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Caw FAQ's........Links to Tutorials, and Resources. Textures, & Troubleshooting

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  • auntielyndsauntielynds Posts: 3,071 Member
    Designating a World a City



    Overview:
    1. Download the resource file Simsample at MTS has isolated, and extracted for us.
    2. Open your .world file in s3pe
    3. Import the new resource file, and save!

    Bingo! Bango! Bongo! You got yourself a city!



    Step by Step:
    Here are step by step instructions for those of you who have never used s3pe;
    Please read Simsamples thread also.

    s3pe download: s3pe Package Editor
    Download the resource file. Simsamples City Resource File


    Okay, now you've downloaded s3pe, and the City Resource File. Put it where you can find it. I made a folder for it and put it on my desktop.

    Open up S3pe, click on "File" on the bar at the top, click on "Open", and find your .world file you wish to add these files to.

    They should be in;
    Documents,
    Electronic Arts,
    Sims 3 Create a World
    UserToolData
    Worlds

    It should look like this, I'm opening up my WhovilleBeta;
    Make sure you click the "All Files" option, or your .world file won't show up.
    s3pe210.jpg

    Once you open it up, this is what it will look like;

    s3pe10.jpg

    Now, just click on the "Resource" tab on the top bar, Click on "import", and "from file". Find your City Resource File, and click on it;

    jky3w4.jpg

    Now just highlight the file, and click "Open". This is what you'll get. Just click "import", and then click on "file" on the top bar again, and "Save".

    2qust93.jpg
  • auntielyndsauntielynds Posts: 3,071 Member
    edited January 2015
    Recovering Caw Files for an Exported World


    First off, you should take a look at the Original thread at MTS
    Editing Pre-made Worlds

    Also, this method by Inkantator at MTS http://www.modthesims.info/showpost.php?...stcount=30 Works very well, and cuts out a few steps in this tutorial.

    Overview of Process;
    Note: You will need to have the World installed in your game.

    Open Caw, and start a new world the same size you'll be editing, 300 height.
    Make a temporary folder on your desktop to transfer the resource files into.
    Import the World into s3pe from your installed worlds folder.
    Select all the files, and export to the file you prepared on your desktop.
    Now, take the .world file you just created in Caw, and open it in S3pe.
    Import the resource files from the file folder. Check the" Replace duplicates", "use resource names", and "compress".
    At this point make sure you save.
    Open the world in Caw, once open, do a "Save As".

    *For Store Worlds, please see the notation at the end of this post.


    Step by Step Instructions
    Open Caw, and start a new world the same size you'll be editing, 300 height.

    Make a temporary folder on your desktop to transfer the resource files into.

    Open s3pe, click "File", then "Open". Top left corner. Go to;
    Documents
    Electronic Arts
    Sims 3
    Installed Worlds

    Click on the world you need to edit, and click "Open".

    1_s3pe10.jpg



    Select all the files by clicking on the first resource file, it will highlight blue. Hit Ctrl/Shift, then scroll to the bottom, and click on the last resource. They should all be blue now. It may take awhile, and say it's not responding, but just wait a few min.

    Click on Resources; Export; To File, and choose the file you set up on your desktop.

    2_s3pe10.jpg





    Back to s3pe. Open the new world you just made in Caw in s3pe. It will be here;
    Documents
    Electronic Arts
    Sims 3 Create a World
    UserToolData
    Worlds
    Make sure you do the "All Files"

    3_s3pe10.jpg




    Under the Resources tab, click on "Import", "From File", and choose the folder you just placed all those resource files into.
    Select all the files in the folder, and click "Open".

    <a href=4_s3pe10.jpg" />



    Check the" Replace duplicates", "use resource names", and "compress".

    5_s3pe10.jpg




    At this point make sure you save in s3pe do not do a "save as" in s3pe

    Open the world in Caw, once open, do a "Save As".

    I always take the world into EIG at this point, and save just to make sure everything's good.

    How I get rid of the sims;

    I use Twallens Master Controller to accomplish this.
    Open the world up in EIG, (make sure the game play is paused) placed a large lot, anywhere, (you could do this before entering EIG, I just forgot sometimes), edit the lot it as commercial, no visitors, and placed the BG City hall on it, and save. *close EIG, close the world in caw with another save from there. Then opened it all back up, and back to EIG. Enter the command * "makesim". Now you can click on the City Hall/ NRass/ Town/ and Total Annihilation. This leaves just one homeless simmie in your .world file. Click on the Town Hall again/ Town/ and Reset all Objects. Bulldoze your City Hall, and lot, then save the whole thing again.

    I edited Egypt this way, and the lone, homeless sim didn't cause any problems. before you Reset all Objects, you can un-pause the world, and click on the command that sends your sim home. He'll get a taxi, and disappear on a random lot. Just make sure you reset the town after that. When you're all done with the world, you can make a new sim, and do the Total Annihilation thing again, just in case that lone sim got corrupted during editing the world.

    *closed EIG
    I do this because the NRass interaction is not available until you do this. I've tried just saving, then making the sim, and clicking on the City Hall, but still no NRass interaction. That's why I save and back out of everything, and reopen.

    * "makesim"
    Assuming you've already done the "testingcheatsenabled true" cheat.

    Store Worlds:
    You will need to "Decrapify" the .world file before s3pe will open it up.
    Download the Recompressor from MATY to a new folder:

    TS3 Recompressor

    There will be two Application, (.exe) , decrapify, and s3rc. We'll be using the
    decrapify.exe.
    Copy the .world file from your "Installed" folder.
    Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3
    & paste it into the same folder.
    It won't work unless it's in the same folder.

    recomp10.jpg


    Click and grab the .world file, and drop it on top of the decrapify.exe, a black box will
    pop up momentarily. When it disappears, your .world is done, and should open up in
    s3pe.
    Post edited by auntielynds on
  • auntielyndsauntielynds Posts: 3,071 Member
    Changing out the WPID File

    The WPID file is what the game, and the Exchange use to identify the world, kind of like a product number. Change the file, and the game views it as a different world.

    Open up S3pe, click on "File" on the bar at the top, click on "Open", and find your .world file.

    They should be in;
    Documents,
    Electronic Arts,
    Sims 3 Create a World
    UserToolData
    Worlds

    It should look like this, I'm opening up my WhovilleBeta;
    Make sure you click the "All Files" option, or your .world file won't show up.

    s3pe210.jpg




    Once you open it up, this is what it will look like;

    s3pe210.jpg





    make sure on the lower menu in the center there, you check the "display" "names" and "tags".


    Click on the "Tag" bar at the top a couple times and you should see the "WPID" File

    s3pe10.jpg





    Now just click on the WPID, right click, "Deleted". Then click on "file" on the top bar again, and "Save".

    A brand new WPID file will be generated, thus the game, and the Exchange will recognize it as a different world.
  • auntielyndsauntielynds Posts: 3,071 Member
    edited December 2014
    Recoloring, Adding & Extracting Metadata Objects


    In this tut I'll be recoloring the plant brambles from the base game, a very simple recolor. I'm sure there are other ways to do this, but I self taught myself this method by reading the forums. If you know of a better way to do this, tell us how, or link us to a tut. ;)

    Overview of Process
    • Make a copy of your FullBuild2.package file found in; Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Game Data/Shared/Packages.
    • Open s3pe, and open the Full Build. Find "plantBrambles", there should be two IMG files for it. Export them.
    • Open the exported files in an image editor. I'm using Paint.net. You'll see you will only be using one of the image files, so delete the other one.
    • Click on "Adjustments', then "Hue & Saturation". Move the sliders to the desired colors you want. Now just save.
    • Open your.world file in s3pe, click on "resources", and import the file you just altered, into your .world file, and save.


    Step by Step Instruction

    Make a copy of your FullBuild2.package file found in; Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Game Data/Shared/Packages.
    I keep a file with a copy of each full build from the Base Game, as well as each EP. Most of the things you will want to recolor from the Base Game are located in the FullBuild2.package. The Full Builds are numbered 02, 03, 04, for each EP & SP, but I rename them so I can quickly Identify them.

    Q6uxs0u.jpg

    lYSsiWk.jpg

    UWI7i9K.jpg

    Open s3pe, and open the Full Build. Tick the Display - "Names" & "Tags" at the bottom of the window. Create a new folder on your desktop for your image files. Find "plantBrambles", there should be two IMG files for it, Highlight them by clicking on the first one, then hold Ctrl + Shift, and click on the second one. Right click on them, and "Export" "to file".

    dV7ERiW.jpg

    40WPGJB.jpg

    Open the exported files in an image editor. I'm using Paint.net. You'll see you will only be using one of the image files, so delete the other one. Click on "Adjustments', then "Hue & Saturation". Move the sliders to the desired colors you want. Now just save.

    zXQGHg6.jpg

    6xUxLEN.jpg

    b4G7Kzw.jpg


    Open your.world file in s3pe. You will find it in My Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3 Create a World/UserToolData/Worlds.
    Click on "Resources", and import the file you just altered, into your .world file, and save.


    tITk2bO.jpg

    xJJWijk.jpg

    eMRd7F2.jpg


    These are my brambles in my Arizona, desert world. I want them more of a silvery greenish blue color, so I will recolor them again, until I get them right. :D

    kt2kPce.jpg
    Post edited by auntielynds on
  • auntielyndsauntielynds Posts: 3,071 Member
    Deleting the _KEY file to fix the brown uck

    Simsample from MTS clued me in on this nifty info.
    Ever had this happen? shocke10.gif

    brown_10.jpg



    simsample Wrote:If you open the world in s3pe, delete the _KEY resource, then enter CAW and reassign the terrain textures> save, it should work okay. It seems to be a corruption of the database caused by an invalid file path in the terrain texture assignment.


    Open up S3pe, click on "File" on the bar at the top, click on "Open", and find your .world file.

    They should be in;
    Documents,
    Electronic Arts,
    Sims 3 Create a World
    UserToolData
    Worlds

    It should look like this, I'm opening up my WhovilleBeta;
    Make sure you click the "All Files" option, or your .world file won't show up.

    s3pe210.jpg




    Once you open it up, this is what it will look like;

    s3pe10.jpg




    make sure on the lower menu in the center there, you check the "display" "names" and "tags".


    Click on the "Name" bar at the top a couple times and you should see the "Texture Database"

    s5iujl.jpg




    Now just click on the _KEY file, right click, "Delete". Then click on "file" on the top bar again, and "Save".

    Delete your Cache files, or it still might show up in EIG. I know, I keep quoting Simsample, why rewrite what already makes sense I ask you? Chaplin

    simsample Wrote:Clear Caches:

    First, clear your CAW caches- delete Documents\ Electronic Arts\ The Sims 3 Create A World Tool\ WorldbuilderCache and Documents\ Electronic Arts\ The Sims 3 Create A World Tool\ UserToolData\ LocalWork.
    Next, clear your game caches- click here!


    Gelis has found that for Windows 7 users you may need to delete your Virtual Store files too- C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Create a World Tool. You can also delete the corresponding files for The Sims 3 from there safely, too. These files are hidden so you may need to set your operating system to show hidden files to find these.
  • patscatfrecklespatscatfreckles Posts: 1,035 Member
    Auntie Lynn: that link works for sp3e but, in downloading it, you have to go through a bunch of other steps which load a ton of stuff on your computer some of which has Trojan horses. I had to take my computer to the repair shop after using the link and he said I had 4 Trojans. He cleaned them all up and left me with only sp3e, however, this whole process took months and was very frustrating. I wonder why Sims doesn't just provide a simple, clean link?????
  • auntielyndsauntielynds Posts: 3,071 Member
    edited November 2014
    The link I provided is directly to Simlogical which is owned by Inge and Peter Jones they are the developers of s3pe. They have been respected members of the simming community since the beginning of sim time. The link goes to an information page at Simlogical, then the download link on their page goes to Source Forge, a once trusted site for software developers to host their free, open source software. Unfortunately Sourceforge has new owners who have inundated the download pages with advertisements. If you were mislead into clicking on one of these advertisements, it's very possible you downloaded something nasty to your computer. The interesting thing is, once you click on the download link at simlogical you are redirected to Sourceforge, and your s3pe download starts automatically after a 5 second countdown, no other clicking required.

    You have to be cognizant of the fact that any free file sharing site you are directed to has to make money somehow, and the most common way is through these advertisements. If you come across a download page for sim stuff you are finding difficult discerning the correct link to click on, stop and come ask some of the people on the forums here who have most likely already navigated through the advertisement mine field, and can help you through it.

    Interesting article on Sourceforge: https://blog.malwarebytes.org/online-security/2013/11/sourceforge-drives-off-downloads-ask-why/
    I also use malware bytes as a second line of defense behind my Norton antivirus.

    http://i.imgur.com/TakC0VF.jpg
    http://i.imgur.com/FGdNLQw.jpg
    Post edited by auntielynds on
  • patscatfrecklespatscatfreckles Posts: 1,035 Member
    edited November 2014
    You're right, I didn't know I needed to wait 5 seconds and whenever a "download" button popped up, I clicked it thinking I was downloading S3PE only to be taken in another direction. I'd become so frustrated by all the junk being downloaded that I'd just stop all downloads...especially since my antivirus program was flashing a warning. this went on for months: trying and re-trying to get s3pe (I'm nothing if not persistent ;) )

    Your blog is excellent - I just don't take the game seriously enough to spend the time needed to read and study it all. If I did, I'd probably have saved myself a lot of trouble.

    I'll still play around with CAW - especially now that I've s3pe, but I've gotta admit that's all I'll do - "play around." However, I did want to caution other simmers about running into the same problems I ran into.

    thanks,
    Pat
  • TadOlsonTadOlson Posts: 11,380 Member
    I managed to get S3PE and never saw any ads because I use adblocker on my browser.Everybody should use adblockers for their browsers like I do and they wouldn't keep getting these phony links for downloading on the ads.
    44620367775_0442f830c1_n.jpg
  • patscatfrecklespatscatfreckles Posts: 1,035 Member
    edited November 2014
    That a great suggestion, Tad - and I'll do a search for some adblockers right now! (I wasn't aware they existed - but should've known, should've known!)
    -
    Hope you're having a special Thanksgiving (I'd love to hear about it). I need to go now and have dinner with my family.

    Love you,
    Pat
  • 06Bon0606Bon06 Posts: 11,614 Member
    Wow! Thanks do this :) How haven't I noticed it :O
  • RRArtieRRArtie Posts: 204 Member
    I have a question for #auntielynds and other world builders. Where are the FAQs and other help for users of our worlds?

    Here is what brings this up: I was playing Sunset Valley Second Edition Final and missed the ghosts that roamed the Remington Mansion. We all know builders (other than EA) can't put ghosts in the CAW world. I found this suggestion for installing ghosts in a played world (after CAW file creation) here:

    http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/700447/how-to-populate-a-graveyard-with-actual-ghosts/p1

    That thread described an approach for installing ghosts into a played world and installing a graveyard populated with ghosts into a played world. The approach was 2 years old and is hard to find on a search. It is useful as far as it goes. The thread also had off topic discussion of how CAW didn't support ghosts which would scare off players of our world.

    This approach has shortcomings. For one, it doesn't talk about installing ghosts onto occupied lots (Goths, Remington/Jones, and Crumplebottom in SV 2nd Ed Final). Also, it doesn't talk about re-establishing family connections.

    I collected ghosts, developed a procedure and installed them on SV 2nd Ed Final and have played it for 2 weeks (Sim time plus 3 vacations) without any lag showing up. I put my ghost inventory and procedure on Mediafire and posted a pointer to it on the thread about SV 2nd Ed.

    I think users of our worlds should know this process. In addition, builders could put together a graveyard or other lot replacement with ghosts for their worlds or put together a save file with ghosts. I would have liked this information a year ago when I was putting the final touches on my world.

    So, should I post my information (Process, location and description of Sims with ghosts in inventory) on the world index? post it here? post it as a new CAW thread? Somewhere else? Or just forget about sharing?
  • auntielyndsauntielynds Posts: 3,071 Member
    Hi @RRArtie :)

    That's great information AARtie. You could start an FAQ thread for playing custom worlds, and I could link to it from here, or we can do a section on this FAQ, although this one is already getting too long. I had to divide up the posts when we switched to the new forum because of the character limit. The World Index hasn't been tended in over a year, so I wouldn't put your info there.

    Let me know. ;)
  • RRArtieRRArtie Posts: 204 Member
    Hi @RRArtie :)

    That's great information AARtie. You could start an FAQ thread for playing custom worlds, and I could link to it from here, or we can do a section on this FAQ, although this one is already getting too long. I had to divide up the posts when we switched to the new forum because of the character limit. The World Index hasn't been tended in over a year, so I wouldn't put your info there.

    Let me know. ;)

    Thank you for the quick reply. I think a separate thread is a good idea. I have started one and suggested a couple of topics that I would address and did the ghost topic. It is here

    http://forums.thesims.com/en_US/discussion/827955/using-downloaded-worlds-faq-tips-and-tricks#latest

    I will search the forum and try to pick up user problems and responses and add to this tread. I am also excited to add ghosts to my world. I had tried and failed in CAW (I can't take no for an answer and always look for a sneak path), but no luck. But now I can create a save game or a tombstone carrier and add generations! Thanks again for your continued support.
  • cmbaker16cmbaker16 Posts: 9,172 Member
    Hi, I've managed to create my very first world and am quite proud of it but me and a friend are playing in it and well when my friend reached winter she discovered it only snows on half the world. As this is my first world creation I haven't the slightest clue on why it's doing that and don't really know where to look for help. I was hoping someone here could point me in a direction :confounded:

    2h7ggex.jpg
  • auntielyndsauntielynds Posts: 3,071 Member
    Looking at the picture, I'm thinking it might be the land elevation. Ea made it this way so you wouldn't have snow on the beach.
  • cmbaker16cmbaker16 Posts: 9,172 Member
    So I can't have hilly areas if I want snow?
  • auntielyndsauntielynds Posts: 3,071 Member
    Hills are fine, but the elevation of the land has to be far enough up from sea level so the snow will fall. Instead of trying to raise the terrain in the effected areas, try lowering the sea level in caw and see if that helps.
  • cmbaker16cmbaker16 Posts: 9,172 Member
    oh ok, thanks I'll give that a shot and see if it fixes the issue.
  • NewEra2009NewEra2009 Posts: 396 Member
    Is it possible to open up the completed version of Sunset Valley in CAW so that I can just modify a few lot sizes?
  • RRArtieRRArtie Posts: 204 Member
    NewEra2009 wrote: »
    Is it possible to open up the completed version of Sunset Valley in CAW so that I can just modify a few lot sizes?

    The FAQ on page 1 lists links to a method to import worlds into CAW. One of the links that I had bookmarked was located here:
    http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=469942

    If you are importing Sunset Valley to adjust some lots, you might want to fix the routing issues that exists. This link talks about the routing issues in each EA wold and has a procedure for importing the world into CAW and applying fixes.
    http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Game Help:World Routing Lags#The_How-To

    I have used neither procedure, but trust these authors. Hope this helps!
  • RhodalleRhodalle Posts: 52 Member
    edited November 2015
    I've just started a YouTube series about my workflow using World Machine, CAW and Photoshop to make custom worlds.
    Post edited by Rhodalle on
    SigLav_zpsnefshzbc.jpg
  • juncedajunceda Posts: 2,614 Member
    Hi guys! I need some help.

    I have a new computer and I have to install TS3 again, I have only make this thing four years ago when I bought my current computer and back then I only had base game and Adventures so it was easy I installed both and then updated them through the launcher, rest of EPs SPs and store content came later once my system could manage them and they were coming out. I installed and patched along with time.

    I have now installed base game through the disc, I don´t want to use DLC through origin as long as I can avoid it, (though some EPs etc are DLC), should I patch to versión 1.67 (I already have the superpatch downloaded) and then install the EPs (may be in some estrict order...?) and then may be patch it all again with the superpatch or should I install the EPs etc over the base game as it was back then in the disc and then patch it all only once?, I mean to install the store content and CC at the end of the process... OMG I have so much content that I am really scared about loosing something and making my saves or worlds unplayable... though I am really excited to play my game in the new puter with its great graphics and alll! just the base game looks so pretty at the new huge screen...

    Will CAW work if I download the current versión in the Sims 3 page?

    I wish they (EA) make something as TS2 UC for TS3 some day it´s so easy to install all in one... though it took a little while (more than two hours...) but I know TS3 is still selling well at an almost full price (at least here in Spain) so it is not posible for now that they make TS3 UC... I think they would rather blow TS3 out of the market to sell TS4 better...
    firma_zps7hsuhx2i.png

    I can play at last TS2 TS3 and TS4 So great that toddlers are here!!!
  • RRArtieRRArtie Posts: 204 Member
    edited December 2015
    junceda wrote: »
    Hi guys! I need some help.

    .... should I patch to versión 1.67 (I already have the superpatch downloaded) and then install the EPs (may be in some estrict order...?) and then may be patch it all again with the superpatch or should I install the EPs etc over the base game as it was back then in the disc and then patch it all only once?, I mean to install the store content and CC at the end of the process...

    Will CAW work if I download the current versión in the Sims 3 page?

    ...

    I have reinstalled Sims 3 with most expansions, stuff packs and CC several times because of new computers or hard disk upgrade/replacement. Here is what I do:

    I install the base game and then each EP and SP that I have in the order they were released. The order can be seen on the launcher at the bottom where all the icons are for all the EP/SPs.

    As each EP installs it asks to patch and I let it download and patch. You get most updates, but not to 1.67

    After all these installs I then patch to 1.67 using the super patch.

    Install any custom content including any worlds (store or CAW). Be aware that there is some kind of a limit about how many MB can be installed at once, so I install only one world at a time or 5 - 10 items/lots/Sims at a time.

    Copy any saved games you want to run into the save folder and you should be good to go.

    I have the latest CAW working after this kind of a process.

    Hope this helps.

    Two update 12/2/2015

    1) Make sure you use the 1.67 super patch. EA released 1.69 which upgrades to the latest version of Origin (Version 9.10.2.4863). Version 1.69 breaks CAW and does not seem useful for anyone with enough PC power to run with all EPs, SPs, and store content.

    2) The description of super patch says you can install EPs without patching. However, I always patch each EP just to be on the safe side.There statement is:

    "IMPORTANT: As of base game update 1.22.9 or later, players no longer need to update their expansions and stuff packs. All updates will now be applied only to the base game. This should make the patching process easier and prevent base game incompatibility errors. Also note that separate game updates for expansions and stuff packs are no longer being released, since these are now incorporated into the base game update."
    Post edited by RRArtie on
  • RRArtieRRArtie Posts: 204 Member
    Okay, I am starting a new world and working on my first tomb. The pushable statue has an option "Toggle Switch Activation" which can be set true or false. I have searched and experimented and have no idea what function this switch performs. Anybody know what it does?

    Thanks in advance.

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