Sims 3 Package Downloads

Sims 3 Package Downloads
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Where to find Sims 3 Packages

There are a number of places that Sims 3 packages can be downloaded from.

The best resources for downloading modifications is Mod The Sims. It features a solid amount of packages, ranging from houses to clothing. Crucially, it also hosts key utilities such as Monkey Bars.

Other handy resources for finding packages are The Sims 3 official site’s The Exchange section. This is useful because from time to time it is updated with official content not included in the game.

How to Install Sims 3 Packages

Sims 3 Package Downloads

Installing the packages can be quite simple, although it may be confusing for those who have no experience with modifying game files. The most important thing to note is the difference between .sims3pack files and .package files. sims3pack files automatically install when double clicked, so can very easily be inserted into the game with no effort at all.

However, the following steps must be taken to install .package files.

  1. Navigate to the Sims 3 folder in My Documents. This usually can be found at Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3
  2. Create a new folder, and name it Mods.
  3. Create a folder within the Mods folder, and call it Packages.
  4. Create a file in the Mods folder, called “resource.cfg”, making sure that the extension of the file is .cfg, not .txt.
  5. Paste the following text into the file. This text will tell The Sims 3 where to look for packages:
    Priority 500
    PackedFile Mods/Packages/*.package
    PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*.package
    PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*.package
    PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*.package
    PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*/*.package
  6. Mods can then be installed by simply placing the .package files within the Package folder.

Using Sims 3 Packages Ingame

The simplest and easiest part of the process is to use the packages ingame. Once the files have been placed in the correct folder, they will immediately become available the next time the game is started. If the package does not show up in game, check that all the steps have been completed correctly. If nothing appears to have gone wrong with the steps above, a different package can be tried to make sure there the original package was not damaged or corrupted.

Manipulating Sims 3 Packages

Manipulating Sims 3 content can be very difficult for those not prepared for the sheer amount of work required to do even the most simplest modification. Programs such as milkshape and 3DMax are required to modify the design of 3D models. Using such programs is most certainly not for the faint hearted, as the process of creating 3D models, meshing and texturing them is frustrating at best for many.

Lucky for those looking at attempting to modify others’ or create their own Sims 3 modifications, there are a few tutorials available on the web which break the process down into more easy to understand segments.

A particularly good quality tutorial on the subject can be found on youtube. The link to the first part is here.