Installing Custom Content/7-Zip issue

[Huggleberry]

I have tried over and over again to install custom content to my Sims 3, and every time it has resulted in failure and unneeded frustration. I think it is a problem with the 7-Zip. It was already installed to my computer when I first tried it, my brother must've installed it when he was installing custom content to my sims 2 for me. I don't know if he installed it properly, or if he installed the right one, but 7-zip obviously worked since the custom content on my sims 2 works perfectly.

Anyways, this is my problem. It starts in the first couple of steps to installing package files(Which, I have read and re-read the installing guide on here many times.). At the "Setup Folders & Files" section, on the third step, it says to "Right-click on the FrameworkSetup.zip file and choose Extract Here. A new folder will appear, called "Mods"." and although I do have the FrameworkSetup.zip file due to the previous step, there is no "Extract here" option when I right-click on it. It says that you'll get this option if you've correctly installed 7-zip, but I don't know how my brother could've incorrectly installed it but yet still installed the custom content to my sims 2 correctly. However I went ahead and tried to install the "64-bit x64" 7-zip just in case. It appeared to install successfully, but still no "Extract here" option. I don't know what to do, if I should try and uninstall it altogether and reinstall the "64-bit x64" version, or if I'm doing something wrong in the first few steps of installing.

A side, somewhat unrelated question, why is extremely easy to install custom content on another sims2 & 3 mods site I know of(All you have to do is one or two simple steps, and then it installs the custom content onto the sims3.), but yet on here it's complex and complicated? Everything I've installed from the other, easier to install, site works perfectly, however there is more of a variety of custom content on this site but yet it's much harder to install custom content to the sims 3 on here. It doesn't make much sense to me.

[HugeLunatic]

You can right click and choose Open with...and 7zip should be listed. Once opened just click the large Extract icon, a pop up box comes up with a location to extract to. Usually the same place the zip file is.

There should be settings in 7zip to add options to the context menu (right click menu).

[Huggleberry]

You can right click and choose Open with...and 7zip should be listed. Once opened just click the large Extract icon, a pop up box comes up with a location to extract to. Usually the same place the zip file is.

There should be settings in 7zip to add options to the context menu (right click menu).
Thank you! The mod folder showed up and the two packages already inside work fine. Now I just have to place any other package type files(after extracting) into the same package folder and they should show up.

I haven't seen anything about this, but after I extract a package file, is it suppose to go from a Package file type to a ZIP file type? This is a pretty stupid question, but I have never done this before and I want to make sure I'm not doing something wrong.

[Huggleberry]

You can right click and choose Open with...and 7zip should be listed. Once opened just click the large Extract icon, a pop up box comes up with a location to extract to. Usually the same place the zip file is.

There should be settings in 7zip to add options to the context menu (right click menu).
Okay, I put the .zip file into the packages file and it didn't show up in my game or my downloads on the launcher page. I opened the original package file to 7-zip and extracted/copied it, then moved it to the mod packages folder. I think the file is too big, it's 606KB, but originally it was 742KB.

[Whiterudder]

The zip files for CC are just the same the same as the FrameworkStup.zip, so you have to Extract them using 7-zip. Once you've done that, you'll have .package files, which you can drop in the Packages folder.

What's important is the type of file you have at the end - whether it's a .package file or something else. Usually the .package files are bigger than the equivalent .zip files, but it is just about possible to have a .zip file which is bigger than he .package file. So, the important question: Are you sure it's now a .package file? :)


As for .packages being too complicated...

If you're very, very, very lucky, the first tens of sims3packs you install will be Double-click -> wait a minute or two for the Launcher -> done.
After a few hundred sims3packs, it'll be Double-click -> Wait half an hour for the Launcher -> Done.
Then you patch, and suddenly it's Double-click -> wait half an hour for the Launcher -> Launcher crashes -> Try again -> Launcher crashes again -> Rinse and repeat.

With package files, you spend fifteen minutes setting up the Framework once, and then after that it's just Extract -> Drag and drop -> Done. Every time.

Not to mention the Launcher randomly uninstalls CC, for no reason. The .package framework doesn't.
Plus, if you install some broken/corrupted CC through the Launcher, which happens to everyone at some point, you often have to delete all your sims3pack CC and install everything back one by one. If you install some broken/corrupted package file CC, you find the individual file and just delete that one.
Installing sims3pack CC often results in random broken content being installed with sims, which ends up in the game but isn't listed in the Launcher, so you have no idea where it came from or which sim is the problem. Then, after you've deleted all your sims3pack CC to get rid of it, you have to guess which sim was the problem, because if you install that sim back again - uhoh - you have to delete all your sims3pack CC again and start over. Again. Never happens with packages (and .sim files).

.package files are piss easy, and much less of a headache in the long term. :)

[Ghost sdoj]

Then, after you've deleted all your sims3pack CC to get rid of it, you have to guess which sim was the problem, because if you install that sim back again - uhoh - you have to delete all your sims3pack CC again and start over. Again. Never happens with packages (and .sim files).

.package files are piss easy, and much less of a headache in the long term. :)

The solution to that one is to install all sims and lots first. (One by one, of course.) Do the sims and the lots you got from the Exchange first from that batch. Test after each one. When you find the bad sim, you have much less to take out and reinstall a third time. And if they are one you can't bear to live without you can fix it and repackage it for your own use.

But I agree that package files and sim files are still simpler to install. Download, Extract into folder, and start playing. And any unzip/unrar, etc is faster than the launcher extracting a sims3pack. It does require a tiny bit more work than download/double-click, but it ends up being faster and most of the work is to browse to folders.

Edit: No, a package file is not supposed to be added to zip after extracting. And Package CC doesn't show up in the Launcher, just in your game. (Or at least it is supposed to be in your game; there are things that might keep it from showing up.)

I would also suggest checking the file type of the file that shrank from 742 kb to 606 kb. I'm willing to bet that the smaller file is going to say that it is a 7zip file?

Find the 7zip version of the Framework installer
move that into the Sims 3 folder
right click the file
You should see "extract here", but if not you can find "extract with ___" and use that. Either one will open whatever your computer is set to handle archives with. They all have similar controls. Hopefully it is already set for 7-zip so you don't get any more confusion, but if not, you can manage it. :beer:
If you had to choose "extract", go to the top bar and browse to the My Documents/.../Sims 3 folder
Click the extract button which is usually somewhere along the bottom.

Now look in your Documents Sims 3 folder. You should see a new folder called Mods. In that folder is a folder called Packages and a file called resource.cfg You are now at the stage where you test to see if it works. Good luck!

[Huggleberry]

The zip files for CC are just the same the same as the FrameworkStup.zip, so you have to Extract them using 7-zip. Once you've done that, you'll have .package files, which you can drop in the Packages folder.

What's important is the type of file you have at the end - whether it's a .package file or something else. Usually the .package files are bigger than the equivalent .zip files, but it is just about possible to have a .zip file which is bigger than he .package file. So, the important question: Are you sure it's now a .package file? :)
Yes, I'm positive it says .package. But you see, when I first download/move it to a folder, before I extract, it's already a .package. After I extract, it becomes a .zip file. Do you think that maybe my computer has already unzipped it for me??

Oh. Ok, I just didn't understand why it seemed to be easier at another site, but harder here. Thanks for explaining.

[Whiterudder]

If it's already a .package, don't unzip it - just put it straight into the Packages folder.

How are you checking what type of file it is? There are a few methods, and some aren't very reliable. :)

[Huggleberry]

If it's already a .package, don't unzip it - just put it straight into the Packages folder.

How are you checking what type of file it is? There are a few methods, and some aren't very reliable. :)
Alright. That's what I was doing wrong then. So now for .packages, all I have to do extract if they aren't already .packages, then place them directly into the Mods packages folder? You've already explained this, but I just want to make sure I understood you correctly :)

Well, the .package file I downloaded is too long and I can't see if it says .package at the end, but beside the "date modified"(Which is next to "name", which gives the name of the file.) there is a section that says "type" and underneath that it tells me what type of file it is. It's telling me that it's a package type file. Is this a reliable method?
EDIT: I figured out how to see the full name of the file. I can just click on rename and it'll show the full name of the file. It does indeed say .package at the end.

[Whiterudder]

all I have to do extract if they aren't already .packages, then place them directly into the Mods packages folder? Precisely. :)

[Ghost sdoj]

Yes, you understood correctly. If it is a package, you just drop it into the Mods/Packages folder.

(You can also make folders inside that folder and drop packages into them if you want to organize your CC. This can be helpful later.)

And as long as the properties screen doesn't also tell you about the compression type, when it says something is a package it's an extracted package. It is possible your brother set your computer to automatically extract archives that were downloaded.

Edit: partially sniped by WR

[Huggleberry]

Precisely. :)
Alright then. Thanks for the help!! :)

And as long as the properties screen doesn't also tell you about the compression type, when it says something is a package it's an extracted package. It is possible your brother set your computer to automatically extract archives that were downloaded.
I hope he did. It'd make the whole process even easier. Thanks! :)