Export full sims?

[Natsume666]

heya guz :bunny:

i got a question... is it possible for export full sims to edit it with some 3d prog?
And when it is.... how? :)

Excuse my bad english... greez Natsume :giggler:

[maybesomethingdunno]

There are some exported without bones here (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=135300). I would imagine that you could export the mesh from the package file just like you would with any other object in the game.

I think there would be a different mesh group for the body, face, and scalp though. Hair meshes would probably not be included.

[tiggerypum]

Natsume666

I'm not sure what you're trying to do. Sims are made from multiple meshes see this article:

http://www.modthesims2.com/article.php?t=155772

In short, the whole sim - no. If you want to create some custom parts, sure. The different meshes that make up a sim, sure. Do a lot of reading in the INFOCENTER and then look at the various tutorials.

By the way, changing the shapes (meshes) of a sim is not so easy. Takes much work to learn how.

[Natsume666]

i'm just trying a little bit to work with c4d and tried to export a full sim i created... because i want to animate it ^^' Just for experiment a little bit :giggler:

[HystericalParoxysm]

This tutorial explains how to get sim meshes out: http://www.modthesims2.com/member/showthread.php?t=215485

You *must* have Milkshape and Unimesh to get the face out though - you can't export in .obj format and have the mapping stay on the face. Could probably *then* export from Milkshape to .obj but there's an intermediate step. Going to .obj would also remove all the bones, making them harder to properly animate.

[abragon]

Actually I've done a full sim export. It's not hard, really. You just need to find the partial meshes and textures and export them using SimPE then load them into a single project. OBJ does keep the UV mapping. Well I use Maya 6.5 so it might be different in milkshape.

Just quickly, I'll explain how you do it. First, load the clothing and hair meshes you want in simpe then export them. Do the same to the textures. Then you need to find and export the skin textures, from the body, face, to the head skin. Do the same to the eyes texture. Open one of your sims in your neighborhood and find the face mesh then export it. If you want to add cosmetics to the sim, you need to find the cosmetic files and export them. Open photoshop then do masking on cosmetics and clothing. Merge the clothing to the body skin texture then do the same with cosmetics and eyes to the face skin texture. Open a 3D program then import all the meshes and load up the clothing+skin, face+cosmetics, head skin, and hair texture. Assign the textures to the mesh as appropriate (body/clothing mesh to body+clothing texture, etc) and you are done.

Here's a character I created using Sims2 meshes for myself to play with. I originally loaded her naked then I edited her body shape a little to fit my taste. Then I created a separated clothing meshes and textures for her and put it on (the top is available for download here at mts2). I assigned a skeleton for her and attached a quickly made sword to a joint somewhere in her left hand. Then I posed her. For her, I used hysterical paroxysm's skin textures and XM Sims' hair.

PS: to Hysterical Paroxysm, XM Sims, and Maxis - Don't worry, I don't post this 'sim' anywhere.

http://thumbs2.modthesims2.com/images8/MTS2_502669_abragon_Melanie.jpg

[WesHowe]

MilkShape does this, but not as well as abragon's copy of maya does!

I have used the latest MilkShape (1.8.0) and the latest UniMesh (4.08) to extract and combine the body, hair and face meshes into one model and animate them (I attach a screenshot). The only real trick is to make sure you don't import the additional skeletons (thus doubling or tripling them) when you bring in the hair and face meshes.

You then can use the ANIM button to enable animation and rotate the joints into the pose you want. There is a tutorial on how to work the animation mode in the MilkShape help file (see the help menu in the program).

You can use the game skin TXTR files for rendering, but the present version falls short on clothing textures, because the transparencies in clothing should show the underlying skin texture, and MilkShape does not have this rendering mode available (look at the gardener outfit picture), although Mete has promised to try to do it for us.

<* Wes *>

[Natsume666]

dunno why... can't get this crap out... can someone of you maybe explain fast, how to do that? ..... or i'm just too stupid o_O :bunny: :bunny: :bunny:

[abragon]

MilkShape does this, but not as well as abragon's copy of maya does!

I have used the latest MilkShape (1.8.0) and the latest UniMesh (4.08) to extract and combine the body, hair and face meshes into one model and animate them (I attach a screenshot). The only real trick is to make sure you don't import the additional skeletons (thus doubling or tripling them) when you bring in the hair and face meshes.


You are right, wes, that milkshape does the job, and it looks like all 3D programs are capable of doing it and this is why I didn't mention maya in the quick steps I provided above. But there was something missing: I did the exporting/importing with OBJ format, therefore the skeleton was made myself.

Natsume,
Actually, there is an easy way of getting all the meshes with only one simple key-press. But in this case, everything currently rendered on your sims2 game or bodyshop will get captured but the bones. The meshes and textures will be available to load in a 3D program, then you can erase everything but the sim. If you feel satisfied with this, download the program, it's called 3D Ripper DX. Google it and it should be in the first page.

[alessbarb]

abragon,could you please make a tutorial or at least point the files that have these meshes... I would like to work on sims statues using my own sims...

I suppose that all this process of extracting a mesh will be impossible to be created ingame... I mean... sims making statues of other sims as "painting portraits"...

but if i could do these statues with simpe will also be great...

[HystericalParoxysm]

I already have done a tutorial on how to extract those meshes, and linked to it in my reply above, alessbarb. But here's the link for you again: http://www.modthesims2.com/member/showthread.php?t=215485

[alessbarb]

thanks.... sorry i didnt see it

[mininessie]

abragon explain it perfect
you only need extract the meshes
body,face and hair.
then import all of them in milkshape
without duplicate bones.
asign a texture to each one
and you have your sim easy