Mootilda's Journal

Occupied lots

2013-10-05T17:33:15Z

Somehow, I'm concerned that this thread will disappear, so I wanted to keep this post. Should be private; I'll make it public if the thread disappears. Occupied lots are not safe. However, MTS has one set of occupied lots for download. These lots were created as safely as possible, and tested...

Useful graphics chart

2013-08-11T03:57:35Z

Just a helpful chart to help to compare different graphics cards: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html Another useful site: http://videocardbenchmark.net/gpu_list.php

Invisible floor tiles vs. invisible floor tile flags.

2013-06-20T18:24:50Z

I thought that we might be able to make a no-CC swimmable lake using the same invisible flags that the GridAdjuster uses to create no-slope basements. Unfortunately, it looks like there's a major difference between the CC invisible floor tiles and the no-CC invisible floor tile flags. Sims can...

Problems with Mansion and Garden when Apartment Life not installed.

2013-06-17T03:28:43Z

Just wanted to start a list of the problems that occur when you have M&G, but not AL. - Jump when couple attempts cuddle (link to problem report?). - Missing coffee bar: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=505373

How to get SimPE to search your Downloads folder.

2013-06-16T04:39:55Z

- Extra -> Preferences -> System Folders. - Set your Savegame path under Original Game. - You may have to click OK at this point. - Extra -> Preferences -> FileTable. - Click on "add Downloads folder". - Your downloads folder will be added under Advanced Settings. - Make sure that the line...

How to find my way around

2013-06-08T14:31:56Z

Some links that seem to have disappeared. My profile Find all posts by Mootilda Find all threads started by Mootilda http://www.insimenator.org/index.php/topic,98514.0.html http://www.simbology.com/smf/index.php?topic=13.0

Current To-Do List

2013-05-13T19:17:46Z

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, so I just wanted to document my current to-do list: - Release new version of Clean Installer with ability to remove furnishings. - Additional research on custom terrain paint removal issue. - Release new version of LotAdjuster with ability to remove custom terrain...

Misogyny and Sexism in the Gaming Industry

2013-04-19T18:43:29Z

An interesting article about how much hatred occurs when someone tries to discuss sexism in gaming: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/04/06/misogyny-sexism-and-why-rps-isnt-shutting-up/

Dilemma

2013-04-05T04:43:42Z

What do you do when someone accuses you (unjustly) of calling them a liar? If you explain that this is a lie, then you have just called them a liar, thus making them no longer a liar for saying that you called them a liar. Is this a test? ;) At least she has since admitted that she made the...

Running Sims 3 on mulitple computers

2013-04-03T16:11:09Z

A helpful post from http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=498924:I think this is one of the most misunderstood topics, and EA is never one to make things clear if they can make people pay more for their games. Anyway, I found this:...

3D Model of a Sims 2 Lot

2013-03-07T19:00:02Z

Interesting find: each lot package contains a 3D model of the lot, which can be exported to a 3D modelling program (with caveats): http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=496787

Neighborhoods in the Graveyard

2013-03-07T18:57:13Z

There are two neighborhoods available in the Sims 2 Graveyard, but I'm not sure how to document them in the wiki. Normally, we would specify the download thread, but these neighborhoods have no download threads and can be accessed as follows: http://sims2graveyard.com/ Choose Downloads tab. Choose...

ToDo

2013-02-28T21:12:47Z

I have guests until Monday, so I might forget my to do list: - Investigate CI with DXT 5: http://www.modthesims.info/showpost.php?p=4082457&postcount=333 - Check pregnancy controllers for Widespot as Business District. http://www.modthesims.info/showpost.php?p=4082337&postcount=66 - Check...

Time for a new computer

2013-01-26T19:43:46Z

My internet computer just refused to boot this morning. Never fear... I have a backup. Unfortunately, my DVD drive keeps failing and the backup is on DVD. The restore just couldn't get past 50%. Never fear... I copied the backup from the DVD to a USB stick, and managed to restore my system. ...

How to safely delete a sim.

2013-01-23T18:34:07Z

Just wanted to gather this together in one place, so that I can find it easily. Pescado tells us how to safely delete sims from a neighborhood: http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,6205.0.html This technique requires the...

Movies that I want to watch again.

2012-12-22T05:36:26Z

I watched The World, The Flesh, and The Devil recently (as part of a 12/12/21 apocalypse festival), and it reminded me of an interesting movie that I saw a long time ago and that I'd like to see again... a quick google found the title: The Quiet Earth. I found the final scene haunting enough to...

Idea for a populated neighborhood.

2012-11-15T19:07:02Z

Quatchi and I have been discussing how hard it is to make a great populated neighborhood, with an interesting neighborhood story, a variety of sims, and interconnections between families. I found out that he's really good at creating backstories for sims and neighborhoods, which is something that...

Remove Neighborhood Store Edition Requirement

2012-11-14T21:54:49Z

I download several new subhoods: Bucolic Peace Bustlin' Beaches Mystica Unfortunately, they all require the latest version of the Store Edition, which I don't have. I tried changing the VERS record to Mansion and Garden, but the subhoods still wouldn't appear in my game. So, I decided to see...

EA is Insane

2012-08-20T23:35:00Z

EA's plan to sell weapons for charity backfires: http://www.mtv.co.uk/news/medal-of-honor/361915-medal-of-honor-weapons-controversy-sale This idea was flawed from the start. Why couldn't EA see that?

Another thing on my to-do list

2012-06-24T18:01:13Z

My major one, of course, is trying to rewrite the AGS from scratch. Ouch! However, since I've been able to reproduce tbudgett's problem with the CRES record in SimPE, I want to remember to look into debugging this if I can find the time: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=479638 I do...

Another AGS

2012-06-09T20:00:25Z

I cannot believe that I am actually considering re-writing the AGS from scratch. Please, someone, bring me to my senses!

Concerns about Origin

2012-04-12T02:00:13Z

Some interesting articles about Origin. Given that the new SimCity (reboot) requires Origin, even for single-player games, this is really a concern. I guess that I'm not going to be buying it, after all. It's scary to think that Origin scans your entire computer, looking for clues that you have...

Life is a Social Game

2012-04-01T04:53:02Z

Interesting but scary article about lessons learned while working on Sims Social: http://www.raymazza.com/gdc2012.html It's interesting to see a game designer talking so honestly about monetization of games. I see that Quatchi posted a thread for...

Don Lothario's Sex Change Operation

2012-02-04T01:58:41Z

http://www.modthesims.info/showpost.php?p=3771854&postcount=8 Note that Cassandra loses all interest in "Dawn" after the sex change.

Quote of the Day

2012-01-31T19:31:52Z

From: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=467832 Quote from scn71402: "Not all adults and elders are pedos. Most are." :wtf:

Sites closing

2011-12-22T03:56:03Z

I can't believe that both Simbology and Crazy Town are closing: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=464164 Guess I'll have to find some time to do some downloading over the holidays.

Curved Walls?

2011-11-28T02:13:25Z

I just had this thought... To create the nice smooth curves in the flooring that you see in the Shell House, I just set the elevation (z) at each vertex. If the elevations are precise enough, the game seems to be able to extrapolate from the vertexes to create a smooth curve. In the same way,...

A different view of the Sims.

2011-11-27T18:05:46Z

I found this rather funny: http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/The_Sims Favorite quote: The Sims 2 offered even more Expansion Packs under an even looser guise of charging people the same amount of money for progressively less in return

Building Design by Spirograph?

2011-11-25T05:50:51Z

Here's an interesting site. Looks like someone was playing with their Spirograph: http://holistichouseplans.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1 Almost every detail page starts with a concept picture that looks like it came out of a Spirograph, followed by floor plan pictures which show how the...

Truely Unique Buildings

2011-11-17T23:15:38Z

I love it when architects are free to go to the extreme. There's a wonderful thread at Simtropolis: http://www.simtropolis.com/forum/topic/40432-50-most-weird-buildings-in-the-world/ which seems to have a lot of the buildings from this...

Useful links for TXMT

2011-11-03T04:39:50Z

http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=35769 http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=86151 http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=155779 http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=316260 (thanks, Pixelhate) http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=102356

Useful links for Wiki editing

2011-11-03T04:33:31Z

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Quick_guide http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext_examples

A Warning about Video Game Programming

2011-10-30T22:18:31Z

Since I just received yet another request to write a video game for someone, or at least to teach them how to write a video game, this quote struck me as particularly appropriate. From the University of Prince Edward Island Computer Science Department: Video Game Programming It’s Not About...

Odd insult

2011-10-08T19:05:22Z

btw how much is ea paying you again?This isn't the first time that someone has tried to insult another person in this way at MTS. It seems like such an odd insult. If I were working for EA, would that be a bad thing? This kind of insult often comes up in discussions about piracy. The logic seems...

Things to investigate

2011-10-06T17:37:38Z

My list is getting too long again, so this is just a note on some things that I want to look into: 1) Incorrectly breaking the home / business connection, as described in post # 243 here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?p=3660113#post3660113 Can the HoodChecker find and fix these broken...

New Achievement

2011-09-30T03:31:10Z

I see that there's a new achievement: Contributed to the Wiki. I wonder whether this will encourage people to update the wiki more regularly?

Sims 2 Patches

2011-09-23T15:12:10Z

Since the EA Sims 2 site is down, patches are available here: http://www.simprograms.com/the-sims/the-sims-2/the-sims-2-patches/

Remove Google Instant

2011-08-25T17:17:36Z

Thanks to Quatchi for this link: http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=0 No more Google Instant! Horray! I'm a fast typist and Google Instant is slowing me down significantly, to say nothing of the uselessness of the stuff that it finds before I'm done typing. To stop Google Instant from...

What next?

2011-08-19T14:39:09Z

Just thinking about my current to-do list and setting priorities: - HoodChecker: Finish memory logic and release (with source code). - LevelAdder: Fix hood selection. Release (with source code), but note existing problems? - HoodReplace: Replace all lots. How handle occupied lots and hood / lot...

Rise Up Slow Down

2011-08-17T21:20:24Z

I uploaded my last completed pair of Rise Up lots today. I have eight more lots which are ground level only, but I haven't added the foundation or basement yet. So, I guess that it will take longer between uploads now.

Interesting articles about the game industry

2011-08-09T19:54:10Z

Just enjoyed these articles and thought I'd keep the...

Mystery of the low environment score

2011-08-05T16:20:24Z

I finally figured out yesterday what was causing the low outdoor environment score with my new Rise Up series: the unfinished roof. I made an (incorrect) assumption that sims would not be affected by the covering on a flat roof, given that it was several levels above the ground. I was wrong. ...

Occupied lots which are available for download

2011-08-05T05:24:12Z

Sometimes, you just want to play someone else's families. As long as you aren't too attached to your neighborhood, this isn't necessarily a bad idea. From: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=451077 Here are a few sites that allow users to upload families on lots. Be aware that they may...

Hiding / Unhiding Lots

2011-07-26T00:42:35Z

From: http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,9750.0.html "To unhide lots, subtract 0x00000010 from the value in U0 of the Lot Description in SimPE, works in reverse for hiding lots too."

People who don't really want help

2011-07-10T16:02:34Z

I was reading this thread yesterday: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=447790 and I was struck by how many people ask for help and then attack the person who answers them. I believe that the term used on MTS is "being a Meeki", after someone who was notorious for attacking people who...

Alignment of wall coverings

2011-07-07T20:31:11Z

Interesting discovery; further research here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?p=3579836#post3579836 When placing a wall covering on a partial-height wall, sometimes the wall covering is aligned at the top and sometimes at the bottom. I had noticed this before, but only because M&G uses...

How to remove the invisible tile flags from your lot.

2011-07-03T19:55:24Z

Preliminary testing shows that deleting 3D Array instance 0x15 (21), which contains the invisible flags, is completely safe and that the array will regenerate when you run the game. So, here's what to do: 1) First, make sure that you don't have any pools or no-slope basements on your lot, since...

Install Order

2011-05-20T17:04:51Z

From: http://support.ea.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2229/kw/installation%20order%20for%20sims%202/showhome/true (no longer available) and from: https://help.ea.com/article/RN2229 Here is the order that The Sims 2 should be installed in: * The Sims 2™ (or Sims 2 Deluxe, Sims 2 Double Deluxe or...

How to Renumber a Community Lot

2011-05-01T04:41:12Z

It's possible to renumber community lots. I used this technique to select my graveyard lot for Apartment Life (when the final sim dies in an apartment, the tombstone will be sent to the lowest numbered lot in your neighborhood). I also did this with the Brainania lots so that they would appear in...

Belladonna Cove has a Broken Graveyard

2011-04-29T02:51:20Z

I'm constantly amazed by the number of errors associated with shipped EA neighborhoods. I just found another one. I've been working on a new program which will search your neighborhood for errors that can cause corruption. Well, Belladonna Cove was shipped with a ton of Urnstone tokens which...

A New Vacation Destination!

2011-04-20T20:25:01Z

I'm so pleased to see a new vacation destination from lechapeau available for download at MTS: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=426792 So, now we have a University, a Business District, and a Vacation Destination. Anyone want to try making a Downtown? ;)

Mismatched Terrain under a Road

2011-04-16T18:21:25Z

The neighborhood terrain is stored in the Neighborhood Terrain Geometry (NHTG) record in the neighborhood package. However, the neighborhood terrain under the roads is stored in the Neighborhood/Memory(NGBH) record. This means that the terrain under the roads can become out-of-sync with the rest...

New Wiki Content List for Neighborhoods

2011-04-12T18:20:43Z

I created a new wiki content list for neighborhoods and added the populated neighborhoods list from my journal, along with lists of megahoods and subhoods: http://www.simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Content_List:Neighborhoods Still need to add other types of neighborhoods. Here's a list of other...

You learn something new every day

2011-04-10T07:03:27Z

I never realized that you can add record types to be recognized by SimPE. Just edit the tgi.xml and add the information for the new types. For example, my version of SimPE was missing the following: 6C589723 - LOT - Lot Definition (found in the lot package; very similar to the Lot Description...

Hey, I got a cookie.

2011-04-08T05:34:26Z

I have no idea what I've done to deserve a cookie, but thanks!

Shuffling Dormies

2011-04-05T17:43:14Z

Ever noticed how the same dormies always appear in the same dorms, even if the dorm has been empty for some time? That's because a dormie is a young adult townie who has been assigned a door key for a specific dorm. So, what happens to that young adult townie when the dorm is deleted? That's...

Occupied Neighborhood Downloads (Pets and later)

2011-01-21T23:53:43Z

... Continued from previous journal entry: http://www.modthesims.info/journal.php?do=showentry&e=5299 Updated: 15 Sep 2011 - New neighborhoods Note: I haven't done any investigation into the neighborhoods for these later EPs yet, but I thought that I'd at least note the neighborhood names and...

Occupied Neighborhood Downloads (Open for Business)

2011-01-21T22:33:40Z

... Continued from previous journal entry: http://www.modthesims.info/journal.php?do=showentry&e=5285 Open for Business: Balloth While Balloth isn't technically a neighborhood (it's a shopping district subhood), it can easily be played as a standalone neighborhood with one small edit. ...

Occupied Neighborhood Downloads (base game to Nightlife)

2011-01-13T17:07:25Z

Updated: 15 Sep 2011 - Added Scotia. I've been investigating various neighborhood downloads and realized that I particularly like populated neighborhoods: hoods with playable characters with interesting story lines. If you know of any neighborhood downloads with playable sims that I've missed,...

Lot Impostor Lighting.

2010-12-19T16:11:42Z

I just used this wonderful tutorial by plasticbox to fix the lot impostor lighting for the unoccupied base-game neighborhood that I use for building, so that the lighting of a lot in the neighborhood view matches the lighting that I see when editing the...

AnyGameStarter on a different drive

2010-12-08T00:10:34Z

Useful info which will likely be deleted because it was in the help section: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=427491 Hi guys. I've recently nearly run out of drivespace on my Vista computer and was wondering, because I want to reinstall Sims 3 again, if I could redirect my AnyGame1...

EP Game Engine for SPs

2010-12-06T06:04:33Z

Useful info from: http://www.simbology.com/smf/index.php?topic=1228.0 "Here's a list of the order the Expansions came out and then the SPs and which EP they are based on. For the Stuff Packs, you need to use mods for the EP in parenthesis unless you have a higher EP than that...

Sims vs. Lots

2010-12-02T22:59:22Z

I saw a post recently which suggested that too many lots can impact your game performance far more than too many sims. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find the post. This concerned me because my new university subhood has a fair number of (small) lots, approximately 50. However, I believe that...

Brainania University

2010-11-30T02:59:33Z

I've finally finished Brainania, a custom university subhood with no additional EP requirements and no custom content. Now comes the difficult part: all of the documentation required to upload it to MTS. Ouch! With almost 50 lots, I've actually considered uploading this somewhere with less...

Useful links for Bon Voyage subhoods.

2010-11-16T17:38:20Z

LeChapeau pointed out that my subhood technique for vacation destinations has a problem when creating sims. CAS is unavailable with vacation subhoods, so it's impossible to create "vacation locals". However, there's no problem with changing the vacation subhood back to a primary neighborhood...

How to make two copies of a neighborhood co-exist

2010-10-19T01:14:48Z

I believe that it may be possible to convince two copies of a neighborhood to co-exist. Here's my tentative procedure from: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=422454 Note that the AnyGameStarter is a much simpler solution to this problem. As far as I can tell, there are four things...

Default road replacments for your lot

2010-10-06T22:12:40Z

I've seen a number of default road replacements for neighborhoods, but it's very easy to make a matching default road replacement for your lots. This will ensure that the roads on the lot, including occupied apartments, will always match the roads in your neighborhood. Just extract the Material...

A Solution to Disappearing Neighborhoods?

2010-09-22T17:20:15Z

Thanks to DigitalSympathies for this potential solution: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=420149 to the disappearing neighborhoods problem: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=180053 1) Install and run the AnyGameStarter: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=250555 2)...

Alternate Method for Combining Multiple Neighborhoods

2010-09-16T16:08:36Z

I wanted to split off my alternate (simpler) method for creating a mega-hood from my journal entry "How to Create a Custom University Template", since they are different, if related topics. Can the technique (which I used to create a custom university template) also be used to make a mega-hood,...

How to Drive on the Other Side of the Road (Right-Hand Drive)

2010-09-14T19:02:34Z

Tutorial created; you'll find it here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=420523

How to Create a Custom University Template

2010-09-14T05:45:01Z

Here's a tutorial that I'm working on, to describe this process more fully: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=420196 I'm keeping this journal entry for now, just in case. I have discovered a way to create a custom university template, which can be added to any neighborhood that you...

How to find the File Name of an Apartment SubLot (Occupied Apartment)

2010-09-05T18:50:14Z

Backup your save game now, just in case. Run SimPE and open your neighborhood. 1) In the left pane, select the Lot Description (LTXT). 2) In the right pane, click on the word "Name" in the title bar; this will sort all of your lots by name. 3) Scroll down until you find the name of your...

Clean Installer is moving forward

2010-07-04T04:10:46Z

I must admit that I was disappointed when I learned that the source code for the Clean Installer 1.5.4 no longer exists, since that was the version which was working fairly well for people for the last three years. Instead of the source code for this working version, I received a version which...

Retrieving Lots from a Corrupt Neighborhood

2010-06-14T04:50:58Z

Here's a very useful technique for retrieving lots when your neighborhood is corrupt. I've suggested it to several people now and it's worked every time. Note that it may not work for occupied apartments and some other special lots. Place a copy of each lot package into the Lot Catalog and...

Kablooie

2010-06-01T16:51:12Z

EA provides several simple ways to corrupt your TS2 neighborhood. You should avoid all of these: - Delete sims from the Sim Bin. - Move occupied lots to the Lot Bin. - Add occupied lots to your neighborhood (unless the lot has been properly cleaned). - Use the DeleteAllCharacters cheat. Why EA...

New Version of the GridAdjuster - No-Slope Basements Made Easy

2010-05-30T01:50:23Z

I just uploaded the latest version of the TS2GridAdjuster. This version makes no-slope basements very simple. Just build your lot with an extra dummy level on the ground floor and your basement one level up. Then, run the GridAdjuster, select the "Basement" pattern, specify the range of your...

No-CC No-Slope Multi-Level Non-Rectangular Basement

2010-05-27T18:44:47Z

I just finished making an interesting proof-of-concept lot. This lot has a no-slope two-level non-rectangular basement which requires no CC at all, made using my newest (unreleased) version of the GridAdjuster. This new version will do everything needed to make a no-cc no-slope rectangular single-...

Loggias, Lanai, and Courtyards

2010-05-26T20:36:51Z

TS2 certainly doesn't like outdoor living areas. With CSH 4 Redux, I struggled to make a sunny courtyard entrance. After much frustration, I finally moved the entrance to the living room, since the game was completely unwilling to recognize the door into the courtyard as a front door. This is...

How to Fix Crashing Beach Lots

2010-05-20T15:20:41Z

Beach lots are notorious for crashing if the slope of the land from the road to the water is not identical to the slope used when the lot was created. They can also crash if you turn them in a direction which is different than their default rotation; ie, the direction that the lot is facing when...

Fix Sim Stuck on Business or Vacation Lot

2010-05-20T06:54:29Z

Here's a simple solution to the problem that so many people have reported: that their sim is stuck on a business or vacation lot and so they can no longer play the family. Moved this tutorial to General Modding Tutorials: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=456244 According to...

Missing mailbox

2010-03-19T14:58:36Z

Link to replacement mailbox: http://daydream.etowns.net/S2hacked.htm

Sims2Pack Clean Installer

2010-02-28T05:29:17Z

Looks like the clean installer source code may be available: Hi everyone, i have replaced my computer lately and while cleaning up old projects i found s2pci folder, i have no time or willingness to develop this software further. If anyone is interested in obtaining sources let me know by email...

What an odd day

2010-02-17T08:21:40Z

Today started off with zaland telling me that I was "immoral" (????) and ended with Kaoko-chan telling me (at some length) that I'm a bully, a troll, and goodness knows what else. Why? Because I tried to help them with their problems. I know that it's easy to misunderstand people on the...

Case Study Houses

2010-02-03T00:25:19Z

I'm having a lot of fun creating lots based on the Case Study Houses that angel f uploaded. I managed to find a web site with the original articles about the houses, so I can see what the architect intended and compare that with how angel f envisioned them. But I'm just amazed at how large these...

Too Many Favorites

2010-01-24T22:06:20Z

I seem to have overflowed my favorite downloads page. Since I'm no longer playing TS3, I'm going to put the TS3 links here. I hope that this will free up enough space for the important links. Auto Cheater http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=351293 Beautiful Vista buff adjustment - Little...

Custom Neighborhood Names

2010-01-14T16:11:21Z

Thanks to SimSanta1992, I learned that neighborhoods don't have to be named <3 numbers>; you can name your neighborhoods so that they are actually recognizable. What a wonderful undocumented feature: http://www.modthesims.info/showpost.php?p=2988039&postcount=468 So, I've been updating my...

Depreciated lots

2010-01-07T16:13:10Z

I just found out that MTS is accepting depreciated lots. That can make quite a difference for the starter homes that I like to build. So, here are my questions: 1) Would people like me to add an alternate version to each of my uploads, depreciated to a lower price? Most of my Fledgling Flats...

Two new versions of the LotAdjuster; one released and one in testing.

2009-12-07T03:02:44Z

I've been working on a new version of the LotAdjuster which will allow people to adjust using lot-sized tiles, rather than neighborhood-sized tiles. This will give people more flexibility and control. As well, I've added the ability to expand one side and shrink the other, so that a building can...

Interesting Baby Names Site

2009-12-01T02:38:10Z

I found a really interesting names site today: http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/ My favorite list is SciFi (somewhat difficult to find): http://www.namenerds.com/uucn/sci-fi/ Very heavy on male names, probably because of how sexist SciFi is. I also like their list of Robots, Androids, and...

Even if TS3...

2009-07-13T22:00:24Z

I had a funny conversation yesterday. Went something like this: Even if TS3 had a proper neighborhood editor... and, even if TS3 build mode worked... and, even if TS3 had proper genetics... and, even if TS3 story progression actually worked...

Problems with TS3

2009-06-07T03:58:07Z

Along with the obvious problems with story progression etc. in TS3, I was surprised to see that EA has managed to destroy build mode. Even though I only played with it for an hour or so, these things were immediately apparent: 1) The wall-movement ability can make it almost impossible to grab...

Adding a foundation to an existing house

2009-05-12T15:28:31Z

I am finally having some success with my new program to add a level to a lot. I was able to raise 9 Fledgling Flats and put a foundation underneath, plus add a full second story without destroying the unique roof. I also managed to add 4 no-slope basements under the 4 townhouses on Maxis' Bella's...

Are they joking?

2009-05-01T15:05:30Z

Saw this item on EA's Sims 2 site: "EA Reveals The Sims 3 Full Online Feature Set. Check out the full online feature set of The Sims 3 - including TheSims3.com site, the Launcher, and The Sims 3 Store." When I think of all the problems that people had with the Launcher (SecuROM) and the Store...

Moo Tools

2009-04-28T18:21:40Z

I've created a new social group for discussion of tools like the LotAdjuster, HoodReplace, ConvertiWall, and the GridAdjuster. Although it won't be long until TS3 comes out, I have a bit of time right now and thought that I'd try to get a few new utilities up and working. So, if you have any...

Real Basements

2009-04-26T00:01:41Z

Now that the GridAdjuster is available, we have a very simple way to make real basements, with no odd slope: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?p=2172451#post2172451 I'm really pleased at how easy this is with the new tool.

GridAdjuster

2009-04-22T03:35:42Z

I'm on a roll. The first version of the TS2GridAdjuster has been uploaded and is sitting in the approval queue. So far, it only does flat and sloped. I wanted to upload what I have working because of the new "real" basement tutorial. Since it involves negative elevations, I'm hoping that...

ConvertiWall and GridAdjuster

2009-04-20T06:28:46Z

Well, I finally managed to find some time to finish work on ConvertiWall (a.k.a. WallStyle) and uploaded it today. Work is proceeding on TS2GridAdjuster (a.k.a. WallHeight, a.k.a CFENoMore) and I'm looking for feedback on the UI and name. If you'd like to join the discussion, please join us...

Lost Angles - my first CompatiLot project

2009-04-02T21:58:52Z

Another silver lining? The MTS2 04/01 joke was so annoying that I just stayed away for the day. But, that gave me time for a special project. I've had this house for some time now, but I really wanted to clean it up, since it used all EPs and SPs up to Glamour Life. I wanted to make it...

CFE no more?

2009-03-27T13:29:28Z

I've been looking at the houses showcased from the TS3 Creators' Camp. As far as I can tell, no one is using the CFE (ConstrainFloorElevation) cheat to make modern homes. http://thesims3.ea.com/view/pages/community.jsp?type=event If EA has removed this cheat, it's a sad day for modern home...

There's always a silver lining.

2009-02-19T03:13:05Z

I'm a firm believer in finding the good things associated with bad things that happen. Here are some recent examples: The Sims 3 has been delayed. Because of this, I decided to work on my new program, which allows adjustment of the grid elevations without using the CFE cheat; this is the program...

Firefox

2008-12-24T16:55:14Z

Well, I finally broke down and installed Firefox. Seems like Internet Explorer is just too buggy these days. Ever since Delphy started this latest round of "improving" the site a few months ago, I've been getting frequent hangs and crashes. Funny that IE was only unhappy with this site; none of...

InSim Community

2008-12-03T22:11:30Z

I'm afraid that I've just spent a lot of time trying to catch up on what's happening at InSim. Somehow, it touches me even though I don't usually spend a lot of time at that site. It brings up interesting questions about legal vs. moral "ownership" of a community site, whether stealing back your...

Mansions and Gardens Stuff

2008-11-26T05:58:02Z

I finally managed to get a new version of the LotAdjuster released - compatible with Mansions and Gardens Stuff. The funny thing is: the actual code changes were minor. My main problem was getting EP9 (sic.) installed. I don't want SecuROM on my machine, and I'm also using Dizzy's patch to fix...

Potential 64-bit fix

2008-11-02T03:22:42Z

I've uploaded potential fixes for the problems that people have been having running my programs on a 64-bit system. Just waiting for confirmation from a couple of people before I make these official releases. In the interim, you can find the fixed versions...

My to-do list

2008-10-15T17:48:22Z

Just wanted to write down all of the things that I've been working on, so that I don't forget anything. LotAdjuster: + Implement 64-bit fix. (done) + Replace the last "Next >" button with a "Finish" button, to warn people that they are about to commit their changes. (done) - Expand / copy existing...

Fix for Beach Apartments

2008-09-24T18:05:09Z

The readme for Apartment Life says that beach apartments will not work. Here's a tutorial to fix the problem: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=302405 There's no problem creating a residential beach lot, building an apartment on the lot, or changing the lot from residential to...

It's bigger on the inside...!

2008-09-13T15:24:17Z

I managed to get 4 apartments which each share the same space and time. Each apartment appears to be 2x2 lot tiles. But, when you play one of the occupied apartments, it opens up into a luxurious 2 bedroom unit. I've been playing two of the units without any problems, but I want to test whether...

Apartments: benefits and liabilities

2008-09-12T17:11:40Z

I didn't know that I would like apartments... but I do! It's so nice to be able to have a nicer place for my starter sims without cheating. And, I love that the landlord takes care of the landscaping... s/he seems to do a much better job of it than the hired gardener ever did, probably because...

Percolating - thoughts for future projects

2008-09-08T17:38:37Z

Just some thoughts on things that might be interesting, but which I'm not actively pursuing right now: CompatiLot: Reduce the EP requirements of a lot. Many people don't realize that each EP that you install fundamentally changes the internal structure of a lot, so that lots are not backwards...

Guestbook

2008-09-08T00:31:27Z

Questions? Concerns? Comments? Requests? Thanks? Feel free to comment here.

What I'm working on

2008-09-07T20:22:06Z

In addition to maintaining the LotAdjuster, I'm working on a few other projects: WallStyle: Change the style of a wall. Looks like there are few valid conversions, but standard wall to foundation wall gives inexpensive modern roofs. May not be necessary; temporary modding of the wall.txt file...