Package/Sims3Pack Editors

Download at your own risk!  The following programs listed on this page are to be used to modify or view the .sims3pack format.  To download, click on the image for the program and it will either start automatically or take you to the proper site where you can find it.

If you happen to come by a broken link or you happen to see a program that is not listed here, please email me at Judhudson@knology.net!

3Viewer
Source: DJS Sims
Copyright: jFade

The 3Viewer aims to be a Sims3Pack Installer, Editor, and overall Download Manager all without using the Launcher provided by EA. Think of it as the Sims 3 version of the Clean Installer with additional content management capabilities.

  • View any type of Sims3Pack file, including content from the store.
  • Properly install the following types of Sims3Pack files: Sims, Households, Lots, Patterns
  • Extract content from any other type of Sims3Pack for experimenting. (Done manually, extracted files are dumped as soon as the Sims3Pack is loaded into the ProgramPath/Temp directory.)

Indie Stone Mod Compatibility Checker
Source: Mod The Sims
Copyright: CaptainBinky

This tool scans your game’s mods folder to make sure you don’t happen to have any mods conflicting with each other.

Merlin (The Sims 3 File Manager)
Source: The Sims Resource
Copyright: jFade

This tool lets you quickly and easily install custom content, mods and other creations in both .sims3pack and .package formats for The Sims 3. You can just as easily uninstall the same content through Merlin’s easy to use Download Management facility.

To make installation safer you have the option to view the content of a file before you install it, giving you complete control over what you install into your game.

Points of note:

  • It’s very fast. Installing/uninstalling a .sims3package file takes seconds instead of up to a minute with the Sims 3 Launcher.
  • Supports both Mac and PC. Since Merlin is written in Java it supports both platforms, making sure noone is left behind. You will need the latest framework of Java available here: http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp.
  • Full preview of the content. You will see all contents of a package including images and every file included, making it easy to decide whether to install it into your game or not.
  • Keeping your downloads organized. With the Download Management facility you have full control over the content installed into your game.
  • On the first run the required framework for installing and using .package files is automatically completed, making sure all you need to worry about is what content to install or not.

Postal
Source: Mod The Sims
Copyright: Echo

Postal is a DBPF3 package editor. That means that it can open up Sims 3 package files, let you poke at their innards, change things around, then save them back into new package files.

S3PE (Sims 3 Package Editor)
Source: Mod The Sims
Copyright: Peter L Jones

This is an advanced package editor which will aid modders to be able to create their own custom objects, along with using the S3oc tool.

Sims3Pack Explorer
Source: Custom Sims 3
Copyright: Okeanos

Tool to examine, extract, replace and modify Sims 3 package content.

Sims3Pack Multi Installer
Source: SimPrograms
Copyright: Delphy

This program was designed to let you install multiple Sims3Pack files.

Sims3Pack Unpacker
Source: SimPrograms
Copyright: Inge

*Note* – Must sign up at their forums in order to use the download link – very quick process that will only take a minute.

Just install it, run it, and use the browser to pick one or more Sims3Pack files, which will proceed to unpack into their constituent parts in their own folders.

Echo’s one is much more shiny, but this could be useful for anyone who hates Java for any reason.

Does not require the S3PI library at this time, but may do later if repackaging features are added.

Sims 3 Dashboard
Source: Mod The Sims
Copyright: Delphy

It’s basically designed to let people easily clear the cache and identify problem content.

This tool has 4 main tasks:

  • To easily show you which games you have, whether or not they have a full framework, and to browse to that games root folder.
  • To show you the contents of the Sims 3 cache files, and clear them
  • To show you all of your custom content in .package format, and display any “corrupted” files, or Sims 2 content, or stuff that just plain wont work.
  • To fix any problems with corrupted files, empty files, generally broken files, and allow you to fix conflicts yourself

Sims 3 EP Compatibility Tool
Source: Mod The Sims
Copyright: DigitalChaos

This utility allows the user to quickly set the EPFlags for various resources in a Sims 3 Package file.

Setting EP Flags on a resource, for one (maybe other reasons too), setting it on the OBJD will make the object in the in-game catalog have the EPs particular icon (such as World Adventure type objects show its icon on the object)

Currently this program supports converting from EP0 to EP1, that is the BaseGame <=> World Adventures. This utility does have support for applying flags for other expansion packs, that have yet to be released by EA – also S3PE seems to have support for other EPFlags besides EP1. (The flags used by S3PE and the S3PI Library are just a set of bitflags)

Sims 3 Framework Installer
Source: Mod The Sims
Copyright: Delphy

This tool is a replacement for the Sims 3 Framework installer part of the Helper Monkey program. It only checks and sets up the Framework to enable you to use .package file custom content with your TS3 games. It does not in any way help you to actually install that content. It is only a framework installer.

Sims 3 Repair Utility
Source: SimsCentral
Copyright: ShanOW

Sims 3 Repair Utility is a general tool for troubleshooting and fixing your Sims 3 game. It features an easier patching tool, backup and restore, log generator, bad package finder and much, much more.

Full feature list:

  • Backup/Restore
  • Cache cleaner
  • Easier Patching Utility
  • Detection of crash logs in Windows temp
  • Full log generator
  • Bad package blacklist and search tool
  • General repair tools

The Compressorizer Redux
Source: DJS Sims
Copyright: jFade

The Compressorizer Redux! will compress DBPF package files to save hard drive space. Just like the Sims 2 Compressorizer, the Sims 3 Compressorizer allows you to pick a directory and will search for all known file extensions utilized by the game. Currently, this includes:

  • .package
  • .dbc
  • .ebc
  • .sim
  • .sims3
  • .world

Functions just like the Sims 2 Compressorizer. Point the program at a directory and it will search for files within that directory and execute the s3rc.exe tool on them.

The Sims Package Selector (Auto load Appropriate Editor)
Source: Mod The Sims
Copyright: DigitalChaos

If you mod for both The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, with this utility you will only have to double-click on a package file and it will automatically load into the correct package editor (fully configurable, of course).

This utility will associate itself as the default program for opening Sims2/Sims3 .package files.

It will determine if it is a Sims2 or Sims3 package and pass it on to the appropriate package editor.
**NOTE: The full path to the package file is passed to the executable, on the commandline, currently if any other “arguments” are required to pass in a filename to the application.

This will work for SimPE, S3PE, and Postal.

TS3 Framework Installer (Mac)
Source: MATY
Copyright: Marhis

Not as cool as Delphy’s Monkey thingy, but it can spare some hassle to us poor Mac users.

What it does:

  • Creates the subfolders’ framework in the correct place.
  • Installs a copy of Resource.cfg, ready for up to 5 subfoldering levels.
  • Installs the custom d3dx9_31.dll, necessary for script mods, like Pes’ awesomemod.
  • Creates an alias of the new Mods subfolder on your Desktop.

Use this installer and you will not have to do the rightclick > ShowPackageContent > manually browse inside the guts of The Sims™ 3.app every fucking time you have to update Resource.cfg or manage your cc/mods packages.

Warning:

If you have already manually installed Resource.cfg file, folders, mods and CC, MOVE THEM OUT in a safe place before running this installer; you can put them back in their Mods/Package subfolder later.

If the installer will found subfolders and Resource.cfg already in place, it will show you the panel with those options unchecked, but if you check them again they will be overwritten by fresh and EMPTY copies, therefore it’s better safe than sorry: you have been warned.

TS3 Install Helper Monkey
Source: ModTheSims
Copyright: Delphy

This tool will automagically set up your game so you can use custom content .package files for The Sims 3. Once set up, you can just double-click the files to put them where they need to go. No need to mess with Resource.cfg yourself or create any folders – just run the program, and from then on, you can just double-click the files.

You still have to double-click files to install, but everything else is done for you!

You can also right-click on a file to send it to a particular folder, so you can have subfolders and keep your downloads organized.

This tool will NOT install files that are in .sims3pack format (the game’s Launcher does that) or .sim format (put those files in your My Documents\Electronic Arts\SavedSims folder). This only works on .package files.

List of features:

  • Setup of a Resource.cfg in the Sims 3 root folder that allows up to 4 levels of arbitrary subfoldering.
  • Automatically creates the Mods\Packages folder under Sims 3 root.
  • Automatically copies in the d3dx9_31.dll file needed for AwesomeMod.
  • Adds 5 right click menus to .package files that automatically copy the clicked-on file to the various Sims 3 install folders.
  • Adds a double-click action to .package files that automatically copies the file to the Sims 3 Root Mods\Packages folder.
  • Supports installing multiple .package files at a time – just highlight the ones you want, right click, install!

TS3 Mod Manager
Source: ModTheSims
Copyright: TheTechnoSim

When you run this application for the first time, it will ask you for your TS3 install directory. Once that’s been set up, you can enter your name and press Configure Mods – what this will do is set up your Resource.cfg file to use mods from …/The Sims 3/Mods/[The Name You Entered], and will create that folder if it doesn’t exist already.

This is only useful if you have more than one user on a single computer, or if you have different sets of mods you would like switch out.

For example, if I were to type in “User” and click Configure Mods, it would create the folder …/The Sims 3/Mods/User in the installation directory. Whatever package files I copied into that directory would be used by the game until I moved them or modified Resource.cfg again.

TS3 Unpacker
Source: Simprograms
Copyright: Echo

This is a fairly simple tool to extract the contents of a sims3pack exported file. Simply choose the sims3pack file when prompted, then select the file to extract and click the “Export Selected” button on the bottom left.

The tool does not currently allow you to re-pack files. It will let you pull out the contained package file, so you should theoretically be able to drop them into the correct place without the launcher. More importantly, it lets you view and edit the contained packages in one of the DBPF viewers.

The code is based on the structure of the files from the briefly available EA exchange site (before they password protected it).

It was built using Java 6, which is therefore required for this to run. It should work on Mac as well as on Windows

TSR Launcher
Source: The Sims Resource
Copyright: jFade

The TSR Launcher is a new tool designed to help you quickly install Sims3Pack files without using the Launcher provided by EA…