Tutorial: Recreation/Linking of Resources

This tutorial is meant to modding  The Sims 3 into recreating resources without the inclusion of the originals.

This tutorial is valid for:

* Involves linking

_IMG 0x00B2D882 DDS Image (Texture)
GEOM 0x015A1849 Body Geometry (Mesh)
CASP* 0x034AEECB CAS Part
OBJD* 0x319E4F1D Object Definition
OBJK* 0x02DC343F Object Information
VPXY* 0x736884F1 Visual Proxy (Model Links)
MODL* 0x01661233 Object Geometry
MLOD* 0x01D10F34 Object Geometry LODs

(Others types might work as well, as the concept is the same, however they need further testing.)

Tools Required

s3pe
Text Editor (Linking-only)

Default Replacement (Recreation)

Description:	Default Replacement stands that resources will override the originals.
	In order for them to show up properly, they must be applied through the override method.

1. Open the package containing the original resources you want to override
2. Select the resources you want to override
3. Right-Click > Export > To file...
4. Select folder of where to Export the Files
5. Make your modifications (DO NOT alter the filenames)
6. Back in s3pe go to Menu: File > New
7. Menu: Resource > Import > From file...
8. Browse for the modified Files, Select them and click Open then Import
9. Menu: File > Save as...
10. Select the output folder and a filename and Save
11. Done. :)

Non-Default Replacement (Linking)

Description:

Non-Default Replacement stands that resources will not override the originals but recreate from them.

1. Open the package containing the resources
2. Select what you want to recreate
   If it's is a CAS Object, select as well the CASP resource
   If it's a Catalog Object, select as well the OBJD | OBJK | VPXY | MODL | MLOD resource
3. Write down all the resources Instance numbers, and what they represent
4. Select the folder of where to Export the Files
5. Make your modifications
6. Back in s3pe go to Menu: File > New
7. Menu: Resource > Import > From file...
8. Browse for the modified Files, Select them and click Open then Import
9. Now, you need to generate new unique hashes for each Instances:
   10. Menu: Tools > FNV Hash (Alternatively, press CTRL+F)
   11. In "Text to hash" you must put a unique text that is in according of each resource and Click Calculate:
       This hash represents the resource, and at least should follow a pattern so it can be "unique"
       Pattern Example: prefix_original_represents
       

       LinkingTutorial_Recreation_CASP

       LinkingTutorial_Recreation_Texture_Diffuse

       LinkingTutorial_Recreation_Texture_Specular

       (and so on...)
   12. You will need to take note of each hash generated in "FNV64" only as well what it represents originally;
   13. Now you have each new unique hash on hands...
       14. Double-Click each imported resource and change the Instances to each respective ones you generated
       15. Now, to put to use the old Instances I said for you to write down
           The concept in here is to replace every reference that links to the old one.
           You have to find the old ones you wrote and replace with the new ones:
           

           17. In case of OBJD | OBJK | VPXY | MODL | MLOD
               1. Select the resource and in the bottom bar Click "Grid"
               2. Select "TGIBlocks" (if OBJD | OBJK, otherwise "Resources") and click on the three-dotted button
               3. Find the old Instances and replace with the respective generated new ones
               4. Do it for every single one you can find
                  If you don't find one, it's linked on another resource
               5. Click Save, then Commit
           18. In case of CASP
               1. Select the resource and in the bottom bar Click "Grid"
               2. Select "TGIBlocks" and click on the three-dotted button
               3. Find the old Instances and replace with the respective generated new ones
               4. Do it for every single one you can find
               5. Click Save, then Commit
                  
                  Note: Through some study I found that some instances are not linked through the "TGIBlocks".
                  The only way I found was to edit the CASP Complate XML, it contains references to textures.
                  You MUST look it up as well:
                  1. Go back into CASP "Grid"
                  2. Click the + of XmlEntries, again to access the first index [0]
                  3. Click on the down-arrow button and Click Edit
                  4. This will open your Text Editor with the CASP Complate XML
                  5. What you do now is to Find & Replace (CTRL+H if Notepad) the Instances
                     Important Note: Instances in the XML are stored into EA-Oriented format instead of ulong:
                     So, copy only the numbers after 0x to replace:
                     Instead of 0x0000000000000000 use only 0000000000000000
                     (Just remove 0x from beginning)
                  6. Save the modified CASP Complate XML and Click Commit
       19. Menu: File > Save as...
       20. Select the output folder and a filename and Save
       21. Done. *Phew* :)