Working With Programs

[wooddragon13]

I have to say, I've never slammed my keyboard down in anger before I came to this site, trying to do one of the tutorials. :rofl:

If you've created a sim, you probably won't have any problems doing the tutorial, however if you haven't created one before, you might as well bite the poison pill now.

I don't want to beat the designers in here up to much, but I don't think the people who provide and recommend the software, have ever written instructions before. Case in point, I'm fooling around with CTU. Not only are the initital operating instruction completely different than what the program looks like when you open, even the recommended additional instruction leave you with question. They tell you how to select a package, but they don't tell you where or how to save it so you can pull it up in another program like postal. I mean I know this sounds silly, but regardless, it's the basic step in making sure everyone understands how to operate the programs you make available.

My hope is that I can find instructions on how to export my package file into "postal", and from that make it so i can pull it up in MilkShape, without sifting through 300+ threads.

[ellacharmed]

You open the .package file in Postal. From the File menu. Is that what you're trying to do?

What tutorial are you following? Each tutorial normally has a thread for Questions & Answers concerning the steps in that, if anyone has any trouble.

And sifting through 300++ threads and learning how tools works is half the fun in learning to create. :)
You have to understand though that tools evolve and Sims 3 code change every quarter or half year or so, so it is hard to keep up. If that tutorial is outdated, ask in that tutorial thread if there's an updated version?

[Mootilda]

You are correct: most tutorial writers have no experience or training in technical writing.

The people who write the tutorials are not paid professional writers. They are people like you who struggled to learn how to do something, then were kind enough to try to write down what they did, so that others would have an easier time.

The problem is exacerbated by how difficult it is to find people who are both technically competent and able to write well, and who also have the spare time necessary to work on tutorials, and who are willing to use their spare time to help others. MTS tries to encourage people to share their knowledge to the best of their abilities, rather than insisting that tutorials be perfect in every way.

Most tutorials are not updated when the software is updated. There are several reasons for that, including:
- Although the screens may look different, the functionality is usually the same.
- It takes time to update tutorials. People have to set priorities on their time and energy. Updating a tutorial which is basically correct is low on many people's list. I am certainly guilty of this. I haven't updated many of my tutorials, preferring to spend my time adding functionality and creating new things.

In general, it makes more sense to appreciate people's efforts and try to work with the tutorials that are available, rather than to rail at people for not being professional paid writers. EA is never going to hire enough technical writers to teach us how to mod the game, so we just have to struggle along the best that we can.

[whiterider]

It's also assumed, by most tutorial writers, that the people reading the tutorials have a suitable level of geronimo attitude - that is, if you're unsure of something, back up, try it and see. In this case, the geronimo attitude required to try just going File -> Save in CTU, and then opening that same file in Postal. If it doesn't work, what the hell, no harm done - in this case, though, it would work, and progress is made. :)

[wooddragon13]

Thanks Ellcharm. I did that, now working on trying to get Milkshape see the file.

You open the .package file in Postal. From the File menu. Is that what you're trying to do?

What tutorial are you following? Each tutorial normally has a thread for Questions & Answers concerning the steps in that, if anyone has any trouble.

And sifting through 300++ threads and learning how tools works is half the fun in learning to create. :)
You have to understand though that tools evolve and Sims 3 code change every quarter or half year or so, so it is hard to keep up. If that tutorial is outdated, ask in that tutorial thread if there's an updated version?

----
Fist off, let me say it is not my intention to eviscerate the programers of this site with vitriolic barker. How do you assure universal communication? You break it down to the lowest common denominator. I'm just saying, that while I'm extremely grateful for any type of support, perhaps that's something to keep in mind when writing tutorials.

You are correct: most tutorial writers have no experience or training in technical writing.

The people who write the tutorials are not paid professional writers. They are people like you who struggled to learn how to do something, then were kind enough to try to write down what they did, so that others would have an easier time.

The problem is exacerbated by how difficult it is to find people who are both technically competent and able to write well, and who also have the spare time necessary to work on tutorials, and who are willing to use their spare time to help others. MTS tries to encourage people to share their knowledge to the best of their abilities, rather than insisting that tutorials be perfect in every way.

Most tutorials are not updated when the software is updated. There are several reasons for that, including:
- Although the screens may look different, the functionality is usually the same.
- It takes time to update tutorials. People have to set priorities on their time and energy. Updating a tutorial which is basically correct is low on many people's list. I am certainly guilty of this. I haven't updated many of my tutorials, preferring to spend my time adding functionality and creating new things.

In general, it makes more sense to appreciate people's efforts and try to work with the tutorials that are available, rather than to rail at people for not being professional paid writers. EA is never going to hire enough technical writers to teach us how to mod the game, so we just have to struggle along the best that we can.


----
I share that same geronimo attitude, and I thank you for your help. I guess I was just a bit ticked off.

It's also assumed, by most tutorial writers, that the people reading the tutorials have a suitable level of geronimo attitude - that is, if you're unsure of something, back up, try it and see. In this case, the geronimo attitude required to try just going File -> Save in CTU, and then opening that same file in Postal. If it doesn't work, what the hell, no harm done - in this case, though, it would work, and progress is made. :)

[Pixelhate]

It could be an idea, if you have the skills, to write a tutorial about how to write a basic tutorial. Advanced ones are usually giving less problem..

[ellacharmed]

@wooddragon13, we have a policy of no multi-posting here, so if you could read the Site Rules & Guidelines, please? Appreciate it, thanks.

All the posts are still on the same page, so you don't really need to quote the whole post. If you want to respond to a particular query or phrase, then just quoting that section would be appreciated, instead of having a repeated wall of text for folks to scroll through.

I'll flag this as answered then.
If you have further difficulties on following tutorials, as previously suggested, please post in that tutorial thread.