Hey, I'm a noob trying to figure out how to add a new recipe with CCLoader. At icemunmun's recommendation, I read through this thread regarding custom plants. I've also picked through this one from 2012 toward custom foods. And I've tried to pick through some of icemunmun's .package files to get examples.

I'm hoping some of you patient gurus like Arsil are still lurking around here to help me out.

So... where am I?

Here's my almost-read CCLoader XML:



Here are my questions so far. I'm only halfway through the Cannabis (hah) thread, so some of them are probably answered there.

1. What is the Skill_Chunk?

2. Where are the foodEat and foodServe functions defined? Do we need to write scripts for foodEatEscargot#full someplace?

3. If I want to be able to purchase the recipe at the bookstore, do I need to define a book for it?

4. Can I define specifics of the cooking animation, like putting snails on the cutting board?

5. Is there anything obviously wrong that you see?

That doesn't even get to the point where I'm meshing anything....

To answer your questions:

1. Skill chunk is just the skill gain with each recipe i.e, how much cooking skill you increase while cooking the recipe.

2. foodEat and foodServe are the meshes required.The thread I linked to explains how to extract the meshes and change their instance IDs.Either you can manually extract the required packages from fullbuild.0 and fullbuild.2 ( for the imgs) or you can use the dummy package.

3. For recipe books you need to define books in the recipe package in CCLoader.

4. You can change the cooking specifics by modifing Cooking.xml process.But its a very tedious process!

5. The Xml seems fine at a first glance.

If you want to make escargots without changing the meshes you need to clone it from some similar looking food like for example cookies.Advantage of using cookies : i) Nice round shape which will be easy to retexture.
ii) The Dish will be baked
Disadvantage of using Cookies: Only available under desserts.
You should look at all the dishes in game and decide which mesh fits escargot best and use it.

Got it. It's interesting to see that some recipes in the master list have very small skill chunks. It never occurred to me that different recipes would build your cooking skill more slowly. Huh.



Oh! This clears up something huge. They looked like method names, so I just assumed that's what they were. That explains why I lost the thread of the explanation on the cannabis thread too. I had such a strong misconception that I didn't get what I was reading.

Woot.



OK, so that's at the bottom of my priority list for now.



Both of those look good. Escargot is a baked dish, and snails are roundish. Usually the snails are served in the shells.



The CCLoader XML includes definition of which meals it's for, right? Can't I define that separately?

I'm no French cooking expert, but at restaurants in the US, it's served as an appetizer. I'm planning to put it under Dinner. Though I have Twoftmama's Meals Anytime mod, and I don't really like being restricted as to when I can cook something anyway.

I have to say that I'm very impressed that you worked all this out, Icemunmun. I have the thread open, and I'm studying it as I have free time, and the understanding builds painfully slowly.

So here's a bit I'm unclear on. This cannabis plant thread so far only refers to OOC, s3pe, and an ID-generator by douglasviega. How does this combine with the work done by CCLoader?

Sorry for answeing late.I was doing some objects for sims 4 and work was a bit busy.

The xml in CCLoader defines the meshes ( foodeat etc).IID generator is used to generate the iid of the custom food name mesh (foodeatescargot).You replace the old iid of the extracted meshes with the new generated iid using S3OC and s3pe.
I suggest that you first start with an ingredient or plant and then move onto recipes as recipes a bit harder at first.I started that way and it took me less than a few hours to get it to work.So definitely easier.First write the xml for the plant and then the ingredient xml .
Next step extract the meshes and then replace the custom iids.

No problem! I read this days ago, and I'm still working on it in my spare time. I feel like I'm close. I just wanted you to know that I read your answer, and I'm still on this project!

OOOOK. I read through all the threads and tested, debugged, discovered what I missed, lather, rinse, repeat.

I have something that is at least generating CCLoader errors. Heh.

My brain is full, and I need to take a break for a day or two. I think I'm still missing something important. If you have time, would you be willing to look at my draft? Here it is.

Whoops. Here it is.

I created it again from scratch, and I still get two null object exceptions.

Trying to translate from Arsil's thread, I did this:

1. Copy down his dummy OBJ for cloning purposes.

2. Open FullBuild0.package in s3pe, filter on "Cookies." This gets me the foodCookCookies, foodEatCookies, and foodServeCookies VPXYs.

3. Double-click each of the VPXYs, click "Copy RK." Open the dummy OBJ in s3pe. Right-click OBJK, Add TIG, click Paste RK. Save. Check Model, select AssetResourceName (there's only one). Save as new package. Close.

4. For each of the three dummy packages I just created, Open in s3oc. Clone. Check Create Close Package, Find Missing Resources, Renumber/rename.

5 For each of the three cloned packages, open in s3pe, double-click MODL, drag-select instance, copy. Close. Open in s3oc. Select Tools->Replace ResourceKey. Uncheck Search Instance, paste the copied instance. Uncheck Replace Instance, hash with DouglasVeiga's ModelInstanceKey generator the applicable model name (foodEatEscargot, etc.). Paste hash into Replace Instance. Replace. Save. Close.

[Edit] 5.1 Open the three cloned packages in S3PE again. Sort by Instance. Double-click MODL and all entries that share its Instance. Paste in the Instance generated by ModlInstanceKey, the same one you just changed to using s3oc. The entries you changed should be MODL, MLOD (if it exists), and VPXY.

6. Run CCLoader_Generator. Modify Recipes.xml and Books.xml by copying the Cookies recipe from the applicable entries in GameplayData.package and modifying them. Modify the CCL378632913.xml as per the comment instructions.

7. Create new package in s3pe. Drag in all three foodEat packages. Drag in 3 xml packages. Drag in the S3SA file created by CCLoader_Generator. Save package.

8. Test.

Can you see what I'm missing??

I am at work for next 24 hours...I will check it and get back to you soon!

Edit: After step 5 , you need to replace the instance of the modl,mlod and vpxy with the the new hashed instance in S3PE too.

Thank you for checking in.

EDIT: You're right about the step after #5 in my list. I checked, and I did do that.

EDIT2: Did you say you'd be at work for TWENTY-FOUR HOURS??

I had a breakthrough! Now I'm loading a recipe with no name. It requires the correct skill level and ingredients, but I can't try to make it because like a fool I created a recipe that requires Snails, and Snails are not buyable from the fridge. I'll have to edit it for testing purposes. But for the moment, it would be nice to have an idea why my recipe has no name.

Here's the current version:

BTW: I was getting the null object exceptions because I was renaming the files generated by CCLoader_Generator. All the comments say MUST be unique, so I assumed that the generated file names wouldn't be unique. Apparently you shouldn't rename them.

EDIT: The blank name has something to do with STBLs, doesn't it? I forgot about the STBLs. Now that I've remembered, I still am unclear what to do with them. I used Cmar's Easy STBL Manager linked to in the cannabis thread to edit my package and add English strings to the two options available, but that didn't help. I was sure that would do it. Huh.

(Meanwhile, for testing purposes, I changed Snails to Onion. I guess I need to add a Snail spawner to a pond on my test lot and teach someone to fish. )

We frequently work 24 hour shifts since we were intetns so its not a big deal anymore.And then its Diwali today and tomorrow

You need not touch the generated file names as you have already found out.
You need to edit the stbl using S3PE and the use cmar's tool to generate the other language strings.I suggest that you use NRaas untranslated key for testing purposes.Have you assigned the correct strings for recipes.
Gameplay/Excel/RecipeMasterList/Data:.....
I am so sorry I cannot check your package out right now as I have no acess to my pc at the moment.(Work followed by Diwali at parent's house)

You're a medical intern? Is that right?

Enjoy Diwali! I'll still be here .

I succeeded in baking unnamed garlic and onion cookies! So this is getting really close to working. Of course, I haven't done anything to make them look like escargot yet. If I can't get the STBL to work, I can always work on that part.

I was an intern 5 years ago...now I am a doctor

Congrats getting this far!
For stbl:
1)open your package with s3pe----> add stbl entry ( resource----> add )
2) Right click on the newly created stbl entry and edit stbl----> new window pops up
3) Write in the input box: Gameplay/Excel/RecipeMasterList/Data:yourRecipeKey and click add
4) On the right hand box write your recipe name (Escargot) corresponding to the previous entry.

To make them look like escargot you can just retexture the img file in the foodEat and foodServe packages

THANK YOU.

It never occurred to me to just add a STBL resource myself.

What should to the Instance be for the new STBL?

The group will be 0. Name the stbl then hash it to get the instance then replace the first 2 digits with 00.

Does the STBL's name need to be anything in particular? I called it EscargotName, but upon testing I still have the black name.

To recap, I:
1. Created a STBL (Resource->Add, select STBL as Type)
2. Entered EscargotName in the Name field
3. Clicked FNV64 to hash. (Picked randomly; there's also FNV32 I could try)
4. Hashing the name got me 0xB5802302F9B9F818. I changed the first 2 digits to make 0x00802302F9B9F818. Click OK.
5. Right-click new STBL. Select Edit STBL. Paste Gameplay/Excel/RecipeMasterList/Data:Escargot into nameless field at bottom. Click Add. Click in right-hand window. Type Escargot. Click Save.

Tried again with the STBL name just Escargot in case I'm making it hard for myself by choosing distinct names. No go.

The steps seems alright.Install NRaas Untranslated key and see what string you are getting for the recipe.

You are awesome. Thanks. I never knew what Untranslated Key did, even though I read the description.

So the lesson is that the book STBL name is Gameplay/Excel/Books/BookRecipe:Escargot. I thought I bought the book AND read it to learn the recipe each time to be sure I tested both strings, but apparently no. The recipe string works just fine with a STBL name of Gameplay/Excel/RecipeMasterList/Data:Escargot.

Now.... woo... Gotta get on that texturing.

Booyeah! I have onion and garlic cookies, they're called Escargot, and they have snail shells painted on them really badly!

Do not mock. This is my first time texturing ever .

Now I have to sleep. Better texturing soon.

It does bug me that I the foodCookCookies image in the package doesn't seem to be used. I can search for its Instance, and S3PE claims that it's referenced by the foodCookCookies MODL. But changes to it don't do anything. Thus, they go into the oven as chocolate chip cookies, come out as nicely browned chocolate chip cookies, and then transform on the plate into snail shells.

Congrats on getting it to work

OK, I just can't seem to dig myself out of this CC-making hole. You said there was a time-consuming way to change the cutting board and retexture the cooking models?

It looks like there's an XML resource in GameplayData.package for each recipe. It contains CookingProcess tags. And foods also have two more MODLs in FullBuild0.package -- foodCookX and foodBakeX (I'm only looking at baked foods). So perhaps it's as straightforward as adding an XML resource to the recipe package and cloning objects from the other two VPXYs?

I meant that writing the cooking process xml is pretty tedious.It has lots of variables.Since I like to make lots of new recipes,writing the cooking process xml is going to be the death of me!
There are actually foodPrep ,foodCook , foodBake,foodEat,foodServe modls.I had tried to just clone and retexture them but it did not seem to have much effect.Also did not have anymore time to experiment.
If you can experiment further and see where it leads to, it will be awesome!

Ha! Well, you make a LOT of recipes. Right now I'm just trying to do one .

Have you made a CookingProcess xml that worked? I have your Spring Recipes and Spooky Cookies, but I don't see an XML resource for process in either of them. The process XML names the MODLs in the same way the RecipeMasterList entries do. I assumed that I could clone foodCook and foodBake the same way we do foodEat and foodServe.

EDIT: foodPrepCookies seems to be just a _RIG, FTPT, and LITE. I don't know how I'd even clone that. It's labeled as the big bowl contents in the CookingProcess XML, and I don't see where you'd need a new model for that. Seems like it's just the texture of the bowl contents.

EDIT2: OK, I did the first pass thing and failed.

1. Exported Cookies.xml from GamePlayData.package, rename it CCL378632913_Escargot.xml to match the naming convention of the stuff generated by CCLoader_Generator, and changed the XML based on other CookingProcess examples found in GamePlayData.package.

2. Changed references to the foodCookCookies MODL to foodCookEscargot.

3. Drag Escargot recipe package. Double-click new resource and hash an ID for it using FNV64. I checked, and this matched the IDs CCLoader_Generator was using.

4. Drag in foodCookEscargot.package I cloned and hashed new IDs for earlier when I thought it would be used.

5. Test.

Nothing.

I didn't change the CCL378632913.xml generated by CCLoader_Generator, though, because I assumed that if the CCLoader mod could read the CookingProcess XML, it would have been mentioned. Seems like I still need a way to tell the game to use my CookingProcess XML resource.

So.... you indicated that you'd modified a CookingProcess? Any tips?

EDIT3: Oh yeah. Recipe_Class still specifies Cookies. I changed that to Escargot. THAT had an awesome effect -- a cutting board with little black placeholder balls for all the slots. Clearly it's still not reading the CookingProcess XML.

EDIT4: Well, I'll be danged. I got it! The name of the XML resource has to be exactly Escargot, and the ID the FNV64 hash of that. It uses the foodCookEscargot model too!

We totally should build a tutorial for this.