Yes, the new features and updates in SimPE are too many to explain them clearly enough...

So, I'll state it once more :
The "Create stand-alone object" cloning option should be always left unchecked, unless you find that your clone borrows unwanted textures form other objects.
Always try with that option unchecked, first!

Alright, here's something to think about. I made a new object, using the Electric Guitar as a base object. I made an entirely new 3d model, changing the shape and everything, and even made a new texture file. I have all the files I need (.obj, .simpe, the mesh, and the .package) yet when I put that in the downloads folder, nothing came up...

what do I do?

(originally posted: http://forums.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=57625 )

Forget that guitar: even the original Maxis one has serious problems

The guitar set is composed by two pieces: the ampli and the guitar itself (unlike the bass, that is a single, animated object). So, in order to re-mesh the guitar, you have to clone the ampli, as well, and then edit its BHAVs in order to let it use your guitar instead of the original one.

A lot of work, and at best you'll end up with a (hopefully) working guitar that can't even be recoloured... :blah:

I have also made a guitar mesh and sorry to say it is a very difficult object to make as "Numenor" has stated...
There is someone working on one in which he claims the sim will pick up (but, oddly he stated) and play... If and when he comes up with a procedure he mentioned he would make a guide on "How To". He also mentioned that editing the BHAVs played the main role also stated above... When I was first attempting the guitar I managed to get it in-game butt lying on the ground though I placed it exactly as the original... Top that off he wouldn't touch it... I also made a keyboard which plays well and is color enabled but the "perform and Join" do not work... As stated in this tutorial it covers most basic object creations... Beds and instruments are complex there for this procedure will not produce a working object... You asked "What do I do?" Save that beautiful mesh and wait to see if anyone figures a method... I realize the work involved and hope a method does come about...

Numenor, would you know if SimPE fully supports the instruments? I ask this because the E.P. is fairly new and when I cloned the Piano in my eyes it should have
carried the structure givin to the piano after installing the E.P. After installing the E.P. as I am sure you know the original piano has the "join and Perform".

It's not a problem related to SimPE, I guess: the instruments are heavily managed using BHAVs that refer to the GUID of the instrument.
Moreover, there is the know problem about the animations: only the Milkshape plugin by Wes_h has a limited support for animation (and I'm not accustomed with Milkshape).

Once I managed to create an acoustic counterbass to replace the bass (it's not as difficult as the guitar), and actually it worked, but... with no animations. LOL! The sim picked the counterbass and pretended to play it, but the counterbass stayed still in its original position!

I guess that for the instruments we have to wait a little...
The keyboards are easier, because they are made by only one, non-animated object (there is only the problem to edit the BHAV in order to enable the perform option); but the other instruments seems off-limit to me, by now.

I am using the latest version SimPE and for some strange reason I suddenly cannot get my new object to have color enabling. I am using the Serenity sitter as clone object. I have tried the short version as well as the older version. Strangely I could succeed with previous version by making use of the short version tutorial , also using the Serenity sitter as clone object.
I have checked the unsuccessful package with the successful one, and cannot see a diffrence...??
Can someone please advise me?

Latricia could you post the package up so I could take a look at it please?

Thanks!!
Here is the link :
http://www.simsnobs.com/zip2/ssnbschairbelito.zip

Latrictia: Your shape names are not that of the original object you cloned the "serenity sitter" The shape names should be as follows;

1. frame
2. fabric
3. eastwallshadow
4. westwallshadow
5. southwallshadow
6. groundshadow

Your object in the GMDC only contans 2 shapes;

1. chairframe change to "frame"

2. chairfabric change to "fabric"

also you should have the 4 shadow files in there as well though the lack of color enabling is mainly to do with the 2 misnamed shapes "fabric and frame".

change these and your package will be color enabled...

I have tried that before It simply shows up as a blank., that is not visible in game plus on the thumb it still does not shows the color option enabled.

Another interesting fact I have noticed by following the quick color enable tutorial to the spot, is that the color options appear as recolors at the serenity sitter...? But no color option ability at the new mesh. Thought I should share..

I have taken a more in depth look at your package.. It seems you may have follwed the old tutorial(mesh tool) and then tried to enable coloring with Numenors color enabling tutorial...

I re-did the package following the tutorial in this thread and your object is color enabled without a hitch...

I am sorry I didn't look deeper into the package... The shape names were flashing like big red lights... I assumed that you merely mis named your shapes.. Below is screen shot of your object properly enabled...

It may be a good idea to avoid following the old tutorial and refering to the one here as it is most current... I also used the GUID from your original package if it is not your own registered guid you will obviously need to change it...

Hope I was of some help...

Thank you so much for the file :D
Something weird is going on with my system. I have tried again this morning but still no positive result.
Another thing: Some items in the catalog window ( some beds & one chair) has a pink background, instead of blue :confused. The colonial double bed has a color option for bedding, not frame..?? Even after I have uninstalled the SimPE, Color Options, Sims 2 and re-installed Sims 2, the colonial bed has only color option for bedding, not frame. My guess is that something wrong got stuck somewhere and I don't know where to start looking. Any ideas?

The missing frames for the colonial bed is a know TS2 (and EP) bug. Read this:
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=57977

Thanks, Numeror :D
Can you please advise me: I just cannot get the color enable to work. Even although I have done it exactly correct according to the tutorial. What I should mention is that I have installed & uninstalled various versions of SimPE to try and get a bed to work. May it be that in my installing/uninstalling struggle I might have deleted an important file? If I uninstall the SimPE and install it, there's a message: Updating the XML. Should I click on YES?
Also, I have noticed a file INFCache.1 in System Folder [Wndows XP] Does it sounds familiar?
Sorry to ask so many questions...

Reinstalling SimPE always gives you a working copy, because all the needed files are copied onto your computer. If SimPE asks to update the XML file, answer Yes (the folder.xml file is a list of the folders where SimPE should search for packages).
The INFCache.1 is not part of SimPE (SimPE keeps all its files in the SimPE folder): it's a cache that Windows uses to keep track of the installed hardware.

Thank you so much for the info. Also for the patch for having the correct colonial bed & lamp.
Much appreciated!

Just want to share, if by chance the same happens to someone else: I have at last succeeded in cloning the object WITH color option!! Yeah! I had 2 problems which I found 1) The DDS utility was corrupted so I downloaded the latest version & installed 2) Norton ani-virus cahed the uninstalled data. I disabled my norton protection , uninstalled the SimPE, installed again.
Thanks so much for the help, James & Numeror. You are the best!

I was removing Latricia's package to avoid it being distributed here as it is her creation... I noticed the above comment and was wondering...
I made some stand-alone shutters, I in fact checked the box "create stand alone" and unchecked the box "only pull default colors". This allowed me to have use of all the files I needed as well as incorperate 4 extra texture maps to add 4 other colors to the shutter packages... In this case or similar ones I would think checking the "stand alone" and unchecking "pull only default colors" was a good idea... Am I correct in assuming this? Just wondering your thoughts on applying these settings in such unique cases as this...

You succeeded by chance, I think...
Where the shutters have been cloned from? It was a "slave" object (i.e. an object that borrows external textures)?

If the object you clone is already stand-alone, that option has no effect whatsoever, so checking it by mistake won't hurt, anyway.
On the contrary, if the object is a "slave" (e.g. a bed), checking that option by mistake would lead to trouble.
Obviously, I you *want* to create a stand-alone object from a slave one, you can check the option, but in this case you know what you are doing.
That's why I stated to leave it unchecked, unless you have good reasons to check it.

And the other option, "Pull only default colour", is not related in any way to the "Stand-alone" one: they have different uses and can combined in various ways.
In order to create a multi-texture package, unchecking the "Pull only default colour" option is enough (unless, of course, you are cloning a slave object... )

Well, I wouldn't say by chance, I tried this due to the information provided in the above threads... The clone base I chose was in fact a "slave" object so "stand alone" was needed... Remembering about how linking the bedding allowed the use of all the re-colors made me realize that by incorperating the extra textures by not checking the "pull only default colors" would allow multi colors within the package... I agree that by checking it without understanding what it does can really mess a package up... Knowing it's benifits is also good to share...

Oh, I'm sorry, I was re-reading my own post and I realized it sounded quite rude It wasn't intentional, I didn't know that the shutters (that btw I'm extensively using in my houses :D) were cloned from a slave object...
Sometimes, the need of translating everything in English and to the cronic lack of sleeping hours make me forget to connect the brain before activating the mouth (or the fingers, in this case!)

No need of appologies my friend... My respect for you and the knowledge you provide us "ALL" with is what is most noticed by these eye's..

I was more trying to let you know in a subliminal way that your quote about tying the beds "bedding" together has jarred my brain to think about how to incorperate more colored shutters in my package... Sometimes when you tell the "kid" not to touch the cookies, he does(unchecking pull only default colors)...

I may be the one who should have given a little more detail as to what I cloned and so on...

I read a lot and a lot of what I read is what you type in all kinds of threads... There is no room in "JWoods" to think such a kind and giving person could be "rude"...

I am quite pleased that you liked the shutters... Means a lot... I was a bit displeased with the additional colors I added, they were a bit to dark... I am just about done the "board and batten shutters" which will be up tonight...

Hi
Could some kind preson please assist?
I've made a few simple objects to test my mesh creation skills and found myself certainly lacking..the biggest problem, however is that my meshes replace the original maxis ones. I clone the maxis object, renaming it as suggested. I also get new guids and have ensured that the mmt box is ticked. I update and commit on all the guid replacements one at a time and then save but still I have the replacement problem. This object is a plain 3 layer box (had to start really simple) I also don't see a shadow although I'm not deleting them or replacing them.


Please help!!!!!
Thanks
Urshekke

I looked at your package briefly... I recommend following the tutrial above as it seems you have fllowed another procedure...

Your package problems are as follows...

1. your shape names are not that of the original object you have cloned...

2. Your 2nd GMDC file(shadows) also contain your object's shapes... This is the shadow shapes they shouldn't be changed...

3. I looked at your GUIDs all of them are the same as the originals...

4. I would highly recomend choosing a differant object to use as your clone base... The table you chose has the shadows in the first GMDC, maybe the club distress coffee table?

5. I also noticed that your two shapes were not U.V. mapped... In order for your sapes texture to place properly and not look muddy this should be done...

Remeber to have a color enabled object you need to keep the original objects shape names...