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Getting the Tools Working
Legacy Collection needs a registry fix before old Maxis tools will run
The Sims Creator, Home Crafter and Art Studio all locate your game via a Windows registry entry that Legacy Collection does not create. You need to add it – either via an installer that does it automatically, or by hand.
Route A – Feraligatr Installer
Recommended
A community installer that bundles a selection of original Maxis tools (including The Sims Creator, Home Crafter and Art Studio) and handles the registry key and compatibility settings for those tools.
Download the installer
Go to github.com/Secondhand-Feraligatr/Sims-1-Programs-for-Legacy-Collection and download the latest release.
Run and choose Custom Install
Select Custom Install → Select manually to choose which tools to install. They will be placed in a Programs folder inside your Legacy Collection install directory.
If you see a “16-bit colour” error
The installer may not have applied compatibility settings. In Windows File Explorer, right-click on the tool’s .exe file → Properties → Compatibility tab → tick 16-bit colour and set compatibility to Windows XP (Service Pack 2). This applies to Home Crafter and Art Studio – The Sims Creator does not need this.
Route B – Manual Registry Fix
If you prefer to install tools from the Internet Archive and fix the registry yourself, see the CC Troubleshooting – Registry Fix for exact steps. Then apply the compatibility settings above manually.
How Clothing Works in Sims 1
Very different from later Sims games
Skn, the default), Fit (Fit, athletic), and Fat (Fat, plus-size). Each exists for both male and female – six adult meshes in total. A Sim’s body type is permanent, so a skin painted for a Fit body looks distorted on a Skinny body. For widest compatibility, create at least Skinny male and Skinny female versions.Chd body type code. There is only one child body type (no Fit/Fat/Skinny). Child filenames use C for age instead of A.Example:
B300FCChdlgt_KidsOutfit.bmp = female child.Dress Style Prefixes
The first letter of the filename tells the game what category the outfit belongs to
Every skin filename starts with a prefix that determines where the outfit appears in the game – whether it shows up in your Sim’s home dresser, or on a clothing rack at a community shopping lot. The Legacy Collection includes all seven expansion packs, so all of these prefixes are active.
| Prefix | Type | Where it appears | Expansion |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Body (everyday) | Dresser – everyday clothing | Base game |
| C | Cranium (head) | Create-A-Sim head selection | Base game |
| H | Hand textures | Sim’s hand texture (separate from body) | Base game |
| L | Lingerie (sleepwear / pyjamas) | Buyable at clothing rack – sleepwear | Hot Date |
| F | Formal | Buyable at clothing rack – formal | Hot Date |
| S | Swimwear | Buyable at clothing rack – swimwear | Hot Date |
| W | Winterwear | Buyable at clothing rack – winterwear | Vacation |
| H | High Fashion | Buyable at clothing rack – high fashion | Superstar |
ExpansionShared\SkinsBuy\ rather than GameData\Skins\. See the Terminology page for more detail on buyable skins and folder locations.H for both hand textures (base game) and High Fashion bodies (Superstar). It tells them apart by context – hand files are referenced directly in character data, while High Fashion skins appear on the clothing rack.For a full reference of all file types, naming segments, and where each file goes, see the File Reference page.
Filename Format
The filename tells the game everything it needs to know – no spaces anywhere
All body skin filenames follow the same structure regardless of the dress style prefix. Every segment runs together with no spaces. Here is the format for everyday clothing (B prefix):
Example: B300FASknlgt_RedDress.bmp
• B – Body (everyday clothing)
• 300 – mesh number
• F – female
• A – adult
• Skn – skinny body type
• lgt – light skin tone
• _RedDress – identifier (your choice)
| Segment | Values | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Prefix | B, L, F, S, W, H | Dress style – determines which clothing category the outfit appears in. See the prefix table above. |
| Mesh number | 001–005, 300, etc. | A three-character identifier for the mesh shape. Maxis used numbers; custom creators pick their own codes. |
| Gender | F / M / U | Female, male, or unisex. |
| Age | A / C | Adult or child. |
| Body type | Fat / Fit / Skn / Chd | Fat, fit, skinny, or child. Children always use Chd. |
| Skin tone | lgt / med / drk | Light, medium, or dark. Only in BMP filenames – not in CMX or SKN files. |
| _Name | Any text | An underscore followed by a unique identifier you choose. |
A complete everyday outfit needs three BMP files (one per skin tone) plus one CMX and one SKN:
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
B300FASknlgt_RedDress.bmp | Body texture – light skin tone |
B300FASknmed_RedDress.bmp | Body texture – medium skin tone |
B300FASkndrk_RedDress.bmp | Body texture – dark skin tone |
B300FASkn_RedDress.cmx | Mesh config – no skin tone in filename |
xskin-B300FASkn_RedDress-PELVIS-BODY.skn | 3D mesh – no skin tone in filename |
For a full breakdown of all naming segments, see the File Reference page.
The xskin Chain
How the four file types work together to create a clothed Sim
Every Sim’s appearance depends on four file types working together. Understanding which file does what helps when things go wrong – if your outfit shows up blank, check the BMP; if it does not appear at all, the CMX is likely the problem.
PELVIS.All everyday skin files live in GameData\Skins\ – some are loose files, others are packed inside .FAR archives. Use FARx to extract files from FAR archives if needed. Buyable skins (L, F, S, W, H prefix) go in ExpansionShared\SkinsBuy\ instead.
xskin- contain the CMX base name as part of their filename. If the name does not match, the chain breaks and the mesh will not load. The identifier after the underscore in the BMP filename (e.g. _RedDress) is safe to rename.Two Routes to Custom Clothing
Choose the approach that matches what you want to make
There are two fundamentally different ways to create custom clothing, depending on whether you want to change how an outfit looks (its colour and pattern) or how it is shaped (its 3D silhouette). Both are covered in their own dedicated guide pages.
Common Mistakes
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| White blank body in game | BMP saved as 24-bit (RGB) instead of Indexed 256-colour. | In GIMP: Flatten Image, then Image → Mode → Indexed (255 colours), then File → Export As .bmp. See the Indexed BMP Conversion section. |
| Outfit not appearing in dresser | Files are in a subfolder, or the CMX/SKN companions are missing. | Move all files directly into GameData\Skins\ (no subfolders). Make sure BMP, CMX, and SKN are all present. |
| Visible seams on the body | Painting crossed the UV seam boundaries where body parts join. | Zoom in on the template edges in GIMP and match colours carefully where parts meet. See the Painting section. |
| Outfit looks distorted | Skin was painted for the wrong body type (e.g. painted for Fit mesh, but Sim is Skinny). | Each body type needs its own file. Check the body type code in the filename matches the Sim. |
| Wrong skin tone underneath clothing | The lgt/med/drk suffix does not match the base skin colour used in the BMP. | Check the filename suffix matches the skin colour you painted underneath the clothing. |
| CMX name mismatch | The name on line 5 of the CMX file does not match the CMX filename exactly. | Open the CMX in Notepad and check that line 5 matches the filename (without the .cmx extension). |
| Buyable outfit not on rack | File is in GameData\Skins\ instead of ExpansionShared\SkinsBuy\, or the prefix is wrong. | L, F, S, W, and H prefix files go in the SkinsBuy folder. B prefix goes in Skins. |