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Package Combining for TS4 recolors

Srikandi715Srikandi715 Posts: 1,753 Member
edited August 2014 in General Mods Discussion
Just wanted to mention that I've tested package combining for TS4 recolors created with Color Magic. Not a surprise if you've done this in TS3, but nice to confirm it still works. Good for if you want to combine multiple recolors of the same item into one download, for instance. And down the road, it seems likely that TS4 will have the same issue TS3 did with very large numbers of .package files (in the hundreds): Windows runs out of file handles, leading to performance degradation since data has to be read off disk. (We'll hopefully get another CC Magic to automate this, or an extension of the existing one, but Grant has a lot on his plate ;) )

So, How To:

1. Create each of your recolors in a separate package file
2. Open one of the package files in S4PE
3. Right-click in the empty area
4. Choose Import | From Package
5. I used the following settings... not sure which of those are critical for success, but these worked:
60497_140816225856packageimport.jpg
6. Do a "save as" rather than "save", to avoid overwriting the item you started with

Voila! you now have a combined package, containing all the resources of the individual ones. You can keep adding packages to the first one, as many as you like.

Happy combining :)

Comments

  • KitOnlyHumanKitOnlyHuman Posts: 2,586 Member
    Bump. Thank you for this!
  • kiwisims4kiwisims4 Posts: 36 Member
    If I understand correctly is this if I recolour 4 items I can combine them into one package like a collection ?
  • KHippieKHippie Posts: 18 Member
    Thanks a lot for this Srikandi. But bad news indeed if TS4 has the same issue than TS3 with .packages ................
  • granthesgranthes Posts: 93 Member
    kiwisims4 wrote: »
    If I understand correctly is this if I recolour 4 items I can combine them into one package like a collection ?

    Exactly :smile:

    This way you can distribute "sets" of recolors rather than have people have to deal with multiple downloads.
    Grant (granthes)
    Developer of Sims 4 Modding Tools -- Sims 4 Stuff n Things
  • MomGinnyMomGinny Posts: 311 Member
    Thank you! I was just wondering how to do this a few minutes ago!
    My Sims || My CC Creations || My Simblr || OID: MomGinny
  • veggiveggi Posts: 171 Member
    Thank you! This will definitely help keep down the clutter in the mods folder!
  • MartyP8MartyP8 Posts: 59 Member
    WOW thank you so much!! I wrote a post in a forum asking about this, and someone redirected me here. :D Tomorrow i will definitively try it. :D
  • Srikandi715Srikandi715 Posts: 1,753 Member
    edited August 2014
    KHippie wrote: »
    Thanks a lot for this Srikandi. But bad news indeed if TS4 has the same issue than TS3 with .packages ................

    If I understand correctly what causes this, it's not so much a game issue as a Windows issue. It's just hard for a program to work with hundreds or even thousands of tiny separate files.

    In TS3, Sims3Packs avoided the problem because the launcher automatically merged them into large packages. Grant's CC Magic tool did the same thing for .package files. http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=461888

    Of course, one solution would be to make it easier for modders to produce Sims4Packs (assuming there will be an equivalent), and for players to manage those... time will tell how all that is handled this time around! Won't be handled by the launcher though, because now there isn't one.
    MartyP8 wrote: »
    WOW thank you so much!! I wrote a post in a forum asking about this, and someone redirected me here. :D Tomorrow i will definitively try it. :D

    Glad it helped! :)
  • MartyP8MartyP8 Posts: 59 Member
    Ok, i am missing 1 step or 2 from your tutorial. After doing step 4 with the right click inside the empty box and clicking import from package , just like you did, i get the same box as you, that opened, but then my first question is, do i import all at once the other color packages? and second question is, why don't i get the option "save as", this is what i get ( shown in the picture below) after clicking the import button from the box opened:
    amr500.png
  • Srikandi715Srikandi715 Posts: 1,753 Member
    edited August 2014
    @MartyP8, I would say "no" to that... that will save over the package you started with, which you don't want if you want to preserve your items indvidually. (If you don't care about that, or you're already working from a copy, you can say Yes.)

    After you close the dialog, choose "Save As" from the File menu.

    Don't think it matters if you add one package at a time or many at once, but I'm not sure I've tested both... I tend to be cautious ;) Try it and see!
  • AlistuAlistu Posts: 742 Member
    I tried combinging some of my own packages and got an odd result. The individual packages do not crash the demo but when they are combined into a single package one particular colour swatch does crash the demo.
    I'm going to make sure I download the latest version of Colour Magic as I think I am one version behind, and then try recreating the offending package to see what results I get.
    a.k.a. Menaceman44 on MTS.
    Thoughts on a new wall mode?
  • pboxpbox Posts: 630 Member
    If you're one version behind, that most probably explains it - sounds like you have the exact issue that has been fixed with the current version.
    Stuff for TS2 · TS3 · TS4
  • MomGinnyMomGinny Posts: 311 Member
    @Alistu this is an issue I have had as well, I'm interested to see if the new CM version fixes this issue for us.
    My Sims || My CC Creations || My Simblr || OID: MomGinny
  • granthesgranthes Posts: 93 Member
    @Alistu and @MomGinny, if you use the new Color Magic 0.2.2 and are still seeing crashes when you hover over a swatch, I need to know about it. :smiling_imp:

    If it happens consistently, I'll need you to upload your package file somewhere so I can take a look at it and see where CM is going wrong.

    Thanks,

    --Grant

    p.s.: There should be a CM 0.2.3 out this weekend that expands the Category Flags. I think I've gotten all of the Unknowns fixed now. A little testing and I'll get it uploaded.
    Grant (granthes)
    Developer of Sims 4 Modding Tools -- Sims 4 Stuff n Things
  • MaclimesMaclimes Posts: 513 Member
    edited August 2014
    So we'll be able to re-assign the genders/ages of an outfit with 0.2.3? I look forward to screwing around with that! :D

    Also, will we be able to assign different categories? Like, have an underwear show up in Full Body outfits?
  • granthesgranthes Posts: 93 Member
    Maclimes wrote: »
    So we'll be able to re-assign the genders/ages of an outfit with 0.2.3? I look forward to screwing around with that! :D

    I think there are still age and gender flags elsewhere, but the "AgeAppropriate:xyz" flags are available. Color Pallets, Styles, Fabric choices, etc. Lots of really cool stuff. :smile: I've just got to squish a couple scroll-bar related bugs and I'll get it put up for download.

    Grant (granthes)
    Developer of Sims 4 Modding Tools -- Sims 4 Stuff n Things
  • AlistuAlistu Posts: 742 Member
    edited August 2014
    Well I can happily confirm that since repackaging the offending items with the new 0.2.2 Colour Magic and then combining them into a single package I have not had a crashing incident. :p
    Now if only I could fix those pesky thumbnail previews.
    a.k.a. Menaceman44 on MTS.
    Thoughts on a new wall mode?
  • brujah236brujah236 Posts: 14 New Member
    If you delete this file your thumbnails should be fixed.
    C:\Users\(User Name)\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\localthumbcache.package
  • AlistuAlistu Posts: 742 Member
    @brujah236
    Thanks, but the issue is with the items themselves. I've since discovered that while they look great in the demo, when I use them in the actual game the black bands in the thumbnails DO actually show up on the Sims.
    a.k.a. Menaceman44 on MTS.
    Thoughts on a new wall mode?
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