Merging mods to increase Performance!

[Claeric]

Your best bet in any case is to organize by type. I have combined files, but unlike those with maybe 3 or 4, I've got 27. One for each month/couple months of store stuff, one for buy mode, one for accessories, one for hair, one for skins, one for sliders...

It's easier to reset that way. If you start to build up a bunch of packages you end up not liking, it's easy to remake whichever package they belong to.

Unfortunately I managed to delete my backups so I am stuck with whatever files are already in these...but that's a benefit to smaller packages: If I want to get rid of some accessories, that's all I have to worry about. Even though I lost my backups, I won't have to build my entire downloads library again, because I can delete based on little groups.

blah blah blah

[J. M. Pescado]

Decrapify is a personal preference, much like your brand of toothpaste. Read up one what it does and decide whether you want to do it.

Decrapify is not so much a personal preference as it is a choice between whether you want a toothbrush or not.

[Anach]

Decrapify is a personal preference, much like your brand of toothpaste. Read up one what it does and decide whether you want to do it.

Decrapify is not so much a personal preference as it is a choice between whether you want a toothbrush or not.

I use my finger...

As for personal preference. I haven't read of any benefit from decrapifying store content I've paid for, as paid content installs and works fine (so far). I also don't install any CC as sims3pack, i don't use any CC kitchen counters, and I avoid most the trash that comes out of TSR. As the documentation of s3rc is very limited, i've not seen any reason for running decrapify other than fixing non-paid-for kitchen counters or being able to install non-paid-for content via the launcher of which I also avoid (prefer .package). If there was a convincing reason for me to convert my saves and content to decrapified versions, then I'd probably do it, but so far I've got no reason to do so.

[Morlock]

I have two little questions: when I was running s3pe - while saving the packages, the program screen showed me some files with the types '0x7672f0c5', '0x73e93eeb' and '0x044ae110", all with the instance '0x0000...", should I let them quiet or should I delete them?   And what about the "manually XML merge" thing? Should I import like package first, and then re-import like .dbc?  

I am looking for the answer to this too, should all occurrences of instance "0x0000000000000000" be deleted or just the '"0x73E93EEB" occurrences as mentioned in the OP?

[Madame Mim]

Suck it and see - so far I've been deleting anything with instance 0 and it's not killed my game.

[GraphicButterfly]

I have been experimenting with merged packages for a while now.
The best organisation method I have found is by type, then when the package is to big to be in one single file, they are alphabetized by their original filenames.
I also keep a .zip library with the unedited original single packages so i know what single packages are in the merged ones, I can then update or delete the exact file I need to.

Decided I would post my 2 cents since I have lurked long enough, and just want to add thanks for the tips.

[Anach]

Only the 0x73E93EEB files. As stated. If it was anything with 0x0000000000000000, then I would have said so in the steps on the original post and not been specific. The other 0x0000000000000000 files are most likely your _key files, which are manifests and part of the whole package merging process. Do no delete those. Go back and read the OP again. You will see a few suggestions on what you can delete.

[Morlock]

Suck it and see - so far I've been deleting anything with instance 0 and it's not killed my game.

Suck it and see is not generally a reliable method, it may not have killed your game, but it might kill mine.

The other 0x0000000000000000 files are most likely your _key files, which are manifests and part of the whole package merging process. Do no delete those. Go back and read the OP again. You will see a few suggestions on what you can delete.

Ok, thanks for the confirmation.

EDIT: By the way, the process made a massive difference to my game, frame rates were jumping between 200fps to 1fps in-game causing unbearable lag, I tried loads of different graphics drivers and almost gave up on the game, the solution you posted solved all lag problems for me completely, I am so chuffed. Thank-you.

[Madame Mim]

Sometimes suck it and see is the only way - and that's what backups are for.

Mea Culpa - I was wrong, but at least I had the balls to try a little empirical testing.

[Morlock]

Mea Culpa - I was wrong, but at least I had the balls to try a little empirical testing.

I almost deleted them, but my balls shrivelled at the thought.

[andrhp]

I've tried to merge a some dbc files with an already merged package file, then saved it as a new package file. The dbc file has much of the same content as the package file, but also some stuff that's not in the package file. By merging the two files I hoped that s3pe would find and delete the duplicates for me, but in my game the duplicates show up with duplicate thumbs. Is there an easy way to fix the duplicate thumbs?

[Madame Mim]

Yes - make sure there are no duplicates to begin with. It's a major part of every instruction I've seen - step one make sure what you're adding is actually new.

[Sigmund]

By merging the two files I hoped that s3pe would find and delete the duplicates for me, but in my game the duplicates show up with duplicate thumbs.

Doesn't work that way. Merging duplicate files will just result in duplicate files being installed in the game. This is why you keep backups of the individual files.

[andrhp]

By merging the two files I hoped that s3pe would find and delete the duplicates for me, but in my game the duplicates show up with duplicate thumbs.

Doesn't work that way. Merging duplicate files will just result in duplicate files being installed in the game. This is why you keep backups of the individual files.

Well, then I see... I'll have to re-merge then.

[MRice]

   I believe I discovered something quite useful while murging all my packages in my Mods/package folder. I got this wild hair and after backing up all my files in the Sims 3 DCCatch folder. I decided to try and murge those packages. After testing the murged package everything still showed up in my game. And thought, "well that's all fine and good," but not remarkable. Here's the kicker.  Today after downloading some new houses I used my Sims 3 Launcher from E-axis. First time since murging my DCCatch packages. Usually when I run the Launcher the process takes a really, really long time. It's a pain in the ass, right? I've lurked on this site long enough to know that several people have complained about this problem.
    However, After I'd decrapified my sims3packages, like usual. The Launcher started almost immediatly! Wow! The crazy thing ran like a dog with it's tail on fire!
    I have only done this once  and beware when I imported the packages into the s3pe it took me an entire day and night. My DCCatch folder was pretty darned big, so over all this still requires some more testing. All I know is that I am really impressed with this entire method. No more lag, no more problems, everything works beautifully. I could just kiss you Anach. Thank you.

[Shazaam]

What's the difference between using the DBC import or the package import? Do you know?

[Claeric]

According to the dashboard tool, my Buy Mode combined package is "corrupt" because it has "corrupt TXTC".

Is this an issue? This file just so happens to contain almost every buy mode object (non-store) I've ever downloaded, so it's KINDA a big deal if it is an issue, because I managed to delete the originals at some point in the past.

The package works as it should.

[jezzer]

Have you tried using Dashboard to repair the file?  Make a backup copy and see if Dashboard can fix the problem.  Usually if it can't fix it, it just "disables" the file by changing its suffix, which you can easily undo.

[Claeric]

Yeah, I have. It doesn't do anything to it.

I guess if I don't know what exactly is in there I may as well redownload everything anyway (I swear this already happened, but I can't tell if it's deja vu). But for now, I am just curious if a TXTC issue could cause a problem.

[Baarogue]

Yeah, I have. It doesn't do anything to it.

I guess if I don't know what exactly is in there I may as well redownload everything anyway (I swear this already happened, but I can't tell if it's deja vu). But for now, I am just curious if a TXTC issue could cause a problem.

Isn't corrupt TXTC what causes the bluelot glitch?

[Inge]

Yes, don't use any package containing a corrupt txtc in your game or you will lose your game.

Sorry you have to download everything again, but it's a better idea to check your packages with dashboard before combining them and deleting the originals

[Claeric]

fffffffffffffuck.

[Inge]

Anach, Peter asked you a question relating to your latest s3pe report, at http://dino.drealm.info/den/denforum/index.php?topic=253.msg1248#msg1248

[MegAnne]

Anach, Peter asked you a question relating to your latest s3pe report, at http://dino.drealm.info/den/denforum/index.php?topic=253.msg1248#msg1248

Anach, should we assume that we need to re-merge any group of packages that included roofs? 

[Inge]

Did Anach die?