Please note! The point of this tutorial to teach you how to add custom poses created by others to run in your Sims 3 game. If you are looking for a way to begin creating your own poses, I highly recommend reading the original tutorial by OrangeMittens.
Before you get started, you’ll need five different things.
- A “Mods” folder, with a “Packages” subfolder.
- An updated Resource.cfg file.
- WinRAR (or another unpackaging program that can open .rar files).
- Cmomoney’s “Pose Player” Available at MTS.
- Actual poses! Available all over the web; there is a centralized (though not exhaustive) database at The Sims 3 Pose Database. You can also find poses (amongst other items) at MySims3Blog. (Please be aware that some poses on these site are adult in nature.)
- (optional but recommended) An OMSP (One More Slot Please), which is a placer that will allow you to set sims on top of objects. Angela has one here at TSR.
Ready? Let’s go!
First off, create a “mods” folder in C:\Users\username]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 if you don’t already have one in place.
I’ve always had my Mods folder in Program Files. Do I have to move it to make this to work? Yes. The written directions for the Pose Player specifically state this. It will not work if it is placed in Program Files. So, move along there!
Open the “Mods” folder. Create a “packages” subfolder. This is where you will place the pose player, and any poses you have downloaded.
Place your updated “Resource.cfg” file here (drag and drop, or copy-paste).
I already have a resource.cfg file in my Mods folder. Do I have to update it? Yes. If you’d like a technical reason for why, Cadiva has written an excellent explanation available on the forums.
Download the Pose Player and the poses that you’re looking for. When you are downloading poses, you’ll most likely see that the poses have names like this: “a_[pose]_[name]” or “a_[pose]-[name].” Print those out, or write them down, exactly as the creator has them. They will be very important shortly.
Place those files in C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims3\Mods\Packages and unzip them using WinRar. Right-click your files and choose “Extract Here.” The extracted files will appear shortly.
I’m not comfortable using mods or package files. Do I have to do it this way? Aren’t these available as .sims3pack files? At the moment, no. Poses are currently only available as .package files. Also, bear in mind that the Pose Player is simply a tool that allow a new “interaction” into your game (the ability to pose). It has no bearing on gameplay and does not modify behavior. In other words, it’s quite safe.
Once you begin your game, you will see this pop-up screen (“Mod Scripts Found”). Click the check mark and enter into one of your neighborhoods.
Let’s start posing! The Pose Player itself is under “Decor/Misc.” Select it and place it in your world.
You will probably find that you need to use the cheat “moveobjects on” to position your sims correctly for seated poses, or for poses that have a sim leaning against a wall or a chair. So, hit ctrl+shift+C to open your cheat window and type it in.
Click the Pose Player and select “Pose by Name.” You’ll get a dialogue box that looks like this.
Now! Remember “a_[pose]_[name]?” You did write it down, right? You’ll need to type that pose name into the dialogue box exactly as the creator wrote it. If there is capitalization or punctuation, you’ll need that too. The name must be exact, or the pose won’t work.
For example, the pose I want this sim to perform is called “a_splad-arrogant.” If I type it in as “A_SPLAD-ARROGANT” or “a_splad_arrogant” or “a_spald-arrogant,” it won’t work. The model will just stand there. So if your pose isn’t working, check the name carefully and make sure you’re not transposing letters/numbers, or mixing up your underscores with your hyphens!
If you’ve done it correctly, your sim should do the pose!
But oh no, he’s just floating! No problem! We still have “moveobjects” enabled, so we’ll just go into buy mode and pick him up. He can then be placed on a couch.
Woo! You did it!
My sim is posing, but I want them to lay on the couch/sprawl on the piano/dangle off the bed! This is where you’ll want the OMSP. This tool is also available in “Decor/Misc.” Select it and place it in your world.
The OMSP by Granthes works by pressing the “Ctrl” and “Shift” buttons (both of them) and clicking the OMSP. You’ll get a myriad of options to move up or down.
The OMSP by Angela works like a painting–you can slide it up and down while holding the “alt” key.
Whichever one you use, though, they both accomplish the same goal–to place your sim on an object.
For example, I want to place this sim on top of the washing machine. Using Granthes’ OMSP I will begin with “Up, 50 cm” and move in small increments until he is at the proper height to “sit” on top of the machine.
Likewise, with Angela’s OMSP I will hold the “Alt” key and move the mouse until the sim is at the right height.
Then I can move the OMSP until he’s perfectly positioned!
Ack, my sim is facing the wrong way! They’re going through the couch! Don’t panic! The OMSP is an item just like every other item in game. You can use the < and > keys to turn your sim to the correct direction.
Whichever OMSP you use, don’t let your sim walk off it on their own! If you direct your Sim to walk off the OMSP, they’ll vanish and you’ll have to use the “resetsim” cheat to retrieve them. Always use “moveobjects on” to pick up your sim and place them safely back on the ground.
There is a new function (as of 5/22) on the Pose Player called “Select Pose from List.” If the poses you have downloaded have this feature enabled, you will see them previewed in a dialogue box when you select this option.
If your poses have not been updated, though, there is still a way to manually create a pre-set list so that you don’t have to them type them in over and over!
Select the “Add Pose” option and type in the names of the poses you want to use (remember, a_[pose]_[name] or a_[pose]-[name]). Every time you hit the check mark, you’ll add a pose to your list.
When you’re all done, leave the dialogue box blank and hit the X button.
Now, select “My list” and “Pose from My List,” and all of the poses you typed will display, like this. You can queue multiple poses in a row from this list, and as you cancel them out, your sim will move from pose to pose! If you save your neighborhood when you exit, your list will save as well.
So there you have it! Awesomely simple and simply awesome! Enjoy!
