transparent recolour for custom object tutorial

[VirtualAlex]

I would like to make a transparent recolour of a custom object (actually, the petbedbuddy by CTNutmegger) for my game, but I cant find a tutorial to help me. I have used Simpe to make ordinary recolours so i sort of know my way around it. The few tutorials I have found are for Maxis objects and use a wizard.
Could someone please point me in the right direction, or more conveniently, could someone do it for me?? I could send you the file (if that is ok?)
Thanks!

[HugeLunatic]

There are no requests here. There are tutorials in the wiki for object transparency.

http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=220244

[VirtualAlex]

No, that is for maxis objects, using the simpe wizard, i need a tutorial for custom objects using object workshop.

[HugeLunatic]

Yes it is a game object, but no it's not the wizard. It is using object workshop. The only difference between game and cc objects is you select open instead of start. The transparent texture is done using a dxt3 png image, and changing the stdalphablendmode to blend instead of none.

[VirtualAlex]

I get that part, but i dont see anything called stdalphablendmode. the only property related to alpha is "stmatuntextureddiffalpha". I am looking under the material definition tab, right? I presume i need to find the information relating to the alpha channel, but i cant find it. where do I look? Thanks!

[HugeLunatic]

Yes you should be looking in the material definition resource. The stdalpahblendmode is usually one of the top view lines in that resource. Found a pic:
http://www.hugelunatic.com/transp

[VirtualAlex]

I go to the same place in SimPE and this is all I have: [pic]

[HugeLunatic]

Ok adding it should work then. On that pic I showed you will see an add button on the right. Click add, then select the newly added line. It will show as ":" - then add the stdalpahblendmode in the name box and blend in the value box. Click commit.

[VirtualAlex]

ok so far.. I also had to add StdMatAlphaTestEnabled and set it to 1. Best results so far! the object is transparent (yay!) but is still throwing a shadow. How do I get rid of this?
Thank you so much for your help so far HugeLunatic!! I am almost there...

[HugeLunatic]

Yes the shadow is going to show for all recolors since it is linked to the mesh so this is always an issue with transparent recolors. The only way I know to get rid of that is to delete the shadow mesh group from the GMDC of the mesh, but this will remove the shadow from all recolors then.

[VirtualAlex]

That's not a problem - the object is meant to be hidden under the pet bed/house to allow more than one animal to share it. Where is this information?

I found the tab called geometric data container, is the shadow stuff easy to identify?

[HugeLunatic]

Yes. The mesh group should say shadow in it somewhere. Select the groups tabs in the GMDC and select the shadow and the delete button will be to the right.

[VirtualAlex]

under the group tab, this is all i have, no mention of shadows here or anywhere, but the object definitely has one.

[HugeLunatic]

Well that makes absolutely no sense. LoL Without no mesh for the shadow it shouldn't be there. Can you attach the package or link me to the original please?

[VirtualAlex]

Here it is. I got it oroginally from N99 but I cant see it there now (no search function that i can see). And thanks again.

[HugeLunatic]

The mesh and my quick transparent recolor have no shadow. So your either getting the shadow from another object or maybe you had the wrong settings when building your recolor. Use build dxt 3 with the filter set to none. After that if you still have a shadow in game, please give a pic of that.

[VirtualAlex]

I just went and examined it again, you are right there is no shadow! Must have been another object.
We did it! thank you so much HL!

[HugeLunatic]

Awesome! =) Glad you got it all sorted out.