If you are trying to mod your Sims 3 but do not know how you have come to the right place as I will show you how to install Sims 3 mods today. It is not a complicated process, but there are some key steps to make it work, so continue reading if wish to learn how to set up Sims 3 mods.

The Dashboard by Delphy has the purpose to find corrupt package files and, if possible, fix them. The tool has 3 main purposes: Shows all downloaded package files in a certain folder. Dashboard tells you if those are corrupt (red) like the ones that cause blue lots and monster sims, Sims 2 files (iron. Open it, right-click the Resource.cfg file and select 'Copy' 8B If you opened it with Windows Explorer, you'll see a file called Resource.cfg. Right-click it and select 'Copy' 9. Bring up the Mods folder, right-click in the in a blank area under the Packages folder and select 'Paste'. You should now have a Resource.cfg file in the Mods.

Install Sims 3 Mods Package Files/Setup and Files

If you are looking for great Sims 3 mods and do not know which ones to download, you can check our best Sims 3 mods article and decide from there.

Before Starting

If you installed custom content like mods or hacks before by using the Helper Monkey/Monkey Bars, first you need to uninstall Monkey Bars/Helper Monkey and delete all the old framework files from your The Sims 3 path files. Also, you need to install the latest versions of the mods you are planning to download, so check the pages of the mods just in case they may have moved the newest version to somewhere else. If you do not do these 2 steps correctly, your custom content may not work.

Make Your Game Accept Custom Content

The DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3 folder – note the contents are folders like DCBackup, DCCache, InstalledWorlds, Saves, etc. (click the image for full size)

Go to The Sims 3 Folder in My Documents: NOT in Program Files!

Before you try to mod your game, you need to make your game accept custom content. First of all, download FrameworkSetup.zip.

Now, carry that file into the directory of The Sims 3 in My Documents. The default location of that directory is as follows for different operation systems:

Windows Vista/7: C:UsersDocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3
Mac OS: /Users//Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/

Extract the Files

Extract the FrameworkSetup.zip file you just downloaded by right-clicking on the FrameworkSetup.zip file and choosing Extract Here. A new folder called “Mods” will now appear.

Check the New Folders

Open the Sims 3 Mods folder. It should look like the picture above. There should be two folders, one called “Overrides” and other one called “Packages”, and one file called Resource.cfg. Open the folder called “Packages”.

There should be two files in the “Packages” folder inside the Mods folder: NoBuildSparkles.package and nointro.package. If they are there, this means you completed the most important step, which is the setting up your game to accept custom content.

Test the Mods

Test if the packages are working properly. NoBuildSparkles.package and nointro.package are already two mods installed for you to test things out, so launch your game and see if they are working properly.

nointro.package: As you can understand from its name, No Intro completely skis the EA Intro video before the game menu, so you can see very quickly if you set up properly to install mods.

NoBuildSparkles.package: In the native game, there is a small sparkles effect whenever you build something. Nobuildsparkles completely eliminates that. Go play the game and build something; if no sparkles effects appear, it means your mods are working in-game. Congratulations!

If they are not working as intended, you need to start over. Delete the Mods folder and start again from Step 1.

Download a Mod

Find a mod that you want to play with. The Sims 3 modding community is huge with different mods for all the DLCs. If you are looking for a great list, check out our best Sims 3 mods to download.

Download the mod you want to play with. See if there are any special instructions about the mod’s compatibility and installation. If not, continue on.

Place the Mod In Your Packages Folder

The file you have downloaded will be a compressed file like a .zip or .rar. Extract the files and place the .package file into your DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3ModsPackages folder – the same place where your NoBuildSparkles.package and nointro.package mods are.

If you want to delete any mod, you can simply delete the related .package file.

And that is it! This is how to install mods on Sims 3, with 10 easy steps. Just tweak your game to accept custom content, download the mod and paste it into your Packages file. Fast and not that complicated, and it makes thousands of different The Sims 3 mods available to you for free if you want to spice things up with the classic life simulation game. If this article helped you install Sims 3 mods, let us know below!

You can also check out our articles for 15+ Best Mods For The Sims 4, 16 Games like the Sims to Play Online

Tutorial: How to Create and Use an Overrides Folder

This tutorial will explain the purpose of the Overrides folder, and teach the user how to create one. I remember feeling very confused about the Overrides folder when I first started playing, so now I’ve decided to try to help anyone else who might be confused about it.

What is an Overrides folder?

An Overrides folder is another folder that you can place in DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3Mods. This folder is given higher priority over other folders in your Mods folder, which allows you to further customize and organize how your mods are loaded into the game.

In order to be able to use this folder as intended, you will need to make sure that your Resource.cfg is set up properly to read the Overrides folder. This is very easy, especially since you can get the Resource.cfg from ModTheSims. That means you won’t have to mess around with your Resource.cfg yourself.

Creating an Overrides folder: The Quick and Easy Way.

1. Download the Mods framework from ModTheSims: Direct Download Link for Framework.zip

2. Double-click the Framework.zip file to open it.

Sims 3 Resource.cfg File

3. Open the Mods folder inside Framework.zip

4. Select the Resource.cfg and hit Ctrl+C (or right-click and choose Copy).

5. Go to your own Mods folder, where you install your mods: DocumentsElectronic ArtsThe Sims 3Mods

6. Delete the Resource.cfg file.

7. Use Ctrl+V or right-click > Paste to put the new Resource.cfg in your mods folder.

8. Create a new folder in your Mods folder, and name it Overrides.

Ta da! You’re done. You now have a working Overrides folder.

What Makes the Overrides Folder Work

The Resource.cfg from MTS includes these lines:

Notice the Priority for the Overrides folder is 1000. Here are the lines for the Packages folder:

The Packages folder has only Priority 500, so that means, anything in the Overrides folder will have higher priority over the Packages folder. This gives you some flexibility in what you do with your custom content.

Now that you know what makes the MTS Resource.cfg read the Overrides folder properly, you can edit your own Resource.cfg yourself. In fact, you could even re-name your Overrides folder to something else, if you so chose. All you would have to do is change all the “Overrides” bits in the Resource.cfg to the name you’d rather use.

Examples of When to use the Overrides Folder

Latest Resource.cfg File Sims 3

If you wanted to download lilttlecat’s 70 Store Hairs Pookleted, I’d recommend putting those in the Overrides folder. This will ensure that the game uses the retextures for the hair, and not the EA textures.

If you install some store content as package files, but want to use a mod for the store content, you can put the mod in the Overrides folder.

NRaas Portrait Panel and Awesomemod will conflict with each other. To use them both at the same time, you can put the NRaas Portrait Panel mod in the Overrides folder.

Of course, another way to use the Overrides folder is to put my Custom Food OBJK overrides in the Overrides folder, and install the Custom Food itself into the ModsPackages folder (or via sims3packs). Using this method, you are free to remove my script mod and overrides whenever you want but still keep the custom food.

These are just a few examples of what would be good to put in your Overrides folder.

The Sims 3 Resource.cfg File

A Note about Delphy’s Dashboard and the Overrides Folder

Delphy’s Dashboard does not read your Resource.cfg file, and therefore, it does not know that your Overrides folder has a higher priority over your Packages folder. This means that, in some cases, Delphy’s Dashboard will report a conflict when you have certain content in the Overrides folder and your packages folder. This is the case, for example, when you use my OBJK overrides for custom food and install the custom food via packages. Delphy’s Dashboard will report a conflict, but it is a not really an issue, because of the Overrides folder.

Sims 3 No Resource.cfg File

Questions? Comments? Criticisms and Suggestions? Don’t hesitate to share to your thoughts.