This is how CAW makes me feel. Won't bore you to death with the whole, soo sad story, just ask a few pertinent questions, if I may.1) CAW won't open anymore. (Not that I ever accomplished much anyway). It doesn't crash or create any report, it simply flashes the opening screen for approx 2 seconds then quits. (Yes the versions match and I'm on pc and the system can handle my game with very little lag or crashing.) No one at EA or forums help knew why. igazor sent me here. In one thread the wonderful rflong7 mentioned in passing that her caw wouldn't work if there was too much store content in her game files. Can't seem to find that thread again. Nor do I know if that's the issue but I'm willing to try! So how does one eliminate these without uninstalling everything? Mods are easy, just remove the folder, but which folder or files? Is it dccache and perhaps collections? Or do prolific world builders use two different computers, one with extra stuff and one without?2) Keeping lots level. More often than not when placing pre-built lots in any world there is an elevation(?) issue. Either the entire lot is sunk half a square or so from the edge or the edges match but the lot is raise or lowered around any objects on the lot, including buildings, mailboxes, plants, whatever. Flatten lot doesn't fix this, nor level terrain. Moving stuff around while leveling works but of course one can't just pick up a house, level around it then plunk it back down. (Right?) Many custom worlds have lots there were created elsewhere and this issue doesn't seem to exist. Yet when I place a house or lot, (in-game not in caw) everything goes wonky. Heavy sigh.Any takers on helping me feel a bit less inept?

Hi @Vgrace573 :) ,I used to have to start CAW by right clicking on my shortcut and choosing 'run as administrator'. You'll just have to try it ... it may or may not work.Especially EIG is prone to crash if you have too much store content. I always have to swap the DCCache folder ... I use one for CAW and one for general play ... but if this works to get CAW started in the first place I'm not sure.If you take out the DCCache folder that is in your game now and 'park' it on your desktop and then start the game a new folder should be generated that has no store stuff in it. Try if CAW works now, then you could slowly add store stuff as and when you need it until you find you are starting to get problems again, if it doesn't work you still have your original folder that you can put back without having lost any store items ... other than that I would not know what else to try.I hope you can get it sorted. Happy Simming!

I'm not a CAW builder, so I can't help so much there.What I do know is where store content is put in your Sims 3 folder, so...dcCache folder... YES! You can simply move that folder out like you do with your Mods. ALL your store content is installed there. It also goes into the InstalledWorlds folder and of course the WorldCaches folder. Your library files include any venues as well.All folders can be moved out and replaced later.BUT... you can simply rename the sims 3 folder and launch the game to have a brand new sims 3 folder minus anything you have added to it.That's what I do all the time.

@Hidehi, @ciane thanks so much for chiming in. It astonishes me how long we've been continuing to play and LEARN not to mention new player created content being generated. Also how friendly and generous forum members are with time and knowledge. Wow!Run as admin doesn't work but I'll sure try out the other suggestions.Thanks again

I remember reading about that lot depth problem. I THINK it is caused by the builder choosing "flatten terrain" to level a lot. Any way, here's a link to Crinrict's suggestion for a fix: https://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/06/bug-imported-house-raiseslowers-the-terrain.htmlThe cheat you type in:SetImportedTerrainOffset (value)(value) Is a positive or negative number depending on whether the lot created a hole or a mountain.After you placed the lot, check if the elevation is level before pressing ok. If not, cancel and change the value you put in. Positive numbers raise the lot and negative numbers lower the lot. You can even use decimal values for fine tuning.

It may also be as simple as deleting your cache files. When I start having issues with CAW it is usually the cache files. This includes emptying the world cache folder as well in both sims 3 and create-a-world.

Ignorant AND inept...Ouch! | EA Forums

Hidehi2
Rising Traveler
6 years ago

Hi @Vgrace573 :) ,

I used to have to start CAW by right clicking on my shortcut and choosing 'run as administrator'. You'll just have to try it ... it may or may not work.

Especially EIG is prone to crash if you have too much store content. I always have to swap the DCCache folder ... I use one for CAW and one for general play ... but if this works to get CAW started in the first place I'm not sure.

If you take out the DCCache folder that is in your game now and 'park' it on your desktop and then start the game a new folder should be generated that has no store stuff in it. Try if CAW works now, then you could slowly add store stuff as and when you need it until you find you are starting to get problems again, if it doesn't work you still have your original folder that you can put back without having lost any store items ... other than that I would not know what else to try.

I hope you can get it sorted. Happy Simming!
iAMciane
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
I'm not a CAW builder, so I can't help so much there.
What I do know is where store content is put in your Sims 3 folder, so...
dcCache folder... YES! You can simply move that folder out like you do with your Mods. ALL your store content is installed there. It also goes into the InstalledWorlds folder and of course the WorldCaches folder. Your library files include any venues as well.
All folders can be moved out and replaced later.

BUT... you can simply rename the sims 3 folder and launch the game to have a brand new sims 3 folder minus anything you have added to it.

That's what I do all the time.
Vgrace573
6 years ago
@Hidehi, @ciane thanks so much for chiming in. It astonishes me how long we've been continuing to play and LEARN not to mention new player created content being generated. Also how friendly and generous forum members are with time and knowledge. Wow!

Run as admin doesn't work but I'll sure try out the other suggestions.

Thanks again
iAMciane
Seasoned Newcomer
6 years ago
I remember reading about that lot depth problem. I THINK it is caused by the builder choosing "flatten terrain" to level a lot. Any way, here's a link to Crinrict's suggestion for a fix: https://sims3.crinrict.com/en/2011/06/bug-imported-house-raiseslowers-the-terrain.html

The cheat you type in:
SetImportedTerrainOffset (value)

(value) Is a positive or negative number depending on whether the lot created a hole or a mountain.

After you placed the lot, check if the elevation is level before pressing ok. If not, cancel and change the value you put in. Positive numbers raise the lot and negative numbers lower the lot. You can even use decimal values for fine tuning.
Tammyjo329
6 years ago
It may also be as simple as deleting your cache files. When I start having issues with CAW it is usually the cache files. This includes emptying the world cache folder as well in both sims 3 and create-a-world.
Vgrace573
6 years ago
Thanks @Bettyboop55. Yes, I've been on .69 for years and yes I've reinstalled the thing a few times most recently a few days back. I noticed a folder, not in the documents path, rather in the program files path that has a few separate folders for ep5, ep10 (just for instance) and thought about pulling those as I believe they are the disk ep's. Then I remembered Mr Murphy and his law and decided not to even LOOK at them hard!!

Oh well. I'm terrible at it anyway. Think I'll jump back into a book for awhile. Have a wonderful weekend and if the Fourth is a holiday for you (heck, even if it isn't) enjoy it!
igazor
6 years ago
You guys have no idea how odd it is to see an entry like this in my Notifications feed...

"Bettyboop55 mentioned you in Ignorant AND inept...Ouch!" :o :p

@Vgrace573 - When you establish a new TS3 user game folder in Documents, there would be no added content at all. Thus no InstalledWorlds. The point of a clean folder like that is either to establish some sort of baseline through "vanilla" gameplay (no mods, store content, CC, extra worlds, game saves) or to begin fresh by reinstalling all or only what one needs.

There would be no WorldCache files if no worlds have been played yet. Not all worlds cache this way regardless, the base game, EP worlds and I think Riverview are designed to cache to a location within Program Files that isn't supposed to be touched.

Mixed Orign/disc installs that are managed by Origin and on Patch 1.69 will have their installed EPs show up some under Orign Games and some under EA Games, but basically wherever Origin thinks they should go. "Pulling" EP folders out would break the game install entirely, that's not a good way to uninstall an EP or any program that some other force is managing.
Bettyboop55
New Spectator
6 years ago
If I can chip in with a couple of things. Once you have sorted out a DCCache with the level of store content in that you need for your project be very careful not to open your CAW file with the wrong DCCache in place. I did this once, after a reinstall and I had missing items from my current version of my CAW file. Fortunately I had a backup copy on an EHD.

Secondly Rflong has a fantastic tutorial on levelling terrain. Often the terrain looks flat but it isn't. I would send you a link but I am on my tablet. If you Google it, it should turn up.

Good luck in getting CAW working again. It will be lovely to see how you progress on your project.

Betty
Vgrace573
6 years ago
@Bettyboop55, thanks and feel free to chip-in any time! I've seen some of your work on the threads and its great! Unfortunately none of this is working to get caw running. Honestly I'm lousy anyway, but would like to keep trying. Oh well.

The terrain problems I was referring to are not within caw but during actual gameplay. Place a house on an empty lots and the terrain goes wonky. I've got some great builds from the exchange but the sharp rise or fall around the edges of the lot and objects is a pain sometimes. It doesn't always happen of course but it'd be nice to have a fix for when it does.
Vgrace573
6 years ago
Many thanks @ciane :)