It depends on what you want to make.

I'm only new at this whole process so please bear with me. This seemed like the appropriate place to pose my question, sorry if it's not the right spot.

I'm a little confused over the whole "this is my item/"copyright"" issue.
The people who created the Sims games obviously put a great deal of time and effort into the game, and when it was marketed, the game was stamped with a copyright. That usually means hands off.
However, the thing I don't understand is, how can creators like those on this and other sites freely pick and choose which items from the game to recreate or enhance, put their name on it and then guard it like its their own creation...in some cases even charging money for downloading them.
How is it that we are able to do that and Maxis doesn't step in and say "that's our original idea, hands off!"?
Is it because creators change the original codes when making items? Or is it because creators put the "no affiliation with Maxis" wording on the site?

Please, don't anyone think I'm bad mouthing anyone else, I'm simply curious as to how it all works so that one day, when I'm good enough, I can upload my own creations and be informed about it.
Thank you!

SimBanshee, you are absolutely right, and actually I wonder why no other creator has asked such a question before...

I'm not related to Maxis, so I can only guess what the position of Maxis is, about this subject.
In general, I'd say that Maxis tolerate this "semi-infringment" of the copyright because it actually benefits of the modding activity made by users: people like the game (and buy it) because it's a beautiful game, but also because they know that there is a lot of user-created content to download.
Obviously, there's a thin line that in my opinion shouldn't be surpassed: selling the custom creations for money. But this thin line is not fixed: its position may vary regarding the ability and the skills of the creator included in the object, compared to the ones already contained in the object thanks to Maxis.
If a user creates a recolour package, which consists basically in a new texture created by hand by the user himself, almost all the credits should be given to the creator. But if someone clones a Maxis objects, and keeps the original mesh and texture and just changes a line in the code (so to give/suppress a specific function), then in my opinion credits to Maxis must be given.

As for me, I try to give credits to Maxis as often as I can, at least for the initial mesh or code; but let's say that tacit credits to Maxis are given anyway.

The matter is quite complex, to my eyes, and I appreciate very much your having pointed it out.
My personal feeling is that Maxis always has the right to forbid the creation (or at least the selling) of custom content, different than the one created with the Maxis tools (BodyShop and Homecrafter); but since Maxis doesn't seem to be *willing* to forbid that (on the contrary, they have always given to us modders the greatest help they could give), people are free to share or sell their creations, and get a revenue from the selling that remunerates the user-made part of the object.
I know, some creators/sites break this rule, and ask subscribers for excessive or illegittimate payments; but each of us has a story of his own, and make personal decision.

How do I download for either Gimp or ImageForge??

Follow the links provided by JWoods in the first post. Both sites have a "Download" section where you can download the programs.

Thank you Numenor!
I see what you're saying about Maxis not going out of their way to stop creators; in a way, it could hinder them creatively if they did. I'm quite sure there are creators out there who've managed to come up with things that Maxis haven't thought of or had the time to really work on.
I imagine it would be cheaper for them in the long run to purchase a creation off of someone for future use rather than keep suing everyone for copyright infringment.

Cheers!

Well, I guess that Maxis finds less expensive to "grab" a good idea from the creators, rather than "buy" it from them...
Did you know that in the Open for Business EP there will be, for instance, a glass wall similar to my WallWindows?

Is it possible to modify an existing door or a new one and make it assignable like the dorm doors? if so could someone post a tutorial.

I hope this is the right topic,but how can you add an existing animation to an object?

The animations can't fit any object: they have been created to work with specific objects. When an object is designed to be animated (like a trashcan, a gas range, a piano...), its mesh contains some joints, that have two main purposes: they are used in order to make a part of the object move (for instance a joint rotates and a mesh section rotates along with it); and they are used as a reference by the sims (for instance, when cooking, the sims will put the pan in a specific point of the range, because there is a joint, there).

All the animations (both the object animations and the Sims ones) rely on the joints embedded in the object mesh to work; therefore, the first thing is to adapt or create the joints in the new object mesh.
Then, you have to instruct the game to actually play the right animations: this is done (in brief) by naming the animations in specific Text Lists (usually, STR# 0x81 and 0x82 for the sim animations; 0x86 and 0x192 for the object animations).
The last step is to edit/create the BHAVs, including properly adjusted primitives 0x69 (Animate Object), 0x6A (Animate Sim) and 0x6C (Animate Stop).

Thank you so much I all ways wanted to this and not just download without giving back well now i can. again thank you

Interesting indeed. So, when I go to upload a lot that I've made, using your WallWindows among others, would it be the proper thing to give credit to the people whose items I've used or would I need to ask your permission first?

Thank you for helping me to better understand the whole "loop-hole" thing a bit better.

Numenor: thank you so much,you're so kind,but I have a few questions.
1. "Animation-private adultanims string-[param 34]" what is "param 34"? Why do I always have "param" 34 and not the animation name?
2. Animation Stop. Object in Neighbor's person data 0x0000 (Sitting?),Help!!
What is that??

thanks in advance.

I dont no what to download to make objects! please someone tell me what one thnaks

The tutorials you follow tell you what programs you need to download. You posted this same question in the object tutorial thread. Go download the object tutorial for beginners, open it up and it'll tell you what you need.

Is it possible to modify an existing door or a new one and make it assignable like the dorm doors? if so could someone post a tutorial.

Thanks!! :baloons:

Yes, it is possible. Inge Jones, over at Simlogical has a large selection of assignable doors.
It's not an easy thing to do, I guess, because Inge is a very skilled modder, and so far she has been the only one who created such doors.

Thanks for the info. Still have no idea what to do next. Do I open SimPE to get an object. SimPE is the only program from your list that can open or find an obj file, I'm guessing, because none of the others could. But then I'm guessing I have to export the object to one of those other programs somehow. Probably save it as a file they could read-- again just a guess. So, I guess I'm asking is SimPE the bridge for pulling up and then out objects, meshes, and the like to the other programs for modding? ... Of course, if I'm right, then I'd save the modded file back to SimPE somehow.

All clues are welcome.

3T

See JWoods' object tutorial at the tutorial forum (there is also link to it in the first post of this thread). It'll explain you step by step what to do with SimPE and the other programs that are needed.

Is there anywhere else I can download SimPE? The link in the original post just leads to a "page not found" page, and the main website seemed defunct. I tried doing a google search as well but they all lead back to the same disabled page.

Thanks in advance! I look forward to tryin' to make some of my own objects

Looks like the page is partially down at the moment. You can download a rar version of SimPE here. It's a manual installation file, but all you have to do is create a folder for it (for example, called SimPE 56), and extract the contents of the rar into it.

I've noticed that in the requests section, it's helpful if there's a picture to go along with the request.
I understand that a picture helps with the general shape and texture of the object, but is there a way that you can take a picture of something you'd like to create, scan it into your computer, and have that image converted into a skeleton that you could modify?
Let's say if I wanted to create a...ummm...wheelchair. Would I have to be brilliant at a 3D modelling program to make one or could I take an image of one and somehow convert it to a 3D image?

That's sort of my confusion about the whole "creating an object from scratch" thing. I really want to make something, just a little object mind you, and I know I'm going to have to start at the very beginning. The tutorials are great, I'm just having trouble understanding the modelling part of it.

Thank you!!

You can use a picture as a reference, but you're still going to need a 3D mesh modeling program to make the shape. I don't know of any automatic conversion. I recommend using a Google search to find general tutorials for the mesh program you're using, they don't need to be meant for Sims objects when you're just learning to use the program specifically.

excellent, thank you.

Just imagine how much easier a creator's life would be if there were such a program...*sigh*