Loader Revised Saving Guide (1 Viewer)

[ModGuy]

Given that the current saving guide included with the loader can be daunting, I've decided to throw up a graphical version here.

The loader uses a separate saving format than SDT. It does this because the built in format wouldn't support the files that the loader uses and would potentially break things.
Instead, users are expected to set up new folders for each character they wish to store, and place all the associated files inside.

The files that are included with the loader as standard:

The actual mods that we wish to load are stored in the "Mods" folder.
To make use of loader functionality, make sure to run SDT using "Loader.swf" and not "SDT.swf"
Once we create new character folders, we can run "Mods Folder.jar" (All OS, requires Java) to generate a list of our folders automatically. More on this below.

Inside the "Mods" folder, we have all of our folders containing distinct mods, referred to as character folders:

Each folder contains files set up as described in the included Saving Guide.
The "CharacterFolders.txt" in this directory is a list of all of our current folders, referred to as the "Character Folder List".
Any files not named correctly will not be found by the loader and cannot be loaded, be sure to read that guide.

Once we've added or removed character folders we must update the Character Folder List to include our new folders, or remove folders that no longer exist.
We can do this manually:

Or by running "Mods Folder.jar" it will generate this list automatically.
The special folders here are not visible on the mod panel ingame:

$INIT		Loaded when game starts.
$OVER$		Loaded after any other character.
$RESET$		Loaded when "Reset" button on mod panel is clicked.

To load a folder, simply find it within the character list:

Other loader functionality has been moved to the new "Loader" tab here:

The blank space represents the area which is used by mods to provide graphical control.

This guide is for general information on setting up the directory structure and applying mods.
If you need more help on actually setting up a specific mod, contact the modder.
If there's an error or room for improvement on this guide then feel free to let me know.

 

[Faceless]

If you're trying to make this idiot-proof, I'd recommend a circle-slash over SDT.swf in the first pic.

Also, you don't display the file extensions? For shame.

 

[zzaapp002]

I like it! Very clear. Thanks.

 

[Sith Mike]

Excellent Guide!!!!
I may be an idiot but I cannot run the Mods Folder.jar, how do I use this? My system is a win7 6 bit by the way (which means turning it into an .exe does not work either)

 

[Kool_Wolff]

LOL

Also, you don't display the file extensions? For shame.

LOL thought the same thing

 

[Jivix]

Ok so maybe this is a new thing with loader 5.45, but I have 2 sets of character folders I want to set up: one set for the girl's body, face, hair, etc. and the other set for clothes.

So I go to load set 1 with custom hair, works fine.
I load set 2 with 2 clothing mods, clothes are added fine, BUT the default hair is loaded over the custom hair (and the custom hair is still there, now there are 2 hairs on the model). Because there is no "none" option in the hair field, I have no way of hiding the default hair so I can enjoy the custom one I added. Is there a fix for this or is this something I have to work around?

EDIT: also, if I restart the game the hair disappears from the custom character I saved. I have to manually point the file path every time... Is there a way I can avoid having to do this? It kind of defeats the point of custom characters.

EDIT 2: Apparently loading a custom character removes ALL of my mods regardless of whether they are placed in INIT, OVER, or RESET... Do I really need to put ALL of my mods in every character folder to make this work, or can I make mods that persist through character changes? This appears to be a bug that happens every time you load a second character...

 

[harkonnen]

So i added my character folders in the Mods folder. Example "Character1" is now in "Mods". I updated my characterlist.txt file to display "Character1:Character1". When I launch Loader.swf my Character1 folder shows up in my characters list in the game. But after I click on it none of the content displays. No hair, no clothes... nothing.

 

[Faceless]

Did you put a mods.txt into the character folder listing all the mods to load?

 

[harkonnen]

Yes.

Edit: Oh I see my MAC saved it as a "Rich Text File"
So I fixed that. But not all my mods show up and her .PNG hair doesnt show up. (Character1)

One character I even copy pasted the file names and not a single one of the mods show up in game except for the .png hair (Character3). I doublechecked to make sure 'enter' is pressed between each mod so they are definitely on different lines.

But my follow up question is.. How do I save their modified skin tone and what not that I adjust on them.

 

[Faceless]

Edit: Oh I see my MAC saved it as a "Rich Text File"
So I fixed that. But not all my mods show up and her .PNG hair doesnt show up. (Character1)

One character I even copy pasted the file names and not a single one of the mods show up in game except for the .png hair (Character3). I doublechecked to make sure 'enter' is pressed between each mod so they are definitely on different lines.

Upload a folder.

But my follow up question is.. How do I save their modified skin tone and what not that I adjust on them.

Go to "Modding" tab. Click "Generate" under "Custom Save Data". Press CTRL+C. Paste text into "<character>/code.txt".

 

[Arbitrary]

hello, im having a similar problem as above. i cannot seem to get all the files to load properly. i've tried renaming them and it will load certain files, but never all of them. in one instance, i removed everything from the mods.txt files and 3/4 of the files i wanted to use were loaded. i dont even know...

entire contents of one folder:
[attachmini=1]
[attachmini=2]
[attachmini=3]
[attachmini=4]
[attachmini=5]

 

[SMW123]

Having the same problem as Arbitrary and harkonnen. Some mods aren't even allowing me to put down a directory path, they don't even appear despite being in the character folder and mods.txt file. I'm using sby_loader_pack_6_545, if that's any help.

 

[stuntcock]

Having the same problem as Arbitrary and harkonnen.

Then you should probably follow the advice given to them. Upload one of your misbehaving Character Folders so that we can troubleshoot it.

Some mods aren't even allowing me to put down a directory path

That's an odd statement. Files inside Character Folders don't need directory paths. You can use subfolders (and then mention them in mods.txt), but people usually just dump all of the files into the Character Folder side-by-side.

Paths (in the sense of "the game will prompt you to fill in any missing paths") are a vanilla character-saving thing. The vanilla Save Character GUI isn't relevant here.

they don't even appear despite being in the character folder and mods.txt file.

Possible reasons:

• one of the mods is throwing an exception when loading
  • you can use the Flash Player Projector content debugger to detect and identify exceptions
• some of the mods were compiled with Overwrite=true, and they appear late in your load order, so they're replacing previously-loaded mods
• you've specified the filenames incorrectly in mods.txt
• one or more of the mods relies on an external Settings file and you haven't put it in the right place

ZIP up one of your Character Folders, upload it somewhere, and then we'll be able to figure out what's going wrong.

 

[SMW123]

Nevermind, I wasn't using the correct method of character saving. Thanks for the help, though.

 

[JDMiddleson]

At the risk of sounding dense, I'm still not sure of a few things. I have all my characters set up in their own folders in the mod folder. Also in this folder is the Character Folder list just as you described. This is where I get lost. Is the list to remain in the Mods folder? What is the significance of the three folders you labeled as "special"? Does our Character list get copied into those folders as well?

Before the Characters that were listed in the character list appeared on a tab in the lower right hand corner. This tab appears to not function any longer and from what I'm reading, it is supposed to appear in the scene tab at the bottom of the game. How do I get the characters mods from the mods folder to here?

I'm sure it's a simple answer but I must be missing a step from the folders to the loader.

 

[stuntcock]

This is where I get lost.

Check the Newbie Guide; it describes character folders in a way that may clear up your doubts.

Is the list to remain in the Mods folder?

Yes

What is the significance of the three folders you labeled as "special"?

The mods within a normal Character Folder will remain dormant until you choose that character from the roster. The special folders will be activated without any roster interaction.

$INIT$ contains mods which will be loaded automatically whenever the game starts. Hence, it's used to include fundamental or game-changing mods which you intend to always be part of your SDT experience. @sby has created several mods which would qualify - things like animtools, templateExtension, and moreClothing. If you're a dialogue fan then @Pim_gd's dialogueActions mod would probably be included in your $INIT$ folder. The order of $INIT$ mods is important; you must take care to load the prerequisites before the more complex stuff.

$RESET$ contains mods which will be loaded whenever the Reset button is clicked. You might use this category to load a mod whch will reset the "AI" or "plot" state of a complex dialogue. Or you might use it to tidy up the scene -- if you're using a lot of "messy" mods which don't clean up after themselves properly.

$OVER$ contains mods which will be loaded after any other Character Folder gets loaded. Hence, it's somewhat similar to $INIT$ - in that you'd put mods here which are supposed to be somewhat "persistent". The difference is that $INIT$ mods are supposed to be loaded once (and then remain in-effect for the entire gameplay session) while $OVER$ mods can/should be loaded repeatedly. Imagine that you have a whole collection of Character Folders for different girls; you click them in the roster and they appear in the game. If you add Eyeglasses.swf into your $OVER$ folder then the game will always apply glasses after loading any of your girls. You haven't had to change dozens of different Character Folders; you've made one change and suddenly you have a harem of sexy librarians. And, of course, you can remove the glasses from $OVER$ if you want to revert the change.

Does our Character list get copied into those folders as well?

No. You need only one CharacterFolders.txt file. You can have multiple files, but that's only if you choose to setup a hierarchical structure with various subfolders.

Non-hierarchical version (1 CharacterFolders.txt file)

• Betty
• Veronica

Hierarchical version (4 CharacterFolders.txt files)

• Girls from Archie
  
  • Blonde Hair
    
    • Betty
  • Black Hair
    
    • Veronica

Most users won't need a hierarchical structure since they can easily scroll through their roster to find the desired character. If you're setting up a megapack with 666 characters then the subfolder structure would be a very good idea.

Before the Characters that were listed in the character list appeared on a tab in the lower right hand corner.

That's quite old, and it isn't coming back.

How do I get the characters mods from the mods folder to here?

If you've correctly setup Character Folders for your girls (and/or random mods -- you can have a Character Folder for "giant penis" or "xray vision" or whatever) then they'll appear within your normal saved-character roster on the Scene tab.

 

[JDMiddleson]

I appreciate your help. I'm still having trouble.

I have created several characters that I have played in the old version of the game. I have set up the folders properly and have made sure they are listed on the Character List text. When I launch the new loader, none of the characters appear on the Scene tab at the bottom. I'm sure it's probably a simple answer but it escapes me for now!

 

[JDMiddleson]

I have a feeling the problem is in the version of the loader I downloaded (in this site) When I go to the modding tab, it won't let me change the hair, background, anything! All I get is the standard characters that are listed. It won't let me change anything......

 

[stuntcock]

I have created several characters that I have played in the old version of the game.

Please be more specific. I'm currently running Loader 5.45c. "Old" could mean Loader version 5.45b, or it might refer to the legacy Modder.swf stuff. You might even be using "old" to describe the 1.21.1b "vanilla" game, even though it's the latest version available.

It's also possible that the problem is totally unrelated to file versions. If you're running the game in a web browser then a recent patch might have knocked out your ability to use any Loader features (including Character Folders).

When I launch the new loader

Does this mean that you are able to get the Character Folders to work properly by running an older Loader version? If so, which one?

none of the characters appear on the Scene tab at the bottom.

Your custom Character Folders will appear after the default girls. Try scrolling to the right.

If you're running the latest Loader version in the standalone Flash player and it's still not working, then:

• try to use the Flash Player projector content debugger instead of the standard Flash Player projector
  • if an exception appears during startup then please copy-paste (or take a screenshot) and post it here
• post a screenshot of your Mods folder and a copy-paste of your Mods\CharacterFolders.txt file and your Settings.txt file
• please list your operating system, Loader version, and the version of Flash Player that you're using

I have a feeling the problem is in the version of the loader I downloaded (in this site) When I go to the modding tab, it won't let me change the hair, background, anything! All I get is the standard characters that are listed. It won't let me change anything......

Welp. You're playing the game in a web browser. That's a bad idea.

 

[JDMiddleson]

You were of a great help.

The problem was because of a patch to resolve a security risk. I was able to change the settings to allow the game as an exception when I ran it with the flash player. It has allowed me to modify the characters as before. It still hasn't loaded any of my saved characters in the mods folder but I'm getting closer!