Dr. Know-It-All's Diatribe No.2. - Installing Downloads.

[BeosBoxBoy]

Downloads come in a variety of forms:
   7z - see RAR Files below
Ace - see RAR Files below
ALZ - requires AlZip - see below for link
DGCA - rare - but used on several Japanese language Sims 2 sites - requires Digital G Codec Archiver (DCGA) (link) Japanese only
GCA - rare - but used on several Japanese language Sims 2 sites - requires G Compression Archiver (GCA) (link) Japanese only
KGB - requires KGB Archiver (link)
LHA - Although no longer much used in the West, LHA remains popular in Japan, most of the programmes listed below will open these files.
LZH - see WinRAR below
Package - which need only move into the Downloads folder to use, no further action is required.
PAQ8F - requires PeaZip (link)
PAQ8JD -  requires PeaZip (link)
PAQ8L -  requires PeaZip (link)
PEA -  requires PeaZip (link)
QUAD -  requires PeaZip (link)
Rar - see RAR Files below
Sims2Pack - which you need only double click to install.
Sims2Skin - rare, but still out there, which you need only double click to install
SimsLSPack - Sims Life Stories version of Sims2Pack, does not work with The Sims 2's Package Installer - see below for additional information.
Sit - requires Stuffit Expander - see below for link
Zip - see RAR Files below

RAR Files

Make sure you unpack the RAR-files (as well as many other compressed files) with one of the below:

PC-users:
WinRAR ($ PC: http://www.rarlabs.com/) -- continues to work after 30-day trial with only a "buy it" nag
7zip (free PC: http://www.7-zip.org/)
AlZip (free PC: http://www.altools.net/)
TUGZip (free PC: http://www.tugzip.com/)
Filzip (free PC: http://www.filzip.com/)
IZArc (free PC: http://www.izarc.org/)
UnzipThemAll (free PC: http://www.herve-thouzard.com/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=6)
ICEOWS  (free PC: http://www.iceows.com/)
Stuffit ($ Mac & PC: http://www.stuffit.com/) - Stuffit Expander is free and remains after the 30-day free trial of the full software

Of these, IZArc is the best, supporting: 7-ZIP, A, ACE, ARC, ARJ, B64, BH, BIN, BZ2, BZA, C2D, CDI, CAB, CPIO, DEB, ENC, GCA, GZ, GZA, HA, IMG, ISO, JAR, LHA, LIB, LZH, MBF, MDF, MIM, NRG, PAK, PDI, PK3, RAR, RPM, TAR, TAZ, TBZ, TGZ, TZ, UUE, WAR, XXE, YZ1, Z, ZIP, ZOO file types.

Mac-users:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
**If you are using Safari, to download a .RAR file you will have to hold down
**the control button (the one on the end, not the apple button) and then click
**the link and a menu will pop up. Select Download Linked File.
**Another option is to download and use Camino
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stuffit ($ Mac & PC: http://www.stuffit.com/) - Stuffit Expander is free
**Some Mac Users report corrupt packages from using Stuffit 10
**check for an upgrade to Stuffit 11 or use UnRarX
UnRarX (free Mac: http://unrarx.sourceforge.net/)
Zipeg (free Mac: http://www.zipeg.com/) - much more robust, flexible and has fewer complaints that either Stuffit and UnRarX.
The Unarchiver (free Mac: http://wakaba.c3.cx/s/apps/unarchiver.html) - much more robust, flexible and has fewer complaints that either Stuffit and UnRarX.

or some similar software, place the extracted files in your Downloads folder
(one of the following):

WINDOWS VISTA

C:\Users\*your-windows-username*\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads

Special Figure - The Vista Documents Folder - click image to enlarge

Windows XP

[/B][/U]

C:\Documents and Settings\*your-windows-username*\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads

Windows 98, 98 SE, & Millennium Edition

[/B][/U]

C:\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads

MacOS X

Home/EA Games/ The Sims 2/Downloads

Special Figure - The Mac Home Folders - click image to enlarge


other possible locations are:

   Documenti\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads (italian)
Dokumentumok\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads (hungarian)
Dokumenty\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads (czech)
Eigene Dateien\EA Games\Die Sims 2\Downloads (deutsch)
Mes documents\EA Games\Les Sims 2\Downloads (française)
Meus Documentos\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads (portuguese)
Mijn documenten\EA Games\De Sims 2\Downloads (nederlands)
Mine dokumenter\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads (norsk)
Mis documentos\EA Games\Los Sims 2\Downloads (español)
Moje dokumenty\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads (polish)
My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads (english and many others)
Omat tiedostot\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads (finnish)
Мои Документы\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads (russian)

Although NightLife adds the ability for sub-folders there seems to be
various problems with custom clothing/genetic meshes and their
recolours being in sub-folders, so I have to recommend you do not
place everything in a sub-folder.

here is a visual step by step guide for the process that should help make every thing clear to you.

Figure 1. (click to enlarge)


Figure 2. (click to enlarge)


Figure 3. (click to enlarge)


Figure 4. (click to enlarge)


Figure 5. (click to enlarge)


Figure 6. (click to enlarge)


Figure 7. (click to enlarge)


If you see a Maxis default clothing instead of a bodybuilder, then the
game is not recognising the mesh or the mesh is missing.  Please make
sure to install the meshes before asking for help, almost always the
place you find the download will include a link to the mesh.

In some instances, the mesh is being over-ridden by a Maxis built-in mesh.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is a Mesh? see this excellent explanation by Jase439 in this thread
http://www.insimenator.org/showthread.php?t=6567
------------------------------------------------------------------------

In layman's terms, a Sim's clothing consists of two parts: the texture (commonly
"skin" or "recolour") and a mesh.  Meshes are always required in some form or
another - some are already in the game as they were made by Maxis, these are
named "default" skins/meshes.  Those made by people not employed by Maxis are
"custom" skins/meshes.

This is not to be confused with a genetic skin tone.  The same classification of
"default" and "custom" still applies here as well.

The custom clothing will show up in categories with a * on the corner of the
thumbnail preview.

To use the genetic skin tones - in sections 1 of the Create-a-Sim,
create-a-student, or create-a-family (called different names in the various
versions of the game) you will see the skin tone colours you need to click the *
you will find there by the darkest skin tone colour visible without the *.

Some genetic skin tones require meshes; these meshes are usually linked
on the page you located the skin tone.

So if you want to use the clothing you see in posts, you need to have the
Skin part and the Mesh part; the colour of the flesh is not important.  These
clothes will work on any colour of flesh default or custom.

Special thanks to HugeLunatic for help with Mac portions of this FAQ.

[BeosBoxBoy]

Special considerations

Not all downloads are meant for use in all versions of the game.  Some items require that you have a particular Expansion Pack or Stuff Pack installed before they will work.

Also, some things made with Pets EP in mind will not work at all unless you have Pets EP installed.  Objects cannot be repaired for use with non-Pets versions of the games, but misbehaving clothing, genetics, and the like can be manually repaired by following the steps outlined in this tutorial.

Custom Terrains/Neighbourhood Templates

The terrains & the accompanying PNGs you download go into the SC4Terrains folder in your save file folders:

Windows Vista
C:\Users\*your-windows-username*\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\SC4Terrains

Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\*your-windows-username*\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\SC4Terrains

Windows 98 & Windows Millenium Edition
C:\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\SC4Terrains

MacOS X
~Home/EA Games/The Sims 2/SC4Terrains

Custom CAS Screens

Custom CAS screens are a bit more tricky - you can only have one custom CAS installed at a time, this is VERY important!  Game crashing will occur if you have more than one!  Be careful and make sure the CAS you are downloading was not made with an EP you do not have!  If you are making a custom CAS after installing Seasons EP make certain to add a roof to the building!  Failure to add a roof to the building will result in sims freezing or dying in CAS resulting in a crash if you dwaddled over-long in making the family!

But otherwise you can just plop it in the main Downloads folder.

Windows Vista
C:\Users\*your-windows-username*\Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads

Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\*your-windows-username*\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads

Windows 98 & Windows Millenium Edition
C:\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads

MacOS X
~Home/EA Games/The Sims 2/Downloads

Collection files

Collections packages go in a special folder:

   My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Collections

Lighting Mods, Custom Modular Stairs, Custom Fireplaces, etc

Certain game modifications also require you edit existing files or add them to some folder outside the Downloads folder.  Be most cautious and read the posts and read-me files that come with mods, since they may require special care in installation.  Modular Stairs and Lighting Mods are good examples of this sort of thing.

SimsLSPack files

These files are intended for use with Sims Life Stories, but if you change the file extension to Sims2Pack you can extract the files with Sims2Pack Clean Installer for use on The Sims 2.  So far as I know, these files are part of expansion packs available for The Sims 2 and you should not install them if you have the expansion pack that already contains them.

The Sims Life Stories

See the information in the stickies of the section of the help forum set aside specifically for The Sims Life Stories.

[BeosBoxBoy]

Change Log:

Added additional rarely-used compressed file types I discovered being used on some Japanese and other Asian sites.

Added information about MacOS X & Windows Vista

Added information about custom CAS screens

Added information about custom terrains

Added information about collection files

Added information about the Sims freezing in CAS bug and how to avoid it

Added information about Sims Life Stories and associated files