Best practice

[Guest]

First, i like to apologize if this is already mentioned somewhere. But i haven't found anything in that regard.

 

My question is this.

You download cc and anything else and store it in "downloads" and "savedSims" (for characters).

Do you suppose to keep these files there or can they be deleted without harm to the game. Of course i am having a backup for those files.
I am just not sure if it should be kept for the game.

 

Thank you so much

 

p.s. it sound surely silly to ask this question, but i like to keep the game as neat as i can.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, wutpickel said:

You download cc and anything else and store it in "downloads" and "savedSims" (for characters).

Downloads can be deleted, as once loaded are converted to package form and saved to DCCache (never delete, you will have to reload all those into the Downloads and relaunch). Saved Sims are exactly that... they are the Sims that are saved files, so if you delete those, they are gone. The packages in the SavedSims folder do not contain any CC. Those contain all of the part information only. So, if you download, or as I and many others with TS3, spend an hour or so in CAS, adjusting sliders, setting outfits as you want them, accessories, hair, make up (with Nraas, hair, accessories, make up can be different for each outfit), you do NOT want to delete your SavedSims! Unless you have made a replacement, or updated him or her. ))) Anyway, the SavedSims contain all of the info for all of that work you put into making that Sim.

 

There ARE 2 places where they can be saved. The main place is the SavedSim folder, which is accessible in CAS. There is an icon on the bottom left next to the thumbnail of your Sim. This can also be accessed during the start of games in edit town mode.

 

You can also save households. They go to a different "bin", and are saved to the Library. You can make a household using one or several of your saved Sims and then save that household also as a separate set which shows during edit town mode, so you can add families to a town. There are a few EA premade families in there as well, but those are actually in the game files.

 

PS... I currently have 179 Saved Sims. There are a few duplicates that I need to check and delete, and a few that were made with old CC that I have since deleted, but...

Edited September 25, 2021 by LadySmoks

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, LadySmoks said:

Downloads can be deleted, as once loaded are converted to package form and saved to DCCache (never delete, you will have to reload all those into the Downloads and relaunch). Saved Sims are exactly that... they are the Sims that are saved files, so if you delete those, they are gone. The packages in the SavedSims folder do not contain any CC. Those contain all of the part information only. So, if you download, or as I and many others with TS3, spend an hour or so in CAS, adjusting sliders, setting outfits as you want them, accessories, hair, make up (with Nraas, hair, accessories, make up can be different for each outfit), you do NOT want to delete your SavedSims! Unless you have made a replacement, or updated him or her. ))) Anyway, the SavedSims contain all of the info for all of that work you put into making that Sim.

 

There ARE 2 places where they can be saved. The main place is the SavedSim folder, which is accessible in CAS. There is an icon on the bottom left next to the thumbnail of your Sim. This can also be accessed during the start of games in edit town mode.

 

You can also save households. They go to a different "bin", and are saved to the Library. You can make a household using one or several of your saved Sims and then save that household also as a separate set which shows during edit town mode, so you can add families to a town. There are a few EA premade families in there as well, but those are actually in the game files.

 

PS... I currently have 179 Saved Sims. There are a few duplicates that I need to check and delete, and a few that were made with old CC that I have since deleted, but...

Ah, ok. I have to keep that in mind.

At least the downloads can go then.

 

I have just started to create and model a sim. This is so much harder in TS3. Especially since they have less polygons. 
Anyway, that will be exported so i can keep it in a save place.
Since TS3 does not have a tray folder like TS4, i suppose there is not tool that can export it with all the CC's that were used.

 

I checked the library folder and this is just jibberish. Are these the saves. Like when i save in the CAS, is this where it lands?

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, wutpickel said:

Ah, ok. I have to keep that in mind.

At least the downloads can go then.

 

I have just started to create and model a sim. This is so much harder in TS3. Especially since they have less polygons. 
Anyway, that will be exported so i can keep it in a save place.
Since TS3 does not have a tray folder like TS4, i suppose there is not tool that can export it with all the CC's that were used.

 

I checked the library folder and this is just jibberish. Are these the saves. Like when i save in the CAS, is this where it lands?

OK... trying to follow you... "Created a model sims", then you reference polygons. You are working in Blender or Milkshape to make a mesh now? Counting poly??? If yes, welcome to my world! In many ways, it is a challenge that I enjoy meeting, and am slowly getting a handle on. Just remember that LOD's 2 and especially 3 are just along for the ride and detail can be minimal. 

Spoiler

This is several versions ago. I am counting every vertices as I make each cut! 

There are a couple of ways to save a Sim that you made in CAS. Bottom left, you see the thumbnail pic of the Sim. Next to it are 3 dots... click that, and you get 2 more options. The top one says "share". That will write a sims3pack file and send it to the Exports folder. From that, I guess people share them and install via the downloads launcher? Never did it myself. You can also use the multipack installer tool from MTS to convert that to a package file. The bottom option will save the Sim you made to your SavedSims folder.

 

Those Library packages are probably houses from your game, or could be some CC you installed, not 100% sure and would need to go through mine to double check everything that goes in there. I think that when you install worlds via the downloads launcher, some content may go there?

 

You need to go to my help page and scroll to the s3pe link and get that. That can open packages. The packages have thumbnails or icons that will show you the content.

 

There is a lot to TS3 that was developed outside of EA over the years that made the game playable in more ways than just the actual speed it up mods!

[Guest]

1 hour ago, LadySmoks said:

OK... trying to follow you... "Created a model sims", then you reference polygons. You are working in Blender or Milkshape to make a mesh now? Counting poly??? If yes, welcome to my world! In many ways, it is a challenge that I enjoy meeting, and am slowly getting a handle on. Just remember that LOD's 2 and especially 3 are just along for the ride and detail can be minimal. 

  Reveal hidden contents

This is several versions ago. I am counting every vertices as I make each cut! 

There are a couple of ways to save a Sim that you made in CAS. Bottom left, you see the thumbnail pic of the Sim. Next to it are 3 dots... click that, and you get 2 more options. The top one says "share". That will write a sims3pack file and send it to the Exports folder. From that, I guess people share them and install via the downloads launcher? Never did it myself. You can also use the multipack installer tool from MTS to convert that to a package file. The bottom option will save the Sim you made to your SavedSims folder.

 

Those Library packages are probably houses from your game, or could be some CC you installed, not 100% sure and would need to go through mine to double check everything that goes in there. I think that when you install worlds via the downloads launcher, some content may go there?

 

You need to go to my help page and scroll to the s3pe link and get that. That can open packages. The packages have thumbnails or icons that will show you the content.

 

There is a lot to TS3 that was developed outside of EA over the years that made the game playable in more ways than just the actual speed it up mods!

See how little i know. Its something with me.

 

Oh my. I always avoided that "share" because i thought i upload it to everyone. So i never even considered that option. So i will do that.

 

Oh the polies... well, my way of saying that it looks sometimes not very round and on par. Its a older game.

I still get sometimes the chills if i see the sims. Especially up close. brrrr.

 

Thanks for the tip with you topic. I will revisit that.

 

I think i must be very annoying with all these questions. ?

 

Anyway, i thank you.

Edited September 26, 2021 by wutpickel

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, wutpickel said:

See how little i know. Its something with me.

 

Oh my. I always avoided that "share" because i thought i upload it to everyone. So i never even considered that option. So i will do that.

 

Oh the polies... well, my way of saying that it looks sometimes not very round and on par. Its a older game.

I still get sometimes the chills if i see the sims. Especially up close. brrrr.

 

Thanks for the tip with you topic. I will revisit that.

 

I think i must be very annoying with all these questions. ?

 

Anyway, i thank you.

I clicked your tiny signature. You played and made things for Fall Out? So at least you understand that Rome was not built in a day! I also thought that, but not that long ago, @landess had thoughts of doing Sim sharing here and asked that I help him see how it is done... so I looked it up... forget where I found the info. Anyway, it was decided it would be a PITA, so that idea was scrapped. I'm not online, so it would not upload anyway.

 

Yes, TS3 is low poly compared to TS4. 32 bit v 64 bit. I have figured out a few tricks to help some things look better, but it is what it is! I am making that mesh I showed you, because I can not convert the game rip mesh. The poly count is incredibly high, and I know no way to reduce it without destroying the appearance of the mesh. I have already had success doing this on a smaller scale. The 2B skirt is my mesh. The original was too high count and I was not able to reduce it, so I made a new mesh and adjusted the UV map to fit the existing textures. 

 

Truth is that TS3 is not THAT old, just corporate greed. There is one who comes and goes here, who worked for EA and worked on TS3. He has said there were plenty of 64 bit systems and the prices were dropping and more were coming out, but EA decided to make TS3 as 32 bit so they could sell to everyone with 64 bit and those who also still had 32 bit systems. Not to be nice, but just to get the cash now.

 

You are not as annoying as most. At least you seem to want to understand and play the game. As I have said, too many others simply want to know how to make TS3 + KW = offline "build her, dress her, F her game, and not need mommy's credit card. )))

[Nonsequitur]

An FYI -  It's difficult to figure where you were wanting to go with this topic and still is...  

BEST PRACTICES...

 

Well, at the Novice level getting a handle on best practices - it seems to morph as other Mods were developed.

When the game first came out there was no way to have 3rd party Mods... that was soon changed.

 

Although there is a lot of opinion on what is best - as always... it is what works best for you and how involved you are with the game.

Personally, I play many Worlds, I make worlds... and much of what goes into them so am always looking at new worlds.

This being the case - I found many world were full of there own CC too - Clogs up the system pretty fast trying to keep all those worlds working with all their own CC accumulating with the other Worlds.  Especially bad if you only have a marginal Game machine and/or memory. 

 

World Setup:

Like my worlds "How To" install instructions...

• Save your current "The Sims 3" game folder under a new name which reflects what world it is.
• Initiate a new Game folder
• Install  that world with it's CC
• From your Archive of all CC Package files and Sims3pack files - install your favorite CC (Sex Mods, NRaas Tools, etc.) Best to have a "Favorites CC" folder to just plug into the Mods/Packages folder).
• PLAY.

This way any world you wish to play becomes a Plug & Play. You only need to rename your current Game Folder to save it - then rename the game folder of the world you want to play back to "The Sims 3" and place back in your Electronic Arts game folder (if not already there). Smart to save all game folders in the Electronic Arts folder of your Documents folder - you just change the folders names to swap game worlds.

 

This keeps your worlds clean and always set up to play with minimal extra resources being used. It maximizes the games capability for each world.

 

Aside from setting up a world to be Plug & Play maximizing resources for that world and its game play... there is "What to do with all the crap I've DOWNLOADED".  

If you unpacked a Sims3package you may have one or many HASH.Package files (unpack to a separate folder to keep the package files together). Use S3PE to view the package contents (IMG and ICON file in the package file) then rename the package file to what makes scene to you and Save AS.  Be aware that some "Package files" require other packages to function. Don't mess with this unless you have some understanding of it.  As it is - make an Archive Folder for Accumulated CC with Sub-Folders for Sims3pack and Package files.  Further sub-folders for worlds, Garments (teen, adult , Male/Female, etc.), cars, Objects, etc.   Again, best to have it on another hard drive than your (main) C:/ drive. 

 

Set up a "Favorites Folder". This is a folder of only Package files that you pretty much use all the time - like your Sex Mods, Favorite outfits, Core Mods,  all in separate folders within your Favorite Mods folder. Any time you install a new world - set up the Mod's Framework and drop your "Favorite Mods" folder into the Mods/Packages folder.  If any separate package files came with that new world - make a folder for them in Mod's/Packages and copy them into that folder - install the worlds Sims3pack and Play.  

 

Decided to play another world...

Rename your "The Sims 3" game folder to reflect the name of the world and then rename the game folder of the world you want to play back to "The Sims 3" - PLAY.

 

All in all...

• this minimizes conflicts between various worlds CC and your favorite CC.
• Keeps resource overhead to a minimum (easier to find conflicts - and maximizes game play-ability).
• Organizes your worlds, and CC...
• Quickly swap between worlds once set up. 

 

Anyway, that's how I keep all my stuff organized and reduce headaches from CC conflicts. 

My game usually runs without glitches or stuttering. 

I run a 25 year old, 32 bit HP, with 3 GB RAM running Vista Home Premium for this old game.

Over the years I've accumulated some 60 worlds and nearly 4 Terabytes of objects and CAS items.  So, I had to find a way to make it simple for me...  and chose to set up each world separately.   A little extra work setting the new world up in the beginning but, saves a lot of tracking down problems when you load a game folder with many worlds and keep adding new CC.

 

You may or may not find this useful...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nonsequitur]

As a side-note - if you have core mods or other mods that are "touchy" about where they are placed. Set up an entire Mods folder ahead of time rather than a Favorite Mods Folder.  Archive that Mods Folder and copy it to set up the new world.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, LadySmoks said:

I clicked your tiny signature. You played and made things for Fall Out? So at least you understand that Rome was not built in a day! I also thought that, but not that long ago, @landess had thoughts of doing Sim sharing here and asked that I help him see how it is done... so I looked it up... forget where I found the info. Anyway, it was decided it would be a PITA, so that idea was scrapped. I'm not online, so it would not upload anyway.

 

Yes, TS3 is low poly compared to TS4. 32 bit v 64 bit. I have figured out a few tricks to help some things look better, but it is what it is! I am making that mesh I showed you, because I can not convert the game rip mesh. The poly count is incredibly high, and I know no way to reduce it without destroying the appearance of the mesh. I have already had success doing this on a smaller scale. The 2B skirt is my mesh. The original was too high count and I was not able to reduce it, so I made a new mesh and adjusted the UV map to fit the existing textures. 

 

Truth is that TS3 is not THAT old, just corporate greed. There is one who comes and goes here, who worked for EA and worked on TS3. He has said there were plenty of 64 bit systems and the prices were dropping and more were coming out, but EA decided to make TS3 as 32 bit so they could sell to everyone with 64 bit and those who also still had 32 bit systems. Not to be nice, but just to get the cash now.

 

You are not as annoying as most. At least you seem to want to understand and play the game. As I have said, too many others simply want to know how to make TS3 + KW = offline "build her, dress her, F her game, and not need mommy's credit card. )))

 

This maybe off topic. Sorry about that.

 

One wrong key, and my answer was gone.

 

Anyway, no CC for me as i more frugal with money. At least now. Plus i am past my prime. Late boomer? Maybe. So i do not buy everything on CC. That would be insane by their price structure. TS4 would kill me for all the addons. I just bought two and due the fact how most mods are made, you need this shitty addons to actually use them.

So that is why i am waiting for a sale so i can snag em for a meager $10 Dollars a piece hopefully.

 

I downloaded once Blender. What i know about it is, it is the most popular software and its opensource. I am a big opensource fan.

I might look into it, just for the fun of pain. Don't we all want to be pained?

 

For now i admire every work i see, because i know there is a lot of work in there. 

As for Fallout, well, i did not code anything. Rather i played a little with CreationKit. I never fully understood how the scripting worked.

What i did was more to share my PC creations. But of course that is all based on someone work like sliders and such.

I remember that in order to fit some piece of accessory or clothing, you assign it slots.

 

TS3 is of course not so old but it was released in 2009 which makes it stoneage ware. I remember that a lot of companies at the time did not offer 64 bit because the majority was still on 32 bit Windows. I used to use Acdsee at the time and they refused to release a damn 64 bit version. I am using now Digikam.

Yes, co-operations want to grow their wealth. Technically it was probably possible to offer both versions. After all, you get most opensource in both versions.

 

Well, i think i ask a lot. Not everyone will respond. So thank you for doing that.

And thanks for the software hint. I downloaded it. Now i will see what i can do with it.

 

I think i do not want to know, what most people actually do or play. Though i like to share mine. Haven't put to much effort in it so far, but i got kind of the setup i wanted.

In real life, these people would be in jail. But as a play it is, well, stimulating.

What i still look for are some tweaks like alcohol. This supposed to be in KW but i haven't found it. There are many errors in the log from KW that relate to missing EP's.

Also i would love my evil character to kidnap other sims, do ransom perhaps. Really badass.

 

In sims is no heroin. No needles. That would be a touch.

 

In the end, rather than before, your work is great. I downloaded some and use them.

 

Just in general, i sometimes wishes that someone could take over a mod and continue improving it. Its a shame that KW is now more or less the end as it is.

 

Ok, enough for today.

Edited September 26, 2021 by wutpickel

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, Nonsequitur said:

An FYI -  It's difficult to figure where you were wanting to go with this topic and still is...  

BEST PRACTICES...

 

Well, at the Novice level getting a handle on best practices - it seems to morph as other Mods were developed.

When the game first came out there was no way to have 3rd party Mods... that was soon changed.

 

Although there is a lot of opinion on what is best - as always... it is what works best for you and how involved you are with the game.

Personally, I play many Worlds, I make worlds... and much of what goes into them so am always looking at new worlds.

This being the case - I found many world were full of there own CC too - Clogs up the system pretty fast trying to keep all those worlds working with all their own CC accumulating with the other Worlds.  Especially bad if you only have a marginal Game machine and/or memory. 

 

World Setup:

Like my worlds "How To" install instructions...

• Save your current "The Sims 3" game folder under a new name which reflects what world it is.
• Initiate a new Game folder
• Install  that world with it's CC
• From your Archive of all CC Package files and Sims3pack files - install your favorite CC (Sex Mods, NRaas Tools, etc.) Best to have a "Favorites CC" folder to just plug into the Mods/Packages folder).
• PLAY.

This way any world you wish to play becomes a Plug & Play. You only need to rename your current Game Folder to save it - then rename the game folder of the world you want to play back to "The Sims 3" and place back in your Electronic Arts game folder (if not already there). Smart to save all game folders in the Electronic Arts folder of your Documents folder - you just change the folders names to swap game worlds.

 

This keeps your worlds clean and always set up to play with minimal extra resources being used. It maximizes the games capability for each world.

 

Aside from setting up a world to be Plug & Play maximizing resources for that world and its game play... there is "What to do with all the crap I've DOWNLOADED".  

If you unpacked a Sims3package you may have one or many HASH.Package files (unpack to a separate folder to keep the package files together). Use S3PE to view the package contents (IMG and ICON file in the package file) then rename the package file to what makes scene to you and Save AS.  Be aware that some "Package files" require other packages to function. Don't mess with this unless you have some understanding of it.  As it is - make an Archive Folder for Accumulated CC with Sub-Folders for Sims3pack and Package files.  Further sub-folders for worlds, Garments (teen, adult , Male/Female, etc.), cars, Objects, etc.   Again, best to have it on another hard drive than your (main) C:/ drive. 

 

Set up a "Favorites Folder". This is a folder of only Package files that you pretty much use all the time - like your Sex Mods, Favorite outfits, Core Mods,  all in separate folders within your Favorite Mods folder. Any time you install a new world - set up the Mod's Framework and drop your "Favorite Mods" folder into the Mods/Packages folder.  If any separate package files came with that new world - make a folder for them in Mod's/Packages and copy them into that folder - install the worlds Sims3pack and Play.  

 

Decided to play another world...

Rename your "The Sims 3" game folder to reflect the name of the world and then rename the game folder of the world you want to play back to "The Sims 3" - PLAY.

 

All in all...

• this minimizes conflicts between various worlds CC and your favorite CC.
• Keeps resource overhead to a minimum (easier to find conflicts - and maximizes game play-ability).
• Organizes your worlds, and CC...
• Quickly swap between worlds once set up. 

 

Anyway, that's how I keep all my stuff organized and reduce headaches from CC conflicts. 

My game usually runs without glitches or stuttering. 

I run a 25 year old, 32 bit HP, with 3 GB RAM running Vista Home Premium for this old game.

Over the years I've accumulated some 60 worlds and nearly 4 Terabytes of objects and CAS items.  So, I had to find a way to make it simple for me...  and chose to set up each world separately.   A little extra work setting the new world up in the beginning but, saves a lot of tracking down problems when you load a game folder with many worlds and keep adding new CC.

 

You may or may not find this useful...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is very helpful. 
 

Thank you for sharing.

 

So far i never did that rename folder approach.

I tried to organize my game mod folder, so that i have several sub folders by function.

As i started i probably did what most people did. Just toss everything inside.

This is of course the exact opposite of how you should do it.

 

My weakness was, that i had deleted most of my archives, thinking i have the packages in my mod folder. So i am missing some items on Sims 4.

 

Sims 3 is similar in a way. So i try do organize it foremost to avoid problems. My only problem was the download folder as things piled up and i wasn't too familiar how you supposed to do it.

 

I will try your world approach. This seems to open more possibilities when creating different gameplays. I know i saw on Sims 4 some game saves where you can start in a totally different world.

So i will spend one day just creating a unique world with things i would like to see in it.

 

Again, thank you for sharing and you are right, we were somewhat off topic

 

 

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, wutpickel said:

This maybe off topic. Sorry about that.

 

One wrong key, and my answer was gone.

 

Anyway, no CC for me as i more frugal with money. At least now. Plus i am past my prime. Late boomer? Maybe. So i do not buy everything on CC. That would be insane by their price structure. TS4 would kill me for all the addons. I just bought two and due the fact how most mods are made, you need this shitty addons to actually use them.

So that is why i am waiting for a sale so i can snag em for a meager $10 Dollars a piece hopefully.

 

I downloaded once Blender. What i know about it is, it is the most popular software and its opensource. I am a big opensource fan.

I might look into it, just for the fun of pain. Don't we all want to be pained?

 

For now i admire every work i see, because i know there is a lot of work in there. 

As for Fallout, well, i did not code anything. Rather i played a little with CreationKit. I never fully understood how the scripting worked.

What i did was more to share my PC creations. But of course that is all based on someone work like sliders and such.

I remember that in order to fit some piece of accessory or clothing, you assign it slots.

 

TS3 is of course not so old but it was released in 2009 which makes it stoneage ware. I remember that a lot of companies at the time did not offer 64 bit because the majority was still on 32 bit Windows. I used to use Acdsee at the time and they refused to release a damn 64 bit version. I am using now Digikam.

Yes, co-operations want to grow their wealth. Technically it was probably possible to offer both versions. After all, you get most opensource in both versions.

 

Well, i think i ask a lot. Not everyone will respond. So thank you for doing that.

And thanks for the software hint. I downloaded it. Now i will see what i can do with it.

 

I think i do not want to know, what most people actually do or play. Though i like to share mine. Haven't put to much effort in it so far, but i got kind of the setup i wanted.

In real life, these people would be in jail. But as a play it is, well, stimulating.

What i still look for are some tweaks like alcohol. This supposed to be in KW but i haven't found it. There are many errors in the log from KW that relate to missing EP's.

Also i would love my evil character to kidnap other sims, do ransom perhaps. Really badass.

 

In sims is no heroin. No needles. That would be a touch.

 

In the end, rather than before, your work is great. I downloaded some and use them.

 

Just in general, i sometimes wishes that someone could take over a mod and continue improving it. Its a shame that KW is now more or less the end as it is.

 

Ok, enough for today.

Well, CC is "custom content", which are mods. Most are free for TS3. EP's and SP's is perhaps what you refer to paying for? I actually have only a few, not all as many do. The last few that I got, I got as used on Amazon.com, and they were less than $10 each. )))

 

I use Blender because it is free, as is GIMP. Others use Milkshape, and I tried the free trial version but did not understand it, so did not buy it. Same with Photoshop. 

 

Alcohol bars require the Late Night EP3. That has the alcohol bars in it. KW only uses coding from the game and builds on it for the most part, so without the EP, no KW booze either. Same for the high school that requires University EP, my FemmBots use the sexbot trait chip and both require Into the Future EP11 and a few other specialty things that use EP's. I think some is listed on the first KW page.

 

Very unlikely that anyone will take up KW. My understanding is that the coding is very disorganized and basically pieced together and patched. Plus, no profit in it, as that's why Oniki walked away.

[Nonsequitur]

3 hours ago, wutpickel said:

So i do not buy everything on CC.

There is a little confusion with translations...

CC is Custom Content. It is not a store or a site. It is a creation made by someone.

The thing is - you should read the legal stuff. When you make anything made for the game... it becomes a licensed object of EA/Maxis once in the game. You cannot profit from it unless sanctioned by the games creator or Legal owner.  People can get away with charging for product by charging for access - not the product.  Like Patrion, Pandorasims, etc. CC (Custom Content) for the Sims 3 is everywhere and many people make things for the game - all FREE. Legally you can't charge for the objects you make for the game. Ask for donations, charge to access your site, charge through a sudo-Token system so no money is exchange for the item... yes.  Lots of ways to get around the restrictions if you're willing to pay for that dance. 

 

 Sites like The Sims 3 or "The Store" do not allow access to download the item unless you buy their "Points"... points are not currency. You bought the points though - lol

 

If you work for a Game company - what you make is not yours... 

 

 

[landess]

4 hours ago, Nonsequitur said:

If you work for a Game company - what you make is not yours... 

 

Which always confused me in the movie TRON, where Flynn used company systems to create his games that Dillinger hacked and stole.....  They never would have been Flynn's either - he only would have gotten credit instead of Dillinger.

 

As far as 'topic' is concerned: I seem to get this is more about talking shop than any thing specific.

 

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>The Sims 3 launcher is basically a mini browser and package merging tool. It offers no real operations than those - Shopping for store content and placing any files with that format (sims3pack) into a larger merged file. (LadySmoks touched on this)

 

Since I found a converter for sims3packs to .package  -  I never use the launcher unless I have large complex sims3pack to install. This would be mainly worlds since they can have many different types of CC being installed together and many of those file locations are in different folders.

 

Sims3packs are very hard to remove from the game, while package files couldn't be easier - even if merged. But this is more advanced stuff which requires basic PC use and file management along with the tools to do so.

 

 

Edited September 26, 2021 by landess

[Guest]

13 hours ago, LadySmoks said:

Well, CC is "custom content", which are mods. Most are free for TS3. EP's and SP's is perhaps what you refer to paying for? I actually have only a few, not all as many do. The last few that I got, I got as used on Amazon.com, and they were less than $10 each. )))

 

I use Blender because it is free, as is GIMP. Others use Milkshape, and I tried the free trial version but did not understand it, so did not buy it. Same with Photoshop. 

 

Alcohol bars require the Late Night EP3. That has the alcohol bars in it. KW only uses coding from the game and builds on it for the most part, so without the EP, no KW booze either. Same for the high school that requires University EP, my FemmBots use the sexbot trait chip and both require Into the Future EP11 and a few other specialty things that use EP's. I think some is listed on the first KW page.

 

Very unlikely that anyone will take up KW. My understanding is that the coding is very disorganized and basically pieced together and patched. Plus, no profit in it, as that's why Oniki walked away.

Just to add my thought to KW.

 

It is my understanding that you can only work on a mod from someone else, if the original author approves it.

In a sense, this is a missed opportunity. I think it would have potential to be expanded, problems solved etc..

Well, put thats how it is.

Of course there is no money in it.

[Guest]

9 hours ago, Nonsequitur said:

There is a little confusion with translations...

CC is Custom Content. It is not a store or a site. It is a creation made by someone.

The thing is - you should read the legal stuff. When you make anything made for the game... it becomes a licensed object of EA/Maxis once in the game. You cannot profit from it unless sanctioned by the games creator or Legal owner.  People can get away with charging for product by charging for access - not the product.  Like Patrion, Pandorasims, etc. CC (Custom Content) for the Sims 3 is everywhere and many people make things for the game - all FREE. Legally you can't charge for the objects you make for the game. Ask for donations, charge to access your site, charge through a sudo-Token system so no money is exchange for the item... yes.  Lots of ways to get around the restrictions if you're willing to pay for that dance. 

 

 Sites like The Sims 3 or "The Store" do not allow access to download the item unless you buy their "Points"... points are not currency. You bought the points though - lol

 

If you work for a Game company - what you make is not yours... 

 

 

I should have been clearer. What i meant was to a statement kids buying with CC EP's. So its a credit card. My mistake.

 

But yes, i recognize it. The legal issue is something that one always has to consider.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, landess said:

 

Which always confused me in the movie TRON, where Flynn used company systems to create his games that Dillinger hacked and stole.....  They never would have been Flynn's either - he only would have gotten credit instead of Dillinger.

 

As far as 'topic' is concerned: I seem to get this is more about talking shop than any thing specific.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

>The Sims 3 launcher is basically a mini browser and package merging tool. It offers no real operations than those - Shopping for store content and placing any files with that format (sims3pack) into a larger merged file. (LadySmoks touched on this)

 

Since I found a converter for sims3packs to .package  -  I never use the launcher unless I have large complex sims3pack to install. This would be mainly worlds since they can have many different types of CC being installed together and many of those file locations are in different folders.

 

Sims3packs are very hard to remove from the game, while package files couldn't be easier - even if merged. But this is more advanced stuff which requires basic PC use and file management along with the tools to do so.

 

 

Yes, i am at fault since i derailed it. ?

 

But i am on my way to organize it in a better way now.

If you start to play this game or perhaps any game, i tend to throw lots of things in to the folder and later discovering, that it is quite hard to determine which item may not work and find it. CAS shows pictures but no other information. So if you miss a mesh, but it shows in CAS it is quite an adventure to find that item.

 

The more i use Sims 3, the more i did learn. 

 

My thought was, if i install a package in the mod folder, and i remove it at one point, it should be gone from the game. Is this not the case?

The .sims3 items i can see why that is a problem. 

 

As much as i like to import new CC from someone else, if it comes with an PC, it always leads to some problems. Currently my problem seems to be that i do not have the EP's. Well, that will be solved hopefully by the end of the year. And with that KW should be also producing less errors because of missing contend.

 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, wutpickel said:

 

It is my understanding that you can only work on a mod from someone else, if the original author approves it.

There IS the technicality of "abandoned mod", but that probably wouldn't apply to KW as the dev is still active. As I said, others who read code and have looked inside say it would be a bit of a mess without having original notes, and certain parts look like more than one person was working on the mod at different times already.

 

Generally, a package is gone when removed, yes.

 

Not sure about KW errors. I get a lot every time I run my game. Not sure if from EP's I don't have, or simply from the way it tries to run over every other mod and sometimes gets kick back. Probably both.

[Nonsequitur]

1 hour ago, wutpickel said:

It is my understanding that you can only work on a mod from someone else, if the original author approves it.

Referencing KW (I think)...

 

Again - EA/Maxis owns the Game... and consequently, anything that enters the game environment becomes property of EA/Maxis. 

Whatever you make for the game - cannot be used without the game - a caveat of making 3rd party for it.   Part of the TOS & EULA agreement you enter into the moment you install and play.  This being the case you cannot directly profit from anything you make for the game. 

 

Now, with the case of KW... again, you can't directly profit according to the User Agreement. This forces anyone wanting to profit from their creation to establish an "Access" payment system.  Once any part of it is out there - out of the control of the creator, it's fair game to use.  It may be  unethical to grab and use it - but the creator of any Mod for the Sims 3 has no legal recourse. This is left to the 3rd Party people to police themselves. 

 

That's not saying that a design or snippet of code can't be set as intellectual property - it just means that if it goes into their game - it's theirs.  The Game's rights supersedes your individual rights. I attempted to establish a relation with EA/Maxis when I left Volition. Expensive, lots of run-around (think of today's Customer Service environment), to begin making and selling their product lines...  Pipe-Dream. Dropped the idea within a few months back in 2009.

 

Other than that, basically, you'll spend a fortune trying to fight any claim not coming from EA/Maxis and no one wins... Fight EA/Maxis - and you lose. You played the game so what you made is only for the game... EA/Maxis... Our "self-policing" is your reputation for quality, quantity, verity, and originality.  If it's not yours - you better say so.  Just be decent with your fellow players and content creators. 

 

Although not trained in the legal system - after being involved in setting up 501-C3's, small corporations, and having a "few" run-in's with the legal system trying to set up a company or defend myself in the Digital business world, I have a little experience in this particular matter. However, as a disclaimer, I would seek competent legal advice from one who is Licensed to do so... not me.  

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Nonsequitur said:

Referencing KW (I think)...

 

Again - EA/Maxis owns the Game... and consequently, anything that enters the game environment becomes property of EA/Maxis. 

Whatever you make for the game - cannot be used without the game - a caveat of making 3rd party for it.   Part of the TOS & EULA agreement you enter into the moment you install and play.  This being the case you cannot directly profit from anything you make for the game. 

 

Now, with the case of KW... again, you can't directly profit according to the User Agreement. This forces anyone wanting to profit from their creation to establish an "Access" payment system.  Once any part of it is out there - out of the control of the creator, it's fair game to use.  It may be  unethical to grab and use it - but the creator of any Mod for the Sims 3 has no legal recourse. This is left to the 3rd Party people to police themselves. 

 

That's not saying that a design or snippet of code can't be set as intellectual property - it just means that if it goes into their game - it's theirs.  The Game's rights supersedes your individual rights. I attempted to establish a relation with EA/Maxis when I left Volition. Expensive, lots of run-around (think of today's Customer Service environment), to begin making and selling their product lines...  Pipe-Dream. Dropped the idea within a few months back in 2009.

 

Other than that, basically, you'll spend a fortune trying to fight any claim not coming from EA/Maxis and no one wins... Fight EA/Maxis - and you lose. You played the game so what you made is only for the game... EA/Maxis... Our "self-policing" is your reputation for quality, quantity, verity, and originality.  If it's not yours - you better say so.  Just be decent with your fellow players and content creators. 

 

Although not trained in the legal system - after being involved in setting up 501-C3's, small corporations, and having a "few" run-in's with the legal system trying to set up a company or defend myself in the Digital business world, I have a little experience in this particular matter. However, as a disclaimer, I would seek competent legal advice from one who is Licensed to do so... not me.  

Well, can not change things the way they are. So its kind of futile.

But for me, as a non modder, i know that nothing i do will belong truly to me. Well, thats ok. Its like Facebook.

Anyway, i will start following your guide to build my town the way i like to see it. All with demolished stuff. Shady areas. Homeless people.

This will be fun.

 

I hope when i am done, that i can share it. For my approach i will stay to the core game, as its what i have.

 

Cheers

 

So i browse the web to find assets to fit my play.

[Nonsequitur]

3 hours ago, wutpickel said:

So i browse the web to find assets to fit my play.

Exactamundo!  But... after you collect a few thousand Mods (or 10's of thousands), ya gotta know how to find them and they need to be organized (in some way) so you can find them easier.  Game Maintenance... lol

[Guest]

36 minutes ago, Nonsequitur said:

Exactamundo!  But... after you collect a few thousand Mods (or 10's of thousands), ya gotta know how to find them and they need to be organized (in some way) so you can find them easier.  Game Maintenance... lol

Btw. i think there is a world editor called "Create a World" but it seems only through EA store. Which is a problem for me, as the website wants me to validate my copy which is a steam copy. There is no key. It seems that with purchase of the game you do not get an actual key. I will check on Origin if there is a way i can download some content from them with a Steam copy.

Anyway, are there other editors where i can flatten the surface and bend the environment to my needs?

I will look further but i thought i ask.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, wutpickel said:

Btw. i think there is a world editor called "Create a World" but it seems only through EA store.

Nope... free... https://thesimscatalog.com/sims3/downloads/worlds/create-a-world-download/

This IS Nonsequitur's area to be sure. I do not think you can edit existing worlds, only create your own. Probably wrong, as there are some edits of EA buggered worlds with fixed routing.

[Guest]

10 hours ago, LadySmoks said:

Nope... free... https://thesimscatalog.com/sims3/downloads/worlds/create-a-world-download/

This IS Nonsequitur's area to be sure. I do not think you can edit existing worlds, only create your own. Probably wrong, as there are some edits of EA buggered worlds with fixed routing.

I always get an error with that version. I originally downloaded one, probably the same version, from archive.org.

It wants to have a copy of the sims. I have the hunch it is looking for the CD version or something.

 

What i like to do, is create my own world. Make my own elevated areas etc...

[Nonsequitur]

13 hours ago, LadySmoks said:

I do not think you can edit existing worlds,

Actually, there are several ways to get an existing world to show in the CAW Editor.

Most of the time you can get most of it by using the ***.nhd file for that world (in Saved Games). In other cases you can find people on the internet that have deconstructed various worlds into folder making a lot of it Plug & Play (edit). Phallus Gleean was a world created using a deconstructed Dragon Valley. 

 

Most of the work will require you to basically reconstruct the world, reconnect the textures for roads, grass, rocks, etc., and built the road system for YOUR new variations on that world.

So, You start with a world that is the same basic size, import the Height-Map for the world you want to copy/edit to get its basic shape, then paint, put in roads and bridges, lots, houses, etc.

 

You can rough in a world using existing deconstructed files but you still have to put it together.

There are a very few people that actually dismantle a world so it can be completely reassembled to edit.  Dragon Valley is one of these. If had everything you needed to complete the world... building, houses, paints and textures for everything. I just had to reset each texture so the system knew where that texture really was since the images in CAW has them addresses absolute - not relative. This make a call for a texture that doesn't exist at the address marked. You need to go to each and every texture image slot in CAW... Find that given name in your textures folder, than manually type in the new address/location in CAW for the real texture location.   The texture image may show on the display - but you'll see a small black image in its slot - when you try to export the world - it wont work.  

 

2 hours ago, wutpickel said:

I always get an error with that version

There are several articles on this problem. There are a few reasons.

1. Your game is 1.63 or 1.69 and you're using a CAW that was designed for the other version.

2. You have not manually updated the INI file for CAW to allow a CAW/packages folder (similar to making a MOD's folder for your Game, but in CAW).

3. You have not manually updated the CAW INI file to allow for your games Mods/packages folder to be looked at by CAW.

 

There are a few things more but its been so long since originally setting up CAW... can't remember off the top of my head. 

 

2 hours ago, wutpickel said:

What i like to do, is create my own world. Make my own elevated areas etc...

You can create a world without knowing how to Mesh for it using only others creations.

You do need to know how to create an image for the particular texture you want - like a road, road corner, road's sidewalk, grass, dirt... whatever.

Then you need to play with creating a road and sidewalk. Know how to verify road connections, camera movement/boundry controls, how to block sims paths so they don't run off a cliff... and be creative. Some things show and work with animations - some don't in CAW.  Lots of patience and practice!!!

 

Make about a 1/2 dozen worlds to test things out - and you'll have most of the basics. Houseboats and their lots give me a headache.

Find a worlds Height Map to rough in that worlds shape or sculpt by hand.

I've been building worlds since CAW came out. Took a long time and still only a novice... lol

But, it's fun, very challenging, and allows a great deal of creativity. 

 

Learn the Meshing aspect and you can also add anything you make permanently to that world be it objects, buildings, trees, plants, signs... anything.

You sculpt and paint the world, add roads, trees, lots, lighting... then build each lot - one at a time to fit your worlds theme in an exported version of your shell-world (in game). Plugging them back into your CAW- EIG (Edit In Game through CAW) world edit... then export the world again and see how things fit, make adjustments... wash, rinse, and repeat until your world is full.

 

Find what patched version you have installed of the Game.

Download the proper CAW version for your patch. Look into SuperCAW...

Set up CAW's INI files to expand ability and to assure "connected" to you games location and files.

Set up the Package Framework for CAW...

 

Make a simple test world to get failure with the locations of files, and functions of CAW, as well as exporting/compiling. 

Let me know with a PM...

 

[Guest]

44 minutes ago, Nonsequitur said:

Actually, there are several ways to get an existing world to show in the CAW Editor.

Most of the time you can get most of it by using the ***.nhd file for that world (in Saved Games). In other cases you can find people on the internet that have deconstructed various worlds into folder making a lot of it Plug & Play (edit). Phallus Gleean was a world created using a deconstructed Dragon Valley. 

 

Most of the work will require you to basically reconstruct the world, reconnect the textures for roads, grass, rocks, etc., and built the road system for YOUR new variations on that world.

So, You start with a world that is the same basic size, import the Height-Map for the world you want to copy/edit to get its basic shape, then paint, put in roads and bridges, lots, houses, etc.

 

You can rough in a world using existing deconstructed files but you still have to put it together.

There are a very few people that actually dismantle a world so it can be completely reassembled to edit.  Dragon Valley is one of these. If had everything you needed to complete the world... building, houses, paints and textures for everything. I just had to reset each texture so the system knew where that texture really was since the images in CAW has them addresses absolute - not relative. This make a call for a texture that doesn't exist at the address marked. You need to go to each and every texture image slot in CAW... Find that given name in your textures folder, than manually type in the new address/location in CAW for the real texture location.   The texture image may show on the display - but you'll see a small black image in its slot - when you try to export the world - it wont work.  

 

There are several articles on this problem. There are a few reasons.

1. Your game is 1.63 or 1.69 and you're using a CAW that was designed for the other version.

2. You have not manually updated the INI file for CAW to allow a CAW/packages folder (similar to making a MOD's folder for your Game, but in CAW).

3. You have not manually updated the CAW INI file to allow for your games Mods/packages folder to be looked at by CAW.

 

There are a few things more but its been so long since originally setting up CAW... can't remember off the top of my head. 

 

You can create a world without knowing how to Mesh for it using only others creations.

You do need to know how to create an image for the particular texture you want - like a road, road corner, road's sidewalk, grass, dirt... whatever.

Then you need to play with creating a road and sidewalk. Know how to verify road connections, camera movement/boundry controls, how to block sims paths so they don't run off a cliff... and be creative. Some things show and work with animations - some don't in CAW.  Lots of patience and practice!!!

 

Make about a 1/2 dozen worlds to test things out - and you'll have most of the basics. Houseboats and their lots give me a headache.

Find a worlds Height Map to rough in that worlds shape or sculpt by hand.

I've been building worlds since CAW came out. Took a long time and still only a novice... lol

But, it's fun, very challenging, and allows a great deal of creativity. 

 

Learn the Meshing aspect and you can also add anything you make permanently to that world be it objects, buildings, trees, plants, signs... anything.

You sculpt and paint the world, add roads, trees, lots, lighting... then build each lot - one at a time to fit your worlds theme in an exported version of your shell-world (in game). Plugging them back into your CAW- EIG (Edit In Game through CAW) world edit... then export the world again and see how things fit, make adjustments... wash, rinse, and repeat until your world is full.

 

Find what patched version you have installed of the Game.

Download the proper CAW version for your patch. Look into SuperCAW...

Set up CAW's INI files to expand ability and to assure "connected" to you games location and files.

Set up the Package Framework for CAW...

 

Make a simple test world to get failure with the locations of files, and functions of CAW, as well as exporting/compiling. 

Let me know with a PM...

 

That is a lot to digest. So i will go step by step.

 

But this explains a lot so i thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Hopefully everything will go well but i have to sort out first to get the damn editor installed. ugg.