@SimGuruModSquad/@SimGuruEugi: Custom Venues Don't Work

I've noticed that, as of the latest patch, it's no longer possible to add custom venues using mods. I've tried it before the patch, and it worked fine, but now custom venues don't appear at all. I made sure that I had the updated XML and DATA files. I also tried setting the "gallery_upload_venue" to the instance of a base game venue, but it still didn't do anything. Is there a reason for this change, and any way to get around it?

EDIT: Also, while I'm at it, I may as well ask what "zone_director" is. It's obviously a new variable, since it doesn't appear in the TDESC.