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Testers Wanted: Color Binning Tool 0.2.30.1

by Theo Posted 28th Apr 2006 at 7:14 PM - Updated 27th Nov 2013 at 10:20 PM by Nysha
216 Comments / replies (Who?) - 24 Feedback Posts
This is a featured upload! It showcases the best talent and creativity available on MTS and in the community.
Color Binning Tool

The color binning tool is a custom plugin for SimPE 0.63+

Its purpose is to change custom hair packages so that custom hair recolors appear in the standard color bins.

It was designed to be easy to use: on each standard color tab, you can load a hair package file; after you load the four packages into their respective bins, you can save the result.

There is no need to edit any PropertySet, as the binning logic is already done for you.

More information and some tutorials can be found in the plugin's website: http://theos.chewbakkas.net/tools/c...nning-tool.html


Installation
- Extract the file theos.gbct.plugin.dll
- Copy it into SimPE's Plugins folder, which in a default installation is at C:\Program Files\SimPE\Plugins
- Run SimPE and verify that you have a menu item named "Color Binning Tool" under SimPE's Tools menu.


Basic Usage
After the plugin is installed, start SimPE.

On the Tools menu, click on the "Color Binning Tool" item, and the plugin's main window should appear. Initially, the "Black" color tab is selected by default.

Use the "Package" menu or the context menu to load a package file into the selected tab. Repeat this process for the other tabs (Brown, Blond and Red).

You can select which age groups you wish to keep or remove on each color tab. You must pay special attention to the fact that a properly binned hair should have only one elder (grey) recolor, so you must choose carefully one elder recolor out of the four available.

On most cases you can ignore the Grey and Custom tabs, so you may proceed to review the package options (available in the menu Package->Options), and finally save the resulting package files.


Credits
I would like to thank to everyone that contributed to this project, and in particular to Motoki, for giving the momentum that started this project; Pinhead, whose invaluable knowledge put the code right on track again; and of course all the folks at MATY that were willing to test the plugin on its early stages.
Operating System:
      Windows: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, etc
Utility Type:
      CC Editors: Tools for modifying .package files, sims*pack files, and resources contained within those files.
Plugin Type:
      SimPE: Plugins for SimPE

You must have the expansion or stuff packs listed below installed to use this custom content. Please see the post text for any exceptions.

Key: - File was updated after upload was posted
Filename - Tip: You can click the magnifying glass to see the archive contents Size Downloads Date
ColorBinningTool_2301.zip

Size: 39.9 KB · Downloads: 12,691 · 27th Dec 2007
Download 		39.9 KB 12,691 27th Dec 2007
Need help with downloading or installing content? Click this link!
Don't forget to Thank the creator after downloading! Use the Thanks button located above the screenshots above.
Basic Download and Install Instructions:

1. Download: Click the download link to save the .rar or .zip file(s) to your computer.

2. Extract the zip, rar, or 7z file.

3. Place in Downloads Folder: Cut and paste the .package file(s) into your Downloads folder:
  • Origin (Ultimate Collection): Users\(Current User Account)\Documents\EA Games\The Sims™ 2 Ultimate Collection\Downloads\
  • Non-Origin, Windows Vista/7/8/10: Users\(Current User Account)\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads\
  • Non-Origin, Windows XP: Documents and Settings\(Current User Account)\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads\
  • Mac: Users\(Current User Account)\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads
  • Mac x64: /Library/Containers/com.aspyr.sims2.appstore/Data/Library/Application Support/Aspyr/The Sims 2/Downloads
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216 Comments / Replies (Who?) - 198 Feedback Posts, 7 Thanks Posts
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ambi3887
Test Subject
#76 Old 28th Jul 2006 at 9:13 PM
Thanks again for this tool. I started using it and its wonderful. Quick question though. For certain sets of hair I have two versions of the same hair color that aren't custom. For example two shades of black or two shades of red that I want in the same bin. Is there a way to load two packages into a bin tab and have the program name it Filename_Black01, Filename_Black02 along with the other colors? Thanks.
Theo
Test Subject
Original Poster
#77 Old 28th Jul 2006 at 9:32 PM
Quote:
For certain sets of hair I have two versions of the same hair color that aren't custom. For example two shades of black or two shades of red that I want in the same bin. Is there a way to load two packages into a bin tab and have the program name it Filename_Black01, Filename_Black02 along with the other colors? Thanks.

That's not possible to do it in a session, but you only have to reuse the same Family guid (the textbox is editable) on both sessions to make it work.

Before saving the first batch, go to the options panel and copy the Family guid. Save the result.

Then load the other package(s) into the respective tab, open the options again, and paste the Family guid.

This way you can have two recolors on the same color bin, and of the same family.
ambi3887
Test Subject
#78 Old 28th Jul 2006 at 9:39 PM
Ahhh thanks, that works like magic! So do the people who make all these wonderful things get paid by EA Games or Maxis? Hope ya get something for all the work.
Theo
Test Subject
Original Poster
#79 Old 28th Jul 2006 at 9:43 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ambi3887
Ahhh thanks, that works like magic! So do the people who make all these wonderful things get paid by EA Games or Maxis? Hope ya get something for all the work.
Oh no, it's just a hobby, but anyway thank you guys for the appreciation!
Amy2838
Lab Assistant
#80 Old 29th Jul 2006 at 7:15 AM Last edited by Amy2838 : 29th Jul 2006 at 7:26 AM.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Theo
Amy:
Assigning a new mesh to a PropertySet is already possible, and it has a brief tutorial here. You don't even have to read it fully, just check the screenshots
The example shows how to do it for a skin package, but it works the same way for hair packages.


It's hard for me to explain, but I wasn't exactly talking about asigning the mesh to the property set... it was just giving me problems to asign multiple property set changes to a single package.... I had all the ages' meshes working and they looked good in the game, but I wanted them all in one re-color package. I ended up having to make a fresh Maxis recolor package in BodyShop, go to SimPE and add the toddler mesh. Then back in BodyShop make a recolor of THAT package, then back in SimPE adding the child's new mesh, then back in BodyShop making a recolor of THAT package, then back in SimPE adding the teen mesh, then back to BodyShop to make a recolor again, the back to SimPE to add the remaining 3 adult meshes. Then after all that, I made another recolor in BodyShop.... to actually recolor the damn thing. Believe me, I tried adding all the cres/shape files into the same recolor package to the appropriate age... it didn't work no matter what I did. This is the only thing I could do that finally worked for me. There must be an easier way... you would think you could just add the cres and shapes all at once. What's the difference? Well, anyway, that's what I was talking about. Sorry if it was kind of off topic, but I loved your tool so much and I thought of you while I was struggling to compile my age groups. You can delete my posts if you think they are not relevant, I just thought it might be a helpful plugin to have. (It would also be useful if you wanted, for instance... a package that made the adult/teen/child Braids linked to the toddler Pigtails instead of toddler Mob. Or the adult "Brandi Broke" hairstyle linked to the child Long-Wavy instead of the Bow/bun.) It's just a matter of age-progression.) I ramble, sorry.

Amy
If it weren't for ADD I'd be forgetful, lazy, absentminded, clumsy, always late, disorganized, messy, and annoying.................for no apparant reason.
Theo
Test Subject
Original Poster
#81 Old 29th Jul 2006 at 12:24 PM
I thought BodyShop already created packages with all the ages, what do you do to have just one age in a package?

And when you load your package into the tool, how many items appear?
Amy2838
Lab Assistant
#82 Old 29th Jul 2006 at 8:57 PM Last edited by Amy2838 : 29th Jul 2006 at 9:04 PM.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Theo
I thought BodyShop already created packages with all the ages, what do you do to have just one age in a package?

And when you load your package into the tool, how many items appear?


When I said only one age was showing up, I meant that only one age was showing the new mesh... the rest were still showing the original Maxis mesh. And I had to keep going back and adding the meshes one at a time until all the ages were linked to my new mesh.

Also if you wanted to re-do an original Maxis package so that some of the age groups had a different age progression.... let's say you wanted the toddler boy's buzz cut to age into the child boy's rice bowl instead of the child-size buzz cut (or whatever)... you could do that much more easily. Without having to go through so many steps. You could open the tool and load both packages which have tick marks beside them. Then you would choose which mesh you wanted at a particular age:
x Toddler Buzz
_ Child Buzz
_ Teen Buzz
_ Young Adult Buzz
_Adult Buzz
_ Elder Buzz

_Toddler Rice Bowl
x Child Rice Bowl
x Teen Rice Bowl
x Young Adult Rice Bowl
x Adult Rice Bowl
x Elder Rice Bowl

That's kind of how I I thought it could work. But like I said, Maxis sometimes puts the ages in a different order so that the instance numbers don't always match up. I don't know if that would be a problem or not. It was just an idea, though.
If it weren't for ADD I'd be forgetful, lazy, absentminded, clumsy, always late, disorganized, messy, and annoying.................for no apparant reason.
kellys26
Test Subject
#83 Old 29th Jul 2006 at 8:59 PM
Just wanted to add that I do finally have this working for my elders. I've just been making a copy of the hair for now, and then moving it to the grey tab. So far it's worked well. I need to play with this alot more though! Thanks again for a great tool!
K
Theo
Test Subject
Original Poster
#84 Old 31st Jul 2006 at 10:37 PM
Amy: The tool can't make real clones of the package contents, so what you said is pretty much undoable with it.

kellys26: I'm glad you could manage with the grey recolor. But I'm just curious about what could go wrong, can you give me a link to the original hair?
Pixelen
Field Researcher
#85 Old 2nd Sep 2006 at 11:58 AM
Thanks Theo, the tool is really useful! I'm glad I didn't have to go through all that Property Set stuff One question though, I have a grey/white recolour of a hair that I want to use as the elder hair instead of checking one of the elder colours in the main colour bins. I loaded that into the grey colour bin and it checked the elder box, and left the others unchecked, and no elder boxes were checked in the main colour bins either, but when a sims changes to elder wearing a main colour of the hair, eg blonde, it changes to the black colour with grey eyebrows which i have to use 'change appearance' in the mirror to get back to grey. Is there some way to make the grey recolour into the default elder hair for that hairstyle?
Pixelen
Field Researcher
#86 Old 2nd Sep 2006 at 11:00 PM
Also, if i want to make colour bin hair that i have made, how do i find the files to bin them? I've tried binning some packages that are in my projects folder but that doesnt seem to work
Pixelen
Field Researcher
DELETED POST
2nd Sep 2006 at 11:00 PM
This message has been deleted by Pixelen. Reason: double post :D
Theo
Test Subject
Original Poster
#87 Old 4th Sep 2006 at 12:10 PM
Hi Pixelen,

The packages in the "Projects" folder are not complete packages, and can't be used by this tool.

In BodyShop you must click the "Import into game" button, and it will generate the final packages into the "SavedSims" folder.
You can then load these packages in the color binning tool.

Regarding the other issue, I'll try to age some sims and see what's going on

cheers
mona1977
Test Subject
#88 Old 19th Sep 2006 at 12:37 PM Last edited by mona1977 : 19th Sep 2006 at 2:37 PM. Reason: Ading something
Default Thanks
Hi!
Thanks for a graet tool!
Do I have to press "New Session" every time I load a package?
Some of my hair colors came out white with letters on them, why?
Can I bin them before I put them in Hairfolder in Downloads or do I have to wait intil they are in Download?
Theo
Test Subject
Original Poster
#89 Old 21st Sep 2006 at 3:19 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mona1977
Some of my hair colors came out white with letters on them, why?

That looks like a texture problem, but I can only know what's wrong if I can see the packages. Can you pm a link to the hair packages?


Quote:
Originally Posted by mona1977
Can I bin them before I put them in Hairfolder in Downloads or do I have to wait intil they are in Download?

The only requirement is that the resulting packages must be in the Downloads folder. The original packages can be loaded from any other folder.
ancienthighway
Test Subject
#90 Old 22nd Sep 2006 at 5:52 PM
I've rebinned hair with SimPE without this tool, and with DatGen. This is by far the easiest to use. I've got a number of packages that have black hair for children and blond for adults, not to mention all the "greys" that really aren't. From what I've seen using this tool, all of those problems will be a snap to fix.

Thank you and keep up the good work!
pinhead
Instructor
#91 Old 22nd Sep 2006 at 11:53 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Theo
That looks like a texture problem, but I can only know what's wrong if I can see the packages. Can you pm a link to the hair packages?



The only requirement is that the resulting packages must be in the Downloads folder. The original packages can be loaded from any other folder.


Hi theo!
how are you? :D

Well, with so much people using wrong this tool, probably is a problem that she is removing textures files and not fixing the Material Definition references.
So far i never downloaded a binned hair using all the features that you included in the tool. People still think that deleting references to unchanged hair mesh (other ages) is the best option to make a small package. And then the final result is a broken hair file. :/

I'm happy with this tool and for me, even without playing the game since a long time, i like to thank you again for doing it for us.
Theo
Test Subject
Original Poster
#92 Old 25th Sep 2006 at 12:30 PM
Yeah, I suppose some people may be using the wrong features, and the UI isn't straightforward enough, but it could also be that there's unexpected data in the packages.
Remember the error brought by bumpmap textures in hair packages? Only after looking at the packages I could determine what was going wrong.

Anyways, there's the possibility that I'll make a simplified version of this tool, perhaps a SimPE Wizard add-on.
Hekima
Test Subject
#93 Old 30th Sep 2006 at 4:28 PM
Wow, this is a lot easier to do than I expected.

This is just one kind of trivial fix I'd like to see: alphabetical ordering of the main hair colors. I'm binning some things I already have and most of the creators are nice enough to at least name the files correctly. "Black" comes before "Blond," though, so I've picked up the wrong color by mistake a few times.

I've spent too much time working in libraries and book stores, I'm afraid.
shallremain
Test Subject
#94 Old 10th Oct 2006 at 3:08 PM
Thank you so much for this! It drove me crazy to not have all my custom hair in the right color bin, but now they're all in the right place. Thanks again!
budgiewing
Test Subject
#95 Old 16th Oct 2006 at 11:34 PM
Thank you so much! This is probably the best SimPE plugin ever!
'Have a nice day!'
Lily Whyte
Test Subject
#96 Old 17th Oct 2006 at 5:07 PM
Theo, I just want to thank you for this amazing tool! It's easy to use and works beautifully! One of my biggest pet peeves with Sims 2 has been the binning of custom hair and you've fixed that. Thank you ever so much for sharing your time and talent.
Bluescreen
Test Subject
#97 Old 9th Nov 2006 at 11:41 AM
First, thanks for this great tool.

One question, though: is there a way to see, if a package is already correctly binned when opening it in your tool?
Theo
Test Subject
Original Poster
#98 Old 9th Nov 2006 at 1:41 PM
No, I don't think you can see that on the tool itself.

Maybe it could show the current value of the hairtone field as a tooltip, but until that is done, the only hint you have is the package file name (and of course, the hair catalog in the game ;D)
Lerf1950
Field Researcher
#99 Old 17th Nov 2006 at 11:41 PM
Has anyone else been getting an exception error when trying to use the color binning tool with the Pets version of SimPe?

I've gotten it every time I've tried.
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