Yes, the LotExpander works with occupied lots. I will have to see your lot to determine what's wrong with it. Can you attach the lot to this thread? Thanks.

You kidding? Attach the whole liveable furnished lot with sims?
I guess It is almost impossible.
I guess you should know the problem - I expand the lot even to a 1 along on side and it start expanding and aborting for unknown error.
I looked thru this thread It seems no one faced this trouble. strange. why it does not work to me?

Ailias,

may upload just the bare lot here or maybe somewhere and pm Mootilda the link, does that sound good?

I guess Mootilda needs the bare lot rather than all the cc.and the lot. All cc will be replaced by the default replacement if they're properly.

I suppose that an alternative would be for me to give you a debug build and you can report back to me any warning and error messages that you receive.

Oh, and you're right that I do know the problem. Something in your neighborhood or lot file is different than anything that I've ever seen before, and therefore I haven't added code to the LotExpander to deal with that record type / instance / version. The only solution is to determine what is different, how it's different and how to handle it properly, then add that code to the LotExpander. I honestly don't know any easy way to do this...

this is a picture of my poor unexpanded lot - simple 3storyhouse, 3 sims living in.
http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/...board111yb2.jpg

Unfortunately, a picture doesn't help much. The problem is in the binary information stored in either the neighborhood or lot file... the fact that you were able to expand a different lot in the same neighborhood means that it's likely the lot file.

Would you be willing to run a debug version and report the results? If so, then download the test version from:

http://www.modthesims2.com/showpost...2&postcount=521

Follow the instructions to generate a log file, then attach the text file here so that I can try to figure out what's causing your problems.

SWEET!! This works soooo well! Great tutorial, it worked exactly as it should. I can't believe I haven't downloaded this before....THANK YOU!!

I had a guess that the fences that bound with lot edges can be a reason, or may be using of communitytime mod is another one.

So far, the only thing that we know is that the problem is in a non-portal OBJT - Singular Lot Object record. I'll put debugging code into the class that handles that record type and have you run the test version again.

I don't believe that the problem is with the fences. We've done a fair amount of testing on fences at the edges of lots. However, it could easily be the mod.

Oh, I forgot to ask you: which EPs and SPs are you running with?

I'll get back to you when I have debugging available for that record - hopefully later today.

I'm glad you checked that log so quick and found a clue.
I can wait you bet.
I have all EPs (you can read in my profile info boxes) and SPs

OK, let's try the same thing again, with the new test version attached here. This should print out all of the information about the specific OBJT record which is crashing, which should be enough to figure out what the problem is.

Thanks for your patience.

[Update:]

I have released a new version 1.2.8, which I am hopeful will resolve your crash. Please download from the original post and let me know if you continue to have problems.

Removed TEST version, since it is no longer needed.

This sounds much like a problem that was happening to me. I created a fully furnished home and it wouldn't work; the opperation would abort. I created the same house minus the furniture and later one with a basement (all had the same layout). I even deleted the original home and placed one of the newer versions to be shrunk on the same area.

When I just did it with a basic (with or without basement) unfurnished house fully painted on the outside and the layout, it worked fine. I have Windows Vista Home Premium Edition and all the EP's and special packs.

As of current for me this is the only way to create the houses. I have yet to play in one, since I'm working on several.

Anyway, hopefully my information is of help.

If it's possible, the easiest way for me to find the problem is to have one of these houses to debug. Would it be possible for you to attach a zipped copy of your house to this thread?

do you want the Custom Content/maxis furniture in it.

edit: I have the kitchen done with custom cabinets and counters. Maxis bookshelves, some recolors of maxis furniture, and the bookcase that's a hidden door. Plus several hacks, not sure if any of them could be the case.

Yes, since the problem may be with the CC. However, if you would prefer not to include it, I can see whether I can reproduce the problem without the CC first.

Got it. You can remove the upload now, if you'd like.

[Update:]

Please download the newest version 1.2.8 and see whether this resolves your problem. Thanks so much for reporting this problem and giving me your house so that I could reproduce and find the problem.

There is a new version of the LotExpander available, 1.2.8. I have fixed several crashing bugs. See release history in the original post for further information.

tiny little question....is it possible to get a lot even smaller than 10 squares across? maybe 6, 7, or 8? it doesn't seem likely but if there's a trick....

Yes, it is possible to do this. Unfortunately, the game does not gracefully handle lots which are not a multiple of 10. So, you get a hole in your neighborhood, between the actual size of your lot and the larger size which the game believes that your lot should be. You may have seen pictures of this effect before - a large blue "disconnect" at the edge of your lot where you can see below the earth into the sky which surrounds the sim-world.

Because of this, I do not believe that it's likely that the LotExpander will ever support lots which are not a multiple of 10 tiles.

Though with the right instruction about starting with flat land and keeping the lot flat, the blue gash won't happen. Could be an advanced option?

Inge and staciew1,

This is really an inappropriate thread for the discussion of research issues like shrinking of lots, lots which are not multiples of 10 tiles, and the possibility of implementing advanced features.

This thread is for discussion and support of the existing released LotExpander.

So, I am moving this discussion to the Lot Modding thread:
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?p=1761779

See you there.

We are currently working on this feature. So far, we've been having intermittent crashes which may point to lot and/or neighborhood corruption. So, the feature is not yet ready for use. If you are interested in following the research, please check out the research thread. We've been talking about shrinking of lots since the beginning of the thread, but the really interesting work started around Oct 17th:

http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=250693

I can't remember if I've thanked you for this great mod yet so I wanted to come back and say how much I love and use this mod!! It's one of my all time favorites... easy to use, makes all those nice houses on too small lots sooo usable. Anyway, I don't know how you did it but thank you for sharing it with eveyone :lovestruc

I have an error with this:

See the end of this message for details on invoking
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at SimPe.Packages.File.Read(IPackedFileDescriptor pfd)
at LotExpander.LotExpander.NeighborhoodScreen() in G:\Source\LotExpander\Source\LE129\129\LotExpander.cs:line 327
at LotExpander.LotExpander.NextButton_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in G:\Source\LotExpander\Source\LE129\129\LotExpander.cs:line 116
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.832 (QFE.050727-8300)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
LotExpander
Assembly Version: 1.2.9.0
Win32 Version: 1.2.9.0
CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/LotExpander/LotExpander.exe
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.832 (QFE.050727-8300)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.832 (QFE.050727-8300)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.832 (QFE.050727-8300)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.832 (QFE.050727-8300)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.832 (QFE.050727-8300)
CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------
simpe.package
Assembly Version: 1.0.2676.19318
Win32 Version: 1.0.2676.19318
CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/LotExpander/simpe.package.DLL
----------------------------------------
simpe.interfaces
Assembly Version: 1.0.2676.19317
Win32 Version: 1.0.2676.19317
CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/LotExpander/simpe.interfaces.DLL
----------------------------------------
simpe.helper
Assembly Version: 0.62.1.100
Win32 Version: 0.62.1.100
CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/LotExpander/simpe.helper.DLL
----------------------------------------
simpe.clst
Assembly Version: 1.0.2676.19317
Win32 Version: 1.0.2676.19317
CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/LotExpander/simpe.clst.DLL
----------------------------------------
simpe.commonhandler
Assembly Version: 1.0.2676.19317
Win32 Version: 1.0.2676.19317
CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/LotExpander/simpe.commonhandler.DLL
----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuration>
<system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.

My english is not so good, so I don't understand what I must do now.
Can someone help me pls?

It looks like the LotExpander is having problems reading the catalog description in one of your neighborhood files. Let me look into this a bit and see whether I can figure out what the problem might be. Can you tell me which operating system you're running (Window XP, Vista 32, Vista 64, ...?), which EPs / SPs you have installed, and which language version of the Sims 2 you are running?