Mesh works fine in CTU but doesn't show at all in game

[Jrs1317]

Hello and well met!

So I followed this tutorial here:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=430831

Did everything it said. My mesh shows up just fine in CTU (added textures etc.) but fails to show up in game. Also the file saved from CTU is only 65 KB, which doesn't seem right at all.

I built the custom mesh from parts of obj files I have lying around. I regrouped them, UV mapped, copy and pasted comments, did bone assignments, made sure the placing is right with obj templates. I did all LOD's. I'm missing some step but have no idea what. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[birdyfly]

Did you save the obj as a geom before exporting? Also, when you hit make new mesh, did you place them in LOD0, LOD1, LOD2, and LOD3 ignoring the LODs with the _1, _2, _3?

[Jrs1317]

If you mean did I export the obj using the sims 3 geom exporter then yes, I did. As far as I can tell, I can only save anything as MSD3. And yes, I skipped past the subcategories for LOD's...

[BloomsBase]

Did you update the meshes after you created the package?
You can only attache the meshes one time, after that updating them should be done with the use of Postal or s3PE.
If you try to relink the meshes again in CTU(on a already saved package) it becomes corrupt wich can explain the small file size.

[Jrs1317]

Hey BlooM, (it's Jank Falcon)

Thanks for your reply. Yes I tried to update them in CTU. After reading several other posts by you and various others, i decided to start over and just go with TSRW. Everything loaded fine. After that, it was a matter of making my accessory slider friendly.

Unfortunately, building the new mesh from clothing then changing categories broke both CTU and TSRW, and I'm only running base game, so i can't get at the necklace that has all the morphs.

Still though, as long as sliders are more or less in the middle, it turned out pretty well. And I'll be using it to make some new bottoms separate meshes anyway.

And thank you sir! All your posts on this issue helped yer ol' pal save a LOT of time...

[BloomsBase]

Heya Jank :)

It is possible to change a clothing file to accesoire but(as with all slider enabled items) you need to make new Bgeo files(slider files)
Those slider files contains the data of the 4 morphs(fat/fit/thin and pregnant)
The base file and all related morphs have their vertices identical(vert ID) numbered so when a slider is used the basemesh uses the data(vert positions of the morphs) to change shape.
Its not like with sims 2 that the shape of the base(normal) mesh get swapped by the morph.
Your accesoire is now still using the original default Bgeo files wich will mess things up or when the accesoire isn't assigned with vertID's, it will not move at all.

When using CTU you need to manually add those Bgeo files to your package amd update the Bblend files in it with links to those files
New Bgeo files are created with Cmar's morphmaker with the use of new made morphs.
There are tutorials arround on how to do so.

TSRW will does this all automaticly as long as you include the 4 morphs in the meshfile
Unfortunate clothing files use one uvmap for all items(top/bottom/fullbody and shoes so your textures must be placed on a specific spot so that they dont interfear with other clothing textures.
This is pretty hard since there is often not enough free space

Your accesoire however can be fixed a bit easier(when using a bottom converted to accesoire with CTU!)
Use Wes H's his sims 3 extra data tool and lookup a vertID on the hips close to the gun(on the original file you cloned, bottom right?)
Set all the vertices from the gun to that vertID so it will move along with the hips when the slider is used.

[Jrs1317]

Hmmmm....

The cloned file was actually the stacked bracelet. So when I cracked open the sucker after exporting it from TSRW, I only had one group. This was the same for all the accessories that I had access to, except the glasses (it had two, but the extra wasn't a morph). So I used some OBJ templates that someone somewhere around here was kind enough to upload and made the morphs that way, using them as a guide for placement. Renamed the groups, deleted the templates, etc. But when I imported the whole shishkabang back into TSRW, it error-ed and said it was "expecting one group, found 5", and rejected me...

I assumed this was because the original file has no morphs (doesn't really need them, the bracelet always stays the same).

But when I tried an earlier suggestion that I start with a bottoms separate, do the mesh and morphs, then categorize it as a bracelet, TSRW crashed.....it crashed hard, dude! I had to restart my computer.

So what if I take my accessory, import it into milkshape, import a bottoms separate along with it, then use the extra data tool to tell it what to do with itself, I can then delete the bottoms and import my accessory back into TSRW without morphs and it will slide better than a greased ninja?

Oh and I did discover that the game uses a single 1024 piece of frickin paper to map the entire body...the hard way. I shrunk my UV's as small as I could get away with.

[BloomsBase]

The easiest way (in your case) is
Clone a bottom with CTU and extract its meshes
import the mesh in MS and lookup a hip verID closest to the gun
Import your custom mesh and assigne the gun to that vertID and fix the boneassignements
Move the uvcoordinates of the gun to a free spot
Here is a template you can use: http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3065/template.th.jpg (http://img822.imageshack.us/i/template.jpg/)
export the mesh
Do this for all 3 lods

In CTU you set the bottom to accesoire and import the 3 meshes
Fix the textures and go test ingame :)

I also included the EP necklace(set as earring)
With a bit of luck this will work in your basegame, if so, then you prolly can clone it with TSRW
If this works you have a accesoire that has its own texture uvmap(no interfearring with clothing) and slider enabled.

[CmarNYC]

Clever idea to use the one vertID, Bloom, but won't that only work with one specific bottom?

[BloomsBase]

Clever idea to use the one vertID, Bloom, but won't that only work with one specific bottom?

Oops, you are absolutly right
If that vertID is located on a another vertice on the other bottoms they will clash and can distort the mesh...
I forgot this will only work when meshparts are added to the original meshfile and not when you want to make it a standalone.
Thanks for pointing this out :)

[CmarNYC]

No problem. Thanks for the UV map template BTW - I've been toying with Frankensteining meshes and that will help.

[Jrs1317]

Thanks for all your help folks! Sorry got sidetracked with another project....

BlooM, I downloaded your accessory and, unfortunately, it wouldn't even shown up in TSRW. I think I read somewhere else that the necklace is from world adventures which I do own, just haven't installed on my current computer (will be updating to win 7, so I didn't bother). When I do though, I'll try it out.

And thanks for the template! Is this pretty much universal for EA stuff?

[BloomsBase]

yes, it is

If i remember correct TSRW RC4-v3 made all CAS files slider enabled by default.
Once made a shoppin bag: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=411330
It is sliderenabled and based on the basegame watch

Unfortunate(as with alot of my files) it is no longer compatible with TSRW's latest version....but you still can clone it with RC4-v3
I have both versions installed( you do need to install both on a diffrent harddisk i think, as one otherwise will overwrite older versions)

Feel free to clone the shoppinbag and use it for the gun
RC4-v3 does display the bag correct but will not include all the texturefiles(or stencils i used) wich saves you some work as you do not have to delete them. :)
It does mean you have to relink ALL the texture files.
Neither can you export the meshes but importing new ones doesn't give problems and will be slider compatible(if you include the morphs)
Delete all designs but the 3rd, others will give errors as i changed some patterns later with CTU


Edit,
The necklace will not show up in the TSRW's category's, you need to clone it.
start new project
new import
browse to the package(change format at the bottom in the popup window WRK file, package or sims3pack)

[Jrs1317]

Oh yeah that's what I did. When the meshes are first loading I see it for a split second then it vanishes. I still have a vertex count in the meshes tab though...

As far as the other, I DO have two partitions on my computer but one is for the Mac side. So having more than one HD for versions of TSRW isn't really an option. But hey thanks for trying! I'll just wait until my OS is on for business :D .

[BloomsBase]

you often have to select the mesh or design before it will show.
Im trying to make the bag compatible with the latest version of TSRW but its a pain...

I am almost sure you can do this with CTU aswell.
You need to change the FVFItems: 6 into 7 in the meshcomments in Milkshape
Make seperate morphs and use BMM to create the Bblend and Bgeo files

[BloomsBase]

Also discovered that the Egyptian necklace(and clones) do work but they dont show in CAS
Coco once sent me the file and i cloned it to make a coat as accesoire
Unfortunate it didn't show up till tonight.
When i went in CAS the generated sim was wearing the coat and i was wth. :)
I must have selected ''valid for random'' and it showed.
Even was able to recolor it but it didn't display in the CAS thumbs lol

WA comes with a extra category ''necklaces'' and altho i changed it to earrings it didn't show up
So you do need the WA EP in order to select it and put it on....

You might have the same problem with the LA medal i uploaded.