I'm trying my luck defaulting a few flowers that were made recolorable (here: http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=450907)
I've used SimPE, so it's all not THAT new, but this is just my second time ever opening S3PE, so one possibly dumb question:

Which resources do I actually have to replace for a default that enables more recolorable areas? I sort of assumed it would be relatively clear once I open the files, but it's quite a lot more unfamiliar things than I thought.

(I think) I have everything I need: I created clones without renaming/renumbering them, and I downloaded the ones that have been altered to have more recolorable areas. Now I have to replace things, but what is needed for this and has to be replaced and which resources can I delete? My guess is leave the IMG and OBJD one(s) after what I read so far but I'm not sure.

Actually it's all done with a mask. You could either edit it in TSRW (Which would be the safest option, since in S3PE if you would add just an image it wouldn't read it as a mask). So don't get the latest TSRW though, this one is just... broken for the sims 3: http://greenplumbboblover.tumblr.co...005426/tsrw-172

Or do you mean like making the recolourable vases as like a default replacement? Because if you're editing these flowers, you might as well as for permission from the creator. Unless you made them yourself.

I mean making them defaults.

Someone added color channels to flowers that came with the game, but they don't replace the originals. They show up as custom objects that look just like the originals, just that the flower part of the object is also designable.

So, the whole mask editing has already been done. All I'm trying to do is make them replace the originals. Since the color channels are all that's been changed, I made defaults by cloning the objects in S3OC and unticking the rename/renumber option, and now want to delete the resources I don't need in my clones and replace whatever is responsible for how many color channels an object has with the corresponding thing from the edited flowers that I downloaded.

My question is which resources those exactly are. Logically, I'll need to replace some of the IMG ones - that much I figured out by now. That part is easy because I found a thread explaining what those are and what each of them does (overlay, mask, multiplier). But I'm not sure if there's any other things my default replacement needs to work as expected and if I can simply delete everything else, although I'm fairly sure I can. (It just makes sense.)

Small update, I tried and they are now completely missing from the catalog. Deleting the OBJD and OBJK files only results in the flowers turning white whenever I design tool on the object.

I guess it's harder than I thought.

This may not be any help at all. but have you tried using Texture Tweaker on them?

Never delete the OBJD and the OBJK files! The thing is, the game needs those since they don't carry just some names, they carry more information on everything. So dfar I can tell, the way you cloned them, it's possible to just replace the textures and be done with it. But some people usually delete everything but the OBJD, OBJK and the textures (IMGs) So you could either keep those, or just replace (not import) the images and keep it that way. I'm not really familiar to default replacements, but this is usually how it's done.

I think there might actually be something wrong with the plants I downloaded, because those don't show up either. Same when I did my defaults the way I thought was right first (with both OBJD and OBJK) - I can't check if the whole color channel thing worked because they simply don't show up.

It probably really just needed the OBJD, but there's gotta be something wrong with those... I can't imagine any way you'd accidentally hide something from the catalog, so... any idea what causes this? (Should probably make a new thread for that shouldn't I)

I'm not sure if I understand you correctly, but were you never able to make to mod you linked to (recolorable flowers) work?

In any case, I would follow Ghost sdoj advice on using Texture Tweaker (direct download link), it's the simpler way of making a default in this particular case, I think.
If TextureTweaker doesn't work once extracted, try to do a Repair on the archive and extract the files again.

The thing is that those plants don't have a mask by default. So you'll need to create a "new link" to the mask you have. Just importing/replacing one IMG file would be enough if the object already did have a mask.

With Texture Tweaker, you can import a new IMG (mask) and edit the presets by adding a mask with this IMG you just imported. Or you could already import the IMG, I suppose. But it's as straightforward as that.
In my experience, all you'll have to keep in your package (since it is a default replacement that adds a mask) are the mask IMG, XML and OBJD ; those last two also hold information concerning the presets.

Yes, exactly. I never tested the objects I linked to, I just went straight to making them into defaults. Now I finally gave up and just took the custom ones, and saw that they do not show up either - so I guess there's no way to know if I actually messed up or there's something wrong with Simmiller's plants.

I couldn't get Texture Tweaker to work, but I did successfully try TSRW. So now I have a working clone of an EA plant that has its flower part designable, but still don't know how to default replace the original with this one.

Did I get that right - my first thoughts on how to go about the replacing were right so far, but I also need to replace the XML(s)? So I'd make my default clone, delete everything except OBJD, XML(s) and the IMG resources that I need, then export the same things from my now properly working clone and replace it all?


I just accidentally made a default replacement. xD
Still the question: My package was a normal clone and still has all these resources, which ones can I delete now?