In this Part of the SimPose Workshop we’re going to import a Sim-Model to our sweet little Posing Tool.

Wow, that’s exactly what you’ve been looking for since ages! But not so fast! It means a lot of work until you can see your wonderful sexy fashion diva in SimPose!

It’s a wide range of things we have to do and i want to be detailed. So i need to split this “Import a Sim-Model” workshop into 4 sub-parts.

In this first one i will explain something about 3D-Meshes, Textures, Files and typical SimPose Problems as well.

I think it’s relatively simple to understand what you have to do as long you have some fundamental skills!

But don’t worry if you are a bloody newbie, it isn’t hard to learn…

Check out your skills!

Next to SimPose you also need a good Graphic-Editor (Photoshop, The Gimp) and SimPe. If you don’t know what that is, read the whole first part of the MXM Master Class immediately.

In the upcoming parts i will tell you…

• how to extract Mesh-Files with SimPe and load them in SimPose (simple)
• how to extract Textures with SimPe and compose a final texture (moderate)
• how to put all files together in SimPose and save the Sim-Model (simple)

Understand how a Sim works!

A Sims consists of 3 Body-Parts:

• Body: Everything from feet to neck
• Head: The Face of a Sim
• Hair: The backside of a head and – the hair

So if you want to create a complete Sim-Model you need all these 3 Body-Parts (SimPose even has 4 slots).

Every Body-Part consists of 2 things by itself:

• 3D-Mesh: The physical shape of an object/sim
• Texture: The visible surface of an object/sim

I will give you a closer description in another workshop. For now it’s enough to know that those things exist.

Understand what you need to do!

It’s clear to see that you need both, the mesh- and the texture-files, for every of the 3 Body-Parts (Body, Head, Hair).

So you need 6 files to create a Sim-Model in SimPose!

1. the Mesh of the Body
2. the Texture of the Body
3. the Mesh of the Head
4. the Texture of the Head
5. the Mesh of the Hair
6. the Texture of the Hair

The single steps to get these files are:

• Export the 3D-Meshes of all Body-Parts with SimPe
• Export all required textures (can be lots) with SimPe
• Compose the final texture files with the Graphic-Editor

The file-types you will be working with:

• .5gd = This is the MESH that SimPose needs
• .png = Always export textures with SimPe this way!
• .bmp = This is the TEXTURE that SimPose needs

These are the 3 file-types that you will use most of the time. There can be exceptions, sometimes .6tx can work better for Hair-Textures, but usually you only need to handle .5gd, .png and .bmp.

Quicky for the advanced: Export single parts (eye-brews, make-up…) as .png, put them together in Photoshop and save the final texture as .bmp (24bit).

What about Alpha-Channels?

The more advanced Skin-Creators of you surely want to know how to integrate Alpha-Channels in a SimPose-Model. By using Alpha-Channels you can add transparency and invisibility to a skin/texture. But SimPose cannot handle Alpha-Channels!

That’s the reason we ALWAYS use .png when we export a texture with SimPe. Because .png can understand transparency!

Now the smart of you will scream out “but there are Texture Overlays in SimPose”…

Yes, but i told you in the post “SimPose 2 – how to prepare for a good start” that we won’t use SimPose’s Texture Overlay slots.

Even if they would work fine (and they don’t) there simply are not enough slots for all the required overlays…

For us, it makes no difference. The work is nearly the same, but our method will work very much better. You’ll see in sub-part 3 of this workshop.

Hair often makes problems!

A SimPose-Model will never look so perfectly beautiful like in the game. There are some ugly things that can happen in SimPose; some examples:

• no anti-alias. The edge of a model isn’t smooth. No big problem in most of the cases.
• background shine-through. Happens quite often with faces and hair. Can be a problem sometimes.
• totally strange hair. Can vary from file to file. It’s annoying, some hair works fine, the next does not.

Fortunately, there’s a long process of what i call “Post-Production” anyway, and most of those problems can be resolved during that phase.

The “Post-Production” is the time when i take the photo of the finished pose and load it into Photoshop to repair all the ugliness and compose the final picture you later will see in my stories.

You can see by the length of the last sentence that “Post-Production” easily will fill further more workshop pages. So i only give you some small hints now…

How to resolve those probs (short version)!

I only take care of the missing anti-alias when it really looks ugly. Then i try to smooth the edges during the Post-Production. But most of the time i don’t care.

When the background shines through it’s no question that it can destroy the photo. Try to find another camera angle to reduce the effect. And change the background color and lighting of the scene – it can help a lot.

I recommend to use hair from xmsims.com, it works best in SimPose. I have made bad experiences with almost every other hair – even the original Maxis Hair-Styles. So don’t waste time and have a drink on xmsims!

Quicky for the advanced: Some Hair-Texture .bmp won’t open in SimPose. Then they are in wrong 32bit. First open them in Photoshop and just “save as…” with 24bit.

Take a deep breath!

You see it’s pretty much to talk about so far. Perhaps you understand a few more thing now. But that’s not all, take a deep breath and look forward to “How to import a Sim-Model / Part 2“.

Then i will show you how you can use the ultimate Sims-Tool SimPe to extract the required Mesh-Files (.5gd, remember?) of the different Body-Parts.

And please, girls! Don’t scream so loud because you will need to use SimPe! I promise you that it is absolutely easy to extract meshes!

So if you feel kind of cute, stop weeping, go and install SimPe.

See you next time…

After spontaneously starting “Part 6: SimPose” last weekend just let’s make a soft turn and proceed with the second part of the MXM Master Class of Sims Art Workshop:

In-Game Techniques!

You will learn to control your Sims easier and shoot better Pictures and Videos. It’s not very complicated but you need to be accurate, though.

In this chapter i tell you something about the most helpful mods and some more tricks, check it out…

The Window-Mode!

When you want to create advanced stories and videos – and that’s the reason for this workshop series – you MUST play in Window-Mode.

Playing in Window-Mode makes it much easier to shoot and organize pictures. You don’t need to shut down the game, you can simply minimize it just like any other application.

So how can you open the Sims in Window-Mode?

It’s easy. Go to the game’s installation directory and make a shortcut of “TheSims2.exe”. Forgotten how it works? Read 6 simple things about your pc.

Have a look, you might already have a shortcut on your desktop! Right-Click on it and open “Properties”. In the line “Target” write -w at the end. Also put a space between the main line and the -w. It should look like >> TheSims2.exe” -w <<

Where can you find cheat codes and more tricks?

Most people don’t know that they don’t need to search on websites or inside the game for Cheat-Codes. Cheat-Codes are official part of the game, supported by Maxis. So don’t be afraid about cheats.

In the installation directory there is a folder “Support” that contains a readme in different languages. I know what you think, you don’t want to read a boring readme file.

Let me tell you it’s not that boring. In fact the readme contains all the cool information! I’m only telling you what’s still written down.

Every Expansion Pack has its own readme in the Support Folder. Go and have a read. It’s so damned cool…

How to activate Cheats

Most Cheats you can activate while you’re on a Sims-Lot. Push the keys “CTRL” and “Shift“, hold them and push “C“. This will open the Cheat-Panel. Now you need to write the required Cheat-Code into the line and hit the “Enter” button.

Normally the Cheat-Panel will close automatically afterwards, but sometimes it will not. Then push “ESC” or write the word “Exit” into the line and hit the Enter-Key.

Cheats and Hacks!

It makes no sense to explain every single Cheat-Code here. We will activate them in the following lessons step by step.

But i want to tell you about some very helpful hacks that every storyteller and movie maker should (must) have.

Will Hacks destroy my game?

Many newbies think that hacks are bad and will destroy the game. But that’s not true. The typical Sims-Hacks are very harmless and don’t do anything bad.

Technically those Hacks are the same like any other custom-made download.

Right, you always have to be careful with files from the Internet. But as long you get them from well-known fansites you won’t get into trouble.

So where can i get all those sexy newd Cheats?

I tell it once again, just for the fast readers: There are no Cheats or Hacks that can make your Sims have Sex. Not in the detailed and extraordinary way you know from MXM stories.

That’s what you’re going to learn in this Master Class Workshop. My Sims don’t do it in the game.

Some very great Hacks, Tools and Cheat-Files!

There are some great files out there that are worth a try.

I highly recommend to visit the websites of the original authors and read all the stuff there!

Censor Hack / Censor Remover
The first that everybody wants to have. It removes the censor grid when Sims take a shower… Visit Simsky to get the file and detailed info about the Sims Censor Remover.

Camera Mod
Simply a must-be. With this Hack you can move the camera however you want. It was made by GunMod and can be found on modthesims2.com. Like always, it’s a little bit confusing, but anyway, get GunMod’s great Camera Mod here.

Animator
This hack enables you to manipulate the reaction of a Sim and choose which animation starts. Without such a hack the Sims will always look the same in every story. Visit pawfectfilms.com and go to “Mods”. There you can download the file “TS2 Studios 0.4B”, made by Ceedj. Don’t forget to read the ReadMe.txt.

Shaklin’s Hacks
I use 2 Hacked Objects made by Shaklin who is offline unfortunately. The first is the “Skins-At-Home-Dresser” wardrobe, which makes you able to change (and even buy) clothes when the Sim is at home. Very useful!

Second is the “Model-Animation-Changer“, a simple method to change the face impression and walk style of a Sim. Though Shaklin is off you can download the files here.

Even more Sims-Hacks!

This should be enough for the beginning. There are further more hacks out there but i don’t think that you need every single one of them.

But if you want to try more hacked objects you should check this list of useful mods for stories and machinima on britannicadreams.com. It’s a very impressing collection!

Britannicadreams offers you some excellent tutorials too. Read it all empty!

BTW: Please always remember to read everything that’s written on the creators website! And help them to keep the motor running!

Resume

All right, this was the first post of the MXM Master Class Part 2: In-Game Techniques!

I told you about the window-mode and the most important/helpful Hacks and Mods you can use to make better pictures of your Sims.

I also explained that you don’t have to be afraid of Cheats and Hacks. You can always switch them off if you want to return to normal playing.

Storytelling and Movie Making means that you have to stop playing. You must force the Sims to do what you want them to do – that’s what hacks are for.

I think next time i will show you how i act inside the game. We will use some very simple tricks that improve the quality of your photos a lot!

Stay tuned

Due to a large amount of requests i decided to make a wide jump and release the Workshop Series about SimPose 2 much earlier than planned.

This is a part of the “MXM Master Class of Sims Art” but instead of telling you about in-game techniques in Part 2 (though i have very interesting things to say) i quickly move over to Part 6 and describe how i work with SimPose 2…

How to set up SimPose for The Sims 2

I noticed that somebody wrote “how to set up Simpose for the Sims 2″ into the google search and found mxm-studios.com. That’s great and i hope you’re still here and find what you were looking for.

Only the search request is a little bit incorrect: You don’t have to set up SimPose for the Sims – you have to set up the Sims for SimPose!

Really, that’s the first thing you must understand…

SimPose 2 is outdated, confusing and not intuitive

Okay, SimPose is a nice program, it’s very helpful and can do lots for us. We have to thank the author for all the time and efford he spend with the development of SimPose 2.

But SimPose 2 is pretty much unfinished.

I could write down a very long list of criticism, because working with SimPose can be really really annoying! But such a list would be boring and useless.

Also, the author don’t seem to be interested in his program anymore, the current version is 2 years old already.

Don’t waste time, just accept what you got

Just let us accept reality and take SimPose 2 as is. We don’t have anything else and in fact, SimPose 2 works well – as long as you stay calm and understand a few things.

You know, i just jumped across many chapters of the MXM Master Class Workshop… So let’s slow down and think about what SimPose is and what you can do with it.

What is SimPose 2 and what can i do with it?

SimPose/SimPose 2 is a stand-alone program that you can download for free on the SimPose 2 Website.

You will find some very basic descriptions on that website as well. It’s always a good idea to read the authors own words. Please do so.

And please don’t confuse SimPose 2 with the former SimPose-ium which was made for the first sims game. You need SimPose 2.

What you can do with SimPose 2:

• You can import (up to 4) Sims figures and pose them.
• It is possible to create all kind of poses, even… you know.
• You can use dressed or undressed sims.
• You can change the face impression of a sims.
• You can also import sims objects.
• You can import a background picture as well.
• There’s a great lighting option that really can pimp up the poses.
• You do this all to create sexy screenshots/photos of the Sims.

What are you going to learn here?

Like i’ve written above you need to set up the game (its files) for SimPose. For that you need to know some about Meshes, Skins, SimPe and Milkshape.

That’s the reason i was about to release some more chapters of the workshop before it came to SimPose. Anyway, there are lots of other workshops about Meshing and Skinning and all that…

I will try to give you as much hints as possible. For now you’re going to learn:

1. Preparing Simpose (simple)
2. Importing a Sims Figure (extremely complex)
3. Creating a nice pose (complex)

SimPose alone does not make a good picture!

You can decide if you want to shoot a photo like everybody does, which is very simple (in 99% of the cases i know).

Or if you want to compose a great picture in the mxm-style, which is very complex but worth it.

I will tell you everything about it in another part of the MXM Master Class because there’s much to say.

For now let’s close her and look forward to the next post, coming soon:

How to prepare SimPose 2

Which Parts will follow next, you can read here.

This time we have a look at some different file types, their extensions and the programs and tools that can handle them. Again, this is a very simple topic but you should pay attention on it anyway. Many failures happen only because fundamental knowledge is missing…

The most common File extensions and what they say

If you don’t know how you can see the extensions of the files on your computer (what comes after the dot) you must read the article “6 Simple Things You Should Know About Your PC” first!

I don’t tell you about each and every existing file extension, but some that are very common and close to our freaking work in “The Sims 2″…

Common Download Formats

• .zip
  A WinZip File. It’s a compressed package that can include many other files at once. A zip is used to make file sizes smaller and to put many files together into one package, what makes it easier to send/download it. Before you can use the included files you need do unpack (unzip) the zip-file. Zip is still integrated in Windows XP, but the full program is no freeware.
• .rar
  Does the same as zip by using another technology; it’s another program than WinZip at all: WinRar. It’s Shareware and great, but i prefer Winzip because it is still a standard tool on my Win XP.

Sims-Related Files

• .package
  Nearly all sims-related files have the ending .package. Such a package includes many other files and different types of information. While the normal download collector never needs to look inside a package-file, it’s the most interesting place for modders. Of course we will mess around with packages as well.
• .Sims2Pack
  This is the standard export format of “The Sims 2″. When you create a Sims in “Body Shop”, and export it to send it to your friends, all required game files will be packed into a .Sims2Pack. Whenever you see a .Sims2Pack you first have to install it! It is never enough to just move it into the Downloads Directory. Click on the file (and wait), or better use the great Tool “Sims2Pack Clean Installer“.
• .bmp
  A Windows Bitmap File. Nothing else than a picture. You should be able to open a .bmp with every graphic editor/picture viewer, like Photoshop or Gimp. I think every texture of the sims game is a .bmp: The clothing, the alpha channel, the normal map. We will see later what that means in detail.

File extensions for advanced tasks

I already told you about the most common file extensions and what they say in the post 6 simple things you should know about your pc. So better let us look at some file types that are interesting for advanced users. It’s only an overview, we’ll get into detail in later lessons:

• .simpe
  This extensions already tells everything we need to know. It’s the format of the best sims-tool ever: SimPe.
• .5gd
  A Sims 3D-Mesh File. While there are numerous 3D formats out there, .5gd is our choice. We will later extract it with SimPe, modify it in Milkshape-3D (using the fine plug-ins of Wes_h), load it in SimPose and/or put the modified mesh back into the game.
• .6tx
  A texture format for advanced use.
• .obj
  Yet another 3D-Format. Possibly the most used 3D-format of all. Nearly every 3D-Editor can handle .obj-files, but the interpretation often varies between different programs.

This was only a little overview. But it can help modding-beginners to understand a bit more about different file-types and the right tools to use them.

Before i open Part 2 of the MXM Master Class Workshop, which is called “In-Game Standards“, i will publish a small test! Then you can check out if you really understood everything i wrote in Part 1.

I hope to see you again!