the sims 3 - family disappeared

@kmila47  What you've described is the travel transition failing, which is not uncommon.  Unfortunately, it sounds like you may have saved in this state, but if you haven't saved twice since the problem occurred, try loading the backup version of this save.  Go into Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 3 > Saves, and you'll see a folder for your main save and another folder with the same name plus a .backup extension, e.g. SunsetValley.sims3 and SunsetValley.sims3.backup.  Rename the save and delete the .backup extension (e.g. SunsetValley1.sims3), and you'll be able to load that version from the Main Menu.

If this backup is also affected, please let me know what you mean when you say playing another family in the town doesn't work.  Can you not load the other household, or can you not switch back to the main one, or something else?

i saved it twice so the backup thing won't work, i tried ;( when i want to change the household it says "you cannot change the active family when you are not in the active location". 

@kmila47  Is the backup save in the homeworld or in the vacation world?  If you go to Edit Town in the homeworld, can you click on another household, and if so, can you switch to that household?

the backup save says 'aurora skies' so thats homeworld, but inside this folder theres file called "france". 

i can click on another household but i cant switch to that household - the button doesnt even show up.

@kmila47  Once you've traveled your sims to a world within a given save, that world will have an .nhd file inside the save folder.  So it doesn't matter that there's an .nhd file for France; the question is whether the save itself is taking place in France or back in the homeworld.

Please also let me know if you use mods or are willing to add a few for the purposes of trying to rescue this save.

i dont know if youre asking about that, but when i go to the saves folder it's saved as the homeworld but when i go into the game it takes me to france.

sure i can try some mods but i've never downloaded any for ts3

@kmila47  I would suggest adding NRaas ErrorTrap, Overwatch, Traveler, Register, and MasterController.  You can find descriptions and download links, as well as a link to a guide to installing mods, here:

https://answers.ea.com/t5/Technical-Issues-PC/Sims-3-Common-Game-Fixing-Mods-Hero-Approved/m-p/9838855#M244208

All the mods except MC do their job on their own, without needing user input; MC doesn't do anything unless you use it to issue a command.  I don't know how much they're going to help with your already-borked save, but it's worth trying a MasterController town reset in both the main save (in the homeworld) and the backup (in France).  Click on City Hall or the base camp tag and select NRaas > MC > Town Options > Reset Everything.

One other mod that might help is NRaas DebugEnabler.  In the homeworld only, NOT in France, click on City Hall and select NRaas > DE > Sim > Fix Homeworld.  This command helps sometimes, not always, and it should never be run in a vacation world.

If you can get to Edit Town after adding the mods and running the MC Reset, you can try switching households, or you can try evicting your main household and putting the sims back in the house.  If you can't do either, you can try using the MC Make Active command on a sim from a different household.

so i cant really do anything with the NRass mods because i cant even play in live mode. i only see the view of the map, i can edit the builds but when i click on the city hall i can't do anything with it.

@kmila47  If you want, I can try to fix your save.  Just upload it to a free filehosting service (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) and either link it here or send me the link via private message.  Please also list all the expansion and stuff packs you currently have installed as well as the store worlds.  I own everything except the Katy Perry pack, so I can use whatever you're using, minus the custom content and smaller store items.