What needs to go where to make AM work

[katemonster]

So, I swear I'm not as stupid as this question makes me sound, but I know where I am so I expect to get sporked anyway. But maybe someone can also help.

I went around and around to get my game patched and get it loading without hanging eternally on the loading screen (framework fail). That's all well and good, finally, but now AM does not seem to be, in fact, recognized as being in the game. ("Help" gives me a bunch of EAxian cheat codes, "showconfig" and "setconfig" and "destroyallhumans" give "unknown command".) I've tried with AM in the TS3 directory, in the WA directory, with the framework in both directories, or in the WA directory only, all to no effect. ("Framework", I hope, consists of resource.cfg timestamped 5/19/2009 9:51PM in WA, d3dx9_31.dll timestamped 5/20/2009 3:01AM in WA/Game/Bin, and resource.cfg timestamped 5/19/2009 11:26PM in WA/Mods/Files.) I've deleted scriptCache.package from the documents folder every time I've tried a new permutation. I'm using AM timestamped 12/2/2009 10:39AM and have no other custom content.

WTF idiot thing am I doing that makes AM not exist? I know it's stupid. Have as much fun as you please telling me how stupid it is, but I'd be grateful if you'd tell me WHAT it is...

[coconnor]

The framework is the actual Mods>Packages folders and you should put them in both The Sims 3 and the Sims 3/World Adventures directories, as below.

1.  You copy the framework files into both the base game and the expansion directories.  The paths should be something like C:/Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3 and C:/Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/World Adventures.   Leave the empty files in both locations.

2.  Copy the d3dx9_31.dll file into the Game>Bin folder of both the above directories.  Leave those files in both.

3.  Download a new copy of AwesomeMod, unzip it and copy the AwesomeMod file into first The Sims 3 directory.

4.  Copy the Resource.cfg file and paste the copy into The Sims 3 directory, but not into Mods>Packages.

5.  Try the game to see if it works.  If AwesomeMod is working you can tell by typing Ctrl-Shift-C and then typing "showconfig".  If it is working you will see 4 pages of detail about how your personal copy of AwesomeMod is configured.

6.  If that does not work, then take AwesomeMod out of the The Sims 3/Mods/Packages file and paste it into the World Adventures/Mods/Packages folder.  Cut the Resource.cfg file from The Sims 3 directory and paste it into the World Adventures directory (but again, not in Mods>Packages).

7.  Run the game again and repeat the other instructions in Step 5.

If you are using any sub-folders in your Mods>Packages files, change your Resource.cfg file to read as below:

Priority 500
DirectoryFiles Mods/Packages/... autoupdate
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*.package
PackedFile Mods/Packages/*/*/*/*/*.package

[Silent Dreamer]

^ Do you have that post in a text file for quick retrieval? XD I know I've seen that exact post before.

[coconnor]

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.  Either that, or I copy it directly from the last time I posted it.  Saves time & effort.

[wizard_merlin]

Maybe you should make a new thread, title it "How to Install framework and AM", put that info in it, and then get it locked.  Maybe then the dumbfuck noobs that can't seem to search might actually see it in the list and read it before asking the same question again.
 
But then again, maybe they won't.

[katemonster]

DAMNIT.

I had AM and resource.cfg both in the WA folder. FAIL.

Thank you, kind sir or madam...

[katemonster]

Also, fuck you, WM. I'm not interested in playing butthurt-noob games with you, so that's all. Bye now.

[Silent Dreamer]

Also, fuck you, WM. I'm not interested in playing butthurt-noob games with you, so that's all. Bye now.

Yes, cause he was totally just talking about you. He couldn't possibly have meant the fifty other people who asked this same fucking question in the last 48 hours.

Though, protip? There's an edit button around here for a reason.

[coconnor]

Maybe you should make a new thread, title it "How to Install framework and AM", put that info in it, and then get it locked.  Maybe then the dumbfuck noobs that can't seem to search might actually see it in the list and read it before asking the same question again.
 
But then again, maybe they won't.

Good idea.  I'll create the thread and then PM Bast Dawn (if she's still the Global Moderator) and/or Pescado to ask that the thread gets stickied.

Also, fuck you, WM. I'm not interested in playing butthurt-noob games with you, so that's all. Bye now.

Yes, cause he was totally just talking about you. He couldn't possibly have meant the fifty other people who asked this same fucking question in the last 48 hours.

Though, protip? There's an edit button around here for a reason.

katemonster, SilentDreamer is correct.  We have had countless people asking the same question over & over recently.

[wizard_merlin]

Also, fuck you, WM. I'm not interested in playing butthurt-noob games with you, so that's all. Bye now.

I wasn't talking to you, or referring to you, as your problem had been solved, I was addressing Coconnor, as he/she keeps posting that same info time and time again.

[alexpilgrim]

First of all I'm sorry if I'm being one of those annoying persons who ask the same question over and over, but I'd rather ask for help (yeah, this is supposed to be a community) than try the dozens of different configurations and still not be sure I'm doing it right. I really appreciate coconnor's explanations but somehow I can't figure it out...

I would really be nice if someone would be kind enough to tell me what's wrong, my game used to crash at 1 am, now it doesn't even load, it freezes on the black screen before the EA logo.

So, this is what I have:
The Sims 3>Game>Bin>d3dx9_31.dll
The Sims 3>Mods>Files>DDFMap.txt
The Sims 3>Mods>Files>Resource.cfg
The Sims 3>Mods>Packages>Awesome.package
The Sims 3>Resource.cfg

The Sims 3 World Adventures>Game>Bin>d3dx9_31_dll
The Sims 3 World Adventures>Mods>Files>DDFMap.txt
The Sims 3 World Adventures>Mods>Files>Resource.cfg
The Sims 3 World Adventures>Mods>Packages>CC (no hacks)
The Sims 3 World Adventures>Resource.cfg

I see a lot of Resource.cfg files there, but which ones am I supposed to get rid of?

And if you really want to start dumb-blonde-bashing, go ahead, I'll just assume you don't know the answer either... 

[Zichi]

There's no need to keep posting in this thread, Coconnor just posted one regarding this issue.

Anyway, The resource.cfg's go in either the WA directory or the base game directory, not both. The d3dx's go in both directories.

[alexpilgrim]

Thanks for your help! 

[coconnor]

From what you've said, d3dx9_31.dll seems to be placed correctly in both directories. (I don't know about the file DDFMAP.txt file, or if it's necessary.) Secondly, there should be no "Mod>Files" - it's "Mods>Packages" only.  And, from what you've reported, the Resource.cfg file is within the The Sims 3>Mods>Files (or) Packages - this is incorrect.  It should be simply in The Sims 3.  I have no Mods>Files whatever, in either directory and mine works.

The same information would apply to what you've reported in the World Adventures directory.  So, what I would suggest is to delete the Mods>Files folders from both directories (cut & paste them to your desktop).  To start, also remove the Resource.cfg file from your World Adventures directory since you have AweomeMod in the Sims 3>Mods>Packages.  Then try your game.  If it still does not work, then move AwesomeMod to the World Adventures>Mods>Packages folder and move the Resource.cfg file to World Adventures (not in Mods>Packages).  Try the game again.

You seem to have extra files in your set-up.

[alexpilgrim]

I was also wondering what the Mods>Files folder was (seamed like an awful lot of files to me), but I installed it because it came with the last framework I downloaded and I didn't know if it had anything to do with WA...

Thanks a lot for your answer (I didn't post in your other thread because you asked it to be locked so I wasn't sure)

[coconnor]

Yes, I've PM'd BastDawn & Pescado to ask that the thread be stickied and locked, so you were right not to post there.  Does it work now?

[alexpilgrim]

So far yes, thanks a lot, at least game didn't crash at 1am. I have to go because it's 9 am here and I'm late for work but I'll test some more this evening and report if I have any trouble (though I don't think so, now everything makes more sense)
 

[Simsample]

The framework is the actual Mods>Packages folders and you should put them in both The Sims 3 and the Sims 3/World Adventures directories, as below.

1.  You copy the framework files into both the base game and the expansion directories.  The paths should be something like C:/Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3 and C:/Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/World Adventures.   Leave the empty files in both locations.

2.  Copy the d3dx9_31.dll file into the Game>Bin folder of both the above directories.  Leave those files in both

Why on earth are you telling people to install the framework to two locations? To be correct, you definitely need the d3dx9_31.dll file in the same folder as the game executable that you are running (in this case, in the World Adventures Directory) and the rest of the framework can seemingly go in either the WA or basegame directories. But not both. For tidiness I would put the whole lot in the WA directories and done with it.

[coconnor]

Because there have been an incredibly large amount of people who have the problem with the game not loading and not recognizing custom content in package files (to include AwesomeMod).  It doesn't hurt to the have the framework (Mods>Packages files only) in both directories.  But the actual package files need to be moved to one or the other (whichever works for the individual).  For instance, mine wouldn't run from the basegame directory and had to be moved to World Adventures.  But, for instance, Pescado has said his works from basegame.  There have been a flood of these questions since the patches and the expansion.

It actually works this way ... which is helpful to those with the problems.

[Lady Moiraine]

The Sims 3>Mods>Files>DDFMap.txt
The Sims 3>Mods>Files>Resource.cfg

That Files folder is nothing for us, it's part of the AM framework.  Your actual resource.cfg file that starts the game should be in Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3.  In that same folder (The Sims 3) you should have Mods\Packages.

The ONLY file you need in the The Sims 3 World Adventures is the .dll file and that goes in BOTH places, the Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin AND Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 World Adventures\Game\Bin.  It does not hurt to have that .dll file duplicated --- at least I have not had any trouble running my game this way.  If you use sub folders, coconnor has the correct resource.cfg file.  But that is a different one than the one in the framework folder (Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Mods\Files), leave that one alone--leave that entire Files folder alone.  If you look there are 8 resource.cfg files throughout the Sims 3 folders, the ONLY one we are concerned with is in the Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 and that file is the one responsible for your game starting or not.

[Simsample]

Because there have been an incredibly large amount of people who have the problem with the game not loading and not recognizing custom content in package files (to include AwesomeMod).  It doesn't hurt to the have the framework (Mods>Packages files only) in both directories.  But the actual package files need to be moved to one or the other (whichever works for the individual).  For instance, mine wouldn't run from the basegame directory and had to be moved to World Adventures.  But, for instance, Pescado has said his works from basegame.  There have been a flood of these questions since the patches and the expansion.

It actually works this way ... which is helpful to those with the problems.

Doing it that way is messy and is making it easy for people to have duplicate mod folders with files in. You should have the .dll file in the WA directory only, not in both as Lady Moiraine states. The copy in the basegame directory would be superfluous. And the framework files can go in either the basegame or the WA directories, but again a second copy would be superfluous. If you get in the habit of leaving extra files in the game data folders then you run the risk of causing errors with future updates or expansions. It would be better to advise people to clean up as they go along and remove the unneeded files, especially since some people may inadvertently copy their custom content to the wrong folder.

[Silent Dreamer]

Actually, I can't even run the game with mods if I don't have the .dll in both and my mods in the base game folder. So, no, you're wrong in this instance and coconnor is right in doing an "all in one sweep" how to. His method addresses both the mac and pc versions of the game, whereas your method is only addressing the pc version.

[Lady Moiraine]

You should have the .dll file in the WA directory only, not in both as Lady Moiraine states.

I'll remove the .dll file from the Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin folder and see how it runs.  I know without that file in the WA folder, the game would not run for me, so I copied it.  There has been so much mis-information posted in many forums on where these folders and files go, it has been confusing.  Thanks for the advice, I'll give it a whirl now and check it out.

**********************

Update, my game is running fine.  I removed the .dll file from the Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin and kept it in the WA folder and no problems. 

[Silent Dreamer]

You should have the .dll file in the WA directory only, not in both as Lady Moiraine states.

I'll remove the .dll file from the Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Game\Bin folder and see how it runs.  I know without that file in the WA folder, the game would not run for me, so I copied it.  There has been so much mis-information posted in many forums on where these folders and files go, it has been confusing.  Thanks for the advice, I'll give it a whirl now and check it out.

The mac version finds its files wonky compared to the PC, so if you're testing this for a PC, it is still irrelevant to coconnor having a "one size fits all" how-to-do-this thread. He states pretty specifically to try one directory with the mods/packages folder, and if it doesn't work to try the other directory. If people are reading properly (which we all promote here) then there is no risk of having dup mods/packages setups.

[wizard_merlin]

Doing it that way is messy and is making it easy for people to have duplicate mod folders with files in. You should have the .dll file in the WA directory only, not in both as Lady Moiraine states. The copy in the basegame directory would be superfluous. And the framework files can go in either the basegame or the WA directories, but again a second copy would be superfluous. If you get in the habit of leaving extra files in the game data folders then you run the risk of causing errors with future updates or expansions. It would be better to advise people to clean up as they go along and remove the unneeded files, especially since some people may inadvertently copy their custom content to the wrong folder.

I believe (from memory) Pescado also said to place the .dll file in both directories, and leave everything else where they were in the base game.  Then the issues started, people claiming that didn't work for them, and linking to sites saying to dump everything in WA, and duplicate this but not that, and different people claiming different configurations did not work for them.  Not being able to see everyone's computer it is impossible to know whether they actually did everything right or not.  Personally, I suspect many people claiming the different setups were not working probably screwed up the setup and in moving everything around managed to fluke a combination that worked without knowing what they did.

Following Pescado's advice I duplicated the .dll file, and then by my own choice I also duplicated the resource.cfg file into WA, and left the mods/packages in the base game.  Has worked perfectly ever since, and I don't see that 1 or 2 maybe superfluous files is that much of a big deal.  As for the updates, surely you have seen the number of people bitching about not being able to update anyway, even without AM and mods, even reports that people who dumped the EAxis made families from the library were also unable to updated because of the changed files.  If the files are superfluous and not game files read by the updater, then the game will ignore them, it always has in the past for me.

If you have been reading the number of posts about the different set-ups not working, and people claiming they can't make it work, and offerring 100% guarantees, even their first born, as proof they set everything up right, as per the instructions, but it still doesn't work, then it becomes really, really hard to help anyone.  If a couple of superfluous files, that really do not impact anything, is the price to pay to help people with a very substandard, below basic comprehension of their computers workings, that is nothing.  If telling to people duplicate the framework into both sets of folders is making it work, then that is the easiest, and best way to do it.

Otherwise, feel free to respond to the many, many questions about how to set up the framework, and why isn't it working questions.  We have been getting sick and tired of repeating everything, and listening to all the assertions about how everything it just right but still not working (some people have the balls to come back and admit to screwing it up, but very, very few).  It doesn't matter where you go, what site, there are still so many different instructions about how to set everything up with WA, then a one size fits all set of instructions becomes the easiest way to do it, AND IT WORKS.