How To Mesh Shoes + How To Texture Shoes (I'm a newbie)

[nanabooboo]

Hello, I just got into sims 3 meshing and texturing, and I'm a bit lost now, I seriously have no idea how to mesh shoes. I have TSR workshop, and I don't have adobe photoshop, I just have GIMP. I just made a new pair of high heeled platforms and I guess what I want to know is how I would export these shoes properly to sims 3, and how do I get started? :) -
http://img838.imageshack.us/img838/6237/mcqueenshoes.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/838/mcqueenshoes.png/)


Made in Milkshape 3D.
Thanks in advance! :bunny:

[whiterider]

Seems you've kinda started from the wrong end of the problem! :)

First, load up TSRW (or CTU or S3OC, any of them will work, but it sounds like you've picked TSRW, so I'll stick to TSRW instructions for now - lemme know if you want to try the other options too), find shoes you want to clone (best is if they're roughly similar in shape to the shoes you want to make, but they don't have to be).
Extract the meshes. Also grab the reference body meshes from here (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=411795), so you can check later that your shoes and the EA bodies match up at the ankles. Import it all into MS3D, and delete the reference mesh bits you don't need - so the feet, face etc. That's just neater.

You can then either edit the EA shoe mesh (this is why you want to clone one which is already close to the right shape), or import/make your own brand spanking new mesh. If you do the latter, you'll need to map it to the same area as the EA shoes are mapped (otherwise you'll get clothing/hair/skin textures showing on your shoes in-game), rig it (which is pretty straightforward for shoes), and probably set up morphs for it. I dunno how experienced a mesher you are, so I'll leave it at that and if you need more info on the above steps, just say so :p .

Once you've done all that and fixed your textures (as you will most likely have to do once you've changed the mapping), import it all back into TSRW. Set up the recolourable channels, custom thumbnail if you want one, and so on. Then Edit -> Project contents -> Export as .package file. Done... until you get in game and find all the glaring errors and flaws and spend another few days working them out back in Milkshape. :)


It's worth mentioning that this is exactly the same process as you use for any CAS content. Shoes, clothes, accessories, hair... in technical terms it's all much of a muchness, though of course, meshing and texturing a ring is significantly easier on the creative side than meshing and texturing a ballgown.

[BloomsBase]

problem with these shoes however will be that they will clash with the lower calf of a sims bottom.(they are to high to be handled like shoes.)
So instead of making it a shoe i would attache it to a bottom and release it as bottom.
When people want to use them they also need a ''invisible shoe'' so they dont end up with 2 sets.
So start of with exporting a bottom and import that bottom into Milkshape.
import you custom shoes and first give them boneassignements.(use the assignements from the lower calf)
Then uvmap the shoes properly, use this template and map them on the shoes.bottom area.
When satisfied, duplicate the shoes 4 times and rename them as the morphs.
Attache each shoe to the morph, cut away the lower calf part if you have to(most likly)
Then regroup each shoe with the morph and do the same with the basemesh and shoe.
export.

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/3065/template.jpg

[CmarNYC]

That's going to 'lock' the shoes onto a specific bottom, though, and I suspect shoes this high are going to look unnatural and make the lower leg too short even if joined to a bottom. Another way to approach it would be to modify the shoe mesh to reduce the angle of the feet and shorten the heels, so the ankle can be joined properly with the standard EA ankle. It'll take some experimentation either way.

[BloomsBase]

yup, but lowering the heels aint a option(dont you recognize the shoes?) :)
The best would be if you make them just like normal shoes and attache them to the ankle but lowering the shoe into the ground.
Then make a slider to lift up the sim till the sole matches the ground.
That way you keep the legs at a correct length.

Unfortunate the sim will be always forced to wear high heels then :P

I am still wondering why there are BONE files in a package while we can not use them.
They call it BONE files but aren't they RIG files?
I tried several times to update the last TGI link but it always results in a crash.
If they would work you could edit the rig/BONE file.

[whiterider]

dont you recognize the shoes?They're from Zoidberg's brief stint as a professional drag queen, aren't they?

[BloomsBase]

i thought Gaga wears them in one of her clips?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/11/lady-gaga-dances-in-alexa_n_353845.html

[CmarNYC]

No, I'm not a Gaga fan and didn't recognize them, but you're right. Also you're right that the only way to make the shoes and legs look right would be to raise the sim up with a slider. It's beyond the scope of a beginner shoe project but it would be possible to write a script to apply a 'platform' slider in-game that would raise her (or him) for shoes like this and lower her/him back for normal shoes/feet. It could even be applied only for particular outfits so the sim realistically gets higher when changing into a high-heels outfit.

[whiterider]

I'm sticking with the Zoidberg theory.

[CmarNYC]

I'm sticking with the Zoidberg theory.

LOL, I googled Zoidberg drag queen and came up with a photo of a man dressed like Zoidberg in drag. VERY attractive. :lol:

[BloomsBase]

No, I'm not a Gaga fan and didn't recognize them, but you're right. Also you're right that the only way to make the shoes and legs look right would be to raise the sim up with a slider. It's beyond the scope of a beginner shoe project but it would be possible to write a script to apply a 'platform' slider in-game that would raise her (or him) for shoes like this and lower her/him back for normal shoes/feet. It could even be applied only for particular outfits so the sim realistically gets higher when changing into a high-heels outfit.

I am such a noob when it comes to stuff like that.
I also have a pair of glass platforms that are way to high.
How would i start writing such a script?

[nanabooboo]

Seems you've kinda started from the wrong end of the problem! :)

First, load up TSRW (or CTU or S3OC, any of them will work, but it sounds like you've picked TSRW, so I'll stick to TSRW instructions for now - lemme know if you want to try the other options too), find shoes you want to clone (best is if they're roughly similar in shape to the shoes you want to make, but they don't have to be).
Extract the meshes. Also grab the reference body meshes from here (http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=411795), so you can check later that your shoes and the EA bodies match up at the ankles. Import it all into MS3D, and delete the reference mesh bits you don't need - so the feet, face etc. That's just neater.

You can then either edit the EA shoe mesh (this is why you want to clone one which is already close to the right shape), or import/make your own brand spanking new mesh. If you do the latter, you'll need to map it to the same area as the EA shoes are mapped (otherwise you'll get clothing/hair/skin textures showing on your shoes in-game), rig it (which is pretty straightforward for shoes), and probably set up morphs for it. I dunno how experienced a mesher you are, so I'll leave it at that and if you need more info on the above steps, just say so :p .

Once you've done all that and fixed your textures (as you will most likely have to do once you've changed the mapping), import it all back into TSRW. Set up the recolourable channels, custom thumbnail if you want one, and so on. Then Edit -> Project contents -> Export as .package file. Done... until you get in game and find all the glaring errors and flaws and spend another few days working them out back in Milkshape. :)


It's worth mentioning that this is exactly the same process as you use for any CAS content. Shoes, clothes, accessories, hair... in technical terms it's all much of a muchness, though of course, meshing and texturing a ring is significantly easier on the creative side than meshing and texturing a ballgown.

Oh my goodness! Such great information, thanks!
But can you please go into more depth with UV mapping?, I have no experiences with sims 3 UV mapping whatsoever :lol:
I also lowered the shoes, (but now they look like piwi-platforms now xD) and is there anyway for displaying the actual skeleton model for the female sim?, I'm kind of overwhelmed of all of the joints. (I remember if you mesh for sims 2 you can check "show skeleton" under vertex weights and a blue skeleton shows up.)
Progress :P :
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/3152/piwimg.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/221/piwimg.png/)

[whiterider]

Some of my resource models don't have skeletons themselves, because I nicked them from HP who had them in OBJ format. But there should be a skeleton attached to the shoe, so ticking Show skeleton should work the same.

I won't go into UV mapping in this post, because I'm tired and I have an exam in the morning. :)

[CmarNYC]

I am such a noob when it comes to stuff like that.
I also have a pair of glass platforms that are way to high.
How would i start writing such a script?

If you're not a programmer it would take some time and effort - besides installing Visual C# and following the Pure Scripting tutorial (http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorial:Sims_3_Pure_Scripting_Modding), you'd have to learn the basics of C# coding and figure out how to do this particular thing. Since I've already done the exact same thing in my sliders over on the adult site, I'm thinking of writing the script myself unless you really want to do it. But I don't have much experience or expertise at creating bone sliders... What would you think of a collaboration? If you create a slider to raise the sim, I'll write a script for it. Maybe the script can even use different levels, like 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full slider, for different height shoes. :)

[BloomsBase]

There are uvmap tutorials arround.
I once learned it with DR Pixel shoe tutorial:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=145153

Unfortunate TSRW doesn't include aproper skeleton(because in sims 3 it isn't part of the mesh.
I do have a conversion somewhere....
Open that file first with Milkshape, then import the WSO file.


If you're not a programmer it would take some time and effort - besides installing Visual C# and following the Pure Scripting tutorial (http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorial:Sims_3_Pure_Scripting_Modding), you'd have to learn the basics of C# coding and figure out how to do this particular thing. Since I've already done the exact same thing in my sliders over on the adult site, I'm thinking of writing the script myself unless you really want to do it. But I don't have much experience or expertise at creating bone sliders... What would you think of a collaboration? If you create a slider to raise the sim, I'll write a script for it. Maybe the script can even use different levels, like 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full slider, for different height shoes. :)

Oh, the boneslider would be really simple, it is just one joint you need.
Not sure if it was included in Delphy's xml file.
But such a script people would love!!
But it would have to work on the whole sim, not just on the shoefile, no idea if this is possible?

Maybe this is already possible with Nraas his computer?
You basicly need to go back to CAS or at the closet were you could lift the sim up.
Just one large one should work while you view the shoe till it equels the flat ground?
I once had such a slider, will look it up or create a new one.

[BloomsBase]

well, i always thought i done this with one of the ROOT joints....
But it didn't work so i took the foot, pelvis and spine 0.
Here you have a simlift slider wich lifts the whole sim up(arround20%)
I hope a few of you will test this as i have no clue how interactions with other sims will be(kissing and such)
They prolly are screwed.
The animations on the sim herself are normal.

Coolest thing would be if you can add it to the closet or maybe to the sim, dont know.

edit,
The slider is in the head section.. :)

[nanabooboo]

I keep encountering this problem:
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/904/71243989.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/404/71243989.png/)

[CmarNYC]

well, i always thought i done this with one of the ROOT joints....
But it didn't work so i took the foot, pelvis and spine 0.
Here you have a simlift slider wich lifts the whole sim up(arround20%)
I hope a few of you will test this as i have no clue how interactions with other sims will be(kissing and such)
They prolly are screwed.
The animations on the sim herself are normal.

Coolest thing would be if you can add it to the closet or maybe to the sim, dont know.

edit,
The slider is in the head section.. :)

Thanks, Bloom! I'll start on the script tomorrow. Should be quick and easy since I can almost copy and paste code from what I already have.

The script will be added to the sim in the form of a 'high heels' (or whatever wording) pie menu option - probably would be possible to add it to the dresser too - I can look at that also. :)

Edit: I think I'll upload it in a separate thread and ask for testers - don't want to hijack this thread any more than we have already. :)

[BloomsBase]

I keep encountering this problem:
http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/904/71243989.png (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/404/71243989.png/)



All 5 meshes should be identical.
You best do not change the bottoms at all but attache the shoe underneath the calves.
Cmar will make a mod that can lift a sim.
When you are satisfied with the base mesh you duplicate it 4 times and attache it to the other bottoms(fat/fit/thin and special)



Thanks, Bloom! I'll start on the script tomorrow. Should be quick and easy since I can almost copy and paste code from what I already have.

The script will be added to the sim in the form of a 'high heels' (or whatever wording) pie menu option - probably would be possible to add it to the dresser too - I can look at that also. :)

Edit: I think I'll upload it in a separate thread and ask for testers - don't want to hijack this thread any more than we have already. :)

That would be awsome Cmar!
Ill popout a pair of high heels they can use :)

[robokitty]

What would you think of a collaboration? If you create a slider to raise the sim, I'll write a script for it. Maybe the script can even use different levels, like 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and full slider, for different height shoes. :)

*drool*

This sounds amazing. Do you know if I'd need the latest patches to test this out once you finish it? (The last expansion pack I own is Ambitions.) If not, then I could bang out a pair of platform boots or something to test it when I get back home from the holidays.

[CmarNYC]

I'm posting the slider and script in a new thread, with full explanations. I'm about to test whether it'll work with pre-Pets/1.26 patch, and will post that information. :) If it doesn't work, there'll have to be two versions.