Yup, it'll work for adding too.

I would add just a couple things. You can use any image that is 400x300 and saved in .png format. Just name the file NXXX_Neighborhood.png where 'XXX' is the appropriate number for your neighborhood. You can use an in-game "snapshot" or any other image you might want.

It might be useful to state explicitly that files in the Storytelling folder are in JPG format, whereas the neighborhood screens are in PNG format. It probably makes a difference.

You can do this entirely outside the game if you prefer, by simply opening and saving the files in your image-editing application. The trick is finding the file(s) you want in the Storytelling folder, but if you browse in thumbnail view from within whatever image-editing software you care you use, it isn't too difficult to find the right one(s).

Play around with "camera view" before making your screen capture by pressing the TAB key and maneuvering using the mouse and arrow keys. Since someone mentioned it in the thread, you take a 400x300 .jpg screen-capture in-game by pressing the "C" key--this is saved in the Storytelling folder. You can also capture your entire screen (in Windows) by pressing the Print Screen key and then pasting the image into a new document in your image-editing software; this creates a .bmp file with the same resolution as your display (i.e., 1024x768 or whatever your is). You can then save it as a BMP, JPG,or whatever format you prefer. While this gives you a much higher-quality image, you need to reduce it to 400x300 if you want to use it in the game.

Using an application like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop, you can combine multiple snapshots from your neighborhood into a single image by cropping, resizing, and rearranging the different images in layers (in Photoshop you need to flatten the layers before you can save the image in any format other than PSD). Depending on how well you know your software, you can use various blend and fade effects to create the kinds of neighborhood screenshots that come with the game (the ones that show the game characters). I've never taken the time to learn that stuff myself (I should), but I was still able to create a neighborhood screen without much trouble.

Please keep in mind that I am a NOT a graphics artist, and I don't know any of the Photoshop fading techniques that would have made this look presentable to the public! Anyone with real talent could do much better without any effort, but at least you can see what can be done in very little time. The only effect I used was to use a basic neighborhood screenshot as the bottom layer, set to about 60% opacity so it would serve mostly as background. As it is, I covered up most of it anyway.

Very nice! But JPG will not make any color difference with PNG. I testted it before writing the tut.

Thank you: Jill, The ArtfulOne

Thanks for the tutorial Mod_bv

If you use this tutorial, please support development of BV items and click the tiny thank you button. It is the MTS2 way of donating.

This is great! Just one question... is there a way to make a video of your neighborhood instead of just the screenshot? Propabaly not, and i know its alot to ask... but that would be AWESOME!!!!!

Jamie, the truth is, I'm not really sure.

how do u make mods for the sims 2 original mod bv dou have the tutorial for that yet

I pushed the Thanks button for this very nice tutorial. Never knew is was here, but now my snowy neighborhood will have a snowy picture. Thanks.

Heh, I didn't take a screenshot in the Neighborhood View. I took one in one of the houses and then used Adobe's Photoshop 7.0 to add effects ^^

Thanks ! now next time I'll go visite my newly created " Quietown", I'll get a picture of my simmies....LOL

Rosemary :0)

Jamie....what if you press on camera, to make a little movie, while in a sim house, but outside.....then paste it instead of a screen shot.....i say that...but will I try ? mmmmm? LOL

Rosemary :0)
but there must be a way, since the default ones ARE movies...no ?

I already knew how to do it. It is SO easy.

I tried to get it to do a movie, but I couldn't do it.

And indigo, if you can get it to a movie, share your knowledge.

For some reason, my snapshots folder will only save one picture at a time. So, if I take a picture, then I take another, the newest one will override the old one. Is there any way to fix it?

You don't have to even use Paint, just delete the default picture, take the image you want, rename is N005_neighbourhood, and move it to the N005 folder

Wow thanks! Didn't know it could be that easy :D

Thank you SO MUCH for this, I was hoping someone had explained it.

Ah, thank you so much! (And I did too click the 'thanks' ;P) Currently I don't have the game with me, but I can't wait to make custom neighborhood screenshot! Though I do wonder, can the same principals be applied to the second screenshot, such as the Capp vs. Mont family in background behind Romio and Juliet, and the Bella Sim in front of Mortimer and such? I saw someone knew how [in the comments] but I don't think it was in the tutorial list like this one was... I'm sorry if it's too troublesome.

i really need help okay i did exactly what you said i took a pic then copied it opened it in paint and saved it as the neiborhood thing and but it still wont show. what am i doing wrong?

This is a great site for tutorials on Photoshop... if you want to learn how to do things and its free!
http://www.my-photoshop.com/photoshop-tutorials.html

and Paint shop pro is pretty similar to Photoshop IMO so you may be able to use these tutorials with it too... you can also google "Free Paintshop Pro tutorials"

Did you save it as a .png file instead of a .bmp? I don't think it will read the bmp files.

I just knew there had to be a way to do this. Thank you very much!

Thank you so much for making life easier for all of us! :D