FAQ

 

Saying this I dissociate explicitly from all content of all sites linked from this homepage. Only the creators of these pages are responsible for all contents and the appearance and I don’t have any influence on it.

Downloading and using of all things from this site is on your own risk. Neither Maxis nor I are responsible for any errors these downloads may cause on your computer.
Of course everything was tested and works on my computer, without causing any problems. However there could occur problems in particular if you are using downloads from other sites, too.

 
What muss I do with all the stuff, I have downloaded here, to work in my game?

First you need a program, which is able to extract .zip-files, like WinZip for example. Nearly all skins and objects on my site come as .zip-files. This way they are smaller, I save web space and the download is finished faster. However the game is not able to read these files so that you have to extract them first.

The files have to be extracted into certain folders to appear in the game or can be relocated into these subsequently. In general you have to put:

-all .iff-files into the folder c:\programs\maxis\the sims\downloads (whereas you can create as many subfolders as you like)
-all .bmp-, .skn- and .cmx-files into the folder c:\programs\maxis\the sims\game data\skins (whereas you mustn’t create any subfolders)


What are .iff-, .bmp-, .skn- and .cmx-files?

Most .iff-files are objects, like furniture, doors, plants, etc.
The .bmp-files are the actual skins, the clothes for the sims.
The .skn-files specify the body form, for example if the sim wears trousers or a skirt, a short skirt or a long one, etc. And the .cmx-file is a file, which joins the .bmp- and .skn-file so that a trouser leg in deed appears at the trouser leg and not at the sleeve.

 

I’ve downloaded a skin, but it doesn’t appear in the game. What’s the matter with it?

Make sure that the skin actually is in the skins folder and that it’s not only the .zip-file but the extracted skin. Furthermore make sure that you have no subfolders in the skins folder, because the game doesn’t access these subfolders.

Note that a skin consists of three files, the .bmp-, .skn- and .cmx-files. The .bmp-file is the actual skin. The .cmx- and .skn-file are the so-called mesh. You need all three to make the skin appear in the game. But you have to download the mesh separately. It’s not included in the skins’ zip. The link to the mesh is located under the link to the skin. But you have to download the mesh only once, no matter how many appendant skins you have.

 

What is a .rar-file and whereto must I put it to work in the game?
At heart a .rar-file is nearly the same as a .zip-file, with the difference that a .rar-file is even smaller than a .zip-file. You need a program which is able to extract .rar-files, WinRar for example. The content of the file has to be put into the same folders as the content of the .zip-files.
 
I like your stuff that much, what I would like to offer it on my own site for download. Am I allowed to do it?

No, you are not. If you offer the things on your site, you’ll give the impression that you created these things, even if you mention me as the creator. But as I made these things, I want receive special honour for it.

 

May I send your creations via e-mail to my friends?

It isn’t forbidden and even if it was, I wouldn’t recognise it at all. However it is more likely to me if you download the stuff directly from my page. My site offers a bit more than simply the downloads, which you will miss if you receive it via e-mail. Furthermore you can write something into my guestbook and I like it to watch my counter rise and rise.

 

May I recolor your objects and offer them on my own site for download?

Yes, most objects are free to recolor. If you offer them for download on your site, than please write that the original objects are created by me, Stev84, and put a link back to my site.

Apart from this rule are all beds and living room-seat (sofas, armchairs). These are not to be recolored without written permission. Furthermore some objects are based on objects created by others. These objects are marked on the download-pages. You may use the graphics of these objects but I can’t allow cloning them. Therefor you must ask the original creators.

 

And what’s with the skins? May I recolor them or use parts of them for my own skins?

No, I don’t want my skins to be changed in any way, it’s that simple.

You also my not alter the meshes, as far as they are not made by Maxis. All meshes, which are not made by Maxis, neither are made by me. If you want to alter them you have to contact the mesh creators.