@SimGuruModSquad : Thanks

You are very welcome!

It wasn't all me: The document contains contributions from 3 programmers and a designer, plus we had a senior producer who helped fast track it out to you guys. We were all really excited to work on it and are looking forward to seeing what you can do with the game.

P.s.: I closed the sticky thread so that it didn't turn into an uber discussion about everything in the doc, it's more manageable for people to post specific new discussions topics, like this one.

As far as I know, you'll need to wait for somebody in the community to write a tool to modify the SimData files, because the .bt files only are useful for understanding the structure of them. For now you can use velocitygrass's data file tool (I'd post a link, but I'm new here, so http:__modthesims.info_showthread.php?t=531876 will have to do.) to keep the files in sync manually; in the future, I'll have a tool that converts the XML files into data files. Watch this space for details :smiley:

I concur, it is very nice that you are willing to go to the trouble and make documentation that is straightforward and helpful.

I might have to take my thanks back.

You create two files, a trait file and buff file, but then say:
--> 'That’s it for part one! We only had to create four files (two XML, two simdata), but with those two files,'

This is very confusing. I'm assuming that 2 xml files are created, then the data files are generated for these xml files.

How do we generate the simdata files? Or are you allowed to help us with that?
Is the simdata template bt just for seeing the structure of a simdata file, or can it be used to convert an xml file to a simdata file? It looks like it has some routines in it... I haven't tried pulling it into Visual Studio.

'Be aware that buffs need companion binary simdata files as well, so create one for our XML file.'

The documentation states the same for the trait xml file. I'm looking at the 010 Editor and I don't see a process for creating a data file from an xml file. Any suggestions?

Is the xml file's purpose just to create a data file? I don't see the xml files in the sample package. So wouldn't it be easier to take an existing trait data file, put it in the 010 Editor, run the bt file on it, make the necessary changes, make sure it has a new hash and save it?