Extract text from SimCity 4 lots (SC4LOT)
To convert SC4LOT lots to another format, you need SimCity 4 or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Game Data File" file type, you need software like SimCity 4 or a similar tool.
A .SC4LOT file contains data for a specific "Lot" - a defined plot of land including buildings, props, and textures - used in the classic city-building game SimCity 4. Modders and content creators generate these files using the official Maxis Lot Editor, the SC4 Plugin Manager (PIM), or community-developed tools like Ilive's Reader.
The main disadvantage of the .SC4LOT format is its strictly proprietary nature. It is heavily tied to the aging SimCity 4 game engine and requires a $50/month subscription or a game purchase to run. Furthermore, the file itself rarely contains actual 3D geometry. Instead, it acts as a blueprint containing coordinates and references that point to external SC4MODEL and SC4DESC files. If you are missing these dependency files, the lot will load in-game as an infamous "brown box" error.
Because of this structure, standard online converters fail completely when trying to process .SC4LOT files. You cannot simply convert a .SC4LOT file into standard 3D formats like OBJ or FBX because the 3D meshes are not stored inside it. The format is difficult to open or convert since only the original software can properly read or export the game data.
However, you can still use convert.guru. Just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible. While direct 3D conversion is blocked by the game's architecture, our analysis can inspect the file's internal hexadecimal data or embedded XML properties. If our system detects supported underlying content, viewing the raw configuration data may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your SC4LOT file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted SC4DESC, SC4MODEL and SGR files.
If you want to convert SC4LOT file to EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP, SAV or DAT, you can use SimCity 4 or similar software from the "Game Asset Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to SC4LOT, try SimCity 4 or another comparable tool in the "Game Asset Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our SC4LOT converter.