Meshtool/XSI ModTool/SMD Tutorial

[tiggerypum]

Meshtool/XSI Mod Tool Body Modification Tutorial

Edit: There is now SMD import/export options built into SimPE. This means you can skip using meshtool and simply export the smd from simpe and then import it again when you are done. As this covers mostly the use of XSI Modtool, this tutorial is still helpful, and the only one we have right now

By Tiggerypum at modthesims2

This tutorial is not a total step-by-step tutorial with pictures of each step. I expect you’ve made a body mesh before and have probably used a 3-D editing program before, like Milkshape.

This tutorial uses the 3D View options of Meshtool to extract a .SMD file which you can then modify with XSI Mod Tool.

Both are Free. Mod Tool is a large program that is designed to do more things than we need for editing sims. You’ll need a good network connect and disk space. Their system requirements say ‘Windows XP Pro’, it runs fine for several of us on Windows XP Home Edition.

Meshtool is available here: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=45457

XSI Mod Tool is available here: http://www.softimage.com/

You need MODTOOL, not the 30 day demo. Currently the detailed link is found on their downloads page and is: http://www.softimage.com/downloads/XSI_Mod_Tool_4.2/default.aspx

Also you need the Valve Source download, and that link appears to be broken, but I found it here: http://www.fileshack.com/file.x/6025/The+XSI+Add-On+for+Valve+Source

There are several steps to getting Mod Tool

1) Click on downloads, then select Mod Tool.
2) Download the software
3) Download the documentation
4) Download the Mod Tool Add-On for Valve Source
5) Install all the above
6) Click on “Activate Your Exporter” - they rearranged the site, here's a page with that link: http://www.softimage.com/community/xsi_mod_tool/default.aspx


Starting Your Mesh

The first steps are outlined in multiple tutorials and I’ll remind you of them.

a) Create a temporary texture using bodyshop, importing it into your game.
b) Extract the 4 parts for your mesh the sims03.package through sims06.package files.
c) Build a new mesh file with the parts, fix integrity, save.
d) Save your modifiedcres and modifiedshape
e) Load your temp texture from Saved Sims and put the modifedcres and modified shape in it.
f) Now you’re ready to use Meshtool and then Mod Tool to modify your mesh.


Using MeshTool

This section is Miche's directions for Meshtool, with a few additions by Tigger.

1: open the mesh tool and load a gmdc file(from a body mesh) in step 2 (it should be safe to skip step 1 , but if you have any problems load in any obj file)

2: open the 3d view in the file menu

3: in the 3d view window check the check box named "edit groups" then click on the entry called "body" in the "objects" list box.

4: then click the export smd button, a new window will open asking if you want multiple bones per vertice or single bones per vertice, with a body mesh the only reason (other than if you have problems with multiple bones) to select single bones is if you are using Milkshape as that only supports singles bones per vertice. So leave the multiple bones option selected and click export and save the file. now close the mesh tool program.

5: now open the smd file in your 3d program, currently all the bones aren`t connected correctly into a real skeleton. (ie the hand bone isn`t connected to the arm bone, each bone is just connected directly to the root bone) as the gmdc file doesn`t hold the information on what bone is connected to what, but we will be adding a option for the mesh tool to make the bones into a correctly connect skeleton in a future version. (note this doesn`t effect how the sim will appear in the game, the skeleton will be correct when the gmdc file is reimported back into the package )

In Mod Tool: Import Materials can be left checked.

6: edit or change how ever you want the body mesh, just make sure you assign any new vertices to the correct bones, and don`t assign any vertice to more than 3 bones. ( with this version of the mesh tool when using smd files you can make what changes to a body mesh that you want, you are no longer restricted to just moving vertices around.)

7: save the mesh back out to a smd file.

Export SMD in Mod Tool:
CHECK THE FIRST 2 BOXES, not the 3rd -- this was someplace in the thread....

8: Open the mesh tool program again (please make sure you do close it in step 4 and reopen it now, as it hasn`t been tested that it doesn`t cause any problems if not closed down to clear any internal memory. )

9: go directly to the 3d view in the file menu.

10: if you are using 3ds studio cannonfodder exporter (we can`t say if any other 3ds smd exporter will work), then check the box named "Using 3ds Max"", or if you are using Softimage XSI mod tool (and I would think the same for the full version) then check the box named "using XSI mod tool"

Tig: I also have been checking the 'multiple bones' box, don't know if that's necessary or not.

11: in the file menu select load mesh , then load your smd file.

12: now in the file menu select load gmdc, load the original gmdc file.

13:now check the box named "body editing"

14 now check the edit groups box again. and then click on whatever name is in the "models" list box and then again click on the "body" entry in objects list box.

15: in the edit box name "sub-group#:" should now be "0" , change this to 1 and click commit.

Tig: If you do NOT click commit here - you will end up with the original mesh instead of your modified one.

16: now click the "replace" button and save the created gmdc file as whatever you want.

17: then replace the gmdc file back into the package in the normal way.
(run SimPe, and right click on the gmdc and 'replace')

Please note that currently some of the datalists which are in a original gmdc file for a body mesh aren`t put in the created gmdc file, these are thought to effect such things are shape deforms, so sims created in this way will can only have the normal body type and I would think can`t show being pregnant.
We aim to add back these datalists in future versions.

-----------------------------------------------------

Using Mod Tool

Getting Started: General Stuff and the Interface


First, you will need the VALVE SOURCE add on - go to the bottom of the left hand column to the "Mod Tool Downloads". That lets you import and export SMD files.

Activate your exporter - they send you an email and you need to respond within some time limit.

The ability to import/export SMD files will appear on the *top menu bar* with it's own menu named "ValveSource". I do not believe anything but import and export smd are of use to us on that menu. I spend most of my editing purely importing and exporting smd files to save my work (and numbering them so that I could follow the edit history if needed).

Do download the documentation. Once you start to be familiar with it, search is your friend.

The tutorials on their site are not oriented towards what we want to do for the most part.

There is one video tour from their site which is helpful in getting oriented -- found on the XSI Mod Tool pages under
"Understanding XSI > Key Features Video Tour > Getting Started and Ease of Use". PLEASE go watch that video, then come back here.

You should find it on this page: http://www.softimage.com/community/xsi_mod_tool/key_features/Default.aspx

Now fire up Mod Tool.

You’ll get a splashscreen for XSI, you can close that.

Now your screen is going to look like this. Don’t panic, there’s a lot there but we’re only going to use some of it. I am going to show you enough Mod Tool so that you can do basic mesh edits, and you will have the documentation and pointers to learn more.

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=205706

THE MENU BAR

It’s a menu bar, you’ve seen them before. When I mention something is in the menus, that’s where to look for it. Note over towards the right hand side there is the ValveSource menu that will let you import and export your smd file.


BUTTONS
http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=205705

The first set of buttons include Camera buttons to change your views; you can rotate, zoom, and otherwise manipulate the view of your mesh. These don’t move your mesh, but they move the angles at which you can view it.

The next 3 buttons are the Scale, Rotate, and Translate buttons, which will move the selected part of your mesh in the expected ways. You can see more detail about these commands in the Transform Panel on the right hand side.

The next 4 buttons are the select buttons – the first one is not applicable to editing sims meshes, if you click it your mesh will go black and you’ll have to go to the Scene Explorer and reselect your mesh again. The next three are: Select Points, Select Edges, and Select Polygons (surfaces)

Then there are two arrow buttons - Undo and Redo. You can also undo and redo from the Edit Menu.

One more button to note – the Scene Explorer lets you select which thing you wish to edit, which in this case is always the mesh.

PANELS

There are also panels with editing options, some of which are also on buttons. There are more panels than will show at any given time, to expand or collapse a panel to see the others, simply right click on their title bar.

The right hand panels I usually have visible are Select and Transform. There’s also a handy Snap panel right below Transform. You can expand or collapse the right hand menus by right clicking on their title bars.

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=205708

EDITING YOUR MESH

Read your file in using the ValveSource menu –
ValveSource > Import SMD

To save, use
ValveSource > Export SMD

The only other thing I'll comment on here is that when saving or reading in files, the program likes to point to it's favorite place to keep stuff - which of course isn't where your project is. When you go to load or save a file, there is a small folder button in the upper left that lets you define favorites, so you can create a shortcut to your chosen project folders.


Select your mesh

When you load your mesh in, annoying enough, you seem to be unable do anything with it but look at it, and it’s all black. You need to let the program know that's what you want to work on using the Scene Explorer - which is the first button in the *rightmost* set of buttons that looks sort of like an outline. It can also be accessed by clicking on the button labeled 'Scene' in the right hand SELECT Panel. Click on it, you'll see a list of cameras, lights, and the MESH. Click on MESH and suddenly your mesh will go from black to white with little colorful dots all over it. The colors happen to represent the bone assignments, more on that later.

You’ll also see a rainbow of lines go across the screen. Those are the some incorrectly imported skeleton. Ignore them. And don’t worry, when you export the smd and use Meshtool to build the new gdmc, Meshtool will reassemble it all correctly for you.

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=205707

Selecting Points

You can use the little top buttons or the Select Panel to select points, edges, or polys. Click or drag across the points to select. Right click to deselect. Selecting is *additive* by default - you don't have to hold down the shift key to add more points/edges/polys.

To DESELECT all the points - Ctrl-Shift-A

Because selection is always additive, you'll want to develop a habit of doing a DESELECT (Ctrl-Shift-A) every time you start a new edit.

Moving Points

You can move the points in any of the directions in *any* of the edit windows. I usually do my editing in one window, which has 'Camera' view - which means I can rotate every which way possible using the double arrowed rotate button on the button set.

I've found that I use 'S' (scale) and 'T' (translate, aka move) the most. I use the right hand 'Transform' panel - so that I can click on X Y or Z to constrain the movements in any way I wish. The numbers used by the sims meshes are small - moving something '1' will move it way off your mesh. Note that the bottom corner of your view windows will remind you which way X Y and Z are, with little colored arrows.

Snapping

You can snap to points or edges - below the Transform Panel is a Snap Panel. You can turn it on and off, and set if it snaps to points, edges or polygons. The details are in the manual if you want to see exactly how it works.

Adding Points/Edges/Polygons

There are many ways you can add points, edges and polygons to your mesh. There is a section of their help file that I keep going back to - from the Index you can find it:

Modeling and Deformations
Section II Polygonal Modeling
Fundamentals of Polygon Modeling

I am not going to cover every detail of how you might add points to your mesh, read that section of the documentation again and again and try things. I will share one technique I’ve been adding points to my meshes.

The most common way I add points to a mesh is to Split an existing edge or edges. To do that and not make a polygon disaster, it is very helpful to turn the polygons from triangles back to rectangles temporarily, and then make them back into triangles once I’m done.

Triangular/Rectangular Polys

This program is willing to work with rectangular polygons - while the sims (and smd files) use triangular polys. If you write your smd with a rectangular poly, it will automatically turn it into 2 triangles for you.

The only reason I've cared about this is that there are nice commands like 'Split Edge' that will let you easily add more points to your mesh -- which are in more or less the right location *and* are automatically given reasonable guessed bone assigments (which you'll need to check on). But it makes a mess of things if you've got a bunch of triangles there instead of rectangles.

You can select part (or all) of your mesh and use
Model > Modify - Poly Mesh > Quadrangulate
to turn your polys into 'rectangles'

Then select the edges you’d like to add points to (be sure to do a deselect before you start so you don’t accidently mess up some other section of our mesh). Then use ‘Split Edges’ and get all the points where you want them (btw, when you split edge, it automatically does the right thing with the uv map - so use the slider to position the new points in the right location if possible, then you won't have to adjust the uv map much) The command is:
Model > Modify - Poly Mesh > Split Edges (with split control)

Then select the section you modified and
Model > Modify - Poly Mesh > Triangulate
and you’ll be back to triangular polys.


UV MAPPING

There will be times you might want to adjust the uv map of your body mesh. You should always adjust the existing uv map, and so you should do it while you are editing the mesh, not with a separate program.

Application > Views > Texture Editor

will bring up the UV Map in a separate window. You can resize it, slide it around. It has its own little buttons for 'scale' 'rotate' and 'translate' and an arrow for selection. Deselect all (ctrl-shift-A) does work here.

This information might not be the ideal way to use the UV Map, but it will get you all the results you need. If someone knows a better way, let me know!

You can read in a sample texture for your mesh by using File > Import Clip
BUT when I close my texture window, it goes away! So if you want to see it on your mesh, don't close the window. You can shrink it to the side, but don't close it.

If your loaded texture doesn't appear on your mesh, click the little round two arrowed UPDATE button and it will.

I have ended up with the texture editor on half my screen and a window with my mesh set to 'textured decal' visible on the other half.

The translate and scale commands in the uv mapper are mouse driven and there's not the little buttons to click on to constrain movement.

Oddly enough, you can use the 'undo' buttons (on the top of the screen) from the main Mod Tool window to undo your steps in the texture editor.

Whatever uvmap changes you make are saved when you save out your smd file.

You can save a nice UV map graphic for your reference using:
Edit > Stamp UV Mesh (in the Texture Editor window)

UV Mapping Notes/Example

I carefully picked which short girl’s dress I wanted to use for my long gowns. I paid attention to both the shape (the smooth neckline) and the uv map for the feet (which allow for bare feet, the uvmap was in the standard place. Some of the sims shoes are uvmapped to an area between the legs, which doesn’t have toes!)

The steps I used to transform that dress and also have a good uv map were:

1) Delete most of the leg from the calf to the part right below the dress edge. I kept the underside of the dress.

I did look at some of the bone assignments on the child and on the teen's long dress to get an idea of what I'd need. I also looked at the teen dress to see how they set up the knee area.

2) Grab everything that's the lower dress edge and drag it to just above the remaining lower leg. I kept it slightly above the lower leg for most of my editing, just to make things easier for me to grab.

3) Go to the uv map and load a texture, change the view in my main window so I could see it - and then I translate (moved) the whole set of lower points to just above the lower leg area. The uv map did the right thing.

At this point, my dress had no knees and the lower points were still assigned the wrong bones. So then I quadrangulated the long section and then selected the long edges. I split them right above the knee joint and right below the knee joint (the knee joint shows up as a colored line on the screen, going across it because the skeleton is not imported right, although the data needed is there)

Anyway, then I had enough to work with. I didn't have to further adjust the uv map because I made sure to place my points in their final destination with the slider that shows up when you split edges.

BONES BONES BONES

They're called ENVELOPES. So now you know what to search for in the help file.

Select the points (make sure you're in POINT SELECTION mode) you want to edit/see

Hit CTRL-E or Animate > Deform Envelope > Edit Weights

I’ll start out by saying that I found dealing with this area a bit funky, I tended to click something or another wrong the first couple times I went in and had to triple check that I got my values correct before closing it and moving to another area I wanted to edit.

Mesh Tool sort of makes a mess of the skeleton, but retains all the values - you can have up to 3 bones with any percentage weight you want, assigned to each vertex.

Most of the body points will have one value. Around joints sometimes they have two values. The center of a skirt usually has a 50-50 value for each leg. Some of the points on the stomach seem to have 3 values. Most of your mesh should already have values, even if you’re extending a skirt from short to the floor.

They're not named pretty, they have numbers. Whatever points are selected when you bring up the Weight Editor window will show up there. The Weight Editor window will let you assign *anything* - so make sure you only have 3 bones at the most on any given point.

When you click on a point's box, it will highlight in your window - so you can see which point you've selected.

Right Click on a box to type in a new percentage value
You can shift click on multiple boxes to change them all at once
You can also click on the bone name and select all the points visible.

I found it helpful to select say, the entire right lower leg section and then assign them all at once.

Always watch those bone values. It took me a bit to get the hang of clicking on the stuff I wanted and not changing the wrong values. You can use the main UNDO buttons if it does something you didn't intend. Also, it will automatically adjust your values to total to 100%. The answer to have it cooperate and do what you want seems to be to change the lowest numerical assignments. So if there are currently bones assigned that you want to change to 'zero' -- do that first.

If you find yourself with parts of the mesh that somehow you’re not sure what the values should be – save your work and load up your original unedited file (you did save using sequential numbers, right). Grab a piece of paper and sketch out a skeleton. I suggest you look at the ‘front’ of the mesh, and jot down the various numbers for the skeleton parts. Then load your new mesh in again, look at it from the front, and go back to assigning bones.


FINISHING UP - WELDING and VISUAL DETAILS

The seam between the various parts will show up with a light blue line. You can select the points you'd like to weld together and then

Modify > Poly. Mesh > Weld Boundary Points/Edges

The blue line will disappear. I found I could not select the top of the neck with this command, it deformed (at least in the mesh I was working on)

There is another command that I found behaved nicer --

Modify > Poly. Mesh > Filter Points

BUT you need to move the slider to ZERO. At that point I was able to select my entire mesh, including the top of the neck, and it did it very nicely. If you don't move the slider to zero, the sims fingers will get damaged.

The SMD files do not retain the welding on import - so if you have been saving to smd and then loading smd files, you need to do the welding over and over again, so I saved it until the end. The welding is retained if you save Mod Tool 'scenes' though.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

AFTER the points are welded, test your mesh in the game and examine it closely all over before deciding to make any fine tuning adjustments.

So far I’ve edited some girl and toddler meshes with this. Even after ‘welding’ (I used Filter Points) I still ran into some oddities in the mesh – my toddler mesh ended up with extra pointy elbows and the arms had a single ‘seam’ still visible.

I added some points to the toddler arm and pulled them outwards a bit to make a more rounded shape, and the arm went smooth and the elbow looked more normal.

On the girl, the arms and legs looked fine, but the top of her hand had a few triangles at the knuckles. In examining the mesh closely, it was obvious that the knuckles were raised in fairly high points; when I moved them downwards some and adjusted here and there I was able to get a smooth looking hand that animated fine.

I also adjusted the points on the outer edges of the fingers to make them look more smooth.

The reason this happens is because when Maxis created these meshes they had a matching version that was much more detailed, and used a program to generate custom ‘normals’ that tell the 3D graphics engine how to display the mesh. Those normals are why we see smooth curves instead of the boxy meshes we’re editing. Unfortunately the fancy normals get lost, but Mod Tool does generate for us some very nice normals based on the low poly mesh we are editing. But there might be some spots we need to add a few points to in order to get some spots to be smoothed correctly.

Even when I added these points, the number of points in the mesh did not change dramatically, so it’s not like these extra points will suddenly turn the mesh high poly, although we should only add points when necessary.

Note: If you see seams ALL OVER your mesh, you probably forgot to weld you mesh. And if you go back in to edit to add more points – remember you MUST WELD THE MESH AGAIN, because the import smd function loses the welding info.


GOOD LUCK

I hope this helps you along the road to becoming a Mod Tool expert. Please post comments, questions and suggestions so that I may improve this document. This document is also available as a downloadable pdf.

Happy Meshing!

[phracto]

Thanx for a good and comprehensive tutorial !! Good job !

I encountered problems with accessory-meshes and the meshtool. I wanted to use .smd-files in combination with 3d studio. But I could not pass the step with the meshtool. Can you ?

Greetz,

Phracto

[Ron Riches]

Is it the same thing with hair meshes?

P.S. Thanks for the great tutorial!

[tiggerypum]

I have not verified if this can work with hair meshes. I only did my first hair (using Wes' oldest plugin) yesterday.

[chriko]

Thank you very much for this tutorial...
i'm making bodymeshes for a lomg time, but with milkshape...
and i hate it's limit for assigning vertices...

i want to try this program, but something is wrong with my exported smd- files...
i only get an "valid source" error by importing my smd files into the mod tool...
no mesh is showing up...

i think, it's my own mistake by using the meshtool... but what can i do?


edit:
checked it again...
the valve importer is looking for a texture, but there's no texture exported by the meshtool...
if i made this with Milkshape (imported an ASCII file, added a texture, exported as smd file), than i can import this file into the mod tool, it shows up...
but this can't be the right way... :(

[tiggerypum]

Are you using meshtool to make your smd file? If you use milkshape in between that won't work, as you won't have any of the secondary bone assignments.

I've had not problem (only done a few of them) using meshtool to take the gdmc and make the .smd file that then gets read in using the valvesource options in modtool.

Note (and I should have written this at the beginning). I am not sure exactly WHICH sort of sims bodies this supports - it might not support those with multiple groups (like hula girl) and I've not verified if it works on tops only or bottoms only, although I believe it should. So far I've done only full bodies.

[chriko]

i made a new mesh package from the afbodynaked....(i've only tested the modtool with this milkshape file)...
it's a whole mesh and with only one group...
but the valve source can't import the smd file i made with the meshtool...
the error scrips says, it's looking for a texture bmp file :(....

can it be a mistake in the settings... in meshtool or in the modtool?

[Dr Pixel]

I haven't had a problem with that - but I've only ever used the ModTool a few times.

Try un-checkmarking "Import Materials" when you import the .smd file.

[chriko]

thank you, Dr.Pixel...
i've unchecked this box everytime...
but the SMDImportProperty is looking for 2 pathes:

File
file path (it's not a problem)
texture path (i can do what i want, it won't find any path)

and

Options
Import materials (and i've unchecked the box)...

i don't know what i can do now...
the modtool i use is a new one... from january,10.... but the 4.2 version...
i'm out of any ideas

[Ron Riches]

Is there a way to make the split edges tool to assign only 3 bones when it makes new points?

[tiggerypum]

Not that I'm aware of. I hadn't known it to do that, but maybe I was just always lucky.

[Ron Riches]

Its because when I import the smd back into the mesh tool, it says that some points are assigned to more than 3 bones. Then I'd have to go back and unassign some bones from points, it works now, but its really frustrating to have to do that.

[skankyboy]

Great tut' tiggerypum,
As I'm working on a smd importer exporter for SimPe ( I test it with Gmax-3dsmax and it works great ) I get some problems with smd and XSI ModTool.
If I import a smd file exported with my smd plugin in ModTool I got some weird stuff with normals then if I export my mesh with ModTool then import it back in SimPe, normals are deformed.
So if anyone have an idea why and how ModTool modify normals...
Otherwise if someone can post a smd body mesh exported by ModTool (that looks good in ModTool) as I can see if normals are deformed during export or import process, it'll be very helpful.

[Noel'sBabi]

Im having some problems,every time i try to weld the mesh or some type of process like that it doesnt let me,it says that the function doesnt work in Exp version can you help me with this

[tiggerypum]

Noel'sBabi, I'm at a loss as to exactly what the problem is. I have modtool and have repeatedly done the steps as I outlined them. Maybe if you can describe the steps and exactly where on the screen you're finding the command you're trying, I might be able to help.

I have had someone else report they couldn't SAVE - and we discovered that they weren't using the 'export' in the valvesource menu.

[babboo]

Hello !!
I have exactly the same problem that pointed Chriko ! It's impossible for me to import my .smd files in Mod Tool ...
I first thought that my files were wrong so I made all my temporary meshes twice with Simpe and ... nothing ! (I am even unable to open the .smd files in Milkshape 1.7.7 because it crashes when I make import Half life smd).
Can somebody help me, please !!!!!!!

[babboo]

I can't even open wabefront obj in Mod Tool ... I'm everything but lucky

[tiggerypum]

modtool won't import obj files from what I can tell. For that Milkshape is the editor almost everyone uses - because it doesn't mix up the vertices.

Now this is very odd indeed, what you're saying about not being able to import the smds into modtool. Did you register your modtool (using the email thing?). Otherwise... hmm... we have a few possiblities to explore

modtool breaks with some meshes
there's something checked wrong when you're creating the smd
you're not importing the smd file with the valvesource menu
there's something checked wrong when you import that is giving it headaches

Can you give me as much info about each of these points, and I'll see what I can do to reproduce the problem.

[babboo]

So, Tiggerypum

I have register Modtool,
I do import smd files with the valve source menu,
I tried to uncheck "import materials" and I don't know what to put in "texture path" while trying to import in modtool
I don't think I checked something wrong when creating the .smd file :
(in the 3d view window check the check box named "edit groups" then click on the entry called "body" in the "objects" list box. then click the export smd button, check "multiple bones per vertices", click export and save the file) is what I did ...

[babboo]

only 2 green crosses show up when the .smd file is imported in modtool, the meshes exported with bodyshop are "afbodyunderwear" and "afbodyshortdressshoes" ...

[sims2rules]

do i need Modtool and Meshtool, or can i just use modtool? :duck:

[tiggerypum]

You need to get an smd with bone assignments extracted from a sims2 mesh (the gdmc file) so at this point you need to use meshtool to do it, although importers/exporters were being worked on for simpe (so you could do it direct) but they aren't released yet. Hopefully soon.

Babboo, I am going to try to reproduce that problem. Can you post one of your modified smd files here so I can try to load it?

[Spotty-Balloons]

could you provide another link for me to download the add-on as it wont download for me

[tiggerypum]

Spotty-Balloons, I don't have another url. That stuff all comes/came from the XSI website. Maybe try their boards and ask for help there, they have a forum.

[Amy2838]

When exporting smd's, you have to click which subgroup you want to export. But I can't figure out how to re-import the smd and replace just the sub-group without replacing the entire mesh. (Also, when I click on GMDC view, the program crashes, so I can't see the model I'm trying to work with to even know if it looks right.) I'm using 3DS max, by the way, if that makes a difference. Can you give me some pointers?

[tiggerypum]

Amy, there is good news. You should be able to directly with simpe and skip the meshtool part to edit smds now. I have not checked if Skankyboy included docs with the new simpe, but I was part of the testing group. A new tutorial is in the works, but it might be a couple weeks or more for it to be finished. Tutorials are a lot of work. Meanwhile, check out this thread, maybe the info in it will be enough for you to get things working with MAX - http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=141597

[Amy2838]

Oh, thanks! I now see your post on the subject, and after I've attempted to use the new Skankyboy import, I've got some additional questions that I posted there. I hadn't realized the new SimPE was released yet. This IS good news!!!!

[rebecca17]

Babboo: Hi,I had the same problem,PAF told me you can export files in simPE,click on your gmdc file in simpe 5.6,plugin view,and then you will see a button with "export" on it..export it as a xsi file and it will work (although my mesh still has weird green things about in in modtool...oh but I read it was the skeleton and its normal). succes.

[Samekh]

I had to ask a friend to download the xsi mod tool and the other bits and pieces. I've activated my registration but I had the ValveSource.0105.01.xsiaddon in a folder called XSI_ValveSource_Addon_010105 on the disk I received. I've tried placing the file in different folders where the xsi mod tool extracted itself to but the software isn't seeing it. Please, Tigger, can you tell me which folder it should be in? There is an 'Addons' folder and, obviously, I tried there first with the file by itself and then in that folder (in it's own XSI_ValveSource_Addon_010105 folder). Should it be in Application/Plugins? Somewhere else? Where ever it goes, does it need to stay in it's own little folder? I'm itching to get started!


Sorry, I've got it. The folder needs to go in:

\Softimage\XSI_4.2_ModTool\Application\bin

Then, from within the application you go to File/addons/install and find the file in the bin. Then restart the application!

Got it!

[atavera]

Wow I never knew that the free version of XSI exported to anything usable. I admit its a very strange tool to use at first, but it is nevertheless at least 10x more powerful than milkshape and even cheaper[free]. Is there some reason why so many are using milkshape over this? Now that I think about it, theres even a .smd exporter for GMAX[as far as low-poly modeling it IS 3ds MAX], but I never hear of anyone using it for the sims?

[tiggerypum]

atavera,

Reasons why :)
* A year ago SMD export from simpe did not exist
* Meshtool's smd support didn't include things like fat morphs (now a non-issue)
* Some people have had problems getting xsi to install and it's a huge download
* People also found the interface overwhelming, and unfortunately xsi's little movie about the interface went missing, but I just found it's on site again :) . I did dive in and figure it out enough and documented that here, but it's barely a tutorial, and not good for beginners
* Smd still loses the normals, at least it did in xsi last time I checked, which has slight drawbacks and sometimes requires extra fiddling on the meshes
* Unimesh and the simpe smd and xsi plugins all came out right about at the same time
* Unimesh supports multiple group meshes in a much more user-friendly way (and I did my first hair immediately after it came out) It also preserves all the transparency settings.
* I was busy creating the bodyshop-meshing area also around that time, and writing 33+ help files, including 4 meshing tutorials and while I was an initial tester of the smd export/import, I haven't gotten to use it since!

At first I just did the 1 basic tutorial for meshing, which is all we were given for a long time and back then meshers had to really figure things out themselves. But we've got a lot more folks who want to learn how to mesh, and thus I ended up doing 3 tutorials to cover all the ground with unimesh. I've got a set of graphics tutorials in the works right now, maybe after that I can go and see if I can make smd versions of the unimesh tutorials. Unless you'd like to? With my blessing and help proofreading :)

[atavera]

Ok, I can certainly see why there hasn't been much support on this end(I know that my head would surely explode if I tried writing half the tutorials that you did). Well I'm certainly no expert on this strange program(I've only just tried it today), but I'm familiar with most of it's procedures from 3ds max. I'll be experimenting with this for awhile, and if all goes well, maybe I can get a basic armoire tutorial started(although I might need help making it more readable). I did see some video tutorials on the product's homepage here (http://www.softimage.com/community/xsi_mod_tool/key_features/Default.aspx), but I'm not sure if that is the one you had before. From my experiences with milkshape, I think that it would even be worth creating the mesh in XSI if it had to go back through milkshape to use the UniMesh plugins xD I hated meshing until I tried gmax, and eventually 3ds max :))

[tiggerypum]

The kicker for me is that honestly, I love editing in xsi (except for the normals issue, and I have to experiment with that some more). I can do things in it, especially the way I can fully control how to add vertices to the mesh, that I cannot do in milkshape. So yeah. Now that the smd/unimesh incompatibility seems to have been solved, I am going to be very happy being able to move between them, if the normals issue doesn't make things difficult with the body meshes. Some issues with body meshing are different than with objects.

[atavera]

About the normals, are they just lost when you import to the mod tool? I know that 3ds max never imports the original normals because it generally uses smoothing groups with an angular threshold to calculate them. Smoothing the mesh is actually easier this way(there is very little manual normal editing involved usually). Or are the normals set in XSI not preserved when you export the mesh?

I think that one of the biggest advantages over milkshape(besides being able to select the vertices that you want) is the UV tools. The only method that I would miss from 3ds is the pelt map. Its really amazing for a free tool.

[tiggerypum]

it loses them coming in I think, at least with the smd importer. but quaxi also wrote an xsi one and I did early testing so I need to get time to test and play around. The normals are preserved going out from what I recall, but sims body meshes have smoothing on them that probably came from an even higher poly mesh or were otherwise generated (a 4 sided finger will look rounded). Wes had something re-written for milkshape and unimesh so that he perfectly preserves the normals, so if you're good and don't touch them where you don't need to, the game quality is preserved.

[Raymo]

.........youre Cool......

[atavera]

Hmm yes I see what you mean with the body meshes. Even with the .XSI exporter, the modtool is making it's own normals on import. Since it uses smoothing groups, the immediate problem is the unwelded vertices(they are split like their UV map because of how they're stored in the GMDC) Welding the verts at 0.001 or less will get most of the normals back looking okay. The fingers, I was able to smooth in 3ds max at a threshold of around 60 degrees but I haven't learned to manipulate the smoothing groups/normals in the mod tool yet(only just went through the poly modeling tut). Its possible that the normals are calculated from a high res mesh, I've even done that in max before, and maybe its possible to do that as well in XSI. Even if this isn't easily fixed, this program could still be great for object, hair and accessory meshing.

[tiggerypum]

use a value of 0 and either weld or I give another command in this 'tutorial'. But what I discovered was that even with that - there were other spots (not the seams) with 'bad' normals on my toddler meshes, and my child's knuckles went all triangularly. (I did make several meshes with this tool some time ago, because the bodychop plugins had issues with normals and still required milkshape)

If the fingers will smooth with 60 degrees and we figure it out, that'll be cool. The problem is, we don't _have_ high res meshes, if the sims were originally built with them, so that's not an easy fix anyway ;)

Hair has it's own challenges - multiple groups which are exported and imported only one at a time in smd format (I was going to experiment with how one would get multiple groups in *and* out in some sane fashion). If there's no fairly straightforward way to do that in xsi, then Unimesh for hair makes much more sense, at least for the final assembly. Editing hair in Unimesh is so straightforward, all the pieces are in there, you can hide or show them at will, etc.

[regordete]

>>Edit: There is now SMD import/export options built into SimPE. This means you can skip using meshtool and simply export the smd from SimPE and then import it again when you are done. As this covers mostly the use of XSI Modtool, this tutorial is still helpful, and the only one we have right now<<

How would one do that? I have the latest version of Simpe and I see no SMD import or export.

Nevermind, I found it in the plugin view of the gmdc container.

[AuraDemolisher]

i clicked on the XSI link, but its saying i must pay to get the XSI mod tool, whats wrong? or it either says its a demo

[tiggerypum]

If you went to the xsi page and looked down the right side (they keep redesigning the site) you would have seen "Get the FREE Modtool" someplace under the free demo thing.

http://www.softimage.com/community/xsi_mod_tool/default.aspx

and get the valve source thing also, that's what reads the smds in and out.

[AuraDemolisher]

ok, i downloaded it. And the file name is " setup_XSIDEMO_4.2_MSWin32"
so it's still a demo right? i looked everywhere. And everytime i try and install it, it says: The contents of this file cannot be unpacked. The exucutable you are attempting to run has been corrupted. Please obtain another copy of the file, verify its integrity, and try again: thats what it says, so what am i supposed to do? and how do i verify its integrity? and could you upload the download file? or give me a direct link or somthing. Because i can't seem to find a XSI file thats not a demo, Thanks

[tiggerypum]

That is the correct file, it must have been the 'demo' version back at 4.2 - they're now selling 6 something I think. I downloaded it, it opened, gave me an install screen for 'XSI Modtool 4.2'. Unpacked some parts, then went on with having me select a directory and such. Did you get that far? If not, then you have to download again, something happened and part of the file simply didn't make it to your system.

Also, do double check the system requirements. Mine runs fine on XP Home (which is not listed, but it does work)

[AuraDemolisher]

is that the only free version? it wont let me do alot of stuff because its demo, so is that the free one?

[tiggerypum]

Uhm, it works perfectly fine for editing SMD format, which is why smd (and xsi) format was implemented in SimPE. It's FREE, a free version of a tool that costs hundreds of dollars. It is to be used to edit SMD files. That's what it does. That's how you have to use it. That's what this tutorial is about, that's the only thing that documentation on site has recommended it for.

The editing commands all work, well the ones that would apply to sims 2 meshes anyway. There might be a polygon limit, and maybe there is a command here and there that doesn't work, but all the ones I tried regarding the actual editing of the mesh worked fine. What doesn't work is exporting into other formats. But the valvesource thing works, you can get smds in and out of it. You might not be able do funky lighting or rendering, but we're not using it for rendering. The documentation is complete, I learned how to use it (and have even made polygons in it) by using their docs. It's very powerful and flexible, if you can learn how to edit with it. Which is why I wrote this 'mini tutorial' to help point people in the right direction, so they could find the commands.

[AuraDemolisher]

hmm, I'm supposed to activate my importer? or exporter? but when i click get activation key. I have to fill out. I just filled it out but i don't really feel secure about revealing my location, It's safe right? and is that what I was supposed to do?

[tiggerypum]

yes you need to activiate it. Figure out how to fill it in with whatever it asks. I don't remember I did it 1.5 years ago. Nothing has happened to me or my accts btw. And you need to get the valvesource thing. And I recommend the documentation. (that is all stated in the beginning of this tutorial)

[adman500]

hi, can anyone please tell me where to put the valve source addon, so that I get the valve source menu, thanks.

Adam

[tiggerypum]

It's on the download page on the site where you got the xsi. Follow links. Get the documentation also.

[adman500]

yes, i've got that and the documentation i've installed that and activated modtool, but I want to know where to put the unzipped 'ValveSource.0105.01.xsiaddon' in order to get the valve ssource menu.

[tiggerypum]

Are you sure that's not an exe or something? Because I just looked at my xsi and it has a folder called 'addons' and there's a subfolder 'valvesource' and then a bunch of stuff in it. I installed so long ago I have no idea how I did it.

[adman500]

no, it's a zip file with that in it, unless i'm downloading the wrong thing?

[adman500]

ok I've worked out how to do it, I think it may be different from when you did it,

I shall list the steps of what I did just incase anyone else wants to know.

1. download the valve source zip file.
2. Unzip it.
3. Open Mod Tool.
4. click, File > Addon > Install.
5. Browse to the .xsiaddon file.
6. Click Install.

[tiggerypum]

Yeah! Good! When I get back to doing a bunch of edits in the site docs, I'll include this

[adman500]

ok well, I got it working but I'm useles at it, i really need to use a beginners tutorial first, and I also suppose I better get Mikshape?

[tiggerypum]

You might find working with milkshape and the unimesh tutorials much easier. Milkshape has a 30 day trial, then it's $25 to register (which I think is well worth it). But if you have some time to devote, get milkshape and then work through the 3 unimesh tutorials and that will probably be enough to make using xsi not so hard for you. I did 3 meshes with milkshape (before unimesh) and then moved to xsi for my next mesh at that time.

[adman500]

ok, thanks for the information

[cwurts00]

I see all those colors which represent different bone assignments, but I can't seem to select any one color as a group of vertices. It seems to me there should be a way to do that. Any suggestions?

[tiggerypum]

The colors are a crude representation of the bone assignments anyway, many vertices have multiple assignments. You could simply use the select tool and select the group of vertices you want to look at with the bone tool. What is nice is that if you have your bone tool window over to the side I remember being able to see the actual vertex I was on in the bone tool highlighted on the mesh.

[atomic_hamsters]

Thank you for this tutorial! I found it very helpful, and have been able to do 2 clothes and 1 hair edit with it so far.

Now I'm having a problem though... I wanted to make a completely new hair mesh, but I couldn't seem to make one that was somewhat decent in XSI, so I went back to Blender and made it there. I exported the mesh as .3ds (thats the only format I saw that both would handle) and then imported it into XSI along with the .smd of the original hair. I re-assigned all the joints based on location and compared them to the original and it all seemed to look alright, so I deleted the original mesh and exported my new assigned mesh and skeleton out to a .smd, but now when I try to import that .smd into SimPE, it says 'Object Not Set to Reference of Object' (something like that, anyways) and when the Mesh Importer opens its all empty, saying there are no vertices, faces or joints at all. :| I'm thinking it might be because of the mesh name, or that it doesn't have any part of the original left so it's not recognizing it :help:

EDIT: I've been poking around it some more and it seems that XSI is erasing all of the UV Coordinates on import. I guess this means I better learn to use XSI a little better so I cant make this mesh!

[tiggerypum]

I've only imported into xsi using smd format. Not sure if you could get your blender thing out as obj and into simpe and then export as smd, might want to try that.

XSI will lose *normals* and regenerate them - but I don't know anything about it's 3ds import and blender's 3ds export or how well they play together. I also haven't tried working in smd format with multi group files, as it seems to be export 1 group at a time, which well, when you get to hair starts to be a pain.

[atomic_hamsters]

Going through SimPE might work... I'll have to create a dummy file and try that!

I hate to bother you again but I'm having one more problem. I have my mesh made, joints assigned, etc, (done 100% in XSI) and I made it to fit the body/head reference mesh posted in the FAQ forum. I imported the .smd from SimPE and checked the body to see if it was the same size and position as the skeleton I imported, which it was, so I thought I could just then export my newly assigned mesh since the size and placement was correct. When I import the mesh into SimPE though, it gets blow up by several times. I.E The top of the hair is about half a sim length above the head, and the shoulder-length hair goes down to the waist. My SimPE import/export scale is still 1, and I've poked around XSI but can't seem to find anything about an import/export scale. Any suggestions?

[tiggerypum]

I haven't worked with xsi in a complicated way - I was just taking some body meshes in and out. How did you get your skeleton into xsi? How did you get your new mesh parts to be associated with it? (I know how unimesh handles that situation, but I didn't learn that part of xsi)

[atomic_hamsters]

I made my new mesh and imported the original fully assigned skeleton and mesh from SimPE, then selected my mesh, went to Animate > Deform Envelope > Set envelope, used the middle mouse button to select the 'neck' chain (including all of the 'l_hair, r_hair, etc. bones) and then right clicked to assign them 'based on distance'. I went checked all the assignments in the weight editor and it looked ok compared to the original. Once everything on my mesh looked alright I deleted the original mesh (not the skeleton) and exported my new mesh with the skeleton.

[tiggerypum]

well, if you did a lot of 'left hair' and 'right hair' (the animation bones) that would cause *some* of the distortion, those are to be used very... lightly.

Try just assigning the whole thing by hand to hair. I don't remember anything about trying to have it automatically assign or do so by distance. (you can assign the entire group of selected vertices at once). I haven't done much in xsi for a good year, I'm rusty. I don't know what to suggest. I also don't know if you new pieces (that you mae before bringing in the skeleton) are actually _with_ the skeleton on export. In unimesh, we have to regroup things to make them 'one'

[atomic_hamsters]

Yes, the 'assign by distance' was using the animation bones with rather major assignments. Ill try it manually and shift the majority of the assignments to the head joint and see how that comes out. Thanks! :)

EDIT: I tried converting the OBJ to SMD through SimPE, but that only made it completely invisible when I looked in bodyshop. However I remade the mesh yet again in XSI, this time used 100% assignments to the head, neck, and spine02 joints and it works perfectly! Thank you so much! :bunny:

[noorfr]

I just wrote down the steps to editing meshes in mod tool from start to finish, but I'm having some problems with welding. tiggerypum, how would I weld, I keep getting a message saying I can't. Also once I looked at my mesh in body shop it was very sharp and pointy. I could see all the joints, etc. It wasn't smooth like usual. How would I adjust this. Please help! I finally got somewhere but am now stuck.

should I deselect all the points then reselect the whole morph and then click on modify-weld??? :help:

thank you,
sincerely
Noorfr

[tiggerypum]

Well, I found that the 'filter points' worked better for me (I list both commands in the 'welding' section)

You used the word 'morph' - are you currently working on a morph, or did you just mean mesh?

[noorfr]

Sorry, I meant mesh of preggy morph.
but I figured the weld part out. I don't have to click on Save for it to take effect. If I just choose weld (points) and bring the bar down to zero, and then close the menu, it "welds". I kept thinking I have to save for it to happen.

I found that I can edit all the different body morphs, as long as I select that I want to export them from SimPE. But then I have to edit each one individually, starting a new scene after I import it into ModTool, then edit, then export. It's a hassle but it works and makes it easier.

But unfortunately, after I export the mesh out, I don't seem to be able to edit it again. It looks like I have to re-Import it into SimPE, replace the GMDC and then start again with the export from SimPE. Is there anyway for me to do this without having to re-Import and then export from SimPE?

Any help will be greatly appreciated,
thanx,
Noorfr

Also, how would I hide/unhide the meshes (morphs of preggy, normal, etc.) or select/deselect, so that I can edit them one at a time but like in milkshape, I would be able to see them all so that I can properly adjust them.

I'm sorry if I seem to have too many questions,
I really have no clue who else to ask.

thank you so much for helping,
Noorfr

[tiggerypum]

noorfr

back when I last worked a lot in xsi, the only thing we had was meshtool/smd and it didn't support morphs - so honestly, I don't know. I've been very short on time, so I honestly can't say when I'll have time to go into xsi to see if I can write up something more substantial about what works and doesn't. I suggest trying very basic edits on meshes (like pull a spike out) and write down what you try to figure out a combination that works.

[ElmoSaysRawrr!]

I downloaded the add on thing then unzipped it but it wont show up in the list of add ons. :| :help:

[tiggerypum]

ElmoSays - did you look all the way over on the menu bar where I point to the 'valvesource' thing as being? After you unzipped it, did you try double clicking it or dragging it to the xsi folder (I forget where it has to go I installed it back in 2005)

[ElmoSaysRawrr!]

ElmoSays - did you look all the way over on the menu bar where I point to the 'valvesource' thing as being? After you unzipped it, did you try double clicking it or dragging it to the xsi folder (I forget where it has to go I installed it back in 2005)
What?! I didn't even get a XSI folder when I downloaded it. I'll go double check.

[Samekh]

Thanks, in no small part, to this tutorial and the associated questions I learned to use Softimage to modify exported smd files. SimPE 66.2.38582 can export meshes in the xsi format and it's wonderful because those nasty sharp edges, caused by a problem with the normals, are gone now. There would probably be no problem if I was just moving vertices around but I've gotten used to be able to take the legs from one mesh, the shoes from another, the top from another, then move some vertices AND be able to work on the map in the texture editor.

The 'merge' function (create - polymesh - merge) does what's expected but the sharp edges return!

Also, (working with xsi exports from SimPE) the texture editor is not displaying the selected mesh (it's empty but for the clip) so I can't correct the overlaps and gaps.

I have spent hours, over two or three occasions, searching for somewhere that talks about this. Is there going to be an updated tutorial or a forum about using xsi export and XSI modtool 6?

[mepwn]

i can't even find the free version, only the 30 days demo...

[doorknob]

I think this is where I got it

http://www.moddb.com/downloads/xsi-mod-tool-601

I believe it is a different version from what is described in this forum I am currently having trouble with importing the meshes back into simpe. Exporting works great though.

The mesh tool does not work as described and I can not import or export as smd files. I did manage to get the valve source addon but it doesn't install properly. I don't think it works with the new version,
I've been exporting xsi files from simpe and importing them into xsi mod tool that way but I have yet to successfully import the xsi file back into simpe. any help or suggestions would be great thanks.