RKT4 and offsetting props

[FrankU]

Recently I read the thread on how to make seasonal/timed props. In there Ripplejet gave information on the structure of the RKT4 file. While studying this information I realised that with reps 2,3 and 4 I am able to offset props. So I started to experiment with that. I have never heard or seen anything on this matter, so it might be new. Maybe I am just blind and everybody knows this already except me.

So here it goes.
I selected a Maxis model, made a prop out of it and changed it to RKT4 by selecting that option in Pim-X.
Then I started to manipulate the three Reps in Reader.

To make a long story short: I got really confused during the works. I used Pim-X, Lot editor and some times I checked the results in game. Things seemed to be weird.

Then I tested everything in a structured way.
I found out two important things.
1. The shadows of the props stay in place when the prop itself is moved. Really pity, because this makes the option in fact quite useless. It was also one of the reasons why it took me so long to find out what was going on, because it is sometimes really hard to say in which direction the prop is moved when the shadow isn't correct: did it go up or sideways? With small offsets this is hard to see.
- The offset direction of the prop is not always displayed correctly in Lot editor! LE makes strange mistakes. Let's admire Wouanagaine for his Pim-X once more!

I made a table of the offset directions that are shown. Imagine a prop that is placed with the arrow upwards. You are looking from above, like in the 2D editor area of LE and Pim-X.

I tested this with a Maxis house prop with an offset of 100000 (0x00100000), which is exactly one tile.

                  Lot Editor    Pim-X         on a lot in game

Rep 2 offset X   to the right  to the left   to the left
   
Rep 3 offset Y   upwards       upwards       upwards

Rep 3 offset Z   backwards     forwards      forwards

And another test with an offset of -100000 (0xFFF00000)

                 Lot Editor    Pim-X         on a lot in game

Rep 2 offset X   to the left   to the right  to the right
   
Rep 3 offset Y   down          down          down

Rep 3 offset Z   forwards      backwards     backwards

So if you plan to use this property:
1. Make sure you don't use Lot Editor to place the props, because everything will become a mess.
2. Don't bother about the shadows. Or turn them off (as far as I know this can harmlessly be done by changing "is ground model" into 0x00).

And another thing:
I found out that sometimes a prop disappears. I placed a lot with an edited prop several times next to each other. While plopping the prop was visible. When I looked again some minutes later some of the props were gone. At repeating and closer inspection I saw that some props didn't have shadows. And these were exactly the ones that disappeared.

I am curious if someone knew this already and also if someone can confirm these findings.

[MandelSoft]

Sometimes the RKT4 props will be set to the location 0,0,0 instead of an offset position. This happens for instance if you change the slope near the prop. This usually dissappears when you change zoom or rotation. The prop might disappear when it goes to it's special state (like nighttime) while it's not defined. Shadows are also bugged with RKT4 props: they all appear on the location 0,0,0 (I spotted this at my ploppable median lights).

[FrankU]

So is there any clue to when this happens? I did not define any special state, so when does it happen? And the setting to 0,0,0, also: any idea when or is it random? Or is it just not found out (yet)?