CAS Contests - Rules and Instructions

[Schipperke]

Create-A-Sim Contests: Rules and Instructions

  What is the essence of Sims 3?  The characters, or Sims.  Sims doing whatever they are directed to do by their Watchers (or not, as the case may be).  Every Sims game must have Sims.  The CAS Contests will challenge you to create a variety of interesting and distinctive Sims inspired by characters from real life, books or movies.  So brush up on your slider skills and get ready to join the contests!

General Contest Rules

Entry Rules:

• Only one entry is permitted per Member.
• You may not begin your entry until the stated start time.
• All entries must be posted before the deadline, no exceptions.
• The entry must be solely your own work and must not be shared in another thread before or during the contest.  Please do not seek advice or input from other forum members regarding your entry until after the contest has closed.
• Your entry must comply with the general rules and meet the specifications for the particular contest. 

Content Rules:

• Third Party Custom Content is banned, as per the forum rules.
• Modifications that affect the abilities of Create-A-Sim are banned, i.e. New Sliders.
• Modifications that affect the poses a Sim can do are banned, i.e. Pose Player.
• All Expansion or Stuff Pack Content is allowed, unless stated otherwise.
• Custom Patterns from the Swap Shop and Official Exchange are allowed, as long as all credit is given to original creators.
• The use of Store Content is banned, with the exception of Registration Rewards and other free items.  This includes use of Store Content in screenshots, other than Store Worlds which are permitted.

Screenshots and Posting Rules:

• It is recommended that you upload your Sim from Edit Town, as a household (rather than uploading from CAS).  This is not a hard-and-fast rule, but is recommended for consistency so that anyone downloading your entry will know where to look for the Sim.
• Post your entry in a new thread, complete with all information, screenshots and the link for people to download your Sim.  Then lock the thread.
• In the Contest thread, post one of your screenshots, the name of your entry/thread, and a link to your thread.
• A maximum of 10 Screenshots may be used in your entry thread. A collage of 4 images counts as 4 images.
• Required Screenshots:
  • Full Face, to be taken in CAS.
  • Profile, to be taken in CAS.
  • Images of each Outfit Category: Everyday, Formal, Athletic, Sleepwear and Swimwear.
• Optional Screenshots:
  • Three-Quarter View, to be taken in CAS
  • Outdoor Clothing
  • Miscellaneous Poses/Expressions
• See the Sample Entry thread for ideas on the types of images to include.
• No Videos or Montages.
• You may use any cheats you wish for the themed screenshots.

Voting and Commenting Rules:

• Do not reveal who you voted for anywhere in the forum. If you do, your post will be edited or deleted.
• Do not comment on entries until the contest has closed.  When voting has ended all threads will be unlocked.
• Comments will be allowed when the contest has closed, and only if a participant has requested feedback.
• All comments should be respectful and constructive.  Inappropriate and/or negative comments will be removed.

How do the Create-A-Sim Contests work?

The Contests will run for six weeks, normally starting on a Friday and ending on a Thursday.  On the closure of a contest, a poll will be added to the main thread and you will be able to vote for up to three of your favourite entries (if a particular contest has few entries, the number of allowed votes may be fewer than three).  The poll will be open for four days.  At the close of voting the winner will be announced.

If you have any Contest Ideas or Questions please PM the Contest Team: Schipperke and Seabody.

[Schipperke]

This is just to let you know we've had a couple of questions related to the entry process.  I'm hoping to get Samoht's input on this but he's in a different time zone and is busy too, so I'll just ask people to be patient and maybe hold off on posting your entry.  I promise to respond to the questions by the end of the day.

[Joria]

Movie Maker cheat?  Where does one find this?

[Ferretmania]

It's a cheat that came with Generations.

I haven't tried it, but found this on the official Forum :

moviemakerCheats enabled [true|false]: Toggles Movie Maker Mode, which enables new cheats for players that aid in movie making. To access Movie Maker Mode, [testingcheatsenabled true] must be set. It allows NPCS to be selectable by using SHIFT+RIGHT CLICK on the Sim. Additionally, the following cheat interactions are enabled when you SHIFT+LEFT CLICK on a Sim:
- Animation: Plays a specific animation on a Sim
- Disable All Lookouts: Toggles all Look Ats for all Sims.
- Edit in CAS: Brings the clicked Sim into Create a Sim, where they can be fully edited.
- Sim Shutdown: Prevents all Sims for doing anything other than player initiated interactions.
- Set Looping On/One-Off: Sets animations to be looped or to one-off.

[Schipperke]

Thanks for that explanation, Ferretmania.  There are a number of animations your Sim can do with the moviemaker cheat, and probably the best way to familiarize yourself with the possibilities is to just try them out.

This thread in the Video Training board also talks about some of the cheats that can be used to get various effects in your pictures.

[shaunta]

It's a cheat that came with Generations.

I haven't tried it, but found this on the official Forum :

moviemakerCheats enabled [true|false]: Toggles Movie Maker Mode, which enables new cheats for players that aid in movie making. To access Movie Maker Mode, [testingcheatsenabled true] must be set. It allows NPCS to be selectable by using SHIFT+RIGHT CLICK on the Sim. Additionally, the following cheat interactions are enabled when you SHIFT+LEFT CLICK on a Sim:
- Animation: Plays a specific animation on a Sim
- Disable All Lookouts: Toggles all Look Ats for all Sims.
- Edit in CAS: Brings the clicked Sim into Create a Sim, where they can be fully edited.
- Sim Shutdown: Prevents all Sims for doing anything other than player initiated interactions.
- Set Looping On/One-Off: Sets animations to be looped or to one-off.

Does anyone know how to do this on a mac? I just have one solid surface.

[Schipperke]

Does anyone know how to do this on a mac? I just have one solid surface.

I don't have a Mac, and maybe I'm not understanding your question, but are you concerned about not having a right mouse button?  If so, you don't need it in order to use the moviemaker cheat on your own Sim.  The cheat is part of the Sims game, just like the other cheats, and if you want to use it to make your Sim do certain animations, just enable the cheat and then shift-click on the Sim to bring up the options.

[ladyaya]

Is it just screenshots or are the sims getting linked and able to be downloaded as well?

~Anna

[Schipperke]

Is it just screenshots or are the sims getting linked and able to be downloaded as well?

~Anna

Yes, the Sims will need to be uploaded to your contest thread.

[shaunta]

I don't have a Mac, and maybe I'm not understanding your question, but are you concerned about not having a right mouse button?  If so, you don't need it in order to use the moviemaker cheat on your own Sim.  The cheat is part of the Sims game, just like the other cheats, and if you want to use it to make your Sim do certain animations, just enable the cheat and then shift-click on the Sim to bring up the options.

Thank you for responding! I just went into my game and figured that out was just wondering there were different things I had to do in there.

[Schipperke]

Several people have sent us personal messages with questions about the entry procedures.  Samoht and I have been discussing them, and I've added a couple of points to the "Screenshots and Posting Rules" section above that I think will answer the questions.

The reason we're asking you to make a separate thread for your entry is so that when the contest ends and the contest thread gets moved to the Graveyard, your entry won't also wind up in the Graveyard.  And asking you to post just one picture in the contest thread is because loading times get very slow for threads with a lot of pictures, and there's no need to duplicate everything that's in the entry thread - just pick the picture you think best shows your Sim (I'd suggest either the full-face view or the three-quarter view, but it's up to you).

I should also say that there was some difference of opinion about this procedure, so we're going to try it for a while and see how it works.  Constructive feedback would of course be welcome. 

[saltpastillen]

How about allowing people to make a collage of their photos in the separate thread to post in the contest thread? There are some really easy to use free collage sites, such as picmonkey that you can link to for an example of where to go to.

That will both keep down the number of photos and let people show more than one picture at a time. Of course only the pictures posted in the separate thread would be allowed.

[Schipperke]

How about allowing people to make a collage of their photos in the separate thread to post in the contest thread? There are some really easy to use free collage sites, such as picmonkey that you can link to for an example of where to go to.

That will both keep down the number of photos and let people show more than one picture at a time. Of course only the pictures posted in the separate thread would be allowed.

Thanks for the suggestion, saltpastillen.  It's definitely something to consider, and we will.  At this point, I think we'll keep things simple and stay with the single picture until Samoht and I have had time to discuss your idea.

[saltpastillen]

Thanks for the suggestion, saltpastillen.  It's definitely something to consider, and we will.  At this point, I think we'll keep things simple and stay with the single picture until Samoht and I have had time to discuss your idea.

Sure, it was just a thought...it's nearing 1 am here so I'm over the place 

[marwolfer]

Can we take pictures in a store world (ie Sunlit Tides) so long as no store content is used in the actual CAS process?

[Schipperke]

Can we take pictures in a store world (ie Sunlit Tides) so long as no store content is used in the actual CAS process?

Yes.

[marwolfer]

Yeah! I'm starting this now.

[Niana]

So just to clarify - when we export as household from Edit Town, it needs to be a brand new Sim, yes? And also, where do we upload to? The Sims Exchange, or is there somewhere else that's recommended to use? I've never done this before, so I figured I'd check before I start clicking randomly. Thanks!

[Schipperke]

So just to clarify - when we export as household from Edit Town, it needs to be a brand new Sim, yes? And also, where do we upload to? The Sims Exchange, or is there somewhere else that's recommended to use? I've never done this before, so I figured I'd check before I start clicking randomly. Thanks!

Yes, it should be a brand-new Sim.

The Sim would be uploaded here, as part of your contest entry.  This thread has a detailed explanation of how to upload a Sim into the Swap Shop.  When you are ready to post your contest entry, include the link with your post. 

[Joria]

How about allowing people to make a collage of their photos in the separate thread to post in the contest thread? There are some really easy to use free collage sites, such as picmonkey that you can link to for an example of where to go to.

That will both keep down the number of photos and let people show more than one picture at a time. Of course only the pictures posted in the separate thread would be allowed.

We aren't allowed to use store items, (although the best Elvis clothes and hair ARE store items), because it wouldn't be fair to those who don't have any.  I think it would also be unfair to allow collages because not everyone is capable of making them and personally I feel they give a cluttered look.  You can't really see the individual entries sharply without having to click on each picture, and that doesn't work for everyone.  I think it would also be limiting to those on Macs but since I have a pc I can't say that for sure.  However, a work around for allowing more pictures to be shown, (although this was forbidden in other building contests), is to post a link to your online albums.  That way, those who wish to see more can and those who are satisfied with what they see in the threads here are happy too.

[samoht04]

We aren't allowed to use store items, (although the best Elvis clothes and hair ARE store items), because it wouldn't be fair to those who don't have any.  I think it would also be unfair to allow collages because not everyone is capable of making them and personally I feel they give a cluttered look.  You can't really see the individual entries sharply without having to click on each picture, and that doesn't work for everyone.  I think it would also be limiting to those on Macs but since I have a pc I can't say that for sure.  However, a work around for allowing more pictures to be shown, (although this was forbidden in other building contests), is to post a link to your online albums.  That way, those who wish to see more can and those who are satisfied with what they see in the threads here are happy too.

It depends on how a collage was made: e.g. if it was two images combined into one then it probably wouldn't be too bad but there is always the risk of not being able to clearly see the images. Besides you need to capture your voters from just this one image to make them look at the rest of your thread. Just a reminder that it doesn't have to just be the headshot - it can be any picture of your 10 that you choose! You can still have your 10 in the separate download threads but Schipperke would like to keep it to one image per post in the main contest threads. Besides you shouldn't judge an entry on how they present their upload - just the upload itself! 

Linking to Gallery Albums is allowed for the Building Contests, as long as there are only the maximum 10 images in there - including ones put in the posts.

[Schipperke]

Ladybug53 has raised a couple of good questions that other people may be wondering about, so I'm going to post the answers here.

1.  Is it ok to use the Motherlode Cheat to set up props for a photo shoot?  Yes.  The Sim you'll be uploading to the contest is the one in the library, not the copy you're using to take screenshots, so if you want to give extra money to the copy of your Sim for screenshot purposes, that's fine.

2.  Is it ok to use store content in the photo shoot (store furniture, etc)?  Regretfully, the answer to this one is no.  I know there are a lot of great store items that could be used to create a special effect in screenshots, but not everyone has access to store items, and we're trying to be fair to everyone.

[Schipperke]

Please not that a new modification has been added to the rules:

• The entry must be solely your own work and must not be shared in another thread before or during the contest.  Please do not seek advice or input from other forum members regarding your entry until after the contest has closed.

I think that should be clear and understandable, but if there are any questions please say so.

[Luna]

Hi, Schipperke. I'm interested to join the Elder Sims Style Contest but I don't sure myself how to start. This is my first time. So, any kind of help will be appreciated. I want to ask about this:
1.   I have seen that people entries who take a part to this contest were locked. Did they locked that themselves or that's the challenge team to do that?
2.   So, I only need post my entry and then I should post the summary into the current contest?
Thank you.

[Schipperke]

Hi, Schipperke. I'm interested to join the Elder Sims Style Contest but I don't sure myself how to start. This is my first time. So, any kind of help will be appreciated. I want to ask about this:
1.   I have seen that people entries who take a part to this contest were locked. Did they locked that themselves or that's the challenge team to do that?
2.   So, I only need post my entry and then I should post the summary into the current contest?
Thank you.

Hi Luna, and welcome to the contests.  You can lock the entry yourself when you post it.  It's better if you do it yourself, because then you'll be able to unlock the thread if you need to for some reason.  Other than that, I think all you need to do is take a look at some of the other entries to see how it's done, and make sure you follow the rules.  If you have more questions, feel free to contact me in a Personal Message. 

[Luna]

Hi Luna, and welcome to the contests.  You can lock the entry yourself when you post it.  It's better if you do it yourself, because then you'll be able to unlock the thread if you need to for some reason.  Other than that, I think all you need to do is take a look at some of the other entries to see how it's done, and make sure you follow the rules.  If you have more questions, feel free to contact me in a Personal Message. 

Thank you for your help, Schipperke. I already take a look into other entries yesterday. But, the thing about lock the thread that still confuse me. I think I get it now; I already got the material that I needed. I can’t wait to post my entry soon

[Sherry]

sSorry if this sound stupid, if we want join the CAS contest do we have to upload the picture in 640x480 like the Ben Oliver first example, or we can upload it in some other size, like say smaller size or like the example in the highslide Ben Oliver?

[Schipperke]

Sorry if this sound stupid, if we want join the CAS contest do we have to upload the picture in 640x480 like the Ben Oliver first example, or we can upload it in some other size, like say smaller size or like the example in the highslide Ben Oliver?

It's not a stupid question at all, Sherry.  The standard size is preferred because it's easier to see the details of the Sim in a larger picture.  I don't know of any real benefit to using smaller pictures, but if you prefer to use smaller picture for some reason that's fine.  Just be sure you don't go over the limit for the number of pictures.