Yes, decompressing the single files is completely fine. Decompressing just means, that your files take up about three times more space (eg. 1GB of CC turns into 3GB of CC after decompression), but always with the benefit, that your game hasn't to decompress those files, while you play.

What I’m using this tool for is to compress files and save disk space. If I compress them and then decompress them, that means I’m not really saving any space, right? Also, if the game has to decompress them while running, will it cause lag? Sorry if I’m misunderstanding something.

Yes, you understood it right.
Compressing = save disc space
Decompressing = smoother game

What does it mean if a package file has a duplicate, and one of them is package.disabled. Can I safely dispose of those extra files? I see other duplicates that I missed before compressing and they merely have a (1) after them and are not disabled. I just want to make sure I'm not doing something wrong by purging the disabled. Thanks in advanced.

This does not happen by my program (S3PR). It never renames a file to "filename.package.disabled". This seams to happen by some other mod manager maybe. This does not happen by CC-Magic as well, when you disable a package there, just checked. But if you have a Package-File in your "Mods/Packages" folder, that ends with ".package.disabled" than the game won't use this file, cause it only uses files that end with ".package". With that I can't really help further, but here some tips on how to proceed:

1. Take these files, that end with something like "filename.package.disabled", and put them in a seperate folder on your desktop.
2. Start your game, load your save.
3. Do you get a popup with something like "Objects are missing. They were replaced with something else." (I dont' know the exact message, but you probably know what I mean).

If you don't get a popup, than you did not miss those package-files and you can safely delete them or open them up with S3PE to investigate further what those Package-Files are.
If you got a popup, then you should redownload those Package-Files from where you got them from, put them in your "Mods/Packages" folder and look what happens. If everything is okay, than delete those Package-Files that are named "filename.package.disabled".

Regarding your duplicate files that end with "(1)":
Duplicates are safe to delete, cause your game ignores duplicates by overriding them with each other, while it loads (but that's not important now). But be sure, that those files are indeed duplicates and that they don't have the same name by accident. But this is actually not super likely.

Any further questions? I'm here for you.

I see, thank you! I'll load my game up and test them when I get back home. I appreciate your mod and your help!

This might be a dumb question, and I apologize in advanced, but should custom lot package files be compressed as well?

Thank you for the mod! It runs on Linux via Lutris

Oh, that's so nice! Did you have to set anything else up (beside installing Lutris) for this program to work? Cause I'd like to add it into the Download description, how people can run it on Linux.
Thank you in advance. ^^

No, that's not necessary. Lot-Package-Files are already compressed, just checked it. That's true for those Lots, that you can export from in-game, as well as those that are in your in-game lot bin (they are under "C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Library").
Better is, if you don't use S3PR on Lot-Package-Files. It's not meant for that. Only use it on Custom-Content Package-Files. There you'll see the clear benefit.
Just read the "How Do I Use It"-Instructions on the download page for a clearer picture, but I'm glad you asked, cause I never thought of using S3PR on lots, so thank you for asking that. I'll add it to the instructions.
There aren't any dumb questions, so always feel free to ask, it's the best way to learn. That's true for any topic in life

Got it, thank you! I appreciate your clarification and patience

I didn't need to do anything new here. I have my TS3 game added to Lutris - works by the way both for EA App based and Steam (for Steam you just add "locally installed game"). Then you click on your game and on the bottom next to the wine icon you open a little menu and choose "run exe inside Wine prefix".

To be fair, I did use this way already for tiny-ui, Delphy's dashboard and S3PE and might have added something back then while setting up that might be needed here. Maybe .net? In case this is needed I think you can add it via Winetricks (Menu next to the wine icon - Winetricks -Install a benchmark - CANCEL - Install a Windows DLL or component - dotnet (whatever version needed))

Thank you, I add youre instructions to the download description

hey, ohrudi + friends
reporting a tiiiiny bug that most people probably won't experience, but it's worth noting if you set your packages to a large limit
(ts3 can read packages up to around 2GB.)

i'm assuming this software doesn't know what to do when files are too big, because when i input a 800MB file in, and tried to 'decompress' it, it would simply say the software had already edited and decompressed it (despite there being like thousands of compressed resources in the files!)
this makes sense, decompression can increase the size of a package to ~8x its original size sometimes in extreme cases! and in regular cases, around 2.5x.

a solution that tools like turbotravel (and s3mo, when merging) have is to split the files, but this might get messy if you're handling a ton of unmerged files in one folder... you could also just decompress as much as is possible without reaching ~2GB? or just say the file's resources are too big so it was skipped

Hello, in few forum I read that merging the files improve loading performance, thats why I merge many using the S3PE. Maybe it's the loading and not the live game, not sure. Also there MANY forums so not sure which are right or not.

Also, what happens if I compress a Script mod? I got CC and Script from Twinsimming, TheSweetSimmer, your and other all together so it's quite difficult in my case knowing which are which.
Thanks in advance

Does using uncompressed files result in any sort of performance improvement during actual gameplay? Or does it just make loading the game faster?

I am slightly confused about compressing single CC but decompressing merged CC. I don't use CC Magic but I do merge CC, like objects from aroundthesims, or new hairs, into fewer larger files (using s3pe). Do I need to run S3PR on the unmerged CC items and then remerge? Thanks for any clarity - I'm probably overthinking. :D

Thank you once again for another brilliant idea! Two questions:

-Is it safe to decompress ALL types of package files? Like script mods or sliders?

-From what I understand, there is a ~2gb limit for package file sizes. What happens if I decompress one that's already at that ceiling?