more null checks in places where we're calling createAppearance; some cleanup

engine/shared/library/sharedObject/src/shared/appearance/AppearanceTemplateList.cpp

@@ -232,14 +232,21 @@ const AppearanceTemplate *AppearanceTemplateList::fetch(const char *const fileNa
 		DEBUG_WARNING(true, ("AppearanceTemplateList::fetch could not open '%s', using default", fileName));
 		actualFileName = getDefaultAppearanceTemplateName();
 	}
-	else
+	
+	if (actualFileName) 
+	{
 		found = true;
 
-	//-- search for the appearance
-	AppearanceTemplate *const appearanceTemplate = create(actualFileName);
+		//-- search for the appearance
+		AppearanceTemplate *const appearanceTemplate = create(actualFileName);
 
-	//-- up the reference count
-	return fetch(appearanceTemplate);
+		//-- up the reference count
+		return fetch(appearanceTemplate);
+	}
+
+	DEBUG_WARNING(true, ("AppearanceTemplateList::fetch actualFileName fetch for %s failed.", actualFileName));
+
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -389,18 +396,18 @@ Appearance *AppearanceTemplateList::createAppearance(const char *const fileName)
 {
 	DEBUG_FATAL(!ms_installed, ("not installed"));
 
-#ifdef _DEBUG
-	DataLint::pushAsset(fileName);
-#endif
-
 	//-- get the appearance template
 	const AppearanceTemplate *const appearanceTemplate = fetch(fileName);
 
-	if(!appearanceTemplate){
+	if (appearanceTemplate == NULL){
         DEBUG_WARNING(true, ("FIX ME: Appearance template for %s could not be fetched - is it missing?", fileName));
 	    return NULL;  // Cekis: TODO: Figure out why the template can't be fetched.
 	}
 
+#ifdef _DEBUG
+        DataLint::pushAsset(fileName);
+#endif
+
 	//-- creating the appearance will increment the reference count
 	Appearance *const appearance = appearanceTemplate->createAppearance();
 
@@ -585,8 +592,9 @@ AppearanceTemplate *AppearanceTemplateListNamespace::create(const char *const fi
 
 		const Tag tag = iff.getCurrentName();
 		TagBindingMap::iterator iter = ms_tagBindingMap.find(tag);
-		if (iter != ms_tagBindingMap.end())
+		if (iter != ms_tagBindingMap.end()) {
 			appearanceTemplate = iter->second(actualFileName.getString(), &iff);
+		}
 		else
 		{
 			char tagString[5];

engine/shared/library/sharedObject/src/shared/object/Object.cpp

@@ -2460,8 +2460,11 @@ void Object::setAppearanceByName(char const *path)
 			// Create the object's new appearance
 
 			Appearance *appearance = AppearanceTemplateList::createAppearance(path);
-
-			setAppearance(appearance);
+			
+			if (appearance != NULL) 
+			{
+				setAppearance(appearance);
+			} 
 		}
 		else
 		{
@@ -3270,6 +3273,10 @@ void Object::setAlternateAppearance(const char * path)
 	if (TreeFile::exists(path))
 	{	
 		alternateAppearance = AppearanceTemplateList::createAppearance(path);
+
+		if (alternateAppearance == NULL) {
+			return;
+		}
 	}
 	else
 	{

engine/shared/library/sharedObject/src/shared/portal/CellProperty.cpp

@@ -431,11 +431,14 @@ void CellProperty::initialize(const PortalProperty &portalProperty, int cellInde
 		m_appearanceObject->setDebugName("Cell appearance object");
 		m_appearanceObject->attachToObject_p(&getOwner(), true);
 		Appearance * const appearance = AppearanceTemplateList::createAppearance(cellTemplate.getAppearanceName());
-		appearance->setShadowBlobAllowed();
-		m_appearanceObject->setAppearance(appearance);
 
-		if (ms_addToRenderWorldHook)
-			ms_addToRenderWorldHook(*m_appearanceObject);
+		if (appearance != NULL) {
+			appearance->setShadowBlobAllowed();
+			m_appearanceObject->setAppearance(appearance);
+
+			if (ms_addToRenderWorldHook)
+				ms_addToRenderWorldHook(*m_appearanceObject);
+		}
 	}
 
 	// ----------

engine/shared/library/sharedObject/src/shared/portal/PortalProperty.cpp

@@ -460,8 +460,10 @@ void PortalProperty::debugPrint(std::string &buffer) const
 void PortalProperty::createAppearance()
 {
 	Appearance * const appearance = AppearanceTemplateList::createAppearance(m_template->getExteriorAppearanceName());
-	appearance->setShadowBlobAllowed();
-	getOwner().setAppearance(appearance);
+	if (appearance != NULL) {
+		appearance->setShadowBlobAllowed();
+		getOwner().setAppearance(appearance);
+	}
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------