Helpcenter / Sims 1 Help Helpcenter / Sims 1 Help1970-01-01T01:00:00Zhttp://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenter/posts/Helpcenter / Sims 1 Helphttp://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenter/posts/ http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/109/ 2002-08-28T00:00:00Z pWe strongly recommend backing up your house files before downloading and installing houses from The Sims Resource. We will not be responsible for any game data loss that you incur./p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/649/649805.jpg border=0 width=190 height=143 style=border: 0; /br /House lot numbers/p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/649/649806.jpg border=0 width=190 height=131 style=border: 0; /br /Downtown lot numbers/p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/649/649807.jpg border=0 width=190 height=131 style=border: 0; /br /Vacation lot numbers/p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/649/649808.jpg border=0 width=400 height=299 style=border: 0; /br /Unleashed Lot Numbers/p pimg src=http://thesims.ea.com/us/exchange_lots_superstar/images/studiotown_map.jpg border=0 /br /Superstar Lot Numbers/p pimg src=http://thesims.ea.com/us/exchange_lots_makinmagic/images/magictown_map.jpg border=0 /br /Magic Town Lot Numbers/p pSome of the houses and lots have custom textures in them. This means that there are Walls and Floors that don't come standard in the game used in these houses. In these cases, we have included all of the floors and walls that you will need in the Zip file that you download!/p pUnless you have Windows Vista you will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from a class=null href=http://www.winzip.com/ target=_blankhere/a./p pFirst off you will notice there are 2 ways to download a lot. The first way to download a house is to just simply click on the Download Now link. If you want more then one house at a time, subscription members can simply put a check into the white boxes of each house you wish to download and then click the Download Selected button. This will download every house that you have a check mark in!/p pNow what to do with all those files? Its simple, The lot file is always the (.iff) file in the zip. That will go into your houses folder in your Sims directory. If you have Livin Large or Livin It Up installed, then you need to use the userdata folder relevant to the neighbourhood you want the lot in, so userdata 4 is neighbourhood 4./p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/568/568493.jpg border=0 width=173 height=256 style=border: 0; //p pNext are the Walls, which are always in a (.wll) format. All of the Wall files will go into your Walls folder in your Sims directory./p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/568/568465.jpg border=0 width=159 height=242 style=border: 0; //p pAnd last but not least are the Floor files, which are always in a (.flr) format, and they will go into your Floors folder in your Sims directory/p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/568/568437.jpg border=0 width=156 height=240 style=border: 0; //p pSee now wasn't that easy? If you run into any problems then take a look over at the Editing Forum or just on The General Forum and ask someone for help!/p pHappy House Hunting!!/p pNote: The basic game is limited to showing 200 textures at any time. See the FAQ for more details./p

We strongly recommend backing up your house files before downloading and installing houses from The Sims Resource. We will not be responsible for any game data loss that you incur. House lot numbers Downtown lot numbers Vacation lot numbers Unleashed Lot Numbers Superstar Lot Numbers Magic Town Lot Numbers Some of the houses and lots have custom textures in them. This means that there are Walls and Floors that don't come standard in the game used in these houses. In these cases, we have included all of the floors and walls that you will need in the Zip file that you download! Unless you have Windows Vista you will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from here. First off you will notice there are 2 ways to download a lot. The first way to download a house is to just simply click on the Download Now link. If you want more then one house at a time, subscription members can simply put a check into the white boxes of each house you wish to download and then click the Download Selected button. This will download every house that you have a check mark in! Now what to do with all those files? Its simple, The lot file is always the (.iff) file in the zip. That will go into your houses folder in your Sims directory. If you have Livin Large or Livin It Up installed, then you need to use the userdata folder relevant to the neighbourhood you want the lot in, so userdata 4 is neighbourhood 4. Next are the Walls, which are always in a (.wll) format. All of the Wall files will go into your Walls folder in your Sims directory. And last but not least are the Floor files, which are always in a (.flr) format, and they will go into your Floors folder in your Sims directory See now wasn't that easy? If you run into any problems then take a look over at the Editing Forum or just on The General Forum and ask someone for help! Happy House Hunting!! Note: The basic game is limited to showing 200 textures at any time. See the FAQ for more details.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/110/ 2002-08-28T00:00:00Z pChoosing and downloading your furniture is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual furniture files by clicking download now for the relevant item. Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all items on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn\'t be easier!/p pYou will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from a class=null href=http://www.winzip.com/ target=_blankhere/a./p pOnce you have the furniture you want, unzip the .iff files into the \Maxis\The Sims\Downloads\Transmogrified directory as shown below. You may need to create the Transmogrified directory, or you can place the files in any directory in \\downloads./p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/568/568453.jpg border=0 width=169 height=287 style=float: left; //p pThe next time you load the game, those items will be available to use in all their glory!/p pstrongCreating your own furniture/strongbr /If you would like to have a go at making your own furniture, download SimTransmogrifier from the programs page. This will allow you to clone existing furniture items, and edit them to your own design./p pA tutorial on using SimTransmogrifier is included in the installation./p

Choosing and downloading your furniture is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual furniture files by clicking download now for the relevant item. Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all items on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn\'t be easier! You will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from here. Once you have the furniture you want, unzip the .iff files into the \Maxis\The Sims\Downloads\Transmogrified directory as shown below. You may need to create the Transmogrified directory, or you can place the files in any directory in \\downloads. The next time you load the game, those items will be available to use in all their glory! Creating your own furnitureIf you would like to have a go at making your own furniture, download SimTransmogrifier from the programs page. This will allow you to clone existing furniture items, and edit them to your own design. A tutorial on using SimTransmogrifier is included in the installation.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/111/ 2002-08-28T00:00:00Z pstrongYou need the Unleashed Expansion Pack to use Animal Skins./strong/p pChoosing and downloading your skins is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual skins by clicking download now. Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all textures on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn't be easier!/p pYou will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from a class=null href=http://www.winzip.com/ target=_blankhere/a./p pTo use custom made Sim Skins and Animal Skins in the game, download the ZIP file for the skin(s) you choose. Unzip the files into the \Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Skins directory as shown below./p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/568/568426.jpg border=0 width=155 height=240 style=float: left; /Once you have imported them into The Sims, you can find them on the Create A Sim screen next time you start the game (Adopt Pet screen for animals with Unleashed users). Alternatively, if you want to mix and match bodies with heads, use SimShow. This program has a detailed (read me.doc) document enclosed explaining how to do just that. When you have selected the Head and Body that you want to put into the game, click on the import into game button./p pRemember, if you created an Adult Dark-Skinned Male, you must select this category on the Create A Sim screen to view your custom skin./p pIf you would like to learn more about editing skins, please see the Tutorial. You could also make use of the Editing Forum to help you on your way./p

You need the Unleashed Expansion Pack to use Animal Skins. Choosing and downloading your skins is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual skins by clicking download now. Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all textures on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn't be easier! You will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from here. To use custom made Sim Skins and Animal Skins in the game, download the ZIP file for the skin(s) you choose. Unzip the files into the \Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Skins directory as shown below. Once you have imported them into The Sims, you can find them on the Create A Sim screen next time you start the game (Adopt Pet screen for animals with Unleashed users). Alternatively, if you want to mix and match bodies with heads, use SimShow. This program has a detailed (read me.doc) document enclosed explaining how to do just that. When you have selected the Head and Body that you want to put into the game, click on the import into game button. Remember, if you created an Adult Dark-Skinned Male, you must select this category on the Create A Sim screen to view your custom skin. If you would like to learn more about editing skins, please see the Tutorial. You could also make use of the Editing Forum to help you on your way.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/112/ 2002-08-28T00:00:00Z pChoosing and downloading your floors is now quicker and easier than ever! strongYou can download individual floors in game ready .flr format by clicking download now for the relevant texture./strong Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a .zip file containing all textures on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldnt be easier!/p pOnce you have the textures you want, put the .flr files into the \Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Floors directory as seen below./p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/568/568437.jpg border=0 width=156 height=240 style=float: left; //p pThe next time you load the game, those textures will be available to use in all their glory!/p pNote: The basic game without expansion packs is limited to showing 200 textures at any time. See the FAQ for more details./p pstrongDesigning your own floors/strong/p pIf you would like to have a go at making your own floors, download HomeCrafter from the programs page. This will allow you to convert your images to floor files, which the game uses./p

Choosing and downloading your floors is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual floors in game ready .flr format by clicking download now for the relevant texture. Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a .zip file containing all textures on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldnt be easier! Once you have the textures you want, put the .flr files into the \Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Floors directory as seen below. The next time you load the game, those textures will be available to use in all their glory! Note: The basic game without expansion packs is limited to showing 200 textures at any time. See the FAQ for more details. Designing your own floors If you would like to have a go at making your own floors, download HomeCrafter from the programs page. This will allow you to convert your images to floor files, which the game uses.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/113/ 2002-08-28T00:00:00Z pChoosing and downloading your walls is now quicker and easier than ever! strongYou can download individual walls in game ready .wll format by clicking download now for the relevant texture./strong Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all textures on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn't be easier!/p pOnce you have the textures you want, put the .wll files into the \Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Walls directory as shown below./p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/568/568465.jpg border=0 width=159 height=242 style=float: left; //p pThe next time you load the game, those textures will be available to use in all their glory!/p pNote: The game is limited to showing 200 textures at any time. See the FAQ for more details./p pstrongDesigning your own walls/strong/p pIf you would like to have a go at making your own walls, download HomeCrafter from the programs page. This will allow you to convert your images to wall files, which the game uses./p

Choosing and downloading your walls is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual walls in game ready .wll format by clicking download now for the relevant texture. Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all textures on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn't be easier! Once you have the textures you want, put the .wll files into the \Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Walls directory as shown below. The next time you load the game, those textures will be available to use in all their glory! Note: The game is limited to showing 200 textures at any time. See the FAQ for more details. Designing your own walls If you would like to have a go at making your own walls, download HomeCrafter from the programs page. This will allow you to convert your images to wall files, which the game uses.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/114/ 2002-08-28T00:00:00Z pChoosing and downloading your murals is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual murals by clicking download now for the relevant texture in .zip format. Batch downloads are also available to subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all textures on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn't be easier!/p pYou will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from a class=null href=http://www.winzip.com/ target=_blankhere/a./p pOnce you have the textures you want, put the .wll files into the \Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Walls directory, as per the Walls Help Page. The next time you load the game, those textures will be available to use in all their glory! Remember, put the mural sections together, numbered _1, _2 and _3./p pThe images used for several of mynbsp;Murals are copy;Digital Blasphemy. The Hi-res original 3d-rendered versions of these pictures (and many more) can be found at a class=null href=http://www.digitalblasphemy.com/ target=_blankhttp://www.digitalblasphemy.com//a. Thanks to Ryan Bliss for his kind permission for the use of these images./p pstrongNote:/strong The basic game without expansion packs is limited to showing 200 textures at any time. See the FAQ for more details./p h3Designing your own murals/h3 pIf you would like to have a go at making your own murals, download HomeCrafter from the programs page. This will allow you to convert your images to wall files, which the game uses./p pA tutorial on using this program in included when installed, and also contains a blueprint wall to use as a template./p pCreate your walls in any graphics package like Paintshop Pro or PhotoShop. Each image must be 128x240 pixels in size, and produced in 256 colour bitmap (.bmp) format./p pOnce loaded into HomeCrafter you will be able to give the wall section a name and price and a description if you wish./p

Choosing and downloading your murals is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual murals by clicking download now for the relevant texture in .zip format. Batch downloads are also available to subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all textures on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn't be easier! You will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from here. Once you have the textures you want, put the .wll files into the \Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Walls directory, as per the Walls Help Page. The next time you load the game, those textures will be available to use in all their glory! Remember, put the mural sections together, numbered _1, _2 and _3. The images used for several of mynbsp;Murals are copy;Digital Blasphemy. The Hi-res original 3d-rendered versions of these pictures (and many more) can be found at http://www.digitalblasphemy.com/. Thanks to Ryan Bliss for his kind permission for the use of these images. Note: The basic game without expansion packs is limited to showing 200 textures at any time. See the FAQ for more details. Designing your own murals If you would like to have a go at making your own murals, download HomeCrafter from the programs page. This will allow you to convert your images to wall files, which the game uses. A tutorial on using this program in included when installed, and also contains a blueprint wall to use as a template. Create your walls in any graphics package like Paintshop Pro or PhotoShop. Each image must be 128x240 pixels in size, and produced in 256 colour bitmap (.bmp) format. Once loaded into HomeCrafter you will be able to give the wall section a name and price and a description if you wish.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/115/ 2002-08-28T00:00:00Z pChoosing and downloading your roofs is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual roofs files by clicking download now for the relevant item. Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all items on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn\'t be easier!/p pYou will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from a class=null href=http://www.winzip.com/ target=_blankhere/a./p pimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/568/568425.jpg border=0 width=156 height=240 style=float: left; //p pThe 4 default roofs have file names r1_.bmp to r4_.bmp. Files at TSR will be named r5_.bmp unwards./p pIf you already have files with these names, you will need to rename them, or you will overwrite them. If you have not already added any roof files already you should not encounter any problems. The next time you load the game, those textures will be available to use in all their glory!/p pstrongDesigning your own roofs/strongbr /If you would like to have a go at making your own roofs, create your textures in any graphics package like Paintshop Pro or PhotoShop./p pThe image must be 32x32 pixels in size, and produced in 256 colour bitmap (.bmp) format./p

Choosing and downloading your roofs is now quicker and easier than ever! You can download individual roofs files by clicking download now for the relevant item. Batch downloads are also available for subscription members. Clicking the download selected button will put together a zip file containing all items on that page with a tick in the select box. It couldn\'t be easier! You will need WinZip. You can download a trial version from here. The 4 default roofs have file names r1_.bmp to r4_.bmp. Files at TSR will be named r5_.bmp unwards. If you already have files with these names, you will need to rename them, or you will overwrite them. If you have not already added any roof files already you should not encounter any problems. The next time you load the game, those textures will be available to use in all their glory! Designing your own roofsIf you would like to have a go at making your own roofs, create your textures in any graphics package like Paintshop Pro or PhotoShop. The image must be 32x32 pixels in size, and produced in 256 colour bitmap (.bmp) format.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/116/ 2002-08-28T00:00:00Z p* Information courtesy of waltzingvelveeta/p pIf you have Hot Date, or are getting it, custom skin sets (formals, swim suits, and pajamas) won't work normally. BUT! It's actually even better than before. There's a new folder:/p pC:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\ExpansionPack3\SkinsBuy/p pAnd you can put your own files in so that sims can buy them Downtown. The naming works like this:/p pstrongFormals:/strong br /F###SexAgeBodytypeSkintone_nameofskin.bmp br /F###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin.cmx br /xskin-F###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin-PELVIS-BODY.skn/p pstrongPajamas:/strong br /L###SexAgeBodytypeSkintone_nameofskin.bmp br /L###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin.cmx br /xskin-L###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin-PELVIS-BODY.skn/p pstrongSwimsuits:/strong br /S###SexAgeBodytypeSkintone_nameofskin.bmp br /S###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin.cmx br /xskin-S###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin-PELVIS-BODY.skn/p p### is the mesh number br /Sex is F or M (for female or male) br /Age is A (for adult; the folder doesn't have any child skins in it) br /Bodytype is Fit, Skn, or Fat (for fit, skinny, or fat) br /Skintone is Drk, Lgt, or Med (for dark, light, or medium) br /nameofskin is the name of the skin--it can be anything/p

* Information courtesy of waltzingvelveeta If you have Hot Date, or are getting it, custom skin sets (formals, swim suits, and pajamas) won't work normally. BUT! It's actually even better than before. There's a new folder: C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\ExpansionPack3\SkinsBuy And you can put your own files in so that sims can buy them Downtown. The naming works like this: Formals: F###SexAgeBodytypeSkintone_nameofskin.bmp F###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin.cmx xskin-F###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin-PELVIS-BODY.skn Pajamas: L###SexAgeBodytypeSkintone_nameofskin.bmp L###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin.cmx xskin-L###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin-PELVIS-BODY.skn Swimsuits: S###SexAgeBodytypeSkintone_nameofskin.bmp S###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin.cmx xskin-S###SexAgeBodytype_nameofskin-PELVIS-BODY.skn ### is the mesh number Sex is F or M (for female or male) Age is A (for adult; the folder doesn't have any child skins in it) Bodytype is Fit, Skn, or Fat (for fit, skinny, or fat) Skintone is Drk, Lgt, or Med (for dark, light, or medium) nameofskin is the name of the skin--it can be anything

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/117/ 2002-08-28T00:00:00Z pTo use downloaded files in your Sims game, you must first use WinZip (a class=null href=http://www.winzip.com/ target=_blankhttp://www.winzip.com//a) or some other unzipping program to extract the files contained in the zip file into the appropriate folder for the type of file you have downloaded (strongVista users:/strong zip handling is built in, no need for other programs). This example shows how to installed a downloaded skin into your Sims game. This example assumes that you have WinZip installed on your computer and a folder to save downloaded files to and also that you have a reasonable knowledge of how to use Windows. If you do not have WinZip installed on your computer, you can download a trial version at the a class=null href=http://www.winzip.com/ target=_blankofficial Site./a/p pAfter you find a file you want to download, click the download link and the window shown in Figure 1 will pop up. You are asked if you would like to save the file, select Save (or Yes depending on your Windows version)/p p style=text-align: center;a rel=lightbox[item] href=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-721h-650-568435.jpgimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-581h-340-568435.jpg border=0 width=581 height=340 //abr /Figure 1/p pAfter clicking save, a window like in Figure 2 will pop up asking where you wish to save the downloaded file. Browse until you find the folder you wish to save the file to and click on the save button. This has now saved the downloaded file to your computers hard drive./p p style=text-align: center;a rel=lightbox[item] href=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-721h-650-568447.jpgimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-610h-337-568447.jpg border=0 width=610 height=337 //abr /Figure 2/p pNow that the file has been downloaded to your computer, we can now begin the process of unzipping it to the appropriate folder in your Sims directory. Using Windows Explorer, browse to the folder where you saved the zip file in the above 2 steps. You will see an icon that looks like a filing cabinet with a vice attached to it. As you can see in Figure 3 it the file has the correct icon and also the same file name as the file we had downloaded from the Skins Database on The Sims Resource./p pTo begin the unzipping process, we simply double left click the appropriate icon and it will start up WinZip for us./p p style=text-align: center;a rel=lightbox[item] href=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-721h-650-568413.jpgimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-469h-318-568413.jpg border=0 width=469 height=318 //abr /Figure 3/p pWhen WinZip starts up it will display the screen as shown in Figure 4 if you are using the trial version of WinZip. Simply click the I Agree button to continue./p p style=text-align: center;a rel=lightbox[item] href=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-721h-650-568449.jpgimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-358h-299-568449.jpg border=0 width=358 height=299 //abr /Figure 4/p pWinZip will open its control Window. Be sure that you are using WinZip in it's Classic mode instead of Wizard. In Figure 5 you can see all of the files contained within the zip file which you downloaded. These are the contents of the zip file and are the files that The Sims needs to be able to use the skin in the game. There are large icon buttons above the view window, click the extract button./p p style=text-align: center;img src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-500h-296-568424.jpg border=0 width=500 height=296 /br /Figure 5/p pAfter clicking the extract button, you will be brought to a screen which asks you to select a folder to extract to. In Figure 6 we see a Folders/drives window. Here you will browse until you see a folder that represents C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\Gamedata\Skins. This folder is where you wish to extract the files into. Make sure that the Skins folder is highlighted as shown in Figure 6 and then press the Extract button on the top right of the window. After the files are extracted, you can close the WinZip window and the files will have been placed in the appropriate folder./p p style=text-align: center;img src=http://images.thesimsresource.com/scaled/w-486h-253-568420.jpg border=0 width=486 height=253 /br /Figure 6/p pExtracting for other download types is done in the same manner. The only different is the folder which you extract to using WinZip as in Figure 6./p pemPlease note that Walls and Floors are NOT zipped. These should just be saved to the correct folder./em/p pstrongFile Type Download Folders to extract Zip contents to (The Sims 1 Only):/strong/p pObjects (Furniture and Other Items) C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\Downloads/p pWalls (Files of .wll) C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\Gamedata\Walls/p pFloors (Files of .flr) C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\Gamedata\Floors/p pHouses (HouseXX.iff) C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\UserdataXX\Houses/p p(The Sims itself has one userdata folder where as the expansions have multiple userdata folders representing the various neighborhoods)/p pAnimal Skins should be treated as Sim Skins, and go in the /skins folder./p pstrong/strong/p pPlease refer to a href=/helpcenter/view-post/post/105Installing Sims 2 Custom Content/a for help with strongSims 2/strong files./p

To use downloaded files in your Sims game, you must first use WinZip (http://www.winzip.com/) or some other unzipping program to extract the files contained in the zip file into the appropriate folder for the type of file you have downloaded (Vista users: zip handling is built in, no need for other programs). This example shows how to installed a downloaded skin into your Sims game. This example assumes that you have WinZip installed on your computer and a folder to save downloaded files to and also that you have a reasonable knowledge of how to use Windows. If you do not have WinZip installed on your computer, you can download a trial version at the official Site. After you find a file you want to download, click the download link and the window shown in Figure 1 will pop up. You are asked if you would like to save the file, select Save (or Yes depending on your Windows version) Figure 1 After clicking save, a window like in Figure 2 will pop up asking where you wish to save the downloaded file. Browse until you find the folder you wish to save the file to and click on the save button. This has now saved the downloaded file to your computers hard drive. Figure 2 Now that the file has been downloaded to your computer, we can now begin the process of unzipping it to the appropriate folder in your Sims directory. Using Windows Explorer, browse to the folder where you saved the zip file in the above 2 steps. You will see an icon that looks like a filing cabinet with a vice attached to it. As you can see in Figure 3 it the file has the correct icon and also the same file name as the file we had downloaded from the Skins Database on The Sims Resource. To begin the unzipping process, we simply double left click the appropriate icon and it will start up WinZip for us. Figure 3 When WinZip starts up it will display the screen as shown in Figure 4 if you are using the trial version of WinZip. Simply click the I Agree button to continue. Figure 4 WinZip will open its control Window. Be sure that you are using WinZip in it's Classic mode instead of Wizard. In Figure 5 you can see all of the files contained within the zip file which you downloaded. These are the contents of the zip file and are the files that The Sims needs to be able to use the skin in the game. There are large icon buttons above the view window, click the extract button. Figure 5 After clicking the extract button, you will be brought to a screen which asks you to select a folder to extract to. In Figure 6 we see a Folders/drives window. Here you will browse until you see a folder that represents C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\Gamedata\Skins. This folder is where you wish to extract the files into. Make sure that the Skins folder is highlighted as shown in Figure 6 and then press the Extract button on the top right of the window. After the files are extracted, you can close the WinZip window and the files will have been placed in the appropriate folder. Figure 6 Extracting for other download types is done in the same manner. The only different is the folder which you extract to using WinZip as in Figure 6. Please note that Walls and Floors are NOT zipped. These should just be saved to the correct folder. File Type Download Folders to extract Zip contents to (The Sims 1 Only): Objects (Furniture and Other Items) C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\Downloads Walls (Files of .wll) C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\Gamedata\Walls Floors (Files of .flr) C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\Gamedata\Floors Houses (HouseXX.iff) C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\UserdataXX\Houses (The Sims itself has one userdata folder where as the expansions have multiple userdata folders representing the various neighborhoods) Animal Skins should be treated as Sim Skins, and go in the /skins folder. Please refer to Installing Sims 2 Custom Content for help with Sims 2 files.