Organizing your downloads.

[IcePengwyn]

If you start entering contests or community zoos at different sites it will be very helpful if you have your downloads/UCIs organized so you can easily find them and get them into your game. Most ZT sites only allow UCIs from their particular site. In some cases, only a few downloads may be allowed. In this case it is best to have those UCIs in their own folder.

 

Disclaimer - I do not like the way MS organizes folders, so I set mine up a little differently. I don't put anything I use frequently in Program Files. But the basic premise should work for you as long as you know how to move files around.

 

I have 4 major game category folders on my C Drive:

Games

Games Heroes

Games Railroad

Games Zoo

 

In <Games Zoo> among other folders are

Zoo Tycoon 1

Zoo Tycoon 1 dlupdates

Zoo Tycoon 1 Extras

Zoo Tycoon 2

Zoo Tycoon 2 Extras

 

For ZT1 <Zoo Tycoon 1 Extras> gets all downloads, copy of all APE versions, projects, charts and whatever else may come along. Each site gets its own UCI folder - ZA, ZKL, ZTek, ZTU, ZTUnleashed, etc. Then they are subdivided by type: animal, building, path, foliage, packs, hacks etc. If you have enough space, you can keep both zip files and the extracted ztd files in their own separate subfolders.

 

Between zoos I DELETE ALL files in the <dlupdates> folder. I then COPY any ztd file I want to use into <dlupdates>. If I need to work on a different zoo, the files in <dlupdates> get saved into a new subfolder in <Zoo Tycoon dlupdates>. Each subfolder is named for the zoo it goes with - for example:

 

Zoo Tycoon 1 dlupdates

.....ZTekJanuaryTigersClubZoo

.....ZTekJanuaryZOTM

.....ZTUJanuaryWorkshop

.....Hacks

.....etc

 

When I need to switch back, I DELETE all files in dlupdates, and then COPY all the files from a particular zoo's folder. The <Hacks> folder gets all hacks that I use frequently, as well as any zoo map editing hack.

 

Be sure to check for updated UCIs - it doesn't happen often - mostly for buildings. Also be sure to have the current combined dll from each site! They can change frequently.

[originalteacher]

That was fast! I haven't even started organizing yet so this will be a great help. Thanks.

[nana_nytowl]

Some of my downloads are organized by the site that I got them at, (not quite as efficiently as yours, but pretty close), but what about the others. Is there a way to tell by looking at the UCI file which site they came from?

 

I usually do what you suggested and take out all downloads from the dlupdate folder between contests and put them in a folder with the zoo name on it. Glad I'm not the only one who likes being organized.

 

Thanks for your suggestions, IceP!!

[IcePengwyn]

When I first started using UCI's I only sorted them by type, not by site. The once I started entering contests (won the very first one I entered at ZA ) I realized they needed sorting or it would drive me crazy. And now with high-speed, I don't have to wait all night for some of them......

 

Unfortunately there is no way of telling where a UCI comes from unless they have the site's initials or something in the file name. Some of the designers have items at more than one site too.

[ryanbizdum]

Wow, I just put mine in the Zoo Tycoon folder, not even in updates. I feel kinda stupid

[Guest pengwinluvr]

Wow, I just put mine in the Zoo Tycoon folder, not even in updates. I feel kinda stupid

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Yeah me too. Just today I made some changes on my lunch hour. Now maybe I can work on a contest or two. That is if I can accomplish sending the pic in! :)

 

:vishenka_33:

[Fern]

Unfortunately there is no way of telling where a UCI comes from unless they have the site's initials or something in the file name. Some of the designers have items at more than one site too.

That will change as I get everything listed at the Download Directory. The file will only be listed once with links to all the sites that have it.

[ageise02]

Oh Fern that will be a great big help to us who are addicted to downloads

[barbinflorida]

Zoo Tycoon 1 dlupdates

.....ZTekJanuaryTigersClubZoo

.....ZTekJanuaryZOTM

.....ZTUJanuaryWorkshop

.....Hacks

.....etc

 

I like this idea a lot, keeping everything you like in one folder; I assume some items are put in many folder for the zoo they are used in?. Does this mean the hacks go in the dlupdate folder and not the main ZT folder with the .dlls? Does it make a difference where the hacks are? If you always use them, like the Unlock, would they go in the main folder? thanks, barb

[(Trustee)genkicoll]

All ztds go into your dlupdate folder, unless they're something you ALWAYS use, in which case you could put them in your Updates folder with your official Zoo Tycoon content ^__^