I have cloned a Night Life 2x2 table to create a 3x2 dining table, extended the footprint plus added some eating slots (can make more).

My problem is trying to get my head around dining table slots - the 2x2 table permits eight diners around the table - yet there are sixteen slots(?)
I have looked at other dining tables and 2x1 have eight eating slots although can only fit up to six diners.

I appreciate that I should be deleting 2 eating slots (would that be 4?) from the cloned item as my table surface is there so can't be used. I just don't know which slots are the correct ones to delete although I think it might be the last in the group i.e. South.
I am not sure if I have used the right co-ordinates with my new eating slots - I just tried to use the pattern from the 4 groups of 4 where x or y is 1 - changing it to 2.

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer.

Hiya!

Not a master at slots, and I might be wrong but...
the slots themselves are only 'eating slots' in name until you play around a bit more with values in CRES, SLOT and OBJF. No need to delete them.

In terms of figuring out which are which and how to position the new ones, I recommend writing down the position values and then arranging them either on a piece of paper or in excel or graphic software. Double-checking with the values in milkshape could also be good, as suggested by HugeLunatic. Also the I9 and I10 values in SLOT files are like their identification numbers, so that can also help with tracking them.
You're on the right track with recognizing the X, Y, Z patterns. Your new slots, (using that 1 and 2 value example) would be on either 3 or 0, depending on the object rotation.

The three tutorials linked at the top of HL's post might also be a big help (CRES explanation by Numenor, Slots by Numenor & Atavera, Slots for Extended Objects by fisheyes)

Hello @kacpi33
Thank you for your reply - I really do appreciate it.
I do have a reasonable amount of experience with slots i.e. adding and moving them - it is just getting my head around which one each slot relates to, given the excess number of slots I would have expected to find.
You appear to have given me that info with the identification numbers to look for - so fingers crossed I can do this.

Thank you again.

Update:
Unfortunately still does not help me to identify the slots - there are 4 north, east, south and west slots with only 8 dining places which should mean only 2 for all of them.
I have also tried another table (3x1) with 3 lots of north, east, south and west instead of expected 1 east and west (or north and south) and 3 north and south (or 3 east and west).

Here's the list of connections I've found, to help track the slots:


1. In OBJDs in their Raw Data find 0x0014 slots id. That's the instance number of a SLOT file assigned to this OBJD >

2. Open the linked SLOT file and check the I9 values of the containers >

3. Open Text List 'Model - Bones'. This should have all the slots written down. Look for the ones that have the same numbers as I9 values from SLOT in the brackets under #. This way you get their name >

4. In CRES, either from the expandable blocklist or Edit BLocks or CRES Hierarchie, with the names you can identify their positions


The numbers in OBJDs names should identify their general position, if I remember correctly. And the one with 'lead' is the one that should be under the mouse cursor when you pick up the item from buy mode.

Hello @kacpi33
Thank you for taking the time to reply and I appreciate you are trying to help me.
I have experience of creating slots and know how to recognize which slot relates to - that is not the issue.

Why are there more slots than needed - 16 (4 lots of north, east, south and west) instead of 8 for the 2x2 dining table/12 (3 lots of north, east south and west) instead of 8 for the 3x1 dining table? Both tables seat 8 Sims.

I really don't want to change any slot positions that don't need to be changed or more importantly shouldn't be.

Update:
I have tried changing every slot to every possible destination during the last month...with very little success.

I decided to have one more go but this time to clone using the Manor House Paree Dining Table (3x1).
I thought this would be easier - extend the footprint, then move the depth (Y) of the standard slots to the new middle of the table; lastly move the eating slots to the north of the new section of the table - regrettably did not work with my Sims annoyed about not being able to place the plate on the table.

I checked all the values and made a comparison with the NightLife Table (2x2) and then that was when it dawned on me - eureka!!!
It is all about the slot space - the NightLife Table occupies 4 spaces - the Manor House Paree Dining Table occupies only 3 spaces. Every space occupied requires a standard slot plus an East, North, South and West slots.,

In Text Lists, I created a standard slot 3, 4 and 5 plus eating slots 3,4,5 for each of the four points plus noted their number on the list. In the slot file, I cloned the highest existing slot file, adjusting the last 2 values (I9 and I10) to correspond with the new entries. I had observed that float 3 had the value 4 for the zero and one slots, but this changed to 0.7674008 for the upper slots (NightLife Table), so I changed this too. I removed the routing entries and saved. As this was a clone, I updated the instance number. I created a further 2 slots files in the same way. In CRES, edit blocks, I created 15 object graph nodes, noting their number on the list which I added in Joints, then proceeded to update the 15 slots renaming and position.

I tested this version in-game and got my Sim Rudi to make hotdogs but they disappear (?), so I got him to remake the hotdogs and he was able to serve


Is there anything I can do to stop the food disappearing? It is like a glitch.
I have attached the zip.file for this version.

Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.