Network Addon Mod March 2009 by the NAM Team

Before your run off in excitement and install the new NAM version, please make sure to read this (short) document first and then take action, otherwise some things might go wrong.

Uninstalling the previous NAM version

Since many things have changed compared to the last version of the NAM, it is highly advised to uninstall the current version first. The original NAM download comes with an uninstaller, which is either available via an entry in the start menu, or by double-clicking the "uninst.exe" file in the NAM installation folder. If you have modified the NAM files for yourself, please make sure to backup them to a safe place, so you can apply the changes to the new NAM installation later.

Using the BSC Cleanitol TM File

wouangaine developed a tool that can remove outdated files from your plugins folder before installing a new download. Simply load the Cleanitol_NetworkAddonMod.txt in BSC Cleanitol TM and scan your plugins folders. BSC Cleanitol TM will move all files to the location you specified. This includes outdated NAM files, as well as beta versions and other outdated transit mods that might conflict with the NAM. However, it will not remove the outdated NAM readme files. Do not use the Cleanitol file after you've installed the latest NAM, or you will have to install it again. If you're unsure what to install, pick one of the predefined profiles that are available via the drop-down list at the top of the components list. "Recommended" contains a selection of the most useful plugins.

Installing the new NAM

Don't simply click 'next' a few times, but take your time to actually read the NAM installer pages carefully. The installer features an optional components selection page, where you can select optional plugins or different versions of a plugin. If you have installed (and used) optional components in the last version of the NAM, make sure to select them again. If you forgot to select a component, simply hit 'back' until you get to the components selection, or run the installer again.

Installing optional plugins

Usually, you can install optional plugins at any time, but as a general suggestion, they should be installed after you performed a NAM installation/update. If a plugin was released after the current NAM version, it might require an update of the NAM Controller, available in the NAM Essentials. Please check the release dates in order to make sure you have the latest NAM Controller files. The NAM contains the most recent NAM Controller files that are available at the release date, so you won't need to download the NAM Essentials if you want to upgrade the Rural Highway Mod (RHW), Street Addon Mod (SAM), High Speed Rail Project (HSRP), Rail Addon Mod (RAM) or additional bridges plugins that are released together with or shortly after the NAM.
 Troubleshooting

If you encounter any problems with non-functional items, missing models or textures, please try the following:

  • Please re-read this installation guide and the readme file and verify that you followed all steps precisely. The NAM readme is quite extensive, but it covers virtually any problem that might arise.
  • Check the version of your NAM installation. This can be done by checking the modification date of the NAM Controller (NetworkAddonMod_Controller.dat), which should have a date around the release. Also, the version number is always indicated in the NAM installer, and in the "History" file of the NAM readme. If you're not sure, uninstall your current NAM version, and download the latest version.
  • Make sure that no outdated plugins and other transit-related mods are installed. Also, remove any beta version that might have been released prior to this release.
  • If everything fails, remove everything from your plugins folder temporarily and install only the NAM (and the desired updates and plugins). If the NAM works properly now, you have a conflicting file in your plugins folder. Try to pinpoint it by adding half of your files back into the plugins folder, then test the NAM items in the game. If it doesn't work, try the other half of your plugins. Repeat this until you found the culprit, and remove it from your plugins folder.
  • As a temporary soulution, try to add some "z_" in front of the "Network Addon Mod" folder, so it's loaded after your plugins. This might bring back the functionality, because the current NAM Controller is overriding outdated plugins, but we suggest to do a proper research eventually, in order to find the conflicting plugin. If it's not included in the Cleanitol file that was delivered with the NAM, please report the filename to the NAM Team, so we can add it in future releases.
  • As a general suggestion, you shouldn't use wouanagaine's SC4DatPacker for merging the NAM folder into your other plugins. The NAM will be updated continuously, so you should have the original folder structure available for performing an update. If you want to compress the NAM folder into a DAT file, please make sure that all files are layed out in the correct loading order before.

 What's new?
  • Wide Radius Curves (WRC) have been moved to a separate plugin, new curves and Fractional Angled Roads (FAR) and Railways (FARR) have been added, old wide radius curve preview models and textures have been improved.
  • Flexible Underpass (FLUP) puzzle pieces plugin for roads has been added, featuring modular road underpasses.
  • Tram-in-Road (T-RAM) puzzle pieces plugin has been added, featuring a wide variety of Tram-in-Road puzzle pieces.
  • New GLR-in-Avenue puzzle pieces have been added, i. e. GLR-in-Avenue with grass textures.
  • New GLR-in-Avenue roundabouts (GLR curve, T intersection, + intersection) have been added.
  • New Rail Viaduct puzzle pieces have been added, i. e. new diagonal pieces, diagonal on-slope pieces, and Rail Viaduct on PedMall puzzle pieces.
  • New straight Ground Highway exits have been added.
  • Two new Ground Highway Interchanges (trumpet and partial Y) have been included.
  • A new set of Traffic Plugins has been included.
  • Added two sets of Rail textures that fix the color shift between Maxis and custom Rail textures for zoom levels 1 to 4.
  • A variety of RUL, texture and pathing errors have been fixed.
  • NAM Controller contains RULs for RHW (Rural Highway Mod), SAM (Street Addon Mod), HSR (High Speed Rail) and the new RAM (Rail Addon Mod)/STR (Single Track Rail) and Rural Roads plugins (released separately).
 Compatibility
This download is only compatible with SimCity 4 "Rush Hour" or SimCity 4 Deluxe.
 Installation

Auto Installation: Double-click the installer file to start the installation. The program will guide you through the process. You can change the default installation path, but we strongly suggest to keep the standard folder in order to make future updates and additions easier.

MAC Users: A separate ZIP version of the Network Addon Mod Update is available as well.

Un-Installing: To un-install the files, simply bulldoze every NAM item from this download in your cities and delete the files from the plugins folder afterwards.
 Disclaimer
The usage of this download is on your own risk. We try to test our lots extensively, so they should work properly, but errors may still exist. Feel free to modify the items for yourself and show them in your city journals, but please don't distribute them without asking first.
 Feedback and Support
Please visit the NAM General Discussion forum for any feedback or support issues. We will attempt to answer them to the best of our knowledge, and as quickly as possible.