Despite having never yet used the original Macrotastics (it's on my list of mods to get now that TS2 is 'complete' and I don't need to worry about having to redownload all mods with each new EP), I find myself craving a "Macro.. Collect" option.  Zooming in far enough to click on each thing is so bloody tedious, especially since you can still only stack eight actions at once.

Either it doesn't save them, or my neighbourhood is incredibly boring. :-p 

I did - when putting in the new test version of SimSheet this time I simply deleted the entire contents of the previous folder before installing, to start afresh - therefore, brand new list.  It might be (and probably is) a coincidence, but so far it's being a very consistent coincidence for me. 

Yes, before - I'm useless and keep forgetting to do so, and even if it doesn't always end in a hang, it does take an *awful* lot of time to load a long list if I haven't checked the settings in advance.  And if I manage to be stupid enough to import a long list without having first selected EP's, applying the EP's afterwards takes several seconds per EP.  If you can figure out a config file for it, that would be appreciated.   



I knew it was something and .jpg, anyway! 

Inge, not sure if that was directed at me or rufio - in short, SimSheet gives me a choice to look for .jpg or .gif, but the SimPE output is in .png files.  I can see these as thumbnails and using image preview when I'm browsing through the files on my computer, but opening them in Paint Shop Pro doesn't work, I merely get an error message.  Ordinarily with corrupt/incorrectly saved files, I have the opposite problem - Windows won't preview it but PSP will quite often manage to open it.

That said, I just remembered I've got The GIMP on this computer and, having tried it, that will open them.  So maybe it is just my copy of PSP, who knows, or a problem with PSP in general? 8/ 

Side questions, that I've possibly missed the answer to:

a) any chance of giving us an option to save our settings in this version or the next?
b) when I go to try to add images, it still only allows me to look for .bmp and .jpg (I think), and the pulled images are in .png.  Is there a way to change that so it'll either allow .png as well, or allow looking for *any* file type? (I'm still getting a "This is not a valid .png file" error when trying to open them in PSP.)
c) extracting Sims from SimPE is giving me numbers as the LTW's, which I know was mentioned before.  Is there already a list somewhere of which numbers correspond to which, or does it still need finding out?  Nevermind, just went back and reread the relevant post.

*whimper*  Redownloaded, and although the first dialog doesn't show, it seems to not be calling SimPE at all now - the cmd.exe window flashes up briefly and goes away before I can even attempt to read it (it *looks* like it has a file path in it but I'm not sure) and then I get the message about checking I have the correct SimPE version.  I'm off to bed now (anything I try and do to test will just result in stupidity at the moment because I'm exhausted), but in the morning I'll try to remember to give it a shot by moving it into a different folder or anything else anyone can think of.  This was with the 'regular' version, btw, not debug, since it looks like that file wasn't changed - at least, when I went to unzip it, WinRAR reported identical file sizes and modify dates. 

Okay, running it through with the quotemarks now and so far it seems to be working.  Possibly this is the problem in the program itself as well, the existence of the spaces in the output path?  I have to head for work now but I'll try moving SimSheet to a space-less path either when I get back or tomorrow if the solution hasn't already been found.  Using the debug version of SimSheet, when I told it to import, it brought up:

"C:\Documents and Settings\Coral\My Documents\EA Games\SimPE-test\SimPE-test\SimPE.exe" -rufio -hood N001 -out C:\Documents and Settings\Coral\My Documents\EA Games\SimSheet-debug

...with no quote marks.  So is it just a case of forcing SimSheet to include quotes around the output path?

Firstly, the target precisely as formatted in the shortcut properties, just in case I've made an error somewhere like not using " when I should or vice versa:

"C:\Documents and Settings\Coral\My Documents\EA Games\SimPE-test\SimPE-test\SimPe.exe" -rufio -out C:\Documents and Settings\Coral\My Documents\EA Games\SimSheet-debug -hood N001

Your first suggestion, Inge, with it outputting into the Sims 2 folder, worked fine.  Once I added the specific path and narrowed down the neighbourhood, I got the first message again (the -rufio -out {outpath} etc... one), but not the one about it being an incorrect version of SimPE.  As well as the version above, I tried using:

"C:\Documents and Settings\Coral\My Documents\EA Games\SimPE-test\SimPE-test\SimPe.exe" -rufio -out C:\Documents and Settings\Coral\My Documents\EA Games\SimSheet

"C:\Documents and Settings\Coral\My Documents\EA Games\SimPE-test\SimPE-test\SimPe.exe" -rufio -out C:\Documents and Settings\Coral\My Documents\EA Games\SimSheet\ -hood N001

"C:\Documents and Settings\Coral\My Documents\EA Games\SimPE-test\SimPE-test\SimPe.exe" -rufio -out C:\SimSheet -hood N001

..and various other similar combinations. 

I manually moved the list generated following Inge's first suggestion, by cutting and pasting it into the SimSheet folder.  Once I'd done that, I tried to create a list by telling it to use the previously generated data, and it picked up the list alright in the SimSheet folder.  So from what I can tell, the problem is that for some reason, SimPE is not creating the output into the SimSheet folder and is giving the first dialog instead.  SimSheet then presumably looks for the exported sims list, can't find it, and gives out the message about not having a current version of SimPE. 

All I'm doing is going in, setting up the settings, then going into Manage Sim Lists.  When I click on import it does the first bit correctly, then once SimPE seems to have done its bit, instead of saying it's generated a list of however many Sims, it instead gives me the "-rufio -out {outpath} {hood hood} {group group}" dialog.  Only option is "OK".  Clicking that then generates the "Cannot find output file.  Check that you are using the AL version of SimPE" error message.  Using the debug version, once I tell it to import it brings up a dialog that says: "C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\My Documents\EA Games\SimPE-test\SimPE-test\SimPE.exe" -rufio -hood N001 -out C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\My Documents\EA Games\SimSheet-debug, which is the path of SimPE and SimSheet, then runs through the SimPE step before giving me the two error messages again.  The list of exported Sims is not generated in the SimSheet folder, the TS2 folder, or anywhere else I can find on the computer. 

I've downloaded the debug version and when I click on import Sims, it brings this up:

"C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\My Documents\EA Games\SimPE-test\SimPE-test\SimPE.exe" -rufio -hood N001 -out C:\Documents and Settings\(username)\My Documents\EA Games\SimSheet-debug

The paths are both correct.  Once I click on OK, everything proceeds exactly as it did on the previous attempt; SimPE runs through its bit, then I get exactly the same messages as before.

I'm probably doing something very simple wrong here, but having downloaded the newest version, whenever I try to import sims, this is what I get after SimPE has run through its bit:



Clicking OK then brings up a message saying "Cannot find output file.  Check that you are using the AL version of SimPE" or words to that effect.  I see in the changelog that the output is now supposed to be going to the SimSheet folder, but it's not there - I went and checked the rufio folder in the main Sims folder that had been created previously, but it hadn't put it there either, it's still got the previous modified date on it.  I ran a search for "exportedsims.txt" on the whole computer just in case it had squirreled it away somewhere bizarre, but it only returned the afore-mentioned one in The Sims 2\Rufio folder.

ETA: Inge, the incredibly long loading time (which was with a hood of over 1,200 Sims) was only in a previous version - new versions have sped it up considerably, to the point where it only takes a few minutes to import a list that size for me now, compared to the hours it was taking before.  I don't know how much difference what you're discussing would make to that, though. 

And for the ones with posts on the boards, they are marked with the Hack Rating System so you can see if they're critical or not.

I can't remember if I've ever had more than one outing offered at a time, although while I was playing yesterday I had one household which had four offers of dates/outings in a row (all turned down, though!).  I normally only accept suggested outings for popularity/romance Sims who need to meet people or who are always rolling wants to socialise.. I use self-organised outings for Sims who need to up their relationship with several people, especially if it's a large household because it means I don't need to worry about the other Sims while I'm at it!  I'll occasionally get the highest outcome (Rockin'?), but as long as it's a positive end I'm not really too fussed.

I'll try to have to a look at it tomorrow.  The one that was working that I sent you was imported from SimPE at a later date than the others so perhaps it was simply a glitch with a few imports?  I'm pretty much reimporting on a regular basis and discarding old ones since I'm using it for testing at the moment, rather than 'proper' maintaining.

I'll drop you a couple in an email shortly. 

Opening from the Manage Sims List dialog.  I've only ever used the 0.5 version for saving and opening, the files open fine with the EP's set, and when I do so there are Households listed under the Household tabs, a quick sampling of which seems to be accurate.  It will open a small list fine without settings, just not a large one.  Bearing in mind I don't really know how it's programmed, would the existence of large numbers of EP-specific Sims (ie, pets, plantsims, servos, etc) have any effect or not? 

Okay, tried again with three different length of lists: one of all 1210 Sims, one of 400~ playables and one of 20 playables.  The first two wouldn't load even after being left for several minutes (with the expansions checked, the longest list loads in about 30 seconds when I time it).  The list of 20 sims will load, and the settings are imported with it.  Either it is hanging on trying to change the settings, or it will take an obscenely long time to load the settings for large lists; either way it would seem that the simplest way to minimise the problem for most is making the EP options stick, unless you can find a way to bring the option-loading time down.  It might be relevant to note that a couple of days ago I forgot to check the EP's before I imported a large list of Sims.  When I went into settings to do it manually, it took about thirty seconds (towards the end I was timing them) to apply each EP before the program would let me check the next box. 

Inge, if that was directed at me, I wasn't aware that it could be set in SimPE - however, having gone in and looked where you suggested, those boxes are correctly ticked for the expansions I have.  The settings option on SimSheet, however, always comes up with the expansions unchecked when I open the program.  I cannot recall if initially it would load a list regardless of whether or not the expansions were correctly set to match with the saved list, but whether or not it was, it doesn't seem to be now. 

Is there any way you can make the expansion pack settings stick (even if the default behaviour is to clear the settings each time you load the program, it would useful to have a 'save these settings' button as an option if it can be done)?  I'm not 100% positive, but having created a new list of all playables/townies/NPC's, it seems that if I try to load it without the correct EP's checked, it hangs.  If I remember to check them before loading, it loads okay.  I tried the same with a slightly smaller sample (playables only, about 440 sims) and got the same results: if I remember to check the expansions before loading, the list opens in a few seconds.  If I don't, it doesn't load.  I know the Any Game Starter is out there to allow different EP's, but I expect the vast majority of people use the same EP's for all their hoods. 

On the dialog where you choose which Sims to import, would it be possible to give an option to *deselect* all townies/NPCs/playables as well as the select all option?  Or even just a "clear all selected Sims" if breaking it down by group isn't possible?   

..and yeah, that is *much* quicker now.  *blink blink!*

Alright, I understand now - I thought you meant an already existing and loaded list rather than the one it was compiling at the time.  Beyond as an experiment to test it, I won't usually be loading all townies and NPC's normally, although now I've actually *done* it, it has been quite interesting to scroll through and be able to see at a glance which townies are at which life stages. 

I was importing with an empty Sim list (ie, no previous saves loaded), so that shouldn't have been an issue this time if I understand you correctly. 


Starting the filter again. 

In what sense?  The whole process runs through as normal, it just takes an exceedingly long time, getting noticably slower as time goes by.  When it comes to the actual data, as far as I can tell at a quick glance of 1210 sims, no-one is missing or has any obvious inaccuracies.  In the rufio folder there is a 403kb exportedsims.txt file.  920 files are in the SimImage folder; there are no potatoheads so I'm assuming those account for the 'missing' pictures given that I imported every single sim, including NPC's and townies.  I didn't get very far with actually looking at the data; I did notice one Sim's father and son weren't showing in the family ties (and as a result, none of her grandchildren or other relatives by her son's marriage, either) - but she was created, and died, in the days of the basegame, and I know the lot that she died on had some problems with buggy graves in the dim and very distant past, so I put it down to that.  No one else who I've looked at yet appears to have missing relatives (again, bearing in mind I've not comprehensively gone through everyone).

Shop 'til you drop taken a bit too literally, perhaps?

Well, I finally did try to list the whole neighbourhood, and it's looking as though I should have taken my own advice and gone out - I think I started around 1:30 and it's nearly 5 now!  Apparently I'm down to the last 120 or so sims.  It looks like the further down the list it gets, the longer it takes to process each sim - when I first set it off, it was taking about a second between each one, then at about the 600 mark it was taking about fifteen seconds for the counter to move up one, and now it's taking about 25 seconds.  I don't know if this is related to the way the search is done, or if it's a problem elsewhere (or a problem on my computer). 

ETA: Well, it finally got done.  And, uh, trying to filter the Sims crashed it.