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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 15th Jan 2010 at 1:20 AM
Default TS3 body meshing help!
I have some expense with Blender body meshing and PS/DDS texturing with other games, but…
I really want to do some editing on the original base female game body mesh and make some clothing for them. I just need to understand how to get the body meshes out of the game and then get them back in again…

Programs I’m using;
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TS3
Blender
Geom Plugin 0.5 S3PE -------------------------------------------------------------
My questions…
1.Are s3pe, Geom Plugin 0.5 and Blender the only programs I need for Extract, Import, Edit and Exporting the body meshes back and working again? (Assuming I did the editing properly)

2.Where in the directory do I find these base female meshes and what are the file names of the Top and Bottom meshes I’m looking for? I am not experienced with s3pe, I looked around and I can’t find them.

3.How do I assemble a .package file? Or do I just put the meshes back where I found them?
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Sorry for the stupid questions but I appreciate your time and experience!
PS. I not the type to ask a lot of questions so; is there a good TS3/Blender tutorial available that will work for this?

Thank you
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Sockpuppet
#2 Old 15th Jan 2010 at 3:56 AM
With sims 2 you could indeed extract a bodymesh, edit or add parts to it and import it back again...
If i had a bit more time i would write a complete guide on how to make similar changes on sims 3 meshes like that but it is more complicated then you think.
In short:
I use Delphy's CTU to start with and look up the mesh i want to change or edit. I write down the mesh name and extract the meshes.
Those meshes are the base meshes, Lod1/2 and 3 and if you are going to make a simple edit, like moving vertices these will do.
You can edit those meshes in Milkshape.
With CTU you have the option to clone a existing outfit/accesoire or hair and the possibility to attache your custom mesh to it.

For now i would advise you to clone a outfit/make a simple edit to the mesh and/or textures and reattache your custom meshes to the package.
Just to learn the basics.

If you want to create your own meshes/add or remove parts to existing meshes you need not only the 3 base meshes but also its morphs.
Every Lod mesh comes with 3 morphs, fat/fit and thin and sometimes the special(pregnant) morph.
If you have serious edits in mind you need to udate all these meshes(12-15 meshes total).
Extracting is done with Postal or S3pe, edits with Milkshape/Blender

With these extra morphs you then need to rebuild the Bgeo files, files that are responsible for the correct morphing ingame and the use of the sliders in CAS.
this is done with BMM

Those new Bgeo files you need to add manually to the cloned CTU package
This is all simple said but requiers alot steps in between...
These advanced edits do need Milkshape as(correct me if im wrong) you need to renumber the vertices and Blender does not have that option.

I use
CTU, for cloning and building new packages
Postal, for manual editing those packages
GEOM plugins and autonum tool by Wes H
BMM(body morph maker)to make new Bgeo files
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 15th Jan 2010 at 5:29 AM
^"Just to learn the basics".^

First off thank you for your response! I know what you mean about time thats why I have to ask how to do this stuff.

Can I simplify this a bit; Lets just deal with the body mesh right now, clothing I may be able to figure out how to do after that...

Sorry I know nothing about MS so I would like to use Blender if I could.

"I use
CTU, for cloning and building new packages
Postal, for manual editing those packages
GEOM plugins and autonum tool by Wes H
BMM(body morph maker)to make new Bgeo files"
MAN! I wish I could just say it that way.Good work!

Im not going to do anything big just pull some verts and sub-d a bit. No Adding, Cutting or messing with seems and such.

So I use Delphy's CTU to extract the Lod1,2,3 then Geom Plugin to import to Blender or do I still have to use MS?

Is there a more Noob way to say; Lod1,2,3?

And what file should I find these in?

Then Ill have to learn about .packages...

Thanks Base1980
world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
#4 Old 15th Jan 2010 at 8:51 AM
The Blender plugin is unsupported and has some issues with it. Pretty much an abandoned project at this point - you CAN use Blender but very few people use it for body meshing, so if you run into issues, you probably won't find a whole lot of help with it.

LOD means Level of Detail. The lower the number, the higher the polygon count and the higher the detail. The game uses the other LODs as you zoom out, so it doesn't have to render a super high-detailed 3D model for a sim that's a speck on the horizon.

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
Original Poster
#5 Old 15th Jan 2010 at 10:59 PM
Thanks for your time HystericalParoxysm.

I was able to to import to Blender/Geom Plugin and it seemed to work fine but the file I was working with was from another persons work.
I can figure it all out with time even if I gotta use MS. I havent work with the format that S3 is using so I just need to start getting my head around it. I want start in the right place...

So as not to waist everyones time here, it would help save me a lot of time just to know what im looking for....

Question...
In what file in the game archive do I look for these (body mesh LODs) to clone...?
Viewed with the extractor (3pe), what is an example of these name/s....? ~(What do these body mesh LODs name/s look like?)

Just getting these two questions answered and I could leave you guys to doing something more important

Thanks again!
Sockpuppet
#6 Old 16th Jan 2010 at 9:09 AM Last edited by Base1980 : 16th Jan 2010 at 9:21 AM.
Best way is to copy the 3 original game files ''fullbuild0/fullbuild1 and fullbuild2'' to a seperate folder.
It is saver to work with these instead of the originals!
Fullbuild0 contains the meshes(GEOM files) while fullbuild2 contains the textures.
As i said i use Postal wich has the option to show the nmap names, i do not know if S3PE also has that option?
But after i wrote down the mesh name found in CTU i surf the fullbuild0 package for similar named GEOM files.( i use show nmap names from the menu and use the first tab to put them in alphabetical order.)
If the meshname is XXL i go look for the GEOM file:
XXL_lod1
XXL_lod1_fat
XXL_lod1_fit
XXL_lod1_thin
XXL_lod1_special(if it is there)
same for lod2 and lod3
All those meshes you extract, use the hex tab and rename/save them properly in like 3 folders(lod1/2/3)
Depending on how big the edit on the highdetail(lod1) mesh is you also need to change the lod2 and 3 meshes with Milkshape.

When done you need to clone a basegame outfit/accesoire or watever is best.
You add the designs, rename the mesh(meshtab) and import your 3 custom meshes(base lod1/2/3) and save the package.

Then you use BMM(bodymorphmaker) to create the Bgeo and Bblend files from the morphs and import these manual into the package.
I always use the instance numbers CTU has generated.
The Bgeo files you have to import(add from the menu), the Bblend files are already there and need to be replaced.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#7 Old 26th Jan 2010 at 5:56 AM
Thanks Base1980 !

That is some well writen info! I can use this to get started...

I really appreciate the contributions from all you guys here.

HystericalParoxysm, you make some great stuff ! THKS!!!
3DREX
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