Merging mods to increase Performance!

[Trystiane]

First I would like to say thanks so much for this idea and for explaining it so clearly that even I could do it.

I have 2 questions that can just be ignored if they are too stupid, but here they are:

1.  Anything available in sims3pack files I have been installing with the launcher, so I only merged my package files.  That should be fine, correct?
2.  When I have s3pe replace in the merge is that getting rid of conflicts automatically or was I supposed to somehow check for conflicts in another way?

[tizerist]

1.  Anything available in sims3pack files I have been installing with the launcher, so I only merged my package files.  That should be fine, correct?

Yes because the merged packaged files are now doing what the launcher was doing all along: large single files with multiple stuff inside them.
Your sims3packs were already done the "right way".

[Anach]

First I would like to say thanks so much for this idea and for explaining it so clearly that even I could do it.

I have 2 questions that can just be ignored if they are too stupid, but here they are:

1.  Anything available in sims3pack files I have been installing with the launcher, so I only merged my package files.  That should be fine, correct?
2.  When I have s3pe replace in the merge is that getting rid of conflicts automatically or was I supposed to somehow check for conflicts in another way?

2. Yes it gets rid of conflicts automatically. The only ones it doesnt (so far) are the manifest _xml files as explained in the howto.

1. This was answered in the above post. However, the reason you see mention of sims3pack files in the later posts of this thread is because I have also been extracting and merging my sims3pack manually, as doing so keeps me from having to use the horrible launcher and allows me to edit them in was I was previously unable to do when installed via the launcher.

[Trystiane]

Thanks for the answers, my game is running so much better now.  The one thing is that some of my CAS makeup has gone odd.  Some of the lipsticks have lost their color options, but perhaps they were bad files already...

What kinds of edits do you make to the files Anach?

[Heinel]

This is probably more of a question of s3pe, but I got an error saying: "Expected magic tag 'DBPF'.  Found 'DBPP'." while importing files as .dbc.

The program just stops there then, and the error message doesn't tell you which package causes the error either, is there any simple way to fix that?

[gelfling]

I'm not sure what you're referring to as "mods". I'm not actually merging game mods (like AM or longer pregnancy mods for example); Just build and buys mode objects, hair (2 files actually) and clothes. I did try to merge them with both versions. The one I got from here did *not* have import as .dbc! I'm not sure why, but it just didn't. I know where it's located (resource > import as .dbc, but all I have is "import from package" or "from file".

"Mods" is the catch-all term that covers anything that does not come with the game such as hair, objects, patterns and clothing. If one or more of these is malformed or has become corrupted then you will experience a noticeable decrease in both performance and loading times. If you don't see the option to import as dbc then you must have the wrong version or you have missed the important step of starting the process by clicking on File and New before beginning the process of importing. Did you follow Inge's link?

[Anach]

This is probably more of a question of s3pe, but I got an error saying: "Expected magic tag 'DBPF'.  Found 'DBPP'." while importing files as .dbc.

The program just stops there then, and the error message doesn't tell you which package causes the error either, is there any simple way to fix that?

That would probably be the new Dr Pepper car. I got the same issue when I tried extracting and opening that file in either s3pe or postal. However, even the launcher wouldnt open it, which is a little odd.  I'd say that is a question for the s3pe forum.

What kinds of edits do you make to the files Anach?

When it comes to sims3pack items, they are usually just ugly thumbnails that I like to remove to allow the game to generate replacements, or maybe a buy mode category change, as many people seem to put everything under plants or misc decor. Currently my launcher only has official paid content in it, which keeps it nice an clean and easy to navigate.

[morriganrant]

The one thing is that some of my CAS makeup has gone odd.  Some of the lipsticks have lost their color options, but perhaps they were bad files already...

I believe that that is some kind of conflict. I have not even tried to merge any files yet and have this problem. I have installed quite a few items since I was last in CAS or tried to change anyone's makeup so I am currently going through my mods folder by folder. All I know is that the issue is not found in my Makeup folder.

Edit: In case anyone else runs into this issue it was a file named:
JS_blondmermaid_UltraModernLiving_Chair.package

[J. M. Pescado]

This is probably more of a question of s3pe, but I got an error saying: "Expected magic tag 'DBPF'.  Found 'DBPP'." while importing files as .dbc.

The program just stops there then, and the error message doesn't tell you which package causes the error either, is there any simple way to fix that?

That's a common form of file corruption that occurs in the store download process. s3rc will fix this for you.

[Anach]

This is probably more of a question of s3pe, but I got an error saying: "Expected magic tag 'DBPF'.  Found 'DBPP'." while importing files as .dbc.

The program just stops there then, and the error message doesn't tell you which package causes the error either, is there any simple way to fix that?

That's a common form of file corruption that occurs in the store download process. s3rc will fix this for you.

We learn something new every day. Worked for me!

Just drag the sims3pack onto the s3rc.exe, then extract the sims3pack as usual.

[Claeric]

I am so glad to have found this. I merged 455 files down to 45 files and my performance increased like crazy. I wasn't even aware it had gone down the extent it did. Rendering is significantly faster, and so is loading- two things I blamed on WA.

But one thing: Is it safe to merge anything, as long as it is merge-able? Hacks, slider mods? I ignored those because I didn't know if it would cause issues.

And what happens if you merge every single package into one? Does the game EXPLODE?

[Anach]

I am so glad to have found this. I merged 455 files down to 45 files and my performance increased like crazy. I wasn't even aware it had gone down the extent it did. Rendering is significantly faster, and so is loading- two things I blamed on WA.

But one thing: Is it safe to merge anything, as long as it is merge-able? Hacks, slider mods? I ignored those because I didn't know if it would cause issues.

And what happens if you merge every single package into one? Does the game EXPLODE?

Yes it's safe to merge anything. However I found that some of my video, audio, camera type mods (nointro, no sounds, ini mods) wouldnt work when merged with other types. So I've tried to group similar type mods together.

[Claeric]

Awesome. Merging my sliders and hacks brings it to 18. If I could merge HP's stupid hair, it'd only be 11. ;-;

[Inge]

Anach, please could you make a (small as possible) package that demonstrates the resources that are not getting compressed by the dbc import?  Peter looked at his code and as far as he is concerned it *should* be compressing all resources.  So he'd like to see a demo of a package where it didn't happen.   You can send it to me inge@simlogical.com, thanks

[J. M. Pescado]

Merging AwesomeMod into anything is not recommended due to frequency of updates and the fact that AwesomeMod already includes a sizeable number of merged resources.

[Anach]

Anach, please could you make a (small as possible) package that demonstrates the resources that are not getting compressed by the dbc import?  Peter looked at his code and as far as he is concerned it *should* be compressing all resources.  So he'd like to see a demo of a package where it didn't happen.   You can send it to me inge@simlogical.com, thanks

NP.

[Inge]

Ok this turns out to be WAD, the non-compressed resources are like that either because they could not be made smaller by compresssion, or because they were pre-compressed format already such as images.

[J. M. Pescado]

Compressed image formats frequently will not ensmallen further under the compression algorithms used, and may end up bigger due to compression header data. When this happens, compressorizers, including the IngePE one, simply give up and don't try to compress it.

[Aeschere]

Is there any support for Mac users? I know that s3pe doesn't run on OSX due to the lack of .exe.

[Beehoosis]

I have successfully merged the cc I have now into a small number of package files.  I am trying to plan for future downloads.  Would it be safe to remerge files?  For example:  I have merged all my furniture cc files into one package.  When I download more furniture (and test it with the blue lot tool and process monitor), is it then safe to grab the original big merged package and add all the new stuff to it?

Common sense tells me the answer is yes.  However, I am a noob working hard to understand this process and would like to check my assumption with people who are more familiar with these procedures.

[Anach]

I have successfully merged the cc I have now into a small number of package files.  I am trying to plan for future downloads.  Would it be safe to remerge files?  For example:  I have merged all my furniture cc files into one package.  When I download more furniture (and test it with the blue lot tool and process monitor), is it then safe to grab the original big merged package and add all the new stuff to it?

Common sense tells me the answer is yes.  However, I am a noob working hard to understand this process and would like to check my assumption with people who are more familiar with these procedures.

1. You can run blue lot fixer on the merged package, instead of the individual mods. Much easier that way.

2. You can keep on merging new files using the import as .dbc command.

3. Updated files can be merged, but I would call this risky. It's safer to recreate the archive than risk it. However, if you are updating a file that is already installed and are sure you wish to try it anyway, it's probably better to use the Import from package command, with replace duplicates. As I found in these cases the import as .dbc will create duplicates and not mark them so (I update my own xml tweaks this way)


For ease of recreating archives when there is a need to update in the future, I have created a folder for all unarchived versions of the original mods, under a folder for each category that I intend to merge them to. For example. The individual .package files I used to create my CAS.package are all in a folder named CAS, then to merge into a new CAS.package, all I need to do is import whatever is in that folder once again. This saves hunting around my hard disk for all the loose files.

[Inge]

BTW, Delphy has added batch processing to his bluelot fixer today.

[Anach]

BTW, Delphy has added batch processing to his bluelot fixer today.

Got tired of people nagging

[Baarogue]

I have successfully merged the cc I have now into a small number of package files.  I am trying to plan for future downloads.  Would it be safe to remerge files?  For example:  I have merged all my furniture cc files into one package.  When I download more furniture (and test it with the blue lot tool and process monitor), is it then safe to grab the original big merged package and add all the new stuff to it?

Common sense tells me the answer is yes.  However, I am a noob working hard to understand this process and would like to check my assumption with people who are more familiar with these procedures.

Well I just DLed the latest content (Gothique, etc.) from the store content thread, had to run some through the Recompressor as J.M. Pescado indicates is sometimes necessary, and merged them from .package into my existing large official content .package files. I just loaded the game to check and it all appears to be working fine for me so far. YMMV.

I have 7 large official content .package files so far. I had to split the Build/Buy Mode stuff into two merged files, clothes into three, and hair into two because when I tried to import them all into one and save I got an out-of-memory error. I kept sets together, and am maintaining separate merged files for user-created objects, clothes and hair. I haven't attempted to merge any hacks.

For ease of recreating archives when there is a need to update in the future, I have created a folder for all unarchived versions of the original mods, under a folder for each category that I intend to merge them to. For example. The individual .package files I used to create my CAS.package are all in a folder named CAS, then to merge into a new CAS.package, all I need to do is import whatever is in that folder once again. This saves hunting around my hard disk for all the lose files.

Aside from how I sort them, this is exactly how I keep my original files sorted as well.

[Beehoosis]

I have 7 large official content .package files so far. I had to split the Build/Buy Mode stuff into two merged files, clothes into three, and hair into two because when I tried to import them all into one and save I got an out-of-memory error. I kept sets together, and am maintaining separate merged files for user-created objects, clothes and hair. I haven't attempted to merge any hacks.

That was my main concern - whether I'd eventually try to merge too much stuff into one package.  Do you (or anyone) happen to know what the limit is on that?