- Site Map >
- Modding and Creation >
- Sims 2 Creation >
- Modding Discussion >
- Research & Development >
- The mysteries of Sim DNA unraveled
- Site Map >
- Modding and Creation >
- Sims 2 Creation >
- Modding Discussion >
- Research & Development >
- The mysteries of Sim DNA unraveled
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
If anyone wants a short explanation of how to change this dna info, please let me know and I'll write something up. It's a very easy process, don't need a hex editor or even to export from SimPE. You can even update a sim's genetic makeup without changing the sim itself, or make that hair dye-job you got from the mirror absorb deep into the genes of your sim.
Cheers
RG
Oh and hello, by the way
You can't use a bulldozer to study orchids.
Thanks
Posts: 478
Thanks: 1599 in 3 Posts
[ Edited 21-11-2004 05:53PM ]
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
The sim DNA is stored in the neighborhood file in a group cleverly labeled Sound File Mapping by SimPE (file type 0xEBFEE33F). These files are genetic data and have nothing to do with sounds. (And Sim Unknown files are individual sim's list of WANTS, in case ya'll coders don't know that, but you probably do. You guys are smarter than me.) This is a property set as well, but one that shows dominant and recessive genes.
I don't know if this was generally known information. I could not find anything about it searching on the boards, (if fact still seeing some people here claiming it's not possible to change a sim's skin at all without changing their face too!) and as I said the clone feature of TS2Enhancer does not update this data. So... if anyone needs to know more, let me know, and if this is redundant info, sorry I wasted the bandwidth.
Cheers,
RG
You can't use a bulldozer to study orchids.
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
RG
You can't use a bulldozer to study orchids.
Posts: 26
Thanks: 104 in 2 Posts
So... How does one update this data? And is the Pol. Tech's DNA stored there? He needs a color change...
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<cGZPropertySetString>
<AnyString key="1" type="0x0b8bea18">00000001-0000-0000-0000-000000000000</AnyString>
<AnyString key="2" type="0x0b8bea18">00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000000</AnyString>
<AnyString key="268435457" type="0x0b8bea18">00000003-0000-0000-0000-000000000000</AnyString>
<AnyString key="268435458" type="0x0b8bea18">00000003-0000-0000-0000-000000000000</AnyString>
<AnyString key="268435459" type="0x0b8bea18">32dee745-b6ce-419f-9e86-ae93802d2682</AnyString>
<AnyString key="268435461" type="0x0b8bea18"></AnyString>
<AnyString key="268435462" type="0x0b8bea18">00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000000</AnyString>
<AnyString key="3" type="0x0b8bea18">2d6839c5-0b7c-48a1-9c55-4bd9cc873b0f</AnyString>
<AnyString key="5" type="0x0b8bea18">nose,brow,eyes,ears,</AnyString>
<AnyString key="6" type="0x0b8bea18">00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000000</AnyString>
</cGZPropertySetString>
[ Edited 21-11-2004 07:43PM ]
Posts: 546
Thanks: 1418 in 9 Posts
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
In SimPE, find the Instance number of the sim who's DNA you want to change. the "Sound File Mapping" for that sim will have the same Instance number. (Not the character's package filename.)
I just started playing with these last night, but here's what I know so far, as well as what I think I know. I'm numbering lines starting at the first "AnyString".
Line 1: This is a genetic hair color. I believe it describes your sim's Dominant gene for hair color.
Line 2: This is a genetic skin tone. Again, I believe it is the sim's dominant gene for skin.
Line 3: This is a hair color, and I believe it describes the a recessive gene your sim carries but is not using. This will only be different from Line 1 for characters born in game. Sims you create don't have any recessive traits, so the line will be the same.
Line 4: Skin tone again, and this time I think it's a recessive trait. Same as what I said above about recessive hair color, except it would be the same as line 2.
Line 5: An eye color. I believe it's your sim's recessive eye color. I'm just trying to figure the dominant and recessive thing based on the traits of babies that were born in my game, so I might be wrong.
Line 6: Always seems to be blank, t least in the ones I've looked at so far.
Line 7: Again a skin tone, but in some cases (aliens, maybe custom skins) a strange and usually negative (-) number appears here. I don't know what it does, so when I change it I make it the same as line [color=red]2[/color], which is what it would be on a sim out of bodyshop.
Line 8: An eye color. This I believe is your sim's dominant gene for eyes.
Line 9: a list of facial features. I think it's saying this parents would be most likely to pass along the traits listed. But I can't prove it.
Line 10: again with the skin color. I don't know why. Bodyshop makes this the same as Line [color=red]2[/color], so I do too.
Some odd files may have more lines after that and I don't have a clue why yet.
You could edit this a couple of ways. Just change the lines you want to the new values you'd like, or ceate a new sim in a temp neighborhood that has the skin eyes and haircolor you want, and copy the text from their "Sound Mapping" file into your existing sim. I'd suggest doing it that way for custom skins. For default skin hair or eyes, you use these:
32dee745-b6ce-419f-9e86-ae93802d2682 = Brown eyes
51c4a750-c9f4-4cfe-801c-898efc360cb7 = Green eyes
e43f33602-3a08-4755-8b83-a0d37a6c424b = Light blue eyes
12d4f3e1-fdbe-4fe7-ace3-46dd9ff52b51 = Alien eyes
00000001-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 = Light skin
00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 = Tan skin
00000003-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 = Medium skin
00000004-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 = Dark skin
6baf064a-85ad-4e37-8d81-a987e9f8da46 = Alien skin
00000001-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 = Black hair
00000002-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 = Brown hair
00000003-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 = Blond hair
00000004-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 = Red hair
I forgot to get the codes for dark blue and grey eyes. Oops. Anyway most of you don't need that, you know where to find it anyway.
Oh, after you edit the file do not forget to click "commit" before saving. I make that mistake constantly. %-6
Cheers,
RG
Edit: I fogot to note, changing this file should not have any effect on the way your sim LOOKS in the game. This should change only the genes they are going to pass along to offspring. So to change the look of alien babies that will be born in the game, you shouldn't need to change how Pollination Tech looks (you never see him anyway) only change this file.
[ Edited 21-11-2004 10:12PM ]
You can't use a bulldozer to study orchids.
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
You can't use a bulldozer to study orchids.
Posts: 65
Thanks: 454 in 6 Posts
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
Thanks
RG
Posts: 65
Thanks: 454 in 6 Posts
The lack of enthusiasm probably comes from people not being bothered to confirm it. Myself included because I remember I did read this a while ago but just wasn't concerned enough because I hadn't arrived at the problem yet myself. There was only trouble for people like you and me who change the skintone or whatever of a sim but the info never gets updated in the "Sound File Mapping" . Although Karybydis just told us in the chat that Sound File Mapping is used for Sound File Mapping too. I didn't understand but anyway he updated the wiki in some way.
I think its good to pull this thread back up so people can look at it. I have never seen it referred to anywhere. The fellas in the chat room who I was asking were also unaware of this thread.
Thanks again mate because it was driving me nuts too. Good thing you already had it figured out =D
Also I would LOVE to see this made more easy to edit in SimPE . I want to test some of those values you said you were not 100% sure of. Is there anything you are sure of now that you weren't sure of before when you posted it?
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
RG
Posts: 49
Thanks: 867 in 6 Posts
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
Isn't it nice when something's easy? :D
Posts: 49
Thanks: 867 in 6 Posts
Posts: 65
Thanks: 454 in 6 Posts
Sorry you lost the neighbourhood though
Posts: 49
Thanks: 867 in 6 Posts
Scenario: My sim, Virginia, (custom blonde streaked hair and Maxis grey eyes) marries the Kennedy Cox townie character. He's Captain Hero, after all, and what sim lady can resist that? I wanted to give Kennedy a different look though, so I made him up to look like a (black haired, deep blue eyed) sim I created called Jack Guapo. (You Spanish speakers out there will get that one.)
Well, when the babies come, The girls have Virginia's custom blonde hair and the boys have Jack's Maxis black hair, but then they all have brown eyes! Now, I have nothing against brown-eyed babies, having been one myself, but this was against type. I came to suspect that the original (brown eyed) Kennedy Cox's genes were still swimming around in the pool.
So to cut to the chase, I finally got to replacing the DNA data from Jack Guapo's file into Kennedy Cox's, and the next baby was a black-haired boy with deep blue eyes like Dad's. Yay! So I'm satisfied as to the DNA text file swap having been effective. The kicker is, though that I grew the boy up and he has pointed ears and eyebrows! Captain Hero's son is little Mr. Spock! I made both his parents and don't remember putting that in the recipe!
I'm not upset about this, in fact it's kind of fun, but the only conclusion I can draw is that Maxis might be hiding surprises in the white-bread DNA. Oh, and RGiles, incredible work finding this out. Thanks!
Posts: 244
I think I understand the gist of this post, but I have a very untechnical mind and very limited experience with SimPe. Nevertheless, I am very keen to alter my sim's DNA so that they pass down their new lovlier looks to future generations.
Would you all forgive me if I ask some basic questions and if I request that you fully explain every step how to do this. I am very ignorant!
Here are my questions:
1) To upate my Maxis characters I first cloned the old Maxis sim (let's say Angela Pleasant) with SimPe's Sim Surgery option. Then I gave the clone her new skintone and eyes, modified her facial features a bit, then gave her a name and moved her into my neighbourhood as a temporary citizen called "1 Temp". Then I went back into SimPE and found the Maxis Angela, and cloned the new, customised Angela over the top. This worked fine - my new Angela looks great! Here is my question - if I want my new Angela to be able to pass on her custom skintone and eyes would it be okay to copy 1 Temp's DNA directly over Angela Pleasant's original DNA?
2) The new Angela has softer, prettier features. If I clone 1 Temp's DNA over will Angela's children inherit her facial structure as well as her skintone and eye colour?
3) I have no idea how to find a sim "instance number" in SimPe, or really what to do after I actually find the instance number. Could someone write a really clear step-by-step how to for someone who has 0 technical knowledge?
4) I thought I might ask all of you here also about some sims I have tried to clone to make more attractive who will not change their appearance no matter how many times I have tried to overwrite their apperance. Lilith Pleasant is one of these. She is still looking like her original self in the game despite her thumbnail in SimPE and SimEnhancer being updated to the new version. Are there some sims you simply cannot change the appearance of? Is there another way around this so I can clone over Lilith? I have tried to change her many times both in Sim Enhancer and SimPE with no luck. Other Maxis sims who have not changed their looks are Brandi Broke, and John, Jennifer and Lucy Burb.
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
But for the rest of it...
1) That's right. You'd copy all of the text in the file I've described here (Temp 1's DNA file) and paste it over top of the text in Angela's DNA file.
2) You don't have to anything at all to have her pass down the new features. If you do not alter the DNA file, then she will pass along the old skin and eyes, but the new features.
3) In SimPE in your neighborhood file, click the main menu, and then Sim Browser. Look for Angela's picture and name, and double click on it. At the bottom of simPE, her file will open. On the bottom half of the screen you'll see several tabs... click the one for "Packed File". There is a list of numbers. You want the one labled "Instance".
RG
Posts: 49
Thanks: 867 in 6 Posts
Strangetown's Erin Singles (S1 skintone) and Gordon Kim ( S2 skintone, former NPC, grocery delivery) were having S4 skintone babies.
Veronaville's Ariel Capp ( S1 skintone) and Steven Dallas ( S2 skintone, former NPC, maid) were having S4 and S3 babies.
Strangetown's Buck Grunt (S1 skintone ) and Jill Smith (S1 skintone) were having S3 skintone babies. At first I attributed this to the fact that Jill had S2 and S3 uncles, Pascal and Lazlo Curious.
Disclaimer: I have nothing against brown offspring, as long as that's what their parents are, but it's a bit jarring to produce something so drastically off-type.
On examining the DNA text files of Ariel Capp and Steven Dallas, it almost seemed that skin and hair tone numbers got transposed. I wonder if these were the result of programming errors?
Anyway, this thread was the answer to that big question in my mind. Thanks to RGiles, next time I get a skintone, hair color or eye color surprise, I know what to do about it.
Posts: 121
Thanks: 2683 in 17 Posts
Yes! Previously PatchesSims posted info it was the Skintone XML that determined this. I was very confused. Not to say that the XML doesn't play some part too I don't know. |
I was talking about unlocking the alien skin tone for use in body shop, that's how originally re-created the pollination Technition that's currently on the exchange, I never said that controlled his genetics (I'm always bad at explaining things, so that may be why). The skintone xml also has some genetic values that might impact how probable the gene might show up, but I'm not entirely sure about it, if that's what you were refering to.
Anyway, so the Sim DNA sub-files (or whatever they are called) have the same instance as the Sim GUID in Sim Description? I'm just a little confused on that...
Posts: 65
Thanks: 454 in 6 Posts
Anyway I don't know the xml probably does have some part to play like to decide which of the two parents' dominant genetic skintone is more likely to get chosen for the child. I thought about it later and realised that your information doesn't necessarily conflict with this and I probably misread it. My apologies
Quaxi has renamed the "Sound File Mapping" to "Sim DNA" now within the neighbourhood file.
About your confusion. The instance of your sim's "Sim Description" file is the same as the instance of your sim's "Sim DNA" file. So find your sim's description file and look at the instance. Say its "0x0000000A", then you click the Sim DNA filetype category on the left, put "A" in the instance filter and you'll see the Sim DNA file for that sim.
Posts: 1,550
Thanks: 10639 in 34 Posts
Quaxi has renamed the "Sound File Mapping" to "Sim DNA" now within the neighbourhood file. |
Oh cool! I didn't notice. I have been hoping that this would get added to the cloning feature. I didn't want to nag Quaxi about it though. I have definitely nagged him enough, and still have more nagging in mind. I don't know how he eats and sleeps and works and STILL has the time to update SimPE so often. Perhaps he's cloned himself too.
RG
Posts: 244
Here is my process. I am trying to change Daniel Pleasant's entire DNA to look like a customised clone I made of him.
1) First of all, in "Sim DNA" and clicked on the line that matched the clone's instance number
2) I went to Plugin View which opens the "CPF Editor"
3) There are 10 lines of code. I clicked on each one and copied the Value into a Word Pad document
4) I opened the line which contains Daniel Pleasant's instance number
5) I clicked through each line of code and pasted the clone's numerical sequence for each line of code.
6) I noticed two things - firstly the values I entered would instantly default back and I was unable to save the new values in Daniel's file. How do you save the new values?
7) Daniel has an extra line of code in his DNA sequence. On line 9 he has this: "4 (dtString) = -858851246:2143197002:1;"
My clone does not have this line of code. Is this normal?
Thanks for any help.
Who Posted
|