Insimenator.org

2thumb Game Edition addon (for creators/modders)

* Requires     : The Sims 2 (base game)
* Compatibility: The Sims 2, University, Nightlife, Open For Business, Pets, Seasons, Bon Voyage, Store Edition, FreeTime, Apartment Life, Mansion & Garden Stuff, all Stuff Packs
* Modifications: Global (but needs to be specifically called by a modder)
* Hack Version#: 1.1

Update ( 04/08/2009 )
~~~~~~
1.1
- Introduces compatibility with Mansion & Garden Stuff Pack and hopefully any future EPs/SPs without needing a new 1.2 version (ver 1.0 only works up to AL)
- Using advanced mathematics invented by the Klaxxon Empire, optimizes EP/SP detection code to use less CPU cycles (meaning it runs faster now!)

Quick Info
~~~~~~~~~~
* Since some people are not reviewing my README file before installing the addon, I'll make this clear upfront.  Do not install any test files from the embedded RAR archives unless you are planning on making your own hacks.  Those 2 files make messages scroll down your screen every time you move the mouse over a sink.  They are only for testing hacks that you make yourself.

EP = Expansion Pack (usually new game code + objects)
SP = Stuff Pack (usually just new objects)

This is simply a tool that allows all of my hacks to be backward compatible with all or most editions of The Sims 2, from the original base game of 2004, up through the latest Expansion Packs: such as FreeTime / Apartment Life / Mansion & Garden Stuff.  It adds global BHAV routines that permit any hack from any author to check which EPs/SPs are installed upon the player's computer.

Any functions that already come with the game are either broken or sorely lacking in functionality.  So I coded my own routines to do the job properly!

Effects
~~~~~~~
This addon is the end result of my desire for 100% accuracy in determining which game engines are installed with the minimum amount of CPU processing power spent executing the checks, all accessible globally from any hack.  That is the main reason for this addon.  Plus, the global routine "Expansion Pack - EP(param) Installed?" that comes with University and higher is not a proper solution to this issue because it does not take into account the base game, returning false positives for many EP checks.  In addition, it crashes when checking for "Apartment Life" on older EPs.

* Check out the readme.txt file for more information.

Cool! wait... what?

So...what are the effects of what you've listed as "Effects"? My wild guess as to why we'd find this is useful is that it might speed up load time. Am I close?

No it does not speed up the game load time. The readme file explains more of what it does. It is just a means to detect which expansion packs or stuff packs are installed. My other hacks use this thing as an addon.

To kuel...thanks...I'll try it out.

Thank you. Hve to try out.

Thanks

thanks :)

Thank You!!

Thank you, I'll try it.

Are these files placed in Downloads Folder? And are the rar files within the rar files needing to be extracted?

I am a total Noobcologist when it comes to these things.

You can put the file in Downloads, but you do not need to extract the 2 test archives.

Thanks

Version 1.1 is now available.  Previous version (downloaded 847 times) could not detect M&G Stuff Pack, unless Apartment Life was also installed along with it.

Is there a way to add an option to disable the popup messages every time the mouse hovers over the sink when I need to direct the Sim to wash the baby, get a drink from or wash dishes in the sink? It does become slightly annoying when the mouse hovers over the sink, and the dialog messages popped up more than once.

I believe the answer is to remove the AddOn\Test folder, or at least change the file extension of the files in it.

The problem is that he made some of his mods dependent on this particular mod, and the way he designed the mod caused the spam of the game engine dialog messages to appear if I had my Sim do something at the sink. I believed the same goes for the other version of this particular mod listing the most current EP.

If I delete this particular folder, then the other mods cease to function.

Thus the reason to ask if there is a possible way to disable the dialog message spam but to click on the sink and do something like "Check Game Engine".

Unless the mod packaging was changed, the packages in the Test folder are for development/debug use only and not meant for normal game play.  The packages in the AddOn folder are required for his other mods to function.

I'm out.  Sorry for trying to help.

Just let him have his word before we jump to conclusions, okay? I only wanted to find out if he can add or revise part of the mod by adding an option to the pie menu and disable the spam or not.

as ancienthighway explained, those messages are caused by extracting the files from TEST.RAR and/or TEST2.RAR.  those 2 files are just for testing purposes.  the only file that you should have copied to your Downloads directory is df_game_edition_addon.package, and nothing else.  if you do that, then the sinks won't display messages.  it is all explained in the readme file.

Quoted from your "df_game_edition_addon_1.1" file:

Also included in TEST.RAR is "test_game_edition_flags.package".  If you want to
know which EPs/SPs are installed on your machine, then first install the addon
itself.  Next put the test hack in your Downloads directory and run the game.

All you need to do is add any sink to a lot and then run the mouse pointer over
the sink.  It prints out messages on the screen for each EP/SP that is
currently installed on your machine.

Another hacked named "test_engines.package" is included in TEST2.RAR.  Install
and use it just like one above.  This other hack will print out which Game
Engine is the highest one currently installed on your computer.

You can only use one of the TEST hacks at a time.  Just delete the one you are
not using or else they will conflict with one another.


That particular quotation states to install either file from TEST or TEST2 to work with df_game_edition_addon.

Does not mention that installing either file from TEST or TEST2 is optional if we don't want spam to pop up on the screen each time the mouse hovers over the sink.


Needs to be clear that the TEST and/or TEST2 files are optional because I was under the impression that either file is necessary to work with df_game_edition_addon or the other identical file. You didn't indicate that these files were optional, and that only df_game_edition_addon or the other file is needed to be installed alone to allow your other mods to work correctly in game.


Thanks for the clarification. I will remove that file. I suggest revising only that part to be more clearer to those who ran into similar snafus like I did.


To AH:

No, you helped. And thanks for your help. Sometimes the original creator is the best source of help to go to for help.

Thanks for the advice.  I had also added the bit at the top already:
But I think adding a choice in the pie-menu (like you suggested) for both of those test files may be a good idea. That way you can leave them installed but have to actually select a menu option to make it scroll the messages. It seems other people install them by mistaken too and end up reporting that their sinks are spamming messages all the time  :-\

Marvelous!

Thank you.