Can you Install Sims 3 Custom Content Custom content, often simply referred to as CC, is a way of styling up your Sims 3 game to look more modern and realistic. While there's a wide variety of content out there, most of it is fairly simple to install, and doesn't take too much time. Soon enough, your Sims and their neighborhoods and houses will be looking better than ever!
This article only briefly touches on installing game mods. If you're looking for a guide on mods, please read How to Add Mods to The Sims 3.
Finding Custom Content
1
Consider what you want. Custom content exists in many forms and there are many varieties to choose from. Do you want hairstyles or clothing for Create a Sim? Furniture? Wall or floor decorations for Build Mode? Worlds? Narrowing down what you want will make it easier to find content that suits your needs.
Take the poly count and your computer specs into account. While objects and Create-a-Sim styles might look great, a high-poly mesh won't look great if your computer is barely meeting the game's minimum requirements, and a low-poly mesh may look bad no matter how powerful your computer is.
If you're looking for custom content that changes part of how the game operates (such as enabling male pregnancy or changing default schedules), you're likely looking for mods, which are installed as .package files but are not usually considered custom content by most Sims players.
2
Look for reputable sites. Especially since many sites for custom content are prone to having malicious ads or just disappearing at any given moment, you should find sites that are known to be safe by The Sims 3's community. Frequently-used sites for Sims 3 custom content include Mod The Sims, Around The Sims 3, and content blogs such as Anubis Under The Sun and My Sims 3 Blog (the latter of which links to content from many places).
Take caution. Several sites that previously hosted Sims 3 content have been removed or sold, and what used to be a trustworthy site may now host malware. Use an adblocker and have antivirus software on your computer when looking around, and don't download anything you aren't certain is the content you want.
3
Ensure you have the required content. Certain types of custom content require separate meshes, expansion or stuff packs, or mods to work properly, and not having these can result in various issues. If you don't have the proper content or expansions, either get the required content or don't install the content to avoid bugs.
The most common "offenders" that require expansion or stuff packs tend to be new worlds.
Some custom content websites (such as Mod The Sims) will allow you to filter out content that requires expansions or stuff packs that you don't have.
4
Have a program to extract the files. Normally CC will come in a .rar or .zip file, which you'll need to unpackage. Common programs to unpack these files on Windows are WinRAR or 7zip, while Mac has The Unarchiver and UnRarX.
5
Distinguish between Sims3Packs and Package files. There are two types of custom content for Sims 3 - .sims3pack files and .package files. Sims3Packs are installed manually using the game launcher, while .package files are just dropped into the proper folder. A Sims3Pack will have a file extension of .sims3pack, while a package file will have a file extension of .package.
If you don't want to check the file extensions, a Sims3Pack will have a Sims 3 logo as its icon, while a package file will have a white paper icon (or, sometimes on Macs, a black rectangular icon that says exec in green text).
6
Check for broken or corrupted content. Custom content isn't perfect, and can cause a variety of issues, ranging from attaching its file to game content, being on the wrong Sim at the wrong time, having graphical or functional errors, creating sunken "blue lots", or just causing your game to not run at all. While there's no surefire way to know if something is broken just by looking at it, it's recommended that you test custom content before leaving it in and to only install small amounts at a time, to avoid having to struggle to find the buggy content you installed.
Custom content objects released prior to the Pets expansion may be broken, since Pets changed certain furniture interactions. If the content was not updated for Pets (which would be likely with very old CC), the objects may behave erratically when used.[1]
Crinrict's Sims 3 Help Blog has lists of custom content that results in errors or game crashes, but the lists are not complete.
Delphy's Dashboard can find and attempt to fix broken .package files,[2] while Delphy's Custard can weed out broken .sims3packs.[3] These tools are Windows-native, but can be run on a Mac using Mono or a Windows emulator such as Parallels or Boot Camp.
Installing Sims3Packs
1
Open your Sims 3 Downloads directory. This directory is Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Downloads.
2
Add the Sims3Pack file to the Downloads folder. Content from The Sims 3 Exchange or Store will also be in this folder, so if you've previously downloaded or purchased content from these places, don't be surprised if there's already content in the folder.
3
Open the game launcher. Sims3Packs cannot be installed without the Launcher.
If you have your game set to bypass the launcher, you can open the game launcher via the game itself. Select the circle labeled "..." and click Open Launcher. You'll need to close the game to install your custom content, however.
4
Click on the Downloads tab.
5
Select the files you want to install. If you're installing multiple files, make sure to click the checkboxes individually rather than just clicking on the row for the content, since the latter will deselect any previously-selected content.
6
Click Install. A new launcher window will open to install the content.
7
Wait for the files to install. Larger Sims3Pack files, such as files for worlds, will take longer to install than smaller ones.
8
Check that the files have installed. When a Sims3Pack has installed successfully, the installation window will list the file name and say "Success!", and the Downloads section of the Launcher will display an "installed" icon. It should appear in the game from this point on.
If the content did not install, the installation window will display an error message alongside the file name, and the Launcher will display an icon indicating a failed installation.
Installing Package Files
1
Set up the framework for package files. Package files will not run without mod framework. Mod The Sims has a guide (http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_3_Package_Files/Setup_and_Files) that provides a download link that will create the necessary files and folders for you, and includes two simple mods that allows you to test whether the framework is operating properly.
While you don't need to get it directly from Mod The Sims, it's often the most convenient and comes with the necessary Resource.cfg file.[4]
2
Open your Sims 3 mods directory. The directory is Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Mods > Packages.
3
Drop the package file into the Packages folder. That's it! Provided the framework was set up properly and the package file itself isn't corrupt or buggy, the content should now be installed and will show up when you boot your game.
This article only briefly touches on installing game mods. If you're looking for a guide on mods, please read How to Add Mods to The Sims 3.
Finding Custom Content
1
Consider what you want. Custom content exists in many forms and there are many varieties to choose from. Do you want hairstyles or clothing for Create a Sim? Furniture? Wall or floor decorations for Build Mode? Worlds? Narrowing down what you want will make it easier to find content that suits your needs.
Take the poly count and your computer specs into account. While objects and Create-a-Sim styles might look great, a high-poly mesh won't look great if your computer is barely meeting the game's minimum requirements, and a low-poly mesh may look bad no matter how powerful your computer is.
If you're looking for custom content that changes part of how the game operates (such as enabling male pregnancy or changing default schedules), you're likely looking for mods, which are installed as .package files but are not usually considered custom content by most Sims players.
2
Look for reputable sites. Especially since many sites for custom content are prone to having malicious ads or just disappearing at any given moment, you should find sites that are known to be safe by The Sims 3's community. Frequently-used sites for Sims 3 custom content include Mod The Sims, Around The Sims 3, and content blogs such as Anubis Under The Sun and My Sims 3 Blog (the latter of which links to content from many places).
Take caution. Several sites that previously hosted Sims 3 content have been removed or sold, and what used to be a trustworthy site may now host malware. Use an adblocker and have antivirus software on your computer when looking around, and don't download anything you aren't certain is the content you want.
3
Ensure you have the required content. Certain types of custom content require separate meshes, expansion or stuff packs, or mods to work properly, and not having these can result in various issues. If you don't have the proper content or expansions, either get the required content or don't install the content to avoid bugs.
The most common "offenders" that require expansion or stuff packs tend to be new worlds.
Some custom content websites (such as Mod The Sims) will allow you to filter out content that requires expansions or stuff packs that you don't have.
4
Have a program to extract the files. Normally CC will come in a .rar or .zip file, which you'll need to unpackage. Common programs to unpack these files on Windows are WinRAR or 7zip, while Mac has The Unarchiver and UnRarX.
5
Distinguish between Sims3Packs and Package files. There are two types of custom content for Sims 3 - .sims3pack files and .package files. Sims3Packs are installed manually using the game launcher, while .package files are just dropped into the proper folder. A Sims3Pack will have a file extension of .sims3pack, while a package file will have a file extension of .package.
If you don't want to check the file extensions, a Sims3Pack will have a Sims 3 logo as its icon, while a package file will have a white paper icon (or, sometimes on Macs, a black rectangular icon that says exec in green text).
6
Check for broken or corrupted content. Custom content isn't perfect, and can cause a variety of issues, ranging from attaching its file to game content, being on the wrong Sim at the wrong time, having graphical or functional errors, creating sunken "blue lots", or just causing your game to not run at all. While there's no surefire way to know if something is broken just by looking at it, it's recommended that you test custom content before leaving it in and to only install small amounts at a time, to avoid having to struggle to find the buggy content you installed.
Custom content objects released prior to the Pets expansion may be broken, since Pets changed certain furniture interactions. If the content was not updated for Pets (which would be likely with very old CC), the objects may behave erratically when used.[1]
Crinrict's Sims 3 Help Blog has lists of custom content that results in errors or game crashes, but the lists are not complete.
Delphy's Dashboard can find and attempt to fix broken .package files,[2] while Delphy's Custard can weed out broken .sims3packs.[3] These tools are Windows-native, but can be run on a Mac using Mono or a Windows emulator such as Parallels or Boot Camp.
Installing Sims3Packs
1
Open your Sims 3 Downloads directory. This directory is Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Downloads.
2
Add the Sims3Pack file to the Downloads folder. Content from The Sims 3 Exchange or Store will also be in this folder, so if you've previously downloaded or purchased content from these places, don't be surprised if there's already content in the folder.
3
Open the game launcher. Sims3Packs cannot be installed without the Launcher.
If you have your game set to bypass the launcher, you can open the game launcher via the game itself. Select the circle labeled "..." and click Open Launcher. You'll need to close the game to install your custom content, however.
4
Click on the Downloads tab.
5
Select the files you want to install. If you're installing multiple files, make sure to click the checkboxes individually rather than just clicking on the row for the content, since the latter will deselect any previously-selected content.
6
Click Install. A new launcher window will open to install the content.
7
Wait for the files to install. Larger Sims3Pack files, such as files for worlds, will take longer to install than smaller ones.
8
Check that the files have installed. When a Sims3Pack has installed successfully, the installation window will list the file name and say "Success!", and the Downloads section of the Launcher will display an "installed" icon. It should appear in the game from this point on.
If the content did not install, the installation window will display an error message alongside the file name, and the Launcher will display an icon indicating a failed installation.
Installing Package Files
1
Set up the framework for package files. Package files will not run without mod framework. Mod The Sims has a guide (http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_3_Package_Files/Setup_and_Files) that provides a download link that will create the necessary files and folders for you, and includes two simple mods that allows you to test whether the framework is operating properly.
While you don't need to get it directly from Mod The Sims, it's often the most convenient and comes with the necessary Resource.cfg file.[4]
2
Open your Sims 3 mods directory. The directory is Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Mods > Packages.
3
Drop the package file into the Packages folder. That's it! Provided the framework was set up properly and the package file itself isn't corrupt or buggy, the content should now be installed and will show up when you boot your game.
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