How to package a lot

[plasticbox]

Note that this is experimental. Based on the info posted by DarkWalker over here (http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/13969202/#Comment_13969202) (thank you!) ‒ that post also contains useful info on how to move the contents of /Tray over to /Mods so you can subfolder them; I'm only showing how to package lots here since they didn't go into detail on that.


Update 2016-02-08: This has become a lot simpler now that files named like EA does it (group!instance.type) can be imported directly -- you need s4pe 0.4.2 beta or later (https://github.com/s4ptacle/Sims4Tools/releases/) for that. Tutorial updated accordingly.


First, you should probably save the lot you’re wanting to package (again) so you can easily find it -- so that when open /Tray and sort by date, the bunch of files with the most recent modification date will be the lot you saved last. Of course if you know exactly it’s the one and only lot you saved last Sunday, you can skip that step.


1. Open s4pe, hit Cmd-N to make a new package, select Import > From File …

http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_thumb_plasticbox-1559649-importfile.jpg (http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_plasticbox-1559649-importfile.jpg)


2. Navigate to your Tray folder, select the bunch of files with the most recent date (sort by date; set the filter at the bottom to “All Files”) and hit “Open” (“Öffnen” on my screenshot):

http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_thumb_plasticbox-1602329-importfile_v042.jpg (http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_plasticbox-1602329-importfile_v042.jpg)


3. On the dialog that comes up, hit “Import”:

http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_thumb_plasticbox-1602330-importfile_v042_do-it.jpg (http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_plasticbox-1602330-importfile_v042_do-it.jpg)


4. Save your package and put it in /Mods.


Far as I can tell, when you delete a packaged lot from the Library (with the Delete button), it'll be gone from the library but the actual package will not be touched -- so you need to remember to remove that manually, otherwise it'll just clog up your Mods folder forever.

This works the same way for sims as well.

--

An alternative way of (better) managing Tray files might be this Tray Importer/Exporter: thread at EA (English) (http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/852569/sims-4-tray-importer) / Download thread (French) (http://luniversims.com/files/download/73-sims-4-tray-importer/) -- I haven't tested it personally; what it does is enable you to browse existing content (Sims and lots) in /Tray, and export the loose files into new folders together with any CC used. I guess it is also useful to find old lots you want to package without having to re-save them first.

--

Relevant file types:



FileType 0x2a8a5e22 trayitem
FileType 0x3924de26 blueprint
FileType 0xd33c281e bpi
FileType 0xb3c438f0 householdbinary
FileType 0x3bd45407 hhi
FileType 0x56278554 sgi
FileType 0x370efd6e room
FileType 0x00de5ac5 rmi

[DarkWalker]

A little addendum on what happens when you delete an item packaged like this: the game creates a TrayDeletedItems file telling which items were "deleted" (in truth, hidden from the Gallery). If you ever want to see those items again, delete the "TrayDeletedItems" file.

[plasticbox]

Thanks for the additional info! =)

[babynightsong]

I Also am having problems with this. I have quite a few lots in my Tray file but I don't know which set is the lot I want to put into a zip file for sharing. The last date in the folder was 9/1. I tried opening the house I wanted to zip in game and edited it and resaved it hoping the date in the tray folder would change but it didnt. So I still dont know. I am lost.

[plasticbox]

Try saving as a new lot, perhaps, instead of overwriting the existing one? I don’t know how the game handles its timestamps, but that would definitely result in a new set of files.

[lorenrose1013]

I'm having trouble installing lots that have been created this way. I just downloaded two of yours plasticbox, Ferguson and Frederikson. They show up fine in the library but I can't place them. In build mode on the lot trying I click to place it furnished and then nothing happens. If I try instead to place it from the world screen, as soon as I hit the check all the buttons are greyed out and it remains frozen like that until I force quit the game. Other downloaded lots from the tray folder work just fine and this happens with 0 other mods or custom content installed.

Any advice ?

[plasticbox]

Check that you have enough funds / that the lots are large enough. The actual resources are the same whether or not they are in a package, so I don't see what the format would have to do with that. Other than that please post in the download threads.

[artrui]

How to find my own type ID?

[plasticbox]

How do you mean "your own" type ID?

[plasticbox]

Updated with a simpler procedure.

[SimLaReine]

Downloaded Sims and Lots contain each several files. All the downloaded files for that creation need to be placed in the Sims 4 Tray folder. The location of that folder is:

Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4/Tray

You must unzip the file and place only the tray items in your tray, not the zip file.

Once you have placed them there, you should be able to find the Sims or Lots in your personal Gallery in the game.
:lovestruc

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note that this is experimental. Based on the info posted by DarkWalker over here (http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/comment/13969202/#Comment_13969202) (thank you!) ‒ that post also contains useful info on how to move the contents of /Tray over to /Mods so you can subfolder them; I'm only showing how to package lots here since they didn't go into detail on that.


Update 2016-02-08: This has become a lot simpler now that files named like EA does it (group!instance.type) can be imported directly -- you need s4pe 0.4.2 beta or later (https://github.com/s4ptacle/Sims4Tools/releases/) for that. Tutorial updated accordingly.


First, you should probably save the lot you’re wanting to package (again) so you can easily find it -- so that when open /Tray and sort by date, the bunch of files with the most recent modification date will be the lot you saved last. Of course if you know exactly it’s the one and only lot you saved last Sunday, you can skip that step.


1. Open s4pe, hit Cmd-N to make a new package, select Import > From File …

http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_thumb_plasticbox-1559649-importfile.jpg (http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_plasticbox-1559649-importfile.jpg)


2. Navigate to your Tray folder, select the bunch of files with the most recent date (sort by date; set the filter at the bottom to “All Files”) and hit “Open” (“Öffnen” on my screenshot):

http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_thumb_plasticbox-1602329-importfile_v042.jpg (http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_plasticbox-1602329-importfile_v042.jpg)


3. On the dialog that comes up, hit “Import”:

http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_thumb_plasticbox-1602330-importfile_v042_do-it.jpg (http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/img/1/7/8/2/8/2/MTS_plasticbox-1602330-importfile_v042_do-it.jpg)


4. Save your package and put it in /Mods.


Far as I can tell, when you delete a packaged lot from the Library (with the Delete button), it'll be gone from the library but the actual package will not be touched -- so you need to remember to remove that manually, otherwise it'll just clog up your Mods folder forever.

This works the same way for sims as well.

--

An alternative way of (better) managing Tray files might be this Tray Importer/Exporter: thread at EA (English) (http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/852569/sims-4-tray-importer) / Download thread (French) (http://luniversims.com/files/download/73-sims-4-tray-importer/) -- I haven't tested it personally; what it does is enable you to browse existing content (Sims and lots) in /Tray, and export the loose files into new folders together with any CC used. I guess it is also useful to find old lots you want to package without having to re-save them first.

--

Relevant file types: