Macrotastics Launcher (yellow box) Question

[Braveheart]

Does the yellow box have to stay on the lot once I have set auto idle to 'on', or can I delete it and have auto idle still remain active?

[J. M. Pescado]

It should remain active even if you remove the yellow box, since it spawns an off-lot yellow box to control things. However, you won't be able to turn it off if you don't have the box.

[Bane~Child]

It should remain active even if you remove the yellow box, since it spawns an off-lot yellow box to control things. However, you won't be able to turn it off if you don't have the box.

JM, is there something smaller that could be substituted instead?  The yellow box is too tall to place inside the foundation without using the moveObjects tool, though the attic would be OK if there was one.  I wondered if the stack of phonebooks or a pizza box or something like that might be possible.

[J. M. Pescado]

JM, is there something smaller that could be substituted instead?  The yellow box is too tall to place inside the foundation without using the moveObjects tool, though the attic would be OK if there was one.  I wondered if the stack of phonebooks or a pizza box or something like that might be possible.

So...use the moveobjects tool, then. Why's this a hard concept? I encourage you to do this.

[RainbowTigress]

Actually, it wouldn't matter how small it was to fit under the foundation.  You'd still have to use moveobjects to place it there because it's not a normally accessible space.  Even when putting paper airplanes under there, you have to use moveobjects.  The problem I have is with houses that are already built but have no foundation to hide them in. 

[Shivani]

Well, here's a silly suggestion--how about one of the many talented meshers out there make a lovely flying fish sculpture as a gift and maybe our dear, obstreperous J.M. will imbue that with the spiffyness that is the Macrotastics Launcher and Lot Debugger?

[RainbowTigress]

Heh, that would be cool.

[Magicmoon]

Yes, Please. I like to have the macrotastics and the lot debugger on every lot. While I am aware that I can hide these, I want the macrotastics box in a place that is easily clickable. I know that I can click on a Sim to issue the same orders that the box can issue, but Sims are constantly moving around and the box is a nice, unmoving target. So rather than pause game, issue orders, unpause...it is so much easier to click on the box. But it is so ugly and really detracts from the looks of the lot.

I know nothing of meshing, but if anyone does, is it possible to turn these two boxes into something, anything, that might look more natural? I get sick of seeing Inge's same color shrub (teleporter shrub) on every lot, but at least it IS a shrub and not a box.

I don't mean to sound ungrateful. These 2 hideous yellow boxes contain awesome controls, but they would be a lot more awesome if they had the appearance of an object that looked more natural in-game.

[J. M. Pescado]

I don't mean to sound ungrateful. These 2 hideous yellow boxes contain awesome controls, but they would be a lot more awesome if they had the appearance of an object that looked more natural in-game.

Like, say, a cardboard box?

[DrBeast]

Heh, I wish businessrunsyou had the pie menu attached to the sim(s) as well and not only on the object. Different flavors I guess, but I keep a closer eye on my sims than on an object.

[J. M. Pescado]

Heh, I wish businessrunsyou had the pie menu attached to the sim(s) as well and not only on the object. Different flavors I guess, but I keep a closer eye on my sims than on an object.

Business Runs You tends to act on the entire business and lot, and isn't an action performed by a sim. Thus why it has its own dangly thing. There are also business-related macros found in "Business" from clicking on your sim. What did you have in mind?

[DrBeast]

Reassigning an employee by clicking directly on him, not hunting the walls to find the hammer-and -sickle, as prominent as it is!

[Magicmoon]

I don't mean to sound ungrateful. These 2 hideous yellow boxes contain awesome controls, but they would be a lot more awesome if they had the appearance of an object that looked more natural in-game.

Like, say, a cardboard box?

Well, yes. Even a cardboard box would be an improvement. At least it is brown and would blend in with scenery, and I actually have cardboard boxes sitting around my own house from time to time, so yes, a cardboard box could fit in with poor Sims, and even richer Sims could explain having a cardboard box leftover from some object they bought.

But alas, I am so unawesome that I cannot even recolor these objects into a simple cardboard box.

[RainbowTigress]

There is already some kind of cardboard box object already in the game.  I'm not sure what it is used for, but the InSimenator uses it for the Summoner object.  It looks like an open cardboard box with a shirt folded inside.  I think other decorative objects could be used, such as a gnome or floor plant.  Or maybe a shrub, LOL.  I prefer that a painting not be used because I play with walls down quite a bit, and I hate having to put the walls up to find a painting and click on it.  Besides, sometimes it's hard to find open wall space. 

[Simlover]

Or a lamp or vase of flowers

[vilia]

One of the gnomes sounds v. cool.  I always suspected they knew more than they let on - with their smug expressions

[Ellatrue]

I second the gnome. GNOME!

[Simsbaby]

There is already some kind of cardboard box object already in the game.  I'm not sure what it is used for, but the InSimenator uses it for the Summoner object.  It looks like an open cardboard box with a shirt folded inside. 

When I was messing around with simpe I found a unopened box and a cake box, maybe let us switch boxes?

[BlueSoup]

I don't want a gnome, I already have to have one of the ugly little things for Macros...kicking.  So, what about a recolour of the current box?  Or some other *pretty* lot decoration that my rich Sims (okay, me) won't be embarrassed to have on the lot.

[ElfPuddle]

A re-meshed flamingo? Nope, macro-kicking again. (Not to mention tacky.)
Shrubs/Rosebushes/Flowers? Maybe, although I think shrubs are Inge's territory.
What about a small fountain?

Edited:

Or what about a fish pond? (FFS' fish, that is.)

[SIMplyLisa]

toybox with Trogdor on it? A fish pillow?

[Mirelly]

How about a set of front door accessories?

For example:

1) Outside the front door on the ground one could have a traditional steel grid to catch mud and grit from outdoor shoes. (Lot Synch timer?)

2) Beside the front door, again at ground level outside, a traditional boot hook - to assist returnees in removing boots without human assistance. (Lot Debugger?)

3) Inside the front door a suitably inscribed salutation to visitors on another rug -- "welcome" would be traditional but I am sure that imaginative MATYers will think of something more apt (Macrotastics Launcher?)

I am running 35+ lots on the synch timer. Every house has all three of the above, some in the attic, some in cellars and a few avant garde sprites even have theirs in plain view. As it is some time between return visits, I often waste valuable seconds looking behind chimney stacks before remembering the bloody things are behind the works of the bowling lane in the cellar.

Mind you nothing beats the ten minutes I wasted the other day, patiently looking under every bed, side table, rug and toy robot in a large house for the ceiling controller. I have no shame at all in sharing this with you. I never even angled the camera view upwards a little to see if there was a ceiling in that house ... there wasn't.

JM was correct in an earlier thread .... I am senile 

[RainbowTigress]

JM was correct in an earlier thread .... I am senile 

He's one to talk, isn't he?

[Meska]

My vote would be for a cardboard box. *shrugs a little*