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Delphy's Sims3Pack Multi-Extracter for Macs: A Guide.
SystemsOperator
Posts: 19
Maybe this can be a sticky?
I just wrote this on ModTheSims, but figured I'd post here as well in case this helps anyone. I can't be the only one who hates the Launcher's Download "Manager" and wishes Macs had something else like CC Magic to rely on.
I figured I could do a better job organizing my own content as .packages just by naming them well and putting it in folders when I first download it, rather than scrolling through the stupid launcher for hours, and then clicking on "delete" only to have it NOT delete the first time around when it doesn't feel like it. I'm not impressed by EA's latest products at all. If we want to play this game I guess we have to come up with our own solutions to make it work.
So, just want to help other Mac users in case they are looking. There IS info out there, but it's all scattered.
Idiot's guide to Delphy's Sims3Pack Multi-Extracter for Macs:
(but not complete idiots — knowledge of basic Mac operations like installing things is required, as well as knowledge of managing .package files.)
I'm using a Mac Lion 10.7.5 & Had to download MONO
(as instructed in http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=366580, despite it saying it comes with X11).
1. Download latest MONO here:
http://www.go-mono.com/mono-downloads/download.html
2. Open your Terminal.
You can just search Terminal in Spotlight, highlight it and hit enter. Or find it via "Go –› Utilities —› Terminal" via your top bar when you're on the finder.
As per the linked thread above:
3. "type mono and a space, then drop the exe onto the terminal window"
— this will put the path to Delphy's exe.
4. IMPORTANT
This step, I almost gave up on the Multi-Extracter because I thought it wasn't working, so:
Make sure you delete the space after the .exe file path!
And then hit enter, and it should open the program. Those extra spaces are a killer. Any extra characters will return errors or it just won't open.
Now, the Multi-Extracter is a little funky on Macs, so this should help:
1. Open the folder containing your Sims3Packs.
This part should be easy.
BUT — one problem: the extension recognition is case sensitive.
So,
2. Time for Automator. (In your Applications, a Mac default program.)
Don't open it yet.
Download & install (just double click, hope you know how to install on Mac) Change Extension script, found here: http://www.completedigitalphotography.com/?p=373 .
Open Automator.
When the prompt asks you to "choose a type for your document", choose Workflow.
Drag the folder containing your sims3packs and Sims3Packs into the big window that says "drag actions or files...".
Change Extension will show up on the left hand panel, alphabetically ordered.
Drag it underneath your folder of s3packs.
Type "Sims3Pack" (no quotes) into the New Extension window.
Click the "play button" to Run the script.
Check your files. Should ALL be Sims3Pack now! No lowercase, so Delphy's M-Ex can work!
3. Now, back to the Multi-Extracter. You should have your paths set up. The Destination folder can be anything you want, BUT:
make a "useless" folder within another folder because the files won't actually land INSIDE — they'll land in the folder containing the one you pointed to. Woe to you if you thought you'd put them in a folder on your desktop, because they're going to end on your desktop instead.
To clarify: If you make the path Desktop/Folder1/Folder 2 — the files will be extracted inside Folder 1. Hope it makes sense.
4. Click the "Rename...on save" checkbox!
It seems counter-intuitive, but this actually allows you to keep the names your packs already had instead of turning them into unidentifiable numbers.
5. Extract!
When it's done, you may notice that the Multi-Extracter does something strange: it appends the path to your file name. For example, like so: New Folder/filename.package
6. So, now we have to truncate the filename. For this, download A Better Finder Rename: http://www.publicspace.net/ABetterFinderRename/download.html
Install & open.
7. Drop your files into that window on the right.
8. On the top-left drop-down, select "Text". In the one beneath, select "Remove text from beginning".
9. Type the "folder name/" that the Multi-Extracter appended into the "Remove:" box, and hit "Perform Renames".
10. The free Better Rename will only do 10 files at a time, but if you make use of the (command+R) shortcut (you'll see it under the Rename all button) and hitting Enter, you can get through hundreds of files quite fast.
FINISHED!
You should now have a folder full of beautiful .packages with sensible names.
(I hope you renamed them well when you downloaded. I didn't and now I have a bunch of numbered ones and Chinese characters that I have to stick in a "Don't Know What This Is" folder. Learn from experience.)
And hopefully we'll never have to manage downloads via Launcher again!
P.S. If you didn't know, like I didn't, you can organize your Mods/Packages content into folders 4 levels deep. Example: [Packages]/Buy Mode/Furniture/Couches/MadeByUsername ‹— files in the last one.
If you don't have a mods/packages folder set up... well, that's not part of this tutorial, but it's easy to find on ModTheSims.com
I just wrote this on ModTheSims, but figured I'd post here as well in case this helps anyone. I can't be the only one who hates the Launcher's Download "Manager" and wishes Macs had something else like CC Magic to rely on.
I figured I could do a better job organizing my own content as .packages just by naming them well and putting it in folders when I first download it, rather than scrolling through the stupid launcher for hours, and then clicking on "delete" only to have it NOT delete the first time around when it doesn't feel like it. I'm not impressed by EA's latest products at all. If we want to play this game I guess we have to come up with our own solutions to make it work.
So, just want to help other Mac users in case they are looking. There IS info out there, but it's all scattered.
Idiot's guide to Delphy's Sims3Pack Multi-Extracter for Macs:
(but not complete idiots — knowledge of basic Mac operations like installing things is required, as well as knowledge of managing .package files.)
I'm using a Mac Lion 10.7.5 & Had to download MONO
(as instructed in http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=366580, despite it saying it comes with X11).
1. Download latest MONO here:
http://www.go-mono.com/mono-downloads/download.html
2. Open your Terminal.
You can just search Terminal in Spotlight, highlight it and hit enter. Or find it via "Go –› Utilities —› Terminal" via your top bar when you're on the finder.
As per the linked thread above:
3. "type mono and a space, then drop the exe onto the terminal window"
— this will put the path to Delphy's exe.
4. IMPORTANT
This step, I almost gave up on the Multi-Extracter because I thought it wasn't working, so:
Make sure you delete the space after the .exe file path!
And then hit enter, and it should open the program. Those extra spaces are a killer. Any extra characters will return errors or it just won't open.
Now, the Multi-Extracter is a little funky on Macs, so this should help:
1. Open the folder containing your Sims3Packs.
This part should be easy.
BUT — one problem: the extension recognition is case sensitive.
So,
2. Time for Automator. (In your Applications, a Mac default program.)
Don't open it yet.
Download & install (just double click, hope you know how to install on Mac) Change Extension script, found here: http://www.completedigitalphotography.com/?p=373 .
Open Automator.
When the prompt asks you to "choose a type for your document", choose Workflow.
Drag the folder containing your sims3packs and Sims3Packs into the big window that says "drag actions or files...".
Change Extension will show up on the left hand panel, alphabetically ordered.
Drag it underneath your folder of s3packs.
Type "Sims3Pack" (no quotes) into the New Extension window.
Click the "play button" to Run the script.
Check your files. Should ALL be Sims3Pack now! No lowercase, so Delphy's M-Ex can work!
3. Now, back to the Multi-Extracter. You should have your paths set up. The Destination folder can be anything you want, BUT:
make a "useless" folder within another folder because the files won't actually land INSIDE — they'll land in the folder containing the one you pointed to. Woe to you if you thought you'd put them in a folder on your desktop, because they're going to end on your desktop instead.
To clarify: If you make the path Desktop/Folder1/Folder 2 — the files will be extracted inside Folder 1. Hope it makes sense.
4. Click the "Rename...on save" checkbox!
It seems counter-intuitive, but this actually allows you to keep the names your packs already had instead of turning them into unidentifiable numbers.
5. Extract!
When it's done, you may notice that the Multi-Extracter does something strange: it appends the path to your file name. For example, like so: New Folder/filename.package
6. So, now we have to truncate the filename. For this, download A Better Finder Rename: http://www.publicspace.net/ABetterFinderRename/download.html
Install & open.
7. Drop your files into that window on the right.
8. On the top-left drop-down, select "Text". In the one beneath, select "Remove text from beginning".
9. Type the "folder name/" that the Multi-Extracter appended into the "Remove:" box, and hit "Perform Renames".
10. The free Better Rename will only do 10 files at a time, but if you make use of the (command+R) shortcut (you'll see it under the Rename all button) and hitting Enter, you can get through hundreds of files quite fast.
FINISHED!
You should now have a folder full of beautiful .packages with sensible names.
(I hope you renamed them well when you downloaded. I didn't and now I have a bunch of numbered ones and Chinese characters that I have to stick in a "Don't Know What This Is" folder. Learn from experience.)
And hopefully we'll never have to manage downloads via Launcher again!
P.S. If you didn't know, like I didn't, you can organize your Mods/Packages content into folders 4 levels deep. Example: [Packages]/Buy Mode/Furniture/Couches/MadeByUsername ‹— files in the last one.
If you don't have a mods/packages folder set up... well, that's not part of this tutorial, but it's easy to find on ModTheSims.com
0
Comments
Everything is working perfectly — just remember to TEST and make backups of your files so you can add/remove things incrementally if you find something isn't working.
If you downloaded the Mod folder setup from ModTheSims, remember that the two Mods that come in that setup MUST stay in the Packages folder — don't bury them or your game won't start up right.
what version of mono did you install? mono mkd? mono mrs? monodevelope? please help!!
Are you a developer?
"The MDK package is for developers."
One small note though, Delphy's Multi-Installer or at least the one I know of is for TS2. Are you certain you have the right program? I believe it should be called Multi-Extracter for TS3.
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