TS2GridAdjuster

[Mootilda]

Here's my current to-do list. Feel free to comment on these ideas, or make suggestions of your own.

Current To-Do List for the GridAdjuster:

My first priority is to fix problems which prevent people from using the GridAdjuster. Bugs which have a workaround will be fixed as time permits.

New Functionality:

- New option (Hood) to get ground level from hood terrain.

- New option (Lot) to get levels from another lot.

- New options (Min Max) for minimum and maximum elevations per level; elevation will only be changed if it falls outside of the elevation range specified.

- New option (Relative) to adjust relative elevations for entire lot. Set Top Left corner of lot to have a relative elevation of 0?

- New option (WaterOnly) to adjust only the pond water level with no corresponding grid changes.

- Allow user to change pond water level as well as terrain. Usually, the game tries to keep the pond water just under the ground level. Include option for all patterns.

- Restart should assume a change to the same lot; use back button to choose a different lot.

- Make the UI less intimidating.

- Generate a text (XML) log file of all adjustments.

- Allow people to run in a command line. Allow people to specify a text (XML) file containing multiple adjustments. Run each adjustment in turn. Would be nice if people could edit the output log file from above and rerun.

- Implement hyperbolic paraboloid (saddle) pattern.
Difficulty: easy (I hope).
Status: Working on parameterization now.

- Implement elliptical paraboloid (cones) pattern.
Difficulty: easy (I hope).

- Implement rotations for any angle.
Difficulty: medium.
Note: I already have the equation for hyperbolic paraboloids, but the other equations need to be in the correct form to use this.

- Implement radial patterns (radiating from a common center).

- Allow people to specify any equation in 3 variables: x, y, z, possibly using LUA.
Note: I know nothing about LUA, so this might take a while.

- Provide an option to see the lot names for all lots within the LotCatalog.
Difficulty: easy.
Note: It will take a while for the program to fill the listbox, since it requires opening and parsing all of the files, but should make it easier to find the lot that you want.

- Adjust the level of other objects on the lot: doors, windows, furniture, deco, etc. This same code is a requirement for the LevelAdder program.


Bug Fixes:

There are no known bugs at this time.

[GeneralOperationsDirector]

http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?p=2175009#post2175009

[niol]

Thanks for releasing it, :)
I like the features... :applause:


lol, just a few suggestions,

1.
TS2GridAdjuster V1.1 - Change the Grid Elevations on a Lot
Instruction 9, such build change shouldn't involve any build tools that can affect grid point elevation, like the wall tools, the elevation tools, multi-level objects (lifts/elevators, staircases, windows, doors, columns, including buy objects such as sauna rooms, etc).

2. may suggest users to make a map to record what to change and what has been changed in advance if necessary.

3. Only if it's easy and quick and you're willing to, can there be an incrementable multiple input for single points so that a user can specify multiple points for a particular value and/or even each for each at a time?

4. may hint for possible ranges and/or list out a few unique values to further familiarise users.

This is all exciting to see it come out and I can start to imagine things with it... : dances for you if you don't consider my dance too bad... :P :

[snowmoon2001]

Mootilda, I realise you may have left off modding TS2, but I'd like to beg you (politely, I hope) to make one addition to the GridAdjuster for posterity. Could you please add the ability to adjust the level of pond water on a lot? I'm not sure it can be done in SimPE, but if it doesn't involve hex-editing arrays, I'd be okay with some guidelines for that as an alternative.

I discovered real basements thanks to you and your tools, and I love them! The only problem is that the basements double as live aquariums -- I have bass, catfish and trout swimming around the pool table and bar. :rofl: It must have been winter when I did my earlier reporting on basement lots! There's no water and the fish don't affect play at all, except that sims don't have the option to "Go here", they have fishing options instead (though they can't actually fish). I've been coping by turning my graphic effects way down, so as to prevent rendering all fish. I really think that if the water level can be lowered it will finally make real basements practical for regular play.

[Mootilda]

Yes, I can add that feature. I mostly stopped because my DSL died. It took Telus almost 3 weeks to fix the problem, even though I told them the first day that I thought that I just needed a new modem. However, I'm back up and running now.

In the interim, you could use the in-game tools to lower the water and terrain under the basement, then use the TS3GridAdjuster to raise the terrain while leaving the water level low.

[snowmoon2001]

Yes, I can add that feature. I mostly stopped because my DSL died. It took Telus almost 3 weeks to fix the problem, even though I told them the first day that I thought that I just needed a new modem. However, I'm back up and running now.

Oh, how maddening that must have been for you! I'm glad you're back online but even gladder that you remain open to modding for TS2. :D

In the interim, you could use the in-game tools to lower the water and terrain under the basement, then use the TS3GridAdjuster to raise the terrain while leaving the water level low.

I'm sorry for being slow to comprehend, but can this be done on a lot that's already built? I think I know what you mean for a basement I'm building from scratch. I just can't wrap my head around how to fix the inside-out basement once it's dug?

[Mootilda]

You're right; this is only if you're building from scratch.

[niol]

Mootilda,

Have you tried V1ND1CARE's <4-click trick (the undo-redo trick) in TS3?
I've read only one person claiming not working in TS3, but you know, I'd like to hear more confirmations or evidences.

Anyway, I feel like to get a blank TS3 lot and dig it with a HEX editor.
Such lot has to have specified pattern of clicks on a grid layer in order to trace where the probable grid value storage file is at. May worth a try?

What do you think? :D

[Mootilda]

No. I've never used that technique in either TS2 or TS3.

The wiki has a note on one of the records, that it might be the grid elevation array. That's where I'd start if I were interested in modding TS3.

[Mootilda]

Updated To Do list with ideas for new features.

[maybesomethingdunno]

I suppose this idea could perhaps apply to both the TS2GridAdjuster and to the LotAdjuster really. But what about including a pseudo-display of the lot? Not an actual view of the lot, of course. Just a grid of squares that would be somehow colored to show the would-be affected areas. Perhaps gray squares for the road (if that's possible), green for normal squares and blue for would-be affected areas? I don't know.

This might could help users to better visual things like "12 from the from to 38 from the front; 2 from the left to 38 from the left" (and how close/far this might be to/from the rightmost edge of the lot or the road) or "Add 4 to the front" (and how the road might be affected). Or whatever. You'd still have the numeral values and inputs visible, but adjusting them would update the grid illustration. Would that be beneficial or would that just be wasted GUI space?

[Mootilda]

I can see a graphical display being helpful to people. A very reasonable idea.

It might even be possible to display some of the walls on the lot and allow people to click on an individual tile to set the range. I'll have to think about that one.