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View Full Version : Useful resources, common issues, and much more

armiel
10th Dec 2011, 8:06 AM
This thread is a compilation of some very useful info about creating a world, here in MTS, and also around the web.

Some very important threads get lost in the amount of posts in the Create-a-World forum, so this is a place to find them easily.

This thread also holds links to some very common issues/questions, so check them out before posting on the forum :)

Common issues
These pages are know technical issues and solutions for running CAW, and also some most common issues you may experience in CAW itself.

Technical:
CAW not running? CAW running slowly? (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=441595)
CAW version mismatch (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=457349)

Other:
Brown Mucky Uck Texture Solution (http://customsims3.com/forums/thread-92.html)
Elevation issues with lot placing (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=426932)
Land disappears in EIG/turns blue when zoomed in (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=422401)

General CAWing:
These are general CAW pages, for creating your world. They do not require you any extra knowledge, or tools besides CAW itself and a graphics editor.

Exporting world:
24 bit .png - how to make one in Paint.Net (http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/15/278761.page#3772698)
24 bit .png for CAW thumbnail - don't wanna make one? Download one here. (http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/278761.page#3736582)
How to export the world for play and share (http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Creating_Sims_3_Worlds#Playing_Your_World)

Other:
CAW Content list (http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Sims_3:Content_Lists:CAW_Content_Lists)
Distant terrains - cordinates (http://pasimficandbeyond.wikia.com/wiki/Aligning_Distant_Terrain)
Layers- How many should you use? (http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=476965)


Tutorials:
Caw tutorials (links) (http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:TS3_CAW_Tutorials)
Overall tutorial to Creating Sims 3 Worlds (http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Creating_Sims_3_Worlds)
Routing - basics to sim routing (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=439329)

Advantaged CAWing
These are more advantaged CAW pages, all though you must not be frightened by the word "advantaged". It's only there to separate these pages from the general ones, since you can create a world without any of the following pages, and cause most of these pages require you to use additional tools, such as s3pe.

Heightmaps:
16 bit Heightmaps - making a custom heightmap in Photoshop (http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Creating_Sims_3_Worlds#Custom_Height_Maps_.28Optional.29)
16-bit .png support~Found a free EASY conversion program (http://www.modthesims.info/m/showthread.php?t=382629)
How to create a world using real world height data (http://ts3cc.forumotion.ca/t30-tutorial-how-to-create-a-world-using-real-world-height-data-by-napalm_vfr)

Other:
Adding water planes (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=453392)
Editing premade worlds (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=469942)
Larger world size - work in process (http://www.modthesims.info/m/showthread.php?t=453513)
Making custom Distant terrains (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=469548)
Modding objects to show up in CAW Metadata (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=453818)
Modding the Create-a-World Tool to Unlock Hidden Features (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=468279)
Populating Worlds in Create-a-World (http://pasimficandbeyond.wikia.com/wiki/CAW_Population:_Populating_Worlds_in_Create-a-World)
Prepopulating worlds (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=403303)
Sea, Sky and Light parameters (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=459198)


This post will be edited when new important threads/posts are found. If you find something very important about CAW when surfing around web, please post the link below and we'll edit it in this post.

The look of this post change along with new links added, so if you can't see a link earlier posted on a spot it used to be, check out the headlines. I don't wanna clutter the post by making the headlines before they have content under them.
simsample
11th Dec 2011, 2:10 PM
Hey Armiel, I have a whole bunch I'd like you to add, please!

http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=441595
http://www.modthesims.info/m/showthread.php?t=453513
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Creating_Sims_3_Worlds
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:TS3_CAW_Tutorials
http://customsims3.com/forums/thread-92.html
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=439329
http://pasimficandbeyond.wikia.com/wiki/CAW_Population:_Populating_Worlds_in_Create-a-World
http://pasimficandbeyond.wikia.com/wiki/Aligning_Distant_Terrain
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=426932

I also added a link in the forum announcement:
http://www.modthesims.info/announcement.php?f=616&announcementid=148
And there are some other resources listed there, too! :)
Inge Jones
11th Dec 2011, 2:24 PM
Do any of them cover the ubiquitous question "How can I make a 16bit png?"
simsample
11th Dec 2011, 2:40 PM
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/15/278761.page#3772698
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/278761.page#3736582
http://www.modthesims.info/m/showthread.php?t=382629

:giggler:

Perhaps we should add a tutorial to the Wiki here! The trick is, you need to remove the alpha (so you have 3X 8bit channels =24bit)
Inge Jones
11th Dec 2011, 4:49 PM
Aha! Good old Paint.net to the rescue again!
armiel
11th Dec 2011, 4:53 PM
Heh, Simsample, I added your links in, though you could have just edited the post ;)

Any mod can add link to the post, just keep them in alphabetical order (I try, I might fail), and feel free to add more headlines if needed. Right now I have separated the stuff to 3 main groups - issues, easy stuff and harder stuff.
Inge Jones
11th Dec 2011, 5:53 PM
Oh I got mixed up. It was the 16bit pngs for height maps I was talking about. I think Simsample thought I meant the 24bit pngs for the thumbnails.
simsample
12th Dec 2011, 10:40 AM
Ah, sorry Inge, I misread! For 16 bit heightmaps you need to choose greyscale and choose 16 bits per channel (no alpha) as then you just get one channel=16 bits (as opposed to 3X8 bit channels =24 bit for the world thumb).

A bit here about it:
http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Creating_Sims_3_Worlds#Custom_Height_Maps_.28Optional.29

And more in the links in the first post.

And a helpful tutorial here:
http://builders.forumotion.net/t1151-tutorial-how-to-create-a-world-using-real-world-height-data

Heh, Simsample, I added your links in, though you could have just edited the post ;)
Ah, but I didn't like to sice you made it so neat! ;)
armiel
13th Dec 2011, 6:38 AM
Ahaha, I see. Alright, I'll keep adding the links :)
rshore96
8th Feb 2012, 5:11 PM
Thankyou for this post, it is VERY useful!!! :up:
armiel
21st Feb 2012, 7:55 AM
Added links to the Super CAW tut, and to my DT tut.
auntielynds
22nd Feb 2012, 10:01 AM
Hi Armiel :)

TS3CC has moved. Here is the new link for the height map tut;

How to create a world using Real-World Height data by Napalm_VFR (http://ts3cc.forumotion.ca/t30-tutorial-how-to-create-a-world-using-real-world-height-data-by-napalm_vfr)

Thanks
armiel
22nd Feb 2012, 12:00 PM
Updated - thank you :)
Pixie_child
3rd Jun 2012, 12:30 AM
I am trying to figure out if there is a way to place lots on "un-routeable terrain", but I can't find an answer on here and the link provided on this thread labled as "Editing premade worlds" doesn't work.
auntielynds
3rd Jun 2012, 11:26 PM
If you are playing the game, and go into Edit Town, and use the World Editor, then no, you can't place those lots on unroutable terrain. The "Editing premade worlds" does work, I've done it many times, It is just a bit tricky if you're not used to where all the files are, and not familiar with s3pe, and caw. If you need help with that tutorial, post in that thread, and I'll try to help you through the process.

Editing pre-made worlds (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=469942)
Pixie_child
11th Jun 2012, 8:14 PM
If you are playing the game, and go into Edit Town, and use the World Editor, then no, you can't place those lots on unroutable terrain. The "Editing premade worlds" does work, I've done it many times, It is just a bit tricky if you're not used to where all the files are, and not familiar with s3pe, and caw. If you need help with that tutorial, post in that thread, and I'll try to help you through the process.

Editing pre-made worlds (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=469942)

When I said that it didn't work, I meant the link. But since you offered to help, can I ask you a question? When it says open 'CAW', what does it mean? The World Editor? Never mind, I figured it out.
I have The Sims through Steam and the World Editor doesn't recognise that I have the game, so I can't use it. Is there any place I can find a pre-made world that is large and little to no 'Unroutable' areas?
simsample
1st Jul 2012, 1:38 PM
Pixie_child, Create-a-world will not work with the Steam version of Sims 3, although you should be able to use your license keys to download the game through Origin, should you wish to.

For world maps, look here:
http://customsims3.com/forums/forum-54.html
Mirrored here:
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/553768.page

No way to place lot on unroutable terrain without editing in CAW, but bear in mind that sometimes if you delete a lot in-game and then try to place another one in the same location, the game may assume that the terrain is occupied even if it is not. So in that case, saving and reloading the save can help.
GabyBee
12th Nov 2012, 1:44 AM
The link for "Editing premade worlds" seems broken.
armiel
15th Nov 2012, 4:28 PM
The working link was posted later on the thread, but never updated on the main list. Is fixed now. :)
soutslakkie
4th Mar 2013, 2:45 PM
I have created a world but when I try to export I get the error "World export failed!". I have literally tried everything and read all the threads. I've got the description and screenshot sorted, the latest versions, I tried backing my world up to another folder, I removed cache files and backups... everything. I spent hours searching on these threads and elsewhere.

Then I tried to create a new empty world and it exported fine until I added a lot then I get the same error. If I delete the lot again it would export.

So I deleted the lots from my world and it still didn't export.

If anyone can please, please help me I would appreciate it soooo much! I will gladly send my CAW files to someone willing to try.

Please, please respond!