A Couple Quick Questions About S3PE

[lolQueenxD]

I looked all over google and the forums here, and could not find a single solution to my problem. PLEASE help me. I'm losing my patience with the game, and it's been ruining my mood just because I can't get my custom content to work. I apologize before hand if it sounds like I have an attitude. I'm just extremely frustrated.

I have Windows 7, all of the Expansion Packs and Stuff Packs. I downloaded the S3PE program because I have a huge ammount of Custom Content. There's so much that my game will not run without the files being smaller. There's an actual launching error, and when it does come up, it's unbearably slow (like more than an hour for the actual game to start.)
I followed the instructions word for word here (http://evater-sims3.blogspot.com/p/tutorial-combining-and-compressing_03.html), placed them in MyDocuments/ElectronicArts/TheSims3/Mods/Packages, and still nothing. They just plain don't show up in-game. I've been working at this non-stop since Friday, and I'm really hoping just to get these games running with custom content.

Getting rid of the custom content will not work - the game is unplayable to me without it. Also, there is no way, by any means, that I can uninstall these games. It took all of Thursday to install them to begin with (I saved up for all of them so I could buy them at the same time, then Deisel Stuff comes out. How fair. :l)

Please, help me with this! It's driving me mad. I'm a little slow when it comes to tech-y stuff, so try and dumb it down a little too if you can. Thanks.

[whiterider]

Sims 3 - Verify Package Installation
To help you further, please carefully read and follow the following:

First, double-check your setup: These instructions will take you through the things you should check yourself: Package Files Not Working (http://www.simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Installing_Sims_3_Package_Files/Not_Working). You may be able to fix the problem yourself using those instructions.

Still not working? Then we will need ALL of the following information.


What is the version of your base game?
Windows OS: Game_Help:TS3_Patching_Find_Gameversion
Mac OSX: Game_Help:TS3_Patching_Find_Gameversion#info.plist

Copy and paste the indicated line from the skuversion.txt or info.plist, from the respective locations shown in the Find Gameversion Wiki, which would show you how to navigate to the following path: \Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin
BG: GameVersion =
Take THREE screenshots... one each of the following locations, with the Explorer/Finder window showing the Details View:

Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\Packages


... and attach them to a post on this thread. Click Go Advanced and then Manage Attachments. Or if it says the pictures are too big, you can upload them to modyourpanties.com and copy and paste the links.
We have a guide on how to take screenshots if you need assistance: Game_Help:Screenshots.

Make sure you set your folder view to Details mode, that you have file types showing (.package, .cfg, etc. on the ends of the filenames) and expand out the Name and Type columns so they're fully readable!

Open your Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\resource.cfg file in Notepad/TextEdit and copy-paste its contents here.

Right-click on Resource.cfg and check Properties. Is the file name Resource.cfg or Resource.cfg.txt or something else?

[Artemisia84]

I totally understand what you mean, I wouldn't play this without CC as that would take the fun out of it for me.
Like you, I have lots of CC that I merge.
I also make a back-up of the unmerged files just in case I merged it with a bad file which will be hard to find once it's merged.

Personally, I think it's a corrupted file or a mod that's no longer compatible with your game or mods that conflict.
Have you tried Delphy's Dashboard program?
You can find it here : http://www.modthesims.info/d/387006
Usually stuff that's listed as conflicting doesn't actually do anything bad in my game but the red (corrupt) files Dashboard finds usually do indeed cause problems.
I don't find it very handy to find out if mods conflict though.
To test what mod is causing this (I often have the same problem as you) I usually take out my mod folder as I don't merge mods (and sliders, defaults/replacements) to see if the game loads, which usually does the trick.
After finding where to look I just sift out in batches, like 10 packages a time.
It's boring but usually it doesn't take very long if you sorted your CC well.
If you have pets, I also suggest fixing the rigs of your objects by running it trough Granthes or TSR's rig fixing program otherwise your counters, tables and beds will have problems (they won't crash your game or anything, but it's annoying as heck).

[lolQueenxD]

I updated my framework, cleaned the files, and am now re-compressing them. I'll update back with the screenshots after they're done compressing, to see if it's running in game. Thanks for the suggestions!

[lolQueenxD]

I've been trying to compress files using S3PE since this morning. There's only one 'batch.' It's been compressing since 2:00P.M. (6 Hours Ago,) and is still not done. Granted, there were close to 1,500 files to compress. However, I feel like it still shouldn't take this long! I've had nothing but problems with this game. Any tips on how to make it compress faster/An estimate on how much longer it may take? Please help me if you can. I really can't stand the bs custom content comes with anymore, but the game is almost unplayable without it. :/

[Belzader]

Combining 1500 files to one big package-files is proberly a bad idea, you should do it in smaller batches with similar stuff.
For the time it takes that is depending on how powerful your computer is.

[lolQueenxD]

According to Delphy's Dashboard, I have some conflicting custom content. There are no conflicting mods, just things like make-up and skin, maybe some objects. Will the game still run properly, even with the conflicting custom content?
Also, the packages that are conflicting were packed with S3PE. When I scanned the un-packed versions, there was no conflicts. This is only after they were compressed.
Occasionally when I compress files using S3PE, a pop up comes up saying 'Manual extraction of XML files required.' What does this mean, and will it effect my custom content?
Sorry about all the questions, I'm a bit of a newbie. :]

[whiterider]

It also depends on whether you're using 32-bit or 64-bit S3PE.

[Artemisia84]

I have that too and I merge them anyway cause it doesn't seem to cause me any problems.
I assume it's because it was cloned from the same ea objects, etc.
Make sure to keep the unmerged files in case you need to make a new merge if one of the files is causing a problem.
I also recommend not merging your mods so you can take any out that you want (obsolete ones due to patch, etc).

I read in another thread you have many files, personally I organise them this way:
Accessories,
Build Objects,
Clothing,
Cosmetics,
Default Replacements,
Genetics,
Hair (cause I have a lot, I prefer to keep them separate from my genetics folder),
Objects (because I have so many I divided these into several folders),
Shoes

And that is how I merge them.

Don't know what the XML thing means though.

[ellacharmed]

Why do you have 3 separate threads about the same topic - s3pe and merging .packages? Threads merged.

If you have more questions, don't start yet another thread, just post in this one.

Generally though, if you followed a tutorial, the questions are addressed to the tutorial writer, as we also ask questions about downloads be addressed to the uploader (creators support their own work). But I noticed that particular blog does not allow comments, so I can be a tad lenient.

Having said that though, since the original tutorial writer also has a thread on this topic at SimLogical, if you have specific s3pe questions or the steps you can also ask there. I would rather you get the correct information from the source, since each blog person who writes their version have different interpretations of why this step has to be done this way or why that step should work alternatively.
And most of the audience who have done this merging would read that thread on an ongoing basis anyway, to see if a new improved way of doing things was found, tested and worked...and so on. The SimLogical thread is here: http://www.den.simlogical.com/denforum/index.php?topic=478.0