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Original Poster
#1 Old 3rd May 2006 at 2:25 PM
Default Shining Texture
Hi. I'm pretty new in SIM mods.
How is possible to controlo shine / lucidity of textures? Usually I have only Base for colour, Normal for thikness, and Alpha for trasparency... is there a way for control and adding shining?
Thanks in advance
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Admin of Randomness
retired moderator
#2 Old 3rd May 2006 at 9:41 PM
Okay, this is an answer for 'new' modders, so I'm going to keep it simple.

You are referring to the 2-3 files that bodyshop outputs for you to put new textures onto your sim's clothing (sometimes there isn't a normal file).

The usual way to make clothing look more shiny is to add more highlights to it. Like when you look at a photo, you can see if something is shiny, even though the photo is not 'shinier' in one spot or another. You'd put that shine on the base texture. Note this is a bit tricky, because the sims will move into all sorts of positions, so your 'source of light' has to be a bit general.

This is also how people create 'shiny' skin tones, such as the male skintone at PeggySims here who looks like he's on the beach with suntan oil on him. And that nice glow on the hair at Peggy Sims, that's also by creating lighter spots on the texture.

This ends the 'beginner answer'

Now, the more complicated - almost everything on the game is on a mesh, and in addition to the texture files that can be edited, meshes have something call 'material definitions' that can be edited using simpe. Now, this is generally of no use to you with bodies - because the actual clothing and arms/legs of the sim are usually actually all one piece - so if the matd was changed, the entire sim would go shiny... not so good for their skin.

A few Maxis made outfits were made (I know there's one in Uni) with separate pieces making up the mesh, and so *parts* of the mesh are naturally shiny. But that is unusual, not for a beginner, and tricky to work with, if you wanted to change such settings. I just wanted you to have complete information so that at some later date if you learn about this you won't feel I misguided you. Those settings are also what makes some of the frames of the eyeglasses have a bit of a shiny effect.
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Original Poster
#3 Old 4th May 2006 at 8:06 AM
Default Thanks
Thanks. Your reply is really clear! I've already used a bit of SimPE with milkshape now I've to learn SimPE and SIM PACKAGE Structure a bit more!

Quote: Originally posted by tiggerypum
Okay, this is an answer for 'new' modders, so I'm going to keep it simple.

You are referring to the 2-3 files that bodyshop outputs for you to put new textures onto your sim's clothing (sometimes there isn't a normal file).

The usual way to make clothing look more shiny is to add more highlights to it. Like when you look at a photo, you can see if something is shiny, even though the photo is not 'shinier' in one spot or another. You'd put that shine on the base texture. Note this is a bit tricky, because the sims will move into all sorts of positions, so your 'source of light' has to be a bit general.

This is also how people create 'shiny' skin tones, such as the male skintone at PeggySims here who looks like he's on the beach with suntan oil on him. And that nice glow on the hair at Peggy Sims, that's also by creating lighter spots on the texture.

This ends the 'beginner answer'

Now, the more complicated - almost everything on the game is on a mesh, and in addition to the texture files that can be edited, meshes have something call 'material definitions' that can be edited using simpe. Now, this is generally of no use to you with bodies - because the actual clothing and arms/legs of the sim are usually actually all one piece - so if the matd was changed, the entire sim would go shiny... not so good for their skin.

A few Maxis made outfits were made (I know there's one in Uni) with separate pieces making up the mesh, and so *parts* of the mesh are naturally shiny. But that is unusual, not for a beginner, and tricky to work with, if you wanted to change such settings. I just wanted you to have complete information so that at some later date if you learn about this you won't feel I misguided you. Those settings are also what makes some of the frames of the eyeglasses have a bit of a shiny effect.
Lab Assistant
#4 Old 6th May 2006 at 11:59 AM
Default Shiny and Glowing Mini-Tutorial
I was running around in SimPE one day, and found out how to do this:

*Open Up SimPE *Open the bodyshop package you want to be "Shiny".
*On the left where it lists all the file types inside the package, find "Material Definition" and click the very top M.D. file.
*If you aren't already, navigate to the Plugin tab at the bottom.
*Above all those crazy values in the plugin tab, press the tab that says "Categorized Properties"
*Scroll down until you find a group called "Misc" and make sure it's open
*Click the value (0) next to the word "Reflectivity"
*Change that until you are happy with the shininess
*Lather, rinse, and repeat for ALL of the M.D. files (It doesn't take as long as you would think.


If I am not mistaken, this is how you make "Glowing" genetics (Like Bink13y has created here: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=152951&c=1 )

I used his skin as an test subject to see what values we changed to make sims "glow". If you have closed SimPE after this, do these steps, if not, skip these first few:
*Open Up SimPE *Open the bodyshop package you want to be "Shiny".
*On the left where it lists all the file types inside the package, find "Material Definition" and click the very top M.D. file.
*If you aren't already, navigate to the Plugin tab at the bottom.
*Above all those crazy values in the plugin tab, press the tab that says "Categorized Properties"

NOW FOR THE GLOWING!

Find the value under category "Default Textures" that says "stdMatEmissiveCoef"

This should be the color that "Emits" from your sim. Click that name, and look to the right of that. The RGB value should be 0,0,0 which in RGB is black (which in turn means your sim will not glow). If you look as far right as you can of the 0s, there should be a down Arrow. Click that, and choose the color tint to emit from your sim. You will have MOSTLY that color you chose, and only a tiny bit of the color of the sims clothes, skintone, ect.


That should be everything. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Feeder of Cheesecake to Llamas
retired moderator
#5 Old 6th May 2006 at 1:12 PM
This is very helpful SomeSimmer. . .I added it into the FAQ, I hope you don't mind.

"Living well is the best revenge. . ." George Bernard Shaw
Test Subject
#6 Old 17th May 2006 at 7:34 AM
Oh Gawd, I feel silly!
This sounds like just what I want for a project (PVC look clothes). I tried to do as you said using PAF's alpha dress. I changed the value for reflectivity, did the commit and save thing, but nothing changes. When I reopen the file the reflectivity value is back to 0. I must have missed something! What do you mean by "Lather, rinse, and repeat for ALL of the M.D. files"
(not silly, just new here!)
Thanks
M
world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
#7 Old 17th May 2006 at 7:49 AM
mab3796, you CAN make clothes shiny using the method SomeSimmer explains, but that's really best for things like... creating a robot, or a supernatural sim, or something like that, where you want their whole skin to shine from head to toe and everything in between. It really doesn't work for normal clothes - read up to see Tiggerypum's explanation of why it shouldn't be done that way in depth... For what you're wanting, you're much better off painting a high-contrast whitish shade on top of your base colour to create the look of a shiny PVC look on the texture itself, rather than having the clothes -actually- reflective by editing the material definition. Do some Google searches for PVC clothing and examine the way the light plays on the surface for a better idea of how to render it for the game... You can also take a look at some preexisting PVC clothing to see how the texture is done on those to get an idea of how to do it yourself - just make sure you create your own textures as people are darn protective of the ones they've made themselves (with good reason).

If you still want to try it via the material definition, just to see what the result will be (the WHOLE body shiny, including neck, arms, and legs - even if you cut out parts via the alpha they'll still be shiny like the cloth), then... well...

SomeSimmer left out the part about hitting the Commit button when you finish making changes to each Material Definition file, and the "lather rinse repeat for all MD files" means to repeat the same steps for all of the Material Definitions within the .package file, making sure to press Commit after you change each one. If you don't Commit after making changes to each Material Definition, you'll get exactly the result you describe - when you go back it'll be back to what it was originally. And of course, make sure to Save the whole file when you're done.

You MAY be able to get an interesting effect by just selecting the material definition files that apply to the alpha part of PAF's alpha dress - the overdress, not the body itself. It may be possible to make just the overdress shiny and leave the body underneath alone via changing the material definitions, but you'd have to play with it to find out for sure.

my simblr (sometimes nsfw)

“Dude, suckin’ at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”
Panquecas, panquecas e mais panquecas.
Test Subject
#8 Old 17th May 2006 at 8:57 AM
Thanks HP, That's quite a bit clearer now!!
Lab Assistant
#9 Old 6th Jul 2006 at 7:49 AM
Yes! Thanks Somesimmer. Glorious! I'll try not to blind yall with all the shine I am going to be slappin' on my sims. THANKS.
Test Subject
#10 Old 31st May 2007 at 11:46 PM
i dont have SimPE can i do it using photoflair
Admin of Randomness
retired moderator
#11 Old 1st Jun 2007 at 3:22 AM
SimPE is a special program that lets you edit the inside of Sims files. You cannot use anything else. SimPE is free. Almost every tutorial on site that mentions SimPE includes a link to the SimPE site for you to go and download it.

"Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." - Ronald E. Osborn

Please do NOT PM me with requests, creation questions, or game help questions. Click for help:
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Lab Assistant
#12 Old 27th Jun 2007 at 3:07 PM
Or make the clothing and throw a layer of plastic wrap on it in Photoshop.

When you jump on your way down why do you ask yourself why did you jump?
Sometimes the quote 'think before you leap' comes in handy at that point
If you happen to see me down there you'll know I wasn't following my advice
Then we all know what happens...SPLAT!
Field Researcher
#13 Old 18th Dec 2009 at 9:47 AM
Somesimmer,

You probably don't look at this post anymore as it is dated but I have to thank you and Hysterical Paroxysm for your help on this. I was browsing the web for days but couldn't find what I needed so I decided to come here in hope of finding an answer. I am ever so grateful that I found it. Next time I'll come here first if I have questions rather than get the run-a-round that I experienced. Kudos!!
Lab Assistant
#14 Old 1st Feb 2011 at 9:28 PM
Quote: Originally posted by terriecason
Somesimmer,

You probably don't look at this post anymore as it is dated but I have to thank you and Hysterical Paroxysm for your help on this. I was browsing the web for days but couldn't find what I needed so I decided to come here in hope of finding an answer. I am ever so grateful that I found it. Next time I'll come here first if I have questions rather than get the run-a-round that I experienced. Kudos!!


I definitely agree. I know some of these threads and tutorials are old, but regardless, I also appreciate them no matter how long ago they were originally written or posted. Just found this today after searching everywhere. Thanks!
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