Ah, that's better... New version of Sims2DB database available

[Pegasys]

It looks like the bug has been squashed  - so let's try again --  please feel free to download the newest beta release at http://www.sims2db.com/sims2dbv0752.zip.   

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OOPS!!!!

A kind tester made me realize that there's a bug in the database so that the Relatives feature won't work. It's an easy fix and I'll upload the newest version very soon today, but if you already downloaded a version, you'll need to do it again... sorry    The updated version will be 0.752.
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This version can now figure out who your Sims are related to (and how, up to a point). There are also a handful of other new features.  If you want to see a near complete list of changes, go to http://sims2db.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=9. I've also updated the help files in the database.

As well, I've set up a forum to discuss the nit-picky details that might bore the rest of you  , it's at http://www.sims2db.com/bb.

[witch]

WOO HOO!
I'm just hanging out till my xmas break so I can actually get my sims into this d'base.
Thank you so much for all the time and effort you have put in, I'm really looking forward to this. 

[lauraglenn]

Pegasys, I just started to load my sims into the original database.  Will I have to redo all of my work if I install the new version?

[Pegasys]

You won't have to redo your work, you can import your Sims into the updated version. Details are in the readme or at http://sims2db.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10

-- Pegasys

[JadeEliott]

Thank you SO much for working on this for us...now go take a break, before you burn out! :-(

[katemonster]

Pegasys, I just started to load my sims into the original database.  Will I have to redo all of my work if I install the new version?

You WILL have to redo all your work if you are dumb like me and unzip the new program into the same folder as the old one, thus overwriting all the old files and losing all your work. Don't do that!

[greeneyedsims]

kate, like a big dummy, I just did that, myself.  Now I'm looking like a durn stupid idiot to myself!!  LOL!!  Geeeez!!!  Luckily, I only had 7 people in there.  (just started a neighborhood)  I was overanxious to see the changes.  I usually read first, but this time I didn't.

[skandelouslala]

Great!

I've just downloaded.  I've got my sims imiported from one 'hood..my my pleasentview sims refuse to be imported...not sure what is going on there but at the moment I am not too concerned and I suppose that if I really can 't get them imported I can reenter the data if I must and it won't be that big of a deal.

Can't wait to check everything out.  Thanks for taking your time to do this.

[katemonster]

kate, like a big dummy, I just did that, myself.  Now I'm looking like a durn stupid idiot to myself!!  LOL!!  Geeeez!!!  Luckily, I only had 7 people in there.  (just started a neighborhood)  I was overanxious to see the changes.  I usually read first, but this time I didn't.

I had 96--3 generations of the sims I've been playing since I got the game the day it came out. I'm surprised at how fast I managed to get them all re-entered, made-up birth dates and all. In fact, this time I managed to actually come up with made-up birth dates that made more sense than the last ones I had (ie, I no longer have a child who was born 16 years before another sim who's a teen...)

I had had all the personality and genetics data entered, so I can check on that stuff without having to go into the game or SimPE, but that's too big and boring of a task to re-do right now--I have the day off school and I need to go play.

[Pegasys]

Okay, it appears to be fixed now - new version at http://www.sims2db.com/sims2dbv0752.zip If you downloaded the version from earlier today, trash it. 

[windy_moon]

This rocks. 

I only have about 25 Sims entered, but I can't wait to enter the rest now that there is a relatives button.  That's the coolest thing!!

Thanks!

[skandelouslala]

Redownloading now

[Ancient Sim]

Do the Sims have to be entered into the database before the game can find relatives?  I was assuming that if I entered one member of the family, it would find all the others, but it doesn't seem to be doing so if they're not in the database.  Also, how do I enter my own neighbourhoods?  The only neighbourhoods there are not ones in my game and when I delete them, it doesn't replace them with mine.  Even if I enter my neighbourhood, it's not available to choose in the drop-down box. 

[Pegasys]

Sims2DB is completely separate from the Sims 2 game. Sims2DB does not pull or extract any data from the Sims 2 game; all the data in the Sims2DB is whatever you enter. So yes, you need to enter in all the Sims in order for the database to find relatives.

In the future I may use exported data from something like SimPE to make it a little easier for you to enter your Sims, but you'd still have to link the Sims together (as parents and children) for the database to figure out the relatives.

As far as the neighborhoods, you can edit the Neighborhoods drop-down list and add your own. Click on the drop down list, at the very bottom there's "Edit". I have debated making this an auto-fill like the Household list (where it only populates the list with current values).

[windy_moon]

Dude, this is so awesome.    

I'm going to have to hire a Kelly Temp to enter data for me if I really want to record the finer points, but I'm closing in on getting the basics on all 80+ Sims in and knowing who is related to whom and how is awesome.

(Thanks to the folks who messed up before me by saving over the original DB files. 
*bows* Avoided that disaster... I never RTFM, I always just push buttons.)

[radiophonic]

Are there any future plans to get this program to scan the game folder for sims and their relationships?

[Pegasys]

Are there any future plans to get this program to scan the game folder for sims and their relationships?

The program itself can't scan the game folder, but it could be set up to parse ascii text output (.csv, etc.). Perhaps some inventive programmer write something to export data from the game files to text. I know SimPE can export text info up to a point, but it appears only the basic information is exported, not too many details, and not the relationships. I'm no expert at SimPE, however, so maybe it's possible, I just can't determine how.

[baratron]

Have you tried talking to Quaxi (the author of SimPE) directly? I found him quite approachable in email when I was having some problems with SimPE. English is not his first language, so you need to be clear & concise, but I imagine if there's an easy way for him to add an interface to your program that he'd be happy to do so.

It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement, as a lot more people would download & learn to use SimPE if they had access to your program, & vice versa.

[vecki]

Nice...

Weird thing happened the first time I tried to import and relationise my sims though...

Running the relationship thing triplicated my sims!

Started again and re-imported and all was right with the world once more.  Although the db insists on changing Alexander Goth to a girl every time I start it up, despite me fixing it every time.  Does it know something I don't?

[Pegasys]

Yes the database does a very complex and sophisticated analysis to determine *true* gender - not "expressed" gender 

Seriously, though, the gender shouldn't be changing... how exactly does this occur? or is this a joke... hmmm?

[vecki]

I dunno... it was better last night - Alex has stopped pining for a sex change and is now male once more.

Quite possibly I was tabbing after changing it to male, so the change wasn't sticking right (Female apparently being the default value for every sim which then needs to be changed).

It was just amusing that Alexander kept coming up as Cass's sister, little Bella's Auntie....  and only Alexander that it seemed to keep resetting for!

 

[ZiggyDoodle]

Thanks ever so much, Pegasys!  My data from the first version imported nicely, once I got to my office where I could download the program from there (where I live we don't even have cable t.v., let alone broadband, so I'm stuck with dial-up at home), and transfer it to my home system.

Your work is much appreciated!

[Pegasys]

I don't know, I think Alexander might just be Alexandra.

One thing though, if you tab into a field and select an entry from a drop-down list, in order for it to "take" you have to press Enter or Return.

Oh, and this goes for everyone who's using the database - if you haven't already, please delete the sample data. No biggie, but the sample data may try to become relatives of the future Sims you enter into the database. (Future releases won't have this problem, just another small bug.)

Currently playing around with exporting from SimPE. Unfortunately there's a lot of data that's not available as a direct export from SimPE --  including gender 

I dunno... it was better last night - Alex has stopped pining for a sex change and is now male once more.

Quite possibly I was tabbing after changing it to male, so the change wasn't sticking right (Female apparently being the default value for every sim which then needs to be changed).

It was just amusing that Alexander kept coming up as Cass's sister, little Bella's Auntie....  and only Alexander that it seemed to keep resetting for!

 

[Motoki]

Pegasys: Have you talked to Quaxi about this? He's the creator of SimPE and is a really friendly, helpful, nice guy. He may know of some way of extracting some of the data that you didn't know about. You could try asking at his forum here:

http://ambertation.de/simpeforum/

[Pegasys]

Thanks, I've just contacted Quaxi, we'll see! SimPE is a really neat program, I've been having fun playing around with it. It's not easy at first glance, though that's for sure. Through it I learned that one of my black-haired Sims got her gene from her brown-haired mother, whereas I'd thought her townie father had dyed his hair. Anyway, I digress...