This tutorial will show you how easy it is to organize those special downloaded sets &/or meshes so that it is easy to find each item in a particular set without having to look through dozens and dozens of individual objects, walls, floors, etc

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I’ve had a number of people see my Creating New Icons for Your Collections tutorial and ask me, “How do I make a collectionfolder to put my new icon on?” Okay, you want a Collections folder, like thosealready provided with each game pack, only you want yours to divide thedifferent sets of custom re-colors and meshes that you have downloaded or madeyourself.  Collection folders are a wonderful option given us by the TS2creators and very, very time saving once they are made. 

This tutorial will show you how easy it is to organizethose special downloaded sets so that it is easy to find each item in aparticular set without having to look through dozens and dozens of individualobjects, walls, floors, etc. 

There are a couple of important things you will need toknow. Except for walls/floors/grounds or custom meshes the icon that will showup in your folder will be that of the object “group”. I’ll show you more aboutthat later.  So, let’s get on our comfortable work clothes and do some closetorganization. J

Step 1.

Open your game and choose any lot. You don’t have toplace items into/onto your house or lot while collecting them for your folder,but most of us find our sets while trying to set up our kitchens, baths, etc. Click on Buy mode in your toolbar. Here is where you find your collectionsfolders. I think it is so cute that they actually look like file folders J – here you see the collectionsfolders.

Step 2.

Click on the Create New Collection icon.

Step 3.

A popup window will appear where you make severaldecisions:

1.    Name yourcollection (the actual name, or whatever will help you remember what it holds)

2.    Choose anIcon (any one that you like, the more expansion & stuff packs you own, themore icons you will have from which to choose)

3.    Decidewhere you would like to view your collection.  (I personally like the option toview them in both Residential and Community lots. You don’t have to use them inboth areas, but the why limit yourself?)

4.    Click on theAccept check mark.

 

Step 4.

By default your new folder will go to the end of thelist. I personally don’t like this if I know I am going to be adding objects,etc.  It is a real bother to have to scroll all the way to the end every timeyou wish to drop a new item into the folder.  You can move the folder anywherein the list, or as I am doing, to the very beginning. Simply click on yourfolder then whichever arrow you wish to use – the < arrow is one space andthe I< arrow will take you to the very beginning (reverse this if you wantto move it deeper into the folders).

Here it is at the front of the list. Click on the Acceptcheck mark.

Step 5.

You can fill your folder(s) all at once, or as you findyour objects, etc. – and it doesn’t matter if you find a wallpaper, then afloor, then a chair then another wallpaper.  I’ll show you how to reorganizethe items in Step 6.

You can see here that I found one of the walls to TheRoses set.  Clicking on the wallpaper will open up the description. In thelower right corner of the description popup is the Add to Collection folder.Click on it and another popup (Select a Collection) appears. If you aren’t fastenough it disappears, just try it again until you succeed.

Drop your selection into the folder and click the checkmark. Fill you folder. The nice thing is that, should you find something elsethat goes with your collection during your Sims play, you can add it at anytime.

Have you noticed how, once in a while, the folder doesn’tlight up when you try to drop the item inside? That is because the software isdesigned to prevent doubling up on an item. 

Step 6.

Organizing your folder is basically the same as what youdid in step 4 while organizing the collection folders.  Click on your folder,which once again opens the Organize Items popup.  Just move the items around,using the arrows, to suit your needs.

Note: you can see here what I was talkingabout at the beginning when I said the object group shows up. It might not beas easy as having the exact object available, but it certainly cuts the work offinding which object group your item is inside. Step 7.

This looks good to me.  Click Accept.  Now we can relaxand play, our Collection closets are clean and organized.  

If you want to know how to make your own collection icon,look for my Creating New Icons for YourCollections tutorial.