Household and Lot File Location?

[Eric Wake]

Are households and lots stored as separate files somewhere? If so, where are they located?

I almost nuked my install after some custom content I tried to add screwed it up. Fortunately, I kept my save files backed up and they appear to be working after I got everything sorted and up and running again.

But I would really like to be able to back up my lots and households too if possible, in case anything like this ever happens again.

[NetPCDoc]

If I remember correctly? There is a way to 'export' (save) these? The files that you can 'import', with some effort, can be located; but most have some form of numeric-hash for the name, so you need to pay attention while putting them into your 'import' list?!

[Insanity Claus]

Originally posted by NetPCDoc:

If I remember correctly? There is a way to 'export' (save) these? The files that you can 'import', with some effort, can be located; but most have some form of numeric-hash for the name, so you need to pay attention while putting them into your 'import' list?!

This is correct. I can't remember if they're put into DCBackup or in Collections, but one of those two. IIRC, if you export the household in-game, then it should be in Exports folder. But maybe not. The ways of Sims 3 is strange and not well understood.

[Eric Wake]

Originally posted by BSLeavingLasVegas:

Originally posted by NetPCDoc:

If I remember correctly? There is a way to 'export' (save) these? The files that you can 'import', with some effort, can be located; but most have some form of numeric-hash for the name, so you need to pay attention while putting them into your 'import' list?!

This is correct. I can't remember if they're put into DCBackup or in Collections, but one of those two. IIRC, if you export the household in-game, then it should be in Exports folder. But maybe not. The ways of Sims 3 is strange and not well understood.

Thanks you two. But, just to clarify, to "export" a household is not the same as putting it in the bin I suppose? I guess I'll have to play around a bit to figure it out and then check these folders you mention.

[marstinson]

For whatever it might be worth, the binned households and whatnot are saved in the Library folder. They do not have anything resembling "user friendly" file names, but they're package files and they have a date/time stamp, so it's not too hard to figure out which bin file you're dealing with if you retrieve them before binning something else.

As far as I know, they lot is not saved separately from the household. It's possible to make it so by saving (hard save preferred), evicting the household occupying the lot (put them on a vacant lot somewhere, I guess), binning the lot, alt-tabbing out to retrieve the file, and then reloading the save so no permanent damage done.

[Kvinden]

The only thing is it retains the old address in the family bin.
So if the family lived ( an example) at 223 serpent street in a town, if you place the lot in another town it will be 223 serpent street, even if you place it at 88 Pelargonium vej ( the lot between 86 and 90).
It can make the town chaotic if you export many lots, inhabited or not.
There is a mod to renumber the lots in a street or to rename the streets in a town but I don't remember the name of the mod.
You can pack the household to "officially" export it but it is not needed and it is less practical than simply copying in the family bin. it is mainly useful for sharing with others, not to use in your own game.

I have hundreds of lots saved in the library (bin) and it never caused a problem, residential, community, inhabited or not. In fact, each time I create a lot I save it in the family bin, and I also export lots from a neighorhood to another, like houses from Twinbrook placed in Champ les sims...

edit : The name of the mod was tagger

[Eric Wake]

Thanks for all the info, peeps. This is useful.