The Sims 4 Best Way to Organize Downloads
Hi everyone !
Today, we volition talk almost Custom Content, and how to organize it, particularly if you plan to merge your files with the Sims 4 Studio. Merging content is a good way to brand your game and your lot loading faster, as the game will have far less files to read during loading. It's far better to have a few big files than a ton of small files ! And so If yous have a lot of CC, it can exist really helpful.
Let's be articulate : I will not tell you lot how you should manage all your custom content, but only explain how I personally exercise it. Even if you don't plan to merge your files, you lot may find here some interesting communication to fix your content, of finding a specific piece of CC in your folder.
I know that some of you lot will know about most of these tips, but I hope this quick (huhum…) guide will be useful for anybody !
If your are reading a reblog of this mail, please go to the original mail service, because I might have edited it in the concurrently.
To encounter the full tutorial, click on Keep Reading bellow !
- Before starting, volition need some tools :
Sims iv Studio
This one is an essential tool, when it comes to edit or manage your custom content. You can find it here, simply you have to register on the forum (it's free, don't worry :p) first.
Tray Importer
We will utilise this one on the last part of the tutorial. Although not its principal purpose, this software is sometimes useful for finding specific custom content in your folders. You can download it at that place.
Organize your content (for merging or non)
- Folder arrangement (create sub-folders for merging)
Whether or not yous plan to merge your personalized content, this advice will exist useful. If yous download a lot, and you just put your files in your mod folder without sorting, it will be difficult to observe a specific detail if you have an issue with information technology, or simply want to remove it.
This is how my content is organized :
- The CAS and BUY folders are self-explanatory, I think. The beginning one is for all your sims related stuff, the other for your furnitures, clutter, and everything in Build mode too. We'll talk virtually the sub-folders right after !
- The GameMods folder is for the mods that bear upon the gameplay, the interface… These files won't exist merged, as they need to be updated really ofttimes (when a new patch is released). I likewise keep all the gameplay mods with a .ts4script file attached (like the Master Controler or the Pose Thespian) in the root folder. We won't talk virtually these here, only make certain to cheque for updates.
- The Replacement binder is for the mods that supplant the game textures or meshes (like a default skin, or eyes), but it is non essential (you lot tin can put these in the CAS or Buy folder if you prefer).
- And the Poses folder contain… my Poses yes, but if y'all don't use the Pose Actor, y'all don't need it.
If you take lot of custom content, you will demand to create sub-folders in your CAS and BUY folders. These sub-folders will prove useful afterward, every bit we will create a merged file for each of them. So endeavor not to put more 200 files or 250Mo of files in each of them, it seems to be a reasonable number to me (to be honest, I put a bit more in them, and it's non really problematic).
You tin can choose to sort your CC by type (it's what I cull to do), by creator, or whatever other manner y'all desire. But don't create also many folders if y'all plan to merge files, information technology would exist pointless (as we want to reduce the number of files in your chief folder, nosotros don't want to create to many merged files).
- Sort your content
And now, subsequently creating your binder, starts the long and slow procedure of sorting your files, to put them in the right folders. Only before that, perhaps read the whole tutorial, some tips in the final part can assist you reduce your amount of CC (drastically, with the last one). There volition be fewer files to sort ! :p
If the name of a file give now clue about what it is, simply open it in the Sims four Studio (click on My Project in the main screen and open your file, or assign the .package files to exist opened with the Studio). But if information technology'southward a recolor of some other custom content, it may not show upward properly in the preview window (as the mesh is in another file).
And then I recall information technology'south fourth dimension to speak about ane of the useful feature of this soft !
- Using MyCC in the Studio
Open the Sims 4 Studio , and click on MyCC on the right. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if the feature is available on the MAC version. If the Studio can't locate your mods, click on Settings in the bill of fare above and notice the right location of your Sims four binder.
This window is pretty piece of cake to utilise : on the left, you lot have your folder and files, a preview in the centre, and on the right, the swatches and tags of your item. Unfortunatly, you can't movement your files into folders from in that location, you need to keep your explorer open for that. Merely at last, you can accept a look at the content !
While we're here, if you encounter things you don't utilize and want to remove from your game, movement them to a separate folder, from the explorer again. Do non delete them straight from the Studio, go along them in case these files are needed for a recolor.
Also, let's have a look at the right side ! If you want to brand your file smaller in size, it can be a nice idea to delete the swatches y'all don't or won't use, particularly if there is likewise many. Textures can be heavy, so if you take fourscore different colors for a dress, it makes the file heavier, and tin slow the loading times (it's not noticeable with a single file, merely information technology'south always a goog idea to limit the size of your mod binder). You don't actually need five like shades of yellow !
You can likewise correct the tags, for the outfits category for example. Some creator may forget to modify them, and so if don't want that sweater to show up in the swimwear category, unckeck the tag in the Outfit Type section.
If you edit the swatches or the tag, don't forget to click on Save in the right-bottom corner.
- Batch-Fixes and looking for updates
Let's talk about another crawly tool of the Studio !
Sometimes, after a patch that has a significant affect on the game, some content needs to exist updated. For example, this was the case after the release of Cats and Dogs, where almost custom furniture needed to be updated so that animals could interact with them.
The Studio includes a office to make most of these essential corrections to all your content, without having to re-download everything. It's fifty-fifty more useful when the creator of the content is no longer agile, and then won't updates the files.
When yous launch the Studio, get to Content Management on the menu to a higher place, then on Batch Fixes , and run all the "ready" and "updates" needed from there (except the Allow/Disallow CC for Random/Alien/Vampire, cull the pick you prefer for them, as well every bit the Delete CC Thumbnails), specially if y'all never did this, and take erstwhile content.
You lot can even use the fixes on a specific folder. For case, if y'all use the Disallow for Random, only run it on your CAS folder, to avoid affecting your Replacement files. In any case, the Studio create a back-upwards of your files in Documents\Sims 4 Studio\Batch Fixes (don't hesitate to delete these batch-fixes back-ups former, they can get heavy).
The batch-set tool seems to piece of work on merged files, just it'southward meliorate to do it on the original files, so merge them. This way, if y'all have to re-merge your files later updating something in the folder, you won't have to run the batch-fixes again.
If you have an consequence with a piece of content after a patch, and no fixes from the Studio can help, you will have to find the website where you downloaded it. If you don't retrieve, looking at the file'southward proper noun can assist to find the original creator. And then search for information technology in google, or search with the whole file's proper name.
Merging files, update or delete content in a merged file
When all the sorting is done, it's fourth dimension to merge your files !
- Create a fill-in folder
I'll explain how I do information technology from there. After sorting all your content in different folders for merging, I motility all the newly created sub folder into a fill-in folder, with the aforementioned organisation as the main folder, with a CAS and BUY binder. This is how my principal modernistic binder and the fill-in folder look after merging the files.
The Main folder - Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims iv\Mods\CAS
The Backup binder - Documents\Electronic Arts\Sims Fill-in\Mods\CAS
It's important to respect this bureaucracy, with the binder named Mods, to be able to use the My CC feature on the backup binder. Yous volition simply take to open the Settings window in the menu above, and change the Sims four Certificate path fromDocuments\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4 to Documents\Electronic Arts\Sims Fill-in. Then, yous volition be able to go through all your content in the MyCC window.
- Merging, and updating a merged file
When you're washed creating your backup binder (and after moving all your un-merged file there in their folders), it'south time to merge your content. Open the Sims 4 Studio, and in the bill of fare above, go to Content Management , then click on Merge Packages . And then, drag the files from one of the sub-binder in the window (or click on Add from this window and go select all the files in a sub-folder).
For case, I will merge the files from my CAS_Clothes_Male sub-folder (at present located in the backup folder). After dragging the files to merge in the window, I click on Merge , save my file in the CAS folder in my main Mods binder, and proper noun information technology CAS_Clothes_Male.
At present, if I have to edit a piece of CC in this merged file, I simply have to do it on the file in the backup folder, and so, merge the whole content from the folder again, and replace the merged file in the main Mods binder (it'south meliorate to delete the old one before)
I hope it was clear enough ! At the cease, your two folders should look like the ones in the images higher up.
The Sims 4 Studio recently added a new feature to united nations-merge packet. Note that it will merely work on merged package created after this update. Merely it's improve and safer to go along your united nations-merged packages in a backup binder, it volition be easier this way to find a specific item to delete it or edit it, or to add new packages in it (as you won't have to un-merge your package first).
- The TEMP folder
And now, what if y'all download new content ?
You don't accept to merge it in the correct folder directly, that would be boring ! That's why I created a TEMP binder in my CAS and BUY folders in the main Mods folder (yep, lot of folders involved here :p). When I download new content, I put it at that place, so I can have a wait at information technology in game, to see if information technology looks proficient, and can also edit information technology in the Studio if necessary.
When I take around 30-40 files in this TEMP folder, I delete the files I finally don't want to keep, run the batch fixes if I need to, and move the other files in the correct sub-folders in the Fill-in folder. And remerge the folders where I added new stuff.
Reduce your amount of CC
With all your file merged, your game must be faster to load, and loading a lot should take less time too. But it's still possible to practice better !
- Exist reasonable, you lot don't really need all this.
Yep, it starts with this. When I was playing the Sims iii, or at the commencement of the Sims 4, I would download a lot of stuff, even If I was non sure to apply it. Only because it felt good to take some choice, when in game.
But when your article of clothing catalog is over cluttered with stuff yous will never utilize, and you lot spend lot of time to find the T-shirt you were looking for, creating sims is less enjoyable (and I'thou not speaking about all the clutters I had and so, decorating houses was a nightmare).
So earlier downloading something, simply ask yourself these questions : Will I ever use this ? Exercise I already have a similar matter in game ? Is it worth it ?
- Sort your content on a regular basis
Sometime, you come beyond a squeamish piece of CC, and even if you have something almost identical, this one look better. So you lot download it anyhow, merely never delete the old similar item.
That's why it tin be a adept thought, once in a while, to go through all your content to see if there is things y'all can delete. Considering you now take something better. Because there was a similar item in the final EP. Because you lot no longer similar and apply this.
Equally explained earlier, you tin can do this with the MyCC window form the Studio (don't forget to edit the settings, to change the Sims iv Document path). And as brash in the start part, don't delete the file, but put them in another binder, simply in instance). When your are done moving files out your merging sub-folders, but re-merge your packages.
- Find a specific slice of CC with the Tray Importer
Simply lf y'all desire to delete a specific particular, and have lots of merged files (and so, many folders with un-merged files), it may be complicate to discover it. So it's fourth dimension to use the second software I mentioned at the outset, the Tray Importer !
This tool allow you to export a household or a lot from your library, but more that, it can testify you lot the custom content used in these. So if you lot are looking for one, or more than piece of content, put them on a sims/on a lot, save information technology, and launch the Tray Importer.
But if you take merged your content, you will encounter a problem : in the list of content used, the Importer volition display the merged file, and not the private file in your backup binder. So using it, temporarily rename your main Mods folder, and move the backup Mods folder (with the un-merged files) in your Sims 4 folder.
Now it'southward done, in the Tray Importer, find the household/lot that contains the content to be removed, click on the modest pointer on the right, so on Export with CC .
A listing will be displayed, with all the content used on your sims/lot. In my example, I choose a recolor my brother's down-in-simsland fabricated of 1 of my t-shirts, and as you tin can see, the file necessary for it to work shows-up also. You lot can likewise see the location of the file, and if you lot correct click on it, you tin open the folder that contains the item y'all were looking for.
If you want to delete the file, just delete information technology there/movement it in another folder, move back the Mods folder with the un-merged files in the backup folder, rename back your main Mods folder, and re-merge the files from the folder where you deleted the content (hope it was clear enought !).
Quick note about sharing Lots/Sims with Custom Content
The Tray Importer also allow y'all to share things direct with all the content used but please, don't do that.
Reuploading content of other creators without their consent is disrespectful. Most of the creator Term of Use land that they don't desire their content to be reupload, and so instead, use the listing to find the content needed, and give links in your posts to the download pages. This way, people are sure to download the most recent version of the content (if the creator had to update information technology subsequently a patch, for instance), and can have await at the creator simblr/website, and maybe find other things they might like.
I know, it can be tedious to runway downwardly all the content used instead of simply share it with your family/lot. But creating content takes fourth dimension and skill, so possibly yous tin can make that trivial effort to thank them. ;)
- Why non first over ?
And this is my concluding advice, if y'all want to significantly reduce your amount of custom content !
I found out the best fashion is not to delete items in your existing folders, simply to select in these folder the things you want to proceed and put them in a make clean binder. As it takes more effort to continue something (as you lot have to discover and move the file), you volition tend to keep less stuff. If you do it the other way around, you volition proceed more things "just in instance", as information technology will be harder to detect and delete things.
I did just that less than a year agone, and went from 7 Go of CC to 1,5 only. And I don't miss anything !
And for that, yous can likewise employ the Tray Importer , to look for all the content yous actually use on your families and lots saved in the library. And the MyCC window from the Sims 4 Studio likewise, to go through all you content a wait for the things you desire to keep. Practise information technology before everything, before creating folders to merge your files, it volition be less content to sort. ;)
And… it's done, for the moment, I hope I didn't forget everything. I remember y'all tin see why it took me then much time !
I hope that all this reading was worth it for you, and that this guide will aid you to amend organize your content. if you have whatever question to ask, or take some other tips yous want to share, don't hesitate, I tin can e'er edit this guide to add more information.
Voilà !
If y'all are looking on more tips, don't forget to take a expect at my Tips tag . I accept to other big guides available, 1 about creating Sims, and another about editing in Photoshop. Y'all tin can also find all my custom content on this page, if y'all need more now that your folders are cleaner ;)
And if yous like this tutorial, or my creations for the Sims, feel gratis to buy me a coffee (and a croissant if you want :D)
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Posted by: bradleywasoned.blogspot.com
