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- General - Things You Appreciate Seeing in CC
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So..you would not like the way I name my clothing. My name is at the end, and the names are long. Though I never thought I would share my creations, so I named them for my own use.. FemaleAdultBody-PatchworkSkirtJeanJacket_By_Rosie.package MESH_FemaleAdultBody-PatchworkSkirtJeanJacket_By_Rosie.package Oh..and tooltip in Bodyshop..good point! I should do this.. I found how to add them @simmer22 |
The "name first" thing is not a must for me, but I do prefer if "_mesh" comes last (paricularly for objects), so the files sort together. The worst is if a set doesn't have any name to describe them, just the name of the color or item (like "Green" and "box", or "Green-Box" and "mesh-Box" for the mesh and recolors). You can always do a search for "mesh" or "*mesh" while looking through folders, but I prefer not having to, particularly if the mesh belongs to a set.
Now I usually name my files something like "Theraven_NameOfSet-NameOfItem_MESH" and "Theraven_NameOfSet-NameOfItem_REC-NameOfColorOrPattern" - that way they sort together nicely if I put them in a folder with other files, and they're usually easy to find or search for. Previously I didn't name my files like this, often not having my name there, or having "MESH" first in the filename, sometimes making it hard for me to recognize them or to find all the files if they were mixed up. I've also had to rename a ton of files because I first used [Theraven], before I read that brackets were bad characters to use.
Tooltips can be added when in Bodyshop, by writing something in the line under the categories. You can also add tooltips in the "category description" resource in SimPe, by changing the text in the text box to the left. If this is greyed out, you can click "add" and you'll be able to write. There are also some programs that lets you add tooltips, like this one: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=321239 (I love this - it has made sorting through old CAS items way easier!)
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But I had some more:
I love when creators tell you if their files are repositories and even better, I love when they give you an option to download things either repositories or standalone, like on DeeDeeSims' Tumblr. Sometimes I don't want all ages to have the same color clothes or I don't want an outfit for a certain age group. I don't know how many times I deleted something in game only to find out it was texture referenced and borked the whole set or other age groups' items.
And I love creators who let their meshes be included in other downloads and recolors! Nothing worse than having to hunt for a mesh, especially if it's from a creator who isn't active anymore. But also love to creators who tell you the exact file name you need when they can't include it--especially if the place being linked to has multiple meshes on the page.
XPTL Mod Archive | Change a Mod's Mesh into a CC Object | Increasing the Game Difficulty | Editing ACR 4 Your Age Mod
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The easiest way to see if a file is repositoried is to check the file size. If a clothing recolor is below 10 KB, it's almost guaranteed to be repositoried.
Also, it's always better to delete from your DL folder rather than from the game, because the risk of breaking something in your game is smaller. If the name of a CAS file is unclear, run your files through the Tooltip tool, and you'll be able to find them without any difficulty.
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The "name first" thing is not a must for me, but I do prefer if "_mesh" comes last (paricularly for objects), so the files sort together. |
Right..I'll rename my meshes. For now, all the clothing I create sits in the same one folder, and while recolors come up first in the list, meshes are all the way down. Putting the name mesh last, will make all my files together.
I'd shorten that to: AFpatchworkskirtRosie MESHAFpatchworkskirtRosie |
I could not..this is the version with a jeanjacket on, I have a version without too. So jeanjacket part must stay. lol
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A good reason to skip spaces is that if you name something like "box - Green" or "Box -green" then searching for the exact phrase might lead the search tool to think you want to exclude the word "green" since " -word" (with a space in front of the hyphen) means "exclude this word from the search". If the hyphen is there with no spaces, the search usually manages just fine.
But yeah, underscores and hyphens help a lot.
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Shorten names wherever you can. "AdultFemale" takes up a whole lot more space than "AF", and most simmers by now understand what "AF" stands for.
Ideal naming for me would be:
Rosie_PatchworkSkirtJeanJacket-AF_REC-Colorname (or "AF_colorname" without the REC)
Rosie_PatchworkSkirtJeanJacket-AF_MESH
This way you can make conversions named EF/TF/CF, and they'll still sort properly.
I've found this naming method ideal in most cases, at least for my own files. It sorts all files by creator, then by set, then by item, then by age/gender, then if the file is a recolor or mesh, and finally by recolor name - and at the same it time keeps the name short enough. It means you can fill a single folder with files and still find all of the files that belong together in one spot without subfoldering everything.
The reason I personally prefer putting in REC is that the mesh usually sorts on top instead of in the middle of all the other files, and since I'm one of those who make 30-40 recolors while I'm at it, I prefer if the mesh files jump to the top or bottom of the set, but still sorts with the recolors they belong to. RC- or just R- would also work fine.
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I like when creators check the links periodically to make sure they still work (or I can read a comment from someone ... whether the lot-builder or a downloader ... who mentions that a link does not work and provides the missing download), CC should be optional only ... not such a part of the lot that you cannot replace things quickly. And I prefer to download lots that don't have two Word documents' pages (single-space) full of CC links. I have made such lots in my own private game, but would not share them for that reason. A huge exception: If people have repeatedly clamored for a creator to upload a CC-heavy lot, and people know in advance that the lot is CC-heavy.
2. Really wobbly or misaligned bra or spaghetti-strap tops or hair meshes with huge bald spots in them can be annoying. I'm reluctant to write this because I can't mesh or create clothes and hair to save my life. But that would be why I wouldn't upload my stuff until I got better. I appreciate a creator who points out the flaws, though, and lets me decide whether they're major enough to worry about. Many are not.
I like aligned straps and hair meshes with minor flaws only, and hairstyles that uniformly look nice. If there are flaws on clothes and hairstyles, they are not that noticeable.
3. A long list of file names with abcedgfos11123123 or like alpha-numeric characters in them, or a bunch of numbers with no swatches ... arrggh! Sometimes, I like playing guessing games, and it's a little fun if I like all the patterns, but for the sake of my download folder, I plan to choose three at random. But if it's nineteen CC items that I really don't want in my game, and I want only one of them, it can be annoying.
I like when the creator at least gives me a clue which pattern I'm downloading ... at least provides a swatch with the name of the file underneath. It's not a big problem if it's only five or so items. But if you have twenty or more ...
4. You see something that you like in a huge group of files. I appreciate lots of goodies ... really ... and I don't wish to sound ungrateful. But when it's in a 50 MB file full of content, and I want only the one file and its mesh, and worse yet, there may be, let's say, a bunch of skirt meshes and recolors and I'm really not sure which one is which, I admit to a little grumbling.
I like when larger (25MB+) file sizes are broken up more if there are multiple items, and the creator mentions which mesh goes with which item. Another huge exception: If someone is simply providing files belonging to a defunct site. Pics are helpful in that case, though.
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I'd also separate the words with dashes if you upload them. As it is now, if someone was trying to find the file in their downloads, and they typed "patchwork" into the search box the file wouldn't come up because it's sandwiched into a long name. |
Not on my computer. Searching for patchwork, works.
Thanks simmer22, I might try that naming method. I understand that while it is to my liking's and clear to me what is what, if I am going to share them...compromises might happen.
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It's exactly the same as Simmer22 was saying about naming mesh files -- ABC_recolour_MESH rather than MESH_ABC_recolour. Same with readme's. Downloading more than 1 mod from Pescado at a time is frustrating because all the readme's are called, well, readme and they all want to overwrite each other.
When I know a creator names their meshes & previews this way, I don't have to worry about using subfolders when extracting the CC and then going and renaming things and it makes me a happy bunny.
I also love cleverly/creatively named CC! Shastakiss sticks out in my mind for this, her names often make me smile.
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So..you would not like the way I name my clothing. My name is at the end, and the names are long. Though I never thought I would share my creations, so I named them for my own use.. FemaleAdultBody-PatchworkSkirtJeanJacket_By_Rosie.package MESH_FemaleAdultBody-PatchworkSkirtJeanJacket_By_Rosie.package Oh..and tooltip in Bodyshop..good point! I should do this.. I found how to add them @simmer22 |
The advantage of putting your name first is all your files end up together if you sort alphabetically. It makes it easier to see sets, for instance.
My personal thing is I like anything that changes gameplay.
I like pretty stuff too but that's not a requirement.
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Searching for files with your original naming works because the names are separated with hyphens. I think Omglo was referring to Charity's post ("AFpatchworkskirtRosie" and "MESHAFpatchworkskirtRosie") |
And thanks for the tip about the asterisks. That will make searching easier in the future.
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Right..I'll rename my meshes. For now, all the clothing I create sits in the same one folder, and while recolors come up first in the list, meshes are all the way down. Putting the name mesh last, will make all my files together. |
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I also appreciate when objects are the correct size. I have downloaded too many things only to find that I can't actually USE them cause they're too big.
I've got one or two things on MTS, but most of my stuff is on my main site here:
http://simcessories.blogspot.com/
(Now recruiting budding creators.)
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I appreciate any hair creator who makes their hair Maxis-style rather than that too-shiny, too-piecey, too-IMVU-y hair most people seem to like to do. |
THIS!!!! I love, love, love when creators try to stick to the Maxis-style, same can be said for the humour and creativity put into writing descriptions for objects. It makes it fit into the game more.
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You don't download any clothing that doesn't have a mesh? No Maxis recolours?
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- A way to configure the more complex mods either an in-game config menu or changi SimPE that helps tgat changes To help the modifiying things documentation that I appreciate.
I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister
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I use the sims as a psychology simulator...
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Other things I appreciate: - A way to configure the more complex mods either an in-game config menu or changi SimPE that helps tgat changes To help the modifiying things documentation that I appreciate. |
Next time I shouldn't post when half-asleep, I think.
I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister
Looking for SimWardrobe's mods? | Or Dizzy's? | Faiuwle/rufio's too! | smorbie1's Chris Hatch archives
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