I did not find some thread like this!!!
I am new on TS* and I am starting my adiction of downloads again.So my question is:
Packages or sim3pack?
What is better?
What brings less conflicts?
I dont think is a help question(welll it will help me to decide which I will use.. ). I would like to know what you have mostly or all in your game?
Thanks!!!

Neither one is better or worse.

Neither one is more or less likely to give conflicts (not really, anyway - see below for more).

.Package and .Sims3pack are essentially the same thing. A .Sims3pack is just a .Package or collection of .Packages, with a header that gives it some info to work in the Launcher. Nothing more.

The advantage to .sims3packs is ease of installation via the Launcher, and performance. When you install .sims3packs, they are put all into one .dbc file (it's just a renamed .package). Less files for the game to read means increased performance.

The advantage to .package files is ease of organization and quick removal of specific items or types of items if you have an issue or just don't want to have those files anymore. However, having lots of individual .package files means more lag - the game has to open and close loads of little files, rather than a few big ones. This can be avoided, though, by combining your .package files into larger batches using S3PE.

You are no more likely to have problems with .package files vs. .sims3pack files if you are downloading only "addon" type content such as hair, clothing, patterns, build/buy objects, etc...

You MAY have more problems with .package files if you are downloading mods - core mods, XML tuning mods, global mods, hacked objects, etc. - but that's not a problem with the .package format, but what you've actually been downloading, and even if those same files were converted to .sims3pack, they'd still have the same contents and would cause the same problems.

I use .package files for everything that can be done via .package, and combine them together in groups by type for increased performance. I use .sims3pack only for those things that MUST be done with a .sims3pack (worlds and houses). Anything that doesn't need to be a .sims3pack that I happen to get (lipsticks and so forth sometimes from certain creators), I extract as a .package and then combine with the rest of my Makeup.package file. I keep the individual .package files elsewhere, so that if I install a new patch or EP that breaks a certain type of content (for example, 1.17/LN broke most custom windows, doors, and arches), I can pull just that type of content and re-combine the rest of the build content I have into BuildStuff.package quite easily.

That is what a call ANSWER!!!

THank you very much HP

The fact that I can rganie packages in folder is a plus for sure(I tend to downloads a bunch of things ). I see some downloads comes with both files. Whats happen if I install both by accident in my game?
will than conflict?

They can conflict done that way, yes. You'd only want to use one or the other - it'd be pointless to use a .package and .sims3pack of the same content anyway.

Thank you again!
I will take more care about it!

amora--I just want to second what HP said about installing most things as packages and only usings sims3packs as a last option.

IMO, the installer is a pain in the neck--almost impossible to navigate (since you can't sort the files alphabetically), buggy, and slow. So while it's relatively easy to install sims3packs, it becomes very difficult to uninstall them.

For example, a few months ago, the launcher stopped listing all my installed sims3packs and I had several game-breaking files that I could not find. Only about 1/3 of my packages ever showed in the launcher window. If they were packages, I could easily find them and just take them out. So this week, I converted everything I could to .packages and all my content showed up fine. I have everything combined into a bunch large packages (~200-300MB each). I have almost 7gb of custom content and my savegame loads in less than 4 minutes. I still do lots, worlds and store stuff through the launcher. I also do some patterns through the launcher as certain patterns created with Create-a-Pattern don't work well when converted to .package files.

It's slightly more work and involves getting to know s3pe--but it's worth it if you are like me and download ALOT of CC.

The real difference is practical. If you upload or download files here, it will be in package format. If you upload or download files to places like TSR or the Exhange/Store it will be in a Sims 3 pack. I am not quite sure why it different sites insist on different formats -- it appears to be ideological. But perhaps the owners of these sites have some sort of arcane reasons, like concerns about IP. If that is this case, those concerns probably are largely unwarranted.

Another practical difference is that just about any Sims3pack can be converted into a package file using Delphy's multi-installer. The reverse is not true. About the only tool I am aware of for converting a package file into a Sims3pack is TSR Workshop -- and that is a very finicky program which works less than half the time for converting files. Ironically, this leads to the conclusion that the Sims3pack may be preferable because it can be easily converted.

Another advantage of the Sims 3 pack is that with a little effort, one can make pretty thumbnails which appear in the launcher. Now a lot of creators don't bother with making thumbnails, which is a shame. The real virtue of a thumbnail, other than it is a pretty picture, is that it makes it easy to identify a creator's work. Some sites, like this one, want creators to credit every other creator whose work appears in an upload. This is particularly significant for things like houses and sims, where a creator will borrow heavily from other creators. It is less important for CAS parts, although I frequenlty filch meshes and textures from other creators (and change them.)

It is a major pain in the neck identifying who created a particular item. A lot of people just don't bother, and they remove custom content they did not create from their work. IMHO, this takes away from the overall quality of the finished product. It's sort of like playing catch with one hand tied behind one's back. A better solution is for custom content creators to identify their work in things like thumbnails, with the presumption if they fail to do so, they intend for the work to be in the public domain, with no restrictions whatseover. EA got it right in their EULA when stated that people uploading content gave up any claims to the work, including demands that they be credited for the work.

It's harder to get that credit with package files. At least with a Sims3pack, a creator who actually cares if someone else uses his work can make a custom thumbnail identifying himself as the creator. That capability is greatly diministed using package files.

Now the problem with sims3packs is the launcher is clunky, slow and inefficient. One cannot easily sort or filter files. There seems to be no particular order in which files are shown -- at least I have not had much luck doing it. Installing new files is slow, and there is no real easy way to to a batch installation. And finding a file that has been installed, to uninstall it, is like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Some files can only be done in only one format. I am not aware of any way of doing a lot of the mods which effect gameplay as a Sims3pack. By the same token, other items like sims and houses really have to be done using the Sims3pack format. Items like clothes and objects can use either format.

Personally, when I create files, I prefer to use the Sims3pack because I can see the thumbnails I create and because someone downloading the files can easily convert it to a package file if they so choose. (And if they don't know how, I have a lesson on my site explaining it.)

As for regular gameplay, I prefer the package format because I can quickly install a bunch of files. Combining files in S3PE is a lot quicker than trying to install a bunch of files using the launcher.

tjstreak - For most types of sim-related content, you can make a custom thumbnail for your packages that will show in Create-a-Sim. Putting your name and the name of the item on it makes it easy to identify without even needing to exit the game. You put your name in the description on objects and other items that show up in the build/buy catalog (like terrain paints) so you can easily tell who made them that way too. Of course, it requires creators actually do so, but as a sim creator, I'm much more likely to download a pretty lipstick or whatever from a creator that says it has a custom thumbnail, so I know where I got it from when I go to use it on my sim.

I am quite aware of that. For my stuff, I make it a practice to make custom thumbnails for both the lancher and CAS. For those who don't know how to do this, I even have a lesson on my site for doing it.

By the way, I am making these lessons for entirely selfish purposes. Rather than field requests for custom content, my goal is to be able to point to a lesson and tell someone "this is how you make the content you want." If it is not worth their time and trouble to read the lesson, figure out how to do it, and make it themselves, then it's not worth my time and trouble to make it for them.

But people uploading content need to be trained to make thumbnails. It would reduce a lot of the kvetching about "He stole my stuff." It also makes the content look better. I hate seeing an item in the Launcher with the name: "CAS Part"

Well, agreed - everything I make now that can have custom thumbnails does. Some older stuff like eyebrows/hair that I uploaded before anyone knew how doesn't, but newer stuff does, and anything new I make will too. I don't do stuff in .sims3pack but if I did (for a world or whatever) you bet your ass I'd strive to make it show up as nicely as possible in the Launcher. Just seems like the right way to do it - as clear and unconfusable as possible.

Regarding sims3packs i generally use the TSR Launcher to install them. With that program you have the possibility to select between for example CAS Parts, cars, Sims etc. For me it works fine and I have some hundred of sims3packs.

When combining packages some of them simply dissapear and I can't find them in game (perhaps a glitch with S3PE?). As single files they are playable but if you have too manny single packages they slow down the game loading.

So for me at the moment I prefer general CC as sims3pack and mods as packages.

Quick semi-off-topic question on the combining of Packages to dbc files, does combining everything into one package cause issues? Because while i was combining all my hairs seperately i got thrown errors about cache running out and stuff (basicly, i have so many that the program nuked itself).

I have 2GB worth of .package files, i just embrace the loading times, shake the camera about and then everything's fine... Then don't turn sims 3 off for the next week or two.

Personally i don't like the custom thumbnails. If i download someone else's CC then recolour it, it leaves it with some with custom thumbs and then one random one without. Also some use this to place their logo over the actual clothes, defeating the point of the thumbnails in the first place.

I tend to like packages because of the ease of access. When Late Night came out, I was able to easily weed out the custom content that was no longer working or wasn't updated yet. Combining packages is also a useful tool and can bring the number of packages the game has to open down from 200 to maybe 5, which drastically speeds the game up. Plus most packages are labeled(if made properly) in the package name with the creator's info so you know exact who made it, what it is, and sometimes where the file originated.

The launcher is just too messy and slow for me to work with. I can look at my launcher right now and I would have a harder time figuring out who made what than I would if I opened up my package folder.

WaterWolf - Better to combine into a handful of .packages, by type... I have ones for Makeup, Hair, Clothing, Build Content, Buy Content, Patterns, etc. That way, if you need to remove some files and re-combine, it doesn't take foreeeeeever.

Okay thanks... *sigh* back to alt-clicking... guess ill have to cancel all my plans for the next 2 weeks...

also .sims3pack is WAY smaller than .package files. if you need to save space on your computer go .sims3pack. any in-game content is better as a .sims3pack because it saves space when you have a lot of custom content like me. i use .package for configuration mods like hidden traits enabled.

rcranger9 - That's not true. The contents of the same custom content in .package and .sims3pack will actually be a bit larger with .sims3pack due to the thumbnails and whatnot of the file header. You're probably seeing differences due to automatic compression done with TSRW in making the .sims3pack format content. The Compressorizer Redux can be used to compress all sorts of content, including .package

The launcher is very slow when you need to find one perticular file. I sort my packages according to who made the content. So if it's labeled in the game, I can find it very easy. It's in the game I use content, so having to start launcher and look through 100's of CC is just too much work.

The launcher is nice when it refuses to upload files, then I know it's probably something wrong with the files.

Removing content that's not working is a real problem though. How can I do that? I have clicked on the "see file" in the launcher and removed it. It's then gone from the launcher, but it still in the game, still does not work, and does not save me trouble when I want to find some windows for my building.