I've come across several downloads that require Numenor's Scriptorium to install. I'm curious, is there a way to install these fireplaces without Scriptorium?
I'm fairly new to all this, but I would rather not depend on software for file installation, especially since I own Double Deluxe, which tends to have file paths that often need to be tweaked for things to work.

The instructions for this fireplace say:
Very important, you must follow these instructions carefully or the fireplace will not show up in your game. These instructions are based on installing my fireplace using Numenor's THE SCRIPTORIUM Installer. In the zip you will find a txt file named, "99_CTNColonial_Fireplace.txt". After installing the Scriptorium go to your, ".....\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Downloads", folder and double click on a the new shortcut you will find there named, "Scriptorium_Fireplaces". It will open the folder where you must put that txt file, no editing of any Maxis files involved. (This is the actual path that the shortcut takes you to, "C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2\TSData\Res\Catalog\Scripts\Scriptorium_Fireplaces".)

Can I just go to:
C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Double Deluxe\Base\TSData\Res\Catalog\Scripts\
and add the 99_CTNColonial_Fireplace.txt manually? Or are these files written in such a way that I must always us Scriptorium?

Along the same lines, is there a way to OPEN (not install) .Sims2pak files without the Sims2pak Clean Installer?
I would really prefer to install the desired package files on my own, rather than relying on a software to install everything packed in the sims2pak file for me.

1) Yes, you can install things without the Scriptorium. Open the fireplaces script and paste the .txt file at the bottom (make sure there is a space between the last entry and the one you're pasting in) and then save.

2) When you open a .sims2pack with Clean Installer you can save the .package files in a folder (I have a folder on my desk top just for this purpose). At the moment I can't open Clean Installer to tell you exactly how to do that though. Maybe someone else can?

I really don't recommend installing lots without clean installer. The game installer is not a safe way to do so. Why don't you want to use clean installer?

You can get by without the Scriptorium, although it's a lot easier to install with it.

Clean Installer will allow you to browse to whatever directory you want to put your files into and you can pick and choose what to install and what to leave out. It doesn't force you to install all content into one specific location.

I've downloaded a couple of lots, but never installed them. Good thing, because until a week ago, I didn't know that lots were supposed to go into the transporter file.
My reason for not installing them had nothing to do with the Clean Installer. It was mostly because I'd read about the dreaded HugBug and was uncertain if I wanted to chance contaminating my game. Silly concern, seeing how I don't create or upload. Now, I have BO's inoculation installed, so the HugBug is no longer a concern.

That said, I have come across a ton of individual floor and wall package files that, for whatever reason, are wrapped in an extra sims2pack layer. There is probably a reason for this. Personally, I find it annoying to click through each file individually instead of just copying and pasting a group of package files.

MustLuvCatz, I did not realize that I could unwrap the package files from their sims2pack layer outside the game. I took a look and I see now that I can set the save path to another folder and hit "install" without it actually installing in my game. This helps a lot! It's still annoying to do this one by one, but better than installing in my game, hunting them down and copying them into my Master Downloads folder (my big folder of backed up CC).

Jo, I have a couple reasons for not wanting to use additional programs, if I don't have to. First, it is the hassle that tends to crop up where my game's install paths tend differs from what the software is looking for. For example: Most programs (and tutorials) use "The Sims" or "The Sims 2" file paths. Mine are are "The Sims 2 Double Deluxe" (program files) and "The Sims(tm) 2 Double Deluxe" (my documents). Second, it just seems good sense to learn how do it myself. Also, there's that bit of paranoia that something might happen to my copy of Clean Installer and I could no longer find a copy on the Internet -- like what we've seen happen to so many other Sims 2 files and Sims 2 photos.

The Clean Installer does not go in your game, and if it should one day disappear, it will have no influence on your game It is a program that you can keep anywhere on your pc, and using it to install a lot is safer. It is also a great tool in helping to sort out cc. It was written by one of the best programmers to ever show an interest in the Sims 2, the late Mootilda, and MTS is not going to let that Clean Installer vanish without a helluva fight.

The scriptorium has, when I first installed it into my new UC back then, found its way into its proper place all by itself. It is not essential, but it is very handy, especially in my case for all the pretty stairs that I like.

If there is a problem with the path finding, I believe there are plenty of Simmers here that will help you!

I agree completely that Mootilda was one of the Sims 2 community's greatest modders, but she didn't create the Clean Installer. She took over supporting it when its original creator retired. From Mootilda's Clean Installer download page:

"The Sims2Pack Clean Installer was originally written by Karol Rybak (phervers), who has left the community. "

Thank you, @RoxEllen1965 - because she was a programmer, I assumed she had written it.

Mootilda did write so many great Sims 2 utilities of her own. It's entirely understandable that people would assume Clean Installer was one of them.

Long before joining MTS, I was an occasional lurker. I've read many of Mootilda's posts and have learned that she was a very reliable source of Simformation. Her information was always thorough, yet easy to understand for a newbie lay-gamer like me.


This is good news. I hope this site -- especially the Sims 2 forum -- continues to thrive.