Insimenator.org

:howdy:

It's ready! It's BIG! And it uses free resources! :thumbup: I am hoping that it will help you to learn how get your very first 3D object, a simple vase, (start small, think BIG! :D) into the Sims 2 game. :D Some details about it:

(http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t207/mattsworkshop/HowToMeshAVase.png)

The free programs I have used are:

SimPE
Wings 3D
UVMapper Classic
Gimp 2

The whole tutorial, is a step-by-step guide and has 642 steps. It has been written with beginners in mind, as if you were opening each program for the very first time, so that you can get used to each program's environment. Every step has it's own full-size screenshot. I have split it up into 6 stages, because as a whole tut, it was SO BIG! This way, it is much easier to download as the files are much smaller. And as it's in stages, you can take your time with each part. It was written on laptops and PCs that have Windows XP Home Edition. I don't know if this will run on Vista, but I am hoping that it will. If it does run OK on Vista, can someone say in this thread please to let other members know. :thumbup: Let's all help each other to learn. I have provided each stage in PDF and Word Document format. The pictures in the tut come out more clearer in the Word Document versions. But if you can't use word, instructions on how to view the pictures in the PDF are included within each stage. :thumbup: The screenshots are on a 1024 x 768 screen size. For best viewing results, if you could change your screen setting to these temporarily, that would be great! :thumbup:

If you need any help with anything with regards this tutorial, then please feel free to leave me a message in this thread only. I work abroad a lot, and my PMs get used up very quick. I'll help you as much as I can whenever I am at home. :thumbup:

This tut is exclusive for Insim. I wrote it as a big thank you to them for providing us all with such a marvellous home. Ta lads and ladies! Please do not host this tut anywhere else. You can put a link in a forum, that's ok, but make sure that it always links back to here please. Thank you. :thumbup:

My concern had been that the files are HUGE! I felt that it was unfair of me to upload them onto here as they would eat up so much bandwidth! So, out of respect for Insim, I have put them onto my free esnips account. Each link below, takes you straight to the file at my account.

There are two additional stages. These ones replace 'Stage 4' in the free tut. These optional stages use Paint Shop Pro X and Photoshop CS2. I made these extra stages at the request of lollipop69. But, these two programs, you have to purchase.

I wanted to say a big thank you to my wife Jessica. Without her help, this tut would never have been finished! :lol: She sorted through all me screenshots, added all the graphics to them, she sorted through me countless books of notes, then put all of these files together. Thank you so much love. :group hu:

Link details: Stage - Program - Info - Screenshots Used - File Size

Right then! Here we go! :D

PDF FILES (Main tutorial)
Stage 1 - SimPE - Cloning Our Base Object, Preparing Our Package File - 36 - 3.8MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/7d996e76-3353-43b1-95ca-fbe3447ba823/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-1---SimPE---Cloning-Our-Base-Object,-Preparing-Our-Package-File-(PDF))
Stage 2 - Wings 3D - Making The New Mesh Using Wings 3D - 210 - 10.9MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/591c2f4d-183b-4ca5-8a43-e73a94bfa1bf/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-2---Wings-3D---Making-The-New-Mesh-Using-Wings-3D-(PDF))
Stage 3 - UVMapper Classic - Making Our Texture Map Within UVMapper Classic - 148 - 10.7MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/bcc0cd1d-66c5-4dc2-800c-47f5984c8a76/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-3---UVMapper-Classic---Making-Our-Texture-Map-Within-UVMapper-Classic-(PDF))
Stage 4 - Gimp 2 - Texturing Our Texture Map Within Gimp 2 - 176 - 19.5MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/5c589373-8890-4396-87c4-7500ed8abfae/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-4---Gimp-2---Texturing-Our-Texture-Map-Within-Gimp-2-(PDF))
Stage 5 - SimPE - Importing Our Files Into SimPE - 55 - 6.9MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/fce0f157-caa5-42d9-bee2-87d4876b513b/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-5---SimPE---Importing-Our-Files-Into-SimPE-(PDF))
Stage 6 - Sims 2 Game - Previewing Our New Object In Game - 17 - 2.2MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/50c85dc5-5488-4b2f-8ec9-b56f38006a35/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-6---Sims-2-Game---Previewing-Our-New-Object-In-Game-(PDF))

WORD DOCUMENT FILES (Main tutorial)
Stage 1 - SimPE - Cloning Our Base Object, Preparing Our Package File - 36 -3.3MB  (http://www.esnips.com/doc/10a842b3-d1ad-43d0-8945-5a6bacc2b275/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-1---SimPE---Cloning-Our-Base-Object,-Preparing-Our-Package-File-(WORD-DOC))
Stage 2 - Wings 3D - Making The New Mesh Using Wings 3D - 210 - 8.9MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/0ba98ed2-f9d6-4bc0-baed-bc74b9647320/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-2---Wings-3D---Making-The-New-Mesh-Using-Wings-3D-(WORD-DOC))
Stage 3 - UVMapper Classic - Making Our Texture Map Within UVMapper Classic - 148 - 8.3MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/8751a939-10f9-467e-9154-7feae3f2bbbd/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-3---UVMapper-Classic---Making-Our-Texture-Map-Within-UVMapper-Classic-(WORD-DOC))
Stage 4 - Gimp 2 - Texturing Our Texture Map Within Gimp 2 - 176 - 16.3MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/ec6c6a22-6728-4636-ac50-ea96582237b6/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-4---Gimp-2---Texturing-Our-Texture-Map-Within-Gimp-2-(WORD-DOC))
Stage 5 - SimPE - Importing Our Files Into SimPE - 55 - 5.8MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/e5c2c490-47f5-4fd0-ba73-00b504cb2129/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-5---SimPE---Importing-Our-Files-Into-SimPE-(WORD-DOC))
Stage 6 - Sims 2 Game - Previewing Our New Object In Game - 17 - 2.1MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/b7993489-7192-46f2-b83b-3f0bd091a4fc/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish-For-Free---Stage-6---Sims-2-Game---Previewing-Our-New-Object-In-Game-(WORD-DOC))

Alternatives to Stage 4 (PDF FILES)
Stage 4 - Photoshop CS2 - Texturing Our Texture Map Within Photoshop CS2 - 151 - 19.8MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/c49ab8a3-46c1-4e2e-80ee-455f9db721c2/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish---Stage-4-(Alternative)---Texturing-Our-Texture-Map-Within-Photoshop-CS2-(PDF))
Stage 4 - Paint Shop Pro X - Texturing Our Texture Map Within Paint Shop Pro X - 206 - 29.3MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/8397b767-499b-4b18-a845-27a8250791ac/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish---Stage-4--Alternative----Texturing-Our-Texture-Map-Within-Paint-Shop-Pro-X-(PDF))

Alternatives to Stage 4 (WORD DOCUMENT FILES)
Stage 4 - Photoshop CS2 - Texturing Our Texture Map Within Photoshop CS2 - 151 - 16.5MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/5ed26005-28af-4e5c-adab-6fea5e6d3ad6/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish---Stage-4-(Alternative)---Texturing-Our-Texture-Map-Within-Photoshop-CS2-(WORD-DOC))
Stage 4 - Paint Shop Pro X - Texturing Our Texture Map Within Paint Shop Pro X - 206 - 24.3MB (http://www.esnips.com/doc/f78fd4d5-6753-4018-834d-fdbd20cea4fa/How-To-Make-Your-Very-First-3D-Object-From-Start-To-Finish---Stage-4-(Alternative)---Texturing-Our-Texture-Map-Within-Paint-Shop-Pro-X-(WORD-DOC))

With the alternative stages, I only have those versions of each program. If you are using earlier versions or the most recent versions, the commands and actions should be similar to what I use in the screenshots.

If you do have a go at making something with this tut, let us see what you've made by adding a screenshot into this thread! Try to host it from a free account though please, as I am trying me best to save bandwidth costs for Insim. :thumbup:

Wow, this is great! Thank you for all the hard work putting this together! :)

Thank you very much. :)

I have just received a request, asking me if the tutorial can be translated into Russian by a member called buffu4a. I have just read this in a message on another forum by this member on a site called http://www.prosims.ru (the message was translated most of it into English):

The author wrote a great tutorial, consisting of 642 steps. The author uses free programs. Tutorial written for the novice user. Download it can be in instalments in PDF and WORD. Every step illyustirovan skrinshotom. Chief tutuorial contains 6 parts, you can download them in one of two formats. There is also an additional option splinting-4 parts, which can be used to pay other programs : Photoshop and peint Shop Pro.

In the post author even wrote about their blagodarnostyah wife, etc. I strongly asked not to place this tutorial elsewhere, as it is exclusively for insiminatora. But the link could move to find links to download in the post.

I think we need to address the relocation of this vast and valuable tutora because He covers all of simpe to viewing an object in the game.

Write your wishes for the transfer, I also must take part in it after the session.

I would like to say again, that the tutorial must NOT be moved, hosted, relocated or transferred to anywhere else. Please, please, please respect my wishes, as this is exclusively for Insim only. You may add a link in any forum messages to this thread containing the tutorial, but no more than that. Remember that the tut is now the property of Insim. :thumbup:

Buffu4a love, you are more than welcome to translate the tutorial into Russian. I would be very happy with that. :) The more languages that are available for it, the better. :thumbup: But can I request that it stays only on Insim? And not be moved, hosted, relocated or transferred it to anywhere else? If you can use a free account, like esnips or something similar, to help Insim keep with bandwidth costs. That would be great love. :thumbup: You can add a link to your translation on the other forum. That's ok. Let's just keep all the translations in one place. :thumbup:

I'm not a meanie! :lol: Ooh heck no! Far from it. I do very much fully support wholeheartedly that it is important to share knowledge around the globe and to help each other to learn, especially with a fun hobby like this one. I can fully appreciate how difficult it is when you find something that's been written in a different language. If you do want to translate this tut into another language, please can you only add that translation to here, and host it from a free account. To save Insim on bandwidth costs. Please DO NOT move, host, transfer or relocate it to anywhere else.

If any member does find any copies of this tutorial (in any language) being hosted anywhere else, other than here, please let me know in this thread. Ta very much. :)

Can I also ask that you only ask me me questions in this thread and not in PMs, thank you. :thumbup:

* Also now hosted on MTS2 *

good grief, that's a heck of a lot of reading, but excellently done
 
Thanks for taking the time and effort to do this Matt :thumbup:

Matt! This is PERFECT! Thank you so much for all your hard work! And I can honestly say that I know how long it took you! Your AWSOME!

Matt! great tutorials!
Thanks for your time and hard work on these!!!!!!

Thank you very much! :D

Thank you for the in depth tutorial :)

Wow!..Thanks Matt for this wonderful tutorial!..this is going to come in very handy ;)

This is great, but I almost gave up at stage 5 step 11. Build DXT was grayed out and it was really hard to find out about the DDS Utilities. Maybe you could add how to install that if anyone else has problems?

Thanks to your wife and you for the tutorials, great work.

Thankyou ~I will try it although it looks difficult to make : D

aaah, how do i open this?? i dont have word, or openoffice or such things :(

I have just made my very first mesh having followed your excellent series of tutorials and wanted to stop by and say thank you for all of your hard work in putting them together. They are very clearly written, easy to follow and I would recommend them to anyone who wants to try meshing. In fact I have already recommended them to 2 people!

Lovegirl download acrobat reader and get the pdf versions.

Or download Foxit (http://www.foxitsoftware.com/pdf/rd_intro.php), its a lot smaller program and opens quicker.

Wow!! That was soooo fun! Matt, you are awesome! I have some pictures to show my new vase!
Now, only two questions- how do I change all the file names from my "first 3d object"? and what did I miss that the catalog picture still shows the oriental vase? In other words, I want to make this file "uploadable". Again, thanks soooo much for you hard work! I didn't think I'd ever be able to do this. Here are the pictures:

(http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii312/kalamity_katie/snapshot_0000001d_94c6c655.jpg)

(http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii312/kalamity_katie/snapshot_0000001d_74c6c665.jpg)

(http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii312/kalamity_katie/snapshot_0000001d_14c6c673.jpg)

Great job Katie! It looks fantastic. :)

Thanks! I didn't think I could do this at all! Matt and his wife really did a great job together on this. Now I just have to figure out what to do to this package I made so that I can upload it to share and make some more recolors. :-P

I appreciate you and your wife's work on this tremendously!  I'm excited to get started on learning how to mesh!  

I also appreciate your teaching the texture part and adding the alternatives to Stage 4.  I use PSP X and I always need help on how to do the texturing part.

FYI:  The link to the Word Document - PSP X - Alternative to Stage 4, is not working.  I got the PDF one instead.

I've never meshed before; to be honest, I never had the desire to because I thought it was so difficult.  But your tutorial made meshing seem so simple as it dove into so much depth and detail, that now I love meshing!!

You deserve a standing ovation for this...and if I wasn't in a wheelchair I would give you one!!!!!

Excellent tutorial!:worship:

Oh yeah...look at the two purty vases I made!

(http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/8814/p1sm6.jpg)
(http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/9290/pv2li2.jpg)

Great tutorial (only with it I learned)! But there was a problem in my textures.The textures are in 128x128,because I don't have dds.where I can download the dds?

thanks a lot ive done mine job ;)

2 ex.

(http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/9779/dentjavs6.jpg)

Been doing the 3D Wings part and it seemes I can not get it right...

If I want to save my work I have done so far in wings and close down the wings program to come back later to continue, in what format do I have to save the file?

Tried to save in wings format after I moved the vase to the central point and just before preparing for texture mapping. When opened the file again and start the adding new material by different colors, the colors are not showing on the vase.

*Found out I need to have Show Materials checked in the View menu* Sorry

Wavefront - .obj ;)  But dont click save , click export ;)

I've been wanting to make objects for a long time and last year while researching, I found a link to this amazingly detailed tutorial at snootysims. And today I find here! :D My sons told me about insimenator.net. Cool site! Excellent work Matt. This tutorial is awesome! It's very easy to follow and I made lots of objects with it. :worship:

I felt compelled to sign up to here and write today, as I was very saddened to read last year on snootysims that Matt had tragically passed on last May. At the time, I wrote a PM to his wife over there expressing my condolences, and she said that it took him a couple months to complete in all, using every spare moment he had, and that he was working on a small update for it at the time he passed. She also said that TSR wouldn't publish it as it was so big in it's complete form. So they knew that this one existed. I noticed on TSR today that someone's written a tutorial based on yours Matt. I don't think it's fair that people other people should copy and take credit for something that Matt had worked so hard on.

In their tutorial, they said that no-one had bothered to sit down and write a step-by-step one, that was written anything in depth using the same programs. Well they didn't do their research properly did they! Otherwise they would've found Matt's very detailed step-by-step one on here and on MTS2.

So I felt it only fair to say something, as Matt's is a ton more detailed and is much better as it's broken down into many different parts. I couldn't bare someone else copying Matt's format. That isn't fair.

I'm going to add a link into my signature on the sites I belong to, to highlight your tutorial, and also to highlight the friendly community of insimenator.net.

God bless you Matt, you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you so much for this tutorial!! I was making clothing meshes, but ive always waited for such a great tutorial to finally start with objects!!
Thanx :D

can't wait to try my own mesh...

the downloads for this aren't working :X I tried the pdf and the file is borked, the word doc ones have invalid links

halp~

Does anyone have an extra copy of this? Steps 3, 4 and 5 have no more files, and it kinda stinks, 'cause I'm on step 3.
Thanks

 :( Hi. I am hoping someone can Please Help me. I also have Matt's Tutorials on How To Make Your Very First Mesh For Free,  well when I downloaded them No. 3 didn't download right and is corrupt. I went to re-download it and can't. I come here and on the first page of this Forum or Thread (which ever it it),  Matt has it all explained to us about the tutorial and has links for each step (1-6) but the link for step 3 doesn't work. It's say it's a "Broken Link" and this is the only step I need, I have all the rest and it's an important step because it shows how to map your object with UV Mapper. If anyone could Please Help me in getting a new part 3 for this tutorial I would be forever greatful.

All the word Doc links seem to be broken. The PDF links for Stages 3,4 and 5 are also missing, including alternatives. Stage 6 works for me though.

Hope this will be corrected, it looks like a good tutorial!

Yeah.
The tutorial link stage 3, 4, 5 is broken.