Question about collections

[witch]

OK, this should probably be in the retardo thread, but here goes...

I want to put a gnohmon's flamingo on my downtown lot. Just the one that keeps the energy levels up to half. Always seems stupid to me when sims return home and collapse on the footpath with exhaustion in the middle of the day.

Anyway...
I don't see the flamingos or a lot of other content. I make a collection folder named 'hax'. I go to base n'hood. I do not see the collection folder. I make a new collection folder - also called hax. I add all the bits and pieces I want to see downtown.

My problem:
Downtown doesn't see the main hood folder.
The base hood doesn't see the downtown folder.

My question(s):
Either; how do I see all my stuff in downtown? or; how do I make collections universal/global?

I've never bothered much with community lots, but with Nightlife there's a bit more interest, if only gameplay there wasn't time limited by sims energy levels.

I would be thankful for any advice.

[MissDoh]

Though I am really unsure about this, I think you need to create that collection folder while you are in the downtown section and while editing a lot.

This is mostly a guess but I thought it could help you.

[vector]

Pretty tedious stuff, but it's doable.

http://forums.thesimsresource.com/showthread.php?t=267661&highlight=residential+community+objects

Edit: Is this actually what you're asking?

[miramis]

I can help with energy levels, the baristas for the expresso stand haven't been respawning with the patch so it should be safe to use that again (if you have Uni).   With that little thing and a shower (grill or restaurant too) you can keep a sim on a community lot as long as you like.

[witch]

Thanks for your responses everyone.

The post from Carrigon, quoted by vector, should work.
To make your own custom collection:

Make a new collection in buy mode from a home lot.
Save and exit your game. Load up SimPe. Find your collection. You can find it by opening the collections and looking at the text lists in Plugin View. It will show the name of the collection. Just open the collections until you find yours. Once you have the right file, click collection, look at it in Plugin View. Go to the last line. It will say type, dtstring. In the value, change it to communitylotcollection. Click commit. Go to file, save. That's it. Exit SimPe. Load up your game. Go to a community lot. Go to buy mode. Click collections. You new collection should be in there..

 I have a few things I want to show up downtown. I might also try rezoning the lot to residential, placing items, then zoning back to commercial. I wonder if that will do it.

[windy_moon]

Hey witch -

TJ has a static energy sculpture which he's set up for community lots and is NL approved:

http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php?topic=1193.0

...if you'd rather just use that.  It's buyable on community lots without fiddling.

I prefer to use Merola's painting, which is also buyable on community lots.  Sometimes I want to give them an energy boost and sometimes I don't.  (Also, find a hygiene boost is a necessary cheat to party all night and day without green fog everywhere....the painting lets me boost whatever I want for just my Sim or everybody on the lot.)