Someone needs to make a school with more than one freaking door.

Is it no possible to have another plugin for import/export the objects?
I'm very sad...I can't have milkshape

I'm no expert on UV Mapping. However, I have no doubt that the UV map you give to the item is what goes into the file, and into the game, and is what comes back out.

I'm attaching a snapshot of your UV mapping, taken from UU3D. It shows you made a cylindrical map, I have never seen those used on any of the game items, just unfolded maps.

<* Wes *>

Or an 'invisible' rabbithole, so we could build our own schools, diners...

Wes: Is it a dancing banana?

Wes, I chose Planar, not Cylindrical. What am I supposed to use here?

Mapped is mapped, shouldn't matter what method you used.

Actually there is always a texture/UV mapping shift with custom meshes happening in the game. This becomes especially visible if you try to map pixel-exact. The game ruins it all.

So the game is just plain not reading it right? And there's no way to fix that?

I don't as yet see any meshes in the game that use wrapped mapping. Look at any UV map, 0,0 is one corner, 1,1 is the opposite. Everything between is in-between.

If you have two vertices in the same group in the same UV location, they will be painted with the same pixel from the texture map. Look at Mr. Banana's UV map, see that his back is in the same space as his front. Whatever you color on the front will be the same on the back, only flipped left-to-right.

Look at the screenshot of the UV mapping from the cheap stereo in the game. All of the sides are split and unfolded. Whatever colors get out on the top will be different from the sides with that map.

So in spite of the flippant remark that mapped is mapped, you can't map a round surface onto a flat plane unless you split it and fold it out. The way it is, the back is painted like the front, except reversed, and the sides will be compressed. Split him up like clothes or the stereo are.

Thanks, Wes. I'll have to experiment with it.

To fix the loading error, type './' (without the quotes) before the file name.

I tried a different scaling value that seems to match the texture maps better. Try the version 0.09 I just uploaded. With the new scaler I get a much better fit between the UV map and the game texture maps.

<* Wes *>

HI wes, Thanks so much for your creative works!

I have some questions....I tried to create furnitures step by step and all things worked well, such as the .modl and the .mlod...but i was a bit confused that what is the connecting point between the .dds file and the furniture's patterns.

Now I can edit the meshing part，but how can i change the 2 or more pattern parts？
The function ways in SIMS3 is quite different from Vray in 3dmax.
I found the 2 DDS files in the objects package is the key helping the game to load and select parttens.
But how to create the 3D---->2D shadow DDS shape files?( I upload these files) I know how to change DDS files in photoshop,but I don't know how to create the DDS shape files for my new mesh.

And BTW please let me know more about the .modl and the.mlod...I'm also questioned about why there are 3.mlod file with the same mesh? When I tried to create I just made one mesh file and copy it to 3 files...I don't know if it works...

Sorry for my poor English.
------------------------------
the rar below contains the 2 DDS files in the package of the Dining chair from the game. from the shape and the 2 color that is why the Dining chair has two patterns. But the one 3D shadow shape dds file I don't know how to create for my new mesh.. this DDS pictures looks like the “extracting UV MAPS” in 3DMAX but still a bit different


the jpg below is my suppose. Is simply fixing the shapes rightside to change the DDS ok?
And I tried to render the uvmap in 3DMAX but it finally come to shis...

You are going to have to hope someone better at texturing comes along to answer you DDS questions.

As for the MODL and MLOD question, an MODL file has all the chunks in an MLOD file, plus one, the MODL file. The MODL itself contains a bounding box (MinX, MinY, MinZ, MaxX, MaxY, MaxZ) for the entire package, like your chair. The MLOD contains within it a bounding box for each group, but only in the MODL are all these composited into one set of dimensions.

The group value for each MODL/MLOD item shows the purpose. Group "00000000" is the main, detailed mesh for the item. "00000001" is level of detail 1, a reduced poly version used from distant viewing positions (and perhaps lower graphics quality options).

The meshes "00010000" and "00010001" are significantly reduced quality versions, and generally are displaced down, left and back of the main object. These often are stored in a format with no normals or UVs, and generally have the faces fully welded. They are used by the game to create a ground-shadow for the item.

If you examine each of these meshes from your original package, you will see the differences. If you find packages that have fewer of these items, they do not have these features (LOD, shadow) designed into them.

So to start with, you edit and make "00000000" into a full quality mesh. When that is done, you reduce the face count and make it into "00000001". Then, for each of these, weld the seams and move the whole mesh in the -X, -Y and -Z directions to create a shadow mesh. The exporter will know how to package the mesh in the reduced format (no UVs, no normals or UVs and no normals) according to the way the original was constructed.

As for how much to remove between lod0 and lod1, and the shadow meshes, that is art... were I good at art I would be making it instead of programming plugins and such.

<* Wes *>

wes i have a problem with my texture. i made a ps2 in the sims2 and ported it to the sims 3 but the textures had a white outline that doesnt show when its imported into milkshape. could it be because i didnt do the mipmaps on the dds correctly?

No one here can visualize when you don't at least post a screenshot.

Thank you so much!
Your answer have told me much more than my question...
Now I know where the shadow comes... And how to create all the modl and mlod correctly.
I'll try it later~~
But...a new question comes that..( hope that you won't get fed up with..)
How to reduce the face? Could I simply reduce it when i save my new model in other 3D programme choosing "less face" or Is there some tool in Milkshape?

There is a polygon reducer in MilkShape, called the "DirectX tool", I think. You can probably do a more precise job in 3DS Max, if you are using that. You probably want to take about half of the faces out, but not too many so that your general shape is recognizeable.

are we currently limited to a single texture map? or can we use multiple textures for different parts of an object?. single textures is seeming to produce low quality results

Texturing is not a strong point of mine. However, in a number of objects I have examined, there were two layers to the texture, one with an alpha. However, the materials and group layout are not changeable with this tool. So you have to choose the object you are cloning from with care to pick one that has the features you want as a starting point.

As long as you arrange the groups carefully, you can stick your design into many different packages. But at this time, I have nothing to offer that will change the textures/designability/footprint or other features in the original cloned object.

<* Wes *>

What I'm finding is, you don't need a mat. Depending on what you are making. If you are making something that is already recolorable in game, the mat is not needed at all. The game will take over the recoloring process and you'll be able to recolor in game with any pattern you choose.

The game uses the alphas like a blank canvas. If you smooth out the alphas to all light gray, you can then recolor in game.

But objects that are not recolorable to begin with, those, I'm having a tough time with getting my mats to show. This game is using a whole new way of doing it and I'm still struggling with that.

thank you wes.
With your help I have made my first chair...>.<
Although a lot of works not been done...But it is correct.
The obj file with a right uvmaps will make the .DDS and so the object is recolorable.. and the uvmap will work correctly through your tools to.mlod.
I have recolor it..

Your specular probably has a white alpha, make it black and the shiny should go away.

Thank God the cavalry has arrived...lol.

OM

I did do this and the same problem persists i just reimported the resaved files back into SimPE and no change is there something i have to do before this ??

Simpe?
Please don't delete your text/question, now I have no idea what you're talking about.