SSPTool

[dragonshardz]

Unfortunately, I too am having issues getting the lots set to hide to actually hide. I've used the multitool, etc., but it doesn't seem to work correctly, and the dats in zzz_DAMN_Remove appear to be completely empty for me as well.

[Stefan79]

Hi together,

it seems I've got a bug, when I modify the DBPFHideChanger to hide normal lots and mayor mode ploppable (which have different techniques).
I reproduce the error and will try to eliminate the bug asap.
For now, I have locked the file on LEX and please you to wait for the update.

Sorry for that!


I've uploaded the new version 1.3.5 to LEX.
Now it should work as before and hide any normal or mayor mode ploppable lot from menu.
If there are any other "features" you discover, please let me know...

Regards,
Stefan

[shanghai kid]

One thing i just found out when re-installing(and testing) to get the new features is that when you install DAMN it creats a folder in "Apps" named "Plugins" and in this "DAMN folder is created, which means we have to move the DAMN folder to plugins folder under Maxis->SC4 and not Maxis->SC4->Apps(the game can't read DAMN if it's under Apps).

But i love the new column that's implemented.

[slystone2]

They're still not hiding for me.

The two columns is very nice, though!

[Stefan79]

One thing i just found out when re-installing(and testing) to get the new features is that when you install DAMN it creats a folder in "Apps" named "Plugins" and in this "DAMN folder is created, which means we have to move the DAMN folder to plugins folder under Maxis->SC4 and not Maxis->SC4->Apps(the game can't read DAMN if it's under Apps).

But i love the new column that's implemented.

Hi,

@shanghai kid:
when installing DAMN it will simply take the app folder (without check), the user has choosen when he starts SSPTool the first time.
So, if the DAMN is installed in the "SimCity\Apps\Plugins" folder and not in the "SimCity\Plugins" folder, it means, that the path is wrong.
Take a look in the main options from SSPTool and be sure you set up the path to SimCity without the "Apps".

I think, I could simplify this in next version, if I check the SimCity folder completly to prevent mistakes. 

@slystone2:
Perhaps you have setup the paths like shanghai kid and so the DAMN isn't installed correctly.
Else can you tell me what lots do you want to hide, so I can test them and find the problem?

[TiFlo]

Hi Stefan79,

Thank you so much for this, I can finally play with uncluttered menus!
The problem with it not hiding lots seems to be gone with that last update (DAMN didn't install anything in the \Apps folder btw). I didn't change the hiding process, except checking "use only one DAT file for each menu" for easier management inside my \ZZZ_Remove folder, and pushing the number of entries up to 100.

Thank you!

[slystone2]

I think it installed correctly - Maxis/Simcity4/Plugins. (nothing went to Apps) The DAMN folder is in the Plugins, everything is in the Root folder there. zzzDamn_Remove folder is in User/My Documents/Simcity4/Plugins folder. All buildings/lots/dependancies are compressed with Datpacker.

BSC Parks, CAL's Canals, Simgoober's Urban Canals, Zero-7's sunken canals, and Deadwood's Raised Park/Walls are what I tried with the newly installed version - all are there in the DAMN menu system in game, and all are able to be plopped. But none of them were hidden. I used the multi-tool to select "hidden" for them.

I DID have to have to change my permissions on some files to get DAMN to install correctly (can't recall which right now). Maybe there's another permission problem?

[shanghai kid]

@Stefan79
thanks, i had it with the apps path(didn't even think about checking the pathing )

[Stefan79]

I think it installed correctly - Maxis/Simcity4/Plugins. (nothing went to Apps) The DAMN folder is in the Plugins, everything is in the Root folder there. zzzDamn_Remove folder is in User/My Documents/Simcity4/Plugins folder. All buildings/lots/dependancies are compressed with Datpacker.

BSC Parks, CAL's Canals, Simgoober's Urban Canals, Zero-7's sunken canals, and Deadwood's Raised Park/Walls are what I tried with the newly installed version - all are there in the DAMN menu system in game, and all are able to be plopped. But none of them were hidden. I used the multi-tool to select "hidden" for them.

I DID have to have to change my permissions on some files to get DAMN to install correctly (can't recall which right now). Maybe there's another permission problem?

I have damned the lots you mentioned, too, and they were hidden from the menu. So please try the following points with e.g. BSCPark:
- Be sure a copy of the original files are in the zzzDamn_Remove folder (they should be smaller in filesize, cause they only have the exemplar entry)
- Can you look inside the lots in zzzDamn_Menu with iLive Reader and check, if the LotResourceKey property isn't there anymore?
- Will the zzzDamn_Remove folder be loaded at last, after the original lots (Be sure there is no MML or something else loaded after)?
- Can you create the DAMN menu for the set once more with the newest SSPTool and check, if it still unhidden?
- Is it hidden, when you have the set not DAT packed (it should work, but maybe there's something else)?

If you can see the DAMN in SimCity and can work with them, there should be no further permission problems, but be sure you can access the zzzDamn_Remove folder with the lots.

Finally, if nothing above work, I could create a DAMN menu with the hidden lots and send you for test/play. Send me an E-Mail, so I can answer you.

[luoruidong]

It's a great tool for us to make a DAMN files.I'm excited.
I have uploaded it into SCCN(simcity china),and translate the readme file into chinese.It's here http://www.simcity.cn/thread-65971-1-2.html.
Thank you..!!!

[Stefan79]

It's a great tool for us to make a DAMN files.I'm excited.
I have uploaded it into SCCN(simcity china),and translate the readme file into chinese.It's here http://www.simcity.cn/thread-65971-1-2.html.
Thank you..!!!

Hi luoruidong,

nice you have translated the readme files to chinese, maybe I could integrate this language in one of the next versions. 
But you should have asked me first before upload my program into SCCN, rather than do this without my permission. 
Of course I give you my permission, but please remember this next time you upload something that is not yours.

However, have fun with DAMN!

Stefan

[Rady]

I have damned the lots you mentioned, too, and they were hidden from the menu. So please try the following points with e.g. BSCPark:
- Be sure a copy of the original files are in the zzzDamn_Remove folder (they should be smaller in filesize, cause they only have the exemplar entry)
- Can you look inside the lots in zzzDamn_Menu with iLive Reader and check, if the LotResourceKey property isn't there anymore?
- Will the zzzDamn_Remove folder be loaded at last, after the original lots (Be sure there is no MML or something else loaded after)?
- Can you create the DAMN menu for the set once more with the newest SSPTool and check, if it still unhidden?
- Is it hidden, when you have the set not DAT packed (it should work, but maybe there's something else)?

Stefan,

today I discovered that those items that are not hidden in the game's menu are missing in the zzzDamn_remove folder ... despite I run the SSPttol twice or more for that menu set.

But, as far as I understand, when selecting the "hide" option in SSPtool,
> the original file is copied
> moved to the "zzzDamn_remove" folder
> and modifiied in terms of deleting the "LotResourceKey" property.

So I decided to do that manually for one of the items that still where visible in the normal menu. To my surprise it worked. The item is hidden in the normal menu, but can be accessed in the DAMN menu. Problem solved.

Now there's one final question
How do I do in order to do this with the SSPtool? I suppose there's a way in the "extras" part of the SSPtool by selecting the "convert old DAMN menu" entry? In that case, which directory should I select in the dialog box that pop's up right after selecting this option? Do I select the exact entry from the plugins menu (...\my documents\sc4\plugins\...), or do I have to refer to the DAMN menu directory (..\root\younameit)?

[Stefan79]

Hi Rady,

Your are right, the new hide option copy the original file to the zzzDAMN_Remove folder and remove the LotResourceKey from this file, so the original lot haven't to modified and the user can easily unhide them.

Now I think I see your problem. You have damned the items with an old version of SSPTool, which don't use the LotResourceKey method to hide the items, but the Conditional property method, which directly change the original lot.
So, for this old damned lots you can use the "DAMN Extras - Convert old DAMN menu". Just choose the "...\my documents\plugins\..." folder with the "original" files you have damned. It will scan this folder for files with the Conditional property, make sure, it is not a Reward (which use this property) and then remove the Conditional property, copy this file to the zzzDAMN_Remove folder and remove the LotResourceKey.
Maybe I should automatically present the user to scan his folder for old DAMNed Lots to prevent such a worst thing. 

Stefan

[Rady]

Stefan, thanks, I will try to take care of that on the weekend ..

[slystone2]

I finally got it to work Stefan, thanks

I had tried changing my configurations and reinstalling DAMN when I couldn't get the hidden feature to work on the earlier version, and ended up installing my Root folder in a couple of different locations - I didn't know what i had done, so the different DAMN folders were causing conflicts with each other.

The multitool hidden feature works great now, the whole program is stellar and provides a really convenient palette to work from - and now my Parks Menu is much easier to browse through!

Great work on this, this is a must-have 

[TiFlo]

I'm not sure where to put this, but I guess here is a good start.

I have quite a few lots damned, and thought I could upload them for people to use. These range from Civics (JBSimio University of Clayhurst) to walls, seawalls, ploppable waters, streams and rivers, going through modular airports (RMIP2 vol.1 to 4 + ACB-VLT Series 1 and 2), parking lots, road signs and so on. Let me know if you're interested, I could put a list together.

Now, I remember Stefan saying something about compatibility issues with shared damned lots but I can't find the post again. Is there anything I should know for that matter before going on?

[Stefan79]

I'm not sure where to put this, but I guess here is a good start.

I have quite a few lots damned, and thought I could upload them for people to use. These range from Civics (JBSimio University of Clayhurst) to walls, seawalls, ploppable waters, streams and rivers, going through modular airports (RMIP2 vol.1 to 4 + ACB-VLT Series 1 and 2), parking lots, road signs and so on. Let me know if you're interested, I could put a list together.

Now, I remember Stefan saying something about compatibility issues with shared damned lots but I can't find the post again. Is there anything I should know for that matter before going on?

Some users have made DAMN Sets and post it here: http://sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=4749.0
Creating DAMN menus is no problem and you could share them.
But if you want to hide the icons from SimCity menu, you have to share also the lots from the zzzDAMN_Remove folder with the original exemplars. Don't know, if this is okay. Btw, its so easy to create DAMN menus, I think everyone who use DAMN has already made their menus.

About compatibility there are these things to consider:
- Normally the DAMN menu have 50 items. So, if your DAMN menu has more, the user have to reinstall his DAMN with SSPTool with this size of items.
- If you have damned ploppable items the user have to installed the newest DAMN menu for support.

Stefan

[TiFlo]

Well, all of my damn sets are hidden, so I'm not sure what the policy stands on releasing modified files (the ones to go into zzz_DAMN Remove). Is there anywhere I can check, or anyone I can refer to, to sort that out?

Apart from that, I used the regular method to make them, with occasional sets being bigger than 50 entries. All where made using your last SSP-DAMN hotfixed release. In any case, I'd list anything people need to know in order to use them.

[Stefan79]

Well, all of my damn sets are hidden, so I'm not sure what the policy stands on releasing modified files (the ones to go into zzz_DAMN Remove). Is there anywhere I can check, or anyone I can refer to, to sort that out?

Apart from that, I used the regular method to make them, with occasional sets being bigger than 50 entries. All where made using your last SSP-DAMN hotfixed release. In any case, I'd list anything people need to know in order to use them.

So the files in zzz_DAMN Remove only consists of the Exemplar entry and no models or something else, I think its no problem to release them. For sure you could ask the creator of the set/lot.
If you make Sets with more than 50 entries, the user have to reinstall the DAMN with these size. This can be done with SSPTool where the user preferred DAMN Menu Design will be created. The file is /SimCity 4/Plugins/DAMN/Support/damnDesign.dat. To share this file would make lesser sense, because the user would get your complete DAMN design (columns, entry size, dialog size), which he maybe not want.

[Asavan]

ok i need some help i just downloaded and installed the new ssptool and i have been trying to add simgoobers ditches09 to the DAMN menu.  I get all the way through the creater wizard and click finish and then i get this error message "Index Can't Be Generated - Check Your Permissions" does anyone know what this means? When i run the indexer.cmd from the DAMN Support folder it also says Access is Denied.  I know i can use the DAMN menus in game because i was using it to plop Diggis Pond pieces.  I don't know if this problem has come up before and i can't seem to locate a suport thread for the DAMN program so i decided to post it here.