The future of my tutorials

Sul Sul 👋

I've been working on a desktop app (for Mac and Windows) that will combine as many of my tutorials and overhauls as possible into an easy-to-use interface.

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Phase 1 (overhauls)

The app will manage the following files:

• GraphicsRules.sgr
• Ts4CommonRules.sgr
• Default.ini
• Options.ini
• Camera.ini
• VideoCamera.ini

There's 2 huge benefits to this:

1. Customising values in these files will be as simple as dragging a slider for the relevant settings, there will be a LOT more flexibility to this than SimpsSetters!
2. The app (while running) will watch for game updates by monitoring changes in the files. If a file is changed during an update the new values added by EA/Maxis will persist while the app re-applies your custom values.

I'm hoping to be done with phase 1 soon, it's a bit of a long process as I'm learning to make a desktop app while I make a desktop app (first time I've ever done this). It's working well in my tests so far but there's still a lot to do.

A beta version of the app will be available to Patrons first, once I have sufficient feedback I will make it available to the public -- I want everything to be perfect!

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Phase 2 (tutorials)

There's a few ideas here but it will really depend on how much of it is possible.

The one thing I'm certain I can do is cleaning caches, I'll have this setup to clear caches automatically after game updates but there will also be a button in the app to purge at any time you want with the ability to fine tune which caches get cleared.

All of my other tutorials rely on 3rd party software being installed and configured and until I look into it I'm not sure if it's possible. It might be for some and not for others but only time will tell.

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Phase 3 and beyond

As I get more familiar with making the app I'll keep expanding it and making it better. I can't even envisage what this might be yet but I'll constantly be on the lookout to improve.

I want to extend this to The Sims 3 as well!

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On a separate note, I've been in contact with another creator and we're going to try combine efforts to make something amazing -- I'll give more details about this in the future but lemme just say it's got the potential to be a game changer!