PSP graphics editor users - please help

[mikitta]

Ok, I'm VERY new to modding my own objects and my main goal right now is to successfully recolor the existing rabbit holes to make them look all trashed and like they come from the abandoned areas of, say, detroit.

I got my copy of PSP 8 running on this machine yesterday and I downloaded S3PE and S3OC so I could clone, extract and manipulate the files.

When I open them in PSP (with the dds.8bf plug in and the other associated add ons required to view dds files making it possible), I get several options of opening in 2-d, 3-d, 16, 32 or 64 bit, etc.

What is the best format to open these dds files in? Likewise, what are the best options for saving?

My next question ... maybe I'm just stupid, but I can't seem to find a tutorial on basic recoloring. When I open the files, it seems there's many iterations of the object in question from several different distances. Can I modify the biggest of these and then using copy/paste and the deform/resize tool, just make them appropriately sized for each iteration?

If not, could someone please kindly direct me to the relevant tutorial?

Thanks!

God Bless,
mik

[porkypine]

Sorry, I don't have Paint Shop. Perhaps some tips from Photoshop will help? When I open a DDS image file in Photoshop it asks me if I want to load (open) using default sizes (YES), or 'convert to 8 bit, 16 bit or 32 bits (NO) it also gives me an option to load MIPMAPS (NO). Mipmaps are scaled from the texture you save. You don't need to edit that. Edit your original texture in the default size.

You should look at these FAQs because after you decompile, you will have to edit the material resource file for the main mesh's MLOD to fix the difference between your texture file size and the clone's size or it will look blurry in game. TS3 Object FAQs - http://www.simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:TS3_Meshing_FAQ#My_texture_is_Blurry

I am working on some TS2 to TS3 conversions and there is no one tutorial that shows you every step. You will have to look through these, learn what they are trying to teach you and then compile them into something you can use for your project. :)

Start here - http://www.simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:TS3_Basic_Object_Creation
Ellacharmed made a big tute in PDF. Download that and study it. It will give you all the basics and you can go from there.
How change the painting image - http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?p=3066012
How to make multiple images for your painting (object) - http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=377737

[mikitta]

Thank you for the pointers, Porkypine :) That helps a great deal!

God Bless,
mik