Hair mesh texture problem - RESOLVED, kind'a...

[IronBeard]

Hi. I recently spotted some a hair recolor over at MTS2 and downloaded it. I also had to download a mesh from CoolSims so I downloaded Anto's textures for it at the same time.
Unfortunately, neither Anto's original textures, or the recolors I downloaded show on the mesh, though the mesh is visible in game:


The hair textures do not show in game, in CAS or in BodyShop.
I tried exporting the texture in BodyShop as a new project and got it to show up as custom hair. However, after I imported it into the game, it again failed to show up!
I have no experience of working with hair and would appreciate any suggestions to fix this issue.
The mesh in question is CoolSims no.32, page 5 (lady GaGa's hair)
Thanks

[caffeinated.joy]

Moved to General Sims 2 Help, since this is a problem with a hair you downloaded and not a problem with something you're trying to create.

Can you please link to the download(s)?

[IronBeard]

Yes, sorry. It was a bit of both really and I thought I might get quicker feedback over there, cheeky chappie that I am.

The recolor dl can be found here:
http://nene.modthesims.info/download.php?t=353093

The CoolSims mesh is here:
http://www.coolsims.net/?show=hair&page=5

[Theraven]

If the originals don't show for you either, then the problem is probably on your side.

Do you have graphics on high? Some recolors and meshes won't show unless you've got texture and sim details on high.

[IronBeard]

Absolutely, everything on high and finely tweaked. Also, I've had no problems with any other custom hair meshes, including several from CoolSims. It could be that, for some reason, this mesh is not Mac friendly, though why should it be the case with just one mesh out of dozens they feature? Actually, I don't ever remember having a file that wasn't Mac friendly.
But if the recolor textures were based on Anto's original packages, they may have replicated something graphically that my Mac doesn't like.
When I get a mo later, I'm going to try and re-build one of the textures DXT 5 as that has helped with previous issues of alpha mesh recolors periodically not showing up properly (one reason why I posted this thread in its original location).
Of course, using SimPE on a largely alien operating system (to me anyway) means that any guidance I can get is greatly appreciated. It may be that a cursory look at the mesh/texture packages in SimPE might reveal something, though I'm not at all sure what I would be looking for. Properties?

[Nouk]

Right! You have a mac (I wish I had one lol)

Textures that are not have the same width as height will not show up for macs!

What you could do is grab the texture, resize it in a paint program to 1024x1024 or 512x512 and use that to import. Important to not keep the original constraints (sp?).  And very important to do the alpha's the same way!  (black and white files) It should work then

[Engram]

*sniped by Nouk* (she answered while I was typing away and making a snack, making my answer 10 minutes late)

It's probably the image size. For example if wall images are not resized to 256x512 before being imported to make a custom wall, they will show as grey for Mac users. If most hair works for you, the image size used is usually 1024x1024. Given that icedmango used textures that are 1500x1500, it should be easy enough for you to just extract the textures in Bodyshop (if they extract properly, you didn't say but I guessed from what you said that they did extract properly), resize them using an image editing program to 1024x1024 (just resize and save, don't change filenames), then re-import into Bodyshop. You don't need to use SimPE except to bin the hair.

If you have no idea how to do any of that or how to bin hair, PM me and I'll do it some time this week, by this coming Sunday at the latest. I can resize the textures, bin and family the LaPink retexture for you.

[IronBeard]

Damn... Engram's reply delayed my reply by another ten minutes...

Nouk? Hey, I use some of your hair. Nice!

I'm glad you both mentioned file dimensions: I just exported one of the textures as a BodyShop project and inspected the files in CS3 Bridge. This package is weird size wise; the main hair textures and alphas are all 1500x1500 instead of 1024x1024 as I expected and all the tiny files are 10x10 instead of (I assume) the usual 8x8.
When I get a spare moment, I'm going to re-size them and try importing from BodyShop as custom hair. If this shows up in the game okay, I'll try to tackle the original packages.
Do you think I should rebuild the packages with re-sized textures and their alphas in SimPE, or is there a simpler way. Is it possible to re-size the textures in SimPE without having to do any export/import and build DXT? You know, wave a magic wand sort of thing.

Thanks for your replies by the way.

[Engram]

Resize them in an image editing program and import them in Bodyshop.

For some reason you seem determined to use SimPE for something and I don't quite understand why, when you don't need to.

You'd be better off following the directions I gave you, which is to extract the hair in Bodyshop as a new project, which will give you the textures and alphas. Alphas are tricky to get to in SimPE, which is why it is better that you use Bodyshop, because you get them right there in the project files. Then you open all of these in an image editing program, such as Photoshop or Paintshop or GIMP or whatever else you use and resize each and every one of them to 1024x1024. And then you import the project, again using Bodyshop. Absolutely no SimPE necessary during any of this.

Since you really really really want to use SimPE, you can use it once you know the hair is working and bin it.

[Theraven]

It's easier to do it with SimPE, as you don't have to re-bin them.

Export the textures, resize them (with Photoshop or whatever you use) to 1024 or 512, and save directly over the file (so you don't have to worry about file format). Make sure the textures still have transparent parts.
Build the textures with the Nvida DDS tool (use DXT3), and save (you can save a copy, just to be sure you haven't messed up anything).
No need to worry about the alphas, since they're already built into the texture if you do this. No need to re-bin, either, as you're using the same files.

Oh, and you only need to resize the biggest texture, as the DXT building takes care of the smaller sizes. Don't use the import tool, as this will most likely give a bad result.

[IronBeard]

Resize them in an image editing program and import them in Bodyshop.

For some reason you seem determined to use SimPE for something and I don't quite understand why, when you don't need to.

You'd be better off following the directions I gave you, which is to extract the hair in Bodyshop as a new project, which will give you the textures and alphas. Alphas are tricky to get to in SimPE, which is why it is better that you use Bodyshop, because you get them right there in the project files. Then you open all of these in an image editing program, such as Photoshop or Paintshop or GIMP or whatever else you use and resize each and every one of them to 1024x1024. And then you import the project, again using Bodyshop. Absolutely no SimPE necessary during any of this.

Since you really really really want to use SimPE, you can use it once you know the hair is working and bin it.

Yes, I know all of that, but I'm not trying to produce recolors for this mesh. The only reason for exporting to BodyShop is to see if the mesh can be made to behave itself on my system, as all the other CoolSims hair meshes do. In short, I want to correct the packages I've downloaded, possibly even the mesh package itself, because something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark.
So far, I've re-sized the textures and alphas to 1024x1024, the tiny textures to 8x8 and left the rest as 512x512 but now BodyShop tells me I can't import the project and I should check that all of the files are in the right place and in the right format. Now surely, if BodyShop exported the project with three different file sizes, it will expect to get three different file sizes back again for building the package. So it seems unlikely that re-sizing ALL the files to 1024x1024 is going to do much good.
At this point, I'm beginning to suspect that the problem lies with the mesh package itself, which is another reason why I want to know what I should be looking for in SimPE because there may be an error that could be easily corrected by an adjustment to the package... what? Properties?
Maybe I should just take this mesh, and a 'good one' over to the vileness that is the household Vista and compare the two. It would just be nice to know what to look for, or where.

[Theraven]

If SimPE works for you, then try what I wrote in the above post 

(I have a feeling we're all typing as other people post...)

[IronBeard]

It's easier to do it with SimPE, as you don't have to re-bin them.

Extract the textures, resize them to 1024 or 512, build them with the Nvida DXT tool (DXT3), and save. Should work then. No need to worry about the alphas, as they're already built into the texture if you do this. No need to re-bin, either.

But won't the alpha channels still be 1500x1500? (He typed quickly so as to get his post in ahead of the crowd forming around Lady GaGa's head).
In that case, I will have to re-build the alpha channels as well, surely.
Anyway, I'll give it a try, if only to get away from the vileness that is BodyShop.
Mind you, there's a bottle of Jim Beam on the kitchen counter which looks mighty appealing right now, maybe I should give myself a little time to unwind!

[Theraven]

Not if you export the texture(s) with SimPE. There, the alpha is already added, and shows up as though parts of the texture is transparent (the white/grey boxes in the background).
Export to desktop, open up in Photoshop/Gimp/whatever you use, resize, save directly over the old one, and build it as DXT3 in SimPE.

There are fewer textures to worry about too, as SimPE filters away the unneccessary textures. Most likely there will be only 1-3 textures to resize.

[IronBeard]

Taking a break with Mr Beam didn't help much... and I hate waking up miles from home, stark naked, covered in blood and fur and no memory of where I've been.

No, exporting the textures, re-sizing and then re-building the package DXT makes no difference, even if I also re-build the alpha channel. In fact, it is quite obvious from the SimPE texture display that the re-sized image becomes 'displaced' laterally once it is re-built. Most annoying... (kicks cat and curses Anto loudly!)

However, though I hate to go 'down market', I decided to try re-sizing the textures exported in BodyShop again but this time down-scaling to 512x512. It worked, and the result is most pleasing! So at least I can build a few packages of my own using La Pink's textures, then all I have to do is bin them and Bob's your Uncle!
Mind you, it's weird that other hair recolors should both export and import in 1024x1024 without problems but not this Lady Gaga mesh. I'm past caring really.

Anyway, a bit ta to all of you who kept my mind ticking over with this wee issue-ette.