Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 28th Oct 2020 at 10:05 PM
Default Custom Lamp Help
Hi everyone! I found an unfinished lamp in the game files that I'm wanting to fix and bring into my game. A few things first, I'm not under the assumption that I'm the only one to have found this lamp, so I'm wondering if others have tried to fix it only for it to be too broken or not worth it? It is the floorlamp version of "lamp_designer", and is different from Ilistara's version even though they are similar. I was hoping for this to be a project that I could learn from, though I am aware that lamps aren't exactly a starter project.

My reason for posting is that I need help with the textures. The cloned mesh shows up in game, with the lampshade and all 5 recolors displaying, but the texture is crooked. The stand, base, and bulb all flash blue as they don't have textures. I'm thinking of starting from scratch with this, so I'd like any advice on where to start, especially with the mesh being multiple parts each having their own texture. Any help would be appreciated, thank you! :D
Advertisement
Instructor
#2 Old 29th Oct 2020 at 10:52 PM
Lamps are indeed quite complicated if you mess with on/off states, BHAVs, or light placement and such, but it should be easy enough if you are just working with the mesh and textures. I recommend you go through the tutorials on meshing and recoloring to get an idea of how to complete your project. Particularly pay attention to sections regarding UV mapping, which is what you will doing to correct the crooked textures. You will need either a modelling program (Blender3d, MilkShape, etc.) or a UV mapper program for the UV mapping, and a graphics program like Photoshop or GIMP to add any new textures for the blue parts if they are not included on the textures in the package file. OR... since it is the stand, base and bulb that are flashing blue, you could use repository technique (https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=82227) to simply link them to the existing "lamp_designer" package and avoid creating new textures.


recommended tutorials:

https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=104795 there are separate tutes you can dl for blender3d, milkshape, or wings3d - choose the one that matches your modelling program

https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?p=1891672 dl the tute - pics are no longer on web page (for me, anyway)

https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=102356 and https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=52499 must-read for any recoloring

Good luck and have fun learning!

___________________________

We have been stuck too long with "New Mesh" as the apex of creation.
_ WesHowe
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#3 Old 30th Oct 2020 at 9:35 PM
Thank you so much for your help d4RE! I think my main issue is just confusion about the textures in general, because I think the game's textures are overriding any I put in, like maybe the lamp is pulling them from the objects package before it even looks at my new textures. I even uv remapped the lamp and gave it new textures and it still wouldn't pull them. Thank you again!
Mad Poster
#4 Old 30th Oct 2020 at 11:01 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 30th Oct 2020 at 11:29 PM.
Did you give the lamp a new GUID? If you don't, the object acts kind of like a default replacement (but a somewhat faulty one in most cases), and pulls recolors from the original object. You need to give it a new GUID and make sure to tick the "update MMAT" box, so the recolors pull textures from your object and not the original one.

It's the box to the left of the blue "get GUID" line in the OBJD resource (but don't click "get GUID" because it no longer works - instead you can find tips on how to make a GUID here: https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=638392 )

I think there are a few extra things with lamps too, since they have on/off textures and light textures (opposite to shadows) and some other things.
Me? Sarcastic? Never.
staff: administrator
#5 Old 31st Oct 2020 at 9:26 AM
That lampshade is most definitely the same as the Illastara and not the 4x4 Designer. It's just the the mapping on the Illastara is mirrored and that unfinished one is fully mapped.  The base matches...nothing.  If your object overrides anything of the original item you cloned then it is either not cloned properly or not given a new GUID. 

A more up-to-date creation tutorial
Mad Poster
#6 Old 31st Oct 2020 at 3:33 PM
For the textures, it's possible you'll want to repository the new lamp to the other at some point, so they can use the same textures.

Two tutorials (repository technique)
https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=229452 (Maxis objects)
https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=82227 (other objects)

I haven't tried this for lamps, but I'm guessing they have two textures in the TXTR or some such, so you most likely don't even have to worry about it.
Back to top