Hi. I`ve created a testing object that I call "Magic Carpet Dance Floor", and I`m having various issues understanding what is going on with it. I created it under Echo`s guidance in Tutorial: Making Your First Custom BHAV, and leesester suggested I post a new thread here, to avoid hijacking Echo`s tutorial thread.

The current issue, at the time of this posting is that the object appears to have no recolor options while the original object, to the best of my memory, does. I`d like to know how to delete the surplus data in the object and have it pull at least the texture, preferably the mesh, and as much else as possible, from the original object.

At the time of posting, I do not have time to understand the Repository tutorial before leaving for work, but leesester requested I post the object, and I wanted to get it up before leaving.

I apologize if this is not the correct forum.

Edit: The formerly-attached object had three downloads at the time it was deleted.

Hi General - I checked your object and I made it a repository, hope you dont mind. It now shows all colours as original. See attached, it is now very small.

I see you found it. Thank you. Now, can you tell me how to do the same myself?

I see TWO downloads of my version at this time; they weren`t both you, were they?

yes, they were both me - I downloaded to wrong pc and it was quicker to dl again. Meanwhile, have you seen Tuna and Numenors comments in the other thread you posted in? Regarding how I did it - it is in the tutorial by Ignorant Bliss who explains it better than I ever could.

Yes, I`ve seen that thread. I`ve posted a link to this thread there, too.

I see that several resource types that were present in my version are missing in yours. I have not yet checked out which ones, or what you might have done to the remaining resources. I`m trying to learn how to do this myself, if I can. I also see that the file has gone on a MAJOR diet, just comparing the compressed size, nevermind the extracted size! I expect that the "missing" resources account for this huge shrinkage.

Now, please, did I remember correctly, that my object had but a single color option, whilst the original had at least two?

Edit: I see that your version now has TWO downloads as well, but I only downloaded it once. I wonder who else downloaded it. I hope they enjoy it.

Ah, the real reason I came back here: I`ve been in-game and tested your modifications to my object. The object now picks up all four --FOUR!-- of the color options the original object has, and I presume will also automatically pick up any recolors done for that object. Thank you. I`m still going to need to learn how to do what you did, but I`m not sure when I`ll have time. I`ve looked through the object, to see what you deleted, but I haven`t yet been able to tell what you edited.

Following on from here so not to hijack yet another thread.





I didn't originally suggest anything. I was only answering your question in post #48 the other thread about a 'simpler method'. The minimum amount of files needed to use the orig object mesh and orig colours are the relevant STR# and MMATs.

The "Forget the MMAT's" *is* now my suggestion for this particular object.
I wasn't aware at first in the other thread that you were already in the very capable hands of my good friend leesester

"Following on from here so not to hijack yet another thread.": Thank you.

"Your original suggestion", as I called it, was to do a certain thing to minimize the size of my object`s file.

Your current suggestion, as I understand it, is to refrain from doing that, as what your good friend leesester has already done for me reduces the file`s size almost as much, while adding functionality that I did not already have, but wanted.

Now, if I didn`t care about alternate colors, I presume that your original suggestion would still apply, and would result in an even smaller file? Even though it doesn`t apply in this case, I`d still like to learn the technique, as it seems both simple and powerful. Would you please be willing to amplify on your original post in the other thread? Specifically, "Change the cloned references back to the orig EA ones, update the GUID, and default to true." As noted there, I`ve already managed to find the "Model names" string that would need adjusting. I think that this would be a suitable function to add to a multitool I`m trying to build.

Thank you for helping.

You found the model names, so did you edit it and then load it?

No; I`ve only tested leesester`s version in-game. SimPE and the game both take so ____ long to load that I refuse to load the game up more often than actually required [i.e., while it is up, I do as much with it as I can, without restarting, and I do like to *play* the game, unlike some creators here]. This makes for very **slow** development cycles, as you can imagine! Besides, I was awaiting clarification of the point I quoted in post 7 above. With my already slow development cycle, I didn`t want test something that was presumed unlikely to work due to being half-way converted, so I tested leesester`s adjustments instead. They worked, of course. I can tell what was deleted in that conversion, but identifying the edited items is a tad trickier.

I notice that you haven`t downloaded either my latest version of the object, or leesester`s conversion of it; aren`t you curious about what it does? The object, obviously, is primarily a code vehicle. Why else clone an object, and want to make it draw both the model and the textures from the original object? [That is, obviously, a rhetorical question, but if you have any answers to it, I`d love to "hear" them!]

Does anyone know how to control the in-game camera? I`ve tried a few variations on the theme, and none of them seem to work, at least not reliably. The code in the Test interaction should be focusing the camera on the Sim executing the code, or so I thought. Am I even looking in the right general direction?

Meanwhile, the Dance code is working fine, and the Clock manipulation code is finished.

For those reading this that haven`t seen this in other threads:

Interaction Dance increases Fun and Body, decreases other Needs, and loops through a random selection of four dance steps. Does anyone know how to use the Animate Sim call with a variable index into the text resource?

The Clock... interactions duplicate the game speed controls, but allow you to schedule the action to occur when a Sim finishes another activity.

The Select Me interaction will force-select the Sim that executes it as the Active Sim. Of course the Sim has to be active when you schedule this command, or you cannot schedule it, but the Sim doesn`t have to already be active to execute this. You can schedule this to occur after another activity, and the Sim will self-select upon completion of that activity, even though you`ve been working with another Sim in between.

Does anyone think that this is anywhere near ready to upload for moderation?

You use the "Anim string index in Param" option, specify the param number, then use Expression to load the line number from the STR# into the relevant parameter.

Thank you, Echo. This will allow me to both (a) simplify the Dance code and (b) increase the number of Dance animations without major headaches with the Dance code. I wasn`t sure I`d be able to translate your instructions into terms that SimPE would understand, but the program [which was loading in the background as I was browsing the site] came up while I was typing my reply, and I was able to figure out your instructions just fine.

Do you have any suggestions for the camera-control calls?

Never used them, so can't really say. Sorry

In that case, perhaps you can tell me how to get the Stack Object to be the Sim who is executing a BHAV. I have a call that is supposed to center the view on the stack object that I think could work, but I`m not certain that I`m setting the Stack Object correctly first. I`m currently using Stack Object ID := My object id but I`m just guessing there.

Yep, that's the right command.

In that case, I need to know why [prim 0x0001] Generic Sims Call (center view on stack object (Centers the main game window on the stack object.)) doesn`t seem to be working. Anyone know why it wouldn`t?

Hi General, I have an answer from the other thread - I looked in the Stay Things Shrub from Inge Jones and this is the BHAV that makes stuff stay - UNFORTUNATELY the downside of this is that the lot value gets corrupted.......when the Sim leaves, the object remains, but has a value of null. This is of course handy if you want cheap lots, but is not really in the spirit of the game and so I would hesitate to use it. Of course, the next thing is to find out what in the code makes a BUILD object stay and a BUY object not; once that is found, problem solved. Of course, we could always try to clone a build object and then make it to buy and see what happens.

Thank you, leesester. I already have the Stay Things Shrub from Inge Jones, and I am also already aware of the "bug" regarding the incorrect lot values when the bush is used. I have not, however, either actually *used* the bush, nor opened it in SimPE to see how it works; thank you, therefore, for showing me where to look. Unfortunately, this does little to help me figure out how to make things that other people have made as Buy Mode decorations "just automatically stay" like Build Mode items do.

I do like your ideas for "the next step", though! Unfortunately, I`m not yet competent enough in SimPE to do any serious investigation in that direction myself.

I don`t suppose you know anything about manipulating the in-game camera from BHAVs.....?

I've not used it, but I know a man that has.
TwoJeff's ACR has an option to zoom in on the spawned controller (in case you misplaced it somewhere).
So it's not a tutorial, but the next best thing - an object that demonstrates how to use it.

TJ also has mods posted on this site. I don't think the ACR is one of them though.

Thank you for the link [though I prefer to not go off-site if I can avoid it]. I think I`ll look him up here, first.

Meanwhile, I think I can manage to move the camera to an OBJECT, and I have attained irregular focus on a Sim, but I have been unable to reliably focus the camera on a Sim. Do you think I might have to spawn an object at the Sim`s location, focus the camera on that object, then delete the object? Another possibility would be to create an object that, as part of its initialization, focuses the camera on itself then deletes itself, and have my BHAV spawn a copy of that object. These all sound round-about and indirect, and I would prefer to just focus the camera on the Sim directly, if possible. I`d also like to find a way to trigger the camera-tracks-Sim mode, but that can wait, if it is even possible.

Hi - can you point me towards a custom BUY object that automatically stays? Actually - the Uni EP fountain is BUY, and that stays.....off to take a look

It does? I`ll have to take a look at it, too. Which fountain are you refering to, specifically?