Revision as of 18:49, 22 May 2011

Creator Guidelines - Create a Sim Screens

Have you made a new Create a Sim (CAS) screen and want to share it? This guide will walk you through every step of what we require on MTS2. Please make sure you read these guidelines carefully, as our standards have changed over the years, and there may be some items you weren't aware of before.

At the end of the guidelines after full explanations of each item is a checklist, so you can make sure you've done everything you need to.

Quality

This is by far the most important factor in all uploads, but also the hardest to quantify.

Time and effort
Most good creators spend hours upon hours on even simple creations. We understand that not everything has to be that difficult, but we do expect you to not just slap together something in 15 minutes and upload it and expect it to get accepted. Really try to put some serious effort into what you create, and it will show through in the quality. This is probably the hardest one to quantify, but it's something that is obvious whenever upload moderators look at an upload: have you really expended some serious time and effort on a creation? You can't just crank out a bunch of stuff in a short amount of time and expect it to be good. Nor can you spend a while just fiddling with something but not really trying and expect a good result either.

Uniqueness
No matter what style or design you choose, your CAS screen should be unique and different. A slight tweak to the existing screens really isn't worth anyone's time to download, so, along with the concept of time and effort, you should work to create an interesting and unique overall look.

Lighting
CAS Screens should be nicely lit so that users can see their sims clearly. You don't want it too dark/dim, but you also don't want it too bright. Make sure to remove any lighting hacks before creating your CAS screens so you can be sure you're creating a CAS screen that is properly lit.

No Seasons!
This is very, very important! If you have the Seasons expansion pack installed, you cannot make CAS screens normally! You MUST use the AnyGameStarter to create your CAS screen without Seasons! If you do not do this, any sims in the CAS screen will turn blue and freeze. There is no known way to remove the Seasons defect from an existing CAS screen - if you've already made one in Seasons, you will have to remake it without Seasons!

Screenshots

People want to see what they're downloading! Your screenshots sell your upload - if people don't like the look of your screenshots, they're not going to download - and if your screenshots are too bad, you won't get your upload approved.

Big Enough

The larger your pics, the better! Tiny pics won't show enough detail to see what you've made.

Minimum Size: 800 pixels wide by 600 pixels tall is a good size for the smallest pic you would want to upload. You may have smaller pics for thumbnails and the like, but for your required screenshots, please go as big as you can!

Maximum Size: MTS allows pictures up to 2560 pixels wide by 1440 pixels tall, and a file size limit of 800 kbs - so you can have nice, big, pretty pics. You may have to resize your pictures or apply compression to get them to fit within that limit.

Please don't just take a small pic and size it up in your graphics program to get bigger pics - this only makes the dimensions larger but doesn't add any detail and just gives you a blurry, pixellated larger pic, not a nice clear one.

Well-lit

Make sure you take your pictures during the daytime in bright sunlight, in a well-lit room, etc., - make sure your screenshots are nice and bright enough that people can see what you've made. Nighttime shots or those in a dark room really don't show off your creation very much.

At the same time, make sure you don't use too much light: if you put light-coloured item under a bright light, it can wash out and lose a lot of the detail of what you've made.

Good angle
Remember to take your screenshots at an angle that shows off what you've made. Screenshots taken from a "sim's eye view" generally work best, while pictures taken from a high overhead or "player's eye view" tend to not show your creation very well. Remember, you can always take multiple pictures to show your item from different angles.

No pay content in screenshots
Do not use pay content in your screenshots! Do not use pay hair in your screenshots! You MUST use free or EA/Maxis items in your screenshots! MTS promotes and supports free content, and using pay content in screenshots is basically like free advertisement for paysites. This includes pay content you found elsewhere for free - if it was pay originally, it's still promoting pay content. We strongly recommend taking pics with neutral backgrounds, just showing off what you've made and nothing more. Not only does this look nicer for uploads, it also eliminates any possibility that you may inadvertently include pay items in your screenshots. As per the news item of November 2010, do not use pay items in your upload. A pay item is an item that you'd have to donate money to access if you went to the original creator's website. It doesn't matter if you can get it for free through a file sharing site - it's still a pay item. Don't use pay items in your screenshots either, even if they are not included. Links for "optional" or "recommended" content may be included as long as they are free sites only. If you need free hair for a model in your pics, MTS has an extensive collection of free hairstyles in our Downloads section. You can also look in the TS2 Hair Gallery or TS3 Hair Gallery for more free hairstyles to find something you'll like. We STRONGLY recommend that you credit the hair (and other content) used in your screenshots in the text of your upload post. With hundreds of hairstyles out there, it's very difficult for our upload moderators to know every hairstyle on sight, and if we have to hunt down where the hair is from to see if it's pay or free, it may take longer for your upload to be approved. Make it easy on us and at least say something like, "Hair from XM Sims (free)" in the text of your post under a little section for model credits.

Screenshot tips

Camera Controls:

Take some time to just play around with the camera. It can take a while to get used to the camera controls, and even once you are experienced in their use, it may be challenging to get the shot you want with the constraints on the controls.

If you haven't taken many sim pictures before, here is a list of camera controls:

TAB : Puts the game into Cameraman mode, allowing better and more control of the camera, and removing the blue user interface. Make sure you are in live mode before going into Cameraman mode or you will see grid lines on the ground and floating where floor tiles may be placed. TS3 Note: You will only be able to go into cameraman mode once per load if you are in buy/build mode (without a family moved in). You can either exit to the neighborhood and return to take more pictures, or instead just move a family in for taking your pics.

W and S : W moves the camera forward. S moves it backward.

A and D : A moves the camera left. D moves it right.

Q and E : Q lowers the camera. E raises it.

+ and - : Zooms in and out.

Windowed Mode:

TS2: In order to take your pictures using the methods described here, you will need your game running in a window, so you can easily switch to other applications without causing major instability and lag. Instructions on setting up Windowed Mode for Sims 2 may be found here: Game Help:Windowed Mode. Windowed mode should be perfectly safe - in fact, some users actually report better game performance when running in a window. Your mileage may vary.

TS3: In Sims 3, you can use windowed mode by simply choosing it in your game's options. Full instructions can be found in Game Help:TS3 Windowed Mode. Windowed mode will allow you to use Print Screen or FRAPS or whatever screenshotting program you desire, without getting dark pictures. If you choose to NOT use windowed mode for TS3, you must use the C key to take pictures using the in-game camera - taking pictures fullscreened in TS3 without using the C key will result in icky dark screenshots.

C Key vs. Print Screen:

TS2: In order to take nice big pics, you should not use the game's screenshot system, using the C key or the camera button on the game's controls to take your pictures. Even on the highest picture settings, pictures will still be small, with a very high level of JPEG compression, making them blurry and crunchy. Instead, use Print Screen or a screenshot program.

TS3: The C key camera is much improved in TS3, making it possible to use to take pictures for upload and still have nice big, pretty pictures. You can still use a screenshot program or print screen if you desire, but you will need to run your game in Windowed Mode (see above) to keep your pictures from getting dark.

Using Print Screen: If you have enough RAM to run Photoshop or another graphics editing program at the same time as TS2/TS3, you may want to take screenshots yourself, without the use of a program to store them for you.

To do that, simply press the Print Screen or PrntScn key on your keyboard - it's usually off toward the right, over the arrow keys, above Insert and Delete. This will copy your current screen to your Windows clipboard, as if you had selected and copied it as an image.

Then open any graphics editing program, create a new document the size of your monitor's resolution, and paste into that document. Your screenshot should appear in the document.

Screenshot Programs:

There are many programs available, free and pay, that will take screenshots for you by using a hotkey, and save them to a folder - just like The Sims 2 with the C key, but with options for much better quality settings.

A quick Google search for 'free screenshot program' will also bring up many other options, which may have other features that are of interest to you.

Optimizing, Editing, and Compressing Images:

Many simmers struggle with getting their images to be clear, crisp and under the maximum file size while keeping the image size larger than 800px by 600px. After getting your images from the in game camera or using a print screen program you will need to resize them and compress them into a jpeg image. Many graphics programs have a built in optimizing feature. Here are a few common ones:

Photoshop *Pay
Gimp *Free
IrfanView *Free
Paint.net *Free

Required Screenshots
These pictures are required for all CAS Screen uploads. Please make sure to take your pics with your CAS working as an actual CAS - that is, don't take pics while you're creating it, as they won't be of the right angles. Sim Creation Part You need to include at least one picture of the sim creation part, zoomed out fully. You can do this with a sim, or without a sim. Family Part You also need to include at least one picture of the family screen, zoomed out fully. You will need to create a sim (or pet) in order to get to this screen to take the screenshot.

No over-Photoshopping
While it can be tempting to get artistic with your screenshots in Photoshop, please don't. Screenshots need to be just as things look in the game, with no extra filtering such as contrast, sharpen, blur, saturation, etc. Also, please don't too crazy when it comes to adding text - make sure your text is in blank areas of the picture or covers an absolute minimum of your creation. Remember, you're showing off what you've made for the game, not your skill in Photoshopping your pics.

Maximum Number of Inline/attached screenshots

Inline screenshots are images that appear in the text of the upload that load for the viewer along with the rest of the text. Inline screenshots can either be linked from the attached screenshots, or from an external hosting site like Tinypic, Photobucket, or Flickr.
Attached screenshots are screenshots that have been attached to the upload using the "manage attachments" feature on MTS. They display as small thumbnails until clicked on.

You may host your inline screenshots elsewhere like Photobucket, Tinypic, or Flickr - however, these screenshots hosted elsewhere must be additional "bonus" screenshots. All of the screenshots we actually require for your upload need to be attached to the thread itself. If your Photobucket account runs out of bandwidth or you delete the pics, people still need to be able to get the required screenshots on your thread.

You may now upload up to 100 pics! Of course, please keep it to a reasonable quantity... only things like huge sets, full worlds, etc. should have that many pics! Remember, you can always collage several different images together into one image if you have a bunch of stuff to show off, or want to show multiple angles of an item.

For the bonus photos, we recommend you use a spoiler tag to hide the images, then people can click on it to see them. Their pages will load faster if all the images aren't downloading at once. [spoiler=interior rooms]http:// wheveremypictureis/picture.jpg[/spoiler] The 'interior rooms' can be replaced by whatever grouping you want to present, 'hidden garden', 'pool views', 'master suite', 'kids room', etc.

You may place as many photos within a spoiler grouping as you'd like.

Adult Content/Nudity
MTS2 is not an adult site. We do have an adult site affiliated with MTS2, Sexy Sims 2 where adult content may be uploaded. But because MTS2 is a PG-13 site, no adult content may be uploaded to MTS2 itself. Content with swear/curse words or sexually suggestive themes may not be uploaded to MTS2. Please upload these items to the adult site instead. Items relating to illegal drugs do not belong on MTS2. You -may- post items relating to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, as well as alcohol and tobacco on MTS2, but items related to illegal drugs should go on our adult site. For more information and a further list of items we do not allow on MTS2, see: Uploads Not Allowed on MTS2.

Uploading

Once you have your creation made and screenshots taken, you need to make sure you have all the fiddly bits in order.

Right Files
Your CAS screen will be a .package file. You will have put it in your Downloads folder to test it - but you should know that as you made it in the first place! Please also do not include any thumbs.db files (Windows thumbnail database files, which can cause folders to crash if they become corrupted) or DS_Store files (Mac system file, also not needed). Please do not rename your CAS screens. Regular CAS screens will be called CAS!.package and young adult/university CAS screens will be called YACAS!.package - please leave these filenames as they are. Users should only have one CAS screen of each type in at a time, and leaving the names as they should be makes it easier to find them should they wish to remove them later.

Zip, Rar, or 7z

To upload your file(s) to MTS, you will need to compress them into an archive file, which makes them smaller and allows you to include many files in one download. The archive file formats we currently accept are .zip, .rar, and .7z.

For instructions on compressing your files into an archive, please see: Creator Guidelines: Creating Archive Files.

Do not include multiple archives with the same contents - that is, please don't put your files in both a .zip as well as a .rar because some people only want .zip files. Choose one format.

Do not double-compress your files... a .rar file inside another .rar file (or any other archive inside another) doesn't compress it anymore, and it makes it so we can't see the contents without downloading, and also just makes an extra step for the people downloading.

The file size limit on MTS is 50 mb. If you exceed this limit you will need to split your archives. This should probably never come up except for large worlds for The Sims 3, or huge sets of smaller items.

Upload in sets

If you have created several items in a set, or similar items in the same sort of theme at the same time, please upload these together in a single set, all on one thread (instead of all separately, one by one, on different threads). This is easier for everyone: on our upload moderators, as they only have one thread to review rather than several... on you, as submitting a single thread is much quicker and easier than several... and on downloaders, as they can get everything they want all in one place rather than having to hunt around.

If you are doing a huge set, you can always break the set up into pieces, posting more screenshots along with the downloads as comments in the thread, as is done here and here. To do that, create a new thread in the Creator Issues Forum and arrange your thread there, using the first post as an introduction, and attach your uploads and images to subsequent posts in the thread. When you're done, PM a moderator to have it moved to the upload queue. For more information, read the message that displays when you go to post in Creator Issues.

Good title
You'll need a good title for your upload which describes what it is, and interests people in downloading it. Good titles: Mission-Style Living-Room Set 10 Simmer Way (Large family home) Fluffy Party Dresses Bad titles: My First Upload! Lipstick

Good description
In the main text of your upload, you'll need to write a good description of what you have made. The description must be about what you have made - what it is, what its features are, etc... You don't have to write a novel here, just a few sentences to get people interested. Please make sure this description is in English, don't over-use smileys/emoticons, and if necessary, run it through spellcheck and proofread for typos. Good descriptions: This is an edit of the Mission furniture without the silly wooden armrest which makes this lovely set more versatile and suitable for any Arts & Crafts or Mission style home. Here are five dresses perfect for a special occasion. Each is different, with special details, and they come in blue, purple, pink, white, and green. This is a sim of actress Angelina Jolie, famous for her roles in Girl Interrupted and Tomb Raider. Bad descriptions: This is my first upload... I don't know what to put here... My English is bad... just look at the pictures I really liked this dress so I made a sim to wear it!! I hope you like her!

Custom Content

It is strongly recommended you do not use custom content for your CAS screens!

Though CAS screens are technically lots, you cannot package them up with their needed custom content in-game the same way you do lots. Thus, if you use any custom content for your CAS screens, you must create a "shopping list" for all custom content used in your CAS screen, and downloaders must follow each link and download the content you used separately. This is a hassle for everyone involved - you, downloaders, and the moderators.

If you DO use custom content, you must provide a link and credit for every single item you used in the CAS screen, and make it clear exactly what users need to get - i.e. name the particular items used if the link is to a whole set. If you cannot provide a direct link due to the site using frames or Flash, you must provide detailed instructions on how to get to the proper page. Please also make sure to put a clear heading in bold above the list of required content so users know that they will need to get that content separately.

Content Required But Not Included
When you went through all of the custom content which is required for your uplaod, you may have found some items which you could not include and had to remove them. For these items, you can make a "shopping list" for downloaders. Create a section in the text of your post, starting in bold, saying, "Content Required But Not Included" and then list each item which you had to remove, along with a credit and a link to the exact page where it may be found. Take care not to hotlink the necessary file as this drains the other site’s bandwidth. In the event that this exact page cannot be linked to (i.e., site policy, JAVA difficulties, etc.), please link to the desired site’s home page and then provide adequate instructions to direct players to the necessary file. For example: ExampleSimSite.com > Downloads > Bedroom > Pink Fusion Set That way, the download can get those items separately. If they download them separately and get your upload which was packaged with those items included, then the removed items will show up properly when people install it.

Expansion/Stuff Packs Required
If you use items from expansion packs or stuff packs in your CAS screen, users will need those EPs/SPs for those items to show up. They should still be able to use your CAS without the EPs/SPs - it's just that the items you used won't show up properly. So it's up to you to know which EPs/SPs the items you used are from, and to mark those EPs/SPs as required on your upload. You can look up which expansion is required for a certain object in the following ways: The CEP Documentation - Download the Manual Installation file. Look in the "CEP_Documentation" folder, and you'll see files with object lists in XLS (Excel spreadsheet) and PDF (Adobe Reader) format. The CEP Database - A searchable online database similar to the CEP documentation, only you don't have to download anything. This may be easier than using the CEP documentation, but it is not updated as frequently, so it may not include the newest EPs/SPs. Unfortunately, neither of the above methods work for walls/floors! Make sure you only mark the EPs/SPs required that your upload actually needs! Don't just mark them all please!

AnyGameStarter/No Seasons
Because of the issue with sims freezing and falling over in CAS screens created with Seasons installed, you MUST state somewhere in the text of your post that: You have used Numenor's AnyGameStarter to create your CAS without Seasons OR That you do not have the Seasons expansion pack installed.

Additional Stuff

If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask in Creator Issues.

If you want some feedback before uploading, post info about your mod in the Creator Feedback Forum to get feedback on it.

Difference between revisions of "MTS2:Creator Guidelines/CAS Screens"

Revision as of 18:49, 22 May 2011

Contents

Creator Guidelines - Create a Sim Screens

Quality

Screenshots

Uploading

Custom Content

Additional Stuff

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-''This page was last modified 23:35, 1 July 2009''
 =Creator Guidelines - Create a Sim Screens=
@@ Line 9: / Line 7: @@
 ==Quality==
+This is by far the most important factor in all uploads, but also the hardest to quantify.
-The first thing moderators look for when moderating uploads is quality - simply, is the item good or not?
+{{Guidelines-Quality-TimeandEffort}}
+{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+|-
-===Time and Effort===
+! style="text-align:left" | Uniqueness
+|-
-This is probably the hardest one to quantify, but it's something that is obvious whenever upload moderators look at an upload: have you really expended some serious time and effort on a creation?  You can't just crank out a bunch of stuff in a short amount of time and expect it to be good.  Nor can you spend a while just fiddling with something but not really trying and expect a good result either.
+|
-Most good creators spend hours upon hours on even simple creations.  We understand that not everything has to be that difficult, but we do expect you to not just slap together something in 15 minutes and upload it and expect it to get accepted.  Really try to put some serious effort into what you create, and it will show through in the quality.
-===Uniqueness===
 No matter what style or design you choose, your CAS screen should be unique and different.  A slight tweak to the existing screens really isn't worth anyone's time to download, so, along with the concept of time and effort, you should work to create an interesting and unique overall look.
+|}
+{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
-===Lighting===
+|-
+! style="text-align:left" | Lighting
+|-
+|
 CAS Screens should be nicely lit so that users can see their sims clearly.  You don't want it too dark/dim, but you also don't want it too bright.  Make sure to remove any lighting hacks before creating your CAS screens so you can be sure you're creating a CAS screen that is properly lit.
+|}
+{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
-===No Seasons!===
+|-
+! style="text-align:left" | No Seasons!
+|-
+|
 This is very, very important!  If you have the Seasons expansion pack installed, you cannot make CAS screens normally!  You MUST use the [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=250555 AnyGameStarter] to create your CAS screen without Seasons!  If you do not do this, any sims in the CAS screen will turn blue and freeze.  There is no known way to remove the Seasons defect from an existing CAS screen - if you've already made one in Seasons, you will have to remake it without Seasons!
+|}
 ==Screenshots==
@@ Line 41: / Line 38: @@
 People want to see what they're downloading!  Your screenshots sell your upload - if people don't like the look of your screenshots, they're not going to download - and if your screenshots are too bad, you won't get your upload approved.
-'''All of the screenshot images below can be clicked for larger versions.''' You wouldn't want to upload them with as small of pics as are displaying here anyway - we're just using smaller pics so this thread loads quickly and is easy to read.
+{{Guidelines-Screenshots-BigEnough}}
+{{Guidelines-Screenshots-WellLit}}
+{{Guidelines-Screenshots-Angle}}
-===Screenshot Basics===
+{{Guidelines-Screenshots-NoPayContent}}
+{{Guidelines-Screenshots-Tips}}
-For instructions on:
-* Taking large, clear pictures (bigger than the game will allow)
-* Changing your in-game settings for best graphics quality
-* Camera controls
-See: [[MTS2:Creator Guidelines/Screenshot Basics|Screenshot Basics]]
-You need to make sure you have nice big, clear pictures that show off what you've made.  They can't be too blurry or pixellated, and you need to know how to use the game's camera controls properly, so make sure you review the information on that link thoroughly before continuing.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-===Big Enough===
-Your pics should be large enough to see the detail of what you've made.  Remember, MTS2 allows images up to 1280x1024 pixels and 195 kilobytes so you should be able to upload nice big pictures.  See the information above under "Screenshot Basics" for info on taking larger pics than the game will normally allow.
-And please don't take smaller pics and just make them larger in your graphics program - this just gives you a blurry pic that's bigger in dimensions with no additional detail.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-===Required Pics===
+{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+|-
+! style="text-align:left" | Required Screenshots
+|-
+|
 These pictures are required for all CAS Screen uploads.  Please make sure to take your pics with your CAS working as an actual CAS - that is, don't take pics while you're creating it, as they won't be of the right angles.
-====Sim Creation Part====
+'''Sim Creation Part'''
 [[Image:CAS-SimPart.jpg|right|300x300px]]You need to include at least one picture of the sim creation part, zoomed out fully.  You can do this with a sim, or without a sim.
@@ Line 76: / Line 57: @@
-====Family Part====
+'''Family Part'''
 [[Image:CAS-FamilyPart.jpg|right|300x300px]]You also need to include at least one picture of the family screen, zoomed out fully.  You will need to create a sim (or pet) in order to get to this screen to take the screenshot.
 <br style="clear:both" />
+|}
+{{Guidelines-Screenshots-Photoshopping}}
+{{Guidelines-Screenshots-InlineandAttached}}
+{{Guidelines-Screenshots-AdultContent-Nudity}}
-===No Over-Photoshopping===
+==Uploading==
-While it can be tempting to get artistic with your screenshots in Photoshop, please don't.  Screenshots need to be just as things look in the game, with no extra filtering such as contrast, sharpen, blur, saturation, etc.  Also, please don't too crazy when it comes to adding text - make sure your text is in blank areas of the picture or covers an absolute minimum of your creation.  Remember, you're showing off what you've made for the game, not your skill in Photoshopping your pics.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-===Inline/Attached Screenshots===
-Please do not post more than 4 inline screenshots (images that appear in the text of the thread). Having a lot of images that have to load on the thread makes browsing downloads very slow and can make the thread jump around as they keep loading.
-You may host your inline screenshots elsewhere like Photobucket.com - however, these screenshots hosted elsewhere must be additional screenshots, and you must make sure to actually attach your required screenshots to the thread itself.  If your Photobucket account runs out of bandwidth or you delete the pics, people still need to be able to get the required screenshots on your thread.
-You can attach up to 8 screenshots to the thread itself, with the 4 additional inline screenshots hosted elsewhere (or attached) for a total of 12 possible screenshots.  This should be plenty to show what you've made, even for fairly large sets.  Remember, you can always collage several different images together into one image if you have a bunch of stuff to show off, or want to show multiple angles of an outfit, or the like.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-===No Pay Content===
-'''Do not use pay content in your screenshots!  Do not use pay hair in your screenshots!'''
-You MUST use free or Maxis hair in your screenshots!  MTS2 promotes and supports free content, and using pay content in screenshots is basically like free advertisement for paysites.  This includes pay content you found elsewhere for free - if it was pay originally, it's still promoting pay content.
-As of 21 July 2007, MTS2 no longer allows the use of pay content in screenshots.  This includes (but is not limited to) hairstyles. You must use free or Maxis hairstyles on your models! Do not use pay or donation hairstyles on your models when uploading here. For more information, please see the [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=240944 Site News article] on the subject.  MTS2 has an extensive collection of free hairstyles in our Downloads section, and you can look in the [[Hair Gallery|Sims2Wiki Hair Gallery]] for more free hairstyles. You'll be able to find something you like.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-==Adult Content/Nudity==
-MTS2 is not an adult site.  We do have an adult site affiliated with MTS2, [http://www.sexysims2.com Sexy Sims 2] where adult content may be uploaded.  But because MTS2 is a PG-13 site, no adult content may be uploaded to MTS2 itself.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-===Other Adult Content===
-Content with swear/curse words or sexually suggestive themes may not be uploaded to MTS2.  Please upload these items to the adult site instead.
-Items relating to illegal drugs do not belong on MTS2. You -may- post items relating to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, as well as alcohol and tobacco on MTS2, but items related to illegal drugs should go on our adult site.
-For more information and a further list of items we do not allow on MTS2, see: [[MTS2:Uploads_NOT_allowed_on_MTS2|Uploads Not Allowed on MTS2]].
-<br style="clear:both" />
-==Right Info/Right Files==
 Once you have your creation made and screenshots taken, you need to make sure you have all the fiddly bits in order.
+{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
-===Right Files===
+|-
+! style="text-align:left" | Right Files
+|-
+|
 Your CAS screen will be a .package file.  You will have put it in your Downloads folder to test it - but you should know that as you made it in the first place!
 Please also do not include any thumbs.db files (Windows thumbnail database files, which can cause folders to crash if they become corrupted) or DS_Store files (Mac system file, also not needed).
 <br style="clear:both" />
-===Right Files===
 Please do not rename your CAS screens.  Regular CAS screens will be called CAS!.package and young adult/university CAS screens will be called YACAS!.package - please leave these filenames as they are.  Users should only have one CAS screen of each type in at a time, and leaving the names as they should be makes it easier to find them should they wish to remove them later.
+|}
+{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-ZipRar7z}}
+{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-UploadinSets}}
+{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-Title}}
+{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-Description}}
-===ZIP or RAR===
+==Custom Content==
-You will need to put your CAS screen .package file into a RAR or ZIP file to upload here. Please see [[MTS2:Creator_Guidelines/RAR_or_ZIP_Your_Custom_Content|here]] for instructions on doing so.  Please do not include both a ZIP and RAR with the same contents - just choose one.
-Please do not double-compress your files - you should not have a ZIP inside a ZIP or a RAR inside a RAR.  This does not compress the files any more and just makes an extra step for downloaders.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-===Upload in Sets===
-If you have created several similar CAS screens at the same time, please upload these together in a single set, all on one thread (instead of all separately, one by one, on different threads).  This is easier for everyone: on our upload moderators, as they only have one thread to review rather than several... on you, as submitting a single thread is much quicker and easier than several... and on downloaders, as they can get everything they want all in one place rather than having to hunt around.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-===Custom Content===
 '''It is strongly recommended you do not use custom content for your CAS screens!'''
@@ Line 165: / Line 95: @@
 If you DO use custom content, you must provide a link and credit for every single item you used in the CAS screen, and make it clear exactly what users need to get - i.e. name the particular items used if the link is to a whole set.  If you cannot provide a direct link due to the site using frames or Flash, you must provide detailed instructions on how to get to the proper page.  Please also make sure to put a clear heading in bold above the list of required content so users know that they will need to get that content separately.
-For example:
+{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-CCRequired}}
-<blockquote>''Right Way:''<br><br>
-'''Content Required (You must download these items separately!):'''
-* Couch from Adele's [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=287185 Persianesque Living Room] (Persianesque Loveseat)
-* Candles from Buggybooz's [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=293859 Candid by Candlelight] (5 Candlesticks)
-* Pictures on shelf are Holy Simoly's [http://holysimoly.com/index.cfm?go=home.objects&C=9B4F157E-65BC-8AAB-7537EEA045BEAB9E&S=F9A694F4-65BF-DC98-E155E30DEF43F44B&pagestartrow=9 'Wall of Memories' Picture Shelf] (Mesh and light wood version from recolour pack needed)
-* Mirror from Reflexsims's [http://www.reflexsims.de/ Lamar Bedroom Set] (Downloads - Bedroom - Page 3 - Lamar Bedroom... You only need the mirror)<br><br>
-''Wrong Way:''<br><br>
-Stuff used:
-* [http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=1374247 Couch]
-* [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=293859 Candles]
-* [http://www.holysimoly.com Pictures]
-* I can't remember the rest...</blockquote>
-<br>
-<br style="clear:both" />
-===Expansion/Stuff Packs Required?===
+{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+|-
+! style="text-align:left" | Expansion/Stuff Packs Required
+|-
+|
 If you use items from expansion packs or stuff packs in your CAS screen, users will need those EPs/SPs for those items to show up.  They should still be able to use your CAS without the EPs/SPs - it's just that the items you used won't show up properly.  So it's up to you to know which EPs/SPs the items you used are from, and to mark those EPs/SPs as required on your upload.
@@ Line 199: / Line 114: @@
 Make sure you only mark the EPs/SPs required that your upload actually needs!  Don't just mark them all please!
 <br style="clear:both" />
+|}
+{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
-===AnyGameStarter/No Seasons===
+|-
+! style="text-align:left" | AnyGameStarter/No Seasons
+|-
+|
 Because of the issue with sims freezing and falling over in CAS screens created with Seasons installed, you MUST state somewhere in the text of your post that:
@@ Line 208: / Line 126: @@
 OR
 * That you do not have the Seasons expansion pack installed.
+|}
+==Additional Stuff==
-===Good Title===
+* If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask in [http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=492 Creator Issues].
-You'll need a good title for your upload - something descriptive... like, "Kids' Bedroom CAS" or "Medieval Garden CAS" is good.  Something non-descriptive like, "My First Upload!" is not.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-===Good Description===
-You'll need to write up a little basic description of what your upload is... you don't have to get too fancy, but you do need to write something to get people interested.  For instance, "This CAS screen is designed to look like a cute, gender-neutral kids' bedroom."  Something like, "This is my first upload... I don't know what to put here..." really doesn't make it sound like you've put any effort into it - and will reflect poorly on your creation.  You don't have to write a novel, just something that makes it sound like it's worth taking a closer look at.
-<br style="clear:both" />
-==Checklist==
-This is a checklist of everything gone over above so you can be sure you've done everything you need to do to ensure your submission is correct.  This is just for your own use - checking these boxes doesn't actually -do- anything, just is an easy way to keep yourself organized.
-===Quality===
-<html>
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Time and Effort</b> - You have spent a substantial amount of time and put a good deal of effort into creating your CAS screen.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Uniqueness</b> - Your CAS screen represents a unique, interesting overall look.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Lighting</b> - Your CAS screen is well-lit... neither too bright or too dark.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>No Seasons</b> - You have either created your CAS screen using the [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=250555 AnyGameStarter], or you do not have the Seasons EP installed.</input><br />
-</html>
-===Screenshots===
-<html>
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Big Enough</b> - Your screenshots are large enough to clearly see what you have made - limits are 1280x1024 pixels and 195 kbs.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>In-Game</b> - Your screenshots are taken from within the game, and are not just pictures of your textures.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Required Pics</b> - You have included at least one picture of the sim creation part, and at least one picture of the family part.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>No Over-Photoshopping</b> - Your screenshots show the item as it appears in-game, with no additional filters applied which change the look of the image, and any added text does not cover your creation.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Inline/Attached Screenshots</b> - Your inline screenshots are no more than 800x600 pixels, you don't have more than 4 of them, your required screenshots are actually attached to the thread, and you don't have more than 8 screenshots attached.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>No Pay Content</b> - You do not have any pay content in your screenshots, and any sims in your pics are wearing free or Maxis hair.  No other content in your screenshots is pay.</input><br />
-</html>
-===Adult Content/Nudity===
-<html>
-<input type="checkbox"><b>No Adult Content</b> - Your content doesn't have any swear words, nudity, or illegal drugs.</input><br />
-</html>
-===Right Info/Right Files===
-<html>
+* If you want some feedback before uploading, post info about your mod in the [http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=473 Creator Feedback Forum] to get feedback on it.
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Right Files</b> - Your file is a .package file.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>ZIP or RAR</b> - You have compressed your file into a zip or rar archive (but not both).</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Upload in Sets</b> - If you have created a set or several similar/related items, you have uploaded them all together in one thread, rather than on separate threads.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Custom Content</b> - You have either not used any custom content for your CAS screen, or if you have used custom content, you have made a detailed shopping list that includes links, credit, info on which file(s) are needed, and with a heading that obviously states that users will have to download the content separately.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Expansion/Stuff Packs Required</b> - You know which expansions or stuff packs are required for any included items in your CAS screen and have marked them as required.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>AnyGameStarter/No Seasons</b> - You have clearly stated in the text of your post that either you have used the [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=250555 AnyGameStarter] to create your CAS screen without Seasons, or that you do not have the Seasons expansion pack installed.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Good Title</b> - You have given your creation a good, descriptive title.</input><br />
-<input type="checkbox"><b>Good Description</b> - You have given your creation a nice description that makes people want to download it.</input><br />
-</html>
 [[Category:MTS2 Creator Guidelines]]
+[[Category:Sims 2]]