Is there somewhere I can find a tutorial or guide listing a step-by-step process to getting a basic model into the game as a working prop/decoration item?
I've been playing Sims games for as long as I can remember, and have done some small-scale modding in it (I managed to get a new roof texture into the game as well as I tweaked the Sim lifespan to be more realistic, though I honestly don't remember how I did it anymore, and I have lots of experience with the CAW tool). I also have the modeling part (somewhat) figured out. I have made several dozen basic models, mostly of highway signs. I even have a complete model which I have released as a mod for Cities: Skylines (a city building game released to fill the market gap left over the by the miserably-failed SimCity 2013).
Some people here may remember my idea of making a world based in rural United States. A great addition to such a world would be proper signage to better decorate the roads. Those several dozen models I mentioned, most of which are highway signs, are made to the exact dimensions and standards as real American signs, and I feel like they would be perfect for my American world. I initially made them for use with Transport Fever 2 and Farming Simulator 2019, but would like to also use them here in the Sims 3. However, I have no clue where to even begin with getting them into the game.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

https://sims3tutorialhub.tumblr.com/ they're always answering questions and directing people to helpful tutorials.

Is there a guide for getting a basic model into the game there? I don't know how to navigate that site. It's too simplistic.

The tutorials are listed here: https://sims3tutorialhub.tumblr.com/index ; you just browse the section you need help with, or message them directly if you have a specific question. They respond very regularly, from what I've seen.

Your link doesn't work. It has a page not found error.
Again, I don't really know how to navigate that site, let alone how to set up and account and make posts there. I was hoping for a specific guide, not a list of random guides which may, or may not, include what I need.

Sorry; semicolon was in the way. :P



There is no magical one-stop-shop for creating CC, especially not if you're starting from scratch, which is sounds like you are? If you are, then you NEED to read these tutorials before you get started on anything:

How to use TSRW:
https://web.archive.org/web/2015031...hrough:_Objects
https://web.archive.org/web/2015031...ating_Tutorials
https://web.archive.org/web/2015031...ry:TSR_Workshop

How to make Objects with TSRW: https://web.archive.org/web/2015031...Part_1:_Meshing
How to Texture with TSRW: https://web.archive.org/web/2015031...rt_2:_Texturing

Those tutorials are a GODSEND. :lovestruc

Yes, it;'s a lot. But even in my own tutorials I'm always saying that you HAVE to read everything, cuz too many times people follow just one tutorial, then wonder why they don't know how to decimate MLD/LLD LODs, or how to make anything recolorable, or how to assign joints, or how to adjust UV Maps for converted objects with multiple textures, etc etc. (It's a different issue altogether when you know how; you're just lazy like me and can't be bothered, LOL. )

Creating CC for TS3 is wildly different than creating CC for TS2 and TS4, specifically because of the different way it handles textures. (I have a whole tutorial/rant about that mess here: https://murfeelee.tumblr.com/post/1...-is-your-friend)

But once you have all of that sorted, you're good to go!

Nice. Thanks. I finally figured out how to somewhat work the site you linked me to originally. I posted there, and they simply said "there's tutorials for that", but not telling me where. Then said "message me if you get stuck", but the site doesn't even show their username or a message button. Not a very helpful site, to be honest.
I already have some models, and plan to make more, so I'm not exactly starting "from scratch". I've also made a handful of "mods" for this game (some roof and floor textures, and edit to the lifespan, worlds, etc), but never any objects content or anything even remotely advanced. I also don't plan for the objects to be recolorable (except for maybe the posts, but that's not even very likely). Highway signs are required to fit very specific color codes. The manual which describes the standards all US roads and signage are built to even lists the exact hex value for the colors and what those colors mean.

By first glance at your list of links, it seems that what I want to do should be possible using mostly (if not entirely) TSRW, so it hopefully won't be too complicated (that's better than having to deal with hexadecimal math again!)

There are other ways, but I can't tell you anything about that, cuz TSRW's my preferred program. So yeah, I personally recommend sticking with that; it's pretty straightforward.



Good; then you can follow the Objects/Meshing tutorials I linked to show you how to use Milkshape for importing/exporting the 3d models you have into .wso format for TSRW, and Photoshop/GIMP/Paint.Net/etc for the .dds textures. It really is just swapping assets: exporting EA's meshes/textures out of TSRW, and importing your meshes/textures in. It's just a matter of making sure your meshes are the right size and alignment in Milkshape, and making sure your textures are the right dimensions and format in Photoshop/etc.



Oh dear. Sorry to hear that. Hopefully the stuff I linked can help you out though.

I think those tutorials no longer apply...
I noticed they are all on the Wayback Machine, meaning none of those pages even exist anymore. There is no such thing as a "wso plugin" or "tsr plugin" for Milkshape either on Milkshape's website, here at MTS, or on TSR, as far any kind of Google search can find. This means that, according to those tutorials, I can not make or use new models.

[Edit]
I figured it out. Turns out, the files for the plugins are somewhat hidden among the files of TSRW, but are not mentioned anywhere except for a wiki page about CAS and content for it, which mentions TSRW having Milkshape plugin files in the Program Files\The Sims Resource\TSR Workshop\Extras.
Upon installing Milkshape, however, I noticed it a $35 program. I'm not going to spend that kind of money of a program I will only ever use to make content for one game. Is there a free alternative?