🧠 "Scale Form GFX" and a possible bullshit argument for rebuilding "SGFX" with each official update. -- [6/18] 🏗️ Post overhauled.

⚠️ What you don't know can still harm you.

🧠 Continue down this rabbit hole. -- https://../posts/112973547

☆ // ⋆ "POSSIBLE BULLSHIT" DISCLAIMER:

I'm totes a rocket scientist, but I'm not a master builder.

I could be talking out my arse here, but I don't think I am.

☆ // ⋆ GLOSSARY AND MORE INFORMATION:

• I abbreviate "Scale Form GFX" as "SGFX". I abbreviate lots of things. 😹

• EAxis usually modifies all SGFX resources (except the one for "Fonts") in every official update - at least every official update I've been paying attention to.

• There are (234) SGFX resources as of 6/18/2025.

• SGFX resources control our User Interface (UI). This is why when one "breaks", it's capable of rendering the whole game unplayable.

• Every custom mod that modifies the UI, including my little "Dismiss/Pin" mod, "UI Cheats Extension", "More Columns in CAS", "Better Build/Buy", etc., modifies one or more of these SGFX resources.

• SGFX resources are found in the TOOLS » GAME FILE CRUISER section of Sims 4 Studio and require a special third-party tool named "JPEXS Free Flash Decompiler" to modify -- https://github.com/jindrapetrik/jpexs-decompiler/releases

• SGFX resources are very complex. They contain a mixture of hundreds upon hundreds of scripts containing dozens upon hundreds, upon thousands of lines of programming code, Adobe Flash assets, images, etc.

• A number of SGFX resouces "reference" each other, meaning one SFGX resource might rely on another in order to work properly. If one fails, it can potentially result in a cascading failure. This is why when we get official updates that modify these resources and those mods I mentioned "break", they can kill your UI.

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☆ // ⋆ USING "DISMISS/PIN" AS AN EXAMPLE:

You can find this mod here -- https://../posts/112728731

"Dismiss/Pin" modifies the "SimHub" SGFX resource.

I have at my disposal FOUR (4) versions of "SimHub":

• Update 6/14/2022 - The one before Whims became Wants.

• Update 1/16/2024 - The one before the Promo Button was added.

• Update 8/8/2024 - The previous one.

• Update 9/18/2024 - The current one.

☆ // ⋆ COMPARING "DISMISS/PIN" SGFX RESOURCES:

Let's compare the unmodified SGFX resources from 6/14/2022, 1/16/2024, and 9/18/2024:

Notice it says "829 Differences Found" down in the bottom right corner?

Now let's compare the unmodified SGFX resources from 8/8/2024 and 9/18/2024:

"743 Differences Found" between the August SimHub and the September SimHub.

The differences in these resources include scripts and Flash assets.

My older version of "Dismiss/Pin" threw no "LastException" errors and caused no crashes with Update 9/18/2024, but there were still (743) changes made to the "SimHub" SGFX in Update 9/18/2024 that would not be present in my older version, meaning other SGFX resources could be looking to my "SimHub" for scripts and assets that don't exist.

Does that make sense? I hope it makes sense.

With simmers complaining about mods conflicting with "Reaper's Rewards", it would have been irresponsible of me to not rebuild my mod when I know that there are (743) differences in these two "SimHub" resources, even though "SimHub" doesn't affect the top left of the Live Mode UI, because it still contains new code, new script, new functions, and new assets.

I am not well-versed enough to say with 100% certainty that my outdated "Dismiss/Pin" mod wouldn't cause an issue "behind-the-scenes" because I don't understand what every line of code in "SimHub" does, or how it affects the other SGFX resources.

☆ // ⋆ COMPARING "DISMISS/PIN" RELEASES:

My little "Dismiss/Pin" modifies a grand total of ONE script file inside the SimHub SGFX.

Let's compare my modified SGFX from 8/8/2024 with the unmodified SGFX from 9/18/2024:

"741 Differences Found". Did my snazzy little mod really make (741) changes? No, it didn't.

Let's compare my modified SGFX from 9/18/2024 with the unmodified SGFX from 9/18/2024:

"187 Differences Found". My little mod made (187) changes.

Because I can, let's compare my 8/8/2024 SGFX and my 9/18/2024 SGFX:

Now to be fair, my most recent version does more than the old version. It adds a new block of code for the RIGHT-CLICK feature and removes let's say (5~10) lines of code for "UI Cheats" compatibility - all in all, it probably adds as many lines of code as it removes:

"744 Differences Found". The vast majority of which are EAxis changes that my little modification of ONE script has nothing to do with.

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☆ // ⋆ IN CLOSING:

Was my "argument" sound?

I don't like the idea of using SGFX (UI) mods not built with the current version of the game.

Like I said at the start of this, I am not a master builder. Before I modified "SimHub", I had never touched SGFX modding. So I could be wrong or mistaken, but I don't think I am, and I'm always open to being corrected, 'cause that's how we learn! 😸

Cheers.