So close to release date!  And with the release date being so close, programmers are hard at work behind the scenes tinkering with the various formats from the game.  Some people got a head start working on tools to edit the Sims3Pack files – not by the pirated version but by downloading the files from the official Sims 3 site when it was available (I have a few package files myself).  Inge’s site, Sims 3 Tools, already published a few:  Sims3Pack Unpacker and TS3 Unpacker.  I’ve created a Package Editor’s page…keep your eyes on the Sims 3 Programs section as more are to be added in the near future!

Sims3Pack Unpacker
Source: Sims3Tools
Copyright: Inge

Just install it, run it, and use the browser to pick one or more Sims3Pack files, which will proceed to unpack into their constituent parts in their own folders.

Echo’s one is much more shiny, but this could be useful for anyone who hates Java for any reason.

Does not require the S3PI library at this time, but may do later if repackaging features are added.

TS3 Unpacker
Source: Sims3Tools
Copyright: Echo

This is a fairly simple tool to extract the contents of a sims3pack exported file. Simply choose the sims3pack file when prompted, then select the file to extract and click the “Export Selected” button on the bottom left.

The tool does not currently allow you to re-pack files. It will let you pull out the contained package file, so you should theoretically be able to drop them into the correct place without the launcher. More importantly, it lets you view and edit the contained packages in one of the DBPF viewers.

The code is based on the structure of the files from the briefly available EA exchange site (before they password protected it).

It was built using Java 6, which is therefore required for this to run. It should work on Mac as well as on Windows