Mod The Sims - Tutorial - Custom Television Channel

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#1

2nd Jun 2005 at 10:10 PM Last edited by eric etc : 1st Aug 2005 at 8:55 AM.

Tutorial - Custom Television Channel

Hi everyone,

I put together an example television channel and a simple tutorial on how to create and add your own custom television channels to the Sims 2...

Attached files:

Custom Television Channel.zip (412.0 KB, 17371 downloads) - View custom content

Package file	Size	Type	Description
Custom Television Channel.package	4,430		tvstation_insimenator akeActionString prim string setChange To.../InSIMenator Broadcast Network (IBN) Change To.../InSIMenator Broadcast Network (IBN)

   152153  06-02-05 00:13   Custom Television Channel/Broadcast ini.JPG
     4430  06-01-05 22:22   Custom Television Channel/Custom Television Channel.package
    50977  06-01-05 23:36   Custom Television Channel/New directory.JPG
     1354  06-02-05 01:16   Custom Television Channel/NOTES.txt
   106771  06-01-05 23:07   Custom Television Channel/Object Data.JPG
   117017  06-01-05 23:12   Custom Television Channel/Text List 12E.JPG
   110652  06-01-05 23:22   Custom Television Channel/Text List 88.JPG
 --------                   -------
   543354                   7 files

Download the InSIMenator at InSIMenator.net

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#2

2nd Jun 2005 at 10:11 PM Last edited by eric etc : 18th Jun 2005 at 10:05 AM.

Let's open the Custom Television Channel.package file in SimPE and begin with the "Object Data" file...

Screenshots

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#3

2nd Jun 2005 at 10:12 PM Last edited by eric etc : 2nd Jun 2005 at 10:19 PM.

Next let's choose what we want our pie menu caption to say...

Screenshots

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#4

2nd Jun 2005 at 10:13 PM Last edited by eric etc : 2nd Jun 2005 at 10:23 PM.

now let's change the text value from tvstation_insimenator to what you want your channel pointer to be called in the Broadcast.ini file....

Screenshots

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#5

2nd Jun 2005 at 10:13 PM Last edited by eric etc : 2nd Jun 2005 at 10:24 PM.

now, we will add a new television station directory to our game and name it whatever we want it to be called... in this case I named it TvInsim

Screenshots

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#6

2nd Jun 2005 at 10:14 PM Last edited by eric etc : 1st Aug 2005 at 8:56 AM.

Now let's finish up and add our new channel to the Broadcast.ini file...

NOTE: If you try modifying the Broadcast.ini file in "My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Config", it will be overwritten to default configuration by the ini located in "C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 University\TSData\Res\UserData\Config" and the custom channel will not work correctly.

EDIT: If you do not have University Expansion Pack installed, please read post #32 (t.styler) and #39 (Dan&Mel) on Page 2 of this thread. Thank you.

Screenshots

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#7

2nd Jun 2005 at 10:15 PM Last edited by eric etc : 2nd Jun 2005 at 10:36 PM.

Now all you have to do is make your own .movie files (.avi files might work also?) and place them in your new channel directory... load your game up and have fun

NOTE: place the .package file in your "My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads" directory for it to work

Download the InSIMenator at InSIMenator.net

Ultimate_Simaholic

Test Subject

#8

2nd Jun 2005 at 10:46 PM

awesome!! thanks

eddief66

Forum Resident

#9

2nd Jun 2005 at 10:55 PM

You can use .avi clips but they shouldn't be larger that 128x128 pixels and shouldn't have more than 15 fps.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/thesims2/hints.html

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#10

2nd Jun 2005 at 11:00 PM

thanks eddie.... I was not sure what other filetypes that the channels would play and I have no idea what software that someone would need to use to produce new .movie files

RGiles

Administrator of Loverat's Tea and Underpants

#11

3rd Jun 2005 at 2:27 AM

Thank you for the tutorial, Eric. I've seen a few people asking how to do this. Hehe... and by now I'm surprised there hasn't been a Sim-mutiny because they have to watch the same dumb shows over and over.

LizzLove

Lab Assistant

#12

3rd Jun 2005 at 3:12 AM

Thanks so much Eric, you are the master.

~kathy~

Ice Princess

#13

3rd Jun 2005 at 3:40 AM

Oh god please don't call him master..He already has a big enough head lmao

RGiles

Administrator of Loverat's Tea and Underpants

#14

3rd Jun 2005 at 1:21 PM

Yeah, but if we call him the slave, then your head will get all puffed up too.

We should all go back to worshipping cats. There's really not a chance in hell they could get any more full of themselves.

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#15

4th Jun 2005 at 8:26 PM Last edited by eric etc : 4th Jun 2005 at 8:37 PM.

RGiles, her head is already puffed up... except it is from the hot air balloon effect (it goes well with the empty head effect :D)

VickVegas

Test Subject

#16

6th Jun 2005 at 7:14 AM

Thank u!!!!now, i can create my hot channels

Vilaki

Test Subject

#17

7th Jun 2005 at 4:18 PM

Perhaps could you also make a Tutorial in which it is explained how one can make transmitters of his own in the radio?

ehwhat

Lab Assistant

#18

7th Jun 2005 at 5:25 PM

ohmigod!!! :jaw: thank you so much!!!

this is what i really wanted and now i have it. yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TK_GUY

Test Subject

#19

10th Jun 2005 at 4:36 PM

i still dont under stand. what is that program you are using in the pictures. sorry, im a bit dim

~kathy~

Ice Princess

#20

10th Jun 2005 at 7:47 PM

TK_GUY, the program that Eric is using, to open and modify .package files, is called SimPE. You can download SimPE at http://sims.ambertation.de/ and familiarize yourself with its use.

Home of the Sims 2 InSIMenator.net

Stroke my Llama

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#21

18th Jun 2005 at 10:09 AM Last edited by eric etc : 18th Jun 2005 at 10:12 AM.

In the Object Data image in post #2, I made a mistake. It is not necessary to click a yes or no after clicking Commit, the change is committed automatically. I have corrected that error... my apologies.

Eric

sentairanger

Test Subject

#22

30th Jun 2005 at 2:04 AM

WOW! this is easy and it works! thanks a bunch eric etc!

jms

Inventor

#23

1st Jul 2005 at 12:23 PM Last edited by jms : 1st Jul 2005 at 2:38 PM.

:confused: whats a directory pointer. i also dont understand what to do in the 5th screenshot step 3 at the bottom of the page it says now add your directory pointor (directory poitor is located in "my documents/ea games/the sims 2/movies/broadcast"directory)
how do i add it to my config.
plz help :confused: :D

Eric

Instructor

Original Poster

#24

2nd Jul 2005 at 5:38 AM

Quote: Originally posted by jms

:confused: whats a directory pointer. i also dont understand what to do in the 5th screenshot step 3 at the bottom of the page it says now add your directory pointor (directory poitor is located in "my documents/ea games/the sims 2/movies/broadcast"directory)
how do i add it to my config.
plz help :confused: :D

Hi jms,

the directory pointer is the target directory (the new folder that you create to hold the movies that are used by the new channel) for the new channel....

In the image that you are referring to, pay attention only to the second line
Folder =Broadcast/TvInsim ...change the word TvInsim to the name of the folder that you created in the 4th image posted above.

Eric

Download the InSIMenator at InSIMenator.net

mstybl95

Field Researcher

#25

2nd Jul 2005 at 5:58 PM

i got it to work as far as showing up on the pie menu, but the channel is just flashing blue. is anyone else having this prob? does anyone know where i can get a few .avi files to test? i used the ones off this site and they are the ones flashing blue.

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