Crediting Custom Content Creators-- without knowing hardly anything.

[Kazzandra]

I was looking though my Saved Sims Folder, wrangling away with jfade's excellent program, and I noticed that I now have about 1000 items of self-made custom content. I don't want to hoard. I also don't want to infringe upon anyone's delicate feelings. My google-fu was not strong for this search, and I failed.

So, if I have my item in the saved Sims folder, is there a way I can find the original mesh in my downloads folder using some Secret SimPE lore or some such?

Because my excuse has always been "I don't know who made this mesh, so I don't know who to credit."

Of course, that may still be a valid excuse, but I can clear my conscious if that be the case 

[Zazazu]

What items are we talking about? A sim with shinies, or an outfit/accessory recolor? If it's a sim, packaging it and then opening in Clean Installer will tell you the names of the bits and bobbles.

As for recolors, it depends on how deep you went into renaming your stuff. I don't give a diddly, so all I name with my own name is the actual package file. Original creator can be found just by glancing at the texture image or material definition files. Unless, of course, the creator didn't put their names on their meshes, in which case it's their own fault for not getting credit.

[Kazzandra]

Mostly clothing and object recolours.

e. Original creator can be found just by glancing at the texture image or material definition files. Unless, of course, the creator didn't put their names on their meshes, in which case it's their own fault for not getting credit.

Okay, so I should be able to find most of my meshes then. If I am successful maybe I can bribe someone into hosting my best files. I don't know what kind of audience I would get, if any at all. The stuff at TSR gets downloaded, so there's gotta' be someone else out there as frackin' odd as me.

[Liz]

Anyone have any experience offering stuff at MTS2? I often get frustrated with their downtime and slowness (though the second is probably to be expected, given their traffic), but it may be a viable option. Are you considering there?

Wherever you decide to reveal your goodies, I look forward to seeing 'em! 


PS, you'd clear your 'conscience', not your 'conscious'
</grammarwank>

[pbox]

Anyone have any experience offering stuff at MTS2? I often get frustrated with their downtime and slowness (though the second is probably to be expected, given their traffic), but it may be a viable option.

I've been uploading there for a long time. I like it there. Uploads are moderated, which means they won't show up immediately -- but it also means they won't get drowned out by a sea of crap (some of the stuff there probably still qualifies as crap in the eyes of some people, but you wouldn't believe how much is being filtered out beforehand). The uploading process itself is a step-by-step wizard .. it feels a little long-winded at times (certainly takes longer than just dump a file somewhere), but it makes it really impossible to forget anything -- it'll prompt you for every little detail. Sometimes I find that very helpful. You will have to credit *every*thing you use, even just in screenshots; not giving proper credit is one of the most common reasons for uploads being rejected.

Can't comment on the slowness, but the downtime is always for a reason -- it's a side effect of Delphy fixing something. It is usually a good sign when the servers are down, not a bad one. MTS2 is one of the best maintained sites I know.

[Zazazu]

MTS2 has its good points and its bad points. If you are doing something all your own, it's great. Write a couple lines, smack on a few pictures, and you're done. Including other people's items or meshes is a major pain in the rear as there is so much involved in crediting. That's why all my shared lots are here, not there...that and because I use pay meshes and blatantly link to the booty.

[Kazzandra]

Including other people's items or meshes is a major pain in the rear as there is so much involved in crediting. That's why all my shared lots are here, not there...that and because I use pay meshes and blatantly link to the booty.

That's been my major reason to avoid MTS2. I might be able to say which creator the mesh is from, but find the mesh again on a broken website? And link to it? And give detailed instructions on which mesh it is on that page? I hardly download clothes from there anymore because acquiring meshes is so confusing and often the creator doesn't walk the downloader through the process, so I just get frustrated and cancel the download. If not, I end up with a great deal of Season's outerwear icons in my game. 

So I'll probably host them on a free sub-domain. Everyone has Adblock, right? 

[Zazazu]

It's hard for me to understand most creator's TOS since mine are so lax. I honestly don't give a crap what you do with my stuff. Say you made it. Change the file names. Take pictures of sims in PU attire and write "Zazazu is a fuzzy F-type who sucks donkey balls" and spam it on the BBS. Burn my lots in effigy and post videos at Youtube. Whatever, just don't put it on a paysite.

So honestly, why all (non-pay) creators don't let their meshes be included with recolors is beyond me. If you put your name on it, there is no issue. Less bandwidth cost for you.

[Emma]

It's hard for me to understand most creator's TOS since mine are so lax. I honestly don't give a crap what you do with my stuff. Say you made it. Change the file names. Take pictures of sims in PU attire and write "Zazazu is a fuzzy F-type who sucks donkey balls" and spam it on the BBS. Burn my lots in effigy and post videos at Youtube. Whatever, just don't put it on a paysite.

So honestly, why all (non-pay) creators don't let their meshes be included with recolors is beyond me. If you put your name on it, there is no issue. Less bandwidth cost for you.

I'd love to see that written as an actual TOU I don't care what people do with my stuff either.

[cenoura]

Kazzandra, would you be interested in hosting your stuff on my domain? I could probably host the files - will have to talk it through with my other half with regards to bandwidth issues. Can you code HTML? If not I could code a simple website for you to go with the files. Advertising etc would all be up to you. I don't care about where meshes come from etc so long as your stuff works. It'd be free, of course.

I've been thinking for a while about setting up a Sims subdomain, but the only content I have to put on there are stories and very little CC.

[Kazzandra]

Hmmm- yes, I code  wicked HTML!

I don't care about where meshes come from etc so long as your stuff works. It'd be free, of course.

This has definitely attracted my attention. It's not that I don't want to give credit where it is due, it's just I don't want to be limited to only meshes I can find again easily, especially with all the sites in the graveyard, etc.

So honestly, why all (non-pay) creators don't let their meshes be included with recolors is beyond me. If you put your name on it, there is no issue. Less bandwidth cost for you.

I think you have created my Terms of Use. I might even include a clause that encourages posting my works in More Awful Than You!

Alright, I have a plan of action. I will now create a mini-website for my stuffits. I hope to have it done in a couple of days if I don't get too distracted. 

[Emma]

Kazzandra, would you be interested in hosting your stuff on my domain? I could probably host the files - will have to talk it through with my other half with regards to bandwidth issues. Can you code HTML? If not I could code a simple website for you to go with the files. Advertising etc would all be up to you. I don't care about where meshes come from etc so long as your stuff works. It'd be free, of course.

I've been thinking for a while about setting up a Sims subdomain, but the only content I have to put on there are stories and very little CC.

Which one are you, Benjie or Jemma?

[cenoura]

Kazzandra, would you be interested in hosting your stuff on my domain? I could probably host the files - will have to talk it through with my other half with regards to bandwidth issues. Can you code HTML? If not I could code a simple website for you to go with the files. Advertising etc would all be up to you. I don't care about where meshes come from etc so long as your stuff works. It'd be free, of course.

I've been thinking for a while about setting up a Sims subdomain, but the only content I have to put on there are stories and very little CC.

Which one are you, Benjie or Jemma?

  That would be telling

[Zazazu]

I think you have created my Terms of Use. I might even include a clause that encourages posting my works in More Awful Than You!

Cool. You can steal that, too. I'd suggest keeping it as "Zazazu is a fuzzy F-type who sucks donkey balls" instead of "Kazzandra is a fuzzy F-type who sucks donkey balls", just for pure WTFness.

[pbox]

So honestly, why all (non-pay) creators don't let their meshes be included with recolors is beyond me. If you put your name on it, there is no issue. Less bandwidth cost for you.

I think some of them don't want folks to redistribute stuff in case they may want to fix/update/change it later. My own TOS are much like yours, but that point I can understand =) if anything turned out to be borky with my own stuff, I'd be *very* relieved having to fix only one upload, and having everything else point to that one upload. What bugs me much more is stupid flash sites that don't do directlinks .. the whole "go to My Stuff, then objects, then Somethingorother collection, then surfaces, then tables, and then on page three click that little link on the bottom left of the third image" circus. Argh.

[Liz]

What bugs me much more is stupid flash sites that don't do directlinks .. the whole "go to My Stuff, then objects, then Somethingorother collection, then surfaces, then tables, and then on page three click that little link on the bottom left of the third image" circus. Argh.

Arrgh and amen. I've recoloured a couple of things for my own use and am thinking about posting them for others to snag and/or point and laugh at, but if I can't even be arsed to find the mesh again to link to it, I certainly wouldn't expect anyone to go through all that hassle. If a recolour doesn't give me a link to the exact page where the mesh is located, I don't even give it a second thought.

[Ellatrue]

MTS2 is a great site, but it can be really difficult when it comes to uploading lots with a lot of CC. Many creators don't put their name on the tooltips/catalog description/etc, but still expect you to keep track of them and their url. Annoying as hell.

You can sometimes get away with a vague reference if you have to-- like modthesims2.com + name of creator. And then hopefully the creator won't pull a Nengi65 and completely disappear, DELETING ALL THEIR STUFF AND BREAKING HALF YOUR UPLOADS.

[notveryawesome]

If you use the Clean Installer to view your files, you'll often see more information about each file than just the generic filename. There's generally a description of the object, as well.

[Kazzandra]

http://laverwinklesims.com/index.php?topic=779.msg8152#msg8152

I decided to go with Laverwinklesims. It's a shame all of that good script went to waste, but I really hate plundering small websites one at a time. And I really like the forum method-- as I get time, anyone interested in my updates can be conveniently notified. Once I had the bones of my html all down, I was overwhelmed with the thoughts of filling all of those categories.

Thanks for all of your tips!

One more question-- if I open a Savedsims folder in SimsPE, any easy way to see what mesh it is linked to?

[J. M. Pescado]

Is this like the Bendy Shin Dance?

[Kazzandra]

Is this like the Bendy Shin Dance?

Yes, Pescado, there are similar horrours to be found there.