Making Houses Work

[enriana]

Okay, so I've downloaded several custom houses from ModTheSims, but there's no guide on that site for adding custom houses on Sims 3 that aren't from the exchange. I know it's to do with the Edit Town function, but the houses I downloaded just aren't showing up (though I put the files in my "Library" folder

Comments

[nameless_cricke]

If the file is a Sim3pack file, you have to install the lot like you would have for the Sims2. You can either use the launcher(put the file into the Downloads folder) and then open the launcher and install the item, or you can use one of the third party programs that are out right now(mostly as Beta) that are similar to clean installer.

If you place down a lot in your hood, that is going to stay as that hood, if you create a second family in that hood by way of Edit Town, then going into CAS, then the house is still there.
If you are talking about starting a new family by way of the "New Game" button on the menu where you choose your family, then no, the house will not have been placed there. Think of the "New Game" as kinda like a new hood in the Sims 2. It looks the same, it has the same sims, but it's all of the stuff straight out of the box and un modified by you. Your own sims made before will not be there either.

[nameless_cricke]

(blarg, I need to sleep)
Using your example, no, you will not need to edit town again to put the house back. Any modifications you do to that hood, switching lots around, replacing lots, will stay the way you modified them so long as it's saved before you shut the game down.

[bruisedgarden]

What I've done is overhauled my town and not picked an active household and saved a file of the game that way. Now, when I start a new game, I start it through that file and then save it as something different so that my "Sunset Valley Overhaul" save file is always available.