Simlogical and the Dead End Nights
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Simlogical and the Dead End Nights 3 users are in chat:. Search Simlogical and the Dead End Nights » Forum » The Sims 3 » TS3 Tutorials and Reference » Gameplay Tuts and Refs (YibToilet: Nona Mena) » How to Check if a Tuning mod needs an update PRINT Pages: [1] How to Check if a Tuning mod needs an update « on: 30 June 2012, 11:55 » « Last Edit: 28 December 2012, 10:31 by Nona Mena » Nona Mena Moderator Posts: 768 Gender: Introduction This tutorial will teach you how to check if a tuning mod requires an update. This tutorial is intended for beginner modders, or intermediate to advanced mod users who want to know how to check if an XML mod requires an update. Therefore, in some cases, my explanations may be over-simplified. The objective of this tutorial is not to explain more advanced modding techniques, but rather, to enable novice modders and mod users to determine for themselves if an xml tuning mod needs an update. Mod Types There are several different types of mods. Depending on the mod type, and the resources edited, some mods may not actually need an update for every patch. Script Mods Script mods are written in C#, and are used to add additional gameplay/interactions, fix EA bugs, or simply alter the way EA does certain things. There are three main types of script mods: Core mods - These mods change the core programming of the game, and must be updated with every single patch. While a sort of highlander rule does apply to core mods, in that you can only have one core mod at a time, there is some flexibility in this. Each core library has its own S3SA resource inside a package in the game install directory. If you had three core mods, each overriding only one specific S3SA resource, you could use all three core mods without problem. This is why Awesome mod can safely be run alongside NRaas ErrorTrap. If you are not sure if you can use two different core mods at the same time, ask the creators first. Do not use two different core mods at the same time without first knowing if it is safe. Scripted object mods - These mods add new interactions and gameplay by adding new functionality to an object. The most prominent example of scripted object mods are EA's Premium Content items. Pure Scripting mods - These mods add new functionality to the game, without an object. Tuning Mods Tuning mods can also be called overrides. They alter some resource in the game data, and the game uses the altered resource instead of EA's resource. This is why they are overrides: They override EA's tuning. A "default replacement" is also an example of an override. Pretty much any resource in the game can be overridden. Some of the more popular sorts of tuning/override mods are: XML mods - These override XML resources, usually found in the GameplayData.package. ITUN mods - ITUN mods specifically affect interactions, and override ITUN resources in the GameplayData.package. These include No/Less/More Autonomy mods. OBJD overrides - These are mods that alter the OBJD resource of an object. Examples include: re-categorizing, making shiftable, changing price, showing in the catalog, etc. Note that, while they can be called override mods, it is not necessary to put most tuning mods in the Overrides folder. Using this tutorial This tutorial will teach how to check if a tuning mod needs an update. Y ou cannot use this method to find out if a script mod needs an update. Methods There are two ways to check if your mod(s) needs an update. Please choose a method to go to the next part of the tutorial. Also, keep in mind that I have written this tutorial for beginners. It is not meant to be a definitive source for mod users knowing whether a mod needs an update. Please consult the mod creator if you have trouble checking a mod. Method One: Batch Testing. With this method, you can test all mods in your mods folder at once. You must prepare for this before you patch. Method Two: Individual testing. This method is good for testing individual mods. If you only have a handful of mods to check, or do not have the Gameplaydata from the previous patch level, use this method. Please note: This method is more advanced than Method 1, and more susceptible to error, as the user will need to use his or her own judgement. In some cases, beginners may have a difficult time telling whether a mod will need an update. I highly recommend that beginners stick to Method 1, but Method 2 can be useful for beginners. Logged Visit My Blog | My Mod Index | My profile at MTS | Fix Your Premium Content Re: How to Check if an XML Tuning mod needs an update « Reply #1 on: 30 June 2012, 11:55 » « Last Edit: 23 December 2012, 16:11 by Nona Mena » Nona Mena Moderator Posts: 768 Gender: Method One: Batch Testing You must prepare for this method before you patch! To complete this method, you will need: NRaas Packer Delphy’s Sims 3 Dashboard Tool GameplayData.package from previous patch GameplayData.package from current patch Part One: Setting up the files and finding the Gameplaydata.package If you haven’t already, download NRaas Packer and Delphy’s Sims 3 Dashboard. If you have Windows 7, you can download both of these and use them immediately. If you do not have Windows 7, you will need to install Microsoft .NET framework 2.0 for the Dashboard, and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 for the Packer. 1. Before you patch: Browse to: \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\Gameplay\ and select GameplayData.package **. Right-click and select copy. Now paste the file somewhere safe: on your desktop, for example, or make a new folder. You can put it wherever you like, as long as you can find it again. I save mine on a separate hard drive in a folder a called GameplayData ** The actual path for your installation will vary, depending on your OS and how you installed the game. I am using Windows 7 64-bit, and have all of my games installed through Origin, so the path for my GameplayData.package looks like this: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\Gameplay : 2. Rename the GameplayData.package to GameplayData-patchlevel.package. For example: I would name the Gameplaydata for 1.29 GameplayData129.package 3. You may now Patch Your Game. 4. Repeat steps 1 and 2 above to find the new GameplayData.package and make a copy. Rename it to GameplayData131.package (for example) if you want to. Part Two: Comparing the New GameplayData to the old GameplayData 1. Open NRaas Packer (simply double click on NRaasPacker.exe). 2. Click the button with the two arrows in the upper left corner (toolStripButton1). 3. You will now see “Left File” and “Right File.” 4.Add the NEW GameplayData.package (GameplayData131.package, this case )to LEFT File field, and the OLD GameplayData.package (GameplayData129.package, this case) to the RIGHT File field. Although it is not necessary to add the packages in any specific order, adding the packages in this order will be helpful in later parts of the tutorial. 5. In the Results field, click Browse, choose a name for your results file (Changesfor131.package, for example) and choose where to save the file. Optional: Untick "Copy items that are missing in one or the other file" (see image above) 6. Press compare, and wait for a small window to pop up which says “Complete.” 7. Browse to the folder where you saved your results, and place a copy of the package file into your Mods folder, where the rest of your mods are for the game. 8. Run Delphy’s Dashboard Tool. Any mod that is marked as conflicting with Changesfor131.package (or whatever you named your results package) will likely require an update, as EA has altered the original resource. 9. Remove the mods marked as "conflicting" with the Changes packages. You may need to scan with Dashboard several times before you find all mods you need to remove. Just remove the conflicting mods from the Mods folder inbetween scans until the scans no longer report a conflict with the Changes package. Tip: Don't delete the "conflicting" mods. Move them to a folder on your Desktop called "Outdated for <PatchLevel>" (or wherever) so you can take a close look at the mdos later, if you want. 10. Remove the Changes package! (Seriously, don’t forget to remove the Changes package.) Part Three: Analyzing the results Simply running Delphy's Dashboard Tool while you have the results package in your mods folder is enough for you to determine which of your tuning mods need an update. However, there are few other ways to use the results package. You can open the changes package that Packer generated (in this case, Changesfor131.package) and look to see exactly what resources are included in the package. Any mod that affects even one resource in that package will need to be updated. If you entered the NEW GameplayData.package in the Left File field, the changes package will have the updated XML/ITUN resources from the new GameplayData (i.e. the resources that have been changed in the patch). You can take a look at these resources to find out what EA did to change them. For example, for Showtime, EA added the following to the AdmireSelf_Mirror ITUN: Quote <Change type="TraitDiva" advertised="200" locked="True" actual="200" updateType="ContinuousFlow" timeDependsOn="False" updateEvenOnFailure="False" updateAboveAndBelowZero="Either" /> This advertises the Admire Self interaction on Mirrors to Divas, if they also have the Snob trait. If you did not untick "Copy items that are missing in one or the other file," the new XML/ITUN files added with the patch will be included in the changes package. Testing Other Resources If you want to check if other types of override mods, such as OBJD and OBJK overrides, also need to be updated, you can use this method to test for changes in the Fullbuild packages. Getting a List of Changed Resources If you want a list of all the resources that were changed in the patch, you can make one easily. 1. Use S3PE to open the Changes package generated by Packer. 2. In S3PE, select a package and then hit Ctrl+A. Wait for S3PE to select all resources. This may take a while if the package is large. 3. Now, HOLD the CTRL button and click on the _KEY resource (it should be at the top of the package). This will unselect the _KEY resource. 4. Right-click anywhere in the resource list and choose Copy. 5. Hit Ctrl+N (File | New). 6. Right-click in the white area and choose paste. 7. An "Import Files" box will pop up. Make sure "Use Resource Names" is ticked. 8. Wait for S3PE to import all files. This may take a while if the package was large. 8. Find the _KEY resource. This is a list of all resources in the package. Everything in this list has had some change due to the patch. Logged Visit My Blog | My Mod Index | My profile at MTS | Fix Your Premium Content Re: How to Check if an XML Tuning mod needs an update « Reply #2 on: 30 June 2012, 11:56 » « Last Edit: 23 December 2012, 15:27 by Nona Mena » Nona Mena Moderator Posts: 768 Gender: Method Two: Individual Testing So, you don’t have the GameplayData.package from the previous patch, or you only need to check one or two mods? That’s no problem. This method is tedious if you have a number of mods to test for compatibility, but very useful if you only have to check a few. Please note: This method is more advanced than Method 1, and more susceptible to error, as the user will need to use his or her own judgement. In some cases, beginners may have a difficult time telling whether a mod will need an update. I highly recommend that beginnerw stick to Method 1, but Method 2 can be useful for beginners. To complete this method, you will need: A Sims 3 package editor, such as S3PE. I generally use S3PE and I recommend S3PE for this tutorial, as I will be using it. A text comparison tool, such as WinMerge or P4Merge. Both are free. I use WinMerge, but P4Merge works for Mac. The mod(s) you want to check. The new GameplayData.package. (See Method One, Step One for instruction on finding your GameplayData.package)* *Note: Use this method after you have already patched. If you haven’t already done so, install your package editor and text comparison tool. I will use WinMerge for this. Also, locate the GameplayData.package for the new patch. Part One: Getting the mod data 1. Open Winmerge and start a New Documents (Ctrl+N). Leave WinMerge open. Empty WinMerge: 2. Find the mod you wish to check and open it in S3PE. Look at the resource list. If there are any files called _KEY, ignore them. You can only use this method for XML and ITUN resources, so if the mod doesn’t have any of those in it, close it and wait to hear from the author. To see a preview of the resources, go to the bottom of the window and where it says Preview: tick the button next to Value. 3.Choose a resource. In this example, we will choose the only resource available. If you are using S3PE, click on the resource and you can see the text in the right-hand pane. 4. Put your mouse cursor over the text area and click. Hit Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+C. Go back to Winmerge and paste the text into one of the columns. Part Two: Getting the new tuning from GameplayData 1. Now you will need to find the EA XML/ITUN resource. Many modders do not include the resource name in the package, so if there is no name, you’ll have to find the name from the modder’s post/thread, or use the Instance ID. To copy the instance ID in S3PE, press the QBE button in the bottom panel of S3Pe. Then, double click in the Instance ID field, on the right side of the QBE button, and then hit Ctrl+C (or right- click > Copy). 2. Open the GameplayData.package (see step 2 in Method 1 to find the GameplayData.package) in your package editor and find the original resource. In S3PE, you can use the filters at the bottom of the program to find your resource. Tick box that says “Filter Active” and put the Instance ID in the Instance field. Then tick the box next to the Instance field, so it is included in the filter. Press Set. 3. Repeat Step 4 from Part One, pasting the text into the empty column in WinMerge. 4. In WinMerge, hit F5 (blue and green arrows at the end of the task bar). Notice the yellow line in the picture above. This denotes that there is a difference in the line. A difference does not necessarily mean that the mod needs an update. After all, modders change stuff, so you should expect to see yellow lines when you compare a mod to the GameplayData. In fact, if there are no yellow lines, then the mod is not really a mod at all, as no modifications have been made to the data. If you see several yellow lines in WinMerge, but not gray areas, the mod is compatible with the patch. Do make sure that you check the correct XMLs when you do this. If the two files you are comparing in WinMerge are completely yellow, then you are comparing two separate XMLs which are unrelated. You'll need to go back and find the correct files. If there was more than one XML/ITUN in the mod package you opened, continue checking the remaining XMLs/ITUN files. If you see gray areas in the text, you'll need to move onto Part Three to find out whether a mod a needs an update. Part Three: Gray Areas (Literally & Figuratively) When you check a mod for compatibility, the most confusing part is a gray area. The example below is taken from two ccmerged.packages, before and after installing new premium content. In the left column is the Buff list for the old ccmerged.package, and in the right, the new buff list after installed new premium content. Notice the Left has a lot of gray areas. This is because text is missing. Missing text is very often a bad sign for mods-- But Not Always. Generally speaking, when EA updates for an EP (or SP, but in general mostly for EPs), more information is added to the game files, so missing text is likely to be an indicator that the mod will need an update (otherwise it may be missing information pertaining to the EP/SP). However, In some cases, a modder may legitimately remove text from (or add text to) a tuning file, in order to achieve the desired results for a mod. In those cases, gray text would not necessarily be an indicator that a mod would need an update. The types of mods where modders remove/add information are not as common as other mods, but they are often very popular. Examples of such mods include (but are not limited to): bluegenjutsu's Better_Bars_Clubs+AllDrinksAtAllBars mod BlackCat007's Cooking Overhaul + Plants Only by anak_ponti TFM's Meals Anytime TFM's Twoftmama Market At Home Plus Consignment Tweaks How to Know When Gray Areas are Bad Telling the difference between bad gray areas and good gray areas can be difficult for a novice/beginner. How do you know what EA has added and what a modder has added/removed? Part of this is just being logical. If a mod is supposed to add and/or remove certain features, then you might come across across gray areas. For example, if you take a look at bluegenjutsu's Better_Bars_Clubs+AllDrinksAtAllBars mod (you must register to see the thread and download), you will notice there are a lot of gray areas showing on both sides of Winmerge (left & right). That's because she has added some information in some cases, and removed some information in other cases, to achieve her desired result (All bars sell all drinks). Some mods that remove or add certain features will not necessarily have gray areas. For example, my Cow Plant tuning mod removes all traits that can save a sim from being eaten. However, I didn't remove whole lines of text to achieve this (it was not necessary and, in my case, it would not have worked), I simply removed the trait names. This means the line will be yellow and NOT gray. Knowing whether a gray area is good or bad is a somewhat advanced topic. This is why I generally advocate for beginners to wait and hear back from the creator when they find gray areas in a mod. That said, if a creator says that a mod is up to date, and that mod still has gray areas, you have only two options 1. Trust the modder and/or 2. Figure out how the mod works yourself. If you have decided that a modder is trustworthy, and bluegenjutsu, TwoFtMama, Shimrod, CyberBob, MDM, etc. are all trustworthy modders, then you have no reason to panic when you find a gray area and the modder says it's Okay. Of course, no modder is infallible, so it's not a bad idea to educate yourself about mods and find out how they work. This tutorial was an excellent way to start on that path, so Bravo for completing it! Logged Visit My Blog | My Mod Index | My profile at MTS | Fix Your Premium Content Re: How to Check if an XML Tuning mod needs an update « Reply #3 on: 30 June 2012, 11:56 » « Last Edit: 30 June 2012, 16:41 by Nona Mena » Nona Mena Moderator Posts: 768 Gender: Additional credits Inge & Peter Jones for S3PE, Twallan for NRaas Packer, SimAd for the idea of putting the results packages from Method 1 into the Mods\Packages folder and running Delphy’s Dashboard. Rainbow_Brite for her tutorial which I’ve actually never even seen but have heard about. There’s never too many tutorials! This tutorial was first published on my blog. Logged Visit My Blog | My Mod Index | My profile at MTS | Fix Your Premium Content Re: How to Check if an XML Tuning mod needs an update « Reply #4 on: 30 June 2012, 11:56 » « Last Edit: 15 July 2012, 16:35 by Nona Mena » Nona Mena Moderator Posts: 768 Gender: 15 July 2012 - Updated Method 2 to try to explain Gray areas better. Please feel free to ask questions or suggest improvements for the tutorial. Logged Visit My Blog | My Mod Index | My profile at MTS | Fix Your Premium Content PRINT Pages: [1] Simlogical and the Dead End Nights » Forum » The Sims 3 » TS3 Tutorials and Reference » Gameplay Tuts and Refs (YibToilet: Nona Mena) » How to Check if a Tuning mod needs an update « previous next » Author Topic: How to Check if a Tuning mod needs an update (Read 6086 times) 0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic. « previous next » Jump to: ===> Gameplay Tuts and Refs go This site gives you cookies (no, not cooties...) FIND STUFF Click here to look for downloads, tutorials or tools by our easy keyword search. SMF 2.0.5 | SMF © 2013, Simple Machines TinyPortal © 2005-2012 XHTML RSS WAP2 Home Forum Help Search Calendar Login Register
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Simlogical and the Dead End Nights
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Simlogical and the Dead End Nights » Forum » The Sims 3 » TS3 Tutorials and Reference » Gameplay Tuts and Refs (YibToilet: Nona Mena) »How to Check if a Tuning mod needs an update
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How to Check if a Tuning mod needs an update« on: 30 June 2012, 11:55 »
« Last Edit: 28 December 2012, 10:31 by Nona Mena »
Nona MenaModerator
Posts: 768Gender:
IntroductionThis tutorial will teach you how to check if a tuning mod requires an update.
This tutorial is intended for beginner modders, or intermediate to advanced modusers who want to know how to check if an XML mod requires an update. Therefore,in some cases, my explanations may be over-simplified. The objective of this tutorial isnot to explain more advanced modding techniques, but rather, to enable novicemodders and mod users to determine for themselves if an xml tuning mod needs anupdate.
Mod TypesThere are several different types of mods. Depending on the mod type, and theresources edited, some mods may not actually need an update for every patch.
Script ModsScript mods are written in C#, and are used to add additional gameplay/interactions,fix EA bugs, or simply alter the way EA does certain things. There are three maintypes of script mods:
Core mods - These mods change the core programming of the game, and mustbe updated with every single patch. While a sort of highlander rule does applyto core mods, in that you can only have one core mod at a time, there is someflexibility in this. Each core library has its own S3SA resource inside a packagein the game install directory. If you had three core mods, each overriding onlyone specific S3SA resource, you could use all three core mods without problem.This is why Awesome mod can safely be run alongside NRaas ErrorTrap. If youare not sure if you can use two different core mods at the same time, ask thecreators first. Do not use two different core mods at the same time withoutfirst knowing if it is safe.Scripted object mods - These mods add new interactions and gameplay byadding new functionality to an object. The most prominent example of scriptedobject mods are EA's Premium Content items.Pure Scripting mods - These mods add new functionality to the game, withoutan object.
Tuning ModsTuning mods can also be called overrides. They alter some resource in the game data,and the game uses the altered resource instead of EA's resource. This is why theyare overrides: They override EA's tuning. A "default replacement" is also an exampleof an override. Pretty much any resource in the game can be overridden. Some of themore popular sorts of tuning/override mods are:
XML mods - These override XML resources, usually found in theGameplayData.package.ITUN mods - ITUN mods specifically affect interactions, and override ITUNresources in the GameplayData.package. These include No/Less/MoreAutonomy mods.OBJD overrides - These are mods that alter the OBJD resource of an object.Examples include: re-categorizing, making shiftable, changing price, showing inthe catalog, etc.
Note that, while they can be called override mods, it is not necessary to put mosttuning mods in the Overrides folder.
Using this tutorialThis tutorial will teach how to check if a tuning mod needs an update. You cannotuse this method to find out if a script mod needs an update.
MethodsThere are two ways to check if your mod(s) needs an update. Please choose amethod to go to the next part of the tutorial. Also, keep in mind that I have writtenthis tutorial for beginners. It is not meant to be a definitive source for mod usersknowing whether a mod needs an update. Please consult the mod creator if you havetrouble checking a mod.
Method One: Batch Testing. With this method, you can test all mods in your modsfolder at once. You must prepare for this before you patch.
Method Two: Individual testing. This method is good for testing individual mods. Ifyou only have a handful of mods to check, or do not have the Gameplaydata from theprevious patch level, use this method.
Please note: This method is more advanced than Method 1, and moresusceptible to error, as the user will need to use his or her own judgement. Insome cases, beginners may have a difficult time telling whether a mod will needan update. I highly recommend that beginners stick to Method 1, but Method 2can be useful for beginners.
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Re: How to Check if an XML Tuning mod needs an update« Reply #1 on: 30 June 2012, 11:55 »
« Last Edit: 23 December 2012, 16:11 by Nona Mena »
Nona MenaModerator
Posts: 768Gender:
Method One: Batch Testing
You must prepare for this method before you patch!
To complete this method, you will need:
NRaas PackerDelphy’s Sims 3 Dashboard ToolGameplayData.package from previous patchGameplayData.package from current patch
Part One: Setting up the files and finding theGameplaydata.packageIf you haven’t already, download NRaas Packer and Delphy’s Sims 3 Dashboard. Ifyou have Windows 7, you can download both of these and use them immediately. Ifyou do not have Windows 7, you will need to install Microsoft .NET framework 2.0 forthe Dashboard, and Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 for the Packer.
1. Before you patch: Browse to: \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims3\Game\Bin\Gameplay\ and select GameplayData.package **. Right-click and selectcopy. Now paste the file somewhere safe: on your desktop, for example, or make anew folder. You can put it wherever you like, as long as you can find it again. I savemine on a separate hard drive in a folder a called GameplayData
** The actual path for your installation will vary, depending on your OS and how youinstalled the game. I am using Windows 7 64-bit, and have all of my games installedthrough Origin, so the path for my GameplayData.package looks like this: C:\ProgramFiles (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 3\Game\Bin\Gameplay :
2. Rename the GameplayData.package to GameplayData-patchlevel.package. Forexample: I would name the Gameplaydata for 1.29 GameplayData129.package
3. You may now Patch Your Game.
4. Repeat steps 1 and 2 above to find the new GameplayData.package and make acopy. Rename it to GameplayData131.package (for example) if you want to.
Part Two: Comparing the New GameplayData to the oldGameplayData
1. Open NRaas Packer (simply double click on NRaasPacker.exe).
2. Click the button with the two arrows in the upper left corner (toolStripButton1).
3. You will now see “Left File” and “Right File.”
4.Add the NEW GameplayData.package (GameplayData131.package, this case )toLEFT File field, and the OLD GameplayData.package (GameplayData129.package,this case) to the RIGHT File field. Although it is not necessary to add the packages inany specific order, adding the packages in this order will be helpful in later parts ofthe tutorial.
5. In the Results field, click Browse, choose a name for your results file(Changesfor131.package, for example) and choose where to save the file. Optional:Untick "Copy items that are missing in one or the other file" (see image above)
6. Press compare, and wait for a small window to pop up which says “Complete.”
7. Browse to the folder where you saved your results, and place a copy of thepackage file into your Mods folder, where the rest of your mods are for the game.
8. Run Delphy’s Dashboard Tool. Any mod that is marked as conflicting withChangesfor131.package (or whatever you named your results package) will likelyrequire an update, as EA has altered the original resource.
9. Remove the mods marked as "conflicting" with the Changes packages. You mayneed to scan with Dashboard several times before you find all mods you need toremove. Just remove the conflicting mods from the Mods folder inbetween scans untilthe scans no longer report a conflict with the Changes package.Tip: Don't delete the "conflicting" mods. Move them to a folder on your Desktop called"Outdated for <PatchLevel>" (or wherever) so you can take a close look at the mdoslater, if you want.
10. Remove the Changes package! (Seriously, don’t forget to remove the Changespackage.)
Part Three: Analyzing the resultsSimply running Delphy's Dashboard Tool while you have the results package in yourmods folder is enough for you to determine which of your tuning mods need anupdate. However, there are few other ways to use the results package.
You can open the changes package that Packer generated (in this case, Changesfor131.package) and look to see exactly what resources are includedin the package. Any mod that affects even one resource in that package willneed to be updated.If you entered the NEW GameplayData.package in the Left File field, thechanges package will have the updated XML/ITUN resources from the newGameplayData (i.e. the resources that have been changed in the patch). Youcan take a look at these resources to find out what EA did to change them. Forexample, for Showtime, EA added the following to the AdmireSelf_Mirror ITUN:
Quote
<Change type="TraitDiva" advertised="200" locked="True" actual="200"updateType="ContinuousFlow" timeDependsOn="False" updateEvenOnFailure="False"updateAboveAndBelowZero="Either" />
This advertises the Admire Self interaction on Mirrors to Divas, if they also have theSnob trait.
If you did not untick "Copy items that are missing in one or the other file," thenew XML/ITUN files added with the patch will be included in the changespackage.
Testing Other ResourcesIf you want to check if other types of override mods, such as OBJD and OBJKoverrides, also need to be updated, you can use this method to test for changes inthe Fullbuild packages.
Getting a List of Changed ResourcesIf you want a list of all the resources that were changed in the patch, you can makeone easily.
1. Use S3PE to open the Changes package generated by Packer.2. In S3PE, select a package and then hit Ctrl+A. Wait for S3PE to select all resources.This may take a while if the package is large.3. Now, HOLD the CTRL button and click on the _KEY resource (it should be at the topof the package). This will unselect the _KEY resource.4. Right-click anywhere in the resource list and choose Copy.5. Hit Ctrl+N (File | New).6. Right-click in the white area and choose paste.7. An "Import Files" box will pop up. Make sure "Use Resource Names" is ticked.8. Wait for S3PE to import all files. This may take a while if the package was large.8. Find the _KEY resource. This is a list of all resources in the package. Everything inthis list has had some change due to the patch.
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Re: How to Check if an XML Tuning mod needs an update« Reply #2 on: 30 June 2012, 11:56 »
« Last Edit: 23 December 2012, 15:27 by Nona Mena »
Nona MenaModerator
Posts: 768Gender:
Method Two: Individual TestingSo, you don’t have the GameplayData.package from the previous patch, or you onlyneed to check one or two mods? That’s no problem. This method is tedious if youhave a number of mods to test for compatibility, but very useful if you only have tocheck a few.
Please note: This method is more advanced than Method 1, and more susceptible toerror, as the user will need to use his or her own judgement. In some cases,beginners may have a difficult time telling whether a mod will need an update. Ihighly recommend that beginnerw stick to Method 1, but Method 2 can be useful forbeginners.
To complete this method, you will need:
A Sims 3 package editor, such as S3PE. I generally use S3PE and I recommendS3PE for this tutorial, as I will be using it.A text comparison tool, such as WinMerge or P4Merge. Both are free. I useWinMerge, but P4Merge works for Mac.The mod(s) you want to check.The new GameplayData.package. (See Method One, Step One for instruction onfinding your GameplayData.package)*
*Note: Use this method after you have already patched.
If you haven’t already done so, install your package editor and text comparison tool. Iwill use WinMerge for this. Also, locate the GameplayData.package for the new patch.
Part One: Getting the mod data1. Open Winmerge and start a New Documents (Ctrl+N). Leave WinMerge open.
Empty WinMerge:
2. Find the mod you wish to check and open it in S3PE. Look at the resource list. Ifthere are any files called _KEY, ignore them. You can only use this method for XMLand ITUN resources, so if the mod doesn’t have any of those in it, close it and wait tohear from the author. To see a preview of the resources, go to the bottom of thewindow and where it says Preview: tick the button next to Value.
3.Choose a resource. In this example, we will choose the only resource available. Ifyou are using S3PE, click on the resource and you can see the text in the right-handpane.
4. Put your mouse cursor over the text area and click. Hit Ctrl+A, then Ctrl+C. Go backto Winmerge and paste the text into one of the columns.
Part Two: Getting the new tuning from GameplayData1. Now you will need to find the EA XML/ITUN resource. Many modders do not includethe resource name in the package, so if there is no name, you’ll have to find thename from the modder’s post/thread, or use the Instance ID. To copy the instance IDin S3PE, press the QBE button in the bottom panel of S3Pe. Then, double click in theInstance ID field, on the right side of the QBE button, and then hit Ctrl+C (or right-click > Copy).
2. Open the GameplayData.package (see step 2 in Method 1 to find theGameplayData.package) in your package editor and find the original resource. InS3PE, you can use the filters at the bottom of the program to find your resource. Tickbox that says “Filter Active” and put the Instance ID in the Instance field. Then tickthe box next to the Instance field, so it is included in the filter. Press Set.
3. Repeat Step 4 from Part One, pasting the text into the empty column in WinMerge.
4. In WinMerge, hit F5 (blue and green arrows at the end of the task bar).
Notice the yellow line in the picture above. This denotes that there is a difference inthe line. A difference does not necessarily mean that the mod needs an update. Afterall, modders change stuff, so you should expect to see yellow lines when youcompare a mod to the GameplayData. In fact, if there are no yellow lines, then themod is not really a mod at all, as no modifications have been made to the data.
If you see several yellow lines in WinMerge, but not gray areas, the mod iscompatible with the patch. Do make sure that you check the correct XMLs when youdo this. If the two files you are comparing in WinMerge are completely yellow, thenyou are comparing two separate XMLs which are unrelated. You'll need to go backand find the correct files.
If there was more than one XML/ITUN in the mod package you opened, continuechecking the remaining XMLs/ITUN files.
If you see gray areas in the text, you'll need to move onto PartThree to find out whether a mod a needs an update.
Part Three: Gray Areas (Literally & Figuratively)When you check a mod for compatibility, the most confusing part is a gray area. Theexample below is taken from two ccmerged.packages, before and after installing newpremium content.
In the left column is the Buff list for the old ccmerged.package, and in the right, thenew buff list after installed new premium content. Notice the Left has a lot of grayareas. This is because text is missing. Missing text is very often a bad sign for mods--But Not Always. Generally speaking, when EA updates for an EP (or SP, but ingeneral mostly for EPs), more information is added to the game files, so missing textis likely to be an indicator that the mod will need an update (otherwise it may bemissing information pertaining to the EP/SP). However, In some cases, a moddermay legitimately remove text from (or add text to) a tuning file, in order toachieve the desired results for a mod. In those cases, gray text would notnecessarily be an indicator that a mod would need an update.
The types of mods where modders remove/add information are not as common asother mods, but they are often very popular. Examples of such mods include (but arenot limited to):
bluegenjutsu's Better_Bars_Clubs+AllDrinksAtAllBars modBlackCat007's Cooking Overhaul + Plants Only by anak_pontiTFM's Meals AnytimeTFM's Twoftmama Market At Home Plus Consignment Tweaks
How to Know When Gray Areas are BadTelling the difference between bad gray areas and good gray areas can be difficult fora novice/beginner. How do you know what EA has added and what a modder hasadded/removed? Part of this is just being logical. If a mod is supposed to add and/orremove certain features, then you might come across across gray areas. For example,if you take a look at bluegenjutsu's Better_Bars_Clubs+AllDrinksAtAllBars mod (youmust register to see the thread and download), you will notice there are a lot of grayareas showing on both sides of Winmerge (left & right). That's because she hasadded some information in some cases, and removed some information in othercases, to achieve her desired result (All bars sell all drinks).
Some mods that remove or add certain features will not necessarily have gray areas.For example, my Cow Plant tuning mod removes all traits that can save a sim frombeing eaten. However, I didn't remove whole lines of text to achieve this (it was notnecessary and, in my case, it would not have worked), I simply removed the traitnames. This means the line will be yellow and NOT gray.
Knowing whether a gray area is good or bad is a somewhat advanced topic. This iswhy I generally advocate for beginners to wait and hear back from the creator whenthey find gray areas in a mod. That said, if a creator says that a mod is up to date,and that mod still has gray areas, you have only two options 1. Trust the modderand/or 2. Figure out how the mod works yourself. If you have decided that a modderis trustworthy, and bluegenjutsu, TwoFtMama, Shimrod, CyberBob, MDM, etc. are alltrustworthy modders, then you have no reason to panic when you find a gray areaand the modder says it's Okay.
Of course, no modder is infallible, so it's not a bad idea to educate yourself aboutmods and find out how they work. This tutorial was an excellent way to start on thatpath, so Bravo for completing it!
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Re: How to Check if an XML Tuning mod needs an update« Reply #3 on: 30 June 2012, 11:56 »
« Last Edit: 30 June 2012, 16:41 by Nona Mena »
Nona MenaModerator
Posts: 768Gender:
Additional credits
Inge & Peter Jones for S3PE, Twallan for NRaas Packer, SimAd for the idea of puttingthe results packages from Method 1 into the Mods\Packages folder and runningDelphy’s Dashboard. Rainbow_Brite for her tutorial which I’ve actually never evenseen but have heard about. There’s never too many tutorials!
This tutorial was first published on my blog.
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Re: How to Check if an XML Tuning mod needs an update« Reply #4 on: 30 June 2012, 11:56 »
« Last Edit: 15 July 2012, 16:35 by Nona Mena »
Nona MenaModerator
Posts: 768Gender:
15 July 2012 - Updated Method 2 to try to explain Gray areas better.
Please feel free to ask questions or suggest improvements for the tutorial.
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