleted the Trans Airport OG. After this I could modify it. Later with LE Prop tool I made several other modification, It got back the Trans Airport OG and it had the MiscTrans OG aswell, with Sc4 Tool, I gave it a TE entrance and MassTransit Switch and capacity etc... At this point I wanted to try it out in game. I plopped the Lot and I have NOT got CTD. But when I wanted it to pop the query window up by clicking onto the plopped LOT I got a CTD. Further testing showed me that the problem was with Query Examplar GUID. I don't know what was that originally but that caused the problem. I checked what is the QEG for the Parking Lots and changed the number for that one. After this It was working perfectly (I haven't tested the functionality only the appearance and that it wouldn't cause any CTD). Later I removed the MiscTrans OG, but left the Airport OG, still worked as normal.
Back to Xannepan original LOTs. I changed their OG from Airport to MiscTrans  with Reader tool, I checked the Query Examplar Guid, which was for Parking LOTs, and I left the previously mentioned Airport Tram working as functional Airport LOT in my Plugin folder (anyway it was in my plugin folder during the whole testing process). With changed OG, the LOTs appeared under the MiscTrans menu and they worked just fine together with the Aiport Tram LOT. I changed back one of them chosen randomly from MiscTrans to Airport and haven't changed anything else, and it caused CTD when I plopped it again.
So what could be conflicting on the original JENX lots, when they under the Airport menu, why don't they conflict when they have changed OG and they are under the MiscTrans menu?
And why doesn't my freshly made ReLOT have any conflict either it is under just the Airport menu (with only Airport OG), or under both menu (with Airport and MiscTrans OG), or just the MiscTrans menu?

OK, so these are my issues at this moment. I will make simple relots from the original JENX parking lots, since all of those pieces modded as functional parking lots and conflilcting with my airport lot anyway, which is quite not OK for me. But I would like to get any possible answare what went wrong with the original set.
And I have some other question which are rather PIM-X related:

  • Is there a way with PIM-X to make land/water separator markings (which part of the lot is supposed to be on water or land exclusively), or we only can make these with LE? I found in the PIM-X LE an option (pushing the G button) switching in different view-modes, but that doesn't give me the option to make such a separators.
  • In the PIM-X LE what does the Preferences option mean, and what is the function of it?

Thanks in advance any info about these things!

- Tyberius

P.S: Andreas or anybody who may have answares could you check this thread over at STEX, there is a guy who have some problems with airports and he needs some info if it's possible.
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

mgb204

Your basic problem is that the Maxis tools were very limited in terms of how they work, PIM-X is much more flexible. Prior to PIM-X existing, you'd need to actually work in Reader to edit some lots and have a thorough understanding of the properties involved to get it right. In short, if the LE doesn't offer you Save As, it's because it won't let you make a copy of that particular lot, this is all based on the settings in the Buildings Exemplar. Similarly, if it won't let you open it, it's because it's a special case lot and Maxis never provided the means to edit such lots.

The simplest solution is to use the Lot Editor within the PIM-X application, since it gets around many of these limitations. If you insist on using the Maxis LE then you are going to have problems.

I can't help you with the airport lots problem, but Airports and Functional Seaports are very much special-case lots. If they don't have to be in the Airport menu and work in another, then I'd say that's the simplest solution. If you are simply altering the OG and that's the only difference between working and problems, suggests to me it's not possible without adding the lot to the Airport Controller, not something I can help you with. In short, it's more effort than it's worth, I'd just move it to another menu and be done with it. Sometimes that's a modding problem, you can't quite get everything how you want it.

Andreas

#430
I concur with what mgb204 said; the occupant groups don't just tell the game what menu to use, but they also enable special features that are tied to this type of lots. The Maxis Lot Editor doesn't allow any editing of airport lots, cause the in-game airports come as "upgradable", which actually means there are three individual lots tied together with some special properties, and all of them need to have the same size and such. In addition, LE cannot handle additional files, such as reward scripts, hence it's not even possible to edit a simple reward lot.

It took me quite a while to understand the basics of such special case lots, and I doubt I ever fully understood how everything works, even thought I think I got my SFBT Airport Shuttle Bus lot right. As stated in the Readme, you have to be very careful when you want to use it, as every little mistake might break the game, so you have to check every single property in the Reader and compare it with existing lots of the same kind, making sure you set everything correctly (I doubt that PIM-X covers everything perfectly, even though it allows you to create eye-candy lots of that kind).

Maybe it would be best to avoid all those unknown or untested stuff and make your lots simple landmarks or park lots after all. I know it's something you'd rather want to avoid, and the airport and seaport menus are probably the only ones that are not overflowing, but as mentioned above, using the airport or seaport occupant groups probably makes the game expecting certain properties which need to be set manually for proper function in the game. Without expert knowledge, it's very hard to get right, and even I don't call myself an expert in that field.

As for your PIM-X related questions, I don't know if that works, ideally, it should be described in the readme and/or tutorial that comes with the download, or which can be found here in the forum or in the wiki (not sure where everything was posted).
Andreas

Wiimeiser

What lot types can "upgradable" be assigned to? Only airports and seaports? Anything Non-RCI? What happens if one becomes abandoned?

For an airport you only need one functional piece, the rest can be eyecandy, maybe eyecandy that produces pollution. I have no idea how to assemble airport lots together, I swear the modular terminals are missing parts and I have no idea why there are entire airports in the rail menu that are called "Rail Traffic Generator", am I suffering from a conflict of two lots having the same IID? Yes, these airport lots are in the rail menu for some reason and named as traffic generators. I have a similar problem with the WMP Allotments in two different instances. Can PIMX possibly even fix this problem?
Pink horse, pink horse, she rides across the nation...

Tyberius06

@Wiimeiser
About the Modular Airport made by SimCityFuturist. I saw the doubled 8th section, which is the rail connection actually. I can check later which one what I've kept. (sadly I can't see your pictures, I can reach the Imgur page but it doesn't show the pictures, or maybe the error is on my side. I'll check it later) I modified those lots, because I needed to change the base texture, it used the basic maxis Mid wealth pavement texture on a huge part, which was converted by MGB's SNW Beta onto Paeng's sandstone, since that one is my basic sidewalk texture. Whatever. The Rail Traffic Generator was accidently used as building examplar, that's why you see that in the menu. I guess with PIM-X and Reader you can make new blank lots (with the same dimensions drag them into the proper airport-candy menu) and then in Reader copy the original lotconfigpropertys onto the blank lot. I even renamed them so I can easily recognize which piece is which.
But move away from airport I really appreciate answares to my not airport raleted quiestions about functionality of PIM-X:


  • Is there a way with PIM-X to make land/water separator markings (which part of the lot is supposed to be on water or land exclusively), or we only can make these with LE? I found in the PIM-X LE an option (pushing the G button) switching in different view-modes, but that doesn't give me the option to make such a separators.
  • In the PIM-X LE what does the Preferences option mean, and what is the function of it?
  • What is the differenc when I make lots between the Seaport (this one is pretty obvious), Waterfront Object, Harbour Building - since all of them under the Seaport Menu in game

Thanks in advance!

- Tyberius
You may find updates about my ongoing projects into my development thread here at SimCity 4 Devotion: Tyberius Lotting Experiments
or over there on Simtropolis into the Tyberius (Heretic Projects) Lotting and Modding Experiments.
I'm also member of the STEX Custodian and working on different restoration projects on behalf of non-anymore-active custom content creators.
Current projects: WMP Restoration and SimCity Polska Restoration.
Member of the NAM Team and RTMT Team.

mgb204

To expand on things, one of the few things you can't do with PIM-X that you can with the LE is assign Land/Water tiles. You can edit them in reader, but that's quite complex to explain unless you are familiar with how the LotConfigPropertyLotObjects work. The simplest solution is to create your lot in PIM-X with a OG that will open in the Maxis LE. Briefly use the LE to assign the land/water tiles, then continue editing in PIM-X. You will need to manually change the OG back to the setting you want. LE Prop is a useful application for making such changes.

Preferences if I recall are for groups of props/textures that you use regularly. You can add them (Drag Drop) into folders you can create under Preferences. Thus allowing you to organise and find more easily those objects you use commonly. All of this is covered in the user documentation, link on the first post/page of this thread.

One thing to consider here is that perhaps not all of the Building Exemplar types shown in PIM-X were coded to actually work. Developing such an application is very time consuming and it's clear that some of the more obscure ones require some user knowledge to make function as intended. Presumably at some point these were planned to be made to work also, but it never got updated?

OG affect how the game sees a lot, whilst that does determine it's menu group, it does other things too which relate to a lots function. So for example, such groups may be required for certain functions to correctly work. Bear in mind that Maxis kept many unused OGs in the game, just because they exist, doesn't mean they were used or have code to make them do anything.

For such really technical stuff, I always look to the SC4D Wiki, which is like a big encyclopaedia of every property that was deciphered. But some questions can't be answered easily, because no one really knows for sure or no one who does is around to answer. Sometimes a bit of trial and error is needed to resolve a problem like this. Other times you can waste days trying to make something work, only to fail again and again, without eventual success. Sometimes it's better to just work within the limitations and find creative solutions to usurp them. Unless you want to invest a huge amount of time into a simple problem, often it's simply the path of least resistance.

That's not intended to put you off learning, it's certainly not the way I do things. But the experience of forcing things has given me an insight here and frankly, sometimes its not worth the trouble if I'm honest. Similarly, your level of understanding is greatly connected to the ability of others to help with such complex matters. If you understand what you are seeing in Reader, such that editing, copying/pasting and working with objects there is 2nd nature. There is very little that can't be conveyed to you in more than a few paragraphs. But if you need this in layman's terms, to explain it may require a thesis, which is a lot to ask of others, especially when since you don't really understand things, in all likelihood you still may not succeed. It's like asking a nuclear physicist to explain something that took them a lifetime of learning to fully comprehend. At some level they can generalise things and most people can follow along. But past a certain point, unless you too have a similar level of understanding, no amount of explanation will help to understand the finer workings.

Quote from: Wiimeiser on September 02, 2017, 08:33:00 PM
What lot types can "upgradable" be assigned to?

I guess if you know what you are doing, any. Afterall it takes some LUA scripting and maybe a .dll plugin to make happen (based on the upgradable City Halls by Simmaster07). That probably explains why modders never really explored this area all that much.

QuoteI have no idea how to assemble airport lots together...
I swear the modular terminals are missing parts and I have no idea why there are entire airports in the rail menu that are called "Rail Traffic Generator"...
I have a similar problem with the WMP Allotments in two different instances. Can PIMX possibly even fix this problem?

Are these points really for this topic? This is a support thread for a specific application, not for any and all problems you might have. Perhaps consider a separate thread to answer some of those points? PIM-X can fix some things, but I can't even say if they are broken frankly. I've used the allotments and wasn't aware of any problems there.

Quote, am I suffering from a conflict of two lots having the same IID?
Probably not.

PIM-X can be used to alter the name or linked LTEXTs of a buildings exemplar. Provided the exemplar has a unique ID you can change it without ill effects by editing the Item Name and Item Description fields or where used, the contents of linked LTEXT files.

There is often a simple answer to such issues and it's called bad modding practises. Too many people re-used buildings exemplars, but never properly understood them. Half the stupid errors like wrong names being copied over, wouldn't be a thing if more modders started by making a custom buildings exemplar. PIM-X does make this much more intuitive, but in fairness it's always been totally possible using the PIM from Maxis. Sadly far too many were barely aware of the PIM's existence or function, I suspect that's not totally changed either.


xxcalbier101365

really would be better if you repackaged the program and put a huge note for that ddl you can not include .
wile I am old hat and it did not take me long to get it working one thing has always been odd about these add on program's is the programmers never acutely finish the last couple things leaving the user to fix the program .

mgb204

That's not really fair. The issues with the application were the result of OS changes that came about after it was developed. Given the shoddy support of many professional developers for their old apps, getting support patches to ensure it still works is a huge improvement over paid apps. You also can't expect a developer who's no longer active to update their applications directly, as is the case here.

Similarly, .dll file inclusion is not in the hands of the developer either. Usually there are EULAs that prevent this from happening without some sort of royalty payment. Considering this was distributed for no charge and done for the benefit of the community, I hope you can see why this is simply asking too much. If you read the support page (1st post of this thread, linked from the download), everything you need to get things up and running is noted there. Yet go back just a few pages and see the same questions being asked over and over again, because people simply don't read the support page. OK, perhaps the download could better highlight this, but even so, is that really such a big hurdle for what you get in return? At the end of the day, if all people do is berate developers, who on earth would want to develop apps for the community in future.

Kitsune

Is it possible to open two props one after the other? As I'm encountering a bug and this would be the easier work around. (The bug is that when I add a item to a family, the entire list goes blank until I hit save, but then it throws me to the top of the list and I got atleast 25 items to add to a family)
~ NAM Team Member

SC4l0ver

Hi folks!  :)

When launching SC4PIM, this error message comes up. I have installed the New Properties XML update, as well as the DLLs that are mentioned in the first post. I also ran it as an administrator, but it still fails. I use Windows 10 and have an AMD GPU, if this helps.

mgb204

When you first run the shortcut for PIM-X, you get a list of boxes, have you tried unticking most of them, leaving the top two selected only? You can't load a full suite of plugins using this application, since it will run out of memory.

SC4l0ver

Now it works perfectly.

I had to move the stuff in my plugins folder from "C:\Steam\Steamapps\ ... \ Plugins" (the default Plugins directory on Steam version) to My Documents\Simcity 4\Plugins and it worked.

Thank you mgb204!!