Extracting objects

[Wednesday17]

I know there are lots of tutorials on the how, but before I go and immerse myself in them, I wanted to ask if it is at all possible to extract objects from one EP I own and use them in a game without that EP installed? For personal use only, of course. And is it very time consuming per object?

I'd like to have a number of objects fom BV, but the EP is so annoying as a whole and is slowing everything down, it's unbelievable! I am aware that objects with certain functionality like the voodoo doll or the wishing thingie won't be easily "copied", but I mostly like the tropical and asian plants.
I am also aware that I'll have to wait for the new SimPe, but it doesn't hurt to know now and help me decide if I'll keep BV a while longer or not.

[MissDoh]

No sorry this is not possible.  In order to use the objects you must have the ep that goes with it install.

[Wednesday17]

:bawl: :bawl: :bawl:

Bu-buh-but *sob* haven't there been extracted (or cloned?) objects from stuff packs already for use without the packs installed?

[Tenshii~Akari]

I guess those were possible because the meshes themselves were extracted and converted to compatible objects... that's just my guess anyways, as I'm definitely not a meshing expert.  :lol:

[MissDoh]

Wednesday, if it was possible to do my guess is there would be tons of those already available on all the sims 2 communtiy sites.

[Wednesday17]

Wednesday, if it was possible to do my guess is there would be tons of those already available on all the sims 2 communtiy sites.

I tend to not consider that fact as proof, because it would be totally illegal. I know, on the Exchange, Maxis' very own backyard, they share about anything they can get their hands on, copyright or not. They don't have any qualms or honor. But I doubt that those very same people are very good modders of their own, I guess they only collect stuff and then pack it in their houses.

On the other hand, I doubt that any reputable modder would make Maxis objects available for download. I don't want everyone to have objects of EP's they never bought, but  only some for my personal use out of an EP that is legally mine, that's a big difference to me.

[HugeLunatic]

You can extract the mesh and all textures files, and then clone a base game item and use your extracted items.  Or a pets one if you want pets animations.

I play on a mac, but I have the stuff packs on windows.  I did this with all the GL stuff to use on my mac.  It is very time consuming unless of course you are a super modder, but then I suspect you would be maker way cooler stuff.

This is also not legal to share any of these items.

[Wednesday17]

Thank you! That was exactely the information I needed. :blob5:
But I see how it would be very time consuming... but at least I now have a vague idea on how it's done.

You don't, by any chance, know where I can find a tutorial on that? I looked through the files on MTS2, but didn't find anything yet.
I mean, I can still decide that it's not worth the trouble, but at least I'd like to know if I could do it at all. Cos you're right, my modding experience is very little, some recoloring of bodyshop items like clothes and hair and recoloring objects with SimPE.

And of course there's way cooler cc out there than Maxis objects, but I am crazy about plants and there are some really good ones in BV.

This is also not legal to share any of these items.

I am aware of that and that's not my intention at all. I believe I already said that in my last posting.

[HugeLunatic]

Any of the tutorials go through cloning.  One thing to do different is to check the "create standalone object"  this will pull all files associated with the object.  You probably don't wan't to use as is because the size of the file would be huge.  There are no tutorials specific to cloning items to make compatible without the ep.  Basically follow the tutorial except you will be taking your mesh and texture files from your cloned item.

I know what to do, I just don't know how to explain well.

[Wednesday17]

Basically follow the tutorial except you will be taking your mesh and texture files from your cloned item.

Um, the tutorial is what I don't have.
I got the SimPe beta for BV and experimented with that. I am not well versed with SimPe, it's very un-intuitive for me. Also it is German, which is generally not a problem, cos I am too. BUT. It complicates working with English tutorials and I never even saw the German descriptions in game.

You probably don't wan't to use as is because the size of the file would be huge.

I have no clue what that means.:-?

Anyway, I opened the object workshop and found a file I wanted to clone. I checked "create standalone object" (but I didn't change any of the default checks). I didn't know what to do with the following window, so I just saved the file. It created a name.package and a name.bak, but they have slightliy different sizes.

I put the package files in a folder and put it into the downloads folder.
In game I found the five objects, but I only found them with the asterisk for cc, the original files weren't there anymore. I then bought those objects and put them on a lot. Closed the game, pulled the cloned objects out of the downloads, started the game. My objects were still there, I used the eyedropper tool on them and that led me to the original game objects, which were there again (without asterisk).

So... are the items I created the the ones I want and that I can put in a game without the BV expansion? If that was it, it wasn't very painful at all.
And another thing: those five were the only ones I found of those I wanted to have, but there are many more. Four of the five plants I found in "unknown", one in "plants". Where are all the other objects? And I take it, it's generally not as easy to clone fences?

[HugeLunatic]

If you still have BV installed and you put your cloned downloads in there it will override those if you haven't changed the GUID(a custom hex number that is different for each and every ojbect).  Which if your going to uninstall BV it won't matter.  The asterisk means its cc and now that you've cloned it, and the filenames inside the package have changed the game now sees it as cc.  I am thinking that any custom recolors won't show with your custom ones, even if you leave the GUID the same.  It's been so long since I did that with the GL stuff.  You will have to experiement.

The name.package is your object the name.bak is a backup which you can delete.  There are tutorials at MTS2 about creating, a good one is by JWoods.  As there are no tutorials for what you are doing you just  have to read the tutorials about creating and try to apply to what you are doing.

By checking create standalone object you are getting all files in the package associated with that object, including any new animations from BV, which could lead to your game crashing if something new was introduced with BV.  Also by having all the additional files it increases the package size.

You will find fences in architecture I believe.  Plants vary between several categories, there are trees, shrubs, plants, others, and I don't know where the garden stuff from Seasons is.  Other is a mishmash of lots of stuff.  But alot of plants are there.

Oh and you should be able to download the english version, I believe you just need to click the american flag.