Revision as of 17:35, 4 July 2010

Some common FAQs regarding Custom Content in Sims 3

Can custom content made for The Sims 2 be used in The Sims 3?

No. See also Game_Help:Sims_2_Custom_Content_in_Sims_3.

Where do the content go when I install it via Launcher?

• When you click on a link from the EA store or the Exchange, the EADM application downloads it and place it in Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Downloads folder.
• When you double-click or start up Launcher to install it, the contents of this .Sims3Pack file are combined together with other .Sims3Pack file as one big dcdb0.dbc file, in the Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCCache\ folder. When the filesize of this file has reached the maximum limit set by EA, Launcher will create a new dcdb?.dbc file.
• If the .Sims3Pack file is a Lot or Household, the .package file for these goes to Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Library folder.
• If the .Sims3Pack file is a World, the .world file for this goes to Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\InstalledWorlds folder.
• The same contents of the .Sims3Pack file being installed are also copied to Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\DCBackup folder in its native .package format.

Where do I get recolors?

There are no recolors in Sims 3 since we have the Create-a-Style tool, now. If you downloaded an item that is labeled as a recolor, it is most likely a Sims 2 file. Get rid of it! (Or place it in your Sims 2 Downloads folder)

How to organize your Content?

It is not uncommon to have several thousand downloads, and it is helpful to have some way of organizing your content.

The easiest way of organizing content is with the use of subfolders. Subfolders are new folders you would create inside of your \Mods\Packages\ folder. Certain content can be put in subfolders, and some can't.

• For a full guide on organizing your content, see: Game Help:TS3 Organizing Custom Content.

How to remove certain content?

This depends on the file type and how they are installed. See Game_Help:Remove_Sims3_Custom_CC_Wizard.

I think I have bad content, how do I find out for sure?

There's a few troubleshooting steps you can take. The full guide is in Game_Help:TS3_Finding_Problem_Custom_Content

Know what hacks you have!

Even if you throw all the rest of your content in your \Mods\Packages\ folder and don't care about subfolders, you need keep track of your hacks!

You can do this by keeping a folder called Hacks within \Mods\Packages\. In it, put any hacks or hacked objects you have.

When you get a new expansion, you can generally just take out your Hacks folder, and play the expansion with the rest of your content with very little problems while you wait to see if the hacks will work with your new expansion. It's also very easy to take out your Hacks folder if you have a problem in your game.

Know what default replacements you have!

You will also want to keep another folder for Default Replacements. In it, you will put any default replacement skintones, eyes, pet eyes, etc., you may get. Like hacks, you don't want your default replacements getting lost in your downloads.

If you download two default replacements for the same thing, it can cause extremely weird, ugly, and undesirable display issues. Having your default replacements separate can be helpful if you run into such issues. It also allows you to easily remove old defaults if you would like to use new defaults.