Here comes the next release:

Update 2016-02-19: 0.4.3 has moved on to release status; features haven't changed since beta though (apart from some small additional fixes)

Update 2016-03-11: 0.4.4-beta is out now as well, contains some of the fixes mentioned below. Get it here.







Download: https://github.com/s4ptacle/Sims4To...g/0.4.3-release

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Bug reports / Feedback / Questions can go in this thread (preferred, because all of the current contributors are here more often), or in https://github.com/s4ptacle/Sims4Tools/issues.



Known Issues

• Build procedure does not (always) copy tagtuning and extensions.txt like it should -- seems fixed; I haven't had this in a while (pbox)
• MODL: Fade flags are not editable (old issue inherited from one of the 0.3 versions, used to work before that)
• STLK won't read from fb0 (is working for current version though)
• Deleted _KEY in SimulationDB0 can't be read/saved (post #17/DarkWalker)
• Editing text resources in external editor (via the menu item in Resource menu): Sometimes the preview won't update on-screen unless you reopen the resource (Inge)
• The Do Not Parse tickbox does not seem to toggle properly when a GEOM resource is selected (pbox)

To Do / Wishlist

• Remove "Prompt for dbc autosaving" menu item? (post #19)
• Check how feasible it would be to port the whole thing to mono (Buzz, ella?)
• Add XML export/import ability? (for non-XML resource types)
• Finish up the DATA wrapper (Inge)
• OBJD (possibly others): can we add the ability to add fields when an object does not have them, like Tuning/TuningID?
• List existing tools that use s4pi in the readme or wherever (pbox)
  • TS4CASTools (Cmar) -- http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=532867
  • Skininator (Cmar) -- http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=568474
  • Mod Constructor (Zerbu) -- http://zerbu.tumblr.com/post/137431...onstructor-beta
  • TS4Package Searcher (Cmar) -- upcoming
  • Caster (Zerbu) -- is/was based on s3pi, is it still supported?
  • DP STBL Editor -- http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=564576 -- is an actual derivative too, not just "inspired by"
• Batch Export As PNG option (for THUM)
• Doublecheck the COBJ update for 1.15 -- one of these fields is a count, and I don't think we saw anything where it wasn't zero so we don't account for that atm. They've updated the template: http://cd8ba0b44a15c10065fd-24461f3...dcad6d0659f.zip

Done (available in 0.4.4-beta)

• STBL: length info corrected for non-ASCII strings (which for the game did not matter but caused DP's STBL editor to complain and fall over (see this post)
• STBL: Fixed byte count (length info) not correctly increasing/decreasing when adding strings with Copy (not Add), or Delete
• Inline help added -- see this thread: s4pe Inline Help -- WIP/Feedback
• More meaningful error message (including package name) when package import fails
• SIMO: Updated for EP02 (Cmar) https://github.com/s4ptacle/Sims4To...2529a8673bc8d33

@MonoChaos -- can you check whether you're still seeing PNG export issues with this version?

Moved on to release status (finally! =).

How do you mean "compress" .. can you be more specific as to what you are doing exactly? That message appears to be about importing .. ?

If it says "could not find a resource handler" in the error message it means you didn't unzip s4pe the right way. You must use 7zip

Ah yes, that, too .. =P

And I think the enquirer probably means "merge"

Sorry it took so long to notice the message. I downloaded the new version and checked the png export on a sim thumbnail and it works beautifully as long as I use the export to png option. The export to file now makes an icky png the looks the same as the icky jpegs.

Yes, "Export to File" is different from the separate "Export to PNG" option -- "To File" simply dumps the resource as-is, and since the Maxis thumbnails aren't quite PNGs (they are similar but the alpha channel works differently), they will look weird in Explorer or an image editor then .. those expect an actual proper PNG, which currently only the "Export to PNG" option will create (that is why it exists).

If you're interested in testing, I can post an experimental version that changes the "Export to File" option so that it works like the PNG export helper -- works fine for PNG, but it could use a bit more testing since it changes the generic export option (for all resources, not just thumbnails).

What would be the point in that? Export to file is *meant* to keep the resource raw in case you wish to edit it in a hex editor or import it to another package or something.

You woudln't often edit a PNG in a hex editor

The main use of that would be the batch export, which the helper does not handle (and I don't think it is meant to, or is it?). Thumbnails in particular typically come in bundles of four, and selecting them all and exporting > To File (all at once) seems more convenient than exporting them one by one.

Importing to another package works the same anyway, no matter how you exported.

Well I am against changing how that basic export to file works and has always been understood for 6 years or so. Why not make a seperate option then?

The default export for stuff *other than* images isn't meant to change. That is exactly what could use some testing.

Separate option, you mean something like "Batch Export to PNG" in addition to "Export to File" which produces PNG with a weird alpha? I dunno, I find that a bit redundant since there is no real use for the PNG-with-weird-alpha.

If we can't export the raw file, how can any further research or analysis be done on it? s4pe is the only tool that offers non-judgemental or raw file manipulation and I don't think that should be lost, for any resource type.

I can see that point. Yeah maybe having it in a separate option could solve that -- maybe we can also come up with a more specific name for "Export to File" (like "Export raw file" or something .. only that "RAW" already has a different meaning for images) so that users can tell that there is a difference.

(Then again, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_image_format isn't very well defined after all so maybe that would just work?)

Export to Resource File? (might make it clear it will be native sim format)

The current SimulationDeltaBuild0.package has a deleted _KEY resource; S4PE seems to be trying to read it, and in so doing is attempting to read past the end of the package file, throwing an error. It still mostly works fine despite the error, "mostly" being because I can't merge that package without first editing it to remove the problem resource.

Regarding cross-platform compatibility, Kuree says here https://github.com/Kuree/Sims4Tools/issues/39 "Most of S4PE/S4PI components are managed and should be easily ported to Mono for Mac/Linux."

I have no idea of course whether he ever did anything to implement / follow up with that.

Can the "Prompt for dbc autosaving" menu item be removed actually? Inge tells me this is a remainder of TS3; I'm not aware any dbc packages exist for TS4 ..

PNG export (type 0x3C2A8647, object thumbnail):

When attempting to export a THUM that was generated by TSRW I get the following:



Exporting the same type of thumbnail from localthumbscache (e.g. 0x3C2A8647-0x6B2C05E2-0xE2CD59D4F6B2C05E) works fine in both versions.

TLDR: I dunno what TSRW are doing there; -- Ah I think I see what's happening .. what they put in there might be regular PNGs; not the EA-type special flavour of PNG -- export to File works fine with these (they do not have alphas).

Should we do something to accomodate this?

Interim version for debugging: this throws more useful errors when encountering a resource it can't deal with. Prompted by the report in this post (package importing).

Attachment removed; this is available in 0.4.4-beta (see above)

I am updated to the 0.4.4-beta and I still get this error whenever I try to edit a STBL.
Also the recieved the same error when I ran STBLResourceEditor.exe
And yes, I use 7zip.

STBLResourceEditor, Version=1310.20.1749.21255, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null
== START ==
Source: mscorlib
Assembly: mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089
Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor)

at System.Reflection.RuntimeConstructorInfo.Invoke(BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)

at System.Reflection.ConstructorInfo.Invoke(Object[] parameters)

at s4pi.Helpers.RunHelper.Run(Type mainForm, String[] args)
-----
Source: mscorlib
Assembly: mscorlib, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089
Entry point was not found.
at System.Collections.Generic.IDictionary`2.get_Keys()

at s3pi_STBL_Resource_Editor.MainForm.loadStbl(Stream data)

at s3pi_STBL_Resource_Editor.MainForm..ctor(Stream ms)
-----
== END ==

Hey guys, resource type 0x73CB32C2 is XML, it's an audio effect file. I modified those for my Higher Stereo Volumes mod that I'll later update for DJ booths as well. Currently S4PE just shows as Unknown.

Got the same problems than Sleepy-Genius with STBL Resources. Got back to Kuree S4PE version : it works better for what I need.