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Alchemist
#76 Old 3rd Nov 2009 at 12:13 AM
I'm still having issues getting the thumbnails of my new images to show up correctly on my painting. Has anyone been able to solve this one?

I'm thinking that if not perhaps the way to fix it is to import new thumbs with new instance numbers and use those? If so, will this make the package too unwieldy? Will it slow the game to have an object with all those thumbs?

Any thoughts on this anyone?

OM
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#77 Old 3rd Nov 2009 at 12:26 PM
Oh Cmo, I didn't notice you posted the method already! Thank you so much for your work.
(It's a bit too complicated for my simple brain hehe )
Alchemist
#78 Old 3rd Nov 2009 at 12:40 PM
I feel the same way LC...this second list of instructions looks much more intimidating than the first. I need the Change Default Patterns for Dummies version.

OM
˙uʍop ǝpᴉsdn ǝɹ,noʎ 'oN
#79 Old 3rd Nov 2009 at 2:29 PM
That method is bloated. I'm going to update with instructions more like the first. The problem is it works perfectly on objects like the blinds (I think because the default pattern is just solid colors?). But when I try it on paintings, it shows funny. It does select the pattern/colors correctly in the menu (swatches, color selections), but on the object only one color changes.

"Part of being a mesher is being persistent through your own confusedness" - HystericalParoxysm
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In the Arena
retired moderator
#80 Old 3rd Nov 2009 at 6:16 PM
do you mean, different catalog object types have to be handled differently? dang! how to remember which is what and how?
˙uʍop ǝpᴉsdn ǝɹ,noʎ 'oN
#81 Old 3rd Nov 2009 at 10:44 PM
Quote: Originally posted by ellacharm3d
do you mean, different catalog object types have to be handled differently? dang! how to remember which is what and how?

No, more like how the objects material block is set up. The objects I've changed successfully have had the misc. solid color pattern as their default. Clone something that has the misc. solid color as its default pattern, and try this (default resources not needed):

1. If you know the name of the pattern you want to switch to, open Fullbuild0, sort by name, select a resource, then start typing the name of the pattern_xml you want.

2. a. If you want to use the pattern as is, write down the instance number.
b. If you want to change the colors used in the pattern, export the pattern_xml.

3. Open your clone, and
a. If you want to use the pattern as is, skip to step 4
b. If you want to change the colors used in the pattern, import the pattern_xml. Give it a new instance number.

4. Select the OBJD and click the grid button. Open Materials, and then the TGI Blocks. There should be two _xml references. Select the second one, and change the instance number to your _xml's instance number. Save, ok, commit.

Changing the colors is something else that differs depending on the pattern. Some _xmls use HSV values to choose colors, others use RGB. To get the HSV values, I made a recolour in-game of my object (after changing the default pattern), then saved/shared it, and open it with the multipack installer. Then opened it in S3pe, opened the _comp (value button), and and noted the HSV values at the bottom.

"Part of being a mesher is being persistent through your own confusedness" - HystericalParoxysm
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Alchemist
#82 Old 4th Nov 2009 at 12:01 AM Last edited by orangemittens : 4th Nov 2009 at 12:14 AM.
Quote: Originally posted by cmomoney
I'm going to update with instructions more like the first.


This would be great and very much appreciated. Thanks for continuing to work on it.

Edited to add: I am still trying to figure out how thumbnails are attached to the specific instance of the object. So far, no luck.

OM
Alchemist
#83 Old 4th Nov 2009 at 2:29 AM
The "THUM" files?
Don't they share the instance value with the OBJD?
The Type indicates the image size, and the group increments for the different subset items.

If you like to say what you think, be sure you know which to do first.
Me? Sarcastic? Never.
staff: administrator
#84 Old 4th Nov 2009 at 4:12 AM
Alchemist
#85 Old 4th Nov 2009 at 11:39 AM
Thank you for the replies Wes and HL.

It seems like, from what you've pointed out, that the game is generating thumbnails of objects in Buy Mode in a way that references more than just the THUM. It also seems like changing default patterns for something like curtains will allow the game to generate new thumbnails showing these new patterns because this would not require anything other than what it is already doing.

But for paintings, adding new IMGs is different than changing default patterns and so the game will not be able to generate thumbnails showing the new IMGs the way it does patterns. And since the THUM shares a number with a single OBJD and OBJK it will not be possible to add new THUM images at the same time a new painting IMG is added.

So for paintings with multiple images we're kind of stuck with a single thumbnail. In the game, when selecting that painting, the person would just have to go through a series of paintings all with the same thumbnail image until they found the one they wanted. Right?

I apologize if I just stated the obvious but I just want to be sure I'm conceptualizing this correctly.

OM
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#86 Old 4th Nov 2009 at 12:03 PM
I don't know if what I am going to say can be applied to this situation, but where floors are concerned, there are several sets of thumbnails for each floor and they are seperated by Group ID. I wonder if anything like that can be used for paintings?

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Alchemist
#87 Old 4th Nov 2009 at 12:30 PM
Thank you for considering the issue Inge. I don't know anything about floors so before I bombard you with ignorant questions about them I'm going to read up on it.

OM
˙uʍop ǝpᴉsdn ǝɹ,noʎ 'oN
#88 Old 4th Nov 2009 at 4:02 PM
Quote: Originally posted by orangemittens
It seems like, from what you've pointed out, that the game is generating thumbnails of objects in Buy Mode in a way that references more than just the THUM. It also seems like changing default patterns for something like curtains will allow the game to generate new thumbnails showing these new patterns because this would not require anything other than what it is already doing.

But for paintings, adding new IMGs is different than changing default patterns and so the game will not be able to generate thumbnails showing the new IMGs the way it does patterns. And since the THUM shares a number with a single OBJD and OBJK it will not be possible to add new THUM images at the same time a new painting IMG is added.

So for paintings with multiple images we're kind of stuck with a single thumbnail. In the game, when selecting that painting, the person would just have to go through a series of paintings all with the same thumbnail image until they found the one they wanted. Right?

I apologize if I just stated the obvious but I just want to be sure I'm conceptualizing this correctly.

OM
Try it again, but this time skip the PaintingCars_xml part. (steps 4,5, and second half of 7). Also default resources are not needed.

"Part of being a mesher is being persistent through your own confusedness" - HystericalParoxysm
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Alchemist
#89 Old 5th Nov 2009 at 1:49 AM
Thanks for the new information CMM. Will this cause my painting thumbnails to appear correctly in the game?

OM
˙uʍop ǝpᴉsdn ǝɹ,noʎ 'oN
#90 Old 5th Nov 2009 at 3:47 AM
Quote: Originally posted by orangemittens
Thanks for the new information CMM. Will this cause my painting thumbnails to appear correctly in the game?

OM

Yes, it should

"Part of being a mesher is being persistent through your own confusedness" - HystericalParoxysm
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Alchemist
#91 Old 5th Nov 2009 at 12:29 PM
I went through the steps as you have them listed and skipped the steps you have crossed out. So basically all I did was export the IMG with the car painting on it. Edited that to my new painting picture. Imported that IMG with a new instance number generated by the S3PE hash generator. Did that again so I would be adding two new painting options. Went to the OBJD and opened in Grid. Opened Materials. Went to TGI and deleted all but two of the extra images (so I had three in the list remaining). Opened the second and third Materials on that list and edited the old IMG instance number to my new ones. (1 new instance number for each IMG) Saved those changes. Deleted THUMs. Saved. Fixed using s3oc. Imported into game. Emptied caches.

This time the new IMG didn't show up on the painting at all. I double- checked to make sure my instance number changes "took" and they did.

I went wrong somewhere but I can't figure out where. I'm going to give it another try.

OM
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#92 Old 5th Nov 2009 at 1:13 PM
I tried again to make sure. It worked okay.
Screenshots

"Part of being a mesher is being persistent through your own confusedness" - HystericalParoxysm
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Alchemist
#93 Old 6th Nov 2009 at 12:50 AM Last edited by orangemittens : 6th Nov 2009 at 2:01 AM.
Ok, well that was an annoying flog. And of course, it was my own mistake that caused the problem. I think what I did was export one of the greyscale IMG's instead of the actual painting IMG...why why why am I so stupid?

Anyhow, after trying a second time and ending up with incorrectly renamed TGI thingies I finally got it the third time.



Thanks so much CMM...this is a fantastic addition to the arsenal.

edited to add: I wish I could share my paintings at MTS but the only original art I've ever made for the Sims I gave to Sandy over at Around the Sims. All the rest is borrowed artwork that MTS does not seem to want here.

OM
˙uʍop ǝpᴉsdn ǝɹ,noʎ 'oN
#94 Old 7th Nov 2009 at 12:56 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Hraklis943
Well now i can see that many of these artists have changed patterns with TSR tool.... -_-
It has an option as i can read...
So thats the way i suppose


Using the TSR tool seems to be the easiest way...

"Part of being a mesher is being persistent through your own confusedness" - HystericalParoxysm
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Alchemist
#95 Old 7th Nov 2009 at 1:12 AM
Perhaps the easiest...but I prefer to stick with the tools available here. I have no intention of switching or adding so I'm glad that you've found this way of adding new IMGs to paintings and new textures to other objects CMM. It really is quite easy if you actually pay attention to what you're doing which was my problem the first two times I tried it...I was having an attention deficit issue.

No offense meant to TSR but I just prefer the MTS approach to creating and sharing in Simland.

OM
Alchemist
#96 Old 7th Nov 2009 at 1:53 AM
TSR is working very hard on make an easy to use tool. To do so may require it to be set some limits for users, but what I saw of it is pretty nice.

All I want to say is that what I have done has been made as a laboratory experiment to determine the underlying formats and requirements for modifying game items. Meshes and animations are predominantly what interests me, so it should be no surprise that my tool efforts are confined to those.

The purpose of research is also to publish your findings, and that is done on the wiki. People who take those writeups and make improved programs from them are doing exactly what the community needs, and making use of the format details is what they are there for.

However, those that stay and use the tools are helping in further research... at the cost of uncovering some bugs at times. A developer can do the research and write up some findings, or wait for the instruction manual to be published. I have always preferred to be on the leading edge of that process myself, not to detract from those that prefer to walk the trail instead of making it.

If you like to say what you think, be sure you know which to do first.
Alchemist
#97 Old 7th Nov 2009 at 2:33 AM
After that most serious reply I'm not going to wade in with humor based on exploitation of the use of the word tool here...although I have to confess I am tempted Wes

I have to assume that the chain-yanking here was inadvertent.

Edited to add: and, on a more serious note, I agree with the points you're making.

OM
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#98 Old 11th Nov 2009 at 8:49 PM
I have described a method of changing default patterns in this tutorial

"Part of being a mesher is being persistent through your own confusedness" - HystericalParoxysm
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