Window woes no more, but oh this @#*!&# door!

[mustluvcatz]

I really like the way this window is looking and hope it can be saved. I accidentally deleted the south wall masks and thought I could just extract and replace them. As the attached screenshot shows, it must not have worked. What did I miss? I didn't see any reference to them beyond the TXMT, and they point to the north ones for their texture.
Or is it possible that it's the glass itself? I think I goofed up there, too- since I needed it to be recolorable it's an added subset. I did import it to both of the GMDCs- it's the same one mirrored front to back. But I keep thinking I missed something. Since it shows up in SimPE and in game I know the subset was added correctly. (At least I hope it was!)

The screenshot shows both sides of the window in the wall and a window out of the wall so you can hopefully see what it looks like. I know I have to fix the wall mask that did work, it's a bit too small. :)

[moune999]

I think it looks like the wall mask is the problem, but I'm not sure how to get it back. Do a fix integrity perhaps. For me that sometimes problems that I didn't even know i had. Or maybe the easiest thing to do would be to re-clone the package, keep the old one as reference, and then use two sessions of SimPE to copy parameters to the new one.

That's a really nice looking window, by the way. I can see many uses for that in my game, so I hope you manage to fix it.

[MogHughson]

I'm not sure from your picture what the problem you need to fix is? Can you be a little more specific? The picture just looks like you have placed the window using moveobjects on and so it doesn't cut a hole in the wall. I'm sure that's not what you're talking about though?

[leesester]

Hallo - ahh, windows.

If you have deleted your TXMT for the south window wall mask clone the TXMT for the north. You do this by highlighting the north TXMT in the resource list pane, right click, hit clone.

Rename the last bit as below (I put it in bold)
(nameof clone)-[Stuff in brackets]_0_1s_0_s_wallmask_txmt

Then click fix TGI

Don't rename anything else, and try a fix integrity. That should do it.

Good luck - though TBH, if it was me, I would just reclone the window and import all my textures meshes again...its often faster.

[mustluvcatz]

Moune: Thanks. :) I got a request for a 2 story stained glass window and decided to try and make it instead of recoloring one. Now to decide whether or not to make the glass transparent or not. (It's not at the moment but the window still lets light in.)

Mog: I did use moveobjects on, but just to place the window out of the wall to compare them. I was pretty sure the problem was the wall mask (which it was) but I didn't know for sure and that seemed to be the most logical way to show the window by itself.

Lee: It worked! It was easier than starting over again, too. :)

Thanks all 3 of you!

Edit: I also had to change the "mirror" part at the end of the TXMT to 1 so that the s masks would be facing the right way, but it worked!

[mustluvcatz]

Sorry for the double post, but I have a question/need help/am working this out in my mind. (Working it out in my mind isn't working too well..lol)
The windows are done. Now I'm working on a door to go with the windows. The door has been giving me so much trouble, but I think I've got one that will work now.
I've got the meshes done and imported. So all that I have done at the moment is the GMDC part of SimPE. I've added 2 subsets, one will be recolorable and one won't. I know how to do all the steps needed to finish the adding of the subsets and making the one recolorable. I need to edit the wallmasks..that I can do. I assume I'll have to change the "mirror" part of the TXMT for the south masks to 1 like I had to do for the windows?
Besides that stuff, is there anything else that I will have to do? The door is taller, which I read you can do. But the fact that doors open and close worries me. I don't want to miss anything.
Like I said, I'm trying to work this all out in my mind. This is the first time I've tried a door (besides my abandoned attempts in the last week.) I didn't think I could do a window and I did so I should have some faith in myself. Doors are different though!! So..advice/help please?? Oh..one last thing..diagonals for the window and door. Those I might not bother with. :(

[HugeLunatic]

The open/close is handled in the cres. As long as your door/frame line up with the one your cloning from then you should have no problems. The txmt issue you had was probably due to deleting a resource that you shouldn't have, I've never had one not be in the package.

As for diagonals, I think you should do them. It seems like a half-assed project if you don't. The only ones in game that don't have diagonals are the double story windows. Some doors/windows have diagonal that are the same size, some are bigger. Some are on the diagonal in the 3d program and some are not. Linking is easy to do for straight/diagonal as well.

Editing to add - That moune said it much better! :lol: My attempt at saying it's not hard and you can do it didn't work very well I don't think. But if you can make the straight you can make the diagonal as well. Don't psych yourself thinking you can't, because you can.

[moune999]

I'm basically only posting to echo what HugeLunatic just said. But especially this: Please, please, please do the diagonals too. They really aren't very difficult to work out, and I think you'll find that too. It seems a lot more complicated before trying than it does when you actually dig into it.

Only saying because I absolutely hate it when doors and particularly windows don't have diagonals. So much, in fact, that I've begun making my own diagonals for cc windows where the original creator didn't bother to do it. To me, a window without a diagonal is like a fridge without an opening fridge door.

I'm cheering for you, mustluvcatz! :)

[mustluvcatz]

Okokok. I'll try the diagonals. Pushy people! :rofl: (Kidding!)

BUT, you had to know there was a but in here, can the windows have diagonals? They're 2 story and HL mentioned that the ones in game don't have them. (I never noticed 'cuz I tend to not use them.) So does that mean diagonals can't be done for 2-story windows? Or does it just mean that there aren't any Maxis ones?

That's good to know about the open/close. My meshes definitely line up with the door I cloned. I've got this thing about using 0.0009/-0.0009 to move parts around to make sure they line up properly. :) Thanks for the answers and the "cheering me on".

[HugeLunatic]

Well I'm not sure if *any* 2 story windows have diagonals, I just know base game ones don't. You could create them as diagonals yourself by comparing standard ones and modifying the cres if your up for it. :) Otherwise look at some that came with other EP's.

[mustluvcatz]

There HAD to be something having to do with the CRES in there, didn't there?!

Honestly? I don't know if I'm up to that. So I think what I'm going to do is make a set of small (1 story) windows to go with and do the diagonals for those and the door. I was thinking of doing the smaller windows anyway..so that works for me. Suppose the door should be alright as is size-wise. It's not 2-story, but I did make it taller so it'd be more "imposing" seeing as the original windows were done with a church in mind.

If the door throws enough frustration my way, I'll be back.

[eletrodj]

For the diagonals, don't worry. It's quite easy. Like HugeLunatic said, some of them are just rotated in 3d editor, some are larger or some are the same.

Look at the Numenor's Tutorial: Modding InfoCenter - Linking straight and diagonal objects (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=82075)

[mustluvcatz]

Thanks eletrodj. :) I was just about to hit the tutorials anyway..the door needs it's mask fixed and I remember seeing something about making a custom mask.

[eletrodj]

It's here (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=153754), by Numenor.

[mustluvcatz]

I'm seriously about ready to scrap the door. I honestly don't get how to do the wall mask. I've read and reread the tutorial. It's not that it won't work for me- it's that it does but not correctly. My last attempt ended up getting rid of one of the existing masks. The door is taller..I just don't get it. (Adding slots was easier to learn!)

Also- the shadows for the windows are giving me trouble. But I'm not too worried about those as I can just get rid of them. Although I would like them to be there. If the shadow is there, it makes the glass darker. So I must be missing something or doing something wrong.

[eletrodj]

Why don't you post your door in Objects Creation Workshop? Maybe someone can help.

[mustluvcatz]

I'm stubborn and would much rather figure it out myself..

Come to think of it though, when I was having trouble with slots I posted the package there and HL nudged me along and in the end I DID fix it myself. So... yeah, that's what I'll do. In a bit- I'm still playing around in SimPE with something else. :) Took a little break. Thanks for your replies and suggestions, eletrodj!

[HugeLunatic]

I haven't gotten to the Object Creation forum yet. But, if your shadow causes your door glass to be darker I would guess your mesh needs to be cutout in the middle. So the shadow mesh is like a frame and won't interfere with the glass and only projects the shadow outside the doorframe.

Wallmask also can be done in Milkshape, which is where I start it so I don't have to load the game...find my mask all stuffed up....exit...fix...reload...yea you get the idea. ;)

I have Milkshape set in three windows, top left is one wireframe view, bottom left is 3d texured view, and the third on right is large and is wireframe view. When in a current window you can press space bar to full screen. You won't believe how many times I do that when I mean to unselect. Turn off grid and axis in main window. View window from front and zoom it so roughly the window fits the screen. I set this so it equals 1x3 tiles in game, in Milkshape roughly 4 squares equal 1 tile in game. I then screenshot this, crop to 1x3 tiles game size. Then you can follow the tutorial by NUmenor. Oh, there is also one by Boblishman that is good.

[mustluvcatz]

Thanks HL. Don't know why I didn't think of using MilkShape for the masks- since I do shadows that way. Silly me.

I didn't think of doing the shadows the way you said. I guess I was thinking that they would be alright just resized- however, now that I think about it..my glass subset in no way, shape or form resembles what was there for the Maxis glass. So, yeah..making the shadow like a frame makes sense. Yay! I can haz window shadows!! I'll try the masks in MilkShape. The door package isn't posted yet- I wanted to try to figure it out one more time. If doing the masks in MilkShape doesn't work, I will post the door.

[mustluvcatz]

Sorry about the double post.

I'm ready to work on finishing this set up now. To do the shadows and masks in MilkShape- what's the best way to do that? Since the window and door have 2 sides (n and s)- export both sides and go from there? I'm worrying about getting them in the right place.

[HugeLunatic]

Doesn't matter on which side since both uses the same texture for shadows and the windows mask is used per window not per side. You only create one mask for a window, not two like N and S sides.

[mustluvcatz]

@%*#(*@%! I keep getting "..unable to read beyond the end of the stream" in SimPE now. And the texture won't show up on the shadow now.

[HugeLunatic]

ah...don't ya just love it when everything goes wrong? :lol:

So is that error with the texture? I know I've had it, I just can't remember where. Try using build dxt again on the image, sometimes things have going wonky for me with the shadow textures. After building then change to ExtRaw8bit. If that doesn't work try cloning another txtr resource and change the instance number and name.

[mustluvcatz]

Ok. I'll try that. Grrrrr.

Actually, I was getting something about being unable to open it, too..the texture that is. So I deleted it last night and haven't touched it since. I should've just left the window alone! (Although- if I get the shadow to show up right, it'll be that much better.)

edit: Alright, I was really thinking that maybe my SimPE was screwed up again. But, I'm not having any problems with another mesh. If I just delete the things I added for the big window? I'm hoping that will fix the error and I can leave it like it was or start over with the shadow?

[leesester]

I have been having this problem too. Geez, I hate shadows. I had a two tile window - no shadow - (based on the colonial two tile which has a repository shadow). I recloned using a mary lou template. Reimported all my textures etc. Problem solved.

[mustluvcatz]

*haunting my own thread* I'm using her templates for a 1-story set to go with the 2-story windows. They're awesome. Wish she would have done a 2-story template. I'm sure I can use one/them to do a new 2-story window but - here's the question!- if I did that, can I just extract my current masks and add them? I put a fair bit of work into getting those masks just right.

Ah..come to think about it- there'd be the shadow to do, too. Shadows are definitely NOT my friend.

Edit: I was having a slight problem with the smaller window's diagonal- but I figured it out. Yay me..lol. Now, for some reason the shadow doesn't show on the smaller one but it IS there on the double window. Kind of odd considering they're the same mesh, just resized. You might have to strain your eyes to see it, but it IS there on the double window. I wanted it to be very subtle. And subtle it is. (It makes a difference though!)

Another edit: The shadows are all the way I want them now. Yay! The 2-story window was messed up so much (accidentally saved over it instead of saving as) that I'm redoing that one..then on to getting the door working right. *crosses fingers*

[mustluvcatz]

Oh..I'm gonna scream. Can anyone tell me why my door won't work? Er, actually I don't mean work..I mean I started over again on it. The new meshes are imported, everything is done. I made sure to commit, save, fix integrity..but when I go in game, the door that's there is the old one. WTH? If I preview the mesh in SimPE, my new mesh is there. The file names aren't the same- in fact, I put the old one in the Recycle Bin so it's not even in my dl folder. So why is the one in game the old one? I'm really confused and fed up here!

The good news is that the windows are done. I got the shadow to show up on the 2-story window by linking it to the small window shadow. Yay!

[leesester]

Hmm
I had this, it seems to me that you got tired (after a while my eyes start to cross) and did not actually CLONE the door. I am guessing that is the case, or you cloned a bad door - an example of a DO NOT CLONE is the well wisher window - maybe try a different door. This is what I do...

1) Take a DEEEEEEP breath
2) Open SIMPE, go to object workshop and clone a new door.
3) Transfer all my meshes/textures/wallmasks.
4) Apply GUID, fix integrity etc
5) Test in game and go YAY!!!

Really.

[mustluvcatz]

Hmm.. I KNOW I cloned it. Ah well, I'll find a different one. *sob* It's that or the windows don't get a door to go with them.

[mustluvcatz]

ROFL! The answer to the door was staring me right in the face! It's there now- at least I know I did clone a door. The door I cloned must have needed an EP I don't have? I thought I'd try making it basegame in SimPE- voila. The door is there now. It's way too tall- so I've got to work on it. Just thought I'd prove I'm not going senile.

[mustluvcatz]

Instead of starting a new thread: I've done a single door to go with the set that's already done. (Don't know why I didn't in the first place.) The straight version is fine. The diagonal?? Well, it's not. I don't know what I've done wrong and I don't have a screenshot..but the door is in the right place and the frame is over to the side. I thought maybe I didn't do it right, so I did it again. Nothing changed. I'm pretty sure that N is N and S is S since I'm pretty anal about that. (Big, neon flashing capitals in my file names..lol.) That's the only thing I can think of that might be wrong though- that I used the N frame for the S and vice versa. Any ideas? Sometimes a fresh eye/mind helps. :)

[moune999]

The door and the frame in the original might be slightly displaced. I *seem* to remember that happening to me once and that it was a real hassle to get them to line up, although I can't remember what Maxis door I had cloned from. But try to check where the door is placed in relation to the doorframe in the diagonal original. That might give you a clue.

[HugeLunatic]

There once was a door...

:lol: That EA had the frame in one position and the door in another, and they were brought together in the cres. No idea what they were smoking when they did that! Sadly I can't remember which door, but I thought it was the straight version but who knows. I also get the N & S backwards - even though I was sure I did it right. LoL I clone without changing the filenames, just so I can keep the original meshes. Then I clone and rename. So I now have the obvious original meshes that I never save over, plus my clone ones which I modify. I also bring both the frame and the door in Wings/MS at the same time just to see how they line up, including both N/S. In MS you need to rename the group names to keep them from auto regrouping before importing the next.

[mustluvcatz]

Thanks Moune and HL. :) This door has been sitting in a folder since I did the recolors for the set. There's something I want to finish up before I look at it again later..today..probably. I can't remember the name of the door but it's the small shop-type one that goes with the double door I already did. Maybe I DID mess up N and S. But, I had both of them in MS (renamed like HL said- I learned that the hard way) and they were fine there.

Well, if need be I know I can always use a different door and edit the mask. I just don't like this one being a brat.

[moune999]

Ha! Good to know that I was probably right about the displaced door and frame. Well done, Maxis, once again. :rolleyes: And yeah, I do the same as you guys. First thing after cloning I export the original mesh and leave it untouched so I can always use it for reference.

Good luck with it, Mustluvcatz. I hope you get it sorted out. By the way, I'm not completely sure I know the door you're referring to, but if it's the one I'm thinking of, isn't that a Nightlife or OfB door? If so, why not clone from a basegame door instead.