Hello!

I'm pretty new to modding (tbh I'm still getting used to the language and learning what is what) and need a help to see what I'm doing wrong/point me some tutorials or in the right direction.
I already tried doing something, and it didn't work. Worse, the canning option disappeared from the game (lol) so... Starting from the beginning:

What I want to do:
I want to add options in menus to make multiples of an item/recipe. My plan is to do it to a lot of things, Jams (from CL canning) is my starting point, and then move to candles (from EL) etc.
If possible I'd like it to be like the cooking menu, where there's an arrow that collapses a menu with the options (1, 4, 8 servings etc), but I'm guessing that's too fancy/difficult. If the mod works I'm happy.

Now, I realise that the actual cooking creates an item with multiple servings, so that might not be ideal for what I'm trying to do. I'd need... meshes? For packs of jams, candles, fizz etc. So my idea was: I'm going to clone/use the canning code that adds extra jams to the inventory. So, that was my starting point.

In a TLDR what I did:

• exported the loot_Canning_ExtraCans_Normal, cloned & changed the names, instances etc, changed the code/quantities itself

• imported the recipes, cloned changed names, instances, changed the code/quantities itself, changed loot ref to mine

• found the interaction tuning that had the recipes, added the new recipes (something strange happened here)

It didn't work. The menu of canning disappeared from the game. So I'm wondering what I missed/did wrong. Could it be I needed a script? I mean, I am changing the menus and idk but I guess this could need a script? (I hope not. I'm not even sure of what IS a scrypt. But my guess that's the thing that needs python?)
Or it could be because i don't have a simdata file? Or maybe it was the strange thing that happened?
When I tried to add the line in first file, I hit enter, there was no <T> so I typed it, got the local tuning, copied the recipe ref and pasted there. Probably because I typed it it the name in the warehouse went something like beginning T Mark in x line doesn't correspond to the end L line (sorry, free translation from my language). So in next file I played safe, copied the line from og recipe, pasted it the times needed and then pasted my recipe ref over it.
Neither of them worked, hence why I'm thinking this might not have been (possibly ONLY) it.

So. Halp? Anyone has any idea what might be the problem?

I was going to add a wall of text of what I did, step by step, in a collapsizable spoiler tag for it to be less intrusive... Then I realised I don't know how to :')
(Or if it's even possible)

So I made this second post.

Since I'm like, a complete newb at it I thought it might have been something that I either did wrong/didn't do, so it might be best to tell everything I did. I might be thinking I did everything and didn't know there was another step and there I was like "I changed the instance" except let's say I hadn't.

If this is too much/not needed you can spot the error in the tldr already no need to read all of this
So, wall of text, step by step

Created new package in Sims Studio. Imported loot_Canning_ExtraCans_Normal. Changed n= to Lunari:loot_Canning_ExtraCans_Normalx4. Threw this into Hash generator. Checked the high bit box. Copied the decimal 64 and hex 64. Changed s= to decimal 64
Changed quantity to 11 (making it once was 1 + 2 extras, I want to make 4 at once, so 12 total. Since these are the extras then 11 ~ 1+11 extras)
Went to data tab. Changed instance to hex 64. In first time/package also changed the group to 00000000.

Wrote new names for the other quantities (like, 8, 12 etc) got their decimal and hex 64.
Duplicated 1rst action tuning, entered new hex 64 instance so it'd make a new action tuning. Changed n=, s= to decimal 64, and quantities accordingly.

So with this I had 4 new action tunings to give different quantities. (I think. I hope.)
So I moved to the recipes. Once again found them and exported them through sims 4 tools extract tuning.
Imported first recipe, the one for apple jam.
Changed the n=Lunari:Recipe_Food_Canning_AppleJamx4, threw it into hash generator with high bit box checked. Got the decimal and hex FNV64. Changed the s= to dec64.
Found the loot list. Changed the loot_Canning_ExtraCans_Normal ref to mine.
Then the ingredient list. Added a <T n="count">4</T> under the ingred ref line.

Went to data tab, changed instance to hex 64. (didn't change group. I realised the number categorizes it as a recipe so I left it alone. Same as type, no idea what it does)

Got the names for the other recipes with diff quantities I wanted (x8, x12 etc). Threw them at hash gen. Noted the decimal and hex 64.
Did what I did before to each of them, duplicated, changing instance in data tab, n=, s=, ref to respective quantity loot, then count under ingred ref.

Did same thing to another Jam. Thought I should check if it worked before going in a crazy spree to code 4 different quantities to ALL THE JAMS *insert meme*.
So moved on to interaction tunings: stove_canning.interaction and fridge_canning.interaction. I saw there was an off the grid stove but it had off the grid recipes for everything, so left it alone (no idea exactly if all of them are new recipes or what. Decided it was too much for now, better to see if the others worked, but I will have to try to understand this later).
Imported them to the package. Localized the n=recipes.
Added mine after the ogs. As I said, in first package I hit enter, typed <T> and </T>, copied them, hit enter and pasted them in 4 lines so I'll have my 4 recipes.
clicked on local tunings, copied and pasted each of my recipes between the Ts. Strange thing happened in 1rst package, so did different in second (more to this later).
Again the message was something about beginning of T mark not corresponding to the end of L mark (free translation). Tried to change this by deleting them, then copying the og recipe and pasting over it but not working?
Saved this time for last, copied package and threw it into mods folder. Prayed it'd work.


Since game takes so long to load tho, didn't resist and created another package that was to affect IceMunMun's canning (this was meant to be personal since I'm messing with her content). Didn't work in the sense that no new options/recipe, but at least it didn't completely break/disappear from the game. Her make jam/sauce menus still apears in stoves, fridges etc).
I did pretty much the same as first package, except I cloned the action loot and changed it into new ones (to actual total quantities of 4, etc and not 12+ like CL canning). If it worked was hoping to use it to candles, fizzjuice, other crafting mods etc. And then in the master interaction tuning with all recipes I didn't write the <T> myself. Copied og line, pasted over it.
No strange msg hijacking the name/loal tunings this time.
Still didn't work tho :')

Okay, found a way/managed to.
I'm really tempted to delete this thread, but who knows. Maybe it can help someone some time. I did write a step by step of what I did / gave the idea to use the loot action so... Who knows?
For whoever might find this info useful, there are easier steps to do this, no need to throw all the names in the hash gen, simstudio will now do it for you through the name in the data tab. Probably other things too. I was going by a frankstein mix and match of various tutorials (Leniad's food one, Zero's action loots mainly, others bits), and seeing how other creators did it.
Today I also found another food tutorial, this one by Lauren Blue Bell, and a really old post here by Plastic Box which helped.

For the other ppl that checked this tread (even though I refreshed this a lot, praying for someone to point me in the right direction, I don't think I made it to 38 lol), I managed to get this to work. But still got to fine tune this, the loot action capped at 10 extra jars, but I think I know how to make it work. AND do all the other bazillion recipes. For for each jam. Then test.
Idk how long it'll take, but hopefully I'll manage to finish this.

And then you'll have a mod to make CL jams in batches. Ty! See you~

I am surprised that no one has made the mod for this yet! How did you go with it?