Want to re-model a mesh

[jasmini]

How do i get around remodeling an existing mesh that has been packaged? 

[Theraven]

You can extract the mesh with SimPE.

You extract the GMDC, either via the OBJ extraction (at the bottom - for objects and things that don't ned a skeleton), or by right-clicking the GMDC and choosing "extract". From there, you might need some tutorials. Milkshape is the most compatible program to do your editing in.

After the mesh is done, and you've exported the proper format (OBJ or SimPE file) you import the mesh via the OBJ import, or right-click the GMDC and click "replace". This will change the original mesh.

If you want to make a new object or piece of clothing, you probably need to find a tutorial, because there are a lot of steps.

If you change a body mesh, remember to delete the cache files before loading Bodyshop or TS2, because otherwise they can show the wrong recolor or mesh (I've had a few instances of pseudo-exploding meshes, and old recolors showing the old mesh instead of the new one).

[jasmini]

Which tutorial would you recommend for a non skeleton object that you would find in buymode?

Also how would i tag this differently from the original object?

[Theraven]

You'll find some useful ones here: http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Basic_Object_Creation
There are also a few here: http://classic.modthesims.info/forumdisplay.php?f=541

If you want the new object to be different from the other, and both to show ingame, you can clone the old object and give it a new GUID. That way the object will work like the old one and have the same texture settings, and it's a bit easier to edit things like descriptions. At least one of the tutorals in the first link above should tell you how.

[jasmini]

There is one last thing that i can't seem to understand, nor dose the tutorials cover.
Creating the recolors from the new clone is becoming a problem with this particular object as the current textures cannot be seen as the box is in black.
this is because the texture is transparent I'm unsure if the recoloring was done in simpe or in a different way completely.

[jasmini]

So i was trying to upgrade an object by simply duplicating the object and mirroring and connecting them both together.
But this hasn't turned out too well, the object is the light saber by Shaklin which you can get here.

http://sims2graveyard.com/index.php/downloads/send/1191-shaklin/31441-shaklin-starwars-lightsaber-mod-new


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This was my attempt 

http://www.mediafire.com/file/irgr4zm9f3ak8z1/The_Double_Bladed.rar


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


This creator has vanished from existence.
I spoke before about trying to get a double light saber  for months to the point where i have decided to try and make it myself.

From what it looks like it's not as difficult as it looks but testing it. just seems to be a problem as the interaction doesn't seem to
be as identical as all i'm doing is simply cloning and editing.


what am i doing wrong?

[Theraven]

Since the lightsaber is technically a light, things can get a bit more complicated than just cloning and editing the mesh.

What exactly is it that doesn't work with your version?

[jasmini]

Well after spending some time reading the tutorials i started to understand the basics of Milkshape.
Keep in mind i've never used this before, comes to think of it i've never recolored anything.

I intended to extract the GMDC from simpe as you instructed, which went successfully.
the object was defined as a group set. The Hilt the inner thin blade and some sort of cylinder coating

My attempt was to duplicate each object and flip the 3D model piece 180 degrees this would make it look like a double bladed lightsaber.
Placing this back inside the clone was no problem. but recoloring this in, doesn't make any sense as the textures are all black and white.
That's not even the worst part. the testing of my version seemed to of broken the interaction, which i don't know how that's even possible just by changing the model appearance.

I have no idea how the original creator did this and this was over 10 years ago.

[Theraven]

It's possible some of the textures use TXMT-colors only, or alternatively use colored lights (since it is a light). I've so far not made a working light (only tried once, though - and it's a while ago), so I'm perhaps not the best one to ask.

Shacklin used to make more advanced, often heavily modded objects, and because of that I'm not so sure this is a good beginner project. There are tutorials on how to make/edit lights, and I think there's at least one at MTS, probably in the "object modding" section in the tutorials. You'll probably also need the ones on editing TXMTs.

---

Had a closer look at the files, and I saw that Shacklin's version has a lot more resources than yours, which probably means something went wrong in the cloning process. When I tried to clone it, I got the same amount of resources as the original.

Which boxes did you have ticked in the "Object Workshop"? I usually tick all except the "Reference original mesh" and "change description", and the "Pull wallmasks" isn't always needed, either.

You also must change the GUIDs for all the OBJD resources. I'm not exactly sure how new creators do it nowadays, since you can't register any more (I registered before the GUID site went down, and can still get them the regular way), but there's probably a solution to that somewhere.

When you export a GMDC, it's a good idea to keep the original name, or you can occasionally break the file. I see you've named the resources "Blades-of-Legend" but the GMDC says "Blades of Legend" - it's a good idea to only use "-" to separate words in the "fix integrity" window, and not spaces or "_" or punctuation marks. They tend to make less fuss that way.

As for the textures - it does look like the colored (or "lit") versions use TXMT colors. The black textures are for the "unlit" versions.

(Must admit I spent a minute playing with the original lightsaber in the preview, making zapping noises. It's oddly entertaining. Just click the "preview" button in the GMDC, hold the mouse the pointer over the handle, and hold down the right mouse button while moving the mouse. Also works for previewing meshes and textures, by the way).

[jasmini]

I did everything exactly the way you instructed. The tutorials which told me to tick all the boxes except 2 which match they ones you mentioned.
Keep in mind i've never done anything like this before but i made sure that this was done correctly.
It sounds like you got the same result as me. you mentioned changing the GUIDS, but wouldn't the GUIDs be changed if the object was cloned? i thought that was the whole point of the GUID system.
You will also find that the Version i did also uses the recolors from Shaks version which shouldn't happen.

I agree 100% that this is using TXMT for colors.

[Theraven]

The GUID doesn't change on its own (not with TS2 tools, anyway), so you have to change it for objects and such. It's different for CAS/Bodyshop items.

Because you didn't change the GUIDs, yours probably overwrote Shacklin's version, and used the recolors because they're linked to the old GUID - but this way you wouldn't be able to use both versions in your game.

It may be possible to make your version pick up Shacklin's recolors (AKA "slaving" or "Repositoring"), but since there are multiple MMATs and TXMTs I'm not quite sure how to. The best way would be to make new recolors that match Shacklin's.

[jasmini]

Which goes back to what i mentioned about the recolors not having normal texturing types.
You're right about the object overwriting the original object, but i don't know exactly what needs to make the object unique from the original if the cloning wasn't enough, as i was under the impression that the cloning leaves an individual code separate and exclusive to the cloned object.

I also i tried my version without the original and kept the recolors, and it's exactly how you described but there's a problem with it working problem which makes sense because these recolors weren't assigned to the version i made.

[Theraven]

The cloning process (it randomizes some instance numbers and such) and the GUID (Gives it a unique number that, among other things, tell recolors where they belong) is what makes an object unique.

Your version lacked several of the needed resource files (the original has 374, I think, while yours had around 90. Something clearly went wrong when you cloned it).

Try to clone the original again, and see if that does the trick.

(And if all else fails, try this one: http://www.simfileshare.net/download/170366/ - has new GUIDs, uses your mesh edit, and has all the original recolors. I have not tested it ingame, but I don't think I've done any changes that would potentially cause crashes or errors. It should be a standalone mesh edit with separate recolors).

[jasmini]

I tested your version first it ended up like my problem.
the interactions lead to the sim stopping or snap reset.

Something is out of place.

Other than that everything with the recolors work perfectly, this is almost complete.

I'm unsure how to approach this, this requires something more than just the cloning, the interactions themselves are behaving like they have been misplaced.
In the sense that it knows the pie menus are there but cannot find the command.

[jasmini]

I know what it is.. i put both models in the one i got from you and the shak one..

I placed both on the floor and tried to pick shacks one first.
Right off the bat i figured it out. the interaction with the objects are acting as one.

When trying to pick one up, it is being seen as one object even though i had my version and shaks on the floor.
Which goes back to the tags where exactly would these be.

Were so close into getting this fixed.