Oh, I've been opening them in SimPE ok. Don't you use the QA version? If you're not in the QA but wish to have the latest version I'll make it available to you. I am sure Quaxi won't mind a bit under the circumstances.

Thank you. I've just been using the released version... I suppose that I should have looked into getting the QA version, but I never have. For now, it would be wonderful if you'd give it to me.

Mootilda, you have PM.

Well I do. Having not had EPs for ages, I really appreciate the efforts of the creators who made objects etc that I could use, and I am still building in basegame wherever I don't want to do something specific (like a dorm or a garage) that will require an EP anyway. This is my first plunge into modding (very unexpected). And I'm only making it because I wanted my building photos to look bright on the correct side of the house!

However, I'm only one person, and if it is the BGS that is causing my LotExpander to break, then other people could be enjoying the benefits of Mootilda's work sooner, while I wait for it to be worked out. Haven't had any response yet on Numenor's thread, but I'm sure he's busy too.

I'll try Inge's revealer and tell you if it works for me.

EDIT - Inge, the revealer didn't crash my base game, but I can't find it anywhere either.

Where should I be looking? Maybe it's one of the many things that lie invisibly in your game (using up space), and then leap out at you when you install an EP.

I really appreciate all the effort you people are putting in to help these things work.

It's a yellow and red spotted flamingo, near the pink one in the catalogue.

Nope, no new flamingos in my game. I bet it would turn up with any EP, though. Oh well, it's presumably proving useful to others - would have been nice to make it so easy!

Mootilda,

I've looked at the source files (mostly v1.2.1) for german leftovers, below is what I found -- perhaps some of it is still helpful.

Also, about the BaseGameStarter: I'm not keeping up with this thread so I'm sorry if this is a useless/redundant comment, but I've been using BGS+LotExpander before with no problems at all .. I moved the "building site" neighborhood folder from BaseGame to FullGame, used the Expander, moved the folder back and voilà. Maybe that would be a workaround for you, aelflaed? Again, sorry if you already tried that, I simply don't have the time atm to read this entire thread (wish I could! =) but maybe this helps anyway.

Apart from that, Mootilda, you totally should install the BGS! I *hate* installing stuff on unfamiliar OSes but the BGS was really easy and painless. And the customer support is excellent =).


OK, translations:

From v1.2.5, LotExpander.cs:

// My best guess at german to english translations, based on usage:

// Anzeige = Title (text)

Display, as in: the text that appears on the display (this is fetching a string right?)

// Erklaerung = Information?

Explanation .. it's sorta more in-depth than "Information". This is the text about how to deal with the lot in-game etc? I'd probably call it Instructions then.

// Weiter = Next (button)
// Zurueck = Previous (button)

Yup (Back is actually better than Previous)

// ZuScreen = Next screen?

ToScreen or GoToScreen I'd say -- with "next" I associate a *linear* order, and I've seen ZuScreen<number>() in the context of case a few times (i.e. not linear) .. but I think you renamed it Screen<number>() now which is also fine.

// Breite = Width
// Hoehe = Height
// Tiefe = Depth
// Alt = Old
// Neu = New
// AnzBytes = Number of Bytes (per object / structure)

NumBytes, yes

Everything else is correct -- good guesses! (And aren't we all glad that the syntax itself is more or less plain english =)


More stuff from v1.2.1:

LotExpander.cs:

Auswahl = Selection
DateiListe = FileList
LotEigenschaften = LotProperties

Einschraenkungen = Limitations, Restrictions (depending on what the string actually says .. off the top of my head I don't remember)

//NB-Package ändern = change NB package
//Lot-Package ändern = change lot package

Fortschritt = Progress

// Diese Methode nur, weil SimPE GeneratableFile.Save() hier nicht funktioniert!

This method only because SimPE GeneratableFile.Save() does not work here! (sentence no verb in german either =)


LotExpander.Designer.cs:

I'm not sure what all the XML type stuff is. There were some borken comments in LEStrings.Designer.cs too (I didn't look at that too closely since the strings have already been translated) .. I think they're at least partly not written by Andi, but somehow inserted by a germanified coding tool? Is this "Designer" some kind of windows interface toolbox / window manager / UI thing? Clueless mac user here ..

/// <summary>
/// Erforderliche Designervariable. = required Designer(?) variable
/// </summary>

/// <summary>
/// Verwendete Ressourcen bereinigen. = clean up "used resources" (garbage disposal?)
/// </summary>
/// <param name="disposing">True, wenn verwaltete Ressourcen gelöscht werden sollen; andernfalls False.</param>

True if "verwaltete" (literally, "managed" .. could be anything between local, private, locked .. ?) resources are to be deleted, otherwise False

#region Vom Windows Form-Designer generierter Code = Code generated by Windows Form-Designer

/// <summary>
/// Erforderliche Methode für die Designerunterstützung. = Method required for Designer support
/// Der Inhalt der Methode darf nicht mit dem Code-Editor geändert werden. = The content of this method must not be changed with the code editor
/// </summary>

Links, Rechts, Hinten, Vorne = Left, right, back, front (but I think you've figured this out already)


R_DESC.cs:

Zeichen = Characters, CharCount
Anzahl = Count, Number


R_2ARY.cs:

around line 64: DifBreite = Dif means Difference I'd say

Line 64: //Viertelzeilenweise am Ende einfügen = insert "quarterlinewise" at the end (i.e. in increments of 1/4th of a line or row)

Long german compound here: Viertel = Quarter (one fourth); Zeile = Line, Row; weise = wise (as in likewise)

Likewise, line 100: //Viertelzeilenweise am Anfang einfügen = insert "quarterlinewise" at the beginning

Line 143: //Header und vorhandene Daten = Header and available (present, existent) data

Line 145: //Am Ende einfügen = insert at end
Line 172: //Am Anfang einfügen = insert at the beginning


R_2ARY_3B76.cs

Line 70: //Zeilenweise am Ende einfügen = insert "linewise" (line by line / row by row) at the end


R_3ARY_0C.cs

Line 187: //Spaltenweise am Ende einfügen = insert "columnwise" (column by column) at the end


R_2ARY_5CEE.cs, R_3ARY_01.cs

see above (Am Ende einfügen, Am Anfang einfügen etc)


R_WGRA.cs

Line 144: //Daten manipulieren = manipulate data
Line 160: //Rest bleibt unverändert = rest remains unchanged


R_OBJT.cs

Line 91: //BR und BW müssen hinter BlockID stehn! = BR and BW must go after BlockID!


Portale.cs, R_3ARY_03.cs, R_LOT.cs, R_WRLD.cs, R_TMAP.cs, R_ROOF.cs, R_XMTO.cs:

didn't see any german


Program.cs:
/// <summary>
/// Der Haupteinstiegspunkt für die Anwendung. = the main loop for this application
/// </summary>


Thanks for all the work you do. Hope I was able to contribute something.

Oh and for the record: I would *totally* do some serious building with Expander + BGS combined. I'm working 2 jobs at once right now, which means I CAN wait =) but I'm looking very very forward.

plasticbox, that was such a totally simple suggestion, and no-one made it before. And it worked! Thankyou!

I moved the neighbourhood folder into my full game, ran my outdated LotExpander, and put the folder back. Result - all tiles unlocked, including the rotated road.

I shifted the lot to a different part of the map. Result - locked the road and edge tiles, buildable area stayed open.

I put the lot into the catalog and re-placed it on the map. Result - Lot functioning normally.

Haven't yet tried packaging the lot and re-installing it, but I suppose that should work too. Hallelujah!

Of course, there is still an issue with the updated LotExpander and the BGS, but the lot I have been modding appears to be fixed. The only thing still odd is the cars.

Actually, I have realised it isn't the direction of travel per se that is reversed. Moving the road has resulted in just that - the road has been moved, but NOT ROTATED on the lot. So the cars are still going just as they were, but we are now looking from the other side of the road, so to speak. If I change the values so they go into the Maxis-standard lanes, THEN they will be travelling in non-Maxis directions.

Interesting. Don't know how to change it, although Inge's revealer might well be the answer if I could use it.

So I'd still like to be able to use the new LotExpander with the BGS, but the biggest problem with my modded lots appears to be dealt with.

I've made two new rotated lots, and the process seems to work fine as it now stands. The cars are still slightly wrong, as described, but everything seems to function and look okay. And I understand what to alter, and how.

I am attaching the most recent rotated lot - I'd appreciate it if someone would take a look and report if there is anythiing else that needs to be changed. I'm pretty excited to think I may soon be able to upload them.

The lot has a small house on it, furnished for one or two, so you don't have to build anything - but feel free to test building and placing new things, since that's one of the problems I was having. There is no custom content. The sunlight should be at the front and right of the house, as viewed from the road.

I'd like to know the lots transfer correctly to someone else's game before I share them.

Thanks everyone.

wow, interesting trick plasticbox has given out...

so such change can affect how the lot to be locked?

wow, it seems to me that's too fast to share a modded lot...this lot is not just simply trimmed off of the useless jpg alone.

anyway, I'll use it in 1 of my testing neighbourhood... :D

Thanks, Niol.
Naturally, the lot I've uploaded above is just for testing purposes. The light should be at the front of the house and to the right side as you look from the road. This is opposite to Andi's ones. I haven't posted any pictures, but I will if asked - I'm trying to keep the size of the post down. There is no custom content in the lot.

Once I knew what to change, it was fairly easy, since I was starting with Andi's work already done - no way do I understand what was required to shrink the lots in the first place. Most of the work has been done by others, really - Andi and all of you here!

If the lot stands up to testing, I'll complete the set and submit them.

Every phone option but the transportation option are working well in my that only trial.
I started a new 1-sims fam to test it out. it's missing. guess it's due to no community lot in that neigh yet.

May try an another trial.

After adding a comminity, the transportation option shows up.. yay

Excellent!

Do I need more than one person to test? Otherwise I can go ahead.
I found the transport option lacking, too, until I put a community lot into the neighbourhood.

Thanks for checking the lot for me, Niol.

I would wait until the portals are working well before uploading the lot.

I tried Inge's portal revealer on your 1x1 lot and was able to move the portals and rotate them, so that they worked perfectly.

If you'd like, tomorrow I could use SimPE to try to determine what changed in the portals between the old (base game with funny portals) and new (non-base game with correct portals) lots. This might give us a hint as to how to change your portals using SimPE, so that the base-game mini lots that you upload are perfect.

Oh, and I used a two-person family to play with your 1x1 lot. Somehow I ended up with about 8 visitors inside that tiny little house!

Looks like you are very very close to having this finished.

By the way, it's really much nicer having the sun at the front of the house. This type of lot would make a wonderful addition to the 1xN and Nx1 mini lots currently available.

I suppose that I should try using the LotExpander on your 1x1 and 2x1 lots, just to make sure that everything still works. Tomorrow...

Inge, this is a wonderful tool! I finally had a chance to try it today and I love it. Is there any way that we could get a base-game version of this?

Yes, it's a nice feature of the LotExpander. Andi really did a good job with this program. I wonder whether I'll ever understand it completely?

Unfortunately, unlocking all of the tiles doesn't currently allow us to build to the edge of the lot. I'm going to have to research how this feature works before I'll be able to determine whether we can unlock the edge tiles for building.

Did you ever try unlocking all of the tiles on the 1x1 lot that had the funny road problem?

Thank you. This is very helpful. I'll let you know if there's anything else that I need translated, but it looks like you answered most of my questions.


Are you getting the same error that aelflaed was seeing?

"Index was outside the bounds of the array."

I think that the only way for me to fix this problem is to install the BaseGame Starter and try to find and fix the problems, then do the same thing with the AnyGame Starter. Trying to debug this without having them installed is really not working.

Do you have *any* custom objects (not bodyshop-type cc) showing up in BGS? I had to uninstall BGS after a short trial because I could not get my objects showing up while using it. As far as I know there is nothing about that flamingo that should prevent it showing in the catalogue for an early game *even if it doesn't work*. If you do have one or more custom objects showing up in your catalogue please can you point me to, or send me, one of them so I can try and spot what the difference is?

Well - if I could use BGS with *any* cc it would be a start. At this time I simply don't have any way to test it.

I did not get any errors. However, that was with v1.2.4 (or whatever version was the current one in mid September) and an older version of the BGS (the one with the Uni bugfix) ... no idea if and what might have changed since then.

Yes, I do have other CC working in my BGS configuration. From memory, I have MaryLou's Independent Expressions windows, Marvine's new spiral stairs, Numenor's recolourable stairs...is this enough? Do you want objects? Objects I can't think of so quickly...the single-tile dressers made from end tables, can't remember who made them. I haven't put many objects into the BGS, mainly build items.

When I had the real basegame, I often found custom items that were supposed to be compatible, that didn't show in my catalogue, although other BG players seemed to be using them. All those objects (if I hadn't weeded them out along the way) duly appeared when I got my first EP.

I suppose this is the same thing happening now with the BGS. Why it should happen in one person's basegame, and not another's, I have no idea.



Is that a typo? I thought I only uploaded a 2x1.

It's amazing how little space you really need in a well-designed house. (I once had a family of five, including twin toddlers, living in a single-bedroom-and-loft, nine by nine squares. I LIKE compact houses. I finally took pity on them when she got pregnant AGAIN and let them move.)



I have been fiddling with more lots this afternoon. The community lots have several minus values. So far, the road changes are fine, but I haven't checked the portals in-game yet.

I'm looking forward to creating a set of lots facing sunwise, and it would be nice to fix the cars just that bit more.

Cheers!

Ok try this flamingo. I exchanged the OBJD for the one in the original objects.package, and put it in Build Mode catalogue under double height windows.

Edit: updated upload in later post

Okay, got that one. It appears in the right place. But how do I use it? It just seems to be a normal flamingo...no extra menu that I could find.

Ergh! I forgot to change the group number of the new OBJD.

Try this one

How to use the flamingo?
Just got the latest version... I'm using it in the base game copy.