Thanks, Numenor. I appreciate it very very much. I shall go check for the autoscaling thing and yes, I'm using UVmapper Classic.

Hello, I am at a loss. I am not getting my meshes showing in Smpe, the texture is there but not the Mesh. I have gone back to doing the Tutorial table and it did not show. I am uploading 2 files 1. is from a few days back the other today the table.
Thanks.
ps. I have my work folder in my ea games downloads folder, would that be causing the problem. Clutching at straws now.

I don't know if having the work folder within the EA Games may cause errors...

Anyway, I couldn't find anyting wrong with your packages: both meshes show up in SimPE (the mesh of the table seems the original one, though), and both objects appear correctly in catalog and in game (see pictures).

I don't know what problems you are experiencing, but seems that you have quite a good job

Just check why the tutorial table has the original mesh: maybe you forgot to Commit after importing the mesh.

Hi, Thanks for reply.
My problem is that even though I have 'created' a new table it does not show up as a new one.
I uploaded my files I hope the 3Dmesh is there. Think so. I have very carefully clicked commit when told to, sometimes a pop up window does not appear to say changes commited perhaps that is the problem I should reinstall SimPE V42.
Po,Po I am dreaming about all of this.

If you're going to reinstall SimPE, download the latest v. 044c, then!

Scotface: after sifting through your files I only found the .obj that was not mapped yet. I mapped it properly, imported it into your package and it is fine now...

JWoods, Numenor I found the problem. I was sure I was doing something incorrectly, but it was Milkshape 3D. problem with importing and exporting anyway I now have the update 1.7.5 and a quick try out, it worked. I am forcing myself to laugh as really out of exasperation (is that a word) I could cry.
Thank You both for your help.

JWoods, I have more questions (sigh). But first, thanks for your patience with me. I am brand spanking new to MilkShape.

OK. I started over with my sofa mesh (the one that was gigantic). Thanks to Numenor, the UV Mapping turned out fantastic. When I placed the object in game, it was, of course, quite large, so I took it back into MilkShape and "Scaled All" to 50% -- I read that somewhere.

Back into the game, the sofa was smaller, too much smaller, and it seemed off center. It was too much to the right.

Back into MilkShape, I moved the sofa manually so that now it sits in the right position, but I have no idea how to make the sofa a bit bigger.

Using the XYZ coordinates to upscale made the sofa look a bit wonkers, and I can't seem to scale up manually (clicking on the mesh and pulling).

OK, I'm rambling, so let me cut to the chase.

1. When I place the original Maxis sofa in MilkShape and then import my mesh to position over the Maxis one, the Maxis mesh seems to go extremely tiny on the screen. Is this the correct way to get both meshes on the screen so I can judge how big or small to make mine?

2. What is the correct way of making something bigger or smaller in MilkShape? I don't get the coordinates thingy since in my 3D program I can push or pull on the box to get the size I want.

I really want to learn to use MilkShape.

1) Are you using just SimPE to import/export or are you using the meshtool?

If you are using meshtool, it's possible you are exporting from SimPE and scaling it by 100, but when you use meshtool, it doesn't get scaled back down. If you are going to use the meshtool, then you will want to export at a scale of 1, and use the xyz option.

2) You can scale up and down in milkshape by selecting what you want to scale, (all in this instance) clicking on the scale button. You can then select which axis you want to affect. In this case all of them, so make sure they are all pressed. Then to increase the size just put in a number greater than 1. If you want them to scale the same amount in each direction, make sure the number is the same in each axis box. You can use your cursor to scale, but it's a bit tricky. To scale uniformly with the mouse, click the u button next to the axis buttons, then, left click and drag your mouse in the edit area.

My dear Grapholina, if you are new to 3D meshing, then why don't you learn another 3D program, like Wings3D? I know, now all the Milkshape fans will yell at me...! :D
The only limit of Wings3D is that it can't manage the joints (and therefore the animated meshes), but latest SimPE v.044c has now the ability to assign a mesh to a joint, and so Milkshape is becoming more and more useless... in my opinion!

Just to make an example, the scaling problem that you are facing would be managed by Wings in only 2 steps: save the "bounding box" of the original mesh and scale the new mesh to the saved bounding box. Easy and effective: no axis selectors, no "numbers greater than 1" to fill in...

I hope I am asking this in the right place.

I know the tutorials written have been dealing with objects and meshes where you make your mesh from a clone of the Maxis item and then regroup into 1, but I am working with 2 groups.

I guess I am right when I say that when I rename each group they have to be the same as the names in the clone?

Now when I go into UVMapper Pro and I make my map, save it, then open it in my paint program and do my texturing, that goes ok. In the image attached of the Checklist for UVMapper do I leave everything unchecked?

My problem comes in when I go back into SimPE and I have 2 texture images. One will be 256x256 and the other one is 128x128. I get confused on how to deal with them. Do I have to have 2 different bmp maps? I can never seem to get my texture image right.

I can view how my object and texture looks like in UVMapper Pro but it never looks that way in the game, and I know it has to do when what I am doing wrong in the part where you import your texture image. Can some one straighten me out on how to do this right?

Phew! OK. This morning I've been looking at Wings. I use 3D S Max to create my meshes, and then I've been using MilkShape and UVmapper Classic to get them into the correct file format, etc.

I've never used the Mesh Tool, and when I went looking for it yesterday (hey, I'm willing to try anything!), I couldn't find it.

I find those numbers in the XYZ coordinate boxes to be extremely daunting. I don't like them at all. So, I shall go download Wings and give that one a try.

Grapholina - If you use 3D S Max to create meshes, why have you to fix them with Milkshape? Can't it export in .obj format? And anyway, can't you resize correctly the new mesh in 3DSmax? I've never seen how it works, but maybe it's more intuitive for you to use it than Milkshape...

As for the MeshTool, nowadays it is needed only in rare occasions: SimPE can do anything an average object creator may need.

LadyDe - Let's start from the end: when saving the model in UVmapper Pro, you can leave unchecked all the options. I usually check the last one ("Don't export material library") just to prevent UVmapper to save the useless .mtl file along with the .obj.

As for the pictures you've posted, it seems to me that you are using a mapping method not suitable for the chair, and this causes the texture tu be so stretched on the seat. Read this InfoCenter article about UVmapping to learn the different mapping methods (it applies to UVmapper Pro, too).

Lastly, the textures.
You say that your original object has already two subsets (=models, =groups), and therefore it should already contain the two TXTR files needed for the two subsets. Just replace the existing textures with your custom ones (I always strongly suggest to use the DDS utilities, because it lets you to import pictures having different size than the original).

Oh, and yes: you should give to the two meshes of your object the same names of the original one; it's not strictly mandatory, but is simplifies greatly your work, and causes less errors.

Numenor, taking your suggestion... I finally got the darn ugly sofa into the game. Correctly!

It definitely look very confortable... I'd like to take a nap onto it
Good work!

Just out of curiosity: which 3D program have you used at last to fix it? Milkshape, Wings or 3DSmax?

3D S Max. I also tried Wings (which works great, by the way), but importing back into SimPe, it was so large, that I got the dreaded warning. So I went to 3DS.

Now, for the next feat, I want to try to put some throw pillows on the sofa. I still want to learn MilkShape, and now Wings too. I'm a sucker for new software.

Okay, this is totally driving me nuts. I was able to import a dryer and a new desk....but now for some reason i can't do anything. I have a new mesh for a dryer and a washer....the UV mapping is cool (i didn't color it yet, but it should still just make the objects white with lines on it).....and they just show up as shadows on the ground. I'm attaching the 2 package files...i have no idea whats going on.

The problem with the washer & dryer was that the name's of your shape's in the SHPE (Shape) file listed under the "parts" tab are "wood" & "fabric" which taells me that there were originally 2 subsets in the original cloned object. The first step is to change the subset name in the GMDC to wood or fabric. Then go to the SHPE file and delete the extra subset there, what ever one you didn't use. Next you can delete the MATD and MMAT that the subset you just deleted pointed to.

Attached are the files with the preceding procedures applied.

Now that I have been pointed to the correct thread... *blush*

(condenced from the original post)

IE: Let's say I clone a chair. After following the steps I now have my new mesh and texture plus a recolor on the chair I cloned.

I hope that made sense. I only want the texture to show up on my mesh not the item I cloned it from.
Is it something I missed in the textures?

Thanks for help. I know I will most likely kick myself when I learn the answer.

Kitana2: It sounds to me like the box "Pull only default Color" is unchecked.
Make sure when you clone an object that only these boxes are checked unless it is a door arch, window or counter:

Checked Boxes
Set Custom Group ID (0x1c050000)
Fix Clone Files (sug. by. wes_h)
Remove useless Files (sug. by, Numenor)
Pull only default Color

http://dev4.modthesims2.com/attachm...id=110545&stc=1

If you are cloning a door arch, window, or counter then you should also check the box "Pull Wallmasks" (as described by Numenor)".

I was trying my hand at the Start to Finish OCT v2 (Wings Edition), when I suddenly realized there must be a step/set of instructions missing, since I never got this pop-up:
[IMG]C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\My Pictures\pop-up.jpg[/IMG]

between pages 75 & 76. I'm sure it's probably an error on my part but a little shove in the right direction would be much appreciated.

Thank you for all your hard work.

Alex

SirMasterBlue: to properly link an image you must attach it first then link to it. (After yo upload it right click on the link and copy URL in the image box). I can't see your image. Also this question should be posted in the "Start 2 Finish thread"

EDIT: If you are speaking of the "blue" pop-up box asking to save that is normal just click yes. I checked the Wings #D version and it is in fact in order...

If your new textures are showing up on the old object, that sounds like you didn't update the guids on the material overrides. You need to goto the object data file, get a guid (if you haven't) then click the Update MMAT and Commit link.

This is absolutely true but be sure you only click the "Update MMAT and Commit" link for the master GUID only if it is a multi GUID object.