Skintone downloads not working; thing is, one of my skins is

[Baby Ronno]

I have downloaded the CEP package manual installation from MTS 2, and I did as I was instructed in the Mac manual.  I put the color package in the "Sims 3D" folder.  But three of my skins that I have downloaded are not appearing.  But a previously downloaded skin is:brain: They are all zip files, and all of my downloads, be it game mods to eye recolors, are working perfectly, so long as they are zip files, but my new skins aren't.  I am postitive that they are mac friendly, I checked them thoroughly before I downloaded.  Did I not install them properly?

[Baby Ronno]

Apparently no one has a clue as to what I'm talking about.  And to keep this topic from being eventually deleted, I have also downloaded a skin tone from InSim this morning, and this one hasn't shown up either.  This has been very frustrating, because I have 1 good working skintone with no problems whatsoever.  Any help at all would be appreciated.

[Mi-chii]

Baby_Ronno, I am also awaiting reply on some questions, but there are few mac-users, so you gotta be patient, someone who can help you will hopefully drop by soon

And don't worry, your thread won't be deleted

[Marhis]

They are all zip files, and all of my downloads, be it game mods to eye recolors, are working perfectly, so long as they are zip files, but my new skins aren't.

I'm not sure I have understood: you mean you put your custom downloads unzipped? I mean, with extension .zip instead of .package?
In that case, are those not-working new skins with .rar extension?

If I understand this correctly, then custom stuff works even if unzipped (I didn't know, but somehow it may be). That would explain your problem completely: "zip" and "rar" are compressed files, not the regular ones (which have a .package extension instead); while Mac OS natively supports zip compression, it doesn't do the same with rar compression.
Solution is to uncompress these files.

[Baby Ronno]

I'm not sure I have understood: you mean you put your custom downloads unzipped? I mean, with extension .zip instead of .package?
In that case, are those not-working new skins with .rar extension?

If I understand this correctly, then custom stuff works even if unzipped (I didn't know, but somehow it may be). That would explain your problem completely: "zip" and "rar" are compressed files, not the regular ones (which have a .package extension instead); while Mac OS natively supports zip compression, it doesn't do the same with rar compression.
Solution is to uncompress these files.

None of the downloads are rar files or package files.  I don't know what I've done wrong; I have asked this question on MTS 2 as well, and one of the creators suggested that I take a look at their faq titled "Custom content not showing up? READ THIS!", but it only told me to click "Enable custon content" in the game options, which I have already done.  

All of the skins are zip files, but only one is working.  I was hoping that someone here had experienced the same problem and be able to help me.

I'm such a computer dummy, LOL.  I took the files out of the folder that they came in, THEN put them in the downloads folder.  The downloads are working perfectly now.

[Marhis]

Wait, but the fact all that stuff is zipped is not a regular thing, anyway. Probabily, the system recognizes what's inside anyway, at least in some conditions, but you have to decompress those zip files in any case: they're not supposed to be used in that "zipped" format.

Then, subfolder the result as you want, that's recommended, also, for organization purpose, but the correct files (.packages), not the archives (.zip).

[rosidbon]

When you download a file to the desktop and it is a zip file icon, you doulbe click on the zip file. The zip will be uncopressed by the mac and 1 or more package. files, usually a read me file and sometimes a JPEG file will appear on the desktop.You can read the read me file and then bin it and you can look at the JPEG file  but the only files that you put into your downloads folder is the package. file. The folder is found in Users/ your name/documents/EA games/TheSims2/Downloads
rar. files may need 'Unrar' for mac which is a free download and should be easily found via google . You do the same double click on the rar icons and place the decopressed package. file in the downloads folder. If you are downloading a whole sim or building, or sometimes walls and floors they may come as a Pack file . These files DO NOT go into the downloads folder. you double click on these icons and the Pack installer dialogue box will appear, just follow the instructions. Don't try to install Pack files while you have the game running, wait until you have quit the game.
On some sites you may find some cc that you want, and it says that it is a rar. file, but when you try to dowload it all that happens is you get a whole load of text in the browser window and nothing on the desktop. This is because there are differant types of rar. files out there and creators don't all use the same programs to make their content. The Mac will sometimes find these files difficult to see and will not download them. The way around this is to control/click on the download link . a pop up will appear, click on  'download file to desktop'. A txt. file will appear on the desktop and you just drop it onto Unrar and it will be decompressed onto the desktop as package. file , etc.
Hope this helps anyone finding all this a problem