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IMPORTANT NOTICE: The exchange is corrupting thumbnails again!
GreenCats
Posts: 9,318 Member
It seems that the exchange is once again doing something to thumbnails that makes custard read the images as corrupt if the creation is downloaded using the 'Save File' option. This does not seem to affect the regular 'Add to Game' button, as that does not download the thumbnails, just the creation itself.
My friend, gypsy54, who has only very recently started using custard, and who kindly alerted me to the problem, has reported that it doesn't seem to affect all creations, but still most of the ones she has tried. I've just done some provisional testing myself, downloading the creations of several CC-free creators using the 'Save File' button, and all of their thumbnails showed as corrupt.
I was aware of the issue already and actually thought it was an ongoing one, but just now read in this thread that it was supposed to have been resolved several updates ago. I wanted to let people who thought this was no longer an problem know that it has either resurfaced or never truly went away.
My friend, gypsy54, who has only very recently started using custard, and who kindly alerted me to the problem, has reported that it doesn't seem to affect all creations, but still most of the ones she has tried. I've just done some provisional testing myself, downloading the creations of several CC-free creators using the 'Save File' button, and all of their thumbnails showed as corrupt.
I was aware of the issue already and actually thought it was an ongoing one, but just now read in this thread that it was supposed to have been resolved several updates ago. I wanted to let people who thought this was no longer an problem know that it has either resurfaced or never truly went away.
You can still find me on my old My page (http://mypage.thesims3.com/mypage/GreenCats), and see more of my game-play pictures and CC-free uploads at gcsims.com
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Thanks for the info, But I too thought it had never changed. I actually think the Exchange is probably doing more to the things on it than just corrupting the image files. But I don't know what.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW44b3uCMtCSaq4gwC8EZg
Do you think the corrupted images that seem to happen almost every time the Save As is used are a sign of a bigger problem then? Like something bad?
In which case, perhaps people should be avoiding the exchange altogether?
I'm assuming that whatever happens, happens on upload rather than on download. This is just a hunch, but I imagine the regular Download button only doesn't show things as corrupt because the thumbnails (which is what show as corrupt) aren't included.
GC - can you give an example so i can test
i would also tweet SGR if you think its a bigger problem.
Just pick any creation on the exchange and use the Save File function and you should see the images showing as corrupt.
But as an example, here is how SimGuruKitty's Old Mill looks (it seemed fairer to use hers than to pick on a fellow unpaid creator!):
I guess the gurus might just say it's an issue with custard? That may be the case, but it's a pain because people see the red files and get worried and confused.
I wanted to ask:
Is the Download method stripping thumbnails (and consequent reduced file size) necessarily a problem? I think maybe this is meant to happen because people downloading to their games don't need the thumbnails? I'm not sure though. I can't remember how it used to be.
1. Are the corrupt thumbnails a sign of a larger problem that would make lots/sims etc. damaging to install in our games?
2. If so, does this affect everything, or can the regular Download button safely be used (as regards this particular issue)?
Here is what crinrict had to say a while back (my emphasis) (source):
I've looked at lots of screenshots people have posted elsewhere of the issue, and I think that 'the rest of the file is shown as corrupt' refers only to cc. CC seems always to scan as corrupt once the thumbnails have been corrupted, even if it scanned clean before upload. In most cases this prevents the file from installing correctly. However, the file that holds the sim/house/etc. itself does not show as corrupted. This means that in cc-free uploads (such an in the examples EswenRaedself and I gave), only the thumbnails show as corrupted.
Crinrict says she advises people who ask her about this not to use Save As because the corrupted thumbnails give them the wrong idea. I trust crinrict's judgement absolutely, but it's just confusing because I've also seen people saying that the exchange is doing more than corrupting thumbnails, and that maybe even using the Download button is not safe in this regard (obviously there can be nasty stuff lurking on the exchange that custard can't see - but I am talking specifically in relation to whatever the corrupted thumbnails indicate).
People once seemed to think that the issue was related to UIC, but the example of SGK's lot that I posted argues against that.
Since Custard is a third party tool, EA won't do anything about it if that's the case. But if it has something to do with the Exchange then obviously it would be nice if they would fix it.
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!
So we can have a conversation about what the missing thumbnails mean and whether it's a problem, but I wouldn't call the size change disturbing or an additional worry, beyond what we're already concerned about with the thumbnails. Unless I'm missing something?
But I'm not so sure it knows how to interpret thumbnails after they have been "processed" through the launcher and uploaded to the Exchange. There doesn't seem to be any ill effects from installing the SP3s either way.
Edit: Greencats! Thank you for the gift, that was a very nice surprise.
Where are we going, and why am I in this hand basket?!