Please test: New Technique for sets.

[Fat D]

Hi,
This is a test for a new technique I just discovered. Could you test it please. It should behave like the regular §600 Maxis fridge, but with a different default colour. I do not want to tell too many details before the final release, but I'll tell you it might probably help set creators a little. Let's say this technique is a radical combination of the advantages of two others commonly used in modding.

I couldn't find any better forum, It's not a request as all I need is testing, it's not a download because this test is not made for regular gameplay and it's not a real hack as the playing behavior wasn't changed.

If you encounter an issue, please tell me
a) your EPs
b) your CEP version
c) other mods that might affect color options
d) if you have the latest patch for your configuration
e) the problem itself

If you test, please try
a) to buy the object without choosing a color and recolouring with design tool
b) to buy the object with choosing a color and recolouring with design tool
c) to go into live mode

[Grapholina]

I'm not really sure how you want us to test this, since you say it isn't made for regular game play.

Explain and I'll be more than happy to help out as much as possible. As far as the things you've numbered for testing... everything works fine for me. I have all EPs installed.

[IgnorantBliss]

I would like to have more information on what exactly I'm supposed to be testing, as well. If by "radical combination of the advantages of two others commonly used in modding" you mean combining the advantages of a stand-alone clone and a non-stand-alone clone, it's probably been done before. The problem I can see with this is that people are stuck with all the recolors that come with the package, they can't pick and choose, and you can't delete them in the game. I don't think packing them like this reduces the file size much, either, because each color option still needs its own texture and material definition. It might be useful for some purposes, probably.

[Fat D]

OK, you're too sceptical, so i'll give some more detail.

It's the most advanced kind of repository technique i have seen so far. The repository, the object using it and the textures are all in one package.

[wintermuteai1]

Fatd,
Excellent job on this.
see the pics,
Scenographer shows that this package is done perfectly, the recolors are all in one package, all your materials are done correctly.
Hookie the Prison Guard gives it 3 toes up!

great work!

:jest:

For those wondering, Fatd has incorporated all his recolors and materials into one package, instead of the traditional way it used to be, with one main file, and several recolor files.

[Fat D]

but that's not the new stuff. look at the mmats and search for the cres. The final version will have not even the default color in the main package.

[IgnorantBliss]

Having several large texture images in one package may not be the most economical way of going about it if you think about it from the bandwidth point of view (as an owner of a small site I do, at least :p). People will have to download all the recolors whether they want them or not, and cannot delete unwanted ones in the game. Other than those two points, it sounds like an interesting idea.

[Fat D]

didn't you read carefully?

The point is that there won't be even a default color in practical use, so the user is not forced to have any color he doesn't want. The reason I've included them in the package is for testing only.

I'm testing two things with this package. One is whether exactly one default color must be specified, the other if there must be a scenegraph and OBJd for a repository.

[wintermuteai1]

it's a great way of doing it, i understand what you've done. You should go ahead and upload this for downloads and make a tutorial.

[SnowStorm]

You are linking to a cres that doesn't exist, and you are using a guid in the mmat's that is not for this object. I would think doing it this way leaves the potential for conflict in the future. I don't see the benefit of this method.

[IgnorantBliss]

didn't you read carefully?

The point is that there won't be even a default color in practical use, so the user is not forced to have any color he doesn't want. The reason I've included them in the package is for testing only.

I did read carefully, but I wrote my previous reply before I'd seen your latest post. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I don't understand why you couldn't tell that in your first post, though :p.

So, what happens if you delete all the related recolors for an object? Will the remaining mesh disappear from the catalog or blink blue?

[Fat D]

thanks for letting me hear this from you. It's an honor for me. I appreciate your creations, exspecially the unusual cars and your earlier hacks.
I will include the technique in future creations by me if the test returns positive.

Snowstorm, the purpose is to reduce conflict in Repository creation. It would be the same as if you made a repository object not in the catalog and delete everything but the color options afterwards

Ignorantbliss, it would flash blue (like the Trianon without mirror), but the purpose is not NO texture, but only the textures you want and no others.

[SnowStorm]

Did you try putting an object in game that has the guid you used in your MMATs? Did you try putting an object in game that uses the cres name you used? Did you try putting your object in game with out the texture existing that you reference in the SHAPE file? What does it endup looking like in the catalog?

The first 2 you could probably deal with by registering a guid just for the fictitional CRES, and making a unique name for the fictictional cres. But if it's going to be flashing blue in the catalog because the user didn't want the texture specified in the shape file, that doesn't look very professional.

EDIT - So you are trying to get away from having to have a specific object in game that acts as the repository?

[SnowStorm]

I wonder if it would be possible to take the thumbnail out of the objectthumbnails.package and package it with your object. If that would work then it would take care of the last of potential issues.

[Fat D]

1) As long as the CRES name is different, this doesn't matter.
2) It is unique.
3) Thanks, I didn't think about that.
4) Right.