More Awesome Than You!

Here are the Cper (21) and Csla (25) archetypes fixed in exactly the same way I enabled the alien and zombie fitness textures. All the models were already in the game, I've just linked them for Toddler-Elder and sorted them so they're in the same order as the existing adult archetype. Since this just controls the references, any archetype replacements will work without a problem as long as they replaced the models for each age.

How it's done: the missing xml files are created (property set/face arch/texture overlay/etc.) with the 3IDR (referencing model/textures/etc.) using the same id. Then it is linked to an existing collection for that type of object using a BINX (the part everyone skips so it doesn't work, Maxis calls them "frag keys" in cas debug mode). Ordinarily it's a separate BINX and 3IDR located in globalcatbin.bundle.package, but I prefer to copy the way Maxis did it for the alien skintone and throw all the references into the BINX and to avoid the need to create a separate 3IDR.

If anyone knows of more missing items like this or the alien & zombie skintone fixes (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,7803.0.html), let me know and I'd be happy to fix them.

EDIT: Alien archetype unhidden, see argon_alienarch.rar

Thanks. Now if only I can muster the energy/enthusiasm to actually replace these faces again... Maybe in a year.

Edit: While you're at it, why don't you "fix" the eelf and alien templates? I know you said it would be frustrating, but a lot of people would appreciate it, I think.

LOL!  Me too, especially since there were no templates made for the non-adult ages by AllenABQ, and someone will have to make some following Motoki's original instructions...

ETA: EEE, IT WORKS!!  *Is geeked*

Argon, it has just occurred to me that in order for templates based on the missing faces to work, your fix will be absolutely required.  Would you be willing to allow me to bundle it with my replacement set at MTS2 for download (with credit and a link, obviously)?  Just for the sake of convenience and completeness...

And thank you (and to Ennarys for trying) for taking care of this problem; I've been hoping for a fix for a long time.  :)

Amber, when I started fooling around with face replacements (Nov 05) I made full base templates (minus the absent toddler files, of course) for these two faces. I need to see how AllenABQ did his naming scheme so they will match his but I can have them up shortly.

Oh, that's awesome, terrakosmos!  Thanks!

ETA:  The other thing that occurs to me is, if it's possible to do this, would it also be possible to make entirely new templates (to exceed 27 sets)?  Hmm.

Here you go!

(Whew! I usually just cram all 8 faces for each archetype into 1 package. They're easier to keep track of that way.)

It wouldn't be required per say, the models are already there but they just won't show up for the other ages. It should be possible to add new archetypes, since that's essentially what I did, I just haven't tested making an entirely new set. I'm assuming you can just use the hash generator in SimPE to come up with a unique family id.

I'll check on the alien template and see what I can do, but I haven't a clue as to why the eelf archetype doesn't show on townies (yet). It could be that it's added to another collection that I haven't found yet.

*Edited because my "t" key is stupid

Thank you so much! Thank you for the explanation as well it has been driving me to distraction (and I still don't really get it). Thank goodness you're more awesome than me!

alien archetype unhidden, see first post

Archetypes with a flag value set at 9 still show up in CAS (the normal flag value is set at 0), my guess is that this hides the archetype from the townie pool. So if I'm right, setting the flag value of eelf to zero should allow it in the townie pool, but I'll leave that for someone else to do. For right now, I'm going to experiment with creating a new archetype to see if it actually works.

Thanks for unhiding the alien. I'll have a much easier time making an archetype to base a Pol Tech replacement off of. I imagine folks will be wanting the gmdcs extracted to make replacing easier... I think I have them, so I can age/gender separate them (a la AllenABQ) like I did 21 & 25. Stay tuned.

Re: the normal flag value-- boy, do I feel stupid. I did change the flags on the eelf face to 0 in one of my experiments, but I thought since its order was changed like the other archs I hid and it wasn't showing up for young adults, I had accidentally hid it instead. Changing the flags to 0 does randomize the template, for all ages except YA. So before I upload the file, I'd like to:
A) Make it show up in the right order (like you did w/ 21 & 25)... How do I go about doing that?
B) Make it show up for young adults. ETA: I was able to do this by extracting the af/am XFCHs from the Uni program files. Changing the flags on those made things show/randomize properly, but since the age is 0x00000048 instead of 0x00000008, will doing it this way work for folks without Uni?


Edit: Here are the extracted GMDCs for the Alien template for all you face replacers out there.

Setting the age to 48 won't cause problems for people with the base game, a lot of the official downloads do the same thing. The sorting thing is caused by the fact that the package is in the downloads folder, just add a product-dtUInteger-0x00000001 to the xml files and they'll get sorted like normal. The sorting system is weird, items can be in the same collection with sort indexes (defined in BINX) that place them around each other, but if the product value is higher or does not exist they will be listed first.

Attached are files that add the Elf and Alien faces to the NPC/townie pool. Huzzah.

Argon,

You can add new sets - have a look at this package I did based on the Jeannette face. It's not complete & only shows up in body Shop but it might help you figure out what to do.

There's also a good write up by Wes_H on adding dog collars over at MTS2 that explains how all the keys work together, I found it very informative when I was getting the overlays working.

I am glad you are tacking this :) I can scratch it off my list now!

Morague

Thanks, but I've already had luck getting a new complete template to show up. I'm just running into snags getting the new model to show up (renamed) but that's most likely due to something stupid I've done, I should get it fixed soon then I can release it.

**UPDATE**
Finished, apparently the version-dtUInteger-0x00000002 is needed for the archetype to show up in yacas. This is an entirely new archetype based on my self sim, because I was too lazy to come up with anything else, and will show up at the end of the list in cas. Because the flag is not set to 9, this show also appear on townies. It has toddler-elder, male & female enabled.

AWESOMESAUCE!

Sorry for the double post, but Argon, would it be possible to use your template as a base to make more (that won't conflict with it?)  And would you be willing to explain how for those of us who are less than thoroughly awesome?  *Puppy eyes*

Certainly, I'll write up a tutorial soon but it might be a while since I'm on vacation at the moment. It would be really easy to modify this template for new ones though, all you have to do is change the group (like what bodyshop does), then rename and re-reference the models. The sorting can be changed, I just copied it from the alien archtype unlocker I made so I could finish it quick.

Okay, this is potentially a "doh!"-type question, but—are the adult facefile files in this set intended to replace the ones for the same templates made by AllenABQ or anyone else (AllenABQ_facefile_adultfemale21-cper.package, etc.)? I ask this because his facefile files are three times larger than these, and the (for example) amArchCper_tslocator_gdmc contains a lot of data in the Model Section in Allen's version, whereas this version has nothing in that section.

Maybe I'm way off base here, but then, that's what questions are for!   ;D

Hegelian, the files I uploaded are base templates for making your own replacement 21 and/or 25 templates. Replaced templates are larger in file size. For example, if you look at AllenABQ's face replacements (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=106077), you'll see they're larger than his base templates (http://www.modthesims2.com/member/showthread.php?t=106081). You'll also notice that his replacement files have his name at the beginning, eg "AllenABQ_facefile...", while the base template filenames are just "facefile..."
So no, the base templates aren't supposed to replace anything. They're supposed to be replaced!

Ah! Doh!!   ;D

Do we know if anyone has made actual face replacements yet with with templates?

I have, actually.  I just haven't finished the other revisions I want to make to my template set before I upload them.

Oh, cool!   8)

This is some very serious necromancy, but I think I'm either confused or doing something very wrong with this template fix.

I married someone with one of the 'broken' face templates into one of my families (Sim State dormie with black hair in braid pigtails, black shirt red skirt). Aware that there might be some problems with her face template, I put this fix in my game. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be helping.

So far she's had two kids and both are expressing what looks like face one features. I aged up the elder child and she doesn't show her mother's features until she turns into a young adult. I'm guessing the same thing will be true about the second child. Since there's a third child on the way, I figured I'd frankenstein this thread back to life and see if anyone knew WTF.

Does this need to be in the game before the sim with the template is generated? Does it not help sims that are already created with the template? Is there anything I can do to fix this so the kids show their correct features earlier than young adult? At least so they show when they're teens? Help? :}

do the matching face templates show up in CAS and Bodyshop?

As far as I can tell, the fix does not work with existing sims. The templates for all lifestages seem to be saved in the sim itself. I tested this with premade sim Jared Starchild from Sim State uni, he's got one of the borked face templates. With fix in, I extracted him with SimPE and aged him down in body shop - and he had face template 1 for all other lifestages. Then I turned him back to YA, went and clicked on the correct template from the face template menu, and then it was fine for all ages.

I'm thinking I'm in agreement with the template fix having to be in place BEFORE the sim is created. Here's what I discovered going into bodyshop:

Going in and creating a new sim in bodyshop, I clicked on the face template as an adult. I then went through all the age stages and everything looked fine. Here's the screencaps of what I saw: http://mux.net/~ang/simpics/shelbtemp.jpg

Then, using an extracted version of the dormie I married into the family, I did the same thing. I cloned her up and then clicked through the age stages. Everything but adult and young adult was face one. Here's the screencaps: http://mux.net/~ang/simpics/shelbreal.jpg

I also extracted her daughter and got the exact same thing. I don't think she's completely generic face one, but her face drastically changes when she hits young adult and adult and then reverts back to almost face one as an elder.

Is there anything I can do to fix this? I suppose I could do sim surgery on the mom and fix her genetics that way, but would that fix the baby she's currently pregnant with? And that obviously doesn't fix the two children she's already had. I'm guesing the boy will run into the exact same problem. (Sim surgery would cost them any recessive genetics too, wouldn't it?)

This is just a stab in the dark, but you can try creating a sim in bodyshop (with the fix in) and extract the Facial Structure file from that sim and overwrite the ones in the pre-fix character files. Then all you need to do is use a mirror and do change appearance; it updates the meshes.

Will extracting the facial structure file change the existing apperance of a sim, or just the genetics? I'm guessing just the genetics.

In a testing hood, I recreated the relevant sims directly from their extracted versions. The mom tested as still showing up with face one for every stage other than adult. Same with both kids. I then created a 'correct' version of the mom using the template. the corrected version ages fine. I then did simsurgery between the real version and the test version and then played with aging and she seems fixed. She also appropriately passed on her genetics to a kid I made her spawn.

I'm hoping this same method would work for 'fixing' the two kids they've already had. I played around in CAS and came up with two 'genetic mergers' that seemed to fit what I needed between the kids and should be able to simsurgery them too.

The question is, do I need to do anything else other than simsurgery to make it stick? (I know I would have to edit any recessive features they've got on the kids.)