How do I hack telescopes?
Making telescope based objects work indoors

at CoconutHut euphored asked:

     Does anybody know if there is a telescope that can be used for logic indoors? Or if there is a way to make the Maxis telescope usable indoors? ...

Here's how using IffPencil

Step 1 : Prepare your file for hacking.

Open the video camera in IffPencil.

  1. Click BHAVs listed in the left column (to filter everything except BHAVs out of the main window).
  2. Double-click BHAV #4097 ("init tree") top open it.
  3. Right-click in an empty space and choose Rewrite from the menu that appears. (The lines were out of order. this fixes that.)

Step 2 : Identify and remove the "outside only" line.

The last line, Line7: "My room placement Assign To: 1", is the one that's requiring outdoors and needs to be gotten rid of.

  1. High-light the line above it (Line6: "My flag field 2 Clear Flag Can't be Billed").
  2. In the Data section (lower right corner of window) change the "True Line:" form "7" to "254". (The text in the main window will change so it says "true" instead of "7")
  3. Right-click the room placement line and choose Delete from the menu to get rid of it (leaving it wont hurt but it's clutter so may as well go)

Special note: Unlike other types of coding the init BHAV only runs when you first buy the video camera. All of them that you have already placed on lots will follow the old placement rule (requires outdoors). Sell those and replace them with new ones.

at CoconutHut euphored asked:

     Hey Raeven! Thanks so much for your help! I followed your instructions and tested it in the game - i was able to put the [telescope] inside but then i couldn't use it - there was no menu when I clicked on it. Any thoughts?

Ah apologies, I forgot about that bit (I've not worked on a telescope since I did the cannon for our Pirates theme last September)

Step 3 : Edit the "Check tree" BHAV to allow Sims to use the object anywhere

Open the video camera in IffPencil.

  1. Click BHAVs listed in the left column.
  2. Double-click BHAV #4099 ("Interaction - Gaze TEST") to open it.
  3. Right-click in an empty space and choose Rewrite from the menu that appears.
  4. The first line, Line0: "(glob) is object's room outside", is the one that's requiring outdoors and needs to be gotten rid of.
    Right-click the room placement line and choose Delete from the menu to get rid of it (making "Parameters 0 Equals? 1" the first line)

Note: This change is not in the init so you wont need to rebuy any of the cameras after making this one.

at CoconutHut euphored asked:

     Ok, so I right clicked on the line 0: "(glob) is object's room outside" and clicked on Delete, but it wouldn't let me, giving me this error message: "Can't delete lines that are jumped too! Make sure that NO True/False number equals the current line number!" What should I do?

Avoiding the "Can't delete lines...." error

There is an extra unused line in that BHAV ("Global ( from Simulation ) Time Of Day Equals? 2") causing the trouble. The "0" in it's True column is preventing IffPencil from deleting line 0.

Delete that one first and you can delete the "(glob) is object's room outside" one.

All Done.

Author: Raeven