Patterns with small Icons in Launcher - Installed Content

[Jancy]

I have been trying to get my game to work properly since the latest patch and generations install.  I noticed in my launcher Installed Content area quite a few Patterns with little icons on them.  I have never downloaded anything from the exchange.  I only purchase items from the Sims 3 Official site, T Mobile and Dr. Pepper items.  I have downloaded patterns, houses and lots here at The SS. 
I haven't a clue where these patterns have come from and if they look familiar to anyone here.  I also don't know if they installed with generations and they are supposed to be in my game.  I posted only a few but I also have a couple more.
I hate to delete them if they were installed with one of my expansions but I never really noticed them before with the little icon on them. Are these safe to delete? Just wondering if these could possible be the cause of some of my problems.

The ones in questions are:  Striped Vertical Stone, ayyuff Brick Pattern 18 and Fabric 003

Thanks


 
  

[Lilygirl]

I believe they are 3rd-party patterns and as such, could be harmful to your game. I found one of those a while back but I knew where mine was from and so I deleted the pattern. I discovered when I placed the house in which the pattern was used, the game simply used a different pattern on that piece of furniture. It works the same as Store items - the game substitutes Store items you don't have for a similar item you do have. I would delete them.

[Jancy]

Thank you so much Lily - They must have been in one of the houses or buildings (I'm assuming)
Are others safe that do not have the little icon?

[Lilygirl]

If they don't have the little icons, I assume them to be created using the CAP tool and are then perfectly safe. If your game is still bugged, I would recommend uninstalling all CC using your launcher and try running the game that way. There might be something other than the patterns causing the problem but I would get rid of them first.

[Jancy]

I will definitely get rid of them.  What would you consider CC?  I only have store purchases, TMobile, a few Dr. Peppers, but I do have some house and lots and patterns from here.
Is there anyway to tell if something is CC that may have come with one of these?

[CSquared2]

One helpful tactic I've read to find problem custom content is the 50% method.  If your game runs fine without any CC, divide your CC in half and add half back.  If it still works fine, you know the problem item or items is not in the half.  If the game does have a problem, split that half again until you find the problem item(s).

I can't claim credit for that strategy, but something I've always done when using CC is to add one piece at a time.  Then I load and play the game for however long I'd intended to play, which will hopefully flush out a problem if there's going to be one.  If all's well, I add another piece next time.  Then you know right away what item may have caused trouble.

[Lilygirl]

CC is anything that doesn't come with the game, so things from the official Store and freebies from Dr. Pepper and TMobile are considered CC. It's 3rd-party CC (stuff not created by EA) that you need to watch for and can be very harmful to your game. Things from the Exchange may have 3rd-party CC because creations and items uploaded aren't monitored over there. Things in our Swap Shop are supposed to be 100% 3rd-party CC free. If you can find which items the 3rd-party patterns are linked to, I would seriously consider deleting those as well as I doubt they will be official EA created items. Of course, if you have a lot of things downloaded it will be time consuming to find the bad items. I would uninstall everything and then reinstall, one by one, checking your installed list for the appearance of these patterns after each item is reinstalled. That should show you which items are the culprits.

If it happens that the item in question is from the Swap Shop, notify that person and a moderator immediately so they can remove it.

[Jancy]

Thank you both so much.  I did start with deleting those patterns and I am slowly going over the lots and house to see if any of these look familiar in them and since I uninstalled those patterns maybe I'll get a warning that items are missing so I can find out where they came with.  I will post back if I find out anything and report it.  I haven't ever downloaded anything from the exchange or anywhere else so hopefully I'll be able to pinpoint where I got them.  I appreciate the help.

[samoht04]

I had one of these, it had the same Icon on it, it came from a House but I've uninstalled it now.

[Carl]

You'll notice a caveat about patterns in our rules for CC. It is possible it came from the Swap Shop, because patterns shouldn't really break the game. EA has the create-a-pattern feature in the game so that we can customize the look of our items. Those custom colors and redesigning of items are in part the reason the swap shop exists. It is the only reason to have more categories than simply Houses and Lots.

[Jancy]

@Carl when making patterns with the CAP tool from EA we do not get the little icons that are on them like in the preview above.  When they are made in CAP and recolored they are usually fine.  When seeing the patterns with the icons I had a feeling that they were custom made some way and not made with CAP from EA, that is why I was concerned.
  
These may or may not be the cause of the problems I am having but I would like to avoid any 3rd party CC in my game, especially if I do not know where they may have come from.

Thank you all, appreciate the help.

[mtglady]

Just a note that those with the icons are from a 'creator website' that is really not the best place to have any custom content downloaded from (same website that the dreaded doll came from).  I know for a fact that the pattern 'ayyuff Brick Pattern 18' is from that website as I was able to locate the creator and similar items through Google.  Showing the icons like those around patterns and other things are like a copyright of that pattern/object and use of that system.  

Prior to CAP there were several programs available for creating patterns.  Most all of them were safe to use but it did take some time to create each pattern.  EA providing an easy tool was beneficial to everyone but there are still some reasons to use the older programs, especially if one was use to using them.  This particular website does have a program that their creators and others use.  

Many simmers download and use third party patterns as there is generally not a risk factor involved.  Most times they might not even realize they are using a third party pattern when they create something as it is not easily recognized in Create-A-Palette.  Some creators are also not very thoughtful to let others know they are using patterns that were created by themselves in their downloads either, so it is very possible to find them transferred to your game.

If you are planning on deleting them, then also remember to clear out your cache files.  Just deleting them through the launcher does not guarantee a full delete of the item.    

[Jancy]

Thank you so much for looking that up mtglagy.  I was trying to look them up in google but couldn't find any info one them.

I did delete from the launcher and checking all my files so hopefully I will get rid of them completely.  I have deleted all 4 cache files and also my DCbackup files.  I am still unable to locate what house or lot they may have from.

Appreciate the help