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New Mac user... is custom content possible with the Sims 2 on macs?

P

Poingish

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 21, 2008
2
0
Hi guys, I'm new here, and I haven't used Macintosh for long, so excuse the dumb question..:rolleyes:. I looked through some other threads in hope of finding my question but I couldn't really find what I wanted to ask, so here I go... I don't have the Mac version of the Sims on my new computer yet, but I'm a little curious about it. I used to play the Windows version of the Sims and I'm just wondering whether or not I can use the same custom content I used to. Can I download from the same websites that I used before to get my content? Do I need to do something different to get it to work? How do I install the custom content? - I'd be really grateful for some answers, and thanks a lot for reading. :eek: Oh yeah, and sorry if this is a repeat.
 
Yes they will work..at least the ones I've tried have worked. Just copy the files manually to Documents\EAGames\The Sims 2\Downloads folder. If you don't have a Downloads folder then create it. Clicking on the pkg files won't install them as it does in Windows.

Edit: The first time you start up the game after installing the files, it should ask you if you want to enable the custom content. Click Yes. Once the game loads, shut it down and restart the game, to start using your custom content.
 
I've never posted for help on this before but I'm at that point where I want to just rip the hair out of my head and pretend that the Sims 2 does not exist! I keep placing custom content that I download in the downloads folder yet it still will not show up in my game. I have enabled my custom content, have all the meshes and I just cannot figure out why this is. When I had my PC I used the sim file maid 2 to install downloads because it wouldn't work for me then either.

I'm just wondering if anyone knows what I might be doing wrong?
 
Installing/downloading Custom Content

I'm really ready to quit and just sell my sims 2. I just switched to a mac and I have no idea how to install custom content. ive read sooo many forums and downloaded so many different things and i'm just confused. So far, i've made a downloads folder in my sims folder on my hard drive. i've downloaded stuffit expander as well as woohoo. I just dont know how to even use any of it. When I think i may have got it, i start my game and my custom content is no where to be found. SOmeone PLEASE HELP. I'm going crazY!!
 
Bedelson,

I was in your place (as you can see, above). I finally figured out that if I downloaded custom content and it came in a folder, I had to take the custom content out of the folder and then put it in the downloads folder. In other words, there can be no folders INSIDE the downloads folder (at least for my game). Also, some .rar files won't work but .zip's and .packages all seem to work now.

I don't know if any of that will help but that's what I had issues with. I'm still struggling with my .rar files (some will show up and some won't) but I'm trying not to give up. If you need some more help, just keep posting!
 
Actually you can open .rar files and put them into your Sims download folder. Just download the free MacUnPack application from HERE
 
I believe you need 2 files called '_EnableColorOptionsGMND.package' (place it in your downloads folder) and '_EnableColorOptionsMMAT.package' which needs to go in your 'tsdata/res/sims3d folder for custom content to show up.

Should find it here: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?p=768281

EDIT: Also many custom downloads require certain editions of the game to be installed like Nightlife and University. Without those two most of the custom content I've found won't appear.
 
No you don't need those for custom content to show up. I have heaps and Sim 2 works perfectly.

Just download what custom content you want (as long as you have the applicable expansion pack for it) and place it into your user-documents-EA Games-The Sims 2-Downloads folder.

If there is no Downloads folder in that location then you just make one there yourself (I did). Make sure you name it "Downloads" (without the inverted commas).

When you start up your game and go into a town you will be asked if your would like to enable custom content, just say yes. If this doesn't happen then go into the setup and check the "enable custom content" and restart the Sims 2.
 
I need some major help! I cannot get any of my custom content to work on my mac! I have done everything that you guys have suggested, but nothing is working. I have been trying to figure out how to get the content to show up in my game for hours. Someone plz give me some advice on what I am doing wrong!:confused:
 
Help!

Someone needs to respond to me! Okay?

I am about to break sims 2 right now . I am so frustrated.

I have a Mac OS X.

Ok, so I went onto PeggySims 2, right? I downloaded meshes, the real things, everything, and I downloaded so so so much. After about an hour of researching, I finally figured out how to unzip the folders. As I unzipped them little blue folders appeared behind each of the documents. I went under Documents, EA Games, Sims 2, ect. There was NO DOWNLOAD FOLDER. So I made one. I copied and pasted all the folders alongside the documents into this new download folder. I must have tried to play Sims 2 100 times! And when I went to options, it said that the custom content was already on. So I had no clue how to change that. I went into create a family and there was nothing that I had downloaded. I removed the little blue folders from the downloads folder under EA Games and all and it still didn't work! I really really need help because I've been trying for 3 hours [no exaggeration] so somebody please post a helping response!:confused:
 
You don't need to have them in folders within the downloads folder. Make sure you have no .rar files in there as they have to be un-rar'd as well.
 
andreana6 said:
Someone needs to respond to me! Okay?

I am about to break sims 2 right now . I am so frustrated.

I have a Mac OS X.

Ok, so I went onto PeggySims 2, right? I downloaded meshes, the real things, everything, and I downloaded so so so much. After about an hour of researching, I finally figured out how to unzip the folders. As I unzipped them little blue folders appeared behind each of the documents. I went under Documents, EA Games, Sims 2, ect. There was NO DOWNLOAD FOLDER. So I made one. I copied and pasted all the folders alongside the documents into this new download folder. I must have tried to play Sims 2 100 times! And when I went to options, it said that the custom content was already on. So I had no clue how to change that. I went into create a family and there was nothing that I had downloaded. I removed the little blue folders from the downloads folder under EA Games and all and it still didn't work! I really really need help because I've been trying for 3 hours [no exaggeration] so somebody please post a helping response!:confused:
Click to expand...


How did you unzip? I'm so confused because I downloaded a mesh and can't figure out how to put it on my macbook. Someone help!!
 
frankiej23 said:
no one can help me?
Click to expand...

I'm having problems myself but I think I can answer your question, frankie.

All I have to do to unzip is once the zipped icon appears on my desktop I just double click it and it unzips and a blue folder is placed on top of the zipped one. I then drag that blue folder to my downloads folder. Now, having said that, not even half of my CC shows up in my game so maybe I'm not even doing THAT right.
 
Read the answers already posted

So much frustration for issues that have been answered... if you read several posts back kgreer02 pointed out that to make her content work, she had to take all the custom content out of the folders they came in and put them directly in the downloads folder:

I finally figured out that if I downloaded custom content and it came in a folder, I had to take the custom content out of the folder and then put it in the downloads folder. In other words, there can be no folders INSIDE the downloads folder (at least for my game).
Click to expand...


So, don't just drag your downloaded folders directly into the Downloads folder - open the folder and drag the contents to the Downloads folder.


Also, to open .rar files (which work the same as zip files, they just have a different name) you can download a free program called UnRarX (http://www.unrarx.com/). To open .zip files, if you are having trouble with the built-in Mac capability, you can download Stuffit (http://my.smithmicro.com/mac/stuffitexpander/index.html), which is another free program.
 
wow, really late...

ummm heyy... im kinda new here, so this is my first post. but i just recently switched to a mac, and when i try to download content for the sims 2 i put it in the downloads folder. i start the game and then it shuts down. can anyone help?:confused:
 
problems- but not the same stuff

Can I install too many things for Sims 2 Mac OS X 10.5.6?

Sorry to be so specific, but I'm not a computer person. However, from what I understood from Mod Sims 2 "Fracking", I downloaded beautiful new things correctly yesterday and played immediately after and this worked! However, today, I downloaded tons of new stuff which resulted in Sims 2 either freezing or stopping mid-download ("relaunch").

I'm confused because I did the same process today as yesterday and followed all of the steps previously mention in this thread and others to try to fix these things but nothing has worked. In fact, I have worked to the point of troubleshooting by deleting folders one at a time and launching Sims 2 to see if it would work (ahh, that song : /). I did well enough and got Sims to finally finish loading, but once I am to the point of choosing which town to play on, my game freezes and I am forced to force shutdown...

Anyways, I think I'm just going to scrap and start over but leave my folder contents on my desktop... have I just reached the maximum power/space? I hope not...

Thank you!!!
 
gigantor10 said:
Can I install too many things for Sims 2 Mac OS X 10.5.6?

Sorry to be so specific, but I'm not a computer person. However, from what I understood from Mod Sims 2 "Fracking", I downloaded beautiful new things correctly yesterday and played immediately after and this worked! However, today, I downloaded tons of new stuff which resulted in Sims 2 either freezing or stopping mid-download ("relaunch").

I'm confused because I did the same process today as yesterday and followed all of the steps previously mention in this thread and others to try to fix these things but nothing has worked. In fact, I have worked to the point of troubleshooting by deleting folders one at a time and launching Sims 2 to see if it would work (ahh, that song : /). I did well enough and got Sims to finally finish loading, but once I am to the point of choosing which town to play on, my game freezes and I am forced to force shutdown...

Anyways, I think I'm just going to scrap and start over but leave my folder contents on my desktop... have I just reached the maximum power/space? I hope not...

Thank you!!!
Click to expand...

Hello there.
I couldn't help it, I just had to make an account and reply to you.
You see, this has happened to me more than often.
Normally, this happens when a file is incompatible with your version of Sims.
If it requires EP's (expansion packs) that you do not have, it'll crash your game.
Example.
If you only have the Base Game, and download an item that works if you have "University Expansion Pack" it'll crash your game.
What you can do is simple. Seeing as there is no "clean installer" for macs (yet) you have to do it the hard way.

Google how to make the Sims game window-version (as in, instead of it taking the entire screen, just a window, so in case it freezes, you can quit the program in "Activity Monitor."
I do the following;
I make two folders and put them on the desktop. I name them "Clean" and "check"
You look into the "Downloads" folder in your Sims 2, take out like... let's say, 1/4 of your downloads and put them on the "check" folder. Play the game. Does it crash? Then the files that you took off are obviously not the problem, so you pass them on to "clean", and you do so until you find that your game isn't crashing anymore. When your game stops crashing, then the one you had just moved to the "check" folder must've been corrupted. So start dividing those up until you find the problem.

If you can, try to remove them with the same names. For example, it might've been a file called... "Batman.package" that crashed your game. Well, look for all the other "Batman1.package" files and so on. I hope this way easy to understand...
 
Ladybug said:
Yes they will work..at least the ones I've tried have worked. Just copy the files manually to Documents\EAGames\The Sims 2\Downloads folder. If you don't have a Downloads folder then create it. Clicking on the pkg files won't install them as it does in Windows.

Edit: The first time you start up the game after installing the files, it should ask you if you want to enable the custom content. Click Yes. Once the game loads, shut it down and restart the game, to start using your custom content.
Click to expand...

I don't have a folder called Documents\EAGames\The Sims 2, so I suppose you just mean create a Downloads folder in my Sims 2 game folder. That's fine, but is this just for objects? I am guessing you put skins in the Skins folder.
 
A strange thing happened yesterday. Just before my previous post, I had checked my Documents folder and searched with Spotlight for "EA Games" and it wasn't there. Yesterday, I switched on about 3:25 pm, and started reading the instructions for installing CEP, which of course told me to look for EA Games in Documents, and this it was there, saying "today 3:30 pm" - I have no idea how this happened, but I went on to create a Downloads folder and CEP, at least, is working.

Strange and mysterious are the ways of computers.
 
Skins

I forgot to add: skins that I have downloaded are apparently to be placed in Documents/EA...etc./Saved Sims. This is another folder I don't have or at least can't see. I suppose I can create one, but where should it be exactly?
 
Ladybug said:
Yes they will work..at least the ones I've tried have worked. Just copy the files manually to Documents\EAGames\The Sims 2\Downloads folder. If you don't have a Downloads folder then create it. Clicking on the pkg files won't install them as it does in Windows.

Edit: The first time you start up the game after installing the files, it should ask you if you want to enable the custom content. Click Yes. Once the game loads, shut it down and restart the game, to start using your custom content.
Click to expand...

well I did everything but when i start the game it dosnt ask me anything and i have tryed a lot and i do everything right! i am confused can some ne PLZ help me:confused:
 
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