Custom thumbs aren't working in accessories

[sciguy77]

I'm making the custom thumbs 256 X 256 and saving them as .png files. I put them into the accessories package, but when I load them into the game they don't show up in CAS. They're definitely in the package, I can see them using S3PE. Is there a certain format they need to be saved in? When I save them for web and devices in Photoshop, there are all KINDS of options to choose from. I'm guessing its a similar issue as saving the DDS files in the right format but don't know where to start looking for something like that. I've got a swimsuit package ready to upload, and the tan file to go with it. All I need is to get the thumbnail to show up.

I know the site is getting hammered right now -- take yer time in getting back to me. I'm almost done with a second suit, and learned the HARD way to just do the tan file at the same time.

[CmarNYC]

The easiest method I've found is to let the game generate a thumbnail, extract it from the Thumbnails.package, replace the image with your own image and save without changing the format, then import into your CC package. That way you know you have the correct TGI and png size and format.

[sciguy77]

Very cool! I went through and located the thumbs for the body files, but am having trouble identifying the thumb for the accessory package. All I get right now is the default "bare hand", and I have several accessories that have the same one. I should be able to use ANY game=generated thumb, shouldn't I? I'm going to give it a try anyway -- thanks!

[Jrs1317]

For some reason neither CTU nor TSRW are generating the correct ID numbers for the thumbnails.

I recently fixed my upload at the adult site. The Instance ID of the thumb needs to match the the Instance ID of the CASP. The group ID should be all zeros except the last number which should start with 1 and progress upward for however many variations/designs you have. Finally, the type ID should be 0x626F60CE for 256 by 256 thumbnails (or select THUM 0x626F60CE from the drop down you get from "details").

In some cases, the group ID might be different. The custom thumb from a World Adventures item I cloned wouldn't work until I put in 0x08.... for example.

the numbers for my accessories were initially screwed up across the board. Incorrect instance, group, and type ID's all around.

[sciguy77]

Here's where I'm at right now. I went back into CTU and rebuilt both packages from scratch thinking I could fix my problem with the corrected .png files. I overwrote both of the old files that had thumbs in them, so the packages are clean. They're also GONE lol. There's no way to edit something that no longer exists! If CTU and TSRW are both generating bad ID numbers, what's the best way to get the thumbs working? I'm still learning how to use CTU, and have never done anything with TSRW except download it! I'm going to assume all the things Jrs1317 mentioned in the previous post can be changed with CTU. I'll upload a single thumb to each package and start looking around in there. If there's a tutorial on this, or I'm going about it wrong, let me know! I'm anxious to figure this out so I can clean up all the accessories that have the stupid hands and feet as their thumbs. Since the new advanced "Edit in CAS" option packaged with Mastercontroller no longer snaps to the item you're using in a tab, locating what you're wearing is hard when you have the proper thumbs, but damn near impossible when you have the WRONG ones.

[CmarNYC]

Try searching the game-generated thumbs package by using the instance ID to identify your item. The instance should match your CASP. You can sort by instance and find it quickly. Jrs1317 is right about the group IDs for clothing, but for other kinds of CAS parts it may not follow that pattern. IMO it's safest and simplest to simply find the thumb, use the same TGI (and size/format), and put it in your package. I don't even bother with the thumbnail feature in CTU, just import the thumb with the right TGI using s3pe and so far it's worked.

[sciguy77]

Will do. I started out by following your suggestions in the first post, and found some major differences in the .png files being used. My files were 64k, and had a single channel alpha that looked exactly like the original pic. The ones I've pulled out of the thumbnail package are 192k with a complete RGB alpha. Maybe that's why the wrong info is getting generated -- the programs don't recognize the file formats? Lemme make sure I'm getting what you're telling me. First, load the package into the game with NO THUMBS. Let the game generate them for me, then find-export-replace-import-save using S3PE. That about sum it up then? Since it sounds like I have to run the packages through the game anyway to get something I can work with, I'll go ahead and load one of the corrected png files as a thumb and see what the game does with it.

[sciguy77]

Loading a corrected png image with CTU only leads to bloated packages! It still won't display them. I did figure out how to use s3pe well enough to import the corrected thumbs though, and now my suits and tans have shiny new custom thumbs. I'm tellin ya, doing anything for the first time is like pulling eye teeth! I didn't know what TGI meant so I tracked that down, then I started panicking when s3pe wouldn't let me save without naming the files I wanted to import. I thought the name was something important like the TGI and had no idea what it was supposed to be! To make a long story even longer, now I have to go get some good screenshots of my suit and tans in-game. The ones I took earlier don't meet the uploading requirements. At this rate I should have this thing ready to go sometime in mid July lol. Thanks for all the help guys!

[CmarNYC]

You're so right about most things being very hard the first time! I think we tend to forget how hard it is when you're not even familiar with the terminology.

Looking at your summary, just want to make everything totally clear since it kind of looked like you said you replaced the thumb in the game CASThumbnails.package:

1. Play with no custom thumbs and let the game generate it for you
2. Open the game thumbs package (Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3\Thumbnails\CASThumbnails.package) with s3pe, find the thumbnail with instance ID matching your CASP, extract it
3. Edit the png thumbnail image
4. Import the edited thumb to your custom content package using s3pe - it should pick up the TGI (Type/Group/Instance) numbers from the filename s3pe exported it with, and you can give it a resource name if you want (using any name you like) but that's optional
5. Delete the game CASThumbnails.package and play - the game will generate new thumbnails and your custom thumb should show up

Note that clothing with more than one preset will have more than one thumb, with sequential Group IDs.

Glad to be of help!

[Jrs1317]

My apologies. I did mean for those changes to be made with S3pe. And I know what you mean. I've created new textures, switched out meshes, re-done bone assignments, UV mapping. But this stupid thumbnail thing had me hung up for weeks....

[sciguy77]

Thanks again for all the help with this. Doing this project gave me enough of an understanding of how s3pe works that I started experimenting around with it. What a timesaver! I wanted to correct the base texture on the tan file, and the only way I knew to do it with CTU required me to replace the base on all 3 of the designs individually. With s3pe I can just do a simple replace and I'm done -- it handles the TGI automatically. It also lets me keep the single base dds instead of growing it to 3 identical files. Can't wait to learn even more about that piece of software. I'm becoming an old pro at fixing thumbs now, and now that I know the TGI corresponds with the CASP, I can easily ID and remove any bad CC from my game almost instantly using NRaas' mod that captures all items a Sim is wearing with a mouse click. I've got a couple of pesky pieces that work fine unless my Sim is preggers. She shows up with a pregnant top and normal bottom. I know WHAT is wrong, I just can't find the item. I guess I'll let one of my little hose monsters get pregnant so I can track it down.

By the way -- are there plans to fix the changing header sizes on the pages? Every time the size of the header changes, the page jumps. It's really hard to keep my spot on the page!

[whiterider]

In CTU, to replace a texture, you can import it normally on one design, then right-click the TGI line and hit Edit. Copy it and Paste into all the other designs. Much neater. Of course, you know how to do this with S3PE now, but it never hurts to have multiple methods at your disposal. :)

[Menaceman44]

Thank you SO much CmarNYC! The information you gave in post #9 has helped me to add custom thumbs to a new watch I made. This watch is on the right wrist so there was no way the game was going to generate anything other than blank wrist thumbs.

Is this information in a tutorial anywhere because I looked but couldn't find it. It really should be if not.

[Elexis]

I knew about this way of adding thumbs for a long time, but somehow it never worked for me. At all.
The only thumbs I ever managed to get work was for makeup (lipsticks and eyeshadows), but not for face masks, hair, facial hair and clothing. I use TSRW, but it sometimes messes up the thumb and it shows up like a weird and creepy grain image in game. I suspect that my PNG are in the wrong format (idk how to save it right, lol).

[whiterider]

There are a few common snags with making thumbs:

There are about seven different resource types which all have the tag THUM, which obviously makes it easy to pick the wrong one if you're doing it manually. For accessories, I think you need the one ending in CE; beyond that I forget. If you use Cmar's method of extracting the resource from CASThumbnails.package, that shouldn't be a problem.

Forgot to delete CASThumbnails.package. :)

As far as the image itself goes, I use PNG no interlacing - dunno if it makes a difference, I do that because it's the default in PS, but it's always worked. And the image must be 256x256.

Want to attach a file and see if we can beat it into submission? :p .