SimSheet (a sim-tracking program) [Now with Aspiration and LTW tracking!]

[ingeli]

I also use the CSV-export-function regularly to update the database (sharepoint list) on my Windlebridge-website. What I do is that I open the csv-file with a selection of sims (the most recently created in game) with excel and edit it, to take away all the unneeded data. I am attaching the latest version of the file to show what fields I am using. Then I just paste the data into my database.

[rufio]

Rufio, best to start with the NID as that would be the unique identifier.  If you want the other values translated before they reach you, that can be done, but of course it will lead to a much bigger file and be slower to read and write.

Sure, that's not a problem.

Ideally your tool would take care of its own translation - and then it can be adapted for other languages more easily.  The sim's name of course obviously stored as a string, but the problem with the CVS passing you that string, is that it will be the American name, and not necessarily the name your user knows the sim by.  You might be better off just taking the NID and opening the character file yourself to get the right name out - unless the initial query does take language as a parameter of course.

So the CSV is exported in the language the game is configured in, and so I'd have to keep the translations of various fields available to the code so that the program could still interpret it?  Ok.  We can pass a language code or something along, and that shouldn't be too annoying.  What do you mean by "American names," though?  Do you mean the townies' names, or...?

[Inge]

Well that's the problem.  Sims made by players or in the game only have their name stored in the string for their location, they don't walys even have an american name.  So we're probably going to have to pass the region to Simpe unless you want to open the character files yourself.  One benefit if you did, is you might be able to allow your users to change the Sims' names that way.  Also they should be able to store some notes, possible as a string resource in the character file.  Though it could just as easily be local to your database.

I think rather than you have the hassle of parsing package files, we'd take language as a parameter and give you back the right name.

[rufio]

Ok, so I need to make a setting for language, and somehow have my program communicate this setting to SimPE?  Or can you make it a setting in SimPE when the user goes to generate the CSV?  Am I understanding this right?

There is already a way to store and view notes on specific sims in SimSheet, but this is, of course, only in the program and nothing to do with outside files.

[Inge]

It would be a good idea to get a dialog going between the programs so that you can request specific sims' data.  The language reqyest could be in that.  However don't get too exited till Peter finds where it's done or designs it from scratch.  And don't forget we have AL coming out any moment now - the priority will to be to update SimPe for that.

[rufio]

Sure.  And I'm working on the family ties tab for SimSheet, which promises to take a while and be very confusing, so it will probably not be updated again for a while in any case.

[Mizz Rose Bud]

Sims made by players or in the game only have their name stored in the string for their location, they don't walys even have an american name.

hmmm ... don´t know if this is any help, but my Windows is installed with danish as the default language, and every time I have updated SimPE I have to set SimPE´s default language to english, to avoid having all the danish names of the pre made sims, NPC´s and Townies listed ... but as I recall all my own sims have their correct names.

*shrug*

Anyway ... I´m so excited to read all this, it was such a loss to me when SimsDB wasn´t updated anymore ... this is great news

Rose

[Inge]

Ok I will double check - but it might be something that changed after a particular EP or patch.  I feel sure at one time the name was only added to the string for your locale if the sim was created in game.

Progress so far...  Run SimPE with the -rufio switch (which means it can all be done from within the new DB) and the splash screen will come up while it outputs a semicolon seperated file into a directory called rufio, and SimPE then closes itself.  Some of the fields are not working right yet, and we haven't got the images being output yet.   The file includes characters from all hoods in one file (obviously the hood number is part of the line).   I pulled a face when Peter said it would do all hoods at once, but in fact it was very fast!

[rufio]

Cool.  I'm not real knowledgeable about Windows inter-process whatsit though.  How would I have to set things up to run that from SimSheet?

[Inge]

Well you're doing it in C++ aren't you?  I don't know how to make a system call with that.

[rufio]

Ok, well I've done some google research, and I think I know how to do it now - I'll have to try it out.  Sorry, I just haven't done this kind of thing before and I usually don't work in Windows.

[rufio]

Ok, that took a lot less time than I thought, partly because I've busted my knee and don't have a lot to do other than sit on my ass and play the sims, browse the net, and program.

Version 0.4 is available from the links in the first post, now featuring family connections between sims and a family ties tab that will show how the sim selected in the main tab is related to every other sim that they are related to.  This includes distantly-related cousins, although eventually the program gives up and says "Distant Cousin, Many Times Removed".  I'm not sure if it's actually possible to get to that point without having your neighborhood explode from too many sims, though.  I'm pretty sure the algorithm for figuring out family relationships is working right, but I'd appreciate someone with a huger family tree than I currently have seeing just how robust it is.  You still have to manually enter everything, but that shouldn't be too painful, right?

If you don't know what first/second/etc cousins once/twice/etc removed are, wikipedia has a nice chart here.

A picture of the new tab is here.

ETA: Forgot to mention - I changed the age transitions slightly after discovering that there is some inconsistency in the game, so your sims might be a day or two off now.  The ## days old setting shows the age as calculated by my program now, and the ## days until lifestage shows the age as your game knows it.

[Bleached]

Hey, you know the download link on the first page is broken, right? From what I can see of it though, it looks like a handy program.

[rufio]

Hey, you know the download link on the first page is broken, right? From what I can see of it though, it looks like a handy program.

Yeah, for some reason, snapdrive took down all my files.    I'm trying to figure out what happened.  I'll reupload them in a minute and hopefully they won't disappear again.

ETA: Links should work now.

[Lerf]

I love the program, but I have problem on a new neighborhood.   I've added a pair of sisters and I can't seem to get the "full siblings" dropdown to "take" the relationship.  That is I chose Linnea McGill as Cremorna McGill full sibling, click on Add full sibling and it doesn't update--Full Siblings remain none. 

It also doesn't work if I click on Add Full Sibling and chose Linnea McGill.  Don't know if it's my mistake or a bug.

The Add parent and child relationship seems to work fine.  I don't currently have any married families in this neighborhood to check the other settings.

BTW, didn't I just assassinate you in Oblivion?

[rufio]

I love the program, but I have problem on a new neighborhood.   I've added a pair of sisters and I can't seem to get the "full siblings" dropdown to "take" the relationship.  That is I chose Linnea McGill as Cremorna McGill full sibling, click on Add full sibling and it doesn't update--Full Siblings remain none.

I'm guessing they are only siblings because you made them that way in CAS, and their parents don't actually exist in your game.  Basically, the program doesn't really keep track of siblings, just parents and children; it figures out that two people are siblings because they share parents, and causes sims to become siblings by making their parents the same.  If there are no parents to share, they can't be siblings.  You can always add their parents as ghosts first, and then set it up so that both sims are children of the parents.

BTW, didn't I just assassinate you in Oblivion?

Buh?  If you mean "are you the same person who has the username rufio on another site I frequent", the answer is probably no.  As Rufio is the name of a character in Hook and a pop-punk band, there are probably approximately 3242352 people using it as a username somewhere.  The only non-sims-related site I've used this nick on is one I haven't logged onto in years.

[Lerf]

I love the program, but I have problem on a new neighborhood.   I've added a pair of sisters and I can't seem to get the "full siblings" dropdown to "take" the relationship.  That is I chose Linnea McGill as Cremorna McGill full sibling, click on Add full sibling and it doesn't update--Full Siblings remain none.

I'm guessing they are only siblings because you made them that way in CAS, and their parents don't actually exist in your game.  Basically, the program doesn't really keep track of siblings, just parents and children; it figures out that two people are siblings because they share parents, and causes sims to become siblings by making their parents the same.  If there are no parents to share, they can't be siblings.  You can always add their parents as ghosts first, and then set it up so that both sims are children of the parents.

BTW, didn't I just assassinate you in Oblivion?

Buh?  If you mean "are you the same person who has the username rufio on another site I frequent", the answer is probably no.  As Rufio is the name of a character in Hook and a pop-punk band, there are probably approximately 3242352 people using it as a username somewhere.  The only non-sims-related site I've used this nick on is one I haven't logged onto in years.

OK I'll just make a couple of dummy parents.

Oops.  Sorry.  In the game Oblivion if you kill someone who hasn't attacked you the next time you go to sleep a cool guy in a black robe shows up beside your bed and invites you to join the Dark Brotherhood.   To pass the "initiation" you have to kill some old guy named Rufio....

[Inge]

SimPE work on this has now restarted, since the frequency of useless whinges at SimPE for the missing thumbnails has reduced, and the development team again have time to think.

[coralleane]

SimPE work on this has now restarted, since the frequency of useless whinges at SimPE for the missing thumbnails has reduced, and the development team again have time to think.

That's good to know - I'd love to start using it but the sheer number of Sims I'd have to enter makes me run screaming in the other direction.  Is there anywhere on the SimPE site or forums that deals with this (or anywhere else, come to that) or is it just this thread for now? 

[Inge]

Just this I think

[Inge]

Update:  Peter completed this work a few days ago and gave Rufio a test version to see if he's getting the output he needs.  We're just waiting for him to find out how to start SimPE now.  Not much else we can do before we have his feedback.

[Mizz Rose Bud]

Have to ask ... how do you make SimSheets work ?

I downloaded the file from the first post, hoping that there were a explanation in the readme ... I can´t find anywhere in the thread that says anything about what to do after downloading and unzipping the pack ...

Am I completely blind ?

I assume that I need the csv file, and I know how to make one ... I just don´t know where to put it afterwards or how to import it to the program.

Rose

[rufio]

Have to ask ... how do you make SimSheets work ?

I downloaded the file from the first post, hoping that there were a explanation in the readme ... I can´t find anywhere in the thread that says anything about what to do after downloading and unzipping the pack ...

Am I completely blind ?

I assume that I need the csv file, and I know how to make one ... I just don´t know where to put it afterwards or how to import it to the program.

Rose

If you mean, how do you import your sims from SimPE, you don't, not yet.  Inge and I are working on getting that set up now.  As of v. 0.4 (in the first post) you have to enter your sims manually using the Add Sims button in the first tab.  You run the program by running the executable (SimSheet.exe).

[Mizz Rose Bud]

Oh my ... well that explain a lot 

It just sounded like you had it up and running, from the posts above ... guess that I need to have a bit more patience.

Rose

[Inge]

It's best not to fill your head with all that supernatural nonsense.  You can get hacks to stop plantsims occurring.