Merging CC Question «12...Next Go

xiaois

Does anyone know if it is okay to use Sims 4 studio to merge sims 3 cc? I have a really deep hatred for the long times on S3PE and CCMagic does nothing for my game.

igazor

Offhand, I would have to say no? The results of Sims 4 Studio may well be .package files, but not the kind that TS3 can read. It probably cannot work with TS3 content at all.

Wildly popular though it is, I've had a lot of trouble with CC Magic myself -- user error I am sure, but I always ended up in the same place with tremendously reduced game startup times but over half of my content gone missing although have to admit some of the substitutions the game tried to make in some instances were pretty funny. Sure, I didn't really want those grand, majestic custom made sculpted statues on my commercial lot that took me so long to find, I really wanted tiny little ficus trees all along so thanks for that. I kind of gave up on it.

S3PE works well for me though and doesn't really take that long to merge let's say 100 items at a time, those with less powerful processors might need to batch a little lower or be more patient. But I'm really talking about a minute or two for each batch to merge, this is far from what you are seeing or not what you meant?

xiaois

I was waiting for over 1/2 an hour for I think 100 packages to merge and they were still going when I closed down the program and turned off my computer due to a storm. @igazor

igazor

IllyDior wrote: »

I was waiting for over 1/2 an hour for I think 100 packages to merge and they were still going when I closed down the program and turned off my computer due to a storm. @igazor

That seems unexpected. How large in MBs is such a collection of 100 packages, all together? Maybe you need to do smaller batches. You can remerge an already merged package with more package files if need be, it doesn't have to be done all in one step.

And what kind of processor does your computer have and how much RAM are you working with?

SimplyJen

Sims 4 Studios will not open and can not read Sims 3 packages so no, it's not going to work. They are two separate games. I would try smaller batches with S3PE. I prefer it over CC Magic personally...

TreyNutz

When I merge packages with S3PE I go by the total size of the packages I want to merge, not by the number of packages. I keep the total size around 200 MB. 100 packages of hair CC can easily add up to >500 MB before the merge. You might try reducing the total size of the packages you want to merge, and just merge in smaller groups.

igazor

There are so many variations on what should be used as limits. But no more than 100 items and no more than 200 MB total seem to be ones that are mentioned the most often.

xiaois

@TreyNutz I really wasn't paying attention to the size of my files because the tutorial I initially watched a while back only discussed a number of files and it worked before.

@igazor my computer only has 2gb of ram but I've never had and sims related problems on it yet. I am planning to upgrade it soon because I just found out my computer can handle up to 8gb.

@Simasaurus09 I thought about that but wasn't really sure thanks for the clarification

igazor

IllyDior wrote: »

@igazor my computer only has 2gb of ram but I've never had and sims related problems on it yet. I am planning to upgrade it soon because I just found out my computer can handle up to 8gb.

Which operating system (version of Windows) are you running? TS3 would not be expected to function on 2 GB total if you are on Win 7 or higher. On Win XP...maybe, but not really with all EPs. Sounds like you have been very fortunate thus far, regardless. It would be about the same for TS4, by the way.

But yes, if S3PE cannot get enough RAM for itself then it is going to run very slowly. This may vary session by session.

xiaois

@igazor I am on Windows 7 on a laptop and I usually play with about 3-4 ep's with all of them installed. My lag is barely minimal, except when I first begin the game which is expected. I'm looking at new laptops right now. and have settled on one.

And as far as the cc I looked at how much I was trying to merge and found that it was 1.21 gb. A huge mistake on my part, which Is probably why It took so long.

igazor

Just in case you do end up adding more RAM to this laptop in the future (in addition to acquiring a new one), you will need to know whether it is running the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Win 7. If 32-bit, the system can only accept up to 4 GB total, any more than that will be ignored. Hope the new one works out well for you, though. We can provide some guidance if you tell us which one(s) you are considering (only if you want).

cleo00

A half hour is crazy. Most of my merging sessions take at most 10 minutes, in which time I will just watch a youtube video or two and when I check its done

xiaois

@igazor I'm looking at the Dell XPS 15 for both Simming (3 & 4 ) and for college. I'm thinking of going with 16gb of RAM and the solid state Drive. Im one of those people who like to have 10 tabs open at the same time while typing stuff up and playing the sims. Do you think that's a good laptop? I don't want a desktop becaude it won't be much use in a college dorm and in class.

Karritz

When I got my laptop I got it so I could travel and still have a computer with me. I ended up getting a specially made gaming laptop. It's been excellent but might be more expensive than you have in mind. I got help working out what to put in it and where to get it made. Just a thought for you if you're wanting something to really play the games well. Good luck with it.

SimplyJen

IllyDior wrote: »

@igazor I'm looking at the Dell XPS 15 for both Simming (3 & 4 ) and for college. I'm thinking of going with 16gb of RAM and the solid state Drive. Im one of those people who like to have 10 tabs open at the same time while typing stuff up and playing the sims. Do you think that's a good laptop? I don't want a desktop becaude it won't be much use in a college dorm and in class.

The problem is gaming laptops have better cooling for gaming which is important. Dell XPS lacks the extra cooling. You also left out complete specs. It would be more helpful to ask this question in the Tech section with your country, budget, and any links to the computers you're curious about. If you're not buying now, ask when you are about to buy. Sales and computers are constantly changing so whatever is available now may not be months later. Back to School sales are currently going on so it would be a good time to grab a deal.

Custom, as Karritz mentioned, is the best way to go but adds more to the cost. @phoebebebe13 will help you find something in your budget.
Tech section here: http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/categories/technical-discussions-en

igazor

The XPS 15 is an entire line of laptops that run from $1,000 (no dedicated video card, SSD way too small but it inlcudes a standard Hard Disk Drive as well) to well over $2,500 (US Dollars) so it kind of depends which end of the range you are looking in. One of the issues, although not really technical, with using a gaming laptop for school as well is that as we get into the higher end models, they are very heavy and not as pleasant to carry around daily.

If you state your country and budget, I bet that our resident shopping expert can make some alternative suggestions. Dell makes good stuff, as well as not so good like most major brand names, but they aren't exactly known for providing the best value for the dollar in all cases.
@phoebebebe13

SimplyJen

Yeah, I forgot to mention, gaming laptops are a chore to lug around. It would be easier to do with a proper laptop case but still may be an issue. One thing I like to mention, you could focus on a school laptop now and get a desktop for games later. Desktops tend to be a little cheaper than laptops and better overall. I realize some people need to be on the move and/or don't have space at home for a desktop. Plus if you don't already have a monitor it can blow a budget.

igazor

Personally, I prefer a desktop for gaming and other more serious intensive tasks and a lightweight laptop for carrying around that doesn't need quite as much functionality, but I know not everyone can realistically plan for both. Funny how none of this was even an issue when I was in college, we were much more concerned about dodging those dinosaurs that still roamed the planet on our way to and from classes...

phoebebebe13

@IllyDior I agree with what everyone is saying. You need a gaming laptop or a gaming desktop to run the sims games. Lugging a desktop to a dorm could be a pain. Lugging around a gaming laptop to class is not wise. Also the battery won't last long on a gaming laptop. You could also risk having an expensive computer being stolen from your dorm or class. If you need a laptop for class , I suggest getting one with a long battery life and has features that meets all requirements for your classes. As @Simasaurus09 stated you could have a laptop for class and desktop for gaming

cleo00

I bought this about a year ago when my old laptop died. It runs ts3 better than anything I've ever had, even with all my mods. I only experience crashes if I play for upwards of 6 hours. Zero lag. I have around 20GB of both merged and unmerged CC. I feel sort of scammed though if thats what the actual price of it is as I paid $1900 for mine. Maybe my particular Best Buy is just more expensive

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-gl502vm-15-6-laptop-intel-core-i7-12gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1060-1tb-hard-drive-black/5712362.p?skuId=5712362&cmp=RMX&extStoreId=29&ref=212&loc=1&ksid=a5bf8a31-35fd-4297-8e9f-c3bd7b86464f&ksprof_id=8&ksaffcode=pg200277&ksdevice=m&lsft=ref:212,loc:2

Man that is an ugly link, but I am on my phone so I just copy pasted.

xiaois

phoebebebe13 wrote: »

@IllyDior I agree with what everyone is saying. You need a gaming laptop or a gaming desktop to run the sims games. Lugging a desktop to a dorm could be a pain. Lugging around a gaming laptop to class is not wise. Also the battery won't last long on a gaming laptop. You could also risk having an expensive computer being stolen from your dorm or class. If you need a laptop for class , I suggest getting one with a long battery life and has features that meets all requirements for your classes. As @Simasaurus09 stated you could have a laptop for class and desktop for gaming

igazor wrote: »

Personally, I prefer a desktop for gaming and other more serious intensive tasks and a lightweight laptop for carrying around that doesn't need quite as much functionality, but I know not everyone can realistically plan for both. Funny how none of this was even an issue when I was in college, we were much more concerned about dodging those dinosaurs that still roamed the planet on our way to and from classes...

Simasaurus09 wrote: »

Yeah, I forgot to mention, gaming laptops are a chore to lug around. It would be easier to do with a proper laptop case but still may be an issue. One thing I like to mention, you could focus on a school laptop now and get a desktop for games later. Desktops tend to be a little cheaper than laptops and better overall. I realize some people need to be on the move and/or don't have space at home for a desktop. Plus if you don't already have a monitor it can blow a budget.

I currently have both the sims 3 and 4 on my completely archaic (as in they don't even produce that model anymore) and I rarely experience lag. My gaming sessions are long and the laptop from that line that I want is the top notch one. Which goes for about 3000 dollars after all of my additional specs.

As a college student, I will not be playing the game every day, and the Dell XPS is not a gaming line, and isn't that heavy (I've looked at it in store).

This laptop is mainly for college work with some light gaming on the side, and I just want it to last a while.

@igazor @Simasaurus09

xiaois

Additionally, I will be getting a desktop in the future, because that is a goal of mine, but right now, my family and I are agreeing more on a laptop.

SimplyJen

The Dell XPS lacks the proper cooling for gaming and as you said, not a gaming laptop. I would suggest getting a laptop cooler if you must game on it. I know people don't take the sims seriously but it will create heat that normal task don't. Heat can damage components even destroying the motherboard in the process.

igazor

Maybe this is no longer the important part of this discussion, but I would actually be curious to know how anyone can play TS3 even without the heavy-hitting EPs (Pets, Seasons, IP, ITF) on a laptop running Win 7 that has only 2 GB of RAM total. Maybe my math is off a little but Win 7 itself and other required background processes would be using around 1.5 GB of that, which leaves around or under 500 MB for the game. Typically Windows will reach for virtual memory (paging) when there is no physical RAM to go around, but TS3 becomes unstable and painful to work with (you would know for sure!) if/when that happens; it's far less painful when a different program like a web browser has to do this and then reverts to regular operations after the RAM shortage passes.

I've had 32-bit office desktops running Win 7 with only 2 GB total to manage and, although things remained stable, even running MS Word and a web browser on them was painfully slow until I could get them upgraded to 4 GB. Probably our industrial strength anti-virus system and other network processes took a larger toll than a personal use laptop would be seeing, but still there just isn't much RAM to go around that way no matter what one does.

There might be a secret to getting Win 7 to run using up less resources that I've been missing; the usual tricks I've tried (way in the past) never really accomplished much.

Lexers615

igazor wrote: »

Maybe this is no longer the important part of this discussion, but I would actually be curious to know how anyone can play TS3 even without the heavy-hitting EPs (Pets, Seasons, IP, ITF) on a laptop running Win 7 that has only 2 GB of RAM total. Maybe my math is off a little but Win 7 itself and other required background processes would be using around 1.5 GB of that, which leaves around or under 500 MB for the game. Typically Windows will reach for virtual memory (paging) when there is no physical RAM to go around, but TS3 becomes unstable and painful to work with (you would know for sure!) if/when that happens; it's far less painful when a different program like a web browser has to do this and then reverts to regular operations after the RAM shortage passes.

I've had 32-bit office desktops running Win 7 with only 2 GB total to manage and, although things remained stable, even running MS Word and a web browser on them was painfully slow until I could get them upgraded to 4 GB. Probably our industrial strength anti-virus system and other network processes took a larger toll than a personal use laptop would be seeing, but still there just isn't much RAM to go around that way no matter what one does.

There might be a secret to getting Win 7 to run using up less resources that I've been missing; the usual tricks I've tried (way in the past) never really accomplished much.

I did run Basegame+Seasons+Island Paradise on a HP Pavillon dv600 running Vista with 4Gb ram for couple weeks when working for two bugged achievements... Not sure if it qualifies though...

igazor

@Lexers615 - Yeah, that was being a bit more (actually twice as) generous with the resources there. Without taking other factors into account for the moment, Vista on 4 GB should be able to do more generally than Win 7 on 2 GB.