Discussion in progress: Editing the EAxis Hobby Lots

[Zazazu]

See: It's my neighborhood, I'll change it however I want to.
Warning: This is experimental. It's worked for me twice now, but back up your neighborhood files before starting.
More methods are being discussed. Skip to here to get up to date.


What you need:
1. A version of SimPE that will work with FreeTime. Until the team releases a final version, you can obtain the QA version by requesting to be added to the group at the SimPE site.
2. A sim with a membership to the hobby lot you would like to edit.
3. At least one community lot in your neighborhood or sub-neighborhoods.
4. The original SimPE lot description files. You can obtain all of the original lot descriptions from my 4shared drive. You can also extract your original ones before starting via SimPE, but why duplicate work?

Step 1:
Using a sim who has access to the lot you would like to edit, travel to the lot. In my example, we are using the Fitness lot, Platinum Gym.

Step 2:
Enter the cheats "changelotzoning residential" and "boolProp dormspecifictoolsdisabled false".

Step 3:
Tear down, build, and decorate to your little heart's content. This will cost your sim money, so be sure to use the familyFunds cheat or kaching it back when done. Note: to access Build mode, you must be in Buy mode and use the eyedropper to select a Build mode object (i.e. a window, door, floor tile).

Step 4:
Save the lot.

Step 5:
Enter the cheat "changelotzoning secrethobbylot". Do not save again until you leave this lot.

Step 6:
Direct your sim to walk to a community lot. Once at the community lot, direct your sim to walk home. Save and exit your game.
Why the roundabout? Changing the lot to residential earlier may have temporarily removed the option to walk home, as the hobby lot isn't truly a hobby lot in the eyes of the game currently. No worries; we're about to fix that.

Step 7:
Fire up your SimPE. Click on the Neighborhood Browser. Click on your neighborhood, then choose the Hobbies sub-neighborhood as below.


Step 8:
On the left*, choose the Lot Description sort. Directly on the right, click on the lot you have built on. Note the instance number. Write this down somewhere.

See how it says the lot type is residential? Yup, that's why we did the roundabout method to leave the lot.


Step 9:
Now right-click on the lot name. Choose "Delete" on the menu that pops up. I know, it's scary. Hit the Save button on the top menu bar.


Step 10:
Right-click anywhere in that right window. Choose "Add" on the menu that pops up. Now, add that original .simpe lot description file you downloaded or extracted earlier that matches the lot you are changing. In this case, I'm adding Platinum Gym.simpe.


Step 11:
Now change the Instance number to the one you had noted before. If you'd like to change the lot name or description, now is the time to do it. Click on "Commit" in the lower right corner. Save via the button on the top menu.


Step 12:
Close SimPE. Start your game. Take your sim back to the hobby lot. No more EAxis fug.

*If I actually got all these rights and lefts correct, I get a cookie. Stupid spatial organization issues.

[Emma]

Zazazu, this is awesome! I am definitely going to do this when I get SimPe

[Simgoose]

This will still work with the BV version of SimPe?

[jsalemi]

Can't you fucking read? Step #1 says "A version of SimPE that will work with FreeTime. Until the team releases a final version, you can obtain the QA version by requesting to be added to the group at the SimPE site."  So obviously it won't fucking work with the BV version.

Sheesh!

[Zazazu]

...specifically because BV SimPE can't read the type of lot that the hobby lots are (0000x7). Signing up for the QA is easy, and they are being unusually quick approving people. I think I was approved within 3 hours.

[Simgoose]

thanks Zazazu, ill give that a shot.
my apologizes for wasting your time when i should have read the whole thing, instead of skimming.
oh well, not to worry, EVERYONE is human. and makes mistakkes. *oops* my bad.
Cheers

[J. M. Pescado]

This is completely not like the method I used. I just copied the Lot Descriptor entries and nametags (and deleted all the extraneous crap infesting the files) from the Hobby hood, transferred into a blank OFB subhood, terrain surgeried, and loadlotted.

[Daimon]

Any chance for those of us who are less savvy that someone will upload a replacement set without the obvious flaws?

[Zazazu]

This is completely not like the method I used. I just copied the Lot Descriptor entries and nametags (and deleted all the extraneous crap infesting the files) from the Hobby hood, transferred into a blank OFB subhood, terrain surgeried, and loadlotted.

"Completely not like" = bad    or    "Completely not like" = acceptable alternative, though not awesome?
It didn't look like this method was creating any extra junk code, so I figured it was ok to share.

[daisylee]

Thank you for this great Tutorial. I definitely want to try it as I really cannot stand Maxis/EA lots!

Now, to sound really dense, I looked high and low and cannot find the membership application button at SimPE. I really do not think I am blind yet, and did see another post where somebody else could not find it.

So, if somebody can tell me where the heck it is I will look again.

Thank you!
 

[Zazazu]

You have to be logged in to the site. I was doing the same thing.

[MistyBlue]

You just achieved superhero status!! I've been tinkering and trying to make my own from scratch, but this will work, too.

[J. M. Pescado]

"Completely not like" = bad    or    "Completely not like" = acceptable alternative, though not awesome?
It didn't look like this method was creating any extra junk code, so I figured it was ok to share.

Saving a non-saveable lot with sims still on it is generally a bad plan, since the lot will then permanently be stored with your SIM STILL ON IT. This is a Bad Thing.

[daisylee]

You have to be logged in to the site. I was doing the same thing.

UM - I should have thought of that! Thank you for the info! Now the question is whether to proceed or not. I don't want to mess up my game, but need a method that can be done by a member of the peasant class. If you and JM can work out the kinks and let us know the best way to proceed it will be very much appreciated.

 

[Zazazu]

Ok. Hmm. Pescado, your method has lots of appeal now that I think of it, especially if you are going to need to edit the lot more than once. Since you can get into the sub-hood, you can just do LoadLot to get back in. Plus, you know, dangling sims are a bit freaky and require more work.

Thing is, I fail at cleaning lot files. I'm not sure what would be considered extraneous crap.

[daisylee]

Ok. Hmm. Pescado, your method has lots of appeal now that I think of it, especially if you are going to need to edit the lot more than once. Since you can get into the sub-hood, you can just do LoadLot to get back in. Plus, you know, dangling sims are a bit freaky and require more work.

Thing is, I fail at cleaning lot files. I'm not sure what would be considered extraneous crap.

If we are going to round 2, I hope that one of you can give us peasant level instructions as to what we should do. I REALLY want to get those lots redone as Maxis lots are a complete offense to my game!  They always are so, so bad!

[Zazazu]

No, I'm keeping it all to myself.   

[Simgoose]

So we are still running with the Tutorial as being ok to edit the secret lots? Or does it cause bad coding and crap like J.M has said.
this is still a very awesome thing. Because lets face it... EAxis dont really do anything thing tha good... coding. sims. lots.
Thanks Zazazu.
Also. got the QA accepted for SimPE approved 10mins after the request, played with it alot last night. Cheers.

[MistyBlue]

No, I'm keeping it all to myself.

Handover the superhero badge...and the free flashlight!

[Zazazu]

I need a flashlight! You know how often power goes out here. No takesies backsies.

Jellygoose, I'd say it's one of those at-your-own-risk things at this point. Doing it once in a clean 'hood shouldn't hurt things, but doing it 20 times might cause some hiccups. I'm just hoping Pescado will deem to enlighten us regarding which files would need to be cleaned and how in his method, because I can always adjust mine and repost instructions.

[Inge]

they are being unusually quick approving people. I think I was approved within 3 hours.

Er... I think you'll find it's been quick ever since some proper admins were finally appointed, rather than a few hibernating tortoises.

[Zazazu]

*ahem* I wasn't going to say that, but I did notice who was doing the thread-starting.

[Inge]

Has anyone tried editing a secret hobby lot by typing "loadlot [lotname]" at all yet?

[Zazazu]

I had, and it wouldn't load. My format was loadlot "Platinum Gym". Didn't do a damned thing. I can get to my other community lots that way (I tried with Always in Season--one of my staple self-builts).

[Inge]

Oh well, it was a thought.   My sim got into the dance studio and it had nowhere you could get anything to eat, not even a grill.  But I don't think I can face going through all this just to add one.  I used maxmotives in the end