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Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 8th Sep 2009 at 1:22 PM Last edited by Lois99 : 9th Sep 2009 at 12:15 PM. Reason: Problem Solved
Default Object invisible when in use (solved)
I am new to meshing in the Sims 3 and after successfully cloning a number of chairs and simple objects I decided to try my hand at the crib as I don't particularly like either of the ones supplied with the game. But I have come across an odd problem and I'm not at all sure where I might have gone wrong. My cloned crib is visible in buy mode and in live mode, but invisible when in use.

I followed the following steps:

1) I exported the sleigh crib object from the Sims 2 game using sim pe
2) then I remapped the object in UV mapper to get just one map (there are two on the original object)
3) I made a cloned object from the expensive crib using S3OC 4) I tested the cloned object in Sims 3
5) I exported the 3 MLOD AND 1 MODL files using S3PE 6) I decompiled the exported files with Wes Howe's Tool
7) I imported into milkshape, imported the sleigh object (resized and repositioned)
8)Assigned bones but only in the 00000000 MLOD and the MODL file(as looking at the other imported MLOD files they don't seem to have bones assigned) - I don't really understand about the bones and assigning them, could this be where I have gone wrong?
9) I exported all four files from milkshape once I had imported the new object and assigned the bones as stated above.
10) I recompiled with Wes Howe's tool
11) I imported the new files into s3pe, replacing the originals in the cloned file and saved.
12) I tested in game and got a visible object that becomes invisible when the parent puts the baby in the crib.

I repeated the entire process six times just to be sure I didn't miss out a step and I went through the entire process without changing the model at step 7 and got a perfectly working cloned crib.

I am at a loss to know where I went wrong and my testing is begining to confuse me. If you have any thoughts I'd love to hear them and I'd be very grateful

Thank you for reading
Screenshots
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Lab Assistant
#2 Old 8th Sep 2009 at 10:14 PM
I think the problem is probably in step 8.

When I imported the exported and decompiled expensive crib LODs and MLODs into Milkshape,they all had two joints assigned-- one for the main part of the crib and one for the side that moves up and down.
Alchemist
#3 Old 9th Sep 2009 at 12:04 AM
The MilkShape importer definitely imports the bone assignments just like they were made in the original. There are a few features in MilkShape that will help you understand the assignments in the originals, and thus help you to decide what needs done in yur new mesh to make it work.

In the Joints panel is a list of bones. Double-clicking on any one will select that joint, and clicking on the "SelAssigned" button will highlight all of the vertices that are assigned to that joint. This is probably how BabaYaga saw that there was a joint for the side. Anything that moves, or can be placed in a different location, will have joint assignments. If one part moves relative to another, there will have to be at least two joints, one for the parts that stay still, and another that moves the parts that move.

Another useful feature is "Draw Vertices with bone colors" (also on the Joints panels) which will show the vertices in different colors based on bone assignments. Again, the objective is to be able to visualize how the original was build.

Lastly, you can actually make parts move by using the "Anim" mode in MilkShape. Of course, you save your work, then click on the Anim button. You pick a joint, and then choose either "move" or "rotate" from the model panel. You can then click and drag, moving or rotating the joint along with everything assigned to it.

I combined the last two into a pair of screenshots of the mesh from the expensive crib, one with the side up and the other with it down. Both are using the joint vertex colors option.

<* Wes *>
Screenshots

If you like to say what you think, be sure you know which to do first.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#4 Old 9th Sep 2009 at 9:53 AM Last edited by Lois99 : 9th Sep 2009 at 12:17 PM. Reason: Problem solved
Thank you both

Clearly I have some learning to do, thank you for your tips Wes(and your tool) that will make it so much easier to understand and to see what I am doing .

I'll let you know how I get on

Edit:the crib is now working fully (see screenshot)

It was the bone assignments as you thought, I assigned them in all the object files and that fixed the problem

Thank you again for your help
Screenshots
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