SC4 Model Tweaker Development/Support thread

[NCGAIO]

NCGAIO, if I reindex and rebuild the Directory will it mess up the ms props that are already in-game?

No.

[cogeo]

OK, checked mikeseith's files (it's easy, you can drag-and-drop them on Model Tweaker all at once, not having to open them one by one), and all but "renault dealer truck.dat", indeed cannot be opened in the Tweaker.

Model Tweaker should be able to open all valid dafiles. The error-messages you are getting are because of some sanity checks performed by the application on loading a datfile. Model Tweaker refuses to open datfiles that don't pass these sanity checks. It won't attempt to fix them, because it's not a general-purpose modding tool. Erroneous datfiles should be fixed with the Reader first. And this is what the message actually says, ie "Please fix this archive using the Reader", rather than "Use the Reader to modify your models".

The sanity check that causes the problems with mikeseith's cars is the DIR file (it must contain the same number of entries as the compressed files in the archive - if not the message is displayed). Mikeseith's plugins contain TWO DIR files though, which is wrong. Most probably he developed his plugins separately and finally merged them, in a wrong way though, ie copying ALL files (incl the DIR one). Tweaker doesn't make a check for this condition (duh, I may put this one too in some future version, but how could I have guessed?). Instead it just happened to find the erroneous DIR file, so you got the message.

The solution is quite simple (though a little tedious, for so many files): Open the file in the reader, delete all duplicate DIR file(s), so that there's only one left (it doesn't matter which one, because the Reader rebuilds the DIR on saving), and save. I would say use DatPacker to merge all these datfiles into one (it will leave only one DIR file), but this wouldn't be very much helpful, because mikeseith's models have names like "1E010400_$$$planter-concrete3_Flora2x2x5_Z5S", yes! Talking about the automata, props are named differently, not in a very helpful way either though. But then there's another problem: how are you going to resize them? They won't be fitting into parking lots nicely.

Hope this helps.

[City Planner]

Thank you guys for the quick support.  This is a great tool for SC4 and without this tool a lot props would be useless considering that different props are scaled differently.  Kudos to you guys for the great work..   

[simangel]

Hi I am wondering if anyone can help, I recently downloaded this and am trying to resize a building (RSL Executive Tower by SimGoober).
However when I try to resize it following the tutorial (I open the building model in the program, right click choose resize and I chose the 0.75 just to test it out), but nothing happens
no sudden growth spurt of the building, the building only has a LOT file and a MODEL file what am I doing wrong? or does it not work for MODEL files?.

Big thanks for any help.
Simangel

[APSMS]

I am not sure of whether the program works on MODEL files. However, your question is strange. Why would the building suddenly start growing everywhere? Also, I am pretty sure that the ModelTweaker default is to make a new instance of the model, rather than to replace the existing version.

Also, the program doesn't modify LOT size, which is something that must be done in the LotEditor. Usually spamming of building growth is something that results from improperly modded buildings; these properties are tied to the LOT, not the building model. An inappropriately high capacity building on a very small lot will, under proper circumstances, grow faster and easier than larger, properly modded buildings that take up more tile space.

What exactly do you mean by growth spurt?

[simangel]

Sorry by growth spurt I meant that the building had not been made bigger like it should have, but had remained it's original size, I thought this program might work because someone over at Simtropolis recommended it to me.

Specifically what I am trying to do is increase the size of a building (RSL Executive Tower by Simgoober), it is one of my favorites however it is WOEFULLY under scaled, so I was hoping to use this program to rescale the building.   

[simangel]

Essentially what I am trying to do is what was done with the Maxis nuclear power plant model on page one of this thread.

[cogeo]

Model Tweaker works on S3D models only (typically contained in .SC4Model and .dat files). It doesn't affect any other file type (eg exemplars, textures etc) in any way - these are not shown in the list displayed, but are held in memory and saved unchanged in the datfile. Also Model Tweaker does not add or delete items in the datfiles (eg create new instances of the models being edited) - only modifies them - neither it changes their TGI IDs. That is, S3D models are edited "in place". And as models are not stored in the savegame (city files), only "referenced", changes to the models should be immediately visible ingame, even if the lots they are used in were grown or plopped before the tweaking took place.

To modify (resize, move etc) a model or models, select (highlight) them in the Tweaker and select the desired editing command from the main menu, the toolbar or the context menu (right-click); the changes are applied only to the models (S3D files) selected.

So, resizing Simgoober's model by a factror of 0.75 should result in a model that it's 3/4 the size of the original (make a backup of the original first, and make sure that you are working on a copy of the original, as changes are of course cumulative). If you don't see the changes ingame, this may mean that either the changes did not actually take place (eg accidentally resized another model instead) or there is another copy of the original model in your installation, which overrides the modified one.

To make Simgoober's model larger, you have to resize it by a factor greater than 1.00, but this is not enough. You also need to adjust the Occupant Size property in the building exemplar (so it equals the dimensions of the enlarged model) using the reader of course, and update the lots it is used in (eg reposition the building or the props as needed, or even enlarge the lot if necessary). If you wish to upload your work, you should instead copy the model (only), use new IDs for the copied model (as described in the tutorial), make new building or prop exemplars (using a different IID) and make new lots; you still need to list the original model as a dependency, as the model's textures (FSH files) are contained in there.

As for how easily the lot grows, this relates to the properties in the building and lot exemplars, and not the model size.

Hope this helps.