TS2GridAdjuster V1.2.3 - Change Grid Elevations (Updated June 5, 2010)

TS2GridAdjuster Version 1.2.3:

New pattern: (no-slope) Basement. See the Release History for a full list of changes.

Description:
The TS2GridAdjuster will allow you to adjust grid elevations on a Sims 2 lot, similar to what you can do with the "constrainFloorElevation" cheat.

It will easily allow you to create negative elevations, to create "real" basements (with no slope), to create walls which are less than 4 clicks high, and to create floors which cross over each other.

At this time, there are only four patterns available: flat, sloped, curved, and (no-slope) basement. Future versions may have hyperbolic paraboloids, similar to my Soaring Starter, and elliptic paraboloids (cones). I am open to adding other patterns, as time permits.

The TS2GridAdjuster will also allow you to adjust elevations relative to the current lot grid, so that consecutive changes can be added on to each other, creating more fanciful patterns.

I used an earlier version of this program to create many of the modern rooflines for my Fledgling Flat starter lots.

Installation:
To install, just download TS2GridAdjuster.zip and unzip it. Run the EXE from the unzipped location.

This is "alpha" software and is still in development; it is not guaranteed to work and may corrupt your neighborhoods. Be sure to backup your game before using this tool.

I have included the source code for version 1.2 in TS2GridAdjusterSource.zip. There is no need to download this file unless you are a C# programmer who wishes to look at or modify the code.

I left the previous version (PreviousTS2GridAdjuster.zip) available, in case there are any unforseen problems. There is no need to download this file.

Requirements:
- The program uses some DLLs from SimPE; they are included in the zip file.
- TS2GridAdjuster is released under the GNU General Public License.
- You need the Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 to run TS2GridAdjuster:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/down...s.aspx?id=20137

Running under OS/X:
Please read this thread for information about running TS2GridAdjuster under OS/X:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=366580

Instructions:

1) Backup your game files.

2) Run TS2GridAdjuster.EXE. Click on Start.

3) Select the neighborhood and lot, or choose a lot from the LotCatalog. If your neighborhood is not in the standard location, use the Browse button to select the neighborhood. See Numenor's comment for instructions on accessing AnyGameStarter neighborhoods:
http://www.modthesims2.com/download...683#post2168683

4) Choose the range of the lot that you want changed. Note that level -1 is the underground level used by the pool; level 0 is the ground. Every elevation within the range will be changed.

5) Choose the pattern (flat, sloped, curved, or basement) which you want to create on your lot.

6) Depending upon the pattern that you choose, you will be asked for additional information:

6.A) For a flat single-level grid, type in the elevation that you want. A standard wall is 16 clicks.

6.B) For a sloped single-level grid, type in the beginning and ending elevations.

6.C) For a curved single-level grid, you will need to specify four pieces of information:

- The Elevation of the axis (zero-point) of the sine wave. The default curve will first arch above this elevation, then dip below it. Changing this value shifts the entire curve vertically (up and down).

- The Amplitude, or maximum height of the curve above the axis. The curve will also dip by this amount below the axis. Changing this value stretches the curve vertically, similar to Stretch Vertical in Windows Paint. If the amplitude is too large, the curve will not be smooth.

- The Phase shift, as a number of tiles. Basically, this shifts the entire curve horizontally (back and forth).

- The Period is the number of tiles that will hold one cycle of the curve (ie, one hill and one valley). Changing this value stretches the curve horizontally, similar to Stretch Horizontal in Windows Paint. If the Period is too small or too large, then the curve will be flattened out.

6.D) For a single-level no-slope basement, type in the elevation that you want for the basement floor, normally somewhere between -14 and -10 clicks. The TS2GridAdjuster will handle everything for you, including fixing the ground and water levels, making the ground invisible so that you can see the basement underneath, and ensuring that your lot impostors are correct and that your lot will not destroy your neighborhood terrain.

To remove an existing no-slope basement made with the TS2GridAdjuster, check "Remove basement" and type in the new elevation that you want for the (previous) basement floor, normally somewhere between 4 and 16 clicks. The TS2GridAdjuster will handle everything for you, including fixing the ground and water levels and making the ground visible again.

Note: When creating or removing basements, you will likely want to adjust multiple levels at the same time.

Here is a tutorial on how to make a basement:
http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?p=3180894

6.E) TS2GridAdjuster will show you the direction of the pattern, based on the rotation of the lot. If you want the pattern to occur in a different direction, then choose a rotation value. Currently, the rotations are limited to 90, 180, and 270 degrees, but I hope to have a more general rotation available in a future version.

6.F) For multi-level grids, choose an additional elevation which will separate the various levels. Note that a standard TS2 wall is 16 clicks (3.0) high, so this is the default value.

6.G) If you want more precise control over elevations, uncheck the Clicks checkbox. This will allow you to enter elevations as floating point numbers. Note that a click is .1875 and a standard wall is 3.0.

7) If you want the new elevations to be added to the existing elevations on the lot, then check "Relative to current elevation".

8) Click on the Finish button.

9) Run the game, make a build change to the lot, and save to update the lot impostor, which is the picture of the lot within the neighborhood view.

10) Keep your backup until you are completely satisfied with the changes.

Known Issues:
A) TS2GridAdjuster has been tested with all EPs and SPs up to and including Mansion and Garden Stuff. It may not work with later EPs and SPs.

B) TS2GridAdjuster changes only the grid elevations. I recommend that you use this program with walls and floors only, since windows, doors, furniture, and other objects may not end up where you expect them to be. If you do find objects in the wrong place on the lot, they can sometimes (but not always) be fixed by picking them up and then letting them go again; at this point, they may "snap" to the appropriate place on the lot.

C) TS2GridAdjuster will not update anything on the lot except for the grid elevations. This means that it will not update the lot imposter. To update, you must run the game and make a build change to the lot, then save (Step 9 above). The adjustment is not complete without this step.

D) The TS2GridAdjuster will allow you to change the terrain (level = 0) at the very edge of your lot. This may create a "blue tear" between the lot and the neighborhood. If the lot edge is properly formed, you can fix this blue tear by picking up the lot in the neighborhood view and placing it down again; however, this will not fix edges which do not conform to TS2 rules. Be careful if you set a range which includes both level = 0 and the edges of the lot.

E) The TS2GridAdjuster will allow you to change the elevations of your road. The game prefers flat roads with an elevation of zero; therefore, changing road elevations may create problems with your road. By default, changes start 10 squares in from the front of the lot. Be careful if you set a range which includes both level = 0 and depth < 10.

F) The game prefers walls of 16 clicks for all livable spaces; otherwise, the room will not be weather proof. Usually, you can work around this problem by creating the livable space using standard walls, then adding non-standard-height walls to make the house more interesting.

G) I recommend the "Versioned backups" option for anyone who uses the "Restart" button. This will ensure that all intermediate backups of your lot are kept until you are certain that your changes are working as expected.

Release History:
http://www.modthesims2.com/download...599#post2171599

To-Do List:
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=328162

"Real" Basements:
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthre...451#post2172451