

Read this is you haven't read it on my web site, or are experiencing problems with any of
my objects downloaded before August 16th 2000. If you're reading this file, then the object
with it should be fixed.

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Magic Cookie Problem
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Each object (or part of an object) has an id number. This presumably is used to keep track of what objects are where in a house. The object id is a 4 byte number XX XX XX XX. As I said, complex objects can have several object ids, one for each part.


The earlier version of the transmogrifier would only generate a few object ids, causing conflict troubles, but version (1.0) was supposed to fix this by assigning a 'magic cookie' number. The magic cookie number was apparently supposed to be the right 2 bytes of the object id, with the left being randomly generated. For instance, my magic cookie number is 10033. So theoretically, the right side of the objects I clone should be the hex value of 10033, which is 27 31. So all my objects should have ids like XX XX 27 31 (which XX XX is randomly generated), thus making my objects completely unique.


Unfortunately, it doesn't work out that way. For some reason, the right most byte is set to 00 instead of the proper number. So instead of my IDs ending up XX XX 27 31, they end up XX XX 27 00. 

This is a problem because not only is 27 00 being used by someone else (it belongs to however has magic cookie 9984), there are 254 other people who's magic cookie numbers are 27 XX in hex terms. All the people with magic cookies of 9984 to 10239 have hex values in the 27 XX range. For instance, 10032, is 27 30. 10239 is 27 FF. And all end up as 27 00. 

This happens to all the magic cookie numbers. The right becomes zero. For instance, Instead of 15100 being 3A FC, .it's 3A 00. Which again, conflicts with the proper owner of 3A 00 (14484), as well as 254 others. 


Now because the obect ID is so big, as the left most is still a 2 byte number (from 0 to 65535 or 00 00 to FF FF), conflicts will be pretty rare. There are hundreds of objects, but for conflicts to be common, you'd have to have thousands. Still, objects id conflicts are very possible, and in some instances occuring, so I thought I'd better fix my objects..

So, I've changed the id on all my objects to the proper number (27 31 instead of 27 00). If you've downloaded my previous ones , then you might wish to download the new versions, or change the id yourselves. But, if you do, be warned that any of my objects in your houses will be missing (since the objects in a house are kept track of by the id number). So you may wish to sell the objects first, then replace them with the new versions, and re buy them. Or alternatively, you should just do nothing, as the risk of a conflict isn't that great, and if you do come across one, just get rid of the offending file.


Note, the first 15 or so objects that I made don't have this problem, as I hex edited them to give their own id. (Wall lights, some paintings, the first lava lamp). And if you've download anything past the 15th, they're fine. Sorry! I should have noticed earlier, but it wasn't until now that I poked through other peoples items (I was trying to track down a problem).


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