What downloads to delete to make loading times of game and lots more efficient?

[idtaminger]

Linky

This was previously mentioned in the Culling Hair thread, but at that time the results were less than encouraging

And it still helps if the downloads are organized into subfolders. For instance, I used it to scan a folder that only had the clothing recolors and meshes (of course I had to know that those were clothing meshes).

Ahhh! Thank you! I love you! OMG!!!!!111 

Say...any plans for an orphaned recolours scanner? Cuz I know I've got a whole lot of those.

[Theo]

Say...any plans for an orphaned recolours scanner? Cuz I know I've got a whole lot of those.

That's the "Recolor-Basemesh Scanner", already included in SimPe.

[KevinTMC]

I'm another compulsive zip and rar keeper...  problem is, stuff that gets deleted from the game because it's crap doesn't get the corresponding zip or rar deleted.  If my downloads folder ever went splodey I'd have a really nasty time trying to sort through what needs to go back in and what should stay out.

I have two separate folders for archiving zips and rars.

When I install new content, the zip/rar goes into the Installed Downloads folder.

When I rip it out, the zip/rar gets transferred to the Removed Downloads folder.

When I rue its absence and put it in again...well, you get the picture.

[jsalemi]

That's the "Recolor-Basemesh Scanner", already included in SimPe.

So, if I understand how it works correctly, anything marked 'Unknown' in that scanner is safe to delete (other than the CEP file, of course)?

Edit:  nevermind, I figured out what this one does.  So I take it your experimental orphan mesh scanner is still worth trying, too?

[idtaminger]

That's the "Recolor-Basemesh Scanner", already included in SimPe.

Is that what that is? Huh. Never knew that.

[Theo]

So, if I understand how it works correctly, anything marked 'Unknown' in that scanner is safe to delete (other than the CEP file, of course)?

Is that what that is? Huh. Never knew that.

The Recolor-Basemesh scanner adds the "Found Base" column to the package list. The value "yes" means that there is a mesh for that recolor, and the value "no" means that the scanner couldn't find a mesh for it.

[jsalemi]

The Recolor-Basemesh scanner adds the "Found Base" column to the package list. The value "yes" means that there is a mesh for that recolor, and the value "no" means that the scanner couldn't find a mesh for it.

Yea, I saw that.  But it seems that it was also finding recolors of Maxis objects, and saying it couldn't find a mesh for them.  That's kinda odd...

[Fish Dude]

Yea, I saw that.  But it seems that it was also finding recolors of Maxis objects, and saying it couldn't find a mesh for them.  That's kinda odd...

Doesnt do it for mine  The objects probably work in the game, so it might be the scanner that has the problem.

[Theo]

It's because the Recolor-Basemesh scanner uses the FileTable to search for the Maxis meshes.

If you uncheck the base Objects.package(s) from the FileTable, then it may not find the meshes for your custom recolors.

[jsalemi]

It's because the Recolor-Basemesh scanner uses the FileTable to search for the Maxis meshes.

If you uncheck the base Objects.package(s) from the FileTable, then it may not find the meshes for your custom recolors.

Ah.  I don't think I did uncheck that, but I'll look to be sure next time I try it.

Thanks!

[Ambular]

It's because the Recolor-Basemesh scanner uses the FileTable to search for the Maxis meshes.

If you uncheck the base Objects.package(s) from the FileTable, then it may not find the meshes for your custom recolors.

Meh, that thing is always giving me false positives for things I that *know* are there and work.  I don't trust it.

[KatEnigma]

It's because the Recolor-Basemesh scanner uses the FileTable to search for the Maxis meshes.

If you uncheck the base Objects.package(s) from the FileTable, then it may not find the meshes for your custom recolors.

Meh, that thing is always giving me false positives for things I that *know* are there and work.  I don't trust it.

I tried it, and it's telling me that I have the meshes for things that I know I don't (accidentally got deleted in the great Custom Hair clean-up and I don't feel like paying TSR blood money right now) and it says all my meshes have recolors, which I also know to be false.  Not a single "no" on the page, despite all my meshes having been moved into my clothes folder (including ones for objects that no doubt are in their folders) I guess I'll start taking them out, and see what breaks. 

[idtaminger]

Maybe that's why I never knew what it did...b/c it doesn't work. I did fiddle around w/ it a while, and I never could figure out if it scanned for recolours, orphaned meshes, or both...like you guys said, a lot of false positives, and negatives.

[Theo]

I tried it, and it's telling me that I have the meshes for things that I know I don't (accidentally got deleted in the great Custom Hair clean-up and I don't feel like paying TSR blood money right now) and it says all my meshes have recolors, which I also know to be false.  Not a single "no" on the page, despite all my meshes having been moved into my clothes folder (including ones for objects that no doubt are in their folders) I guess I'll start taking them out, and see what breaks. 

But the Basemesh scanner should only work for Buy/Build mode objects.

Most objects of this kind are packaged with the mesh and the base recolor in a single file, and additional recolors can be installed in separate files.
When you delete an object from the game catalog, only the "main" file (mesh and base recolor) is deleted, while the additional recolors remain installed.
Since the OFB expansion, you're no longer allowed to delete individual recolors.
These stray files can should be identified using the aforementioned scanner.

On the other hand, most clothing and hairs are packaged with the recolors, and possibly a new mesh in separate files.
Using either BodyShop or the game catalog to delete clothes or hairs, only deletes the recolor files; If they're recolors of a Maxis mesh, then the story ends here.
But if they're recolors af a custom mesh, the mesh file (if any) will be left without any use, but will continue to be loaded by the game.
For this kind of packages the Orphan mesh scanner can (should ) tell which files contain meshes and if they're still being used.

Maybe that's why I never knew what it did...b/c it doesn't work. I did fiddle around w/ it a while, and I never could figure out if it scanned for recolours, orphaned meshes, or both...like you guys said, a lot of false positives, and negatives.

If you enable both scanners you can check both recolor "types", but I think it's better to check just one kind of recolor at a time.

For instance, if I want to check for orphaned meshes, I would choose to scan only in the \Downloads\Clothing folder with the orphan mesh scanner active.
And when I delete buy mode objects, then I would scan the \Downloads\Buy Mode folder, with the recolor-basemesh scanner active.


But enough of nice theories!
What I can tell is that the orphan mesh scanner sometimes can't find a recolor of a mesh, even though the recolor packages are present and included in the scanning scope.
This happened with a hair mesh package, and I still don't know what caused this

Maybe if someone would give me an example of the packages that were erroneously identified...

...pretty please? 

[Theo]

Here are some screenshots of the folder scanning, with both scanners active.

First, the recursive scanning of the \Downloads\Build Mode folder:
(the package icons were disabled, because I want more for less )

The orphan mesh scanner made consistent results, but only by coincidence, because it wasn't designed to scan all build mode object types.
Here, you're looking for stray recolor packages, that would have the "Found Base" value as "no"


Next, the scanning of the \Downloads\Clothing and \Downloads\Hair (recursive scanning because I keep the meshes in a subfolder):

In this case, the "Found Base" values are irrelevant, and you should focus only on the "Contains Mesh" and "Mesh References" columns.

[KatEnigma]

Apparently, I was just slow today and didn't get what I was looking at. 

The Orphaned Mesh Scanner did indeed find 3 Orphaned meshes for me. And at least helped me identify that the other ones I wondered about were all interrelated, and have since been deleted.

The Basemesh scanner found an absolutely obscene amount of recolors without a mesh.  325!!!!

[kaarinah]

I have used the basemesh-recolour scanner in SimPe for some time and as far as I can tell it only finds meshes that are in the same folder as the recolors. When the mesh was in another folder the recolors showed as being without mesh even if both folders were scanned, when moved to the same folder it found the basemesh.

[idtaminger]

I have used the basemesh-recolour scanner in SimPe for some time and as far as I can tell it only finds meshes that are in the same folder as the recolors. When the mesh was in another folder the recolors showed as being without mesh even if both folders were scanned, when moved to the same folder it found the basemesh.

That kinda sucks, b/c I tend to have everything in subfolders, and it sort of defeats the purpose of subfoldering in the first place if I'm going to have to dump them all in one folder to scan.

[jsalemi]

In this case, the "Found Base" values are irrelevant, and you should focus only on the "Contains Mesh" and "Mesh References" columns.

Ok, so let's see if I'm understanding this now.  If it says yes in 'contains mesh', but the 'mesh references' column is blank, that means it's an orphaned mesh?

[Theo]

Ok, so let's see if I'm understanding this now.  If it says yes in 'contains mesh', but the 'mesh references' column is blank, that means it's an orphaned mesh?

Yes, that's the idea

[jsalemi]

Gotcha -- thanks!  Now if only there were a way to delete them directly, instead of having to print out a list and delete them from the directory by hand...

[Ambular]

Since the OFB expansion, you're no longer allowed to delete individual recolors.

Er...possibly I'm misunderstanding as I'm up obscenely early by my reckoning, but how do you figure?  I've got OFB, and I just made a random barbecue recolor to test this, and deleted it within the game no problems.  File all gone buh-bye.  ??

[DrBeast]

Gotcha -- thanks!  Now if only there were a way to delete them directly, instead of having to print out a list and delete them from the directory by hand...

Uncheck Enabled, then delete all the files with the .pacakgedisabled extention.

[jsalemi]

Yea, I know I can do that -- I'm lazy and want to save a step.

(Actually, I don't delete them right away, just in case the mesh really isn't orphaned and something I like is missing. )

[Theo]

Since the OFB expansion, you're no longer allowed to delete individual recolors.

Er...possibly I'm misunderstanding as I'm up obscenely early by my reckoning, but how do you figure?  I've got OFB, and I just made a random barbecue recolor to test this, and deleted it within the game no problems.  File all gone buh-bye.  ??

But,... but I can't!

I'll post a pic later, but the trashcan now only shows for the main object.

I remember there used to be a second trashcan that deleted the recolors, but it's gone since OFB (or maybe since OFB patch 1, don't really recall).