How to Make a Basic Change to an Item's Tuning

Introduction

This tutorial will show you how to use this feature to make changes to an item's tuning that cause its behavior in the game to change. The example item is a toilet that will only be used by male Sims and they will only use it when standing up. 

What you will need

Sims 4 Studio v 2.5.1.2 (Joy) or above

Instructions

1. Open Studio and select Create 3D Mesh under the Object button.

2. Click the Object button. 

3. Select the item you wish to clone and click the Next button. 

4. Name and save your .package.

5. Click the Warehouse tab.  Note: If you plan to add swatches to the item do that after adding the tuning because otherwise you will have to edit the Object Definition for each swatch you add.  If you do the tuning steps first each swatch you add will already have the tuning added to it for you.  This will save you a lot of time and tedious copy/pasting.

6. Click on the Object Definition line on the left.  On the right side scroll down until you see the Tuning line.  Copy the Tuning name.

7. Click Tools in the upper menu bar.  Select Extract Tuning from the drop down menu.

The first time you use the Extract Tuning feature Studio will index the tuning.  Due to the large number of tuning files in Sims 4 this will take up to several minutes depending on how fast your computer is.  Just let Studio do its thing during this indexing.  You will not have this delay again until EA patches.  This indexing step will occur once after each EA patch.

8.  When the Export Tuning box pops up paste the Tuning name you copied in step 7 into the search bar.  When that tuning appears on the list below click on it.
9.  The Add to current package button will turn blue after you click on the tuning name.  Click the Add to current package button.
10. There will be a brief pause while Studio adds the tuning to your .package.  When it is done click the X in the upper right corner to close the Extract Tuning box.  

11.  Back in the Warehouse tab scroll down on the left side until you see the new Object Tuning resource that Studio added to your .package.  Click on that line and the tuning XML will show up on the right side.

12. On the right side scroll down through the XML until you get to the super affordances section.  Select the line that says toilet-use-sitting and delete it completely.  Delete any other lines you don't want.  I deleted the lines about pregnancy testing, upgrading to bidet, and a second line referring to using the toilet while sitting.  Following this editing my xml looked as is shown on the right side of the picture below.

13. Save your work.

14.  Click the Data tab.  

15. Enter your new tuning name into the Name line.  You need to use the format EA has requested tuning modders use.  This format is creator name:tuning name.  I always add the date to the tuning name as well.

16. Click the TuningID line.  As you do this you will see that number change as Studio hashes the tuning name for you.  Copy this new longer number.

17. Click on the Object Definition line on the left side again.  Scroll down to the TuningId line on the right.  Paste the new tuning ID you copied in step 16 into this line.

18. Click back to the Object Tuning resource.  Click the Data tab on the right side.  Copy the tuning name that you gave to your new tuning.

19. Click back to the Object Definition resource.  Scroll down on the right side and paste the new tuning name into the Tuning line.
20. Save your work.  If you want to add more swatches to the item click the Studio tab and begin recoloring as usual.  Save your final .package and test it in the game.