Questions about TS4 modding

[Blaze69]

So, I've been thinking about dipping my toes into modding Sims 4 for a while, even if it's just to take a break from Bethesda game modding (which I've been juggling so far between Skyrim and Fallout 4). I've got some ideas for the kind of stuff I'd like to do, but I wanted to ask about it before diving into endless tutorials and such so that A) I can bail out if they're actually impossible (so I don't waste my time here) and B) get some pointers on where I should look or how these things would be done if they are possible indeed.

 

Here's the stuff I'd like to do, sorted from "Most important" to "would be nice to have, but not critical":

1. Force-equip a set of CAS Parts on a sim, and have them be kept permanently.
2. Force-apply a specific skin texture set on a sim.
3. Force-apply a certain CAS Preset (in this case, an Eye Shape preset).
4. Have the set of parts be inheritable by that sim's offspring.
5. Have the set of parts be different depending on the sim's frame/sex and life stage (age).
6. Have certain parts within the set be randomized among a certain list of options.
7. Have different "presets" or "subsections" that sims can get, and if two sims have different presets, their offspring will inherit one of the parents' presets (as in, will always get one or the other, cannot end up without).
8. ...following #7 above, have certain parts be inherited separately, so for example a sim can get their mother's skin tone and 50% of the CAS Parts, while the other 50% are copied from the father. All of this while other parts keep the "either/or" behavior.

 

From what little info I've obtained so far, both #1 and #2 can be done with a buff, using the "set_cas_parts" and "randomize_skintone_between_tags" functions (respectively) under the "appearance_modifier" section. In fact I've actually created such a test buff and it seems to do the trick. So that would cover those.

 

No clear idea on the inheritance yet, but sounds like it's doable if the buff is applied through a Trait and said trait is handled by the trait-tracking script/code. Let's assume #4 is a-go too.

 

That leads us to my remaining questions (for now):

• #3: is it possible to force-apply a CAS Preset (not Part) with a buff or a script?
• #5: can I have the same buff apply different parts depending on the target sim's sex/frame and age/life stage?
  • First random guess is I could simply list all parts in the buff and the game might only apply the ones that are currently compatible with the sim (thus getting the desired outcome), but I wanted to know if it would actually work and if there's any info on how to do this kind of thing.
• #6: is there a way to randomize the parts applied by a group, but only among a specific list of options? Like, say I have a handful custom parts using the "SkinDetailMoleCheekRight" slot, and I want to pick one of them, but only the ones from a specific list, not just any part that uses that slot.

 

The other stuff is better left for later, if ever.

 

Any input on whether this is possible (and how) or not is welcome.

 

I should also mention Saurianthrope already provided some information on some of the things mentioned here, in case it helps in figuring out the kind of stuff I'm after here.

 

As for why I want to do this:

Spoiler

I've been using nonhuman "race" mods for a while (most notably the one from the authors of the SaveState webcomic, but also others like Saurianthrope's Lizardman).

 

They're fine by me as far as features go, but what I find annoying is the fact any "furry" sims need to be created "manually" by applying mostly the same set of parts over and over (eye preset > skin texture > snout/face > ears > tail > feet > tattoo), and that any offspring born from nonhuman sims ends up being ugly-ass white-skinned humans with bugged eyes, as they are missing the nonhuman parts their parents have (and which replace the human heads and bare skins otherwise).

 

Thus, a way to have some kind of inheritable Trait that says "this sim is supposed to be a Lizard" or "this sim is supposed to be a Fox" and takes care of equipping all the required CAS parts would allow to both A) create more nonhuman sims quickly by just hitting the "randomize" button and then giving them the Trait and B) ensure their offspring load the proper CAS parts as well throughout all their life stages and such and don't look like ugly human abominations.