Game Help:Packaging a Lot
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Packaging a Lot
This article relates to packaging a lot to a Sims2Pack file in The Sims 2.
How to Package a Lot
Packaging a lot in the game is pretty darn easy. Please see this guide in MTS2's Creator Guidelines area for full instructions: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=124539
Problems with Packaging
Are you running into one or both of the following problems when packaging a lot?
- It takes a long time to package a lot.
- Packaged lot files are HUGE!
The Maxis packager grabs anything and everything when packaging a lot. What inflates the file size is all the user-made custom content. If you have recolors, object meshes, object mesh recolors, floors, walls, ground cover, etc on that lot, the Maxis packager will take it. Even stuff that you know you didn't use on the lot! What's even more sillier than that is that if you're packaging an empty lot (with only a trashcan and mailbox), it still grabs stuff.
Because it's grabbing so much, and so many files, it can take a very long time to package a lot, and the file size can be very large.
To avoid this:
- Move your Downloads folder to your desktop before you package the lot. That guarantees that no custom content is included in your lot when you package. You should install the sims2pack file and make sure that it still looks okay after you do this - any removed terrain paints will cause the ground to flash blue, and your lot may look really weird without any custom content. You may want to replace certain items and repackage the lot afterward, so it looks okay even without custom content.
OR...
- If you want to share some custom content with your lot, package the lot with your Downloads folder in place and then exit the game. Browse out to your PackagedLots folder and right-click on the lot you just packaged and open it with Clean Installer. Uncheck any unwanted content that you do not wish to include, and then Save As and save your sims2pack file with a new name.
With either method, you'll be able to share your creation at a reasonable file size.
Credits
Thanks to daysies for the original article.
