Testers wanted: Color Binning Tool 0.2.30

[Kitten of Evil]

When I try to use it I have an error message from simPe saying "unable to start tool plugin"
attached text file with the complete error message.
What am I missing ?

I had that problem, but I re-installed SimPE and that fixed it.

[jrd]

Edit: I finally found the source of my problem! I had renamed my original downloads folder to "originaldownloads" and I just found out today that Bodyshop was reading that one too! I thought that BS and the game only could read what was inside a folder called "downloads" but I guess I was wrong

All folders under 'The Sims 2' are read.

[Nadine Blackstone]

Hi, I'm new to MATY. (Why did I feel like I was at an virtual AA meeting, when I was typing that?  ) Anyway, this is the most ambitious project I've EVER attempted (SimPE frightens me a little... well maybe a lot, and the mere thought of code makes my hade tremble.), and all is going swimmingly! My custom color bin was annoyingly packed with things that should be binned. Now, rather than grumbling about it,and clean that crap up. 
Thanks for clear directions and an awesome tool. 

[angelyne]

Theo, this plugin rocks !  I've tested it and it kicks ass.  Big time.  You have to have spent entire evenings binning hair to properly appreciate the genius of this plugin.  You're DA man.

[jrd]

Could this plugin be changed to allow multiple packages per hair colour? Some hairstyles have a platinum blonde and normal blonde, or light and dark brown.
Currently once a package has been assigned to a hair colour, a second one cannot be added.

I'd love to merge them all in one package. Is it possible to merge meshes in as well?

[Theo]

It's just a matter of assigning the same family and hairtone guids to those packages, so I think it's easily done 'under the hood'.

The problem is organizing those packages in the UI; I've considered creating the ability to add more tabs to the window, like some web browsers do.

Until that is done, the only trick you have is to copy the family guid in the options, and process the remaining packages using that guid.

[...] Is it possible to merge meshes in as well?

Uhh, I don't think it's a good idea to mess with the meshes , but do you want to include the mesh resources in the output package?

I tried doing that with SimPe, and found that additional recolors somehow didn't recognize the mesh

[Den the Hectic Sim]

omg I've been looking for something like this forever  i've got tons of hair and it's pretty annoying to keep it to the customs only! you rock! now I can only hope I can tackle the delicate art of making it work! 

[Theo]

This probably will be the last release of the tool in this format, as it is evolving to become Something Entirely Different 
In fact the code is beginning to be difficult to maintain with such distinct functionalities assembled into one plugin, so in the future I'll trim down this tool to its original purpose, and separate the remaining functions.

Ok, I outrageously lied!

It's the same tool, with about the same look and usage, with just some updates to work with Pets.

It has a new option to specify if the packages should (or not) be renamed according to the current naming scheme. Of course new bugs are expected in this area, so proceed with caution. 

[miros]

Awesome!  I tend to download duplicates, and I'd like the filenames to stay unchanged!

<mashes the thanks button>

[Theo]

Haste is the enemy of perfection...

Version 0.2.28.3 (for SimPe 0.60) was adding an invalid subtype property to all PropertySets, making the hairs disappear from the game catalog.

The hairs that you binned using the tool must be re-processed, or can be corrected manually by deleting all subtype properties from hair packages.
This new version can fix the packages that may have been created.

There's an unresolved bug concerning the new renaming option (surprise, surprise! )

Basically, an error box will appear for each package being saved, if the "Rename Files" option is unchecked and the "Create Backup" option is checked.

If you want to keep the original file names, and don't want to be bugged by popup boxes, just clear the "Create backup" option. The .packagedisabled files won't be created, but SimPe will create the .bak files for the existing packages.

[jmtmom]

Thanks for this great tool and for updating it for Pets. Since pets though, I haven't been able to bin any hair that shows up in the game. I have SimPe 0.06.2.20832  and the Color Binning Tool 2.29.1. I had the same problem with the previous versions of both as well. The hair doesn't show up once it's been rebinned. It sounds a lot like the problem you have mentioned above. I don't get any error messages though, everrthing appears to be working fine but the rebinned hair doesn't show up. Under my output options, I have everything checked except "Generate Single Package". I don't have the "Hide from catalog" checked and haven't done anything with the Guid or Text lines.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? I'm going to try some different options and bin exported Maxis hair next to see if that works.

[jmtmom]

OK, I tried rebinning some extracted Maxis hair and they all showed up except for the black, including a custom color I added. This time, I left all the options unchecked completely. It's a better result than I've had before, so I'll keep trying this way.

[Magicmoon]

Has anyone checked their missing colors using clean installer? When I get done processing a hair style I immediately load it into clean installer. Sometimes one of the colors (usually black for me, but sometimes blonde) will show up as an empty package.

I redo the one missing color then recheck with clean installer. Most of the time it "takes" on the 2nd try, although a few packages had to been done 3 or 4 times before it would save the package correctly. When I have all 4 hair colors not showing up as empty packages, I delete the original files. (I have the whole folder backed up elsewhere on the drive for emergency). I find that I can keep clean installer open along with SimPe so it isn't too hard to keep an eye out for empty packages.

I reported this on the MTS2 thread but haven't seen a fix available yet. In the meantime, this procedure has worked well for me.

[miros]

To follow up on some previous comments: Yes, it would be nice to have it start up where it left off.  Until that's fixed (or not), I got a neat utility called FileBox Extender, which adds a button to the title bar of the standard Windows file chooser window.  The demo version only lets you configure two or three folders, but it's "one click" navigation to those folders.

Now the bad news.  Bug report:

Message:
Cannot move file E:\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads\seomi\seomi_hair003_BlkLS.package

SimPE Version:
Default (0.60.1.16885).

Exception Stack:
System.IO.IOException: The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
  at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
  at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError()
  at System.IO.File.Move(String sourceFileName, String destFileName)
  at SimPe.Plugin.GeneticCategorizer.DisablePackage(GeneticColor key)

Source:
mscorlib

Execution Stack:
at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
  at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError()
  at System.IO.File.Move(String sourceFileName, String destFileName)
  at SimPe.Plugin.GeneticCategorizer.DisablePackage(GeneticColor key)

I think it has something to do with the fact I've configured the hair binner to not change the file names.  It seems to work otherwise.

Is this a valid way to bin hair with an "extra" color, such as both light and dark brown:
1) Bin the other normal colors, and one of the browns as brown. Bin the other brown as custom.  Save.
2) Start a new session.  Click the Brown tab.  Load the brown that was binned as custom.  Save.

Is it also ok to make the hair that has been binned Read Only, so you don't have to worry about copying something over it or deleting it accidentally?

[Magicmoon]

I get that message regularly. Closing the color tool, or navigating to another folder in clean installer if that is open too, will let me move the files. I usually don't have to close SimPe completely, but occasionally I have to for it to let me move files.

Notice the error complains about the file being used by another process. So closing the programs that were using the files releases it so it can be moved.

Also, when binning a second color of the same family, you don't have to load the 2nd color into custom. I usually do load the 2nd brown into custom just to look at the color. But then I clear it before saving the rest of the colors. Click on options and copy the Guid number, then save the first 4 colors you binned.

Go back in and load the 2nd brown (and or 2nd red etc.) into the tool just like you are starting fresh. You don't have to fill up all 4 colors. Then click on options and paste the Guid number that you copied over the one that is there. That will make all the colors stay in the same family. Then save again, giving the 2nd set a slightly different name so it doesn't overwrite the first colors you binned.

[miros]

Thanks for the tips.  I'll probably be writing a "hair binning for dummies and impatient people" soon! Otherwise I'll forget and have to relearn everything next time...

[jmtmom]

Has anyone checked their missing colors using clean installer? When I get done processing a hair style I immediately load it into clean installer. Sometimes one of the colors (usually black for me, but sometimes blonde) will show up as an empty package.

Yes, when I went back and checked them that's what had happened to mine too. I get an empty package with nearly every hair set I bin, either black or blonde too. I'm also getting weird grey results too, some color (so far it's been red or brown) will get placed as the grey, even though I've selected something else.

[miros]

One last silly question... when I'm binning recolors, should i use the same GUID as for the original hair?

[Magicmoon]

I don't think it matters. As long as you use the same GUID for all 4 (or more) of your colors, then when you are in CAS and you have a hairstyle picked and change to a different color, the style will remain the same.

[Theo]

I think it has something to do with the fact I've configured the hair binner to not change the file names.  It seems to work otherwise.

All evidence suggests that the renaming and the backup options are incompatible, so unless a more serious bug appears, I'll finally upload a fix for that 

The fix will simply turn off the backup option automatically when you choose not to rename the packages.

Fortunately SimPe can still create backups, the only difference is that the backups have a *.bak extension, instead of *.packagedisabled.

[miros]

One last silly thought... It would be helpful if the filename could be (optionally of course) appended to the tooltip text.  Lots of creators just put their name/site in the tooltip, which is nice to advertise where it came from, but not so nice when you need to figure out which of 10-100 files is that particular style/color.

[CrabOfDoom]

Sorry to be stupid, but what is the SRC for at the end of the third download link? I'm not sure which of the last two files is the one I need...

[Venusy]

Sorry to be stupid, but what is the SRC for at the end of the third download link? I'm not sure which of the last two files is the one I need...

Source code. You probably want the one without the SRC at the end.

[Jelenedra]

Having issues with the tool.

It's putting everything in the proper bin and family, but my issue comes up with the elder recolors.

I dunno why it is giving me a hard time now. I used to have it working. But now it either puts the elder color in the custom bin instead of the grey bin. Or it doesn't exist at all. No grey color to chose from, no custom color either.

So what gives?

I have the box checked like I am supposed to.

[BastDawn]

Necromancy message ignored for useful feedback:

I have found that the "hat" checkbox does not actually make the game recognize the hair as a hat.  (Checked by putting the hair on a sim and looking at their Nightlife qualities in SimPE.)  By comparing property sets and sim qualities for several different recolors, I found that I was able to make a hair into a "hat" by changing its Property Sets "flags" string from 0x00000000 to 0x00000002.  I hope this helps.

(I've posted this message at your MTS2 thread as well.)