Sims 3 Game-Generated Launcher Thumbnails

The tool known as the “TS3 Unpacker” created by Echo allows a user to extract and utilize The Sims 3 game generated images to create the perfect little Launcher thumbnails and possibly individual image previews on the TSR website. This guide will just show you how to extract those images from your own custom content items, and how to use them in TSR Workshop.

• 01: Saving the preset in-game
• 02: Exporting the preset
• 03: PackExtractor
• 04: Extracting the image
• 05: TSR Workshop and Final Testing

01: Saving the preset in-game

Get your object in-game. (It can be the final object, but for the new thumbnail to show, the object will need to be re-packaged at the end). Recolor it very slightly so the changes are un-noticeable. The colors you decide to select are the ones that will appear in the launcher thumbnail. After you have selected the colors you want, click on the highlighted icon there, this will save your preset color variation (you can delete this later on if it annoys you).

Although I’ve suggested that you keep the colors close to the original, you can of course change the colors to whatever you wish your Launcher thumbnail to show.

02: Exporting the preset

Once you have chosen the colors you want to use, it’s time to export the color variation ready to extract the image you will use for the launcher thumbnail. Click on the little arrow with the custom content symbol there, (the button to the left of the previous button pressed), and you’ll get a window appear like this. (see above).

03: PackExtractor

Open up the PackExtractor.jar. You’ll then be prompted with a window which will ask you to select the package you wish to open. Files exported from the game appear in this directory:

04: Extracting the image

When you’ve selected your package, three files should be listed in the new window which will pop up, two .PACKAGE files and a .PNG file, it’s the .PNG file you want. Select the PNG file and “Export Selected.” Don’t forget where you saved it!

05: TSR Workshop and Final Testing

The next step is to import this image into TSR Workshop. Where it says “Launcher Thumbnail,” just click to import the image you just exported from PackExtractor. Save the package and you’re done!

And now the only thing left to do is try it out in the launcher! Export as a .sims3pack, and install with the Launcher.

Et vóila, you should see some shiny, professional EA-like Launcher thumbnails. It finishes off an object nicely, makes the Launcher look pretty and makes it easier for the downloaders to locate your content in Launcher if they need to.

Doesn’t that look a lot nicer? Plus, when you come to upload to TSR, it puts the Launcher thumbnail as the default preview image? If you want Store-like individual preview items, you don’t need to take individual pictures now, as this method would do that automatically for you!