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ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 11th Jun 2022 at 10:37 AM Last edited by ScrawnyTreeDemon : 16th Jul 2022 at 5:40 PM.

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 2, University, Nightlife, Open for Business, Pets, Seasons, Bon Voyage, Free Time, Apartment Life
Default [SOLVED] BodyShop Won't Open, Any Alternatives?
This is my first time posting here, so bear with me.

My neighbourhood is corrupted, so I've elected to go through the process of extracting all my Sims' appearances, in the hopes of cloning them. The issue is, is that no matter what I do, BodyShop will not open. Again, and again, I have used the correct version, taken out some of my CC, all of my CC, ran it through compatibility mode again, and again, and again, until my brain turned to sludge. It has been an exhausting endeavour, when all I want to do is to remake the hood I love.

Are there any ways to clean the extracted appearances otherwise? Though unlikely, are there any alternatives to BodyShop? Would such a thing even be possible? I ask this because it is endlessly frustrating that a program which shipped with the game can be so unreliable.

Cheers.
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Peni Griffin
Mad Poster
#2 Old 11th Jun 2022 at 12:57 PM
If either the game or BodyShop doesn't open, the first thing to do is to delete the cache files, which you don't mention doing. Have you done this?

Most of the time, if you open the sims 2 folder, you will find the groups.cache and accessories.cache sitting there outside of all the subfolders. The game generates them as a handy reference full of frequently-accessed information to make things go a little faster, like a post-it note stuck to the side of your computer screen with info you'll need today scribbled on it. But, like that post-it note, over time (which varies a great deal from system to system), the cache files will get overwritten to the point of illegibility and have to be replaced; and Bodyshop and the game, although they reference the same cache files, don't seem to be able to use them the same way, and the program gets bewildered and can't even open if it can't cope with the cache files. So you delete them and the programs make new ones next time they save.

Usually I find it's enough to delete the groups.cache if the game won't open, but when switching between Bodyshop and the game i delete both simply because it's sometimes necessary and it takes so long to even be sure Bodyshop is thinking about opening that it's less tedious to do them both at once.

Bodyshop will also generate other new files in the same place, which in my experience will prevent my game from opening: cigen.package and, oh, I forget the other. Since the cache files are the only things in my game outside of subfolders, I just open The Sims 2 file and delete the files sitting in there loose that generated the day I opened Bodyshop.

I have myself played corrupted hoods for years without any major difficulties, because each case of corruption is unique and the degree of severity varies a great deal. The occasional strange want can be played around. It's only when cats behave and distort their forms trying to be humaniform, sims start disappearing, random crashing becomes unbearable, or the hood itself disappears, that I personally consider a neighborhood unplayable. So you may as well play a bit while you're sorting it out and give yourself some relief, maybe?

Anyway, good luck and happy simming.
Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Justpetro
Mad Poster
#3 Old 11th Jun 2022 at 1:11 PM
simmer22
Mad Poster
#4 Old 11th Jun 2022 at 2:10 PM
"Cigen.package" - has the Bodyshop thumbnails (can be useful to keep if you find Bodyshop loads the thumbnails slowly, especially if you have lots of CAS content, and it isn't always necessary to delete. You can delete individual thumbnails from it in SimPE if you just want to refresh a few, although they can be difficult to find).

"Contentregistry" - I usually delete this one if I've created something.

---

Are you using the proper version of Bodyshop? Make sure it's the one in the highest EP folder (or in the M&G folder).

If you're running with Windows 10, compatibility mode might not work (especially if you're using the 4GB patch). If your game needed to get to know your graphic card and all that, Bodyshop likely needs to go through the same process - GraphicRules and 4GB patch at the minimum (in the "TSData\Res\CSConfig" and "CSBin" folder, highest EP or M&G).
ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 11th Jun 2022 at 8:00 PM
Ahh, forgot to specify! But yeah, I clean my cache regularly-- Did so several times in between opening attempts, too. It helps in dealing game crashes(though I suspect those are due to bad custom content, which I'll have to look through sometime), but it hasn't done anything to help BodyShop. In turn, while I know I'll probably manage for a good while longer, at the same time I do want to deal with it now. I've been putting it off for awhile now, as-is.

Yeah, I use the M&G version; it's what I mean by the 'correct' version. Thank you for the pointers on compatibility! Makes sense, with that accounted. Another issue has cropped up, though, and that is that GRM is seemingly convinced BodyShop is in the same folder as the game when I select specifically for it in the dropdown-- Which it is not(it's in CSBin, as expected), and when I tell it otherwise, it can't detect it, even when I go in there and browse myself. It won't show up.

As for Justpetro's addition, thank you! It's yet to have an effect yet, but fingers crossed if I can get GRM to work, it'll help

Thank you all for you responses. Here's hoping we can get to the bottom of this.

---

UPDATE!

It ran in the background for a few seconds, instead of not starting at all, which is certainly an improvement. If anything comes of this, I will let you all know.
simmer22
Mad Poster
#6 Old 11th Jun 2022 at 8:15 PM
If you have a lot of CC, it often takes a while for Bodyshop to start up. Run Task manager and find Bodyshop in the list, to see if it's actually running.

Alternatively, temporarily move out your CC, clean the cache, and then run Bodyshop - it will run a lot faster and won't crash on startup in case you've got some bad CC lurking around that's making it do so.

Try copy/replacing the fixed GraphicRules file from the Config folder to the CSConfig folder (assuming the one in your Config folder is set up properly). That solves the "GRM can't find Bodyshop" issue.
ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#7 Old 12th Jun 2022 at 7:03 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
If you have a lot of CC, it often takes a while for Bodyshop to start up. Run Task manager and find Bodyshop in the list, to see if it's actually running.

Alternatively, temporarily move out your CC, clean the cache, and then run Bodyshop - it will run a lot faster and won't crash on startup in case you've got some bad CC lurking around that's making it do so.

Try copy/replacing the fixed GraphicRules file from the Config folder to the CSConfig folder (assuming the one in your Config folder is set up properly). That solves the "GRM can't find Bodyshop" issue.


I've looked through, and while sometimes it starts up, it's never for more than a few seconds in the background. There's no crashing, it just never gets past that first stage. Did move the CC out and cleared that scrap of cache while I tried the next step, though.

Did as you suggested, though I think I realise there wasn't any problem in that regard-- It's just that you're not meant to delve into subfolders specifically. The same "issue" would crop up if I attempted it with the main game in TSBin, and that works just fine as is(I hope I'm making sense?). Applied the 4GB patch manually, too.

All this to say that... I still can't get it to run. This is driving me to my wits' end. Again, thank you for your help-- Let's see if we can figure this out.

I know this is a more speculative question, but has anybody tried, or is it even possible to have a community-made alternative to BodyShop, considering we don't have the source code? Hell, for my purposes, a full mirror wouldn't be necessary, just something that can clean the exported appearances.

Cheers.
simmer22
Mad Poster
#8 Old 12th Jun 2022 at 2:19 PM
Have you run your game after trying Bodyshop? If not, can you post your Config-Log from the Logs folder in the Documents location? It could give some clues as to why Bodyshop isn't running (it's enough to post Application info down to where Global Properties starts. Make sure the Application info says "Name: The Sims 2 Body Shop" - if it doesn't, try running Bodyshop again - doesn't matter if it doesn't want to run, it's just to get the file to pick up the info from Bodyshop and not from the game)
ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#9 Old 13th Jun 2022 at 6:54 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Have you run your game after trying Bodyshop? If not, can you post your Config-Log from the Logs folder in the Documents location? It could give some clues as to why Bodyshop isn't running (it's enough to post Application info down to where Global Properties starts. Make sure the Application info says "Name: The Sims 2 Body Shop" - if it doesn't, try running Bodyshop again - doesn't matter if it doesn't want to run, it's just to get the file to pick up the info from Bodyshop and not from the game)


Had to do some finicking around with my GraphicsRules(DirectX error because I logged my graphics card, lmao), ended up applying the fix for that, and that actually ended up getting it to a point where it could start. It still ended up crashing, but hey! Tried again first without the Build items(of which the bad CC is probably a part), and then all the CC, but the crash still happened.

Here's the section of that log, BodyShop as you specified:



Again, thank you so much! We're finally getting somewhere!
simmer22
Mad Poster
#10 Old 13th Jun 2022 at 7:05 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 13th Jun 2022 at 7:15 PM.
I meant everything above "Global properties" (Application info, Machine Info, graphic device info, etc.)

The info below "Global Properties" is just various properties/cheats enabled for your game via the GraphicRules or UserStartup files.

Are you editing the GraphicRules file in Config or CSConfig?
The one in CSConfig is the one that controls the info for Bodyshop.
ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#11 Old 13th Jun 2022 at 7:59 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
I meant everything above "Global properties" (Application info, Machine Info, graphic device info, etc.)

The info below "Global Properties" is just various properties/cheats enabled for your game via the GraphicRules or UserStartup files.

Are you editing the GraphicRules file in Config or CSConfig?
The one in CSConfig is the one that controls the info for Bodyshop.


Ahh, okay! Here that is:



CSConfig GR has the same data as Config GR, so yes.

Ran into a glitch that, thankfully, wasn't graphical as I feared but had to do with an innocuous cache clearing setting in my launcher - But I bring it up because it's added to the stress. Trying to hold out hope, but yeah... What alot of toil for one application.

Can't use GRM to edit my GR file anymore, all because I enabled recognition for my card in the 'Device Info' section. Anytime I save the file, it makes it so that the game runs into a DirectX9 error-- What a fucking pain. I don't know why. It was perfectly fine before. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling, but the recognition remained. It makes enabling all the options I need that much more difficult, and I can only imagine it's adding to it.

Seriously, I'm sorry if this grating you. Your patience is astounding. I feel like I'm running to my wits' end, here, having to run around in circles over, and over again, only for more shit to show up. I'm exhausted.
simmer22
Mad Poster
#12 Old 13th Jun 2022 at 9:07 PM
Do you have dual graphics, or just the intel chip?

Don't pick "do not force" for texture memory, but make sure it says a number (auto-detects your settings) - apparently the "do not force" can cause the Dirextx9 bug. For the game, windowed mode can help (Bodyshop is already windowed, so it shouldn't have that problem).

You can also try to set the max resolution for Bodyshop to 1920x1080.

The "Disable texture memory estimate adjustment" box could be helpful to tick, too (it ihelps for Nvidia cards, used to be a bug in the GRM that caused pink-soup/crashing, even in Bodyshop - not sure if it helps for Intel chips, though)
ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#13 Old 13th Jun 2022 at 9:41 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Do you have dual graphics, or just the intel chip?

Don't pick "do not force" for texture memory, but make sure it says a number (auto-detects your settings) - apparently the "do not force" can cause the Dirextx9 bug. For the game, windowed mode can help (Bodyshop is already windowed, so it shouldn't have that problem).

You can also try to set the max resolution for Bodyshop to 1920x1080.

The "Disable texture memory estimate adjustment" box could be helpful to tick, too (it ihelps for Nvidia cards, used to be a bug in the GRM that caused pink-soup/crashing, even in Bodyshop - not sure if it helps for Intel chips, though)


Just the one!

That fixed the game loadup, thank you! I already play my game in windowed, so that certainly helps.

BodyShop still opens, loads quickly, the bar gets almost a third of the way through, then crashes(even with cache cleared CC taken out). But! At least we have stable ground to go off of.
simmer22
Mad Poster
#14 Old 13th Jun 2022 at 10:27 PM
Does the computer/laptop only have 4GB RAM? That could explain some of the issues, especially if you're using Windows 10 (possibly also 11). The 4GB patch might not work very well unless you have 6GB or more.

Do you have any CC/mods in the install location, like recategorizers and such? If so, try without.
ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#15 Old 13th Jun 2022 at 11:05 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Does the computer/laptop only have 4GB RAM? That could explain some of the issues, especially if you're using Windows 10 (possibly also 11). The 4GB patch might not work very well unless you have 6GB or more.

Do you have any CC/mods in the install location, like recategorizers and such? If so, try without.


8 gigs, actually! 7.6 of them are usable, but it's more than enough.

I'll go ahead and do that... tomorrow. It's late, and I've had a long day, haha. I'm not sure it'll work, considering taking out the content did nothing but speed the bar filling, resulting in a crash all the same, but I get the sense we're running out of options.

Again, if there's a way to clean these extracted appearances via another method, I'll take it. Doesn't have to be pretty, just has to work. If for whatever reason someone out there decides to pick it up, I'll wait as long as I need.

Thank you again. It really means alot.
ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#16 Old 24th Jun 2022 at 6:11 PM
Returning several days later to say that that wouldn't have helped. I made a new, completely empty hood to play around for a bit, and I experienced *none* of the crashes and various bugs present in my main hood. It's just plain corrupted.

This isn't a bump, I'm saying this now, albeit very late, as means of further documentation.

I hate to ask, would it even be *possible* to have a third-party program capable of cleaning out extracted Sim appearances? Not does it exist, not if anyone has plans to do such a thing, but is it *possible*? Because if not, then I'm shit outta luck.

I want to thank everyone who contributed for the time and effort. This whole endeavour has been a real stumper, and my head hurts just thinking about it. What a pain.
ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#17 Old 16th Jul 2022 at 5:40 PM Last edited by ScrawnyTreeDemon : 16th Jul 2022 at 7:17 PM. Reason: Edit
Default Update!
I think I found the issue! For some reason, having the SavedSims folder is what crashes BodyShop. I don't know if it's because I created it, or the Sims in it are Jank™, but without it the program loads just fine. How weird.

Regardless how exactly I'm going to clone, what matters is that the program even works at all. I know I'm sounding like a broken record, but thank you again everyone who helped. I'll mark the thread as solved, as the main issue has been fixed.

Lots of love <3 <3 <3

Edit: looks to have been a case of too many at once. On top of that, apparently it's best to rename those generated .package files, as the names SimPE puts out can crash BodyShop. With that in mind, I am cloning just fine now. Thank goodness :P
simmer22
Mad Poster
#18 Old 16th Jul 2022 at 10:38 PM
Bodyshop should be able to create the SavedSims folder when you make sims or CC with it. If you made the folder or had something in it that Bodyshop didn't like, it's not too weird Bodyshop crashed. Bodyshop can be iffy with such things.

---

Make sure to clone the sims in Bodyshop after you extract them with SimPE, then remove the original extracted sims before you open your game, only keeping the clones. Otherwise you can risk corruption.

If you want to package sims for later use, make sure you package clones. If you package extracted sims they won't pull CC, and the packaged sim is the extracted one, which can potentially cause corruption in your game (or someone else's if you upload them).

The naming of extracted sims is apparently a bit spesific. I had some issues last time I tried extracting sims (I don't do it all that often). Can't remember exactly what caused the issue, but it had to do with how I'd named the extracted files. I think I found it worked fine to use the name of the sim, but using numbers in the front or other characters wasn't too agreeable. Probably has to do with how the neighborhood characters are named.
ScrawnyTreeDemon
Test Subject
Original Poster
#19 Old 18th Jul 2022 at 10:56 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Bodyshop should be able to create the SavedSims folder when you make sims or CC with it. If you made the folder or had something in it that Bodyshop didn't like, it's not too weird Bodyshop crashed. Bodyshop can be iffy with such things.

---

Make sure to clone the sims in Bodyshop after you extract them with SimPE, then remove the original extracted sims before you open your game, only keeping the clones. Otherwise you can risk corruption.

If you want to package sims for later use, make sure you package clones. If you package extracted sims they won't pull CC, and the packaged sim is the extracted one, which can potentially cause corruption in your game (or someone else's if you upload them).

The naming of extracted sims is apparently a bit spesific. I had some issues last time I tried extracting sims (I don't do it all that often). Can't remember exactly what caused the issue, but it had to do with how I'd named the extracted files. I think I found it worked fine to use the name of the sim, but using numbers in the front or other characters wasn't too agreeable. Probably has to do with how the neighborhood characters are named.


Yes, yes, I know all this-- Went into all this with that methodology. It's why I was so keen on getting the program to run in the first place-- Wouldn't do any good recreating the hood only for stray character data to fuck it all over again. No intent on packaging characters, but oh yeah, for sure. I always make sure to read up thoroughly before I try something-- You have to with this game.

Thank you for clarification on that! Yeah, I've settled on labelling them with the Sims' names too-- Solves that issue, and makes it easier to navigate.

Glad to put this behind me, thank god.
Airazor65
Instructor
#20 Old 26th Jul 2022 at 5:19 AM
SimRetriever can possibly help extract your sims.
simmer22
Mad Poster
#21 Old 26th Jul 2022 at 4:37 PM
^ That program is meant to retrieve sims from a corrupted neighborhood. You still need Bodyshop to clone them after getting as far as extracting them with SimPE. https://modthesims.info/d/503733/simretriever.html (read Mootilda's description)
Airazor65
Instructor
#22 Old 27th Jul 2022 at 2:22 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
^ That program is meant to retrieve sims from a corrupted neighborhood. You still need Bodyshop to clone them after getting as far as extracting them with SimPE. https://modthesims.info/d/503733/simretriever.html (read Mootilda's description)

Oh crap, you’re right. Would one be able to do it manually in SimPE, though? (It would be so tedious, however...)
simmer22
Mad Poster
#23 Old 27th Jul 2022 at 2:53 PM
If your sims aren't corrupted beyond SimPE's ability to read them, you don't need the extra program.

(Bodyshop is still needed, unfortunately - the sims you extract with SimPE are the actual character files, and these can potentially harm the game if you try using them as-is ingame, especially in a different neighborhood than they originally came from. When cloned in Bodyshop it extracts the face file and info about CAS items used, while any info about the actual sim is removed).
Airazor65
Instructor
#24 Old 28th Jul 2022 at 4:38 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
If your sims aren't corrupted beyond SimPE's ability to read them, you don't need the extra program.

(Bodyshop is still needed, unfortunately - the sims you extract with SimPE are the actual character files, and these can potentially harm the game if you try using them as-is ingame, especially in a different neighborhood than they originally came from. When cloned in Bodyshop it extracts the face file and info about CAS items used, while any info about the actual sim is removed).

Oh, I meant clearing out their memories and stuff manually through SimPE.
simmer22
Mad Poster
#25 Old 28th Jul 2022 at 6:07 PM
If you want a clone of the sims for use in CAS and Bodyshop, there's no need to clear out memories, etc. in SimPE. You just need to extract the sim with SimPE and then clone in bodyshop. The memory/family/etc. info won't follow the Bodyshop clone.

I don't know if it's possible (or in any way easy even if it is) to clear out all the info with SimPE and make a properly working face/sim file. Bodyshop is much easier since it makes a new file structure for the face file in a few easy steps anyone can follow.
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