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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 28th May 2015 at 11:31 AM Last edited by rhodalle : 28th May 2015 at 12:58 PM.
Default Custom Distant Terrains w/ ZBrush, World Machine and... Blender?
I've read this thread here: http://modthesims.info/t/469548, but I just don't have enough experience to figure out how these steps do/don't apply to my pipeline. I wish I had a better question to ask than simply "what's next?" I'll do my best to be specific..

Q1: Recommended program(s) I should next use to get these obj's fit for CAW?
Q2: Any explanation of the steps I should take within said program(s).

So here's a more in-depth explanation of how I got to where I am and what I know so far:

Blender is a program I'm not really over the learning curve with, but I have it, and I've never used S3PE, S3PO, Milkshape or any other programs popular for modding Sims.

It's happy coincidence that I was already learning World-Machine, Photoshop and ZBrush so I could get this far with relative ease and at a good pace.

I generated an "infinite" terrain in World Machine (upgraded version so it's to 2048 scale) and moved my tile to an area that fit what I saw in my head, after doing some basic planning of my city.
These are the files and textures I exported and compiled for texturing the main map, and what would be the surrounding Distant Terrain tiles:
(Sorry you probably need to enlarge to read the text.)


And here they are in ZBrush:




I exported the "main world map" placeholder from World Machine as a mesh, with the source heightmap span set to "natural file elevation" so I -assume- the height should be correct reference, to how it will look in CAW, since I exported the latest version of the heightmap used from CAW. What I don't know is, if ZBrush is changing the scale of things at all. ZB tends to be unpredictable and argumentative when working with other software in the pipeline.

Using the placeholder map for my world, I arranged the tiles and finished texturing and generated the maps and low-poly versions.


Each tile is about 1k polygons. Not sure if that's ideal, but with a few of them together, I might be pushing 7k polys. Forgot how many I'm at. I exported the obj, textures, disp and normal maps, though not sure if the normals came out right (looks inverted and can't generate more without going back to the version before I deleted the high-poly copies.) Not sure if normal maps are even needed? I can go back a few steps if they are.

Now, at this point I'm not sure what to do. I feel terrible asking for guidance on technical specifics instead of troubleshooting on my own, which I do my best to do, but that takes a long time, doubt my competence here, but mainly, I don't know when I'll be able to make time to research this stuff otherwise. Making worlds is a hobby I can't lend as much time to studying as I'd like. The tutorials leave me with more questions than answers due to my utter lack of actual modeling/modding experience. Hell I'll give my objs away to someone who wants to share, upload and keep them for whatever, lol. I would happily take a collaborator - but that's another topic for another thread that I've been putting off making...

If anyone has experience and advice to share pertaining to a software I don't currently have, it still helps! I could very likely use my "studenthood" to get my hands on a recommended program so I can better follow instructions.

I'm just throwing this out there as a proposition, but I find streaming screens to collab with people to be so quick and efficient, such as through sites like Join.Me. I'd be happy to model anything for someone if they want to just run me through what they know in Milkshape or whatever. If my artistic skills have any value as trade for a bit of tutoring - Frankly, I plan to take requests on any kind of terrain for any world, from anyone, once I can get these into CAW, because these last terrains only took me a few days to make (thanks to ZBrush and WM) - A quick one-on-one chat/walkthrough would save the most time and get the ball rolling so I can start sharing any and all useful DT's that I can think of.

ANY help and instruction whatsoever is hugely appreciated! Thanks for reading!


I don't mod, but can sculpt, mesh and texture in ZBrush. If you need a textured obj for a cool Sims 3 project, I might be up to such requests. You are welcome to view my art @: podcreature.com
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Field Researcher
#2 Old 31st May 2015 at 2:02 AM
Im learning myself as well but since nobody else has replied to you I'll try to help.

I take it you havent tested these in caw as you have never used S3PE or S3PO or are you using something else?

If not, read the set up part and parts 1 and 2 from orangemittens wonderful object creation tutorial. http://www.simlogical.com/ContentUp...te/uploads/830/

In the set up part, only install S3PE, S3PO and meshHelper for Blender.

After that when you're following object cloning, you need to use S3PO's search function to find the distant terrains. Actually, armiel covers this in her tutorial on the second post http://modthesims.info/t/469548
Maybe clone Bridgeport's distant terrain as it has a bumbmap, if you want to use yours since you were asking about it.

She also covers how to export and import, but since you're using blender, instead of "s3asc" we have "s3m2b".

Hope this helps.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 31st May 2015 at 11:05 AM
Thank you so much for these key tips! Particularly as it pertains to Blender. I know that people see me as competent enough in the programs I'm already using and wonder why I'd ask for hand holding on the rest, but I never considered myself a modder.. just an art student. so that's correct; I haven't used anything yet to even see my ojbects in CAW or game. Advice like this is seriously helpful in giving me that sense of direction I need to get started.

Ah, so I clone an existing DT, with bumpmap, so I can replace the parts with my own and use the files as a sort of guide? That's why the tut is saying to clone?

I'm glad to know that it seems much of the steps in Armiel's tutorial still apply to this pipeline. That object creation tutorial looks like it will help a lot. I was worried that general object creation steps and rules might not apply so much to DT, but why wouldn't it? Makes more sense now to start from the basics of object creation and cut no corners in learning. I can be quick to ask questions on things, which is a good habit I guess, but dismaying for others at times. :D

Thanks again! I'll follow up with any progress I've made. I might wander from sims for a bit before I update, as life is busy, but I will.

Quote: Originally posted by gelis
Im learning myself as well but since nobody else has replied to you I'll try to help.

I take it you havent tested these in caw as you have never used S3PE or S3PO or are you using something else?

If not, read the set up part and parts 1 and 2 from orangemittens wonderful object creation tutorial. http://www.simlogical.com/ContentUp...te/uploads/830/

In the set up part, only install S3PE, S3PO and meshHelper for Blender.

After that when you're following object cloning, you need to use S3PO's search function to find the distant terrains. Actually, armiel covers this in her tutorial on the second post http://modthesims.info/t/469548
Maybe clone Bridgeport's distant terrain as it has a bumbmap, if you want to use yours since you were asking about it.

She also covers how to export and import, but since you're using blender, instead of "s3asc" we have "s3m2b".

Hope this helps.


I don't mod, but can sculpt, mesh and texture in ZBrush. If you need a textured obj for a cool Sims 3 project, I might be up to such requests. You are welcome to view my art @: podcreature.com
Field Researcher
#4 Old 1st Jun 2015 at 2:50 AM
That's right, you already have the mesh and texture, so you just clone one of the game distant terrains with S3PO, then replace the files with S3PE like armiel does in her tutorial. First you have to convert your mesh from .obj to s3m2b (so just open your mesh in blender and then choose export as Sims 3 MLOD/MODL) so S3PE can read the mesh.

So you really have done the hard part already. I myself struggle with meshing an object this size and not to mention I also need to texture it as the EA textures on DTs are just horrid.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 1st Jun 2015 at 1:38 PM Last edited by rhodalle : 3rd Jun 2015 at 2:59 AM.
Sounds very simple, thank you for confirming that it's pretty much as straght-forward as I was praying it'd be.

Yeah, these steps are the easier part for me - I find generating, texturing and mapping terrain to be soothing, like painting must be, but, I keep having to give credit to ZBrush, because it's tools really cut out a lot of the "tediosity." If I can help in any way, just to save you a bit of time, please don't hesitate to let me know. Whipping up meshes, and textures is the one thing that works fast and easy for me, as does following guidelines and instructions (for creative stuff). No credit or tribute necessary, whatever it'd be for.


I don't mod, but can sculpt, mesh and texture in ZBrush. If you need a textured obj for a cool Sims 3 project, I might be up to such requests. You are welcome to view my art @: podcreature.com
Instructor
#6 Old 10th Jun 2015 at 9:07 AM
It is not even as difficult as you are making it. Distant terrain is an object. Just like any of the other metagame objects you place in the game. In CAW, objects do not have to be placed on the world, they can be placed outside of the world. This means that the objects can still be seen, just the sims cannot go there since the sims are limited to the four corners of their world.

One way of doing this, which might be easier to manage, would be to make 8 different distant terrains. So you have a piece in each direction of the compass: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW, with your world in the center.

If you can find TJ Streak's blog, he described in broad brush terms how to do this. In fact, he made a simply flat world basic distant terrain. The idea was you could slide other objects, like buildings, hills, etc onto this distant terrain.
Mad Poster
#7 Old 12th Jul 2015 at 5:37 AM
I think TJ Streak's blog is gone. It won't show up even with the Wayback Machine. Is there anyone making any custom distant terrains?
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