Changing Warehouse Info For Multiple Swatches Simplified
Jan 29, 2024 12:51:08 GMT -5
orangemittens likes this
Post by simmiller on Jan 29, 2024 12:51:08 GMT -5
WHY I MADE THIS TUTORIAL
The purpose of this tutorial is to help creators and simmers alike simplify and speed up how to change information in the Warehouse tab in Sims 4 Studio for multiple swatches, especially if you have more than one section that needs adjusting, like Composition Method and Sort Layer for CAS items.
So, let’s say you’ve created an entire package with 15 swatches and have saved your package. Then you realize, OMG I forgot to change something in Warehouse mode and now have to go in and change each swatch separately. (cue dramatic music)
I don’t recommend this for only a few swatches, though, because, while helpful, this is not a one shot process, but it will save time for those packages with several swatches that require fixing/changing in the Warehouse tab.
For the purposes of this tutorial, I am using the example of changing the Composition Method in a lipstick with 31 swatches from 4 to 0. It is entirely possible to make multiple changes using this process. Literally anything in the Warehouse tab that you need to change and have applied to multiple swatches can be done.
Note: Sims 4 Studio already allows for changing information in the Studio tab on multiple swatches. This is only helpful for Warehouse mode.
I have also used this method to change the diffuse ratio on a set of walls that were supposed to be three panels wide for a wallpaper mural, and forgot until after all of my swatches were in and the package was saved. This would normally have to be done 3 times for every swatch, so the work is tripled! Multiply that by 20 swatches and you can see it’s just too much. I could have started over with a new package, but then I would have to change the catalog name, price, any categories like color and whether it’s paint or wallpaper, ambience effects, if it reduces bills, bring in all the diffuse (texture) files (there’s a trick for bringing in new diffuse files as well, all in one shot btw, but that's another story), and possibly more! With makeup and clothes, or buy mode objects, there are even more categories to be sure match your project.
To simplify, you’ll be saving your color palette, exporting your texture files, changing whatever is necessary in the Warehouse tab, and re-importing your textures. There are a few more steps involved, but everything is explained here in detail with pictures.
Rest assured, it takes a while to read this tutorial, but once you do it a few times, you will complete the entire process very quickly!
Here we go!
-------------
REQUIRED PROGRAM: SIMS 4 STUDIO
OPEN YOUR PACKAGE
Open Sims 4 Studio and bring up your package by clicking on My Projects, and locating the package. Or, just go to the package location and click on the package.
I’m changing the Composition method for a lipstick package, as mentioned. I have 31 swatches in this particular package, and I really don’t want to have to change them all separately.
If you’re not already in the Studio tab, click on that now. Sims 4 Studio remembers what tab you were under in your most recent previously opened package. Mine was in the Warehouse tab so I need to click on the Studio tab.
NOTE: While it’s not strictly necessary to change what tab you’re under until you’re ready to make changes, I find it helps me stay focused to be under the tab that relates to my current action.
EXPORTING THE SWATCHES
Sims 4 Studio has so many amazing features, it’s mind boggling. We’ll need to use a few of them for this process.
Now that you’re in the Studio tab, bring up the Cheat Console. This has been designed to be easy to remember by using the same command as in game by typing CTRL+SHIFT+C
In the Cheat Console popup, type studio.exportall and be patient while Sims 4 Studio exports the package files.
This may take a moment, as Sims 4 Studio is exporting all the mesh, normal maps, specular maps, and diffuse files (aka textures) into a specially named folder, which matches your package with the addition of the word Resources. This step is important because shortly, when you import the files back in, they have to be named correctly and in order, and they have to be in the specific folder created by exporting the files.
Once this is done, you should get a window popping up with the location of the folder. It will be in the same location as your package.
SAVE THE COLOR PALETTE
Next, it’s time to save your color palette. This is so you don’t have to manually add the swatches back in and click on them to change the colors to match the textures again, etc.
Click on Tools at the top left of Sims 4 Studio, then click on Color Palette.
Once you get the popup where you can save your color palette, click on Add in the bottom left corner, and Name your Palette. Make it so that you can easily figure out which palette you need when the time calls for it. My lipstick is called Frosties, so that’s what I named my color palette.
Now click on the blue Import Palette button and Sims 4 Studio will populate the swatches. Click on the green Save button in the bottom right corner of the popup and close this window.
REMOVE ALL SWATCHES BUT KEEP THE FIRST ONE
Next, you will remove all your swatches except the first one. To do this, click on the 2nd swatch in your package, and click Remove Swatch until they’re all gone. You will be left with the first swatch (which cannot be deleted using that button when it’s the only one left). Keeping the first swatch helps to maintain the integrity of your saved Color Palette. If you don’t do it this way, you will have to get back to this step and do it again. This is a good time to save the package, for safety.
Now that you only have the first swatch left, click on the Warehouse tab at the top left directly above the preview pane.
MAKE YOUR CHANGES
This next part details for a CASPart project as it’s makeup, but you could see something different if you’re updating a different type of project. For example, with walls, you’ll possibly be changing something in the 3 Material Definition lines.
I am changing the CompostionMethod line from 4 to 0. If I were to do this manually for this particular project, and not use this simplified method, I would have to change it on every swatch in the original package, so 31 times! If I were also changing another line, like the Sort Layer, this would require a total of 62 entries.
This is another good time to Save your project.
BRING BACK THE COLOR PALETTE
Now it’s time to bring back your color palette. Click on Tools>Color Palette again.
1. Then click on the name of the one you saved. For this example, it’s FROSTIES.
2. Then, click on Apply Palette to Package
3. Close that window.
Now you can see that all of your color swatches are back! We just need to bring back in the diffuse (texture) files. So, bring up the Cheat Console again by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+C, same as you would in game.
Type studio.importall in the console and OK. Again, this may take a moment. Be patient, it’s worth it!
Once that’s done, click on any one of your swatches to confirm the diffuse files (textures) have been brought back in.
In case of a rare file corruption or glitch, or to make sure you did it right, it’s good practice to check both the textures in the Studio tab and that your changes have been applied in the Warehouse tab every time you use this method. You only need to check one or two swatches and you’ll see everything is done.
SAVE
All that’s left is to save the package, put it in your Mods folder, and you’re finished!
The purpose of this tutorial is to help creators and simmers alike simplify and speed up how to change information in the Warehouse tab in Sims 4 Studio for multiple swatches, especially if you have more than one section that needs adjusting, like Composition Method and Sort Layer for CAS items.
So, let’s say you’ve created an entire package with 15 swatches and have saved your package. Then you realize, OMG I forgot to change something in Warehouse mode and now have to go in and change each swatch separately. (cue dramatic music)
I don’t recommend this for only a few swatches, though, because, while helpful, this is not a one shot process, but it will save time for those packages with several swatches that require fixing/changing in the Warehouse tab.
For the purposes of this tutorial, I am using the example of changing the Composition Method in a lipstick with 31 swatches from 4 to 0. It is entirely possible to make multiple changes using this process. Literally anything in the Warehouse tab that you need to change and have applied to multiple swatches can be done.
Note: Sims 4 Studio already allows for changing information in the Studio tab on multiple swatches. This is only helpful for Warehouse mode.
I have also used this method to change the diffuse ratio on a set of walls that were supposed to be three panels wide for a wallpaper mural, and forgot until after all of my swatches were in and the package was saved. This would normally have to be done 3 times for every swatch, so the work is tripled! Multiply that by 20 swatches and you can see it’s just too much. I could have started over with a new package, but then I would have to change the catalog name, price, any categories like color and whether it’s paint or wallpaper, ambience effects, if it reduces bills, bring in all the diffuse (texture) files (there’s a trick for bringing in new diffuse files as well, all in one shot btw, but that's another story), and possibly more! With makeup and clothes, or buy mode objects, there are even more categories to be sure match your project.
To simplify, you’ll be saving your color palette, exporting your texture files, changing whatever is necessary in the Warehouse tab, and re-importing your textures. There are a few more steps involved, but everything is explained here in detail with pictures.
Rest assured, it takes a while to read this tutorial, but once you do it a few times, you will complete the entire process very quickly!
Here we go!
-------------
REQUIRED PROGRAM: SIMS 4 STUDIO
OPEN YOUR PACKAGE
Open Sims 4 Studio and bring up your package by clicking on My Projects, and locating the package. Or, just go to the package location and click on the package.
I’m changing the Composition method for a lipstick package, as mentioned. I have 31 swatches in this particular package, and I really don’t want to have to change them all separately.
If you’re not already in the Studio tab, click on that now. Sims 4 Studio remembers what tab you were under in your most recent previously opened package. Mine was in the Warehouse tab so I need to click on the Studio tab.
NOTE: While it’s not strictly necessary to change what tab you’re under until you’re ready to make changes, I find it helps me stay focused to be under the tab that relates to my current action.
EXPORTING THE SWATCHES
Sims 4 Studio has so many amazing features, it’s mind boggling. We’ll need to use a few of them for this process.
Now that you’re in the Studio tab, bring up the Cheat Console. This has been designed to be easy to remember by using the same command as in game by typing CTRL+SHIFT+C
In the Cheat Console popup, type studio.exportall and be patient while Sims 4 Studio exports the package files.
This may take a moment, as Sims 4 Studio is exporting all the mesh, normal maps, specular maps, and diffuse files (aka textures) into a specially named folder, which matches your package with the addition of the word Resources. This step is important because shortly, when you import the files back in, they have to be named correctly and in order, and they have to be in the specific folder created by exporting the files.
Once this is done, you should get a window popping up with the location of the folder. It will be in the same location as your package.
SAVE THE COLOR PALETTE
Next, it’s time to save your color palette. This is so you don’t have to manually add the swatches back in and click on them to change the colors to match the textures again, etc.
Click on Tools at the top left of Sims 4 Studio, then click on Color Palette.
Once you get the popup where you can save your color palette, click on Add in the bottom left corner, and Name your Palette. Make it so that you can easily figure out which palette you need when the time calls for it. My lipstick is called Frosties, so that’s what I named my color palette.
Now click on the blue Import Palette button and Sims 4 Studio will populate the swatches. Click on the green Save button in the bottom right corner of the popup and close this window.
REMOVE ALL SWATCHES BUT KEEP THE FIRST ONE
Next, you will remove all your swatches except the first one. To do this, click on the 2nd swatch in your package, and click Remove Swatch until they’re all gone. You will be left with the first swatch (which cannot be deleted using that button when it’s the only one left). Keeping the first swatch helps to maintain the integrity of your saved Color Palette. If you don’t do it this way, you will have to get back to this step and do it again. This is a good time to save the package, for safety.
Now that you only have the first swatch left, click on the Warehouse tab at the top left directly above the preview pane.
MAKE YOUR CHANGES
This next part details for a CASPart project as it’s makeup, but you could see something different if you’re updating a different type of project. For example, with walls, you’ll possibly be changing something in the 3 Material Definition lines.
I am changing the CompostionMethod line from 4 to 0. If I were to do this manually for this particular project, and not use this simplified method, I would have to change it on every swatch in the original package, so 31 times! If I were also changing another line, like the Sort Layer, this would require a total of 62 entries.
This is another good time to Save your project.
BRING BACK THE COLOR PALETTE
Now it’s time to bring back your color palette. Click on Tools>Color Palette again.
1. Then click on the name of the one you saved. For this example, it’s FROSTIES.
2. Then, click on Apply Palette to Package
3. Close that window.
Now you can see that all of your color swatches are back! We just need to bring back in the diffuse (texture) files. So, bring up the Cheat Console again by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+C, same as you would in game.
Type studio.importall in the console and OK. Again, this may take a moment. Be patient, it’s worth it!
Once that’s done, click on any one of your swatches to confirm the diffuse files (textures) have been brought back in.
In case of a rare file corruption or glitch, or to make sure you did it right, it’s good practice to check both the textures in the Studio tab and that your changes have been applied in the Warehouse tab every time you use this method. You only need to check one or two swatches and you’ll see everything is done.
SAVE
All that’s left is to save the package, put it in your Mods folder, and you’re finished!
