I haven't modded in a really, really long time. I used to mod steadily with Sims 2.


I was looking here, http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?tit...S3_ModdingTools
Two links I tried went nowhere. (they looked like some that I would need for this)

They are:
1) s3pe: Sims 3 Package Editor by Peter JonesA package editor to view package contents and formatted editing of known resource. Includes has tools for searching package content and generating hashes. Also has external editors for VPXY, STBL and OBJK. S3PE package editor http://dino.drealm.info/den/denforu....php?board=19.0


2) Sims 3 Package ExplorerA tool to examine, extract, replace and modify Sims 3 package content, by Okeanos.

Sims 3 Package Explorer http://www.customsims3.com/forum1/Y...?num=1244804085

I'm having trouble finding an updated version of a skill mod that covers all skills and was hoping to just try to do my own until someone updates theirs. I just got Showtime yesterday, if that matters with any of the tools. I do have some experience with Sims 2 modding but Sims 3 looks so different when it comes to tools. I do have NetFramework already installed and it should be updated as I use Microsoft Updates.

What is the best tool to use for modding something like faster skills. I hope that someone can direct me to the best tools to use for what I need to do (Skills speed) and maybe a tiny tutorial on it. I can't seem to figure it out for Sims 3 & I find myself getting lost.

I've been looking for over an hour and was finding myself going in circles. I hope I'm not out of line by posting this. Thanks in advance!
*Xts*

Inge and Peter's site, Simlogical, which is the home of S3PE is temporarily down. Leefish is kindly hosting the tool until they get back up and running. The link is here:

http://www.leefish.nl/mybb/thread-3129.html

Thank you orangemittens! I found I had the version from 2009 of both of those files. Reinstalling now, thank you again so very much!

One problem taken care of thanks to you And so quickly, too!

I found an xml editing thread..Reading that thread I found that I open GameplayData, I found "Skills" xml in there.
I think I'm on the right track but wonder if I should post my questions to this thread or that one? http://www.modthesims.info/showthre...25#startcomment

For the record, because I do not want to mess up anything, I have backed up my gameplayData file and gameplay file, both. I just want to be sure I edit the right lines. I considered opening the mod I had downloaded and using it for editing and in my game but I want to be sure it's compatible with Showtime & have no clue how to "update" a mod so I'm starting from scratch with my own file. I see bits and pieces of how to edit the skills but nothing solid on all aspects of how it works.. like how to make it a stand alone package in "mods" folder instead of overwriting gameplay and if it'll even override the gameplaydata file to begin with.. I could use a little tutorial on this if there is one.. I am a quick learner, if that helps

Thanks again orangemittens, my tools are now current :D

This is how I usually go about making tuning mods (which is all in the MTS tutorial above anyway, this is just my own way of describing it from memory):

1) Copy and paste a duplicate copy of the GameplayData package in another location/folder away from the source location (you use this copy for modding);
2) Open it up (the copied GameplayData package) in S3PE and explore the _XML files in it. To make it easier to find, I usually apply the filter on the bottom of S3PE and order by name;
3) When you think you've found something you want to mod, right click --> Notepad to view the highlighted XML contents;
4) Go through the descriptions that are in between less/greater than signs and exclamation marks (e.g. <!-- Example --> to see whether you find something that you may want to edit or attempt to edit;
5) When you confirm there is something that you want to edit (i.e. create a mod out of), then, you right click that XML then click Export --> To package. This will extract the individual XML out of the GameplayData package so you can work on it individually and not have to overwrite the Master GameplayData package, which you should NEVER do.

The reason mods often need updating is because the developers sometimes make changes/add new lines to the XML file and this causes the previous XMLs in GameplayData used for mods not being recognized in game. Fortunately in my case, Showtime has been a great expansion pack because none of the mods I've made public thus far required an update. Nice and easy.

How to make it a package to place in your downloads folder is shown in the tutorial you linked to. You should never directly edit your gameplay files, as if you screw it up you will have to reinstall.

Wonderful Tips you two! Thanks gesimz and HugeLunatic!

I suppose it may be good to put my backup in place of the one I extracted from? I did backup GameplayData but I opened and extracted from the one in my main folder (unlike my old modding days, which I actually forgot it was best to use a backup to work with instead of working with the main one). I referenced the mod I had been using that was from another simmer but made my own and it works great! The reason, as I noticed in the file, it needed to be updated was because there were new interactions.. So I'm glad I did it I've been testing it and it works great..

What I did, since I didn't see the posts until after I began testing, was export as file, edit with notepad, create new in sp3e, import edited file, export as pkg, place in mods/packages folder. It took a while to edit itm but I felt completely comfortable doing it, not out of place, like I am when I attempt some other types of modding.

So, essentially, I did very similar to what you two suggested I did paste your tips into notepad though, for future reference. Thanks so very much everyone.. I have accomplished my task & am a happy simmer. ^.^

Is there any way to access Showtime objects NOW within the current stable version of S3OC, or must we wait until Peter & Inge update it so (Showtime) EP6 appears in the Game Folders section?

If the answer to the above is no, is there any rough ETA on when a Showtime compatible S3OC will be released (understanding of course that the developers have other life committments outside of the Sims universe) given that the link posted here to another version doesn't work?: http://modthesims.info/showthread.p...029#post3798029 ?

Just go into your settings and replace one of the previous games with showtime until S3OC is ready, townlife for example.

Tried that already, but it doesn't work for me for some reason.

If you're competent at editing xml. you can edit your GameFolders.xml in the S3OC install folder to add the extra EP. I am surprised however that doing it via Settings didn't work. Now that S3OC caches the list, it could be that you have to reload the tool to pick up the changes.

I should be receiving SHT tomorrow, and then we can make the necessary changes for the next version.

BRILLIANT! It worked, thanks Inge! (see attachment)

Will start cloning right away (while I wait for the official version to release).

On initial observation, it doesn't look like the Simport objects appear in S3OC. EA may have thought ahead of this one with modders simply attempting to clone the "special" objects relocating these objects outside of the FullBuild12 somewhere else.

Or it could be that the folder layout and packages are different in this EP, in which case the gamefolders xml would need further edits to pick up all the relevant packages

I think you're right about gamefolders needing further edits. The Simport objects appear, but can't be cloned. No image appears and when you click Clone/Fix, and when you try to clone them, you get errors like Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

For what it's worth, I had to update and compile the CatalogResource wrapper to open the stage props for my "Simport Rewards Unlocked" mod in S3PE. The changes to the OBJD format are already in the wiki, thanks to Dd764ta, so I only had to apply them and recompile, then they worked for me.

Though there were still errors with other OBJD resources like areaLightCeilingStage. Didn't look at them, since with Dd764ta's changes I could do what I wanted to do.

Yes, I found out since my last post that there is an additional update needed to the s3p* tools to properly deal with some of the SHT objects. Should be a test version ready in a few days.