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- Sims 2 - Flashing terrain in downloaded lots
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http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=106385
Well i have uploaded a new summer villa if you are interested i hope this makes up for it.
Will keep testing the old one though.
You will find my older and newest creations here
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so, on the side of a user, one may try to ensure as fewer temporarily unused terrain paints in their custom content folder(s) to diminish the likelihood of conflicts between custom terrain paint files.
1) any terrain you actually use
2) any terrain you even click on in the catalog AND
3) the first terrain in your catalog regardless of whether you click on it or not.
It is safe to clean 2) from your sims2pack. However, if you don't include the terrain at 3) OR if the user chooses not to install it - you get the flashing blue thing happening. LL's fix does work but some people would rather ditch the lot than fix it.
Installing and deleting terrains while in the middle of building a lot should be avoided at all costs. If you delete 3) while still building the lot you will probably be unable to package it at all (crashes).
To combat all this hooplah - I only install terrains after a lot has been finished and packaged etc because I learnt my lesson bigtime. I had to restart Gillisims Island from scratch 3 times before I figured out what was going on =D
However, I HAVE noticed that with OFB the phantom 3) terran doesn't seem to be packaged and may not be referenced. I need to test this out - which I will do and post back =)
<:3))~~ Loverat
"In some cultures what I do is considered normal"
www.loverat.net Check it out for other recolours & lot uploads =D
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However, I HAVE noticed that with OFB the phantom 3) terran doesn't seem to be packaged and may not be referenced. I need to test this out - which I will do and post back =) |
Well I have tested this as well trying to figure out Corvidophile's lot problem,
these are the results:
The phantom terrain does not get automatically packaged anymore, but it is still needed for a lot to work - otherwise it will be flashing blue.
I have all my terrains in a separate 'Terrains' folder in my downloads - and the terrain needed for the lot to work is not the first terrain paint showing in my catalogue but the first in the 'Terrains' folder alphanumerically speaking.
Anyway, as Loverat put it:
- Build your lot without terrains, than package it.
- Move all your terrainpaints to the desktop except for those that you intend to use on your lot.
- Do your terrain painting and package again.
This way the game cannot reference 'terrain paints' it does not even have knowledge of.
I hope this is understandable in some way
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I'm afraid there is more to custom terrains than that.
I moved my downloads folder to desktop and checked myconos again with the gravel grey added
No flashing but here is what i got
Terrains spread like that and square pixels
Here is what i get trying to remove terrains
(gravel grey seems to become default neighborhood terrain?)
If i have all downloads in my game all lots work just fine.
If i remove them problems appear.So i call R.I.P all my lots that include custom terrains and start from scratch, without custom terrains this time.It's a pity cause this seems like a Maxis fault afterall which needs to be adressed.I doubt they even are aware of the custom terrains problems.WHich seem to be numerous and extremely severe.If they dont plan on checking this they'd better add some maxis custom terrains in their future expansions because they add so much to building.
I am extremely sad and annoyed and since i can't seem to be able and handle the terrain problem i will refrain from using terrains.Sure lots wont be the same but at least they will work for everyone and not only for me.
I want to apologise to everyone and thank SimSample and Nengi65 for testing this with me .I dont think there is a solution, the only thing that would make this work is adding ALL my custom terrains to the lot LOL Which of course is ridiculous.
My question is:Why doesnt this happen with custom walls or floors? Is it really something that maxis overlooked?Can terrains be customized without any problem at all?Why do the phantom terrains exist and why even a click in catalogue is enough to hide the terrain to the lot?Can this be fixed?
Thanks everyone
Corvi.
You will find my older and newest creations here
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Love
Corvi
You will find my older and newest creations here
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... My question is:Why doesnt this happen with custom walls or floors? Is it really something that maxis overlooked?Can terrains be customized without any problem at all?Why do the phantom terrains exist and why even a click in catalogue is enough to hide the terrain to the lot?Can this be fixed? ... |
Anyway,
How terrain paint works is more like doing some simplied painting on a paint programme window and seemingly have that resultant look presented on the "ground" level layer over the default terrain paint layer but under the "ground" "mesh" for floor tile. Terrain paint files are of their own kind with some puzzling referencings or structures. I don't know why it has to have 2 texture files graphically identical to my eyes while one of them doesn't seem to affect its presentation in the game. The textural directional presentation in the game is also different from the floor tile. The input texture can be quite different from how the texture in-game is presented when you mix terrain paints over one another repetitively probably with some erasing with the "ctrl" key, kinda like drawing.
Floor tiles are more like object recolours but with certain different default properties. The lighting effect seems to be quite different from the latter.
Wallpapers are yet another sort of file type with seperate set of properties and definitions. To tell you the truth, wallpaper has some interesting properties. Oddly many settings were changed but nothing presented in the game has been changed. Seemingly, the "seen" properties are either dysfunctional or re-enforced settings. Only the textural referencing is the known most important for a wallpaper file. Yet, missing properties will cause problems.
So, these common custom contents are actually quite different from one another structurally, functionally, renderingly... despite similar file type structure.
But surely, we all know that Maxis messed the terrain paint system up from the start.
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To be more clear. I had in my game only the terrains this lot had when packaged plus the mising one Nengi suggested.The blue flashing disappears the above problems appear.Pictures here
Some of the terrains work others dont.Sometimes they are pixelated others aren't ( all these whiel painting) . And one time whichever terrain i clicked it would paint like the missing terrain .I spend many hours yesterday testing this and i had reloaded the game 50 times at least and now i am totally exhausted and disappointed over this matter, i dotn even wanna build anything again.
It looks like that with some try
But like that when you re-enter(the white was the missign terrain)
And here you can see clearly how some terrains work and others dont
If anyone could explain the spread terrain problem and why it acts like default ground then maybe we are getting somewhere.
Nengi65 has found the terrain causing the flashing problem.And was correct in both lots.
Anyway,i am guessign it has to do with other terrains missing from this lots too( i have a galore and if i put back the file all lots work normally).
Thanks again
Corvi
edit: As a last resort everyone that wants to play these lots or anyone that wants to test here is the file with the custom terrains
http://www.yourfilelink.com/get.php?fid=110343
If you add this to download folder everything will work fine.(add the folder as it is so you can remove it anytime, and definitely remove this folder if you are planning on building , lots of terrains..lol).I apologise again.Thanks.
You will find my older and newest creations here
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May relax and take a rest... This's a game and not worthy doing it so hard. Besides, things may have a turning point if time not to think about it and rest (probably doing some new lots with the suggested or alternative ways or doing other things) are given.
In my case,
At first, I failed to make some cool tiles back to the beginning of March, and I tried so hard to think how to get it done and why I couldn't get it, but no success. I dropped it to do other things. Then, in the beginning of this month, I was doing other tiles and suddenly realised how to do those cool tiles. Although not perfect, some significant advances happened.
Seemingly, tiredness can increase the likelihood to over-look certain things, some rests may help reorganise the thinking pathways and notice what couldn't be seen.
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I am SO thrilled!!!!! I worked almost 6 hours testing the terrains , trying to remember which ones i clicked etc etc.LOT of testing but i think it worth it!
I'd like to thank everyone, especially Nengi for finding the terrain causing the flashing, i have found the terrains the lot had reference to by testing , adding and removing continuously. I cant even remember how many times i reloaded the game again LOL
But since its fixed , i can rest now( until i fix the summer breeze lot that is lol)
Anyway, the new rar is awaiting for approval as we speak.
Thanks again and i apologise to everyone that got the previous version!
Corvi
:D
You will find my older and newest creations here
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Congradulations...
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Lot of work but bad things happen and you gotta be responsible. LOL
Thanks everyone, couldnt feel more informed about terrains now.
Corvi
You will find my older and newest creations here
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In a few words, never remove terrain paints when installing a lot , and always start building a lot without terrain paints in your downloads ( you can put them on a different folder in your and remove to desktop each time you want to build, then use Clean Installer to pick which ones you want to use on your lot after you have packaged a terrain-less finished version first).
You will find my older and newest creations here
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Anyone, wanna upload some somewhere or here, so I can grab them...! :D
I need some flashing-blue-ready lots for my experiments... Thanks...
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You will find my older and newest creations here
Posts: 24
Posts: 4,403
Thanks: 10657 in 115 Posts
Posts: 1,821
Thanks: 73 in 5 Posts
i talked do him/her and they said that the lot did not flash blue for them and all they said is to re-download after they fix it, the weird thing is, the paints showd up in the terrain catelouge but not on the lot... also for some reason, there are some shrubs in my catelouge*sp) that are blue and flash, is it because the game cant recognise the color of the objects, or terrains? |
They work in his game because he has all the terrain paints needed. The lot in his game doesnt have missing terrain references.
The flashing srubs are due to missing recolors if they are new meshes.
For the lot to work he could package the terrains in his download folder ( if they arent hundreds of them that is) and offer them for download along with the lot.
He'll know the lot is not working properly if he removes his download folder and install the lot as is to check in game.
Anyway...most builders have been in the same situation at least once, the terrain paints problem isnt very well known.
Tell him to read the thread for future reference.
niol: you can create problematic lots yourself ;-) Just make empty lots, apply terrains (or click on terrains while in the lot without applying them, or do both ) , then delete(remove better if it's for testing purposes) some of the terrain paints from your downloads, then package lot, and there you have your own blue-flashing lots lol
You will find my older and newest creations here
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