Create a Sim

Affectionately known as CAS, this is where Sims are made.

The Sims
In The Sims, the CAS button is at the top of the screen. When clicking it, you will first go to the Family Bin. Click on one of the Family Bin panels to create a family. You are prompted to type the family name, though you can name it later. Click the top button in the right of the screen to create a sim. In The Sims, a CAS is very simple. It only contains age (adult/child), skin tone (light/medium/dark) and gender (male/female). Body type (skinny/fit/fat) is determined by the body skin you select. The Sim creating panel is very much simpler, since it is only built with heads and bodies. While there are only two life states in The Sims, the heads and bodies can include skins which give the appearance of various ages, such as teens and elders.

Unlike in The Sims 2, clothes cannot be chosen freely in The Sims, since clothes and other accessories are one with the body. The same goes for heads, and in addition, you cannot change anything about a Sim's head from within the game, although there are third-party utilities which allow you to change a Sim's head skin. Once you've decided what the Sim will look like, you can set the Sim's personality, select their name, and type their bio, and you are finished. You are unable to create a family tree in The Sims.

The Sims 2
In The Sims 2, the CAS button is revealed by clicking the family bin at the bottom of the screen. As opposed to The Sims, any age besides Baby or Young Adult (which must be made in the University CAS) may be created. Instead of having to choose from already finished faces attached to a corresponding hair, greater variety is possible with the new feature of being able to alter the facial structure (such as widen nose, thin lips, elongate chin etc.) and choose any hairstyle to go with it. Different eye colors and an additional skin tone is available for your Sims as well. If the Sim you are creating is older than a child, their Aspiration and Turn-ons/offs (Nightlife and further EPS) may be determined. Personality is set in basically the same manner as The Sims.

After several Sims are created, the family tree must be organized. All Toddlers, Children, and Teens must be related to at least one Adult member of the household. You can't link (using the family tree tool) a Child to Elder without an Adult in the family.

Steps on how to create a Sim/family

 * 1) Once in Neighborhood view, click the 'Families' icon and select 'Create a Family'.
 * 2) Enter your family's last name and select 'Create a Sim'.
 * 3) You will now see a random Sim model. You can alter the appearance and personality of your Sim later.
 * 4) Enter your Sim's first name, indicate whether your Sim is a male or female, choose the skin tone and your Sim's fitness.
 * 5) Click on the 'Step 2' button. You can now choose a pre-made head.
 * 6) Click the 'Step 3' button. Change your Sim's hair style, color, and choose face shape and change the shape of face parts, and choose eye color.
 * 7) Click the 'Step 4' button. Choose your Sim's make up, glasses, facial hair, and or jewelry(If you haveBon Voyage or later expansion packs)etc.
 * 8) Click the 'Step 5' button. Choose your Sim's everyday, formal, swimwear, PJs, underwear and athletic outfits.
 * 9) Click the 'Step 6' button. Choose your Sim's aspiration and personality, and select his/her Turn Ons and Turn Offs if you have Nightlife.
 * 10) Click the 'Accept Sim' button.
 * 11) [[Image:Sims2create-sim.jpg|thumb|Creating a Sim by genetics.]]Once you have two adults of opposite sexes, you can choose to make a child. Click the 'Create a Sim' button and select 'Make a Child'. The two adults' DNA are inherited by the child and a child model is shown. If you don't like how this child turns out, you can click the 'Make a Child' button again.
 * 12) If you have Pets, you can create dogs or cats by clicking 'Create a Sim', then 'Create a Dog' or 'Create a Cat'.
 * 13) Click the 'Family Relationships' button, and drag the family members' portraits onto another to select the Sims' relationships, and then select accept.
 * 14) Click the 'Accept Family' button. Your family is now in the Family Bin waiting to be moved into a home, and is already attached to your cursor. Select the home you'd like them to move into (make sure it's outlined in green so your family can afford it) and then click 'Accept'. Now you can enter this new world...

Family Tree
Relationships allowed by the family tree tool in Create-A-Sim.

Relationships to a Toddler, Child, or Teen
 * Toddler, Child, Teen: sibling or cousin
 * Adult: parent, uncle or aunt
 * Elder: grandparent, great-uncle or great-aunt

Relationships to an Adult
 * Toddler, Child, Teen: child, niece or nephew
 * Adult: sibling, spouse or sibling-in-law
 * Elder: parent, parent-in-law, uncle or aunt

Relationships to an Elder
 * Elder: sibling, spouse, or sibling-in-law
 * Adult: child, niece, nephew, or child-in-law
 * Toddler, Child, Teen: grandchildren, great-niece or great-nephew

The Sims 3
In The Sims 3 create-a-sim is featured along side Create-a-style. In this game, create-a-sim is much more specific. You can go into the details, or you can press randomize. It is possible to change the color of any piece of clothing, with a near-infinite range of colors.