Exporting worlds - help needed

[DeLouche]

So, I'm creating a world (hope to share some pictures on this forum soon). I'm trying to export it to test out the world in game, and build a couple of lots (placeholders only at the moment). However, when I try to export, I get this message:
Cannot export the world. The world file has no name.
Cannot export the world. The world file has no description.
Cannot export the world. The world file has no thumbnail.

I've right-clicked on the global layer, and added a name and brief description, but can't add an image, as I don't have any png files, and am not sure how to create one.

I'd be really grateful for any advice, as I'd like to get some lots built and see how they work in-game - the terrain and roads are coming along nicely, and I'll add some placeholder lots in EiG if I have to, but would prefer to test them out in sim-world... And of course, the sooner I get it done, the sooner I can share it 

[ladydragon76]

I can convert a Jpeg to a png with photoshop for you if you want to link me the picture?  I think it needs to be 200x200pixels too, but I might be wrong on that.

If you're interested, let me know, and I'll pm you my email.

[DeLouche]

Ah, png is a photoshop file? Yeah, don't have that, and can't afford to buy it. That would be amazing, thank you!

[thesweetestpea]

PNG files can be created using Paint, you just have to save them as .png instead of .jpg. There's a placeholder icon somewhere in the CAW folder that you can use until you get done building.

[DeLouche]

Good to know, thank you sweetest pea

[PolarBair]

I'm had the same problem earlier today. I did figure out that paint can covert to.png so I just grabbed a thumbnail of one of my screenshots on the gallery. Caw insisted on 256x256.

I couldn't find said placeholder image.

Anyway, the trouble I'm now having is installing my world in Sims3. I took the exported world from "Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Exports" and moved it to "Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Downloads" and then launched The Sims 3 with the launcher an on the launcher I clicked on Dowlnoads and selected my word and clicked Install.

The installer progress bar window closed almost as soon as it opened and said "This world is already installed" which I know is not true because I can't pick it when starting a new game.

What did I do wrong?

EDIT: Okay so I got it installed by first uninstalling another custom world I had installed. So now the question becomes, Are we limited to only having one custom world installed at a time? Does anybody actually have multiple custom worlds installed?

I'd hate to think I can only have one and have uninstall it every time I want to try out a new one.

And if multiple custom worlds is possible, like I would think it should be, then I guess I still have to figure out why I couldn't install mine until after uninstalling the other.

[DeLouche]

It's definitely possible, I have two at the moment. This may sound ridiculous, but are you sure the two installed worlds weren't given the same name? Because that will mess things up.

Reading your post again, I see that you moved the world from Exports to Downloads. What kind of file is the world? By which I mean, if it's a simspackage file, you don't need to move it anywhere - just double click on it in the Exports folder, and it will install itself. Having two copies (in the Exports and Downloads folders) could well be what caused the problem with duplicates..

If on the other hand, it's a .world file (it shouldn't be, if it's been exported), then this thread may be useful: http://www.flyingacres.com/NeighborlySims3/archive/index.php/thread-943-1.html

[Anushka]

It's definitely possible, I have two at the moment. This may sound ridiculous, but are you sure the two installed worlds weren't given the same name? Because that will mess things up.

Reading your post again, I see that you moved the world from Exports to Downloads. What kind of file is the world? By which I mean, if it's a simspackage file, you don't need to move it anywhere - just double click on it in the Exports folder, and it will install itself. Having two copies (in the Exports and Downloads folders) could well be what caused the problem with duplicates..

If on the other hand, it's a .world file (it shouldn't be, if it's been exported), then this thread may be useful: http://www.flyingacres.com/NeighborlySims3/archive/index.php/thread-943-1.html

Now I will have to check that in my game as untill few patches before, that wasn't really possible, and was most desirable by world creators! There is an ID of each saved map created on the first save of it, and that ID was the same after any future change of that map. Game used to recognize them as the same when seeing that they match same ID. And having two worlds with same ID is usually showed as two worlds with the same name, while second one get the (1) next to the name. Again, up until few months only with S3PE it was possible to change that ID number. (Same reason why you couldn't upload more versions of one world to the exchange!)
Easier way I used to avoid that mess was to do a factory reset - rename the Sims3 folder into "Sims3 backup" or whatever is making sense to you, and install your new version of the world (and install all downloads you wanted available in library), you can shuffle between them as you rename the folders generated by the game in My Documents.

Since you are in trouble at the moment, you might want to try to clean the world cashe folder, uninstall world from launcher, delete it from downloads, and from exports, then export it again and try installing. If it doesn't work, try complete factory reset/rename existing sims 3 folder in My Documents and start the game to generate new one. Then install latest version of your world and it should work.
I am happy to read that they expanded our options with this and will have to check it in my game!