New FAQ: I don't see the correct thumbnail of the downloaded clothes

When I was creating one of the first dresses I ever created, I came to the problem that I didn't see the correct thumbnail. The thumbnail was different from the dress the sim was wearing.

I searched all over Google and MTS but didn't find the solution until I saw this page at TSR: http://www.thesimsresource.com/tutorials/view/category//id/2575/bodyshop-tips-and-tricks

The trick is to delete this file: CASThumbnails.package

Refresh BodyShop thumbnails. There are times when the thumbnailpreview doesn’t get updated for one reason or another. BodyShop thumbnailpreviews are stored in the following file: My Documents\EA Games\The Sims2\cigen.package. To refresh the previews simply delete that file. Next timeyou run BodyShop, it will create a blank cigen.package file forcing allthe previews to be generated again.

Refresh CAS screen thumbnails. Delete the following file: MyDocuments\EA Games\The Sims 2\Thumbnails\ CASThumbnails.package.Next time you run the game, the file will be recreated and the game forced togenerate all the thumbnail previews.

Don't worry about deleting it. When you start the game after deleting this file, the game will automaticly recreate this file and refresh it.

New FAQ: More help for doing a career request

Some people let me know that they follow the instructions to the letter, but still their request is rejected.
If they really would have done everything like the instructions say you need to check, the request would have been accepted!

• The reason why the instructions are this strict, is because I have less time to create so I don't have the time to correct any tiny mistake.
• I also want to assure the downloaders they download a perfect finished creation.
• Quality is really important and I want to keep up my reputation as Selected Artist (TSR) and Picked Creator (MTS)
• I start creating the career immediatly (I just view at the request quickl) so I need to have a blind trust the request is perfect

I check following things: 

• Spelling and grammar:
• I read the descriptions very quickly. If I see just the one mistake, I stop looking further.
• Punctuation
• Do the sentences make any sense?
• Apostrophe's
• No abbreviations (kinda, gonna,...)
• Capital letter
• Form of the sentence
• Descriptions:
• This is mostly based on MTS's rules. They reject careers for this:
• Growth in the career
• Creativity (no repetition)
• Length of description
• Wages:
• All wages need to be within the indicated range. If one is not, the request is rejected
•  Skills:
• If any of the needed skills at level ten is higher than 10, the request is rejected.
• HINT
• Before you start filling out the form, write on a piece of paper which and how many skillpoints are needed for every level.
  That way you can't be mistake why filling out the form.

This is all found very clearly in the instructions. Lot of requests have been accepted so there are people who do follow the instructions correctly.

The form is made in such a way it's nearly impossible to have a reason for rejection.
You need to check four main things. If these are good, the request is accepted asap:

• Spelling and grammar
• Creativity (length + growth)
• Wages (a clear range is always indicated)
• Skills (make a clear schedule for yourself beforehand)

New FAQ: How to install custom content?

The Downloadfolder

The first step is to determine whether the download folder exists. It should be in a folder called My Documents. Depending on which version of Windows you are running, it is either on your desktop or on your Start Menu.

In your My Documents folder should be a folder called "EA Games". If you click on it, there should be a folder inside called "Sims 2". Clicking on that brings up several more folders, but the one you are looking for is called "Downloads". This is where all of your custom content should go.

If you do not see the Downloads folder, it is easy to create: Simply click "File" and then "New". A submenu will come up. Click on "Folder". This will generate a new folder. Rename that folder "Downloads". Now you are ready to install your custom content.

File you'll need to use:Files ending in ".zip" need to be opened with an unzipper. Some versions of Windows already have one installed, but the older versions don't (older than XP). To open these folders, you will need a program called "Winzip". You can use google and find it on the internet.

Files ending in ".rar" need to be opened with a program like "WinAce" or "WinRAR". Again. google will help you find this program.

Files ending in ".package" should go to your downloads folder directly. These files are found in zips and rars. Sometimes these files are prepackaged in another type of file that ends in ".Sims2Pack". These files will have a different picture and if you click them, they will start a program to install your custom content for you. All you have to do is open the file, click the "Install" button, and then the "Done" button and you're all set. It puts it into the correct folder for you. 

Source: http://voices.yahoo.com/how-install-custom-content-sims-2-windows-49910.html

New FAQ: The lifespan doesn't work

All the lifespans I made work, even though a lot of people say it doesn't work in their game.

Lifespan
When you put the lifespan in you downloadfolder and you start the game, you won't see any change.
The sim has to grow up first, and then you'll see the different (from default) amount of days left.
New made sims (after the mod is intalled) will be effected from the start. They don't need to grow up first.

Petslifespan and Universityspan
This is the same (as the lifespan) with Pets and University.

Pregnancyspan
Sims who are pregnant at the moment you put the pregnancyspan in your downloadfolder, won't be effected. New pregnant sims will be effected.

Skillspan
This should work immediatly.

Seasonspan
Normally this should work immediatly like the skillspan. If not, wait a few days until the season changes.

New FAQ: The careers don't show up in my game

The file needs to be put in the downloadfolder like all other creations you download.

SPECIALTY:
To find the career in game you need to search the newspaper and/or computer daily. The more careers you have the lesser chance there is you'll find it quickly in the newspaper and/or computer.

To quickly find the career you want, you can download the Job Seeking Noticeboard made by MogHughson (MTS) which you can find here: http://bit.ly/tLUmNg

New FAQ: Can you make Sims 3 careers?

Sorry to say that I'm not able to create anything for Sims 3. Not only is my computer to old and to slow to create and test Sims 3 creations, but I also don't have the modding talent to create for it.


So I asked some Sims 3 career creators to convert The Sims 2 careers I made to Sims 3. And I'm very happy some of them are busy doing it.


The result of this (so the Sims 3 careers) will only be found here on my blog.
They won't be published anywhere else.

New FAQ: Choose gender

Do you really want a boy, but do you always get a girl. Here is the sollution:

You can try following things (it's not sure that it works, but it can't hurt to try):

Try-Out 1:

When the man asks "Try for Baby", it might be a boy. If the woman asks "Try for Baby", it might be a girl.
Try-Out 2:

When the woman is going to give birth (she starts screaming), pause the game and save. When the baby doesn't have the gender you want, you can go back to the hood WITHOUT saving. Then you go back to the family to let the woman give birth again until the baby has the gender you want.

New FAQ: Diploma without going to college

Problem: You want your teenager to grow up to an adult, but you also want him/her to have a diploma without going to college.

Sollution: With this mod your sims can have a diploma WITHOUT going to college.

FFS Lot Debugger

Site

http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,72.0.html

Explanation

Go to Miscellaneous -> Miscellaneous .
Choose the box with the sign of Batman on it.
Pick the sim you want to give a diploma.
Choose Upgrade Sim -> Pre-uni
Choose a major of which you want your sim to have a diploma (this only works with Maxis' Majors. This doesn't work with custom majors)
Now your sim has a diploma!

New FAQ: Change last name

Situation 1:
When a sim is pregnant and has a baby before she is married, the baby will have the last name of the mother. When the mother and father get married after the baby was born, the baby still has the last name of the mother. So you want to change the last name of the baby.

Situatie 2: If you want a Family Tree with the last name like this e.g.: Landgraab I, Landgraab II, Landgraab III,...
This is only possible if you change the last name of the next heir.


Press the button to know how to change the last name of your sim.

The Sims Blender

You need EP Pets to play!



Site

http://www.simbology.com/smf/index.php/topic,20.0.html


Download The Sims Blender here
http://www.simbology.com/smf/index.php/topic,20.0.html
How to:

Go to Buy Mode -> Miscelaneous -> Miscelaneous
Buy the tree named The Sims Blender.
Press the tree and choose More... -> Names...
Choose Change Someones First name.
Choose the sim whose name you'd like to change (remember the first name).
Type the last name you want.
Press the tree again and choose More... -> Names.
Choose Copy a First Name to Last Name.
Choose the sim again whose name you'd like to change.
Change the first name again.
Your sim's last name has been changed!

New FAQ: Being a student without leaving mam

When you have University you're obliged to go to that neighbourhood when you want to be a student. But this is not neccessary. Your sim can live in Pleasantview as a Young Adult AND going to college.

Very useful when your young adult has a child. 

All information is found here: http://www.insimenator.org/index.php/topic,96190.msg1411098.html#msg1411098

New FAQ: Play in small screen

Do you want to chat on MSN !!while!! you play the Sims 2?

Here you can read how you do that!

When you installed the game, you should see a shortcut on your desktop.


Right-click on the shortcut. Go to properties and you should see this (target):

"C:\Program Files\The Sims2\The Sims 2 Free Time \TSBin\Sims2Launcher.exe"

Type behind that path –w. So it should now be:

"C:\Program Files\The Sims2\The Sims 2 Free Time \TSBin\Sims2Launcher.exe" -w

Next time the game will start in a small screen. In view options you change the resolution to 800x600.

New Tutorial: Your own movies/TV show on Sims TV

First some important things:
1. The movie shouldn't be too long. (It's smaller (in MB) and takes less time to download)
2. YouTube is the best for short fun movies.
3. It should ALWAYS be AVI!
4. ALWAYS 128x128. Otherwise it will not look good on Sims TV.
5. ALWAYS 15 frames/seconde. It may be more, but then the file will be bigger.
6. You may remove or replace the files with extension .movie (default movies)
8. Channels came with Base Game, University, Seasons and Free Time.

Now the tutorial
First you decide which movie you want for which channel. I choose the trailer of the first Harry Potter movie for the channel Horrormovie Werewolf (came with Free Time) which I found on YouTube. I choose a trailer and not the whole movie as the movie should be short.

IMPORTANT: You have to watch the whole movie (trailer in this case) on YouTube first so it's fully loaded.

If you know which movie you want (YouTube or a file on your computer) go to this site:
http://video.online-convert.com/convert-to-avi

This is what you need to fill in:
Bestand kiezen: Choose the file on your computer.
OF enter URL: Give the URL copied from YouTube
Change Size: 128x128 is ideal.
Change frame rate: 15 frames per second as it should be
Cut video: If the movie you chose is too long you can make it smaller by filling out the start- and endminute. The first 00 is hour. The second 00 are minutes and the third 00 are seconds.
Convert file: Check everything and then press Convert file.

Don't change anything else if you don't know what you're doing!

The longer the movie, the longer it will take to download.

Now you get this screen:

After a short while you get this screen:

You can fill out your e-mail and press Submit address.
If you do that, you may shut the window and even shut down your computer. You'll get an e-mail when the file is ready to download.
If you don't want to give your e-mail, you'll have to wait until the window Save As shows so you can save the file.

Where you need to place the file depends on which channel you chose (see overview at the bottom).

These are the possible paths:

Base Game: C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\Base\TSData\Res\Movies\Broadcast
University: C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 University\TSData\Res\Movies\Broadcast
Seasons: C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Seasons\TSData\Res\Movies\Broadcast
Free Time: C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Free Time\TSData\Res\Movies\Broadcast

Base Game: TvChildren
Base Game: TvFood
Base Game: TvSBN
Base Game: TvMusic
Base Game: Commercials
Base Game: TvWorkout

Univeristy: TvSports

EP Seasons: The Weather Forecast
- Winter: TV_Weather_Winter
- Summer: TV_Weather_Summer
- Spring: TV_Weather_Spring
- Autumn: TV_Weather_Fall

Free Time for all movies: Watch movie... Horor...
- TVMovie_Werewolf
-- Harry Potter 1 (trailer)
- TVMovie_BWCat

Action
- TVMovie_Weather
- TVMovie_Fetch

Childrenmovie...
- TVMovie_Fairies
- TV_FamilyFun

Comedy...
- Mime-kat: TVMovie_MimeCat
- Kip: TVMovie_Checkers

Drama...
- TVMovie_PoolTable
- TVMovie_BubbleBath

The principal is the same for having other movies for the different games. You'll just have to save the AVI-file in the folder Games instead of Broadcast.
I haven't tried this!

I'm not responsible for any crashes, explosions or whatever to your game and computer!

Original tutorial written by Lientebollemeis (me) is found here: http://bit.ly/fJb8MB