Romneka G.

Sims 4 Mods Organization System & Automation Script

Description:

Utilized OpenAI to build a comprehensive system for organizing Sims 4 mods, combining a spreadsheet tracker and a Python script to improve mod management. The system helped categorize mods, flag outdated content, and identify potential conflicts, making it easier to maintain a stable modified game.

Purpose:

• Create a structured system to track installed Sims 4 mods.
• Automate file organization to categorize mods by type, creator, and last updated date.
• Identify outdated or conflicting mods without manually checking each one.
• Simplify troubleshooting mod issues to reduce game crashes.

Plan:

1. Develop a Spreadsheet for Mod Tracking:
   • Created columns for mod name, creator, last modified date, function, compatibility status (active/obsolete/conflicting), and dependencies.
   • Used conditional formatting to highlight mods that hadn’t been updated in a long time.
   • Enabled sorting and filtering to quickly find specific mods.
2. Write an Automation Script for Organization & Conflict Checking:
   • Developed a Python script to scan mod folders and organize files based on name, creator, and modification date.
   • Script sorted mods into subfolders (e.g., “Organized,” “Conflicts Detected,” “Obsolete”).
   • Identified duplicate or conflicting mods by checking for multiple versions of the same file.
3. Optimize Folder Structure & File Management:
   • Created automated folder sorting, reducing the need for manual organization.
   • Used file metadata extraction to compare mod timestamps and detect old files.
4. Testing & Refinement:
   • Ran multiple tests with real mod collections to refine the accuracy of mod flagging.
   • Adjusted sorting rules to minimize false conflict detection.

Results:

✅ Improved mod organization by categorizing mods into a structured system. ✅ Faster troubleshooting, reducing time spent manually checking files. ✅ Fewer game crashes due to early detection of conflicting mods. ✅ Time savings, as the script automated tedious file management tasks.

S.T.A.R. Synopsis:

• Situation: Managing a large collection of Sims 4 mods was becoming difficult, with outdated mods and conflicting files causing game crashes and errors.
• Task: Develop a structured tracking system and automation script to organize mods, flag outdated files, and detect conflicts.
• Action:
  • Built a spreadsheet system with mod tracking data.
  • Wrote a Python script to scan mod folders, sort files, and identify potential conflicts.
  • Implemented folder restructuring to keep mods neatly organized.
• Result:
  • Allowed quick identification and removal of outdated mods.
  • Saved significant time compared to manual mod organization.

Code Snippets:

1. Scan and Organize Mods by Last Modified Date – created with OpenAI

import os
import shutil

MODS_FOLDER = "path/to/your/Mods"
ORGANIZED_FOLDER = "path/to/your/Organized_Mods"
CONFLICTS_FOLDER = "path/to/your/Conflicts"
OBSOLETE_FOLDER = "path/to/your/Obsolete"

def organize_mods():
    if not os.path.exists(ORGANIZED_FOLDER):
        os.makedirs(ORGANIZED_FOLDER)
    if not os.path.exists(CONFLICTS_FOLDER):
        os.makedirs(CONFLICTS_FOLDER)
    if not os.path.exists(OBSOLETE_FOLDER):
        os.makedirs(OBSOLETE_FOLDER)
    
    for mod in os.listdir(MODS_FOLDER):
        mod_path = os.path.join(MODS_FOLDER, mod)
        if os.path.isfile(mod_path):
            last_modified = os.path.getmtime(mod_path)
            # Sort based on modification date or known obsolete list
            if last_modified < SOME_THRESHOLD_DATE:
                shutil.move(mod_path, OBSOLETE_FOLDER)
            elif "conflict" in mod.lower():
                shutil.move(mod_path, CONFLICTS_FOLDER)
            else:
                shutil.move(mod_path, ORGANIZED_FOLDER)

organize_mods()

2. Detect Duplicate Mods – created with OpenAI

import os
from collections import defaultdict

MODS_FOLDER = "path/to/your/Mods"

def find_duplicates():
    file_dict = defaultdict(list)
    
    for mod in os.listdir(MODS_FOLDER):
        mod_name = mod.lower().split("_")[0]  # Assume mod files follow a naming convention
        file_dict[mod_name].append(mod)
    
    duplicates = {mod: files for mod, files in file_dict.items() if len(files) > 1}
    
    if duplicates:
        print("Duplicate mods found:")
        for mod, files in duplicates.items():
            print(f"{mod}: {files}")
    else:
        print("No duplicates found.")

find_duplicates()

Instructions for Use:

1. Set Up the Spreadsheet
   • Download or create a spreadsheet in Excel/Google Sheets.
   • Add columns: Mod Name, Creator, Last Updated, Status (Active/Obsolete/Conflicting), Dependencies.
   • Use Conditional Formatting to highlight mods that haven’t been updated in a while.
2. Run the Python Script
   • Install Python if you haven’t already.
   • Modify MODS_FOLDER and output folders to match your setup.
   • Run the script to sort mods and detect conflicts.
3. Interpret the Results
   • Organized_Mods/ → Safe, up-to-date mods.
   • Conflicts/ → Mods flagged for potential issues.
   • Obsolete/ → Mods that haven’t been updated in a long time.
   • Console Output → Displays duplicate mods.
4. Update the Spreadsheet
   • Manually verify flagged mods.
   • Remove or update obsolete/conflicting mods.