Mermaid Cove ~ Troubleshooting ~ SKINS Page 2

Internal Examination
If everything looks good before installation, but your game crashes once the files are installed, you need to open them up and fix them, if possible. As said before, leave fixing .bmp's to the skinner (most are very grateful when problems are pointed out in a friendly, helpful manner). But .cmx and .skn files are just text files, so you can repair them yourself very easily.

To open a .cmx or .skn file (in Windows):

Use Windows Explorer to locate the file.
Highlight the file by clicking on its name.
Hold down the Shift key and RIGHT-click the file. In the popup menu, choose "Open with..." This will open a dialog box showing most of the programs on your computer.
Scroll down to Notepad, Wordpad, or whatever your favorite PLAIN TEXT editor might be. DO NOT USE WORD, or any other Office program!
Click the program you want to use; if Notepad isn't shown, click "Other" and locate NOTEPAD.EXE in the Windows folder. For larger files, you can use Wordpad, in ..\Program Files\Accessories. (If you check the box next to "Always use this program to open this type of file," you can just double-click .cmx/.skn files in the future, and they'll automatically open in the program you choose. This will not affect game play.)
Click the "OK" button.

The .CMX File...
The most common problem encountered with .cmx files is that the internal filename does not match the actual name of the file. As you can see in the screenshot below, the first name inside the file must be the same as the name of the file, but without the extension (those three letters after the dot; in this case, ".cmx"). If these don't match, simply delete the incorrect text and retype it correctly, exactly as it shows in the program title bar (top of window). Make sure you do not include the extension.

Inside a .cmx file

Always SAVE the file before closing.

The second filename is that of the .skn file that this Sim uses. It might be the same as the .cmx file, with the addition of "x-skin" and the body part...and it might not. In either case, you'll need to locate that file so you can check it out, too. Make sure the second filename in the .cmx matches that of whatever .skn file came packaged in the .zip file.

Mismatched .skn files are what create a lot of problems with Buyables. In some cases, skinners have used a B-mesh (refer to Installing Skins if you don't know what I'm talking about) located in the ..\GameData\Skins folder, and simply written their .cmx to "call" that file. The problem is, the .cmx is located in the ..\ExpansionShared\SkinsBuy folder, and the .skn is in another folder...so, when the Buyable is used in the game, the program is unable to "find" the .skn file because it's not located in the same folder as the .cmx and .bmp files, and BOOM, the game crashes back to your desktop.

If you find this happening, simply copy the B-mesh from wherever it is, and put the copy in the same folder with the Buyable's other files. If the .skn is in a .far file, use FarOut to find and extract it. (Yes, this gets complicated. If you're not up to all this, simply remove the related .cmx, .skn, and .bmp files from your game.)

One more note on .cmx files: The top two lines must read exactly as shown! I've seen .cmx files where the skinner or mesh-maker has replaced Maxis' copyright notice with their own, or with their email address or URL. THIS DOES NOT WORK on most computers. It might have worked on theirs when they tested it, but it'll crash most everyone else's, including mine. SO DON'T CHANGE IT.

The .SKN File...
The first two lines of the .skn file are the only ones you need to concern yourself with, as they are the only ones that can be changed with a text editor. Do not alter anything else!

Inside an .skn file

As with the .cmx file, the top line must match the name of the file, minus the extension.

The second line may be either the name of the skin this mesh should use, or simply an "x" (no quotes). If the mesh is one that will use many different skins, there should be an "x" on the second line, nothing else. If, however, this is an accessory (something attached to the main mesh via the .cmx file), the name of the .bmp must be shown here, minus the .bmp extension. Take a look inside some body and head .skn files, and then look at some accessory .skn files, and you'll find that it's a lot simpler than it looks in print.

In fact, look inside lots of .cmx and .skn files. You'll find that they're all basically the same, and basically simple. If you run into major problems, contact the person who created the skin or mesh, and ask them politely for their help...after reading any FAQs or Help files on their site, of course! They may have made a mistake, and would appreciate being notified so they can fix it in their download.

Are You On A MAC?
If you play The Sims on a Macintosh, and are experiencing problems with downloaded Skins, it's most likely because Macs can't handle the long filenames that Sims' meshes (especially .skn files) often have. You need Skin Shrinker, from bangsplat!*, to properly rename the files before you can use them. It's a FREE download!

Disclaimer: I know nothing about how this program works,
so I cannot help you use it, and I do not support it in any way.

End

Updated: Oct. 2, 2003

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