Helpcenter / Sims 2 Help Helpcenter / Sims 2 Help1970-01-01T01:00:00Zhttp://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenter/posts/Helpcenter / Sims 2 Helphttp://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenter/posts/ http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/105/ 2007-04-24T00:00:00Z pThis tutorial is to teach the absolute beginner to Sims how to download custom content and make it appear in their game. Although we will make this as non-technical as possible, you will still need some very basic computer knowledge. If you donrsquo;t know how to create a new folder or cut and paste items, please learn how before you start downloading - it will save you a few headaches!/p pThese instructions are for a computer running either Windows Vista or XP operating systems. All screen captures are from IE version 7. Click on any thumbnail to view a larger image./p pThe step by step walkthrough will take you through preparations, downloading, installation and finding the creations in the game. Follow it closely, and you shouldn't have any problem. If, however, you follow it word-for-word and things donrsquo;t quite work out, therersquo;s also a troubleshooting section to refer to./p h2 class=nhpQuick Checklist/h2 pBefore you dig too far into this guide, take a brief moment and make sure you have not done any of those common mistakes first./pul class=crlistrongNot putting the downloaded creations in the correct folder(s)/strongbr /Unless you place your downloads in the Downloads folder (or the appropriate folder inside the Sims2 folder) they will NOT show up in your game (see part 2)./lilistrongIncorrect spelling of the Downloads folder/strongbr /The Downloads folder must be spelled with a capital D and the rest in small letters. No other variation will work in your game (see part 1)./lilistrongWrong location for the Downloads folder/strongbr /The Downloads folder must be in the correct folder under Documents (Vista) or My Documents (XP), nowhere else will it work (see part 1)./lilistrongDid you download any necessary meshes?/strongbr /If an item was created that requires a custom mesh, you must have that mesh in your game before the recolors for that item will show and be playable (see part 2)./lilistrongMissing the required expansion pack(s)?/strongbr /Make sure you have the expansion pack(s) required for the file, they are listed in the item description on the site./lilistrongAre you looking in the right place in-game?/strongbr /Make sure you read the artist's description about the creation. Sometimes it is not located in the obvious category in-game (see part 4)./lilistrongStill can't find the item in the catalog?/strongbr /Recolors of game items often show as a color alternative to the original item, so you will need to select that before you see your new recolor as an option.br //li/ul p style=text-align: right;strongemnbsp;Continue to other pages using thenbsp;links below.../em/strong/p

This tutorial is to teach the absolute beginner to Sims how to download custom content and make it appear in their game. Although we will make this as non-technical as possible, you will still need some very basic computer knowledge. If you donrsquo;t know how to create a new folder or cut and paste items, please learn how before you start downloading - it will save you a few headaches! These instructions are for a computer running either Windows Vista or XP operating systems. All screen captures are from IE version 7. Click on any thumbnail to view a larger image. The step by step walkthrough will take you through preparations, downloading, installation and finding the creations in the game. Follow it closely, and you shouldn't have any problem. If, however, you follow it word-for-word and things donrsquo;t quite work out, therersquo;s also a troubleshooting section to refer to. Quick Checklist Before you dig too far into this guide, take a brief moment and make sure you have not done any of those common mistakes first.Not putting the downloaded creations in the correct folder(s)Unless you place your downloads in the Downloads folder (or the appropriate folder inside the Sims2 folder) they will NOT show up in your game (see part 2).Incorrect spelling of the Downloads folderThe Downloads folder must be spelled with a capital D and the rest in small letters. No other variation will work in your game (see part 1).Wrong location for the Downloads folderThe Downloads folder must be in the correct folder under Documents (Vista) or My Documents (XP), nowhere else will it work (see part 1).Did you download any necessary meshes?If an item was created that requires a custom mesh, you must have that mesh in your game before the recolors for that item will show and be playable (see part 2).Missing the required expansion pack(s)?Make sure you have the expansion pack(s) required for the file, they are listed in the item description on the site.Are you looking in the right place in-game?Make sure you read the artist's description about the creation. Sometimes it is not located in the obvious category in-game (see part 4).Still can't find the item in the catalog?Recolors of game items often show as a color alternative to the original item, so you will need to select that before you see your new recolor as an option. nbsp;Continue to other pages using thenbsp;links below...

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/2735/ 2007-01-30T00:00:00Z pstrongVista/strong is the new Operating System from Microsoft, the successor to Windows XP (which most of you are probably running on your Sims 2 PC (Mac users exempt of course))./p pYou might be considering upgrading your Operating System to Vista (as I have) so I thought I'd put your mind to rest with regards running The Sims 2 on Windows Vista./p pVista comes in several different packages, ranging very much in price. To best suit my needs, I opted for the Home Premium edition, but any version you buy will act in the same way, you are just buying more or less features./p pThe biggest difference, and one issue which you must get right for the Operating System to run on your PC, is 32-bit or 64-bit. I have installed Vista on 2 PC's, one with the 32-bit system, and the other with a 64-bit system (running an X2 Dual Core 64-bit processor)./p pThe good news is that Sims 2 and all of the Expansion Packs and Stuff Packs installed and run perfectly on both the br /32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista, although there are some hiccups and issues that you might like to know about./p pAs you can see in the window below, Vista identifies that there are known compatibility issues with The Sims 2 when you insert the disk to install./p p style=text-align: center;img src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/666/666032.jpg border=0 width=480 height=236 //p pClicking the Check for solutions online button brings up this popup which explains that there is an update available to resolve the issue, with a link to the Updates Page at the Official Site./p p style=text-align: center;img src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/666/666129.jpg border=0 width=480 height=215 //p pThis page should be familiar to you already, as you should always apply the latest patches to your game, and installing to Vista is no different. There are no Vista specific patches, just be sure to download and run the correct patch for your version of the game. I have the DVD version, so I needed only download and install the DVD Patch strongafter/strong I had completed the installation of Sims 2./p pIf you intend to install Expansion Packs immediately after Sims 2 then you do not need to install the basic game patch first. Just install Sims 2 then any other EP's you have, being sure to patch the final version for the latest pack you have./p p style=text-align: center;img src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/666/666174.jpg border=0 width=480 height=358 //p pContinue with the installation of the base game and any EP's you have. No patching or updating is needed just to install the games. Be sure to apply the patch you need strongbefore/strong running the game though./p p style=text-align: center;img src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/666/666221.jpg border=0 width=472 height=218 //p pThat should be all you need to do to get The Sims 2 running on your Vista PC, but there is a new feature that XP users may feel the need to drool over./p pThe Games Folder within Vista gathers all of your game executables in one place and shows them off with their box art and ratings info, as well as compatibility data for your hardware./p pUnfortunately, Vista does not yet have all of the data for the Sims 2 games, but no doubt it will be updated in time and will automatically appear in your Games browser. Also, note that Pets is the only EP that does not appear at all in the Games browser (this will no doubt be fixed in time). You can drag the icon from the desktop into this folder though, but you won't get the box art just yet. Pets will still run as normal from the desktop icon, or by navigating to:br /All programs/EA Games/The Sims 2 Pets./p p style=text-align: center;img src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/666/666302.jpg border=0 width=480 height=387 //p pTo enable these features, click the Options button near the top of the browser and enable the Download information about installed games checkbox (the game data may not show by default, so you must do this)./p p style=text-align: center;img src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/666/666473.jpg border=0 width=480 height=341 //p pAnd that's it! Sims 2 running fine and dandy on Vista, as you can see here running in windowed mode in widescreen glory. Can Sims life get any better?/p p style=text-align: center;img src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/666/666527.jpg border=0 width=480 height=300 //p pOther Sims community programs I have tried are Clean Installer and SimPE, both of which work fine as well, on all of the functions I have tried at least./p pHave fun with it!/p p/Steve/p pstrongLinks:/strongbr /a href=http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx target=_blankVista Website/a from Microsoftbr /a href=http://thesims2.ea.com/update/?pid=Help_patches target=_blankSims 2 Patches/a at the Official Site/p

Vista is the new Operating System from Microsoft, the successor to Windows XP (which most of you are probably running on your Sims 2 PC (Mac users exempt of course)). You might be considering upgrading your Operating System to Vista (as I have) so I thought I'd put your mind to rest with regards running The Sims 2 on Windows Vista. Vista comes in several different packages, ranging very much in price. To best suit my needs, I opted for the Home Premium edition, but any version you buy will act in the same way, you are just buying more or less features. The biggest difference, and one issue which you must get right for the Operating System to run on your PC, is 32-bit or 64-bit. I have installed Vista on 2 PC's, one with the 32-bit system, and the other with a 64-bit system (running an X2 Dual Core 64-bit processor). The good news is that Sims 2 and all of the Expansion Packs and Stuff Packs installed and run perfectly on both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Vista, although there are some hiccups and issues that you might like to know about. As you can see in the window below, Vista identifies that there are known compatibility issues with The Sims 2 when you insert the disk to install. Clicking the Check for solutions online button brings up this popup which explains that there is an update available to resolve the issue, with a link to the Updates Page at the Official Site. This page should be familiar to you already, as you should always apply the latest patches to your game, and installing to Vista is no different. There are no Vista specific patches, just be sure to download and run the correct patch for your version of the game. I have the DVD version, so I needed only download and install the DVD Patch after I had completed the installation of Sims 2. If you intend to install Expansion Packs immediately after Sims 2 then you do not need to install the basic game patch first. Just install Sims 2 then any other EP's you have, being sure to patch the final version for the latest pack you have. Continue with the installation of the base game and any EP's you have. No patching or updating is needed just to install the games. Be sure to apply the patch you need before running the game though. That should be all you need to do to get The Sims 2 running on your Vista PC, but there is a new feature that XP users may feel the need to drool over. The Games Folder within Vista gathers all of your game executables in one place and shows them off with their box art and ratings info, as well as compatibility data for your hardware. Unfortunately, Vista does not yet have all of the data for the Sims 2 games, but no doubt it will be updated in time and will automatically appear in your Games browser. Also, note that Pets is the only EP that does not appear at all in the Games browser (this will no doubt be fixed in time). You can drag the icon from the desktop into this folder though, but you won't get the box art just yet. Pets will still run as normal from the desktop icon, or by navigating to:All programs/EA Games/The Sims 2 Pets. To enable these features, click the Options button near the top of the browser and enable the Download information about installed games checkbox (the game data may not show by default, so you must do this). And that's it! Sims 2 running fine and dandy on Vista, as you can see here running in windowed mode in widescreen glory. Can Sims life get any better? Other Sims community programs I have tried are Clean Installer and SimPE, both of which work fine as well, on all of the functions I have tried at least. Have fun with it! /Steve Links:Vista Website from MicrosoftSims 2 Patches at the Official Site

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/106/ 2005-05-15T00:00:00Z p class=pc style=text-align: center;strongimg src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/597/597348.png border=0 width=100 height=100 //strong/p p class=pcstrongCredits:/strong The creation of these packages wouldn't be possible without the joint efforts of strongQuaxi/strong, strongRGiles/strong and strongNumenor/strong./p p class=pcAll of the items here at The Sims Resource which display the CEP Icon requirenbsp;this third party software to enable them in your game./p p class=redstrongImportant!/strong You only need to download/install the CEP Enabler once - not for every object you download! Make sure you have the latest version available by checking the page we link to from time to time./p p class=pc style=text-align: center;a class=null href=http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=92541 target=_blankGo here for the official download location and installation instructions./a/p

Credits: The creation of these packages wouldn't be possible without the joint efforts of Quaxi, RGiles and Numenor. All of the items here at The Sims Resource which display the CEP Icon requirenbsp;this third party software to enable them in your game. Important! You only need to download/install the CEP Enabler once - not for every object you download! Make sure you have the latest version available by checking the page we link to from time to time. Go here for the official download location and installation instructions.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/121/ 2004-08-17T00:00:00Z pDid you know you can change the Bodyshop background to white for use in TSR Submissions? Bodyshop has the option to toggle between two different backgrounds by pressing F5. By default, you have the view of a room and a solid black background. The black one can be changed to anything you wish - for TSR submissions a solid white background is preferred./p pTo create a white background using Photoshop, Paintshop Pro or similar software you do this:/p pCreate a new document 1024 pixels wide and 768 pixels tall with a white background. Go to Save As... and then navigate your way to My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 and save the file as a .bmp named userBkg (without the quotes)./p pTo create a white background using Paint:/p pOpen Paint and press ctrl+E to access the image attributes. Input 1024 for width and 768 for height, make sure pixels is selected under units and then click OK. Next, save (ctrl+S) and navigate your way to My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2. Save the file as a .bmp named userBkg (without the quotes)./p pNow the next time you open Bodyshop and press F5, you will have a white background!/p

Did you know you can change the Bodyshop background to white for use in TSR Submissions? Bodyshop has the option to toggle between two different backgrounds by pressing F5. By default, you have the view of a room and a solid black background. The black one can be changed to anything you wish - for TSR submissions a solid white background is preferred. To create a white background using Photoshop, Paintshop Pro or similar software you do this: Create a new document 1024 pixels wide and 768 pixels tall with a white background. Go to Save As... and then navigate your way to My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2 and save the file as a .bmp named userBkg (without the quotes). To create a white background using Paint: Open Paint and press ctrl+E to access the image attributes. Input 1024 for width and 768 for height, make sure pixels is selected under units and then click OK. Next, save (ctrl+S) and navigate your way to My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2. Save the file as a .bmp named userBkg (without the quotes). Now the next time you open Bodyshop and press F5, you will have a white background!

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/119/ 2004-05-13T00:00:00Z pBe sure to read the a href=http://submissions.thesimsresource.com/submissions/start.phpTS2 Submissions Guidelines/a before you send us any files./p pstrongGenetics include: Hair, Facial Hair, Skin Tones, Tattoo's, Glasses, Makup and Eye Colors./strong/p pTo submit your Genetics creations to TSR you will need 2 files. A preview image, and the .package file containing your creation./p pstrong.package file extraction/strongbr /br /In Body Shop, load up your creation and click the Import to Game button. This will generate a .package file which can be found in your \My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\SavedSims folder. This is the file you need to share with others so that they will have your creation to use in Body Shop and The Sims 2. You do not need to share your projects folder which contains the working files.br /br /strongImportant!/strong DO NOT rename the exported file. The code that BodyShop assigns to a file is required for it to work. Do not remove the code similar to rhi729sy_ or the underscore (_) in the file name, or your submission will be rejected.br /br /strongPreview Image Creation/strongbr /br /img src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/650/650110.jpg border=0 width=220 height=300 style=float: right; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; /Preview images are sadly not exported from Body Shop, so you will need to take a screen shot from within the tool. The image may be cropped to 220 pixels wide by 300 pixels tall (slightly larger if needed for big hair), and must be actual size, not rescaled. This will allow people to see the detail in your creation. If you take a look at the existing submissions in the database you will get an idea of exactly what is required.br /br /strongPlease note/strong that we ask you to spend some time creating quality preview images of your work for 2 reasons. It promotes your creation better, and it keeps our databases looking tidy. If you can create custom content, you should be able to crop an image. strongPlease do not use compression/strong when saving your .jpg image. It blurs them, and reduces the quality. Poor quality previews will result in your submission being held back.br /br /When taking the screen shot, be sure to use a plain Sim body with all other genetic options set to neutral colors etc. This will show off strongyour/strong part of the creation without it being distorted. For example, if you are showing your Blue Eye's creation, don't pretty the face up with makeup, long hair, dark skin, large eyebrows, facial hair etc. This example to the right will show the benefit of keeping simple, everything about the Sim that you have strongnot/strong made. In this picture you can see a slight imperfection in the recolor job from the preview, without having to load it into Body Shop or the game.br /br /strongUpload your submissions by going to a class=null href=http://submissions.thesimsresource.com/submissions/this page/a./strongbr /br /Be sure to give credit to anyone that has allowed you to use their previous creation as a base./p

Be sure to read the TS2 Submissions Guidelines before you send us any files. Genetics include: Hair, Facial Hair, Skin Tones, Tattoo's, Glasses, Makup and Eye Colors. To submit your Genetics creations to TSR you will need 2 files. A preview image, and the .package file containing your creation. .package file extractionIn Body Shop, load up your creation and click the Import to Game button. This will generate a .package file which can be found in your \My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\SavedSims folder. This is the file you need to share with others so that they will have your creation to use in Body Shop and The Sims 2. You do not need to share your projects folder which contains the working files.Important! DO NOT rename the exported file. The code that BodyShop assigns to a file is required for it to work. Do not remove the code similar to rhi729sy_ or the underscore (_) in the file name, or your submission will be rejected.Preview Image CreationPreview images are sadly not exported from Body Shop, so you will need to take a screen shot from within the tool. The image may be cropped to 220 pixels wide by 300 pixels tall (slightly larger if needed for big hair), and must be actual size, not rescaled. This will allow people to see the detail in your creation. If you take a look at the existing submissions in the database you will get an idea of exactly what is required.Please note that we ask you to spend some time creating quality preview images of your work for 2 reasons. It promotes your creation better, and it keeps our databases looking tidy. If you can create custom content, you should be able to crop an image. Please do not use compression when saving your .jpg image. It blurs them, and reduces the quality. Poor quality previews will result in your submission being held back.When taking the screen shot, be sure to use a plain Sim body with all other genetic options set to neutral colors etc. This will show off your part of the creation without it being distorted. For example, if you are showing your Blue Eye's creation, don't pretty the face up with makeup, long hair, dark skin, large eyebrows, facial hair etc. This example to the right will show the benefit of keeping simple, everything about the Sim that you have not made. In this picture you can see a slight imperfection in the recolor job from the preview, without having to load it into Body Shop or the game.Upload your submissions by going to this page.Be sure to give credit to anyone that has allowed you to use their previous creation as a base.

http://www.thesimsresource.com/helpcenterview-post/post/120/ 2004-05-13T00:00:00Z pBe sure to read the a href=http://submissions.thesimsresource.com/submissions/start.phpTS2 Submissions Guidelines/a before you send us any files.br /br /To submit your Clothing creations to TSR you will need 2 files. A preview image, and the .package file containing your creation. br /br /br /strong.package file extraction/strongbr /br /In Body Shop, load up your creation and click the Import to Game button. This will generate a .package file which can be found in your \My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\SavedSims folder. This is the file you need to share with others so that they will have your creation to use in Body Shop and The Sims 2. You do not need to share your projects folder which contains the working files.br /br /strongImportant!/strong DO NOT rename the exported file. The code that BodyShop assigns to a file is required for it to work. Do not remove the code similar to rhi729sy_ or the underscore (_) in the file name, or your submission will be rejected.br /br /strongPreview Image Creation/strongbr /br /img src=http://images.thesimsresource.netdna-cdn.com/650/650319.jpg border=0 width=230 height=310 style=float: right; margin: 0px 0px 12px 12px; /Preview images are sadly not exported from Body Shop, so you will need to take a screen shot from within the tool. The standard for submitting clothing images can be taken from this example. 2 separate screen shots from 2 sides of the skin should be merged to make one single image, 460 pixels wide by 620 pixels tall, and must be actual size, not rescaled (Kids and Teens make for shorter skins, so the height can be reduced for these submissions). They must be submitted as an uncompressed .jpg file. This will allow people to see the detail in your creation. This reduced size example shows exactly what is required. Full size images can be seen in the existing database (click a preview for full size)br /br /strongPlease note/strong that we ask you to spend some time creating quality preview images of your work for 2 reasons. It promotes your creation better, and it keeps our databases looking tidy. If you can create custom content, you should be able to crop an image. strongPlease do not use compression/strong when saving your .jpg image. It blurs them reduces the quality. Poor quality previews will result in your submission being held back.br /br /When taking the screen shot, be sure to use a plain Sim body with all other genetic options set to neutral colors etc. This will show off strongyour/strong part of the creation without it being distorted. For example, if you are showing your new shirt creation, donrsquo;t use bright red pants, large, bright head hair, facial hair etc. You want to show off everything about the Sim that strongyou/strong have made.br /br /strongUpload your submissions by going to a class=null href=http://submissions.thesimsresource.com/submissions/this page/a./strongbr /br /Be sure to give credit to anyone that has allowed you to use their previous creation as a base./p

Be sure to read the TS2 Submissions Guidelines before you send us any files.To submit your Clothing creations to TSR you will need 2 files. A preview image, and the .package file containing your creation. .package file extractionIn Body Shop, load up your creation and click the Import to Game button. This will generate a .package file which can be found in your \My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\SavedSims folder. This is the file you need to share with others so that they will have your creation to use in Body Shop and The Sims 2. You do not need to share your projects folder which contains the working files.Important! DO NOT rename the exported file. The code that BodyShop assigns to a file is required for it to work. Do not remove the code similar to rhi729sy_ or the underscore (_) in the file name, or your submission will be rejected.Preview Image CreationPreview images are sadly not exported from Body Shop, so you will need to take a screen shot from within the tool. The standard for submitting clothing images can be taken from this example. 2 separate screen shots from 2 sides of the skin should be merged to make one single image, 460 pixels wide by 620 pixels tall, and must be actual size, not rescaled (Kids and Teens make for shorter skins, so the height can be reduced for these submissions). They must be submitted as an uncompressed .jpg file. This will allow people to see the detail in your creation. This reduced size example shows exactly what is required. Full size images can be seen in the existing database (click a preview for full size)Please note that we ask you to spend some time creating quality preview images of your work for 2 reasons. It promotes your creation better, and it keeps our databases looking tidy. If you can create custom content, you should be able to crop an image. Please do not use compression when saving your .jpg image. It blurs them reduces the quality. Poor quality previews will result in your submission being held back.When taking the screen shot, be sure to use a plain Sim body with all other genetic options set to neutral colors etc. This will show off your part of the creation without it being distorted. For example, if you are showing your new shirt creation, donrsquo;t use bright red pants, large, bright head hair, facial hair etc. You want to show off everything about the Sim that you have made.Upload your submissions by going to this page.Be sure to give credit to anyone that has allowed you to use their previous creation as a base.