What is a mesh?

[agentorange]

What is a mesh and where can I download it/or one?

[SimmieCal]

Think of a mesh as a template. For clothing - think of it as a mannequin that a tailor would use.

There are meshes and there are recolors. Take a Maxis sofa. There are only so many sofa colors for it and then someone makes a new "recolor" and puts it up for download. The "shape" or "template" of the sofa is already in your game (part of the Maxis program). You only need to download the "recolor".

Now take a look at the wonderful bodybuilder meshes and clothes available on this site. You don't see any body shape like that in the regular game, right? Well, first you must download the mesh - the "template" / "mannequin" for the bodybuilder's shape. Then you can download skin colors (nude/ anatomically correct / whatever you want) that sit on top of the mesh or you download clothing that sits on top of the mesh. The bodybuilder clothes won't show up on your sim if the mesh isn't there for them to "sit on top of".

Does that help? If not, feel free to ask more questions.

[jase439]

Objects in 3D games are comprised of "geometry" (or "models") and textures - two dimensional pictures or images that are applied to the surface of that geometry to give it a particular look.  In 3D games, object geometry is actually made up of tiny triangles "glued" together to make a single contiguous surface.  This is traditionally called a "mesh" - a latticework of triangles that make up 3D geometry:



If we solidify this "mesh" we get our mannequin that Simmie spoke of:



We can then apply a texture (clothing, in this case) to our model to give it a more appealing look than dull gray



The 2D texture is stretched across the surface of the geometry, producing the end product:



As SimmeCal mentions you might download one mesh, and then multiple textures (or skins) which are applied to that mesh to create many different looks.

In short:

A mesh defines shape

A texture defines style

You need both to see anything in the game.  Many (if not most) custom clothing or content just uses the mesh files that are already in the game.  But if you want a differently shaped object - one not present in the game by default - then you need a custom mesh for that object as well.  Many custom body styles, hair, and clothing require the use of such meshes.

J

[BeosBoxBoy]

Excellent work Jase, thanks for this!

[Emovan]

When I download a mesh to I just put it straight into the downloads section?, and what happens to the clothing or whatever that I download with it?

[jase439]

Both the mesh and clothing packages belong in your Download folder or in a subfolder off of it.

[DADDY_FUNK]

if I wanted to MODIFY a BODY mesh with 3D Studio Max or Maya where would I look for the files?

[BeosBoxBoy]

You wouldn't be able to use those for body meshes.  At least now without an inordinate amount of unnecessary suffering.

See this thread for necessary software.

See any one of the 50-odd tutorials at MTS2 for how to extract the necessary files.

[Innocent]

you download them and put them in your downloads folder

[Ozzucay]

Almost everyone here puts a link to any required meshes in their description of their upload.

[BeosBoxBoy]

how do you get meshes?..cuz everything cool on thesims2.ea.com need meshes and i dont have any..

you realise that InSIMenator.net has nothing whatsoever to do with Maxis?  And, personally, as far as I am concerned the Exchange is a leper colony?

[Madelieff16]

how do you get meshes?..cuz everything cool on thesims2.ea.com need meshes and i dont have any..

This happens with my downloads too... and thank you SO much for all your explanations Beoxboy (sorry forgot the name again)... but all those pretty hunks i've downloaded... just the same happens as the quote here above;.. i'm so sorry cos i think this has been in the topic lots of times... i've opened the Rar or Zip files with no problems, they appear there where they should but they look kinda stupid and small... not those creat creations that i loved so much... i don't seem to 'get' it huh...:sad5:   Chris.

[funwithdawn4]

Hi there! I'm having a problem getting a bodybuilder mesh to work, I have been trying for days now. I have nightlife. I download load bodybuilder and when I get them to the game they are normal size bodys. where is the mesh I need at? help please.              Dawn

[Ozzucay]

Yes. Systems toward the low end of the game recommendations may experience slow downs, though. Especially with lots of high poly meshes.

[weetzie]

I don't think anyone said this, so I will:

Anyone having issues getting a mesh to show up properly, make sure you have "Sim Detail" set to "High" in your graphics settings, everything should show up fine. If your computer can't handle this, make sure you have Effects, Lighting, and Shadows, as well as Antialiasing (I can't remember what they call it, it's the vertical bar on the right side of the window) turned down as low as possible. For Antialiasing, that means having it at the top of the bar.