LotAdjuster 2.7.2

[Mootilda]

Update: Obsolete. Test version removed. New test version available:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=381592

This is a TEST version of the LotAdjuster which will adjust using lot-sized tiles, rather than hood-sized tiles. As well, it is now possible to expand one side of a lot and shrink the opposite side.

Bug Fixes since 2.7:
- Handle EA bug where the pool surface isn't correctly resized. If the pool position is valid after shrinking, then resize the pool surface so that it is also valid; shrinking should never be disallowed because of a pool surface.

Other Changes:
- Neighborhood Selection screen will display neighborhoods with unknown initial letters, such as C001, Z001, etc.
- Various UI changes suggested in the 2.7.1 thread, including explanations of advanced options, up/down increments for "over the road", "multiple of 10" messages, final screens.

Outstanding Issues:
- Puddles reported by aelflaed and reproduced on my machine.
- Missing lot imposters with no change in lot size; so far, I have not been able to reproduce this issue.

Testing:
- Backup your entire neighborhood before testing.

- Test lots which face in various directions (all 4 U11 - Sun Direction values). There is always a chance that the logic for one of the 4 directions is incorrect, while the other 3 directions work just fine.

- I'm particularly interested in feedback about the UI. This version has a less minimalist approach which I hope will be less confusing.

- Another area which could use more testing is with expanding and shrinking on bumpy terrain. Does the expanded terrain get a reasonable approximation of the neighborhood terrain, even when it isn't a multiple of 10? Are the lot edges correct after an adjustment? Is the road at the front of the lot flat? etc.

Other useful tests:
- Expand one side by an odd number of tiles; expand the other side.
- Expand one side by an odd number of tiles; shrink the other side.
- Shrink one side by an odd number of tiles; shrink the other side.
- Expand and shrink on opposite sides by different amounts.

[aelflaed]

The lot imposters - do you mean they work consistently for you but not for me, or that you haven't had a chance to look into it yet?

[Mootilda]

I've tried 3 of the 4 U11 values. They all worked just fine. Got sidetracked by the puddle problem, so I haven't tried the 4th value yet.

Along with the testing, I also checked out the source code. There's no logical reason why there would be different behavior for the different U11 values.

I may need to see your original (pre-adjustment) hood and lots.

[aelflaed]

I have all the lots saved pre-adjustment, but didn't copy the hood. However, as far as I am aware, it was an untouched verison of the minigame hood that comes with the AGS, so if you have that, it should be the same.

Or I can redo it, if you really want me to.

That test environment is missing the Pets EP, just in case that might be the difference. All other EPs, no stuffpacks.

[aelflaed]

Okay, I made a new test hood (same configuration, no Pets). It's the strangetown map, nothing on it except my four lots. I zipped the hood.package before using LotAdjuster on it. ;)

Placed two lots at the top of the hill, and two at the bottom - with slopes up and slopes down.

Added a pool on three sides of Platypus, including a diagonal and a rounded corner. Repeated the same changes I made to this lot before - +5 at front and rear. Got a big puddle this time over the pool, and the rounded corner was displaced uphill, with lattice (used on the foundation) showing under the 'ground'. Not attached to the house.

Raising the ground and undoing fixed the puddle, and a bit of messing around with the pool tool eventually fixed the pool corner.
The hood terrain meshed fine with the expanded lot. The lot imposter was empty.
The only other option is to delete all lot imposters, (...)I found the puddle problem. (...) I'll have to rework the algorithm to handle smaller areas.Oh, just saw this. Yes, it's reassuring to see the lot imposter loking reasonable on re-entry. Can't we have the outdated lot imposter for those lots too? I can see where blue gaps might be as worrying as emptiness, though. and sorry to post again about the puddle when You've foudn the problem. Unless the pool/lattice thing is of interest, this post is probably not much help. But anyway...am intending to try shrinkage on hills next, but not until tomorrow.

Tried a couple more before quitting for the night -
Possum was altered by front +2, rear -2 (no actual size change). Slope at rear looks fine, lot imposter present.

Wombat was shrunk left -4, right -6. Lot imposter fine, shrink seems perfect also.

I must have lost my touch. Nothing broke! Time for bed.

[Mootilda]

The puddle problem will take awhile, since I need to rethink the algorithm; it may not make much sense to test bumpy terrain until I have the water levels fixed. How's the UI looking now?

[GeneralOperationsDirector]

::nab:: -- and I never got around to unzipping either of the previous TWO versions yet!

...and I`m having a minor issue with a lot on a STEEP hill that I expanded to include the unlevel side road using one of your release versions: I can`t place the lot back to regenerate the roads because of the steepness of the terrain. I`ve dealt with that once before, but I forget how. Want details, and if so, here or the production thread? I`ve side-stepped the issue by rebuilding the roads manually [THAT was fun], so it isn`t pressing.

[Mootilda]

I seem to remember that niol had a thread about that... let me see whether I can find it.

[Update:]
Try this:
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?p=736160#post736160

Change these values in neighborhood.ini

MaxLotSlope=70.0

SmoothingTalusAngle=45.0

NumberOfSmoothingPasses=16

What happens is the terrain doesn't get heavy modified (unless slope is more than 45 degrees) and lots are still placeable, as an added bonues the land gets more realistic smoothing.Alternatively:
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=47544

Be sure to let us know whether this fixes the problem.

[plasticbox]

The UI issues I saw with version 2.7.1 are fixed. "Final sizes" message shows up, numbers line up nicely, and the text on the "All tiles are unlocked" screen is also where it should be.

mono 2.4.2.3, OS X 1.5.7 with X11.

[Mootilda]

Great! Now to fix that puddle issue.

[aelflaed]

I noticed some of the improvements made to the UI, no further comments at present.

What testing would be most helpful, if bumpy terrain is not applicable until the puddles are fixed?

[Mootilda]

Hopefully fixed now. See new version.

[GeneralOperationsDirector]

"I seem to remember that niol had a thread about that... let me see whether I can find it. [....]"
Those both point to the same thread, and I already am subscribed to it. Thank you for prompting me to re-examine the thread, as I`m sure that that`s the piece I was missing. Oddly enough, I *have* viewed that thread since having that issue, but not closely enough to recognize that it was likely the solution I was looking for. Thank you AGAIN. :up:

"Be sure to let us know whether this fixes the problem." Will do. It should. :)

Edit: It didn`t. :( ::sigh:: At least the manual reconstruction of the roads hasn`t gone to waste. :p ;)

[GeneralOperationsDirector]

I know this isn`t the current version, but I just used LotAdjuster to adjust a lot, and succeeded, but accidentally restarted the program instead of exiting it, and got this error:http://thumbs2.modthesims.info/img/2/2/7/8/1/3/9/MTS2_GeneralOperationsDirector_1052846_LotAdjusterError2.7.2.PNGI`m not certain that this was a release version [it MAY have been a test version], but of all your threads, this one seemed to be the best match for the version I was using at the time. Anyway, I thought you`d like to know, in case the problem is also present in your current version.GeneralOperationsDirector, please do not report problems with outdated test versions here. This bug has nothing to do with this thread.I`m sorry, but I couldn`t find the test version thread, and I thought you`d want to know about the problem, in case it was in the production version also.No repro, either in the outdated test version or in any release version.Well, I don`t know what happened, then. :| Sorry to have bothered you.

[Mootilda]

Thanks for moving this.

If you're still having the problem, give me more information about the adjustment that you're doing. If possible, attach the neighborhood and lot packages and a screenshot of the actual adjustment. Hopefully, that will be enough for me to reproduce the problem.

I don't suppose that you actually ran the game or SimPE between running the LA and clicking Restart?

[GeneralOperationsDirector]

"Thanks for moving this."
You`re welcome.

"If you're still having the problem,..."
I don`t know if I am or not. I haven`t had occasion to expand a lot since then.

"...give me more information about the adjustment that you're doing...."
One of the expansions --I forget which-- came with a house that was set up for home weddings, on a "foundation" of terrain that had been raised one story above ambient level. It is a two-story house with a large uncovered patio above the main entrance, and there is a medium-sized courtyard at the front-right corner, where the stairs from "up" meet the stairs from "down". Perhaps you know the house? Anyway, I expanded it on the right, adding a road, and accidentally clicked on Restart instead of Exit after successfull completion. The neighborhood is Crystal Springs, my usual haunt. I don`t *have* a screenshot of the actual adjustment this time around. Mebbe next. ;)

"I don't suppose that you actually ran the game or SimPE between running the LA and clicking Restart?"
Don`t you wish? Indeed not. Nothing that simple, naturally. :P .

[Mootilda]

Let me see whether I can find the house in question and I'll run further tests to see whether I can reproduce this.

I know that I've done that (run the game and / or SimPE while the LA was still running), so I thought that I'd ask.

Again, if you have the problem again, give me the .BKP files for the hood and lot; that should give me the best chance of reproducing the bug.