Where to Put ZT2 Downloads Options

[PsychicZookeeper]

Official Downloads

From the ingame startup screen with the Player Profile and the paw-print, choose "Downloads" and follow the directions. If you are unable to access the official downloads, check your internet connection and your firewall. One of those things is preventing you from accessing the official site.

Downloaded Zoo Games

If you download a ZT2 game, unzip the file and find the .z2s file. Then find your Saved Games folder. For instructions on how to do that, see ZT2 FAQs, Finding Your Screenshots and Zoos, Where IS that file?

Simply choose the profile where you want the downloaded zoo, open the folder for that profile, open the "Saved" folder, and paste the .z2s file into that folder. Next time you start the game and choose that profile, use the "Load Saved Game" option and find the downloaded zoo to open. ZT2 places markers in the .z2s file that identify it as a campaign, challenge, or freeform game and will continue the zoo accordingly.

Hacks

We have two ZT2 Hacks in our Download Database. One is a zoo; install it as per the directions above. The other contains a text file with complete, detailed directions for installing the hack.

Downloads from Other Sites

If you got your download from another site, and are having problems installing it, please check that site for information. While our staff and members are knowledgable and helpful they don't know the details of all the items available for download at other sites.

Where to put UCI's

by Tazlover

1. Download the zip file to a location outside the game files -
   • I created a folder named "Downloads" with subfolders for Zoos and UCIs. And if you plan on downloading from more than one site, I would suggest subfolders within UCI's for each site you download from - makes life easier if you enter contests.
2. Locate your Downloads and Saved Games folders
   • Profile folder(s) with Options.xml, Saved Games and Screenshots: XP users look here - C:\Documents and Settings\[computer user name]\Application Data\Microsoft Games\Zoo Tycoon 2. Vista users look here - C:\Users\[computer user name]\AppData\roaming\Microsoft Games\Zoo Tycoon 2.
     • If you have EA installed and are unable to find this folder, try using the Search option on the Start menu and look for "profile".
   • Downloads: XP users look here - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft Games\Zoo Tycoon 2\downloads\zootycoon_com_zt2_1033. Vista users look here - C:\Program Data\Microsoft Games\Zoo Tycoon 2\Downloads\Zoo tycoon_com_zt2_1033.
     ***To get this folder, you will need to download at least one official download from Microsoft - creating the folder on your own will not work, the game will not recognize that it even exists.***
   • To view these folders, you will need to have the hidden folders visible - In Windows Explorer, click Tools > Folder Options > View tab. About half way down the white box, you should see "Hidden Files and Folders". Make sure the option to show these folders is marked.
3. Extract the UCIs from the zip files into the appropriate location -
   • zoos go in the Saved folder under your game profile folder
   • animal variant skins go in the main ZT2 folder, default location - C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Zoo Tycoon 2
   • objects and animals go in the Downloads folder. The .dl file goes in the main "zootycoon_com_zt2_1033" folder and there should be a folder with the name of the object/animal that has the .z2s file inside. The name of the folder has to be exactly the same as the .z2s file inside or the game will not recognise it.
   • any hacks should have a readme file in the zip file with directions on where to put them.

Alternate install directions
If, after following the above directions, your animal or object does not show up in the game, try putting both the .z2s and .dl files in the main ZT2 folder - the default location is C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Zoo Tycoon 2. ONLY put animals, variants and objects (and possibly hacks if that is what the included directions say) in this directory, NOT zoos/saved games.

Additional questions/problems can be found in our Download Difficulties thread and ZT2 Expansions and Windows Vista. Please post any further questions in the appropriate thread.

This post has been edited by TazLover: Mar 5 2008, 12:43 AM

[Albino Lion]

If we ever do get any animals to download or someone can not get a reply from that site this is what you do. (This works for Windows Xp. I do not know what to do for the other verions.)

Save/download the file into your zoo tycoon 2 file on your comp or somewhere else (I normally use my desktop or my documents when i save it.) Then when its done click on open folder or go to that folder. DO NOT PRESS OPEN!!! Now right click on the file and click on extract files.

Extract the files to C:>Documents and Settings>All Users>Application data>Microsoft games>Zoo Tycoon 2>Downloads.

Then when you are done open up your game (restart if you were already playing). Once you are at the main menu go to the downloads opotions. Your new animal should be on that list with a check mark by it (if it does not appear then ask the creator and/or the site you downloaded it from).

NOTE!!! This should work for all UCI such as buildings, scenery, animals, and skin variants. All zoos and hacks will not work using this process (trust me I have tried...)

[PsychicZookeeper]

Hacks should have a text file that tells you where to put the file.

Zoos do not go in the folder you described. Zoos go in with your Saved Games!

[Heklar]

I have never before downloaded any user created contents for my game, but I saw some of the beautiful animals that had been made available for download and I decided to try. I followed the recipe given by Albino Lion and extracted the file into my zt2\downloads folder, but I couldn't find the animal in my in-game list of downloads. So I went and checked and found that I actually had a folder within the downloads folder called: zootycoon_com_zt2_1033. I moved the animal (it was the arctic fox) there and now it appeared with a checkmark on my in-game downloads list. I then started a freeform game expecting to see the arctic fox among my available animals, but no. Could anybody tell me what I have been doing wrong and how to correct it. Thanks.

[PolarBeartoo]

from were did you download the fox ?

I put all my downloads inside the 1033 folder and they work fine. This is how it looks inside my 1033 folder right now

 df1.jpg ( 67.54K ) Number of downloads: 418



The ones with numbers are from BF, the other ones are UCI. all of them show in my game. I have another folder inside the game that was created by a demo of ZT2 were i store the all the UCI. I just move the UCIs i want to use to the 1033 folder (not more than about 20, but today i put more RAM in my PC so probably now I can use more )

[Heklar]

It was the arctic wolf I downloaded not the arctic fox - my mistake - and I downloaded it from this site. I also have a second folder created by the MM2 demo, but that one is empty. Right now my 1033 folder looks like this

 1033_folder.jpg ( 31.54K ) Number of downloads: 127


But the arctic wolf does not appear in the list of available animals in freeform mode - and it should, shouldn't it?

This post has been edited by Heklar: Feb 10 2007, 10:58 PM

[PolarBeartoo]

What I do is that i create a folder with the exact same name of the.z2f file and put that file inside. If you look at my downloads folder you will notice that for each .dl file i have a folder with the same name and you don´t see any .z2f files because they are inside those folders. That way they work



editing just to add that i now have also the arctic wolf (i put it like i explained above)and is working

This post has been edited by PolarBeartoo: Feb 10 2007, 11:11 PM

[TazLover]

I also did some testing including trying Polarbeartoo's method.

The only way I could get Stormy's animals to show up in the game is to put the files into the main ZT2 directory - C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Zoo Tycoon 2, but they will not show up in the downloads screen.

Doing it PBT's way, the animals show up on the downloads screen but not in the game. The difference may be due to the different versions of ZT2 - I have the English version and I believe PBT's version is in a different language. There may be slight differences in each language version.

Helkar - the end result would be that if one way doesn't work, try the other way. So I would recommend putting both files into the main directory and see if that works.

[PolarBeartoo]

i have the English version Taz (always go for the original, it saves work ), and I have UCI from ZA, Zoomania and ZTC design center. I install them all in the same way. I installed Stormy's like that too, and they all work. I don´t understand why that does not work for you!

[TazLover]

PBT, it seems to be only Stormy's animals that I need to do this with so far. I also have both of T'ni's paths installed in the downloads folder, as you are doing, and they work fine from there. I am not sure what the difference is, but, if you read some of the related threads at ZA, you will find there are some people that very strongly support each method and will not install the other way.

[Heklar]

This morning I tried Polarbeartoo's method and it worked. If it does not work with another download I will try the other. Thanks for all your help - I felt a little silly last night when I couldn't get it to work

I forgot to say, I also have the English version, so language should not have been a problem.

This post has been edited by Heklar: Feb 11 2007, 09:35 AM

[taysha]

I downloaded one of the animals still in betatest, put both files in the main directory. The first time it didn't work, after I downloaded the new version, it worked *shrug*

[Stormy]

If it was the red fox taysha, the first file I had just missed something in the coding on the male... other than the looks of the male fox, everything else should have worked just fine, and nothing was changed with anything but the male itself.

[taysha]

It was. Oh, then...probably just a S.U.E. then

[Albino Lion]

I have never had a problem with this before. Also make sure that you have a .dl file with your download (all of ZA's do) which will make it appear in the downloads section on the main menu. Another thing it to look for animals with new icons. One creator at ZA puts his own personal icon to show that they are his animals. The last thing is to read ALL readme files that you get. They will normally tell you where to place you download.