Sims 3-

Open S3PE, open gameplaydata.package, search for an XML, change it.

Sims 4-

???????

I can't find anything on this besides stuff to do with compiling and uncompiling and whatnot. Can we not do it yet? There's mods that edit stuff that I imagine is found in an XML (like bills).

Download the EA documentation (see sticky) and the XML Extractor (Tools forum) to get started. The XML is pretty self-explaining -- the easiest way to find stuff is probably just do a search on the folders after you've extracted the files.

Be aware that not everything can be done by XML tuning alone, some things have a DATA file equivalent. But in order to find things in the first place, I've found the XML files far easier to search / read.

Here is a down and dirty place to start for just tinkering with a few settings:

Download Sims4XmlExtractor by Velocitygrass.
Download S4PE by Kuree.
(^Extract these downloads with 7-zip.)
Download Notepad ++

Then search for the S4_62E94D38_00000000_F1352E740C4710BA%%+UNKN which is found in the SimulationDeltaBuild0 file. (I made a copy of this file from Program Files (x86) > Origin Games > The Sims 4 > Data > Simulation, and then stashed it somewhere accessible. Open in S4PE. Select it. Resource > Export > To File. While you are there, export one of the other binary files too, since they are small. You will need one to gut out.

Create a target destination folder for Sims4XmlExtractor. Use Sims4XmlExtractor to extract S4_62E94D38_00000000_F1352E740C4710BA%%+UNKN to your folder. You will now have a folder full of goodies. When you find one you like, make a copy of it and place it somewhere for easy access.

Open your file in Notepad++ and the binary file you are going to gut. Delete the contents of the binary, and copy past the xml inards into it. Make changes as you see fit. Save. Now, change the name of that binary file. (Very important.) It needs to match your XML.

For example, I have an XML named:
S4_E882D22F_00000000_0000000000012E7E

I change the binary file to be called.
S4_E882D22F_00000000_0000000000012E7E%%+UNKN

(For more info on why things are named the way they are, see Velocitygrass's download post and also the EA's modding guide.)

Create a new document in S4PE. Then go to Resource > Input > From File. Import your modded binary file. Save.

Make sure you have an empty folder named "unpackedmod" in /Mods and that you add this line to your resource.cfg: DirectoryFiles unpackedmod autoupdate

Pop the mod into your mods folder. Test in game.

-------------------------------------------

There is a lot more to get into besides this. Good luck!

Hmm...

I think I will wait until it gets to the point where its as easy as Sims 3 was :X

MadameButterfly, why are you doing that .. thing .. with the .bnry? I mean, what's the difference to just importing the XML to S4PE and then renaming?

It was what was working for me, but if there is another way that's good!

Very helpful - this helped me get my third idea for a mod working.

My second idea for a mod, turning on the disabled bill autopay feature, ended up not working -- guess that's why it's disabled! I may revisit that idea sometime later, but it's going to take a bit more work than just enabling the setting for the household.

I have now extracted an XML-file:
S4_03B33DDF_00000000_A73068C2B552CB25.xml

It contains the MAXIMUM_SIZE parameter:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?><M n="sims.household" s="12047244188691122981"><C n="Household"><T n="MAXIMUM_SIZE">8</T><T n="SIM_SPAWN_RADIUS">2</T></C></M>

I like to increase that number and make a mod out of it. What is the absolute simplest way to do it? I have imported the XML-file into s4pe and a Resource Details menu pops up. What am I to do in that menu and what is the next step. Export to package?

The simplest way IMO is to do all edits in the XML, then import that into a package. That way you don't need to copy+paste stuff twice. (I haven't looked whether it's perhaps more straightforward in the new release of S4PE though).

Resource details is where you enter the type / group / instance for your resource. You seem to have exported with S4PE naming scheme, that would be in the same order as in the filename then.

Regarding the household size, I can already tell you that changing that one parameter isn't going to do much. This is defined in more than one place. I'd suggest searching for "household" in the EA descriptions (that's where all parameters are listed, also those that aren't used in the EAxian tuning).

With the newest release, I can finally see the XML stuff in S4PE. Have to edit externally, though.

To be able to edit an XML file in s4pe you can go to Settings/External Programs tick Use an external text editor then click Browse and find Notepad++ in Program Files or Program Files (x86) and double click the Notepad++ exe (the file with the Notepad++ icon). Now you should be able to right click on the XML and edit it.

Edit: If you haven't got Notepad++ already you'll need to download it from here and install it.

I have already changed the value in household.py and compiled. I just want to make breeding and invite to move in to work. It has already been done by another member. I will try to edit in s4pe.

You can just right click on the imported xml and select Notepad at the bottom of the drop down menu. Notepad is the default editor.

I edited in s4pe and exported as a .package and put the package in the Mods folder. I also opened the .package in s4pe to check the change. Still not working in game.
You did not patch the houshold.py then?

Edit: There are 7 sims in the household and one in the owen. Can that be a problem?

Has Notepad always been available in s4pe or was it added in an update? It's not showing for me, i'll check to see if i have the latest version if i do i'll try reinstalling it.

You need to tell s4pe about your other editors. Settings > External Programs.

It's true, to have more sims than 8 you have to mod GFX (SFW) files, now you can have more but can't move them more than 8 in one house. If you have more sims than 13(?) in your home, don't remember now, thumb of sims make smaller, I had only 15-16 sims.

It's in s4pe.0.2a.zip. You can only start it as I said. If you like to have another editor you must set it up and start it by clicking Edit..

I didn't know about the way to install it. I just put it in the Mod folder.
To save some time for reaeders of this thread to find that information I describe it here:

Create this folder:
C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods\unpackedmod

Open this file in Wordpad:
C:\Users\<username>\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Mods\Resource.cfg

Add this text at the end:
DirectoryFiles unpackedmod autoupdate

So now it works to "Try for baby" and "Invite to move in" even if there are 8 sims on the lot.

I had v0.1d but i now have v2.0a



Thank you but i already know how to set up external editors since i use S3PE on a regular basis and i posted a few posts above yours explaining how to set up an external editor because i thought notepad wasn't available to edit files but it turns out it is

Yeah I'm trying to work it on the Sims 4!!

You'll also want a XML formatter for Notepad++. I'm using the one here .

Scroll down the page a little and you'll find the links for the XML files and Lib files.

Works great.

Tim