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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 12:55 PM Last edited by simsartthat : 14th Sep 2008 at 1:05 PM.
Default OK to use Unimesh Export for Objects?
I've been working on several decorative objects, and I've religiously followed JWood's tutorial dozens of times. Complete PHAIL.

When I export my edited .obj from MS, the original mesh simply will NOT replace with the edited mesh when I try to import it in Simpe. Yes, I've been overwriting the original exported .obj file with the edited one, and replacing it properly. I also tried importing a totally different .obj file, with a new different name.

When I import and overwrite the original file, the original mesh remains, both in SimPE preview and in the game. It doesn't matter if I save the .ms3d file first, then reopen MS or not. (per another thread here)

When I import a totally different file with a different name, the new mesh DOES show up in preview, but only the original mesh shows in the game.

I tried the above methods MANY times, thinking maybe I'd missed one step...but it just won't work.

With much trial and error and frustration, I just tried using the Unimesh Exporter, then I right clicked on the GMDC and replaced it with my edited .obj file (which has a new name than the original file).

And I finally have my object in game perfectly!

So, my question is, is this method ok to use for objects? Previously it's only been mentioned in Body Meshing tutorials, so I just want to make sure it's fine to use for object meshing as well.
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#2 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 1:12 PM
It shouldn't hurt anything using Unimesh to do it... but the normal .obj method SHOULD work for you. Unimesh can be used for stuff other than bodies (like jointed object meshes) and it shouldn't harm anything using it for non-jointed ones.

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Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 1:08 PM
Excellent, thanks HP. I'll stick with unimesh exporting since it works like a charm.

One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#4 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 1:12 PM
Though I am puzzled the mesh is not appearing to import in spite of not popping up any sort of error message. Are you absolutely sure you responded to the import dialog box correctly? The default is NOT to Replace the existing mesh, so you have to choose that and then pull down the options for which mesh to replace.

Peter did offer to make Replace the default, but the idea was not popular at the time.

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 1:26 PM
Inge, I'm absolutely positive. As I said, I tried dozens of times, following the tutorial over and over...so, I'm not sure what the issue might have been.

Per the tutorial I had been:

~Exporting the original mesh as an .obj
~Importing the .obj into MS
~Editing the .obj
~Exporting the .obj as the original file name and overwriting (per pages 26-28)
~Importing the updated file back into my file in SimPE (per pages 36-37)
~Choosing *replace* and selecting the correct item in the pulldown (per pages 38-39)
~Committing and saving, fixing integrity etc.

Yes, I did all the other steps too, just concentrating on this one part of the process.

Now, instead, I'm just using the Unimesh Export tool in MS to export the edited file as a SimPE file, and giving it a totally new name, then right clicking the GMDC in the Resource list and replacing with the Unimesh exported file. Then commiting and fixing integrity, etc.

I'm just happy I found an alternate method that works.
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#6 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 1:51 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simsartthat
~Exporting the .obj as the original file name and overwriting (per pages 26-28)


Then this bit bothers me. IME there is no need to output to the same filename, and many reasons why it's not such a good idea (such as if you want to go back to an earlier mesh after messing up an edit) Did you ever open this file after doing this and ensure it *was* your edited version in it? Can it be MS failed to overwrite the file?

As far as I know, the only reason for using the same filename is if you were Extracting and Replacing from the resource list right-click. This is not relevant to using the Export and Import buttons on the GMDC plugin itself.

See, as a member of the SimPE development team, if I see someone saying "such and such does not work in SimPE" when I am pretty sure it does, obviously I want to either refute it or see if it can be fixed. If not, then obviously something needs documenting to save everyone else wasting their time and effort.

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Test Subject
Original Poster
#7 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 2:06 PM Last edited by simsartthat : 14th Sep 2008 at 2:32 PM.
Inge, I just followed the instructions exactly in the tutorial for that part.

Pages 28-29 of the tutorial clearly say, when exporting the edited mesh out of Milkshape:

"Navigate to your Project folder and save your mesh over the original cloned object...When the screen appears asking to save over the existing file, click Yes"

If you could take a look at that part in the tutorial, and the few pages before and after...am I missing something?

And yes, I eventually did realize that milkshape had failed to overwrite the file. So I tried saving the ms3d file, exiting, reopening, then exporting the .obj. Still no luck. When I saved the edited object with a new name, it replaced properly in SimPE (in preview) but would not show up in the game. This is when I used the GMDC plugin.

As I said, when I right-clicked and replaced (not with an object, with a Unimesh Export) in the resource list, everything was just fine.

If you'd like some of my testing files that failed, I could dig them up so you could take a look?
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#8 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 2:07 PM
I'd be grateful for a direct link to the tutorial thread please. I tend to be particularly thick when it comes to finding anything

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Test Subject
Original Poster
#9 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 2:15 PM
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=104795

EDIT: The instructions in question are in part 2
Forum Resident
#10 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 3:03 PM
Let me describe my experience with these problems:
When I started to try to make objects I also used the tutorial of JWoods. I had exactly the same problem to import the obj-file to SimPE after I followed those steps in the tutorial. By chance I discovered that the problem was MilkShape. It doesn't overwrite the existing obj-file though it asks to do so. It saves a new file without the extension ".obj". SimPE is going to search and to show the file that still has an ".obj" extension. This way you always get the recent file into SimPE.
My solution is to rename the extension of the old file (maybe to ".obi") then I add the extension to the file MilkShape created without any extension and I'm done.
Now SimPE correctly replaces the object.
hexameter
Test Subject
Original Poster
#11 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 3:14 PM Last edited by simsartthat : 14th Sep 2008 at 3:30 PM.
hexameter, thanks, I'll try that too

I'm just curious why using the GMDC plugin seems preferable to the UniMesh exporter and the right-click menu in the Resource List? Cause I'd be happy to stick with something that actually worked for me, lol...unless there is a reason I shouldn't be doing it this way?

Either way, perhaps JWoods tutorial needs some additional steps/clarification in that part of the instructions.

Inge, thanks so much for taking a look too, I really appreciate it.

Hexameter I just want to clarify something.

When importing the edited file, using the Plugin, the file must have exactly the same file name as the original, but with the extension correction you've suggested, then everything is fine?

This could possibly be why renaming my object file showed in preview, but not in the game...the .obj file MUST have the same name as the original when using the GMDC plugin and JWoods tutorial?

This is all starting to make some sense! Until I hit the next part that confuses me...lol
One horse disagreer of the Apocalypse
#12 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 3:54 PM
Well you haven't clarified which file I would need to download to see this advice. But I don't think I need to see it now. Hexameter confirms what I suspected, which is that your .obj file you imported did *not* contain the mesh you thought it did. I was importing .obj meshes as recently as yesterday, replacing existing subsets in the GMDC plugin, and everything went well.

There is no necessity to give your file the same name as the one it had when it was exported, and in fact I advise that you don't, so that you can always go back a step if you don't like a change you made, and so that you don't run into Milkshape overrwrite quirks Maybe SimPE was different when JWoods wrote his tutorial, and maybe it was something you did need to do at that time?

"You can do refraction by raymarching through the depth buffer" (c. Reddeyfish 2017)
Test Subject
Original Poster
#13 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 4:07 PM Last edited by simsartthat : 14th Sep 2008 at 6:23 PM.
Thanks Inge.

I'm actually happy someone else had the same problem. If it is as hexameter said, it's necessary to rename the extension of the original file instead of just overwriting as the tutorial suggested...because of whatever quirks in our combinations of tools?

Whether it's a MilkShape overwriting quirk or not, this is all good news, cause I know I didn't do anything wrong...and bad news for everyone who might have had the same problem, but just didn't realize it! I seriously almost gave up after going through that tutorial with a fine-tooth comb over and over and over...

I'd love to hear back from hexameter about whether it matters if the file is completely renamed or not. It certainly mattered in my test versions.

Whether it's my version of SimPE, my version of Milkshape, I dunno...

As for which file to download and look at? The latest versions of Milkshape, since I'm using Milkshape. Part 2.

If you advise NOT to use the same file name, then perhaps the 2 1/2 year old tutorial should be changed, lol. Just a suggestion. Maybe add something about testing it in preview, and if it didn't work, try hexameter's way of doing it?

I'm testing hexameter's method now and I'll let you know how it goes. FYI replacing the GMDC deletes the groundshadow from the package, so that's not good, but I guess that could be replaced.

If hexameter and I both had this issue, presumably others have too...so it would be great to figure this out, for everyone.

EDIT: Hexameter...I cannot thank you enough. Your suggestion works flawlessly! I'm eternally in your debt, lol.

Thanks again! MUCH appreciated
Forum Resident
#14 Old 14th Sep 2008 at 6:50 PM
Default Obj - Import-Export in MilkShape
Quote: Originally posted by simsartthat
Thanks Inge.

I'm actually happy someone else had the same problem. If it is as hexameter said, it's necessary to rename the extension of the original file instead of just overwriting as the tutorial suggested...because of whatever quirks in our combinations of tools?

I think the reason for this effect is that MilkShape thus always provides a backup for the object and all the versions I used until now did it this way.
The new file of MilkShape is the one without the extension. To be sure you keep the original you have to edit the extension "obj" to something else. Then you can add the extension to the new file created by MilkShape. Or simply save the obj-file with a different name instead of trying to overwrite it. Of course remember the new name in the further progress of your work.

Quote: Originally posted by simsartthat
...and bad news for everyone who might have had the same problem, but just didn't realize it! I seriously almost gave up after going through that tutorial with a fine-tooth comb over and over and over...

I'd love to hear back from hexameter about whether it matters if the file is completely renamed or not. It certainly mattered in my test versions.

No, it doesn't matter how you rename the saved object in MilkShape. Just be sure you don't forget the name of it ;-).
I think JWoods only wanted to provide the simplest way for beginners while he may have used a version of MilkShape that actually did overwrite the existing file.
And I want to mention I forgot about the problem (Sorry!) because I always use the TXT-file for my objects that exports the joints that I need for the work. This is always the updated version.

Quote: Originally posted by simsartthat
..., then perhaps the 2 1/2 year old tutorial should be changed, lol. Just a suggestion. Maybe add something about testing it in preview, and if it didn't work, try hexameter's way of doing it?
I'm testing hexameter's method now ...

It works!
To comment the tutorial: JWoods had or wanted to make sure that a beginner always gets the correct part of the GMDC because the GMDC resource contains two or more parts with different names.

Quote: Originally posted by simsartthat
... If hexameter and I both had this issue, presumably others have too...so it would be great to figure this out, for everyone. ...

A simple note on this problem would solve it.
As already explained I'm sorry I forgot about it for other reasons. I hope this thread and the answers will help now.

hexameter
Lab Assistant
#15 Old 15th Sep 2008 at 12:15 PM
This happened to me first time last week and I wondered what was going on. I usually export my edited obj as a new file with a different name, so, like Inge said, I can go back and change something if I need to but this time the object was finished and this was a minor change (unwelded vertices and welded back together) and I overwrote the original file during export. SimPE just displayed the "old" mesh after importing. I opened the overwritten file in MS but it displayed the correct version, so I tried importing again. Still didn't work. Then I just exported it with a new name and it imported fine. Seems MS has it's little quirks here and there.
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