Insimenator.org

First you need SimPE (Simple Package Editor): http://sims.ambertation.de/ (http://sims.ambertation.de/)

And Microsoft .NET framework 1.1 and 2.0 from Microsoft Update (depends on the version of SimPE, but having both hurts nothing)

And nVidia DDS Utilities from here: http://developer.nvidia.com/object/dds_utilities.html (http://developer.nvidia.com/object/dds_utilities.html)

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Then in SimPE - look for EXTRA at the top, then select PREFERENCES

(http://www.insimenator.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=16121&stc=1&d=1146692102)

In the System Folder section - Set the Nvidia DDS Tool folder:
C:\Program Files\NVIDIA Corporation\NVIDIA DDS Utilities
(or D: or E: where ever it was installed) -- the rest you will best be
served by default

Click OK

Exit SimPE and you are ready to begin.

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Now make your skintone in BodyShop, or more appropriately Booby Trap.

Close Body Shop.

Now with Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro or what ever graphics programme you
use, save each texture as a PNG (24 bit)

Open up the Skintone you just made with SimPE

Scroll down to the Textures in the directory tree on the left side of
the panel.

Now, select the textures one at a time and do the following.

When you see the texture in the preview pane, right click and Build DXT...

(http://www.insimenator.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=16116&stc=1&d=1146692102)

Change the Sharpen option to "None"

(http://www.insimenator.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=16117&stc=1&d=1146692102)

Now open Image and browse to the appropriate replacement PNG

(http://www.insimenator.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=16118&stc=1&d=1146692102)

You will see a DOS/Command window pop open and "compress" the image.

Click Commit and save the file after each replacement.

Repeat as necessary.

Note: DXT3 is a better format because it does not compress the image nearly as much, but may not work in Mac versions of the game.  My tests show it works perfectly well for the PC version.

Thanks for the links, now do I need their other programs that they offer for photoshop plugin??? do you know???

it doesn't hurt :)

Thank you beosboxboy.
Now I have learnd to create a new mesh.
Though I could not use the Build DXT at SimPE, I solved the problem by your tutorial.

hi Yakov, thank you for this tut.
Can you use same method for outfits too?

For outfits, I think you'd have to import the alpha as well.

You can extract the PNG without a separate alpha - then edit and build in DXT3 format (this DXT format supports transparencies and doesn't require a separate alpha since it is automatically created by the transparent PNG)

great tutorial thank! but how do i know which image i am opening? for example, i open an image which is a face, how do i know its the adult or teen face? it doesnt matter if i replace for example the female teen face.bmp by the adult female face.png as long as they look the same and matxh the body?

I dont think it matters if they're the same colour, all my skins use the same face for all ages, although i've only ever made 1 skintone :D i just pasted the face over each age, i hadn't seen this tut until just now.
 
BTW, does this mean the same as basically removing saturation marks???
To get a nice colour i use alot of saturation, which looks good on paper but in Body Shop it just shows pixelated patches in places which looks rather unnatrual.

a method Yakov once told me:
Choose ''save for web'' and save as a 24bit png when editing skintonefiles.
Import that png with dds tools in simpe.

Sorry if I'm going to have to reply to this thread, I tried the method about a week a ago, but I didn't really notice some improvements, can someone kindly post a screenshot for before and aftereffects? Thank you so much.