Can't get slots positioned right

[mustluvcatz]

I've got a desk I've added 6 decorative slots to. I can not get them in the right position. I was planning on attaching a version that doesn't have slots (so I could look at a fixed version and figure it out myself), then I remembered that it's repositoried to another object.
Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong by looking at the picture? If not, I'll post the desk and the object it's slaved to. It's cloned from the Retratech desk. The areas I'd like the slots to be added to are marked. #2? I'm not even sure I can put one there since the desk has a slot in the center of that side. (Wasn't thinking about that.)

http://i47.tinypic.com/2ryhvv7.jpg

HL's tutorial is awesome. The only trouble I had until now was figuring out where the child nodes would go. Once she told me desks are different and which line in the cres to use..it was easy to do and follow. I really don't know why positioning the slots is giving me so much trouble. :( I'm pretty sure my problem is that I'm not getting the right xyz values from MilkShape. I know where they go and in what order in SimPE.

[HugeLunatic]

You can post the desk, it will only flash blue for someone without the master but the slots positioning will still be valid.

The positioning of the slot is relative to its parent. So this is based on the parent node having a (0,0,0) position.

Very rough positions:

x value for 1-4 is 1.0 (same as existing slot_desk_std_1)
x value for 6 is 0 (same as existing slot_desk_std_0)
x value for 5 is .5

y value for 2-6 is -.12 ?

z for 4-6 is 1.0
z for 3 is .9 ?
z for 2 is .8

[mustluvcatz]

I've been playing with this since your reply. They're getting closer to being in the right spots now. #1 is the one that's refusing to obey altogether though: ________
x

The x shows where it is- it's even with the top of the desk in height. So it needs to go down and back. I just guessed on that one. (The only value you put for that was 1.0 for x.)

The others just need to go back a tiny bit and down a bit more. If I can't get them in the right spots in 2-3 more tries, I'll post the desk here.

edit: X and Y are good- I think. They look like they're back far enough on the shelves (I think -.26 is what I used) and I like the spacing left and right on the top shelf. Z is being a pita though- they're still too high and I just don't get why. I started with #2 and .80, then just went up to the next shelf for 3, 4/5/6. Still too high- higher than they were with the values you guestimated. *sigh* I've attached the one I've been working on. Z is the only one I can't get. EXCEPT- for the first slot. It got lost. If you see it, send it on home? :lol:

[fairywitch]

You can see the values in Milkshape by looking at the coordinates at the bottom of the screen when placing your mouse cursor where you want the slot to be. You just have to remember that y and z are swapped.

[mustluvcatz]

I know that. :) This is my first attempt at adding slots to something and I think I should have tried something a lot simpler. Once HL posted her guesses I saw what I was doing wrong for x and y (as they'd be in SimPE). Z just doesn't want to work for me- they're always too high. I even subtracted from what HL posted. That's why I was wondering if the shelves themselves were in the way somehow.

[HugeLunatic]

Took a look at your mesh in simpe and game. I think the issue with your heights is that you entered them from a height of 0, which is the floor. But you've added your deco slots to a parent node that already has a set z height, which is .8. So your values need to be relative to that.

Now, the values I gave above were estimated from a ground height of 0, but I didn't know that your deco slots were child nodes of a parent with an existing height greater than 0. Which is fine. It looks good. :) Just one more thing to remember though. So the existing height is .8 and you want .9 from ground, then you would have the value of .1. Make sense?

[mustluvcatz]

Makes perfect sense now.

You're an awesome teacher and I'm glad you didn't just "fix" it for me and post it. I'd much rather learn how to do it by doing it myself. Thanks for taking the time to help me out- I know you're really busy in real life and I really appreciate it!

[mustluvcatz]

Sorry 'bout the double post..but-

http://i50.tinypic.com/2lb2ybq.jpg

I haz working, correctly positioned slots now! I even found #1..it was hiding under the shelf, lol. And I nudged the the 2 single slots and the outer ones on the top over a bit. The bottom shelf doesn't have a slot. I was thinking that the Maxis one did so I didn't add one. But I might..if not I'll just whip up an OMSP for it.

Thanks again, HL. Sorry it took me so long to "get it". In the end I did though. :)

[HugeLunatic]

Congrats!

I'm very glad that you were got it working with only me walking you through it and nudging you along. I do try to explain how to do it before doing it because you will learn so much more by doing and making mistakes than you will by me or anyone else fixing it.

Your very welcome for the help. :) And thanks so much for working through that tutorial and finding my typos. Maybe I won't be the only crazy slot person now. And you don't need an omsp, you can add another slot!

...we will pretend I really did post that your welcome between your posts when I really forgot to post...

[mustluvcatz]

It really is a good tutuorial- the typos really threw me for a loop for awhile. :) I was very, very confused. Glad I could be of help there!

OMSP, slot. OMSP, slot. Hmmmm..ok, ok, slot! (Gotta put it back in SimPE to fix something anyways..not happy with the texture the way it is. And it's slaved..what fun!)