Recoloring Mystery

[edinfresno]

Hi. I just recently figured out how to successfully recolor objects but I've run into a mystery: Namely, I want to recolor Trezilla's Hughs DX 500 Helicopter with Police Helicopter colors for use in my game but there's text on the side of the 'copter that says "Simcity Tours" and, no matter what I've done, I can't get rid of it and I can't figure out which file in the package contains that text so it can be changed.

Btw.. I'm using the latest version of SimPE.

Here's a picture of what I'm talking about:
http://www.modyourpanties.com/hosting/21094_100709173907Simsave_012.jpg

So, Which file do I open to change that, how to I extract the necessary item and how do I import it back into the recolored package?

I'm assuming that, like recoloring an item with one texture it would be a very easy process once understood.

Thanks in advance for your help

Ed In Fresno

[Engram]

Until I googled it and found it despite the mis-spelled creator name I had absolutely no idea what you were talking about. It really helps to link to the item you are talking about so people can help you rather than search around and maybe get frustrated when the item appears not to exist.

The letters are in the matte1 and matte2 texture images. I don't quite understand how you could not have found those as the text in those images is quite large and obvious. Have you already edited those two textures and the text is still there? Or did you somehow miss those?

[BlooM]

The problem is prolly that object workshop doesn't extract that particular texture.
So it cant be recolored, only in the original meshpackage.

Adding that texture to the recolor files that are generated when cloning the package is possible but difficult.

[Engram]

Ah... Could be. I didn't try recolouring it, just looked at the file in SimPE.

[edinfresno]

Hi. Thanks for your reply.

Sorry about the misspelling confusion earlier. It was supposed to be D500, not DX500 (I was thinking of the Hughs DX500UAC-A Police Urban Persuit aircraft at the time, which is what I want to recolor this object to resemble)

First, The Matte1 and Matte2 files don't show up in a simple recolor in SimPE (as I now know): They show up only when the object is cloned either as a slaved clone of the original object or as a stand-alone cloned object so, no, I didn't find the matte files at all when I did a simple recolor of the object.

However, when I cloned the object all the TXTR files showed up in the Texture Image (TXTR 10) file list.

To answer the second part of your question: Once having found the files I edited them to remove the text (ergo: exported the TXTR files to a temporary folder, edited them in my graphics program, ran "build DXT" (which I don't think was the correct way to do it) and then clicked commit/save as I would with any other basic recolor.

This obviously was not the correct proceedure since it didn't work.

So, now, the question remains: *What*, exactly (step by step if possible) do I *do* with these files (how do I edit and import them so they do what I wish)?

If you have no answer to this then, perhaps, you could direct me to a step by step tutorial that would show me how to do it? (Unfortunately, and after a great deal of searching) I have yet to find a tutorial on effectively editing matte files in objects.

Thanks again for your time and help.

Bloom!! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! your stuff!! Sorry you're moving on from Sims 2. I'll miss you TONS! (No, I don't play Sims 3.. Yet. LOL!  I'm waiting, waiting, waiting.. Until such time as there's as much stuff for sims 3 as there is for Sims 2 but, probably, by that time, there'll be a Sims 4 that everyone'll be moving on to! ACK! LOL!)

Thanks again.

Ed In Fresno

So, now that I know how to find the files what in the world do I do with them?

[Engram]

Building DXT with the edited textures was actually the correct thing to do as that tends to work where just importing the textures fails.

You need a more experienced creator than me to help with object cloning and solving it's mysteries.

[BlooM]

You need to clone the heli as a standalone object.
Then extract its textures(right click/export)
You edit them and reimport them back as DXT3( http://www.insimenator.org/index.php/topic,11026.0.html )
Reading your post you already done it correct.
The only thing you forgot is to update the objects GUID, it still has the one from the original heli.
So the game will read the one that comes first(alphabetical order and will prolly have ignored your clone)

To change the GUID:
Open your clone
click object data
click name in resource list
in the bottom window you find the GUID box(plugin view)
change a few numbers or get a new GUID if your registred with Simpe
Tick box update all and hit update
Save

If done correct both will showup.

btw, there is tons off sims 3 stuff already

Except for the custom animations sims 3 is already far ahead on CC( you have so much more options)
the gameplay however is terrible, you definatly need a good comp.(wich i dont have one )


Edit,
Oh crap, is this a working heli?
You then need to list the obj Id's in the correct order and update them one by one(had some issues with objects with multiple GUIDs in the past)
If i remember correct you shouldn't tick the box update all then....

[caffeinated.joy]

I'm going to move this to the mesh creation and recolouring help section, since this is what this is all about. Good luck!

[edinfresno]

Bloom!! You're AWESOME!! I followed your instructions re: clone/recolor and it worked perfectly and, yes, you were quite correct about the unchanged GUID number so I changed that and all is well! The recolor worked out perfectly and I now have an all black chopper clone with which I shall make recolors.

Oh.. By the way and just so you'll know and as it turns out I didn't have to arrange the object ID numbers one by one, which is a blessing because it saves a step. Apparently the last version of SimPE does that automatically.

Thanks again so much for your help. You've really made my day and you shall be my favoritest bestest hero and my best friend for a WHOLE week!

Thanks again, bunches!

Ed In Fresno

[BlooM]

Cool!