07-09-2009, 07:13 AM
(Mkay, so I wasn't sure if I should put this in Tech Help or here, so I just stuck it here xD Feel free to move it.)
HOW TO⦠Install Mods and Custom Content for PCs
Iâve been getting MANY questions on how to install this and how to install that. So Iâm just going to make a pretty tutorial with pictures to save me the typing of explaining to it yet another person xD.
This is the MANUAL way to install package folders. If you want the non-manual way, go download the Helper Monkey @ MTS. Just please don't ask me for help running it. I don't use it and there's support over at MTS for it
If you'd like another tutorial on this subject, go here @ MTS.
And, most of the pictures in this tutorial are re-sized, so be sure to click on them to view them fully.
**DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU HAVE THE GAME UP. CLOSE THE GAME FIRST**
FIRST STEP: Get the Framework for the Game
First you want to go here to install WinRAR. This will allow you to open up the most common format of CC in the sim community â RAR Archives. It says that its only a âtrialâ, but you can still use it afterwards. Youâre not limited to WinRAR though. Feel free to try out different extractors. I use ExtractNow most of the time because I usually donât package things, and its really easy to use. But WinRAR is often the choice to use.
When installing WinRAR, you can just go with the defaults, and zoom through.
Next, you need the framework to be able to install stuff into The Sims 3. So go over to MATY and download the framework package.
Hereâs our first extraction job. Luckily itâs a .zip file so Windows could always do it, but we can use WinRAR just to get a hang of it.
So once itâs downloaded, double click the file to bring this screen up:
[img width=600 height=352]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic1.jpg[/img]
Now, this is supposed to go into your Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3. Itâs the installation directory. But while itâs in this .Zip file, we canât just put it here. So click the Extract To button.
![[Image: pic2.jpg]](http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic2.jpg)
Now itâll ask you where you want it to extract to. Since we need to be careful to where and what we place, I recommend NOT installing it in the installation directory just yet. Just extract to a different place. The folder it is asking it perfectly fine, just make sure you check âDisplay Files in Explorerâ so that it brings up the folder once itâs done extracting.
[img width=600 height=450]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic3.jpg[/img]
Okay, sweet. Weâre on a roll now. Okay, now in a different window, I want you to find the installation directory for The Sims 3 at Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3. Go there now.
[img width=600 height=450]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic4.jpg[/img]
Now this may get complicated for some, especially me because I already have some of the folders. Now, letâs take it one step at a time. First select the Resource.cfg file and move it to the main installation directory of Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3. Since it is in program files, if you are running Vista, itâll ask for permission. Just let it for everything we will be doing from now on.
[img width=600 height=262]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic5.jpg[/img]
Okay, once you do that, we need to move the âModsâ folder. This includes two folders â âFilesâ and âPackagesâ. The âFilesâ folder includes another resource file, and the âPackagesâ folder is where you will be placing your CC. Just drag the entire âModsâ folder over to the main installation directory.
[img width=600 height=262]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic6.jpg[/img]
Now, look at your folders in the main directory of The Sims 3. Do you have a âGameâ Folder? If you donât, good news! Just do the same thing you did above with the resource file and mods folder, and skip down to where we install the custom content. If you DO have a game folder, youâll have to go through some more work.
So I want you to open the âGameâ folder in your main installation directory. Do you see a âBinâ Folder? If you do, click that.
If you donât, go over to the Framework folder you downloaded from MATY, open the âGameâ folder thatâs in there, and drag over the Bin folder to the Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3/Game folder. And youâll be done, so you can skip down to when we install the custom content.
If you do have a Bin folder in your installation directory, open it. Now I want you to look very closely in the folder. Do you have a file called d3dx9_31.dll? If you do, you are DONE! YAY! Skip down to the next step in the process.
[img width=600 height=256]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic7.jpg[/img]
If not, go back to the Framework folder, and copy the file over to the Bin folder in the installation directory.
Since we went through ALL of this work, youâll be able to install ALL mods and custom content. No more doing it again, unless if it changes on us.
If you had most of that stuff, you most likely installed the Helper Monkey, which does all of this for you.
SECOND STEP: Installing the Custom Content
With the framework all set up, now itâs time to install your package folder! So go download your chosen custom content. I am downloading an XMSims hair. Now, go through the same steps as we did for the framework folder, only instead of extracting all willy nilly, lets save a step. Go right ahead and choose the Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3/Mods/Packages folder when extracting the custom content. And press OK! If you check the folder, your package file should be there!
[img width=600 height=326]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic8.jpg[/img]
THIRD STEP: Does it work?
Now, itâs time to make sure you installed everything correctly and start the game up.
[img width=600 height=406]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic9.jpg[/img]
See? Thereâs my custom content! That means weâve installed everything correctly if you followed this.
If it DOES NOT show up, first go into your Documents/Electronic Arts/Sims 3 folder and delete the follow caches:
CASPartCache.package
scriptCache.package
simCompositorCache.package
And try again.
If for some odd reason it DOES NOT work AT ALL, I want you do take pictures of your folders that we talked about. If you donât know how to, you want to press the print screen button on your keyboard, paste the image into MS Paint or something similar, then send it to me via MSN, AIM, or upload it somewhere (the gallery, Photobucket, where ever) and Iâll take a look and see whatâs wrong. Be sure to show me what youâre trying to download. Sometimes it may take an extra step, or itâs not even a package file.
If you do not understand a step, PLEASE tell me below. I want to improve my tutorial making skills very much, and the only way to do that is to tell me what you do not understand. That way I can help you better and make my tutorial better.
N.B.: One thing I JUST realized about this configuration is that all packages must be under the main packages folder, meaning that there cannot be any sub folders. I just changed my own configs when doing this tutorial, and now it doesn't work the same. I'm guessing its the .../Mods/Files folder since its the only new thing I added to my own config.
Just take note of that
HOW TO⦠Install Mods and Custom Content for PCs
Iâve been getting MANY questions on how to install this and how to install that. So Iâm just going to make a pretty tutorial with pictures to save me the typing of explaining to it yet another person xD.
This is the MANUAL way to install package folders. If you want the non-manual way, go download the Helper Monkey @ MTS. Just please don't ask me for help running it. I don't use it and there's support over at MTS for it
If you'd like another tutorial on this subject, go here @ MTS.
And, most of the pictures in this tutorial are re-sized, so be sure to click on them to view them fully.
**DO NOT ATTEMPT IF YOU HAVE THE GAME UP. CLOSE THE GAME FIRST**
FIRST STEP: Get the Framework for the Game
First you want to go here to install WinRAR. This will allow you to open up the most common format of CC in the sim community â RAR Archives. It says that its only a âtrialâ, but you can still use it afterwards. Youâre not limited to WinRAR though. Feel free to try out different extractors. I use ExtractNow most of the time because I usually donât package things, and its really easy to use. But WinRAR is often the choice to use.
When installing WinRAR, you can just go with the defaults, and zoom through.
Next, you need the framework to be able to install stuff into The Sims 3. So go over to MATY and download the framework package.
Hereâs our first extraction job. Luckily itâs a .zip file so Windows could always do it, but we can use WinRAR just to get a hang of it.
So once itâs downloaded, double click the file to bring this screen up:
[img width=600 height=352]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic1.jpg[/img]
Now, this is supposed to go into your Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3. Itâs the installation directory. But while itâs in this .Zip file, we canât just put it here. So click the Extract To button.
Now itâll ask you where you want it to extract to. Since we need to be careful to where and what we place, I recommend NOT installing it in the installation directory just yet. Just extract to a different place. The folder it is asking it perfectly fine, just make sure you check âDisplay Files in Explorerâ so that it brings up the folder once itâs done extracting.
[img width=600 height=450]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic3.jpg[/img]
Okay, sweet. Weâre on a roll now. Okay, now in a different window, I want you to find the installation directory for The Sims 3 at Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3. Go there now.
[img width=600 height=450]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic4.jpg[/img]
Now this may get complicated for some, especially me because I already have some of the folders. Now, letâs take it one step at a time. First select the Resource.cfg file and move it to the main installation directory of Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3. Since it is in program files, if you are running Vista, itâll ask for permission. Just let it for everything we will be doing from now on.
[img width=600 height=262]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic5.jpg[/img]
Okay, once you do that, we need to move the âModsâ folder. This includes two folders â âFilesâ and âPackagesâ. The âFilesâ folder includes another resource file, and the âPackagesâ folder is where you will be placing your CC. Just drag the entire âModsâ folder over to the main installation directory.
[img width=600 height=262]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic6.jpg[/img]
Now, look at your folders in the main directory of The Sims 3. Do you have a âGameâ Folder? If you donât, good news! Just do the same thing you did above with the resource file and mods folder, and skip down to where we install the custom content. If you DO have a game folder, youâll have to go through some more work.
So I want you to open the âGameâ folder in your main installation directory. Do you see a âBinâ Folder? If you do, click that.
If you donât, go over to the Framework folder you downloaded from MATY, open the âGameâ folder thatâs in there, and drag over the Bin folder to the Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3/Game folder. And youâll be done, so you can skip down to when we install the custom content.
If you do have a Bin folder in your installation directory, open it. Now I want you to look very closely in the folder. Do you have a file called d3dx9_31.dll? If you do, you are DONE! YAY! Skip down to the next step in the process.
[img width=600 height=256]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic7.jpg[/img]
If not, go back to the Framework folder, and copy the file over to the Bin folder in the installation directory.
Since we went through ALL of this work, youâll be able to install ALL mods and custom content. No more doing it again, unless if it changes on us.
If you had most of that stuff, you most likely installed the Helper Monkey, which does all of this for you.
SECOND STEP: Installing the Custom Content
With the framework all set up, now itâs time to install your package folder! So go download your chosen custom content. I am downloading an XMSims hair. Now, go through the same steps as we did for the framework folder, only instead of extracting all willy nilly, lets save a step. Go right ahead and choose the Program Files/Electronic Arts/Sims 3/Mods/Packages folder when extracting the custom content. And press OK! If you check the folder, your package file should be there!
[img width=600 height=326]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic8.jpg[/img]
THIRD STEP: Does it work?
Now, itâs time to make sure you installed everything correctly and start the game up.
[img width=600 height=406]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g59/charmed1406/TS3/tut/customcontent/pic9.jpg[/img]
See? Thereâs my custom content! That means weâve installed everything correctly if you followed this.
If it DOES NOT show up, first go into your Documents/Electronic Arts/Sims 3 folder and delete the follow caches:
CASPartCache.package
scriptCache.package
simCompositorCache.package
And try again.
If for some odd reason it DOES NOT work AT ALL, I want you do take pictures of your folders that we talked about. If you donât know how to, you want to press the print screen button on your keyboard, paste the image into MS Paint or something similar, then send it to me via MSN, AIM, or upload it somewhere (the gallery, Photobucket, where ever) and Iâll take a look and see whatâs wrong. Be sure to show me what youâre trying to download. Sometimes it may take an extra step, or itâs not even a package file.
If you do not understand a step, PLEASE tell me below. I want to improve my tutorial making skills very much, and the only way to do that is to tell me what you do not understand. That way I can help you better and make my tutorial better.
N.B.: One thing I JUST realized about this configuration is that all packages must be under the main packages folder, meaning that there cannot be any sub folders. I just changed my own configs when doing this tutorial, and now it doesn't work the same. I'm guessing its the .../Mods/Files folder since its the only new thing I added to my own config.
Just take note of that
