Well I can't say if it will fix the problem because I'm not on the right computer to test anything at the moment, but you've got a lot of zeroes in your new SLOT line which I don't think ought to be zeroes.

If you look at Atavera's original screen shot, you can see that there are values filled in which aren't specifically identified. Copy all the values he's listed for those into your item (particularly i5 through f6, f7 and f8).

Your i10 value can be set to 1, since it's a sequence number. I don't think setting it to 4 will cause any breakages, it just looks a little odd.

Okay, I did that, still the same behaviour: a few ticks and then a game crash without any errors in the console window.

Stop searching. I was using the latest QA-version of SimPE by mistake instead of 0.60b and it seems that this error is caused by it. I cloned a simple chair and had the same ticking-and-crashing-behaviour when clicking on its category.

Sorry for bothering you, I'll try again with 0.60b and report what happens.

Here's a new experiment I did with 0.60B.

This time the game crashes when entering the neighborhood.

The BHAV looks good now, the correct effect is shown in the BHAV editor. I changed the Slot according to Echos hints and the CRES also looks good to me.

Can someone please help me - I've read the associated modding info but understood precisely nothing. I'm stuck on the first part which is adding a transform node, how and where? I've spent an age gazing at the different panes in the Resource Node of my object and can't see anywhere to input anything that creates another entry in the hierarchy - let alone one that looks meaningful? Am I supposed to use the Edit Blocks to add a new ... er thing and then go from there? I'm hoping (beyond all reasonable hope and evidence) to make a plumbob sculpture that uses the plumbob lighting effect but I fear I am probably considerably out of my depth here

The button to add blocks is in the "Edit Blocks" tab, not in the hyerarchy. Open the drop-down list and choose the "cObjectGraphNode" type, the one with the very long name

Some time ago, but: Did someone had a look at my object?

Sorry Xan, I've downloaded your object, but I couldn't spot anything wrong, that's why I didn't reply... My knowledge about slots and effects is not as wide as I would like :P

I downloaded it too, changed dozens of things and it still crashed my game... I was planning on trying to remake it from scratch and import your mesh over the top, but then I completely ran out of time... Otherwise I would certainly have responded before now.

Okay, fellows, absolutely no need to apologize! Your tries are appreciated.

I'll also try to recreate an object with added effects from scratch.

Hi Xanathon,
I downloaded your object and fixed the CRES and the Main Bhav, so now it should work fine. The child node in the cTransform node of the Practical cShapeRedNode was not quite OK:
- I changed 0x0000 0x00000005 to 0x0001 0x00000005
- the [semi 0x2006] main () line in the Main BHAV was not linked

Here's the rar file with the original package and the modified one. Look for the modified file in Decorative>Sculptures.
Have fun!

Ok dumb question time! If I've got an object which already supports an effect but the effect is in the wrong place relative to the mesh because there isn't an actual effects slot in the package to start with - must I address that by
adding a new effects slot, set the transform coordinates to be where the center of the mesh etc? The object in question does do its effect thing fine, but Sims interact with it in a way that requires the mesh to be off-centered within the tile, the effect is being generated natively from the center and it doesn't look quite as peachy as I want it to! I don't really understand slots in general I must admit, the tutorials on them are either very specifically geared towards doing something that isn't applicable to what I'm trying to do (lacking the understanding to apply it) or assume prior knowledge when it comes to which numbers go where!

Well, most of us, where it comes to slots, don't know exactly what numbers go where
I didn't think possible that an effect could be created without a slot to "contain" it. Either you are right, and the game provides a sort of "default" position in the center of the mesh, or the effects is created in a slot whose name doesn't contain the keyword "fx", but nevertheless is a "container" slot, usable for the effect.
Doesn't your object haveany slot at all? Have you discovered if the effect is triggered via BHAV (Effect Start/Stop) or via an animation?

By now, I can suggest to look at the SLOT file, in search of "Container" slots (ignore the routing ones). For each line related to a container slot, look in the second last column ("I9"): if the I9 is >=0, then the slot should have a name, that you can read in the Text List 0x90 (in the line number I9). Once discovered the name, go to the CRES and search for a node with that name. By trial and errors you migh locate the "missing" slot.

But of course you may be right, and there might be no "missing" slot to discover...

PS: this object that has an effect "without a slot", is a Maxis object?

There is a "default" way to run effects on some objects. In the BHAV "Start/Stop effect" it would say "default 3/4 height", and the effect just gets played sort of in the middle of the lead tile (I think, never tried with multi-tile objects). If this is the case and you want to move the effect, then you'd need to add an effect slot, put it in the right position, then change that BHAV to use the slot you created instead.

The plugin view presentation of F7 "0,1875" seems to have "." replaced by "," in the screenshot.
So, the value should actually be "0.1875" or 3/16 .
Note a standard full level is "16-click-high" or "16-step-high", and namely a value of "3"

This can be a numeric value for the "1-click-high" in terms of the elevation-tool or "1-step-high" in terms of modular stairs (vertical span length) for a given grid

So, what I suspect it may mean how different the effect is from the grid vertically in terms of the 3D graphics.

The screenshot has no "errors": the use of the comma or the point as decimal separator depends on the language that.NET was installed with, and the language of the operating system of course.

From my limited experience, the F7 value is almost always 0,1875; this is mostly true for the container slots, while few particular routing slots have different values.
In my notes, I read that an "unknown routing slot" connected to the sim's right hand bone has a F7 value of 0,01171875 (= 3/256).
For some other routing slots, such as one from the Pancake TV, F7 is 0,25 or 0,35.
I don't know the meaning of these values...

Then, maybe , it can be just a relative vertical difference to something?

So, what will happen when a custom value is used? any crash or visible difference?
Omg, "3" doesn't seem to work.

BTW, is the FX effect in the tutorial object already activated? I for some reasons, I see no FX effect or I just don't know how to get it show the FX effect in live mode?

The package contained in the rar attached to the tutorial is yet to be modified: the "Function - Main" BHAV still lacks the two lines described in the last step of the tutorial (one of the two lines is the "Start/Stop Effect" operator, which is responsible of starting the effect).

As for the "3" not accepted as an F7 value, I think that all the known values reveal that the range must be somewhat between 0 and 1. Perhaps, using two copies (with different GUIDs) of the tutorial gnome, one with F7=0 and the other with F7=1 will reveal a visible difference...

I think to suggest I may be right about anything, ever is probably contrary to all evidence

It is a clone of a Maxis object, it does have 1 target slot so I presume that must be it - I had predictably misunderstood this tutorial and the slots tutorial and assumed it *had* to be a container slot. That all said, it still leaves me with the problem that having changed the X & Y values in each cTransform node in turn to see what happened, the only thing that seems to move is the mesh which means the Sims end up holding it wrongly. The effect is set to permanently appear in live mode so its not triggered by anything as such.

I must admit I don't understand what the slots *do* in this particular instance esp when the start/stop effect is set to 'default 3/4 height' rather than targeting slot or container slot? I did try setting that to use the targeting slot as there was one there, but that just crashed my game so I guess it wasn't happy.

Exactly, what Maxis object are you cloning? And what effect you are trying to apply to it?
Perhaps, talking of a specific subject will help solving the problem.

It was the base game bag of cookies - it has a stink and flies effect natively. I think the basic problem is that because I've not understood the tutorial and been able to interpret it for a different object. I've followed it literally and run into problems as a result.

My first attempt with the cookies, I didn't spot the fact that the bones list is pointing to the 3rd node in the Cres, the Slot editor shows the target slot to be the 1st node in the cres and when the bones list doesn't match up, or its missing, the effect does work, but its position defaults to absolute zero relative to the object. With my second attempt based on the ceiling base game hosta plant, this shows up clearly because the object can only be placed at ceiling height so without the bones list the effect works, but its displayed on the floor regardless of the transform values in the target slot. It didn't show up with the cookies because the mesh is nearly at absolute zero and the effect seems to vary in height because the object can be placed at multiple heights!

The 3/4 height thing threw me because it didn't seem to relate to the slots in any way - default implies that height is fixed and it didn't make any sense. I didn't realize because its not stated that SimPE's labels there are wrong. 3/4 height refers to the targeting slot specified in op. 7, target slot refers to the specified container slot, container slot refers to the specified routing slot etc. I'm guessing that my game complained when I tried to refer it to a targeting slot because there was no container slot which is what it was actually looking for.

Anyway, I think I've answered my own question about the cookies, yes they do need an additional slot specified in order to correct the position of the effects although its academic since I've decided they really don't need an effect but I do feel somewhat happier that I've realized some of these basics and can therefore apply them to other things even if I do feel rather stupid for missing these blindingly obvious issues!

I also accidentally returned true and closed off the function -main which I think tells you everything!

Look'in forward to letting you help me figure my way through this mesh, thnx EUJIK

I'm completely stuck here. I've followed this tutorial several times on different objects but it just doesn't seem to work.
Some objects I want to add effects to don't have an 'Idle' at all in behaviours so I add the top one and the one underneath and then the other Idle below that. It all links up because I checked but it doesn't seem to want to work.

The file's attached if anybody wants to look..

Edit: Did ge the effects working after a fair bit of tinkering and here's the product. Poisened Apple of Doom for halloween which emits black fog (need to fix slot XYZ placement) but you get the main idea.

Well done on figuring it out!

It's very useful. Thanks a lot.