I am a builder and have published several lots on TSR. Now I have a persistent pattern bug that I can't figure out or get rid of.

When I build a lot that I intend to publish, I build the lot using my current game build. By current game build, I mean I have all my mods installed, and about 2000+ custom content files installed. All the patterns I have installed are from TSR. All the custom content used is only from .sims3packs. I do not install other lots in my current game build so I know the only content installed is that which I've installed using the launcher.

Then I test the lot in a vanilla game. By vanilla game, I mean removing the "The SIms 3" file from the "Electronic Arts" folder, then allowing the Launcher to rebuild the "The Sims 3" file with no custom content installed. I use a vanilla-build game to install the lot I'm testing, then place that lot in Sunset Valley in the vanilla game and play it. So: my lot is the only thing installed along with the custom content packaged with it.

Here's the problem:

1. Using my current game build, I built a lot from scratch. I used custom content objects, but no custom patterns. I exported this lot and re-imported it into a vanilla game as explained above. Result: Every pattern in the re-imported lot/vanilla game is exactly like it is when I exported the lot. So far so good.

2. I replaced my current game build and went back to the saved game where I created the lot. I then used 3 custom patterns on various objects in the lot. Both game-installed objects and custom content objects. I again exported the lot and re-installed it in vanilla game. Result: Everywhere I used a cc pattern, the pattern displayed on the object is only one of the three patterns that I used. Meaning that in every instance where I used one of the 3 custom patterns, it only uses one pattern as if I had used only that pattern when updating the lot. The other two patterns are entirely disregarded. THIS IS A PROBLEM.

3. I looked carefully at the vanilla game install. In CASt, the pick list shows the three patterns installed as custom content with the correct thumbnail images and under the correct category. But wherever I have used either of the 2 disregarded patterns, in CASt the channel that has the pattern on it has the thumbnail image of the third pattern. It will let me change the pattern to the one I wanted it to be. Obviously this is a problem because I have to do all the recolor work twice. And I don't know if this glitch will occur on other downloaders' machines.

4. I opened the exported lot's .Sims3Pack file in CUSTARD and I can see that the three separate patterns are packaged with the lot (plus, they are getting installed so that they show up right in CASt after installing the lot as explained above).

5. I opened each .package file that is the installed pattern in S3PE to look at the key values. All the key values seem to be recorded correctly (that is, all the numbers correspond with the IID's and there are no spaces in the numbers). The key values for each pattern are unique so there is no way of mistaking one pattern for another if the game code is reading the key values from these files.

Though I have built and published many lots, this problem has never come up before. The patterns I have installed are all from TSR and are all patterns that I have used successfully in other lots before. Because of that I don't think it is a corrupt pattern file.

This happens every time I use more than one cc pattern in a lot. If I use only one cc pattern in a lot, and the rest are all game pattern recolors, the problem seems to not occur. I'm thinking the problem is just not visible unless more than one cc pattern is included in the lot.

So either I have to not use cc patterns in my lots, or I have to use only one cc pattern in my lot so there will be no apparent "overwriting" of patterns, or... I have to have an answer to this problem. Can anyone help me? I don't know why the installed lot defaults to one of the cc patterns packaged with it, when tested on a vanilla game build. This is only affecting objects with the cc patterns assigned to them. Built-in game patterns and recolors are not affected.

TIA for any help. I absolutely can't publish anything until this is solved.

- trin303

I have been making lots for my world lately and they are CC free, but several month ago I had the same problem. I just assumed it was something EA had done. I didn't take the time to check it out as you have. Making patterns are done in two different ways on TSR as I know, the EA pattern tool and TSR workshop. That may be worth checking out. Have you been in contact with the creator?

I also had another creator asking me the same question on youtube, and that came up because I had the patterns to follow, but they didn't appear in the house I downloaded. I wasn't the only one having that problem with his lot.

Yes, making patterns is done two different ways. The three I've included in the lot are all woods, created by the same designer, and all with Create-A-Pattern. This is confirmed on the 3 pattern's Notes which the designer has added, on the download pages. But in my current game build I have TSR patterns built both with CAP and TSR.

No, I haven't contacted the designer of the patterns. As I stated above, I don't think this is a corrupt pattern problem. The problem actually happens when I export the lot, or when I install it in the vanilla game. I think this because in my current game build, there is no pattern corruption at all. It's only in the vanilla game that the problem is evident. I just don't know which process is causing it - the export from the current game build, or the import to the vanilla game. Without knowing that I don't know how to research any other sources of potentially bad files such as Thumbnail or Cache files, in either current game build or vanilla game build.

I have more details on this problem and screenshots too. I will write it up and post. Maybe that will trigger something. Thanks!

I've noticed something else regarding this pattern overwrite problem. It seems that the CASt channels are not showing the same pattern that the actual object is showing.

In screenshot 1, the first channel for the object is the active one. You can see that the pattern on the channel thumbnail and the pattern that is highlighted (in white) in the pick list are not the same pattern. It should be that the one in the pick list is the one on the channel thumbnail, and the one displayed on the object.

In screenshot 2, the second channel for the object is the active one. Here again the pattern on the channel thumbnail and the pattern that is highlighted in the pick list are not the same. But although the highlighted pattern is the correct one that should show for the displayed object, the thumbnail has defaulted to what appears to be a grey metallic pattern which is not in the pick list at all (it's not an installed wood). And the pattern displayed on the object is missing (pasty white texture on object).

Can anybody identify what is causing this? Remember that this is a vanilla game install, and the lot .Sims3Pack is packaging the three separate patterns correctly. And also, in the current game build, where I have built the lot, the CASt and the object all show the right patterns in the right places.

Thanks everyone.

UPDATE: I've installed this lot on a vanilla game build on another machine. Same exact results. So it's not my EA game install build. It's definitely happening when the lot is exported.