Strangetown Extras: Llama Dance Party

[strangetomato]

I spent some time tonight testing out some ideas for a photo shoot of Llama Dance Party to make some band posters, but then I realize that I can't really do anything the way I used to without InSIM. It's a lot worse than I thought it would be. I really depend on the ability to make sims selectable when setting up my shots. How else am I going to move everyone around? I can teleport a sim in, but then I can't control them. I can't tell them to practice the instrument instead of perform. I can't even tell them which instrument to play. I can't select another sim, so there isn't a plumpbob in my shot. *sigh*

I see now that it's going to be impossible for me to get my next update out unless I have InSIM. I'm either going to have to wait for it to be updated or risk using the current version with Free Time. I've heard many people say that using the object version with FT is no problem. Is there really nothing to worry about?

These photos really aren't what they could be. I was working around a lot of issues to get them. Well, the photos are fine, since closely cropped shots weren't such an issue, but I wanted one of the whole band, and it wasn't really possible.

I also noticed a jumping glitch, where the girls just snapped off the game table, and I could no longer click on it. I guess I'll have to remove all of my downloads to try to figure out what's going wrong. *sigh*

I'm feeling a little bummed out about this right now.

Comments

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

Oh. I'd read that the jumping bug has returned with FT, and I figure that's the reason I'm having jump issues in game. So it's most likely an EA glitch first, hack issue second. Unless you have a ton of hacks....

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh, okay. I didn't know that. I don't really have that many hacks, so many it is a glitch. I suppose I should have looked into the list of known glitches. I knew that there wasn't anything really serious to look out for, but it's nice to know these things. The jumping glitch is pretty annoying. I've never experienced it before.

[hidden-kitten.livejournal.com]

boolProp testingcheatsenabled true
shift+click on a sim...MAKE SELECTABLE
That should help you in the meantime. And yes, the jump bug came back with FT, also with command-dropping. Patch will hopefully be out before 2011.

[redqueenofevil.livejournal.com]

Patch will hopefully be out before 2011.

I laughed at this comment.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

That's the cheat code I always used, before I got InSim. In some ways, this is easier -- no chess board to integrate or hide, and only one right click to make your sim selectable.

Love the pics!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

With InSIM, I only had to click on the sim and make selectable was an option that appeared. I didn't need to use the chess board. It wasn't like that for you?

Thanks. I need to search through all of the game objects to find more llama items to use as props. I love llamas.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have the object version. You buy the objects (under Electronics) and stick them on a lot, then you click on them and get extensive pie menus. It's really handy. I forgot you have a different version.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I'm half asleep here (since it's well past my bed time). I meant to say that I do use the object version, like you do, but I have an option to "make selectable" when I click on the sims too. I was wondering if you had that too.

I like the object version. It keeps everything in neat categories.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

I'll have to try that! Thanks!

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

There are some llama downloads on MTS2, including a stuffed toy (that actually looks rather creepy). You could do your own llama posters and paintings, too!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I've seen those llama downloads at MTS2, but most of them are too realistic looking (and that doll really does look creepy, though that might be funny).

I really should make some of my own llama posters and paintings. I would make good use of llama stuff in the game. There's even a llama or two on a farm not that far from where I live (it's an alpaca farm, but they have a couple of llamas). I could take some reference photos. Actually, I'm sure I already have a number of them somewhere.

[pixelcurious.livejournal.com]

Llamas are so cute. ^_^ Alpacas, too.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

They are. Cute in an ugly sort of way. They have scary teeth, but they have such long pretty eyelashes. ^_^

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I keep forgetting that testingcheats does many of the same things that InSIM does. Thanks for the reminder!

Oh, and give them some credit. They'll get the patch out by 2010. *snicker* Yeah, I have some command dropping happening too. It's annoying.

[vega-pleiades.livejournal.com]

I would risk using InSim - Object mods tend to be a lot safer to use out-of-update than global mods.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I keep hearing that. I'm such a wuss about things like that, though. If I can't find a solution, I'll probably give it a try.

[simgarooop.livejournal.com]

I've got the perfect solution for the "make selectable" issue. I also depended on Insim to take that kind of pictures.

Simlogical's Teleporter (the one that looks like a cat statue) lets you teleport, make selectable and clear off ANY sim in your neighborhood. It's the most amazing hack for taking group shots ^^. I was able to re-create a Grunt family reunion for my story with it just today.

http://simlogical.com/sl/Sims2Pages/Sims2_Teleporters.htm
(It's the first one).

And if you want to get rid of the plumbbob, you need this cheat:

plumbbobtoggle on/off

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! I missed that one when I was downloading a teleporter. That just proves that you should always read through all of the information before you make a decision. How could I miss that?

I didn't realize I could toggle the plumbbob with a cheat. Sometimes I'm amazed at how little I really know about this game.

A Grunt family reunion? That, as they say, is relevant to my interests. :D

[madame-ugly.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone beat me to the teleporter thing.

That's the one I plan to use if/when I get around to FT (hearing about this jump bug thing makes me leering, this is the first I'm hearing of that issue).

Just get a pet on each lot. I use the pets to hide plumbobs all the time!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I got the link to the teleporter from you, but I was hasty and picked the wrong one, missing the information about selectable features. Pretty silly of me.

The jump bug scared me a little. I've only seen it happen with that Llama game table so far. I've been playing on the J/R/O lot quite a bit and haven't notice anything weird. (Then again, it's hard to see anything through all the heart clouds launching forth in that place.)

I use pets like that too, where I can, but it's inconvenient for everyone to have a pet if it's not supposed to be there in the story, and it doesn't help for community lots photos. Also, there are no pets allowed on campus, so this doesn't help me in these situations.

[xel-squirgle-ox.livejournal.com]

I cannot live without the make selectable boolprop code! It's basically all I use when doing my photoshoots to make the sims do what I want. You should try that.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I completely forgot that the boolprop testingcheats did a lot of the same things that InSIM does. I only ever use it to force abductions. Thanks for the tip.

[xel-squirgle-ox.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! :)
Hehe, I never actually forced an abduction before. Sounds like fun though!

[orikes13.livejournal.com]

I know you're reluctant to try it, but the OBJ version does work in FT. :)

Alternatively, you can use 'boolprop testingcheatsenabled true' and right click on a sim and make them selectable. I used to do that before I started using InSim. It's easier with InSim, but doable without.

I know I've gotten to the point where I do all my big plotty scenes with Freewill off. It makes it so much easier to set one sims actions/animation and then move to the next one and not worry about them suddenly snapping out of it and wandering off to mess up your next shot.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

If I can't find suitable replacements (and nothing really replaces InSIM completely), my need will outweigh my fear, and I'll definitely but the object version back in. That's the version I use anyway.

I completely forgot that I could use that cheat. I guess I'm back in business, one way or another. That's a relief. I was really enjoying Free Time, so I'm glad this doesn't take away from the experience. I'm liking Bon Voyage too. I just gave Johnny, Ripp, and Ophelia a hammock for their garden, and got some cute photos. I'll probably post those tomorrow. Ripp never stops playing in the hammock... not that I'm surprised by that.

I turn freewill off for scenes like that too, but with crowds, they still move if they aren't selectable, so it gets tricky. An added bonus of having freewill off is that you get to see those fun idle animations.

[orikes13.livejournal.com]

Bon Voyage provides some amazing stuff for photo opportunities. Even if I never send another sim on vacation, I'll have gotten my money's worth out of it.

I think I've had up to 15 sims selectable on the same lot for a couple of my scenes. That was a definitely a bit nerve wracking.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Thee are a lot of things I really like about Bon Voyage. I love the beachfront lots and the ability to swim in the ocean. I can make a neighbourhood that actually resembles where I live now (well, not so much the swimming in the ocean part - it's too cold here).

I've probably had about that many sims selectable at some point too. I had to select a lot of characters to set up the party at the sorority, and any scene in a coffee shop requires me to select townies and force them to move and sit down. Those sims just love to swarm around the barista.

[swhedonberry.livejournal.com]

I've got the jump bug issue, too. Grrr Arrgh.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's very annoying, isn't it? I had to set up that Don't Wake the Llama game so many times to get that shot.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

I see you've already been reminded about boolprop testingcheats to make sims selectable. I use it all the time. In fact, I play with testingcheats running all the time (I have it as a userstartup.cheat file in my config folder, along with the 45 degree angle cheat)

I even enabled SUPER BOOLPROP (otherwise known as ALLMENUS ON)

http://www.jd-movies.com/allmenus.php

as directed by Jaydee on her website. Oh man... was it EVER wild! Picture it... all interactions available on everything and everyone to everyone all the time. Even some that Maxis hadn't enabled! Playing on the fridge, looking out the windows, take a sponge bath, kick the trashcan, send a text message (!!) all the socials... all the time. The pie menus when you'd click on something were enormous, lol! Which is why I undid it. It wasn't a mod that you put in the d/l folder... you actually have to go into your game's core files and change a line of code. SCARY! But I can see how it would be worth it for moviemakers! And I can do it so it can't be that hard, lol.

And I think your pictures were wonderful! Don't get upset about installing the new EP's! And the Insim OBJ edition for Bon Voyage really does work with Free Time! For true! I've been using it and pushing it to its limits, lol... with no troubles at all. :D

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I was interested in that allmenus on cheat, when I was trying to figure out how to get Ripp to tuck Ophelia in, but I ended up being too nervous to try it, so I used InSIM instead. I'll give you a prize if you figure out how I did it (hint: there was very likely an easier way to do it, but I didn't come across one). Allmenus is tempting. I'd love to be able to get sims to stuff face whenever I want them too.

Thanks. They turned out okay, but it was like trying to squeeze blood out of an orange (and no, not a blood orange). I may add the BV InSIM too, if I'm not happy with things once I add the transporter statue.

[cindyanne1.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... Well, I would say to use Insim to do that, you would need to make Ophelia a child? Then have him tuck her in, and then at the last minute age her up? I'm not sure if that would work but it was the first thing that came to mind.

If I was doing it for a scene I would have added a child to the family via the tombstone of L&D, cheated up the relationship between the child and Ripp enough to allow the tuck in interaction, put the kid to bed, had Ripp tuck him in, then used moveobjects. Then quit without saving because adding a child to a Uni family might cause the game to explode, lol... if it can even be done...

Allmenus was fun, but like I said when you clicked on something you got pages of interactions. Like the mirror! Oh geez! The interactions to change the appearance of a toddler and a pet were there, even if there are no toddlers or pets in the family. Gah!

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

The second guess is closer. I did "add" a child to the family, but I didn't have to use InSIM to get Ripp to tuck the child in. ;) Then I did exactly what you said about moving him with moveobjects and snapojectstogrid. I didn't save after this little experiment, of course, but I know that you can have a child in uni, at least temporarily, like I did.

Wow. It must have been confusing to have so many menus pop up from every object.

[melody-curious.livejournal.com]

I did take Insim out when I got FT, but not being able to do certain things I was use to doing, just plain drove me mad... So I put it back in.

The only thing I've ever found that happens with an out-of-date Insim (No idea if this happens with others or just me....would be my luck!) Is that some of the objects spawn on their own and appear round the lot. IE: The plumb bob to alter motives will be sitting in the corner, where you "know" you didn't put it.... The clothes buyer is next to the bed and so forth.

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

I've heard about that random spawning of InSIM objects, and that's one of the things that worries me about it. It seems like a sign that Very Bad Things may be happening, and you just can't see them.

If someone could explain why the object version if safe, while the global version is not, I think I'd feel better. More than just "it works"... I need to know why it works before I will feel safe using it.

[80sfiend.livejournal.com]

I love the llama pictures behind the band. SO CUTE.

About not having Insim, this is why I'm waiting (even though I'm DYING TO) to install FT until it's updated. I'm not sure I'll be able to wait...but I really really do need to use Insim. I use it for everything. o.O

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Llama artwork and items are so much fun. I love that the sim world has the llama as its official animal. What's cooler than llamas? I wish there were more of those things.

I'm like that with InSIM too, but madame_ugly did the research into what other tools and hacks would take its place while we're waiting for InSIM to update. They seem to cover most of the things that InSIM does, but definitely not all.

[smjoshsims.livejournal.com]

I am bummed as well. I haven't noticed anything wrong with FT yet, *knocks on wood*.

I am also waiting for InSim to update, I can't wait. :\

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Well that's good. I hope you don't experience the jumping glitch at all. It's quite frustrating.

InSIM will update any day now. I just know it... *crosses fingers*

[saunasims.livejournal.com]

Join the light side of snapshot takings, miss strange! Seriously, Snagit. Snagit snagit snagit. :D
There's even a tutorial on how to use Snagit best with the game:
http://jennthesimmergirl.com/jtsg.php?pg=tips&n=25
Unfortunately I've heard it's pay. But. Ack, hang on, my pegleg's acting up. :P

[strange-tomato.livejournal.com]

Oooh, that does look promising. Thanks for the tip. :)