#visual studio code guide

[tamcode2023]

رفع ملفاتك على GitHub باستخدام Visual Studio Code

تريد رفع ملفات مشروعك على GitHub ولكن ليس لديك مهارة الـ Command line, إليك أسهل طريقة للتعامل المباشر بين Visual Studio Code & GitHub. مشكلة عند رفع الملفات على GitHub الكثير من المبرمجين المبتدأين تواجههم صعوبة في رفع ملفات المشروع علي موقع GitHub, وكثيراً ما تحدث أخطاء في الملفات وفي مسارات المجلدات. لا أستطيع استخدام الـ Command line فإذا كنت من مستخدمي Visual Studio Code, فهناك مساحة…

[catskets]

A more in-depth guide for creating visual novels, especially in the horror, horror-romance, etc circles

Some of you have seen my previous, smaller post on crafting visual novels, especially in this little space of Tumblr that a lot of us have found themselves in. Since that post took off, I've wanted to create a longer guide to help touch on some points I've thought about for the past few months.

In case you've never heard of me, I'm Kat, also known as catsket. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design. I've been making games for nearly 5 years, and I've been doing visual novels more "professionally" for 2. You may know me for Art Without Blood, 10:16, God is in the Radio, or Fatal Focus. I'm here to help you make your first visual novel.

Please note that my advice does not fit everyone, and you may disagree with what I say. That's okay! It doesn't work for all. That's why there's thousands of resources out there.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NEVER MADE A GAME

So, you have an idea for a huge visual novel. Horror, a shady and obsessive love interest, a little bit of woo-hooing. 100k words. Maybe a million. What is this, the 07th Expansion?

I notice a lot of people getting into visual novels are artists first. That's okay! I wanted to do art for games before I realized how much I enjoyed writing. And even less of you have probably touched Visual Studio. Again, perfectly okay. We all start somewhere.

My number one piece of advice? Make shitty games.

What does that mean?! My recommendation to those who have never done games is to make a bunch of shitty ones. Think of a theme, or hell, even join a game jam, where you make a game that fits a theme in a short amount of time. Spend about a week on your game. Focus on making something polished. Polish your mechanics. Polish your output.

I recommend, if you can, to make at least 4-6, if not more, kind of shitty games before hopping into longer projects. Making a game is a skill, just like art, just like writing. And game development is combining ALL of these together into one big soup being stirred by a skeleton hand puppet. You'll get into the rhythm and see what works for you.

It also helps you learn, perhaps, the second most important thing here: do you even like making games? There are cases out there where people have created video games (not saying visual novels) just for clout. That's no fun for you, that's no fun for your players. And you might go through this process and find that you don't like making games. That's completely okay! It's not for everyone.

Also, you can use these shittier games to gather an audience. I've built my audience because, for the past few years, I've been releasing games that slowly give me growing fields of eyes every day. A success story overnight is a rare one. It takes time. It's like building a brand, but you aren't a brand, you're an artist.

REV UP YOUR ENGINES!

Ren'py is the number one engine you will be recommended. It is very beginner-friendly, with lots of tutorials, assets on itch.io to use and download, and support. The engine comes with a few tutorials in the form of games, whose code you can freely browse. This is the engine I use most often. Most visual novels you see are made in this engine.

Twine is a text-based engine that most people use for interactive fiction. You can add images and audio, though, if you don't mind messing with HTML. I use Twine for text games and for outlining for my larger games. Ever played Degrees of Lewdity? Yeah, I know you have. Don't ask why. That game was made in Twine.

RPG Maker has multiple versions and has been used for exclusively VNs if you don't mind fucking around with plugins. It can definitely give your game a super unique feel. I recommend RPG Maker MV, since it has the most resources. This line of engines usually costs money, but it often goes on sale for under $5-$15.

People will recommend TyranoBuilder, but as a user and player, the lack of options and the format the games often come in is just...not fun to navigate. It advertises itself as little to no code, but it's often evident in the final results. Some good games have been made in it, though, so if you want to use it for prototyping/practice, you can. I'm not a fan, but that doesn't mean that fans don't exist! This engine costs money.

Not an engine, but check out Ink! Super useful scripting language that's used for more professional projects.

DEMOS, DEMOS, DEMOS

You've got an idea for a long-term project, and now you want to show it to the world! But wait, wait, don't do that yet!

When should I start advertising my game? This is a personal opinion, but I say that you should not start advertising your game until 50-60% of your demo is complete. Why? As I've discussed with some fans of indie VNs, they can name quite a few projects that have been in the "working on the demo" age for 1-2+ years. I've been in the Kickstarter MMO circles. If you, making a single-player experience with little mechanics to balance and polish (aka a visual novel), are taking that long on a demo, I am going to assume the game is not coming out. There are some games I have seen out here that have been in "working on the demo" phase where I haven't seen a single ounce of what the project will look like.

What should I put in my demo? The purpose of a demo is to showcase the mechanics and the vibes and the mechanics of your game. It's a demonstration. In my last post, I pointed to the Dead Space 2 demo that was showcased at E3 (RIP), that takes place about 2 hours into the story and shows how enemies are defeated, some animations, bits of the story, etc. Usually, because it's less about mechanics and more about vibes, visual novel demos showcase a certain percentage of the full thing (5-10%.) Can you showcase the vibe of the game here and what players should expect? If not, show off another portion.

How long should I work on my demo? Before, I said 3-4 months. That can be true, that can also not be true. Think about how long the demo takes you in proportion to how long the actual game should take you. Don't put too much effort. The demo is to showcase the vibe. It's to see how much the public and fans may enjoy the game.

My game is 18+, what should I do? Make a splash screen when the game is downloaded to let players know your game is 18+. If it's going to contain sexual content, you can hide it with itch.io's adult content filter. Write it on the page itself that your game is for adults only. Don't put your demo behind a paywall. This is genuinely ridiculous. The purpose of a demo is to showcase what a game is like before a player purchases it. That defeats the point of a demo. I've seen this happen, and it discourages players from approaching, especially because most demos never make it past the demo phase. So...I'm paying you $10 for 2-3k words of a game that may never come out?

Should I make a social media for my game? YES! Go for it. These anchors are how people will find your game. Make a Tumblr and open that ask box. Make a Twitter. Go to BluSky. Advertising is not bad. Some YouTubers even take e-mail suggestions from developers. Feel free to shoot your shot. The worst they can do is not respond.

HOW TO SET UP YOUR ITCH.IO PAGE:

Getting your itch.io to a presentable state can be very challenging! There's many ways to do it. I highly recommend using this page image guide for learning how to size your images to make your page pop!

Itch.io themselves has suggested to not publish a page until the game or demo is released. You can make the page and keep it as a draft, but do not publish it until you're ready!

Your cover image is the image that will appear in the search of the website, on any front pages, in collections, and on your profile. What have I seen that works? Key art of one of the characters up close and the title of the game! If you can make it a .GIF, do it! Bitches love .GIFs!

Itch.io recommends 3-5 screenshots on your page. I recommend 1 of these 5 be a .GIF that shows how gameplay feels. This is effective, even for visual novels!

Write a 3-5 sentence summary about your game for the description. What is your story about? What is the draw?

DO NOT BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO IS GOING TO SAY "This is not like other visual novels. It doesn't have that cheesy this or that or-" No one cares. Genuinely. You're putting down other games in your genre and elevating yourself to the pompous level.

TAG YOUR GAME! itch.io gives you a list of tags to choose from when you go to tag. DON'T USE THIS! Try to go for more specific tags. Arimia has a very good guide on how to use itch.io's tagging system to your advantage.

GENERAL GAME MAKING ADVICE

SCOPE KNIFE IS SUPER USEFUL! Everyone makes games that are way over their workload. It's okay to cut out features and add them later. Prioritize making a finished game before hitting those stretch goals.

PLAN, PLAN, PLAN! Writing outlines is super helpful. I use Twine for my outlines, because you can connect your passages together and make really well-thought webs.

IT'S OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP! Whether it's from friends, professionals, or anything in-between. They can help with assets, editing, etc.

HONE YOUR SKILLS OUTSIDE OF GAMES! Write some poetry. Do some sketches everyday. Improve on your craft to improve your games

MUSIC IS HARD. THERE ARE RESOURCES. Most of us aren't musicians. That's okay. Make sure the music you get for your game is allowed to be used. You can use anything non-commercial if your game will not cost money or donations. I try to do songs in the public domain or free to use overall with credit if I don't have a musician. Consult the Creative Commons website if you're unsure how you're supposed to use a certain piece of music. If you don't use the right stuff, not only can it put you in legal trouble, but it can put streamers in hot water if they play your game and they can't upload the video because music is copyrighted.

PLEASE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR UI. Wanna know an easy way to get your game to look more professional? Edit the damn UI for your game. Make a new textbox, even if it's just a black box. Change the font. Eventually, players recognize the defaults and patterns of games made in certain engines and may attribute a lack of UI changes to a developer being lazy. It doesn't take very long to change the colors around and move text! Please do it to add a little pop to your game.

DEADLINES ARE AWESOME. Not everyone works well under pressure, but if you give yourself an infinite amount of time to make something, it'll never get done. Set goals for yourself for how much you can work on something.

IF YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP, GIVE UP. Making things is hard, especially long-term. Emergencies happen, jobs happen, life happens. Let your fans know that a project isn't happening anymore. Don't leave them in the dark. You don't need to tell strangers your medical history or anything, but transparency + honesty are really hot traits. You should use those in your creative work. This is one reason why I advocate for not publishing or advertising things until you know it's stable.

SHOWCASING YOUR CONTENT

People love to see WIPs for games! This is what the devlog is good for! A devlog is a post where a developer talks about and showcases some things happening in the game? What can you add to your dev log?

PERCENTAGES! How much of the artwork is done? How much of this character's route is done?

SNEAK PEEKS AT ARTWORK AND SPRITES!

GIFS! GIRLS LOVE GIFS!

Anything else to showcase your game's content! Posting consistent updates retains and even gains a fan's attention for your work.

RUNNING YOUR TUMBLR

You've joined us, and you've made a Tumblr for your blog! Link it on the itch.io page, so people can come find you after playing your awesome demo!

Do I have to respond to every ask? No. It's your blog. Delete whatever asks you want.

I got a hate comment! What do I do? Delete it and move on. I have a more detailed section on hate below.

I want to interact with [blog]! How do I do that? Reach out to the devs for silly little collabs. If you come onto a developer slightly headstrong, they might feel you are being abrasive or using them for content.

If people make fan content, interact with it! Encourage it! Reblog it. Show your love.

OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS

PROFESSIONALISM IS KEY. These may be pet projects, but you want to appear some level of professional on your actual itch.io page.

Being dismissive of player and fan complaints or criticisms will make you appear childish.

If your game is broken, fix it. I have been told by some amateur developers to ignore game-breaking bugs. It does not make me, a player, want to engage with your content. It seems messy and unfinished.

With the above point, it's 100% okay to have bugs and errors upon release. Every developer and their brood mother has. To decrease these issues, get playtesters. Friends can play your games, spot any errors, and help you point out things that can be improved upon. I recommend having playtesters at every stage of development.

Make sure your game runs before you publish it. Please.

You can still be silly and giddy! There's no reason to not be, especially when you get positive comments! The point of this is to not be outright rude to potential players and fans.

IGNORE HATE COMMENTS. In this case, a hate comment is a statement that contains no constructive criticism and are only here to be insulting or malicious. People are going to leave you with actual piles of dog shit in your ask box. They are trying to provoke you. Giving hate comments any attention, even if you're there to "clap back" proves that they got to you, even if you don't take the hate to heart. They will continue to pester you. Delete any hate comments and ignore them completely. Laugh about them with friends in a private setting, sure.

THINK BEFORE YOU REFERENCE! I know one big thing in this community is adding references to other games in yours, such as plushies of other characters or putting them on posters. The best thing you can do it ask the developer before adding this. How would you feel if some random person you've never met put your character in a video game? Most of us would feel weird and potentially violated. Open communication with devs is awesome. I am usually okay with it as long as someone asks for permission.

As a complete aside, I prefer more tasteful references to other games as opposed to 523482346 plushies and posters. These have been slightly overdone. Why not theme a candy after another game's character? Maybe your characters know each other.

OTHER RESOURCES I RECOMMEND

Devtalk is a server dedicated to independent visual novel creators. You can find jobs, resources, advice, talks, and, like, everything there! Devtalk is super useful. Everyone in there is so cool. They have a really great and comprehensive list of resources that I could not even begin to cover.

Visual Novel Design is a great YouTuber. No other words, check the guy out!

Ren'py and whatever other engine you're using has documentation that's super useful to follow.

Arimia not only has amazing VN resources, especially for marketing, but she also just has? Amazing games that you should check out?

And for a shameless self plug, I'm the lead of Sacred Veins, a collective of devs creating narrative games, whether it be horror, humor, romance, or everything in-between. Come hang out with us!

[izicodes]

Mini React.js Tips #1 | Resources ✨

I thought why not share my React.js (JavaScript library) notes I made when I was studying! I will start from the very beginning with the basics and random notes I made along the way~!

Up first is what you'll need to know to start any basic simple React (+ Vite) project~! 💻

What you'll need:

node.js installed >> click

coding editor - I love Visual Studio Code >> click

basic knowledge of how to use the Terminal

What does the default React project look like?

Step-by-Step Guide

[ 1 ] Create a New Folder: The new folder on your computer e.g. in Desktop, Documents, wherever that will serve as the home for your entire React project.

[ 2 ] Open in your coding editor (will be using VSCode here): Launch Visual Studio Code and navigate to the newly created folder. I normally 'right-click > show more options > Open with Code' on the folder in the File Explorer (Windows).

[ 3 ] Access the Terminal: Open the integrated terminal in your coding editor. On VSCode, it's at the very top, and click 'New Terminal' and it should pop up at the bottom of the editor.

[ 4 ] Create the actual React project: Type the following command to initialize a new React project using Vite, a powerful build tool:

npm create vite@latest

[ 5 ] Name Your Project: Provide a name for your project when prompted.

[ 6 ] Select 'React' as the Framework: Navigate through the options using the arrow keys on your keyboard and choose 'React'.

[ 7 ] Choose JavaScript Variant: Opt for the 'JavaScript' variant when prompted. This is the programming language you'll be using for your React application.

[ 8 ] Navigate to Project Folder: Move into the newly created project folder using the following command:

cd [your project name]

[ 9 ] Install Dependencies: Execute the command below to install the necessary dependencies for your React project (it might take a while):

npm install

[ 10 ] Run the Development Server: Start your development server with the command (the 'Local' link):

npm run dev

[ 11 ] Preview Your Project: Open the link provided in your terminal in your web browser. You're now ready to witness your React project in action!

Congratulations! You've successfully created your first React default project! You can look around the project structure like the folders and files already created for you!

BroCode's 'React Full Course for Free' 2024 >> click

React Official Website >> click

Stay tuned for the other posts I will make on this series #mini react tips~!

[blabbin]

Disco Elysium Fandom Masterpost

Decided to compile all the cool projects fans have made for Disco Elysium! This includes game resources, fan games, and fun collaboration events!

If you want to be notified of any updates, you can click on 'subscribe to conversation' for this post!

If you've got any corrections/updates/suggestions, reach out to let me know! ((Last updated: January 29th, 2023))

Game Information/Archives/Resources

Disco Elysium Wiki (Literally contains most everything you'd want to know about the game, including a ton of image resources)

FAYDE On-Air by Morgue, Pieartsy, and Sphinx111 (Search engine tool to easily find any in-game dialogue)

Disco Reader by xyrilyn + Guide on how to use it (Search engine AND text visualization tool. You can see the full dialogue trees as flowcharts)

Disco Elysium Explorer by Leerion + Github (Inspired by Disco Reader. It works much the same way but it ALSO includes the audio clips for every piece of dialogue!! + the text for every language released so far)

Disco Elysium Checklist compiled by MentalPrinciple0 (Includes all red/white checks, their difficulty level, all possible modifiers, as well as items, tasks, thoughts, and their modifiers)

Complete OST + Ambient Mix compiled by OnlySheStandsHere (Includes everything added for The Final Cut)

High Quality Full Map of Martinaise compiled by For Lack Of A Title

Map of Revachol West vectorized by freezebobs + svg file

Disco Elysium: Country/Cultural Mappings compiled by Limey (List of all the geographical places named in-game, what we know about them, and what some real-world parallels are)

Disco Elysium: A Timeline compiled by six and brenn (A complete timeline of every event mentioned in the game, from the creation of the universe to the events of The Hanged Man case)

Theoretical Entroponetics by 57sfinest (Everything we know about The Pale + OP's own theory)

Fanworks

Fandom Collaboration Projects

((since these are big collaboration projects, I unfortunately can't properly list the credits on this post. Make sure to check out the respective credit pages of the projects!! So many talented peeps!!!))

Disco Elysium Fan Colouring Book (SFW)

Disco Elysium Fan Colouring Book (NSFW) [[18+]]

Social media tag: #EspritDeCouleur

Fire Escape in The Sea Montage-Disco Elysium

Social media tag: #FEITSmontage

Disco Elysium Montage/Cleaning Out The Rooms

Social media tag: #COTRmontage

Disco Elysium Secret Santa 2022

Ao3 Collection

Bonus Round! Prompt List is open for anyone to fill if something grabs your interest!

Social media tag: #DESecretSanta2022

Disco Elysium Rarepair Fanworks Exchange

Ao3 Collection

Prompt List! Open for anyone to fill if something grabs your interest!

((There's no tag, everything is compiled on the twitter account. If you post anything new, make sure to @ the account to be RTed!))

Disco Elysium Tarot, the Major Arcana

Social Media tag: #DiscoTarot

An art challenge to recreate famous paintings into something Disco Elysium themed! Feel free to join in!

Social media tag: #DiscoElysiumArtClassic

Fan Games

After the Mind, the World Again by Pieartsy (TTRPG)

Disco Elysium: Game Boy Edition by BloodyStapler

Disco Dating by Slugandthorn, Capreola, Frankie, and Joe/BerlinChild (Visual Novel)

The Cryptokiller, project lead Arthur Stahlschmidt (Visual Novel) ((Make sure to check the itch.io page for a full list of the team!!))

Mystery Miniaturist by Jasmine "Katy133" Osler (Visual Novel) ((Make sure to check the itch.io page for the full list of credits!!))

WE GOT A CODE 31 by Slugandthorn (Dancing Penguin Kim. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY!!)

Mini Mini Disco by OinkOink!Studio (a collection of mini-games! The links on the main page might be broken, so here they are just in case:

Nod match with Kim

Pretty Jean Jean

Beg Money)

Disco Elysium: Signature Skill Selection by FeigningIntelligence (Take this quiz and find out what your signature skill is!)

Twine Games/Fics

Re-Hearsed by Apepers

Requiem for the Apostle by Alphawave

Sweeter Kind of Fire [[18+]] by Kawa

Disco Elysium: Insomnia [[18+]] by mouseoverlord, Booboboobo, cyaber5, LoveSplean, and Aila

One Day in Jamrock [[18+]] by CeaserAmarelo

Fan Skins

((Want to write a fic/make a game that looks like Disco Elysium? These cool peeps got you covered!))

Disco Days Workskin by abyssalcaptain (Ao3)

Disco Elysium Workskin by Cunticuss (Ao3)

Disco Elysium Twine Macros by Apepers and Pieartsy (Twine)

Disco Elysium Framework for Ren'Py by Katy133 (Ren'Py)

AI

Uberduck Voice AI for Kim Kitsuragi by emmash527 and justinjohn-03

Uberduck Voice AI for Cuno by TheTiagoFire

Disco-Narrator Voice AI which includes: Kim Kitsuragi, The Narrator, and Joyce Messier [[Unfortunately it's been down for a long time now]]

Character.AI (You can make your own characters pretty easily, and there's a bunch of ones for Disco Elysium, including Kim, Jean, Trant, and Cuno last I checked)

Misc.

Disco Elysium Mods

Disco Elysium Item Card Creator by ColorfulTie (fun lil tool to create your own items with stats in the style of the game)

Disco Elysium fan music by Aila :

Insomnia Vol 1

Rain in Revachol

[moose-mousse]

Frustrations

Following other developers, learners and makers are great. It facilitates learning and gives inspiration

But one thing that is often missing from people telling about how it is going, is the failures, frustrations and problems any developer will run into.

For this reason, two of my favorite maker youtube channels are Extractions&Ire (Chemistry) and Code Bullet (machine learning). Because these madlads are brave enough to not just show their process and result, but also their failures, mistakes and errors. And how they overcome them. Not always by learning (Sometimes making a dumb mistake is not really something you can learn from...)

It's good, because it's real.

Code tutorials and guides can give the impression that the normal process of development is "Open IDE, code, fix tiny typo error, compile, success". They don't do it out of malice, but out of a want to be concise. Which is fair.

So I also want to share when things do not go so well. I have programmed Atmel's AVR Chips for quite a while now. But I have done it mostly in microchip studio(former Atmel studio) and a bit in the arduino IDE. A job I am currently applying for, uses visual studio code. Which is fair enough. So to prepare for this specific job, and to acquire this quite good-to-have skill, I want to set that up for myself First things first, since I have not done this before, I cannot know if my code would have a weird error so I want to know everything else is working first. So I write a tiny program which simply have the microcontroller increase a number every 2 seconds and write it to my PC over UART. Takes 2 minutes.... I grab one of my Arduino Nano boards and a USB cable for it. And then... I cannot flash it... Its communication protocol have troubles.

I have seen this before. It is to do with the cables not being correct. If they are USB 2.0, very little magnetic noise can cause trouble. (And you cannot tell if a cable runs USB 2.0 or 3.0 by looking at it... because the universal serial bus is not universal... Insert grump rant here) I then spend an hour finding and trying different USB A to USB B-mini cables. Give up, notes down to buy (and MARK) some USB 3.0 versions for the future. I then grab a Arduino Uni instead, as they use USB B, which is much more resistant to noise... And then spend half an hour trying to find a the cable, as I do not have a lot of them, since... nearly nothing uses them. Finally find it, and yes, the program can now be flashed. So I packed all the cables I tested back in their places, after marking them so I will(hoefully) not have to do this again. Had to take several breaks feeling depressed and grumpy, and all in all, this adventure took 4-5 hours. And now I can START on this... And this is how work sometimes is. And that is ok. It is still... VERY frustrating ...

[evertidings]

Hey Kristi! how are you doing today? uwu.

I hope you have enough water thoughout your day.

How did you get into the IF world, and how did you learn how to code (or pseudocode)? What engine are you implementing on your game?

I love your story, and as a person who wants to tell a story, i am struggling with that. (I only speak python for god's sake i'm a poor it student)

Also, a recommendation for fans out there wanting to make a game independently?

When can we hold Blane for a sec really he needs a hug

<3

hi! so, all my advice i've tagged on my blog, but the best post i have for coding and this particular scenario is probably this one.

however, i've said it before and i'll say it again: i'm probably not the person you should go to for coding. i learned (a word i use loosely) everything in the span of two months and promptly forgot it all. ask me anything now and i'll be stumbling through an explanation that might not even be correct so. take all of my coding advice with a grain of salt.

but to answer your question, i use twine (sugarcube) to code my story. for ease of writing, i open my code in visual studio code with the twee extension that colour codes everything to make it easier on the eyes.

in general, my best advice for learning to code is to just go nuts. start with a template, play around with it, look at blogs that are better coders than i am and see if they can answer the questions you have. google things, search up css guides (w3schools was extremely useful for me) and eventually, you'll start to learn the patterns enough to put together what you want. it's very vague, i know, but this is genuinely how i learned and what worked best for me.

good luck !!

[zoeythebee]

I'm a wittle shy but I has a question about programming :3.I love the process of coding and making things with it but ughhhh I just don't know what to make. Should I take a course on computer science like CS50 to get a better idea of the process (I've been coding for almost 2 years but have been very inactive this last year) or should I just wing it and try to make just something, and maybe learn a new language like C? Thankies :3

WING IT!

My best advice is lowkey just steal ideas from others. The thing that kinda domino-affected me into this whole programming thing was an emulator of Flipnote studio.

Find the things that you enjoy making and make those, be it video games, websites, applications, emulators, simulators, engines, programming languages, visual novels, text interface games, hacking.

And google is your best friend, anything you can think of has been made before and someone's probably put their code or a guide out there.

And I would reccomend learning C because it's so so so so so easy. People say C is scary, it's really not. Once you've learned Pointers that's it, you've learned the hardest part (and they are so easy). AND C has a library for everything you can think of, since it's been around forever.

That's pretty much it, dive straight into something fun. And if something gets to difficult it's never bad to take a break or focus on something else. Dont burn yourself out like I did once.

[h-emera]

On putting together a custom fur thickness setting (works great for clipped fur)

16/10/2023: Updated to add more info for generating hash codes.

Another day, another guide, I found some time to put together this guide for y'alls.

Essentially, we'll be creating or own custom fur overlay. It's not really complex, just as the previous ones, bit annoying to put everything together neatly.

As always, we'll be using:

Sims 4 Studio

Whatever editing software you want, if you're editing just the fur texture, for others, I'm not sure, but very likely whatever software you want will work. I'm going to use GIMP.

Notepad at your own discretion.

As with my previous guides, we'll be using the following Sims 4 Studio tools:

Game File Cruiser

Hash Generator

Create a new, empty package to work with and let's get going.

Step 1:

Open up game file cruiser, just as in my previous guides, ep14 in the left search bar, leave the top right search bars empty for the time being, then go ahead and find CAS Preset box and tick it.

This is pretty straightforward - the files are nicely labelled, and we'll grab the second fur file and add it to our package.

From there, we'll need to scroll down in the list and click "Edit Items" on the Sculpts tag, copy the instance ID and then find it in the game file cruiser and add it to our package. Don't worry that it says "EYES" there, it's not relevant.

Now your package file will have 2 items in it - a CAS Preset and a Sculpt File.

Now, we'll want to add the following instance ID's from the Sculpt file to our package:

You'll have to copy each ID, find it in the game file cruiser and add it to your package file.

I recommend essentially copying an ID, then throwing it in the Instance field search, making sure the bottom search bar has ep14 in it, just in case and then selecting all file types and doing it that way. It'll be quicker.

Your package will look like this:

Now, we'll need to grab thumbnails, so we can create a custom thumbnail for the file, for when it shows up in-game.

We're going to copy the CAS Preset ID and put it in the Game File Viewer, instance field, make sure ep14 is enabled (It's just good practice when wanting to work with specific files).

Select both files (hold down ctrl and left-click on both) and press "Add to Package".

Now, it's time to add IDs to everything, in my previous guides, I've tried to take people step-by-step through the process of adding ID's, but I figure it's a lengthy process, so I'll provide a visual guide for what goes where.

These three MUST have the same ID, for the thumbnails to appear in-game.

And now the more annoying/difficult part:

Edited 16/10/2023: When generating your hash ID's, please use your creator name ie.: "[YourCreatorName/Blogname]TutorialCustomFurCoat1", this will give you a more unique hash code than hoping to be as descriptive as possible when generating the hashes (in this case instance ID's).

Thanks to Mizore Yukii for this advice, from Creator's Musings.

If you're added your files in order like this, it can be easy, but if you've accidentally sorted the files, or added them in a different order, it can definitely be confusing.

In case your files aren't in order, just compare the ID's and make sure to check twice and do it one by one, so you can use the method of elimination, if you're lost/confused.

To change ID's on images, press the "Data" tab and replace the instance ID as follows:

Once you've created all new instance ID's, we've got a few things left to do.

You'll want to copy the ID of "Sculpt" and then open "CAS Preset" and go down to "Sculpts" and replace the ID there:

Then press save and now you can begin editing your image files. You can essentially edit every image file, but if you're not familiar with bump maps, etc., I'd recommend just sticking to editing the "fur" texture for the first time.

This is the file you'll want to export for the "fur" texture edit:

Once you're happy with your coat, mine is here:

Export it as a PNG file, no compression, nothing, just let it export as is.

Then import the file into your new package file:

Save your package and now go ahead and edit your thumbnails, start by exporting both of them and then just do whatever you want and then import those two into the package:

Now, go ahead, save your package and have a look ingame:

Fun fact:

I messed up while making this guide and missed an ID, if you noticed it, I'm sorry, I realised it while loading the game in to test, but it goes to show that you need to double check your ID's, so you can be sure that everything is correct. :)

Anyway

Bada bing bada boom, you've got your own custom fur, with this you can do quite a lot, from making thicker coats compatible with skin overrides, to making clipped coats with designs, to possibly making "skin" details that you can use to enhance certain parts of the horses (sorry, these unfortunately can't be layered though)

[information-will-not-harm]

7 extensions of VS-Code to boost productivity.

Boosting your productivity as a beginner programmer is essential. Visual Studio Code (VS Code) offers many extensions to streamline your workflow. Here are some of the best VS Code extensions to help you write cleaner code, debug efficiently, and manage projects effectively.

1. Prettier - Code Formatter

Function: Automatically formats your code to make it clean and consistent.

Usage: Saves time on manual formatting and ensures your code adheres to style guides.

Install: Search for "Prettier - Code formatter" in the extensions marketplace and install it

2. ESLint

Function: Identifies and fixes linting errors in your JavaScript and TypeScript code.

Usage: Helps catch common errors and enforce coding standards.

Install: Search for "ESLint" in the extensions marketplace and install it.

3. GitLens — Git supercharged

Function: Enhances the Git capabilities in VS Code by providing insights into code authorship and history.

Usage: This makes it easier to understand the history and evolution of your codebase.

Install: Search for "GitLens" in the extensions marketplace and install it.

4. Code Spell Checker

Function: Checks your code for spelling errors.

Usage: Helps catch typos and improve code readability.

Install: Search for "Code Spell Checker" in the extensions marketplace and install it.

5. Path Intellisense

Function: Autocompletes file paths in your code.

Usage: Saves time and reduces errors when working with file paths.

Install: Search for "Path Intellisense" in the extensions marketplace and install it.

6. Bracket Pair Colorizer 2

Function: Colorizes matching brackets to make it easier to identify block structures.

Usage: Improves readability of your code, especially for nested blocks.

Install: Search for "Bracket Pair Colorizer 2" in the extensions marketplace and install it.

7. Pets

Function: Adds a fun, interactive pet to your VS Code workspace.

Usage: Provides a cute, engaging way to take short breaks and reduce stress.

Install: Search for "Pets" in the extensions marketplace and install it.

[innovatecodeinstitute]

🚀 Ready to elevate your coding skills? Our latest quick guide walks you through installing Visual Studio Code. Start coding like a pro today!

[janichroma]

Hi there! So sorry to bother you but I was wondering how you add new regional forms to the game? Like what files do you have to change and add to? Also how do you add sprites to the sprite sheet? I'm super new to all of this, but I love your Aevian forms so much and they inspired me to try to make my own. Thank you and your team for the amazing game <3

It depends on what version of essentials you're using! I only have knowledge of the version v13 uses so I'll guide you based off that. NOTE*** The formatting has changed for v13.5 and up, so I'll have to update this as that comes out. To add new forms themselves is actually quite simple. For the mon you want, find their number in the Graphics/battlers folder, and then when you have a FRONT sprite for them. add a _1 at the end of that file name. For example, if this is a form for Pikachu, yes? If there was an Aevian Pikachu, it's be 25_1 for the FRONT sprite. For shiny variants, it should be 25s_1 For the BACK sprite, your file format name should be 25b_1. For shinies, 25sb_1 As for their metadata, you'll have to open MultipleForms.rb in the SCRIPTS folder with any code editing software. (Visual Studio is what I use.) and edit the data in there. Please look at Rejuv's code for examples. It's a lot to explain, but that's pretty much all you need there. You can also control which maps they appear on there as well. I think that's all, but if I'm missing something I'll edit this! also if you need additional help please do send another ask!

[pandaladie]

My stupid guide to getting the stupid list of people YOU FOLLOW on tumblr

if tumblr has some way fo getting a list of usernames and urls of blogs you follow i don't know of it, if theres some script i don't know it, if theres anything. LET ME KNOW. but since i dont think there is welcome to my bruteforce method of getting a list of people you follow.

I am not a coder, i don't know how to do this with a program, and i dont know of any program that does it, no programmer thats going to or anything so im bruteforcing this in perhaps a stupid way but it works

go to your https://www.tumblr.com/following page

its just this same link, it takes you to the list of everyone you follow Then you need to load EVERY FOLLOWER by scrolling ALLL THE WAY DOWN the list, i have 2000 blogs i follow but ti doesnt take long for me to get to the end, yes you have to do this.

rightclick and select inspect

a box will come up, this might be scary for non techy people, don't worry were just looking at the code underneath the site, nothing you change will be permanent. dont mess around here unless you know kinda what youre doing, but dont be scared for what were gonna do.

there are several tabs to this new window, we want to be in the inspector tab, and when you mouse over the text in here you can notice that it flashes certain parts of tumblr. these different lines all pertain to certain spots of the webpage so you can see what tumblr wants you to see.

we want to find where they put the followers

so were gonna hover over:

and notice that the very center and only the center where you're followers are shown is lit up, that means inside this line somewhere is your follower list ((its not gonna be pretty)) use the little arrow on the side of this line and click it to expand the underlying code (this is really called nesting i think im not a coder, basically when there an arrow, theres stuff in there)

open the next arrow too (main something something)

keep hovering over the lines within this one and see which one lights up the center and only open that one, next one is "section something something" next class something something

now this might start to look familliar to you if you read all these "data-cell-id=" lines these are all the people you follows usernames,

I'm sure someone who knows how to code would be able to grab this in a neat way and put it in a text document for us, but i dont know how to do that i just know i want it.

so what i do is:

right click the line whose arrow we just opened to be able to see this and select "copy, inner html" this line to be clear

and i make a new notepad document(txt) on my computer, and i paste all that shit in there. and yes it looks like complete nonsense because everything is going everywhere with text you dont need or understand. dont worry about it. you still have all your list of following usernames in there.

now i used vs code(or visual studio code) (its a free program you can just get it if you want use google) and you dont even need to know any coding for this cleaning step. to clean this up, i open the document i created with all this shit in it in vs code and it has the capability to select every instance of a word or symbol or whatever and delete every single one, or replace it. it can also write with multiple cursors at the end of every line of text at the same time. so this way i can get rid of all this nonsense stuff to line up everyones usernames the way i'd like.

you can use google to figure out how to do this, or fuff about in vs code, but selecting a chunk and right clicking and choosing "change all occurrences" is what i used the most.

now if someone who actually codes could… help.. help me please.. dont let anyone else have to use this guide, there has to be a better way. thank you i love you

[izicodes]

Coding A Simple Firefox Extension

Hiya! Today I want to share my experience creating a simple Firefox extension. I was a bit intimidated by the idea of creating an extension, but I was determined to give it a try! Been on my 'projects to-do' list for a long time! 😅

I found that the process was actually quite straightforward, and with some guidance from a couple of YouTube videos, I was able to create a working (temporary) extension in just an hour. My hope is that this post will serve as a helpful guide for anyone who is interested in creating their own Firefox extension~!

What exactly are we making?

We will be making a simple temporary extension - an extension that only you have access to e.g. end-users will not be able to use the extension. This is a way to test if your extension works and find issues. I might make another post on how to actually upload it for other people to use, but for now, this method is for you to use the extension.

This is the link to the official Mozilla Firefox 'Temporary installation' Guide' for extenisions - LINK

Now, for the steps into making the extension:

Setting up the development environment

Creating a manifest file

Adding a pop-up window

Attaching JavaScript functionality to a button

Load your extension in Firefox

Let's get started~!

Step 1 - Setting up the development environment

Obviously, you will need to have Firefox installed on your computer. You will also need a code editor, such as Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text, to write your code. I'm going to use VS Code.

In your code editor, create a new folder where you will store your extension files. You can name this folder whatever you like. For this example, I will call it 'Firefox Extension'. I also recommend adding the following files in the folder:

index.html (or in this case popup.html file)

icon image in .png or .jpg or similar formats

manifest.json - talked about in the next step

script.js

Step 2 - Creating a manifest file

The most important file I believe when creating an extension is the manifest JSON file. This file will contain metadata about your extension, including its name, version, and permissions. In your new folder, create a new file called "manifest.json".

This is the general structure of the file. The icon size you need to have is 48x48 pixel size image and then you can have others to be responsive to screensizes, I just added one extra. The 'browser_action' part includes the default icon image that will display an icon in the Firefox toolbar and the popup html file. In 'scripts', that is where we will add the JavaScript code to run.

Step 3 - Adding a pop-up window

The code simply displays the text "Hello World" and a button in the center of the window. I assume you're good at your HTML and CSS so I won't go into too much detail here but the CSS is in the style tags within the head tags and what we can see also is what is between the body tags - the 'Hello World' and the 'Click me!' button.

Don't forget to include the script tag at the end of the body tag so it'll link to the script.js file in your folder AND include "scripts": ["script.js"] in the manifest.json for the javascript code.

Step 4 - Attaching JavaScript functionality to a button

Again, I hope you very basic JavaScript. This code basically adds an event listener to the button with the ID "myBtn" (which is the button with 'Click me!' on it). When the button is clicked, it changes the heading 1 text from 'Hello World' to 'The button was clicked!'.

And that it! Done with all the coding part and now to upload it for you to use~!

Step 5 - Load your extension in Firefox

Open Firefox and type "about:debugging" in the address bar. This will open the Firefox Developer Tools page. Click the "This Firefox" section to the left of the page, then click "Load Temporary Add-on". Navigate to your extension folder and select the manifest.json file.

The extension is now loaded in Firefox! Click the icon in the toolbar to see your pop-up window!

Whenever you make changes to the extension, back on the Firefox Developer Tools page, click the 'Reload' button on your extension section and changes should show up!

I hope that this post has been helpful to you and that it has inspired you to create your own Firefox extension! 👩🏾‍💻💗 Remember, the most important thing is to have fun and experiment with different ideas - play with the colours or sizes or the javascript code! Don't be afraid to try new things and explore!!

Extra links that helped me learn:

How to build an extension for Firefox in less than 5 minutes [video]

Temporary installation in Firefox [webpage]

Thanks for reading 🥰💗

[nateascendingskies]

The Personal Experiences of Pixar and Elemental

Leaving a showing of the crew at Pixar and director Peter Sohn's latest film, Elemental, I was struck by how personal and certifiably unique the film was - no, not necessarily because of its story or even its characters (though the latter felt like a great inverse and even echo of the similar Zootopia), but because of how its themes of the immigrant experience, the duties and expectations of familial traditions, and even the feeling of multicultural love were conveyed or explored.

Much like how I have felt and seen myself in classic Disney and DreamWorks characters like Nick Wilde, WALL-E, and Hiccup Haddock, Ember and Wade spoke to me in ways I wasn't necessarily expecting or even considering walking into the theater some 2 hours earlier.

Like the literal flaming young woman that is Ember, I find myself in an interesting position in my life. While I have not necessarily found myself in the burden of following in family footsteps, I related very much to the idea of having to control one's temper in stressful situations. In the retail environment I have found myself in, I too have been overwhelmed by the constant hustle, bustle and flow of customers - all with their own wacky, weird and wild requests I probably wouldn't have even considered had I not stepped foot in a Home Depot for 8 hours every day. Oftentimes, I need a softer, creative, and often free-spirited side to awaken and comfort me when things get rough or tough sometimes. And, of course, that's where someone like a Wade comes in.

Like Wade, I do find myself easily crying at the most emotional of things - I do happily and readily admit. Yet, like the big ol' blob of water he is, I also find myself finding some clever solutions to problems I never once considered encountering. In addition, I do have a family and a creative community around me who have gone their own wacky and unusual ways, pursuing their own computer science or radiological techniques while I still try to find my own way around the world - living the dream as a writer for a film or motorsport publication or an archivist for a studio like Pixar, perhaps (funny, ain't it?).

Even then, it wasn't just the personal connections that I found in myself that drew me in. For the longest time, I had been longing for a Pixar film that felt like a true back to basics approach - the product of one voice guiding a similar creative team of thousands. Much like 2021's Luca, this was it - but on a big screen scale I didn't even think I wanted to see again. It felt refreshingly simple, pared back, even - which let the visuals carry the story even more than usual.

I didn't need any dialogue about butterflies, car windshields, code violations, blunt yet hard hitting racial allegories, games about making others cry, or depressed clouds trying to play visually trippy basketball equivalents (trust me, it all makes sense when you see the film) to keep me invested - all it took was a kaleidoscopic trip through a flooded old train station to find a flower that could survive in water and fire, some literal crowd waves at a sports stadium, and a literal familial flame to guide me through this weird world of living elements that Sohn and his team had created, showing more than saying what he had seen as a member of an immigrant family and perhaps even as a smitten romantic himself. Besides, as someone who spent a year in Oregon watching some of the best glassblowers in the world practice their craft, I couldn't help but smile watching that all come into play as a gift that Ember realized she had.

If anything, the flaws and traditional story beats the film had only served to draw attention more to what made it work - as a romantic comedy about literal opposites attracting, an unexpected tonal blender of comedy, drama and romance, and as a beautiful reflection of never really giving up on the dreams you discover and find as your life changes. I mean, if you told me I'd find a home at a Home Depot as a job I loved 5 or 10 years ago, I'd call you nuts! If you told me I'd come out of a film as mismarketed as Elemental listening to its beautiful score from Thomas Newman and admiring it mere hours after seeing it in a way that even Across the Spider-Verse couldn't match, I'd call you insane! And, perhaps most importantly of all, if you told me that I'd have a renewed hope, admiration and appreciation for the team at Pixar after how critical I was about their position in my last post - well, then you'd probably call me an unbelievable hypocrite with something stuck in my head. But that's just the way things work - and I couldn't be any happier to be wrong.

Plus, it made me more determined than ever to chase my own animated dreams. Now, if you don't mind, I'm gonna see what I should doodle next…

[jambeegoatson]

Step-by-Step Guide to Coding for Beginners

Coding is a valuable skill in today's digital world, and it's never too late to start learning. Whether you're looking to switch careers, build websites, or create apps, coding is a great place to start. This guide will help you get started on your coding journey, covering the basics of coding and providing a roadmap for further learning.

What is coding, and why is it important?

Coding is the process of writing instructions for computers to follow. It's the language that computers use to communicate with each other and with humans. Coding is important because it's a fundamental part of the technology that drives our daily lives. From websites and apps to software and automation, coding plays a crucial role in nearly every aspect of our digital world.

What do you need to get started?

To start coding, you'll need a few things: a computer, an internet connection, and a text editor. A text editor is a program that allows you to write and save code. There are many free text editors available, including Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, and Notepad++.

Once you have your tools set up, it's time to start learning!

Getting started with coding

The first step in your coding journey is to learn a programming language and learn what are do's and don'ts of coding. There are many programming languages to choose from, but some of the most popular and widely used include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and Java. HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is used to create the structure of websites. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is used to add styling and design to HTML pages. JavaScript is used to create interactive elements on websites. Python is a versatile programming language that can be used for a wide range of tasks, from data analysis to machine learning. Java is a popular language for developing Android apps and building enterprise-level applications.

Once you have chosen a programming language, it's time to start learning! There are many resources available to help you get started, including online courses, books, and tutorials. Some popular resources for learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript include Aspire Coding, Codecademy, W3Schools, and Udemy. For learning Python, try Codecademy, Udemy, or Coursera. And for learning Java, check out Udemy, Coursera, or Oracle's Java tutorials.

Practice, practice, practice

The best way to learn coding for beginners is by doing. As you learn the basics of your chosen programming language, start experimenting with small projects. Try creating a simple website, building a calculator app, or writing a program to automate a task. The more you practice, the better you'll get, and you'll soon find that coding becomes second nature.

Take your learning to the next level

Once you have a solid understanding of the basics, it's time to take your learning to the next level. Consider taking an online course or enrolling in a bootcamp to learn more advanced concepts and skills. You can also participate in coding challenges and hackathons to put your skills to the test and learn from other coders.

Final thoughts

Coding is a valuable skill that can open up a world of opportunities. Whether you're looking to switch careers, build websites, or create apps, coding is a great place to start. With this guide and the resources available, you'll be well on your way to becoming a coding pro. Remember to practice regularly, take advantage of online resources, and never stop learning!

[thara333]

Selenium Mastery: A Guided Expedition in Test Automation

Introduction: Empowering Test Automation with Selenium

In the landscape of test automation, Selenium emerges as a dynamic force, a leading open-source framework that streamlines web application testing. The journey to harness Selenium's prowess becomes even more accessible and impactful through Selenium Training in Pune. This specialized training imparts skills and knowledge, enabling individuals to navigate web automation challenges adeptly and contribute significantly to their professional domains.

Navigating the Test Automation Odyssey: A Holistic Approach

Embark on a comprehensive exploration of leveraging Selenium for efficient test automation with this guide. Unveil step-by-step insights, transforming your testing process into a seamless and strategic endeavor.

1. Establishing the Foundation: Setting Up Your Environment

Before delving into Selenium, lay the groundwork by ensuring your environment is primed. Install Java or a compatible programming language and configure Selenium WebDriver to align with your development environment. This foundational step ensures a seamless integration, preparing the terrain for your test automation journey.

2. Crafting the Framework: Initiating Your Project

Initiate a new project within your chosen Integrated Development Environment (IDE), be it Eclipse or Visual Studio Code. Forge a well-organized project structure and integrate necessary dependencies, creating a robust automation framework. This forms the cornerstone, setting the stage for scalable and maintainable test scripts.

3. Bridging the Gap: Adding Selenium WebDriver Dependencies

Integrate Selenium WebDriver seamlessly into your project by incorporating essential dependencies. These dependencies empower your project to communicate effortlessly with browsers, bridging the interaction gap between automation scripts and web applications. For a deeper dive into Selenium's capabilities, consider enrolling in the Top Selenium Online Training.

4. Initiating the Automation Journey: Writing Your First Selenium Script

Embark on your automation journey by crafting the inaugural Selenium script. Develop a fundamental script that initializes the WebDriver, navigates webpages, and interacts with elements through actions like clicks or text entries. This script becomes the bedrock for intricate test scenarios.

5. Validating and Verifying: Enhancing Your Test Script

Elevate your script's capabilities by introducing assertions to validate expected outcomes. Employ features like implicit and explicit waits to navigate dynamic elements, ensuring script adaptability to diverse scenarios. This enhancement amplifies the reliability and robustness of your automation suite.

6. Organizing for Efficiency: Embracing the Page Object Model (POM)

Implement the Page Object Model (POM) to enhance code organization and reusability. By crafting classes representing different pages or components, POM streamlines maintenance and fosters a modular approach within your automation framework.

7. Observing the Automation Symphony: Running Your Test

Execute your Selenium test script, witnessing the orchestrated automation unfold. As the script interacts with the web application, observe automated actions and validate expected outcomes. This step ensures alignment with the intended functionality of the web application.

Conclusion: Cultivating Continuous Advancement

The Selenium journey in test automation is not a destination but an ongoing learning odyssey. Traverse the evolving landscape of web application testing, continually explore advanced Selenium features, stay abreast of new releases, and embrace the efficiency Selenium brings to crafting automated tests for web applications.

In summary, mastering Selenium involves a harmonious blend of foundational setup, script development, and strategic organization. This guide propels you toward becoming a proficient Selenium automation engineer, elevating the quality and reliability of web applications through strategic and efficient testing practices.