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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 23rd Feb 2007 at 11:18 AM
Checking creations without restarting the game!
First of all, if this post is in the wrong forum, then please move it to a proper forum!
This thread is meant to be an info-source on how to get creations into the game without having to restart it!


I like many other creators have to check my creations in the game and it's a time consuming process having to restart the game everytime you make an adjustment to your creation!
There are no program which can allow you to check your creations in the game without restarting the game or is there

When you're in neighborhood view you have the option to pick custom content and make it instantly accessible in the game using the Custom Content Browser(see pic below)


Off course this is only possible with custom content from http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/
But imagine a mod which direct this ingame browser to a local html page on your hard-drive and the local html page having a link to your current project

This would in theory mean that you would be able to load your creation directly into the game without having to restart, just by following a few steps:
  1. Download your creation using the Custom Content Browser from neighborhood view.
  2. Enter a lot, test your creation & delete your creation using the ingame delete option.
  3. Make some modifications/adjustments to your creation outside the game & save your changes.
  4. Exit the lot & go back to neighborhood view, check your modified creation by going back to step 1.

All this sounds like a good & possible solution, but how do we do it?

Put on your thinkin' caps & feed this thread with ideas, comments so we can see if this can be done
Screenshots

Life's a game, so let's play!
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Pettifogging Legalist!
retired moderator
#2 Old 24th Feb 2007 at 12:09 AM
This is a great idea. I never even looked at that content browser since my computer with ts2 on is not on the net ... but this might be a really cool way to swap things in and out of the game =).

Disclaimer: I have no idea how anything but running ts2 works on a windows machine. The following guesswork is based on OSX semi-knowledge =).

That said, it might be as simple as doing the windows equivalent of adding a redirect to your local /hosts file -- with the disadvantage that your regular web browsers will also be redirected. But depending on where on the ea site the CC is actually stored you might never see that through a web browser anyway (apart from downloading it)?

*googles*

I think this (or something similar) is where I originally acquired aforementioned semi-knowledge (page is full of ads, sorry): http://theappleblog.com/2006/11/21/...omains-on-os-x/

Err, this approach requires a local server. Do you have that on windows machines?

Anyhow, this is how it could work for mac users at least. I think. I can't test it, as i don't have the game on the mac ... someone more awesome than me will hopefully be able to either confirm that or point+giggle =).


ETA: Just realized that I'm blindly assuming that the game actually uses http to grab those files .. which I don't know. So this is really just an idea + quite possibly a brain fart.

Stuff for TS2 · TS3 · TS4 | Please do not PM me with technical questions – we have Create forums for that.

In the kingdom of the blind, do as the Romans do.
Scholar
#3 Old 24th Feb 2007 at 12:35 AM
I would so love this,lol! I really hope something like this could be done. I find it really annoying with cars, because you have to move the positions of the wheels, the position of the sims, the postion of lights and more, and you cant see what you're doing, you just guess with numbers. It's really, really annoying to go in the game a billion times to test 1 thing, so this would be a really cool thing to have Nice thinking Frillen
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#4 Old 24th Feb 2007 at 10:07 AM
Plasticbox that's a great idea, if only we knew the exact url the Custom Content Browser uses, we could actually set up a local server on our machines and redirect to a local html file - Supposing off course that it uses http to grab the files, which I do believe it does

Yes windows machines do have local server setup, included on all windows CD's there's a program called IIS(Internet Information Server), but there are also lots of other server programs available on the internet!

Prince, Yes it's so annoying having to restart the game everytime you make even the smallest adjustment to a creation, so hopefully this can be done... somehow :D

Life's a game, so let's play!
Pettifogging Legalist!
retired moderator
#5 Old 24th Feb 2007 at 6:34 PM Last edited by plasticbox : 25th Feb 2007 at 12:09 AM.
Quote: Originally posted by frillen
Plasticbox that's a great idea, if only we knew the exact url the Custom Content Browser uses


Edit: useless idea deleted, see below


Quote: Originally posted by frillen
, we could actually set up a local server on our machines and redirect to a local html file - Supposing off course that it uses http to grab the files, which I do believe it does

Yes windows machines do have local server setup, included on all windows CD's there's a program called IIS(Internet Information Server)


So is this pre-installed by default? If it is, then I should have it (i bought my windows box used with, i think, some kind of "default" setup). Anyhow it must be on the iso's ... this is it, right?:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intern...ormation_Server


And if anyone would know

1. how to do that kind of global redirect mentioned above on a windows box,
2. what the actual location of cc on the ea site is,

then I'd love to experiment with this ... having to restart the game everytime i want to add one piece of cc is *so* getting on my nerves. Plus my pc makes a good sandbox since it doesn't have or need an actual internet connection (doesn't matter if I break it =).

*googles*

The answer to 1. is probably somewhere on this page: http://blog.crowe.co.nz/articles/165.aspx

frillen (or someone), if you could answer 2 ... ?

ETA 2: There is no easy answer of course .. found my login to ea.com, and the links are shaped like this:

http://thesims2.ea.com/stream.php?a...ct&asset_id=338

and that's all I get =(.

Which to me seems to indicate that static html won't cut it. I *think* the workaround would be to set up a local database with at least the fields asset_type and asset_id (those are both required, the rest isn't) and ... yeah, that's where I'm getting lost. Write a "mystuff.php" interface and redirect to that, I guess, but I'm really just poking around in the fog now.



What else would we need to know? If you only want to add your own CC you probably don't need a shiny preview ... i guess that's somehow generated by the ea server and might be possible to replace by a selfmade jpg put in the right location. I'm not sure how to get the string for the filename and description though ... short of installing a local database =/

ETA 1: as long as the game doesn't barf when those entries (strings) are missing you could prehaps write that info on a jpg and use that as a preview?

Stuff for TS2 · TS3 · TS4 | Please do not PM me with technical questions – we have Create forums for that.

In the kingdom of the blind, do as the Romans do.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#6 Old 27th Feb 2007 at 9:02 PM
I'm still getting nowhere but I haven't given up on this project... Yet
I'm pretty sure that the Ingame Custom Content Browser is using the default browser to grab & show the page, a lot of other tools & programs does it, so why would EA design a their own browser plugin when there's one right at their hand

About finding the exact url is becomming a problem to me - I don't know where to search for it, I'm searching blindly around in all the game files for a possible clue
I had an idea that maybe if the game was disallowed connecting to the internet in the firewall, maybe it would store the url of the outgoing request, my firewall didn't do it... Sadly!

I can't see why not an url like http://thesims2.ea.com/stream.php?a...ct&asset_id=338 can be redirected to a local static html file if it's set up as root in a local server - Could be wrong though since it's been a while since I last fooled around with local servers

I'm continueing my quest & check back to this thread once in a while for possible new ideas :D

Life's a game, so let's play!
Pettifogging Legalist!
retired moderator
#7 Old 27th Feb 2007 at 9:56 PM Last edited by plasticbox : 3rd Mar 2007 at 7:26 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by frillen
I had an idea that maybe if the game was disallowed connecting to the internet in the firewall, maybe it would store the url of the outgoing request, my firewall didn't do it... Sadly!


Good idea, hm .. I tried to check my router only to find it apparently doesn't *keep* a log. Sigh. I know at least one other router of this type (small wlan thingy) that definitely does but that's two hours away from here ... if anyone else here has a router, maybe d/l something from ea and see what the log says?

Quote: Originally posted by frillen
I can't see why not an url like http://thesims2.ea.com/stream.php?a...ct&asset_id=338 can be redirected to a local static html file


Redirecting, yes, (probably), what I was thinking was: how would you pass the parameters? They come from ea in the first place ... maybe my thinking is backwards here, but I figure what actually happens is that the game looks into the ea database to see what the latest uploads are (to get the ID and type), and then proceeds to grab the preview and description and the other stuff it displays. And then if you click, it says to stream.php "give me ID 338, of type object" and that in turn triggers the download.

On the other hand, when you say "I'm pretty sure that the Ingame Custom Content Browser is using the default browser to grab & show the page, a lot of other tools & programs does it" that is something I've never thought about. If the in-game interface is indeed just html then no problem =).


eta: no idea if this helps and/or whether you've seen this anyway, but the url for the preview pics goes like this: thesims2.ea.com/sims2_exchange/object/38/338/preview.jpg
this is for asset id 338, not sure where the other subdirectory comes from

Stuff for TS2 · TS3 · TS4 | Please do not PM me with technical questions – we have Create forums for that.

In the kingdom of the blind, do as the Romans do.
Lab Assistant
#8 Old 10th Mar 2007 at 8:53 AM
Well there is something built into SimPE, when you load up the GeometricDataContainer(GMDC) on my SimPE it has a little preview button underneath the 'Import/Export' buttons, and that lets me have a look at my item in SimPE, with textures and everything, so thats how I check whether adjustments are needed or not. Hope I helped you all.

-Wil

*´")
..·´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)
(¸.·´ (¸.·´Wil-Redfern*¨)¸;*
Test Subject
#9 Old 1st May 2007 at 7:23 AM
Quote: Originally posted by frillen
First of all, if this post is in the wrong forum, then please move it to a proper forum!
This thread is meant to be an info-source on how to get creations into the game without having to restart it!


I like many other creators have to check my creations in the game and it's a time consuming process having to restart the game everytime you make an adjustment to your creation!
There are no program which can allow you to check your creations in the game without restarting the game or is there

When you're in neighborhood view you have the option to pick custom content and make it instantly accessible in the game using the Custom Content Browser(see pic below)


Off course this is only possible with custom content from http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/
But imagine a mod which direct this ingame browser to a local html page on your hard-drive and the local html page having a link to your current project

This would in theory mean that you would be able to load your creation directly into the game without having to restart, just by following a few steps:
  1. Download your creation using the Custom Content Browser from neighborhood view.
  2. Enter a lot, test your creation & delete your creation using the ingame delete option.
  3. Make some modifications/adjustments to your creation outside the game & save your changes.
  4. Exit the lot & go back to neighborhood view, check your modified creation by going back to step 1.

All this sounds like a good & possible solution, but how do we do it?

Put on your thinkin' caps & feed this thread with ideas, comments so we can see if this can be done

You know,
I thought of that as well the other day, I also thought of a mod that links it to mts2 but you need to login on there to download!!!:D

I'm The Sims2 Version Of Steven Speilberg
Movies Are My Game
I yet make good RE-Colors
Forum Resident
#10 Old 1st May 2007 at 9:39 AM Last edited by xanathon : 1st May 2007 at 10:57 AM.
The main problem is as follows: You cannot run SimPE and Sims 2 at the same time, as both need exclusive access to some game files. That's why you have to terminate SimPE when starting Sims2 and vice versa.

Other from that the approach is a neat idea. It is no problem to set up a local webserver and on windows you can alter the hosts-file to let the address "http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/" point to "http://localhost/somefolder/".

Edit: The question is: does EA use some kind of custom protocol to connect their software to the exchange server or do they use some standard. As it seems you do not need to open ports in a firewall they seem to use http-port 80. I'll investigate.

happy simming,
Xanathon


Xanathon's Laboratory :: WishList

.: Do not harass me with requests via PM, you will only get ignored :.
.: Don't post my objects or objects derived from them on paysites or the exchange! :.
Alchemist
#11 Old 2nd May 2007 at 4:46 PM
There are a multitude of text strings related to the web capability in the executable. However, I seem to remember seeing GET as one of them. That would make a standard HTTP server a likely candidate, however it would probably need some work at determining the server layout.

Anyone really, really interested in doing this could get a copy of WinSockSpy and use it to log an interaction with the EA server to learn what is being asked for and sent.

<* Wes *>
Test Subject
#12 Old 3rd May 2007 at 3:57 AM
Quote: Originally posted by xanathon
The main problem is as follows: You cannot run SimPE and Sims 2 at the same time, as both need exclusive access to some game files. That's why you have to terminate SimPE when starting Sims2 and vice versa.

Other from that the approach is a neat idea. It is no problem to set up a local webserver and on windows you can alter the hosts-file to let the address "http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/" point to "http://localhost/somefolder/".

Edit: The question is: does EA use some kind of custom protocol to connect their software to the exchange server or do they use some standard. As it seems you do not need to open ports in a firewall they seem to use http-port 80. I'll investigate.

Thnx,
If you do you might be able to do sumthing in modding tools!:D

I'm The Sims2 Version Of Steven Speilberg
Movies Are My Game
I yet make good RE-Colors
Not actually evil.
#13 Old 29th May 2007 at 9:16 PM
Excellent idea, would be extremely useful.

In the mean time, for those who may not have seen this yet, Mickyss explains how to preview your meshes and textures with UV Mapper in the tutorial below. Of course, this won't help us check if objects actually work in game, which is the point of this current thread.

http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=123594
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