TUTORIAL: Changing the Height of Sims with SimPE

[BeosBoxBoy]

This requires SimPE (q.v. http://sims.ambertation.de/) and a bit of patience.

You will discover the name of the Sim's character file by:

1. Start SimPE
2. Tools >> Neighbourhood >> Neighbourhood Browser
3. Select the Neighbourhood from the pictures
4. Tools >> Neighbourhood >> Sim Browser
5. Scroll to find your Sims, look for the file name in the File Name column
6. Write down the file name & Sim name

Close SimPE

OK let's assume you were looking for Joe Sim in Pleasantview

You followed the instructions I just gave and found his character file was N001_User00015.package

The thing about the names are simple:

Begins with.................................Neighbourhood folder
N001_ .......................................Pleasantview
N002_ .......................................Strangetown
N003_ .......................................Veronaville
N004_ .......................................User made
N005_ .......................................User made
N006_ .......................................User made
etc

Pleasantview is located here:

My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighbourhoods\N001

notice how N001 is the name of the folder?

The Characters are located here:

My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighbourhoods\N001\Characters

Browse to the character folder for your neighbourhood, double click N001_User00015.package.

Once you locate the character file for the Sim you want to change, you need to open it with SimPE, look for the AgeData, and alter the stretch (dtSingle) value



Make sure you get the right AgeData for your Sim.

Look at the age (dtUInteger):

0x00000004 = teen -- usually stretch (dtSingle) = 0.94
0x00000008 = adult -- stretch (dtSingle) = 1.00
0x00000010 = elder -- stretch (dtSingle) = 1.00

NOTA BENE: In some versions of Windows comma (,) is the decimal point, if this is what you normally use, then 0,94 - 1,00 - 1,00 etc

Remember to COMMIT your changes & save.
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Does anyone know how many meters 1.0 is supposed to be? I though I saw a post from Jase with that information, but I can't find it now.

The value 1.0 is supposed to reflect an average height, so roughly 5'10" or 1,78 metres.

The value 0.94 is supposed to reflect an average height of 5'5" or 1,67 m.

If you wanted professional basketball player sim, a good value would be stretch 1.2
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Will the kiss or hug anim work correctly?

It depends on the stretch value - some are worse than others.  Maxis defined the animations for sims of pre-defined heights.

In all most of them are off by "livable" amounts that film-makers can over-come with camera angles.  But if you show little or no restraint, you can have a 0,5 m adult hug a 6,0 m adult with ease... just expect it to look weird.
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MUCH easier way is a cheat code:

stretchskeleton (number)

Strechskeleton defaults back when you leave the lot and come back. SimPE is permanent which is what the OP wanted.

Correct.  The stretchskeleton cheat remains active only for the duration of the current game.  As soon as you exit and restart, the sims will revert to their original heights.

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Hi again and thanks so much.  Your instructions work for me until the very last step.  Now I have a different issue, maybe I need to download another program.  When I get to the very last step and try to open the file.  I get a message saying Windows can not open the file.  My choices are to either cancel, or open and select a program to view the file with.  Is there a setting I much change or a program I must have?  Thanks again for your help!

Gné? but you have SimPE, maybe you didn't let it set itself as the default programme to open these file types during install?
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Your instructions work for me until the very last step.  Now I have a different issue, maybe I need to download another program.  When I get to the very last step and try to open the file.  I get a message saying Windows can not open the file.  My choices are to either cancel, or open and select a program to view the file with.  Is there a setting I much change or a program I must have?  Thanks again for your help!

Gné? but you have SimPE, maybe you didn't let it set itself as the default programme to open these file types during install?
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SimPE has only a version for windows.

Sina

Sina, of you install Crossover Office (may not work on Mac) or maybe Darwine (very beta WinE for Darwin) you might be able to run SimPE

If not now, certainly some time in the future

[IcemanTO]

A little notice:
For the european metric based systems (e.g. Windows with Italian, German, French and so on settings), you have to write commas instead points into the decimal values, or you will have very strange results.

For example if you put a value of 1.01 SimPE translates it as 101 and you will have a kilometric height of the sim. LOL

So you have to use 1,01 and so on.

I wrote so because it's seems not enough underscored into the main post and it's a very big trouble if not recognized.

Ice

[BeosBoxBoy]

In some versions of Windows comma (,) is the decimal point, if this is what you normally use, then 0,94 - 1,00 - 1,00 etc

it's there

[fransica]

Thank you so much for this tutorial, it works like a charm for me and now I have more variety in my game thanks again!!!

[Mandie]

I was wondering if this would also work with younger sims (toddlers and children.)  What are the basic heights of them?  I hate having all of my children the same height.

[fransica]

I tried it with two of my sim kids but their height starts at 1 like the adult so I put it at 1.1 and my kid is like an actual may 12 year old height and I tried .94 and she was the size of maybe a five year old, so I guess you can do it with the kids I can't say thank you enough for this I love it.

[BeosBoxBoy]

Very glad to help - and I understand the weirdness of having everyone at the same heights.

[mthomason]

Is there a bulk method where (for instance) you can make men a little taller than women?

[djslippyman]

This is a fantastic hint.  Thanks so much for it!

mumof5ferals  - I wouldn't go even near that low.  They'd be crammed into a foot high.  

.82 to .86 works well for standard "younger" teens (just slightly taller then your avg child) but less then that may look unrealistic and akward.

[Codi Jo]

worked great for my athletic girl now she's bout 5'2" like me lol

[Auronette]

Oh, thank you!  I never even considered that this could be done and it will go a long way to making the game more diversified.

[BeosBoxBoy]

Is there a bulk method where (for instance) you can make men a little taller than women?

Sorry for the delay in answering - but I had to look at a lot of game files and experiment a bit.  If there is a way, there was no way I could determine it.  I suppose there may be a way to do it with a default replacement file, but this seems to be somewhat hit or miss in the working.

Pre-made sims by Maxis seem to not be affected by the mods I made - at least the pre-fabs that install with the game or the EPs.

So I have to say no, there is no universal way to make all men taller than women.  Another modder may find a way to do it.

[Jagerjaques]

This method seems to work with the newest SimPE. Thank you!

[The Mule]

Getting ahead of myself here...but let's say I make a dwarf kinda dude. Will new clothes fit him or do I need to shrink them somehow also?

Edit - OK...I made the dude in bodyshop...dwarfed him in simpe and as soon as i changed his clothes..he grew...so I guess that answers THAT question.

So...can his clothes be shrunk somehow so he can change them?

Aaaaannd...evidently you have to have the guy already in the neighborhood like your tut instead of creating in bs, shrinking in simpe and then trying to bring him ingame. As soon as his little feet hit the floor in CAS he grew to normal size....But it was fun making him in bs!!

Edit again....ok...so here's the peg-leg dwarf...YES he can buy clothes and stay small...but he loses the peg-leg since that's a special mesh. Now if only I could figure out the reflective cube thingie....

[Jagerjaques]

Awww! Peg-leg!