More Awesome Than You!

Rip my lips off if you wish but I didn't see this topic anywhere. Loading times of my game is getting pretty long and I have a lot of ugly shit I need to be rid of.

The Sims 2 and bodyshop interfaces go back to the beginning of the list every time something is deleted, it's not very efficient to have to scroll back into the middle of the custom content you are culling when you have a shitload of it and it takes forever to load. Sims2Pack seems to be the best option so far, although just seeing the image of the texture is inadequate I don't feel like Sims2Pack gives me a good idea of what an item looks like in game.

So if anyone is utilizing a better method I'd love to hear about it.

Nip over clutteration at the source. Use subfolders, cull undesirables after first installing them. I remove my downloads then cull the new ones, then add the new ones to the old ones before playing a house.

Take pictures of everything and include the names of the meshes in the pictures. Sounds anal, but useful with clothes/accessories/objects. Later when you go on a culling spree you'll find it a lot easier, and the initial organizing might put you off from getting too much junk (it did for me).
It would be helpful to have a separate Sims 2 set just to view new downloads. Less loading time and instant identification of the packages.

Coincidentally, Delphy released an organiser tool - http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=227925

Thanks for the info & link.  I've been having much the same problem lately, though the main source of my frustration has to do with orphaned textures and meshes, due in part to my Sims Connection subscription incident (oh, the horror!), so I'll give it a go. 

Well, frankly, I refuse to download it until he offers lunch and the Ion Cannon for download as well:

Delphy quote:
* Disclaimer: Does not make lunch.
** Ion Cannon sold seperately.

I was going to suggest Paladin's Categorizer over on sim wardrobe, but Delphy's looks like it's even better.  Off to download it...

Isn't jfade working on one too? I have an idea we're waiting - we've even named it.  ;D

I'll give Delphy's a go too, I so wish there was an easier way to manage everything.

I've just gone through the long and painful process of sorting out all my downloads and it's taken about 3 weeks of upto several hours a day to finally figure out what everything is. I do quite a bit of lot-building as well as playing so I have a lot of content. I wanted to know what it was I was culling before it got the chop. The upshot is that I now have my in-game downloads folder organised into sub-folders that match the categories in build/buy/clothing in the game. Content is further organised in each category by a sub-folder for each custom mesh and its associated recolours. The in-game folders contains only package files. For buy mode I have both 'By Function' folders for individual items and 'By Room' folders for sets that encompass several of the by function sub-folders. In addition there is a hacks sub-folder that gathers together all the goodies that make the game work/fun. My downloads folder is currently about 1.9Gb, 9,000 files.

Separate to this I have a mirrored set of 'source' folders/sub-folders with all the original zips/rars and a picture of what the item is. It was actually tracking down the pictures that was the hardest part as a lot of the package/zip files didn't have sensible names. You really need the pictures as otherwise you don't have a hope in hell of trying to remember what something is 6 months down the line. I also include the name of the source website in the sub-folder name for the same reason. The organisation looks like this:
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j136/spacedcat/downloads.jpg (http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j136/spacedcat/downloads.jpg)

As you can see I further organise the source (and in-game) folders by mesh/mesh sets that they use. This is especially important for clothing where you are more likely to get recolours. I have lots of these!
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j136/spacedcat/downloads2.jpg (http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j136/spacedcat/downloads2.jpg)

I have a lot more downloads in the source folders and view the in-game downloads folder as a subset that suits the particular style/setting of game I'm playing at the moment. In fact the recent posts about cyberpunk/steampunk have set me thinking about doing something futuristic/industrial so I have now started stockpiling suitable custom content for a future neighbourhood. Now that I have the folders properly organised it's easy to store new custom content in the correct place for future use. I just wish I'd been uber-organised from the outset.

How do you manage when you get recolours from another site, for a mesh that's included with the first site's recolours? I ended up putting the meshes in the root folder and recolours according to the artists, otherwise if I tried to keep things clustered by site, I ended up with a zillion of the same mesh.

In my source folder I keep the recolours with their associated mesh in a named sub-folder as you need the mesh for the recolour to work in game. You can see this in the second picture link I posted. The mesh is ChrikoLaceSeamHeels (MESH_chriko_LaceSeamHeels.zip) from 2-for-U and in there is the original recolour (chriko_burgundy.zip) plus another recolour from Sims2Cri (sims2cri_fae_rossoconstrass.rar). I have exactly the same sub-folder under downloads with the unzipped mesh package file and the two associated recolour package files. It doesn't matter if both recolours zips/rars contain the mesh file as there will only be one in the downloads folder. If I delete that sub-folder then I delete ALL the recolours associated with that particular mesh at the same time.

I used to organise sub-folders by artist/source website but found this really doesn't work due to all the duplicate or missing meshes. Fortunately I've been organising clothes be mesh for the last 6 months or so and as it worked best I've used it for all the other downloads. I just wish I'd saved images from the start.

Just for clothing, yes?

I believe so - but it will have PICTURES.  ;D

I do wish I had pictures. It seems so obvious now you mention it  ::) From now on I will try to remember to download them, particularly for clothes.
I have been organising by site, but that has proved not the best way to go. So I have an 'essentials' folder with things like the censor blur remover, Inge's no empty potty and Dr Pixels custom fire alarms....items that I really need even in a no cc game.

I do wish I had been organised from the start......maybe with Sims3  :)

You only have that many custom plants? Noob*

*in case tone wasn't amply implied, I tease. I have, perhaps, 40 or so custom decorative plants, and more in build mode. I also have a heck of a time locating specific ones when making new homes, so eh.

Heh. My plants folder is totally the biggest in my downloads.

Well, except for that scary folder called "Hairs, need sorting."

Only that many so far.  ;D I used the custom plants folder as it had the fewest sub-folders so it all fitted on the screen. I've got 25+ sets of custom curtain meshes and almost equally large amounts of rugs, wall hangings etc. I'm paying more attention to outside decor in my lots now so the custom plant deluge has started. I always check poly counts on the plants as some of them can be excessive given the number you're likely to place on a lot (especially if they're for outside use).

One thing I forgot to mention is that I've started using the collection creator tool from http://www.djssims.com (http://www.djssims.com) - with all my downloads organised by sub-folder it's really easy to make a collection file using the add batch files by directory option. The slowest bit is creating sensible icons so that you can quickly recognise collections.

I have a vast number of custom windows/doors sets so with those I overlay the set name over a window/door image then scale it down to 32x32 pixels to make the collection icon. I've only done collection files for some of my windows and doors sets so far but it's made build mode far less painfull.

New pooter is coming soon (*cries* it has Vista, and I am very scared!) and I am seriously tempted to throw everything away and start again. Especially with hair. My hair folder is megafuckinghuge. I am going to be very strict on hair I download, only really awesome hair will make it. And none of Peggys :D
I don't have many custom objects in game, just ones that add to the maxis stuff, but for some reason I have hundreds of paintings and plant recolours! Oh and far too many rugs. :P Thanks for the link to the Delphy thing, I will try it to tidy up my object folder before transferring it over.

Be careful with the Delphy programme Emma. I've had variable results and I've been playing with it all afternoon. I kept doing a rescan, each time it came up with new orphaned meshes or recolours. I saw somebody said it was deleting the file one away from the one chosen, so that could muck things up. Plus I've had plenty of errors - it can't delete properly. Then when I rescan, it finds new empty packages since my last orphan delete. Then it finds NEW orphan meshes it didn't find before.

I've restored my downloads and I'll wait a week or two for some of the bugs to be worked out.

PS YAY for the new puter Emma!!

Thanks witch ;D

Yup... soon... soon... :)

I hope... I hope... :(

So far, no email back from Maxis, and all attempts to figure out the info myself is going slower than ... something that goes slow. No luck here. Should anyone have lots of time and want to start hashing stuff to try and get a matching thing, that would be great! :D At the very least though it'll have the flat pictures.

I truly appreciate the fact that you're even attempting this! Along with many others no doubt. After a day wrestling with Delphy's programme, I'm even keener.  :D

I just go through with notepad open & write down the product descriptions given in game (if you hover your mouse over they usually give you a name) and if the maker wasn't an arsemonkey, the file should be the same or at least similar. Then I go in & delete those.

After that, there's a couple of residual bits of evil so I delete them in-game & go looking for any empty folders after & delete those. Takes me a day or two, which is why I put it off until I load a new expansion pack.

I'd always use one of jfade's programs over delphy's cos you can talk to jfade about his work sensibly if you need to.  Also he's one of us.

I agree with Inge. I was trying Delphy's for the orphan scanner, praying it would load faster than the simpe one, and it does, but it listed files that I knew for a FACT that they weren't orphan recolors. So I don't really trust it much yet.

I use the sim wardrobe object thingie... what's it called. LOL To organize my objects. Well, more precisely, to view/delete [using delete special] objects, and then I use simpe to find orphaned recolors [because it f'n WORKS properly].  I also use the full delete/move to move objects and their recolors that I want to keep to a 'keep' folder located somewhere else. Thing about that program, if you notice purple question marks, it just means that the item hasn't been loaded in the game yet. You hafta load em into game and then go through the entire object catalog for everything to show up. A bit time consuming, and you might thing it would be just as fast to delete within game, but... There you go.

I've got WAY too many objects. I've managed to clean up clothes, and hair is almost manageable, but the objects is off the hook. I blame [my addiction to] PMBD  ::)

Ooooh... me too, except mine is the "WTF random numbers crap?' folder.

I took the advise of the Wise One here and deleted everything without a name to start with.   Then I got truly organised and put all items in their creator's folders except the big global ones like ACR, Insim and InTeen. 

I download  on these principles:

1. Non-global hacks that add to gameplay.
2. Modded objects that DO something and can be sold as part of a business (OFB)
3. Beautiful hair - Because.
4. Themed clothing - I play historical lots.  But even there I had so much I took out the folders and stored them in a separate harddrive with the view that if I really needed them I'd go back and choose just enough to play with.  JM rightly pointed out that you only really need enough clothes for your sims to wear - if they're not wearing them why clog up your game?

My last big cull which was done around OFB was when I decided if an object didn't add to the game play then I shouldn't have it.  I also decided that furniture recolours just took up space and if I really, really had to have them then I would have to go back to the source to download it.  Needless to say, I don't have many recolours.  Naturally, if you are a keen builder that would not apply to you in the same way.

Now that I am sorted and organised my downloads folder is a slim 2.10GB and my game loads quickly.  An afternoon (or two days) spent sorting pays dividends.

Personally, I think it's much easier to start with an empty Downloads folder and put in new labelled folders the stuff you want to keep, than it is to start deleting stuff in Bodyshop or CAS - its too time consuming (and its bloody boring).  Plus rebuilding your Downloads folder is like going shopping - it's fun!

I just did a mini-cull with Seasons, because I had to remove hacks anyway and I put the extracted stuff (mainly historical downloads) I will need to use later in folders on a separate hard drive. I also deleted all the downloaded files that I'd already extracted stuff from - they were just taking up space and I don't know why I was hoarding anyway.

My final recommendation: go for a  brand new slimline Downloads folder - don't waste your time deleting.

I had my download folder at under 1 GB and was so proud of myself.  For objects, I did some investagatory work and figured out what creators had the best quality to file size ratio and booted out the rest.  Hair and clothes I waded through in CAS.

A week or two ago I got a bug and decided I had to have a new neighbourhood for a story that spans centuries and continents.  I think I just wanted to go on a download spree, and that gave me an excuse  :D My folder is now up to 2.5 GB and I'm already sick of loading times.  I think I'm going to have to go back to my basics because even with a metric assload of options, 99% of my houses are built and decorated using only objects from Holy Simoly and by Cyclonesue and Windkeeper and I never use any of Peggy's hair. I really need to come to terms with this. Is there a support group?

ha ha!  ;D

One good thing about Seasons is that toddlers are finally aging with randomised lotbinned hair.  Hooray!  Hence my *hidden number of gigs* of hairstyles.  Not to mention the fact that hair can finally be matched to outfits.  Barbie doll anyone? 

I would love to get down to 1 GB but even I accept that that isn't going to happen: downloading is now part of my DNA. :P

My hair folder alone is one gig.  And that's after I pruned away all the bad pay hairs, bulletproof hairspray meshes and all the stuff I'd just never use.  All binned, with shared grey colour, and unused textures deleted.
But I have reduced my downloads folder from 4GB to 2.3GB, and that's quite an achievement; expecially since I didn't lose anything I'd actually miss.

My downloads folder is less than one gig, and even then, I kind of need to go back and start trimming stuff. I downloaded a lot of decoration objects when I was first starting out, and now those items seem worthless. (How many bathroom clutters do I need? :P)

Perhaps I am a picky person, and also the kind that doesn't really like navigating sites unless I am looking for something specific. Right now, I am searching for decent clothes. Now THAT I actually use.

I tried Delphie's Organiser....but somehow it didn't "totally convice" me, even tho the Orphans-Option is quite nice!
I always usedSims2Clean-Installer which takes care of doubles and lets me move stuff into subfolders which are created as needed.

-le

I'm finding Delphy's new organizer somewhat helpful for weeding out orphans (it still returns a lot of false positives, but it whittles the list down far enough that I can pick the actual orphans out manually.)  I'm liking its search function, too.  Between that, Clean Installer, SimPE and Categorizer, it seems I've now got most of the important download-organizing bases covered, if imperfectly.

'Twas me!  I go by many names!  Clarence may or may not be one of them.

Oh, and jfade>Delphy.

I find HomeCrafter Plus to be useful in viewing and deleting custome floors, walls and ground textures as I can go through them all, see what they look like and who made them/where they came from and then decide which ones I wont use and delete them.

I used the Delphys program in conjunction with the sims clean installer.  I used it for the orphaned files only when it listed them I went through the clean in staller.  I to found that a large number of my recolor cloths were coming out as orphans.  But there was a large number of other files that I knew were actually orphaned and disabled or removed them through the clean installer.

I have not started up my game today since I finished this two day project.  I am all for a program that is much more accurate if it is out there or is in the process of being available.

del *.*
unzip moreawesomethanyou.zip

Mangosims2 (http://mangosims2.free.fr/ (http://mangosims2.free.fr/)) is truly evil in that regard. Every set is chock full of decorative objects, and it can be next to impossible to know which are which until you find some random object six months ago (even if you do know a fair bit of French). How many empty vases do I need? Do I trully need a whole bunch of different sized sticks?

Use simcat, Zazazu. You can zorch useless decor in there just fine...

...and, with babelfish, rewrite frenchy comments, too.

You mean this? http://www.simcat.ca (http://www.simcat.ca) ? I hardly see how some governmental renovation project in Montreal will help me.






Oh wait...this http://148.122.173.174/pplace/Sims2cat_Main.htm (http://148.122.173.174/pplace/Sims2cat_Main.htm) Actually, that's just what I was looking for, thanks. Nothing else gives me pictures that look like much of anything.