iLives Reader 1.x Official support thread

[scoty]

Hello,
How does the "search in file" function work?
As shown in the image I entered the string "Terrain" for a search in the Exemplars. And it produces nothing! However, exemplars contain this chain, don't they! ;-). Is there a specific syntax for searching?
Thank you !

[Fin44850]

Cool. So how do I make a new park file that has no maintenance costs. God I wish I had 6 months to figure this out but I don't and there's nothing about how to actually use this.

[mgb204]

Reader is one of those tools that either you understand or probably shouldn't be using. The data structure of SC4 files is not all that complex once you understand what the Properties all do, but you aren't going to have a lot of luck just opening files and trying to work it out. There is a manual somewhere, I must confess I never read it myself and it probably doesn't cover what to do with it as much how the application works.

My recommendation would be to try a tool that is far more user-friendly to edit such properties. SC4 Tool (by SFBT) would be far easier, although it needs a few tweaks to setup on modern Windows in the compatibility settings.

However if you want to make new lots, you'll need to use the Lot Editor, either the one from Maxis or SC4-PIM (recommended). I've a tutorial on making new lots using the Maxis Tools, SC4-PIM has a comprehensive manual (separate download).

[Fin44850]

Thanks, MGB. I am muddling my way through, have figured out how to add new properties using IReader, coupled with the Lot Editor and the SC4 Tool ( one oddity is, if I use the Lot Editor, it overwrites my icon, so I have to go into the SC4 Tool to replace the weird, zoomed in screen-capture icon the Lot Editor automatically overwrites my icon file with).
Anyway, I'm getting there.
Thanks!
Fin

[mgb204]

The Maxis LE (and Plug-In Manager) tools have a lot of quirks and the icon thing is just one such annoyance. PIM-X won't mess with your Icons, will allow you to modify/save files within .DAT files and subfolders and was designed from the ground up with community needs in mind. Honestly, I struggle to understand why anyone still wastes their time with the Maxis tools, they aren't really fit for purpose.

Just one single feature of PIM-X, it's ability to give you a visual list/preview of Props and Textures, makes it indispensable for me. But there is so much more to it, for example you can start with a new lot, rather than having to copy and existing one and modifying it. If nothing else, I highly recommend you take a look at the PDF manual I linked to, it gives step-by-step guides for the most common tasks like making new lots.

[sdc16064]

In a script, how do you make a sequential array of TGIs. For example say the Instance Id is: 0x20010100, I would like to make the ID go up by 0x00000100 each--(0x20010200, 0x20010300, etc.) but leave the Type/Group IDs the same?

I'm new to LUA scripts.