Looks like a 'normals' issue. Try using demon's gmdc tools - there's a normals tool with it that smooths them. You'll need to try it on the arms and legs too - see the seams on them. Select the areas where the seams are visible and see if it can smooth it out. You should be able to SEE them in milkshape at this point.

You must have done your editing with 'autosmooth' on.

Thanks you very much. ..Every day I try to smooth, but...Okey, thanks .respect

Moni_ka do not use smooth, do not use smooth! That's what gave you the seams showing. Demon's tools are *different*, you can use them to try and fix the damage that was done by using Milkshape's smoothing function.

tiggerypum thanks.

I have new problem. I created mesh, but in bodyshop i saw horrible view. Why?
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/1997/15il.png
http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/78/21pv.png

Moni ka

Which base mesh did you use for the project?
Did you delete or add any points to the mesh? (this is puzzling because I thought you showed me a working mesh before - yes, actually you did)

I assume you are using milkshape to do the edits?

I suggest you go back to your previous working version with the shadows, and try again to use the demon normals tool to smooth over those shadows and the arm/leg seams (you did save with version numbers going up I hope).

If you didn't save so you can go back -- you'll have to start over. If you do, have autosmooth turned off and do not ever use the milkshape smooth command, because that will mess up your normals and give you the seams and the shadows effect.

First off I'd like to say this tutorial is great, and you've done a wonderfull job compiling it. Now, here's my question. When I do step 8 I get this pop-up; [error]Message:
File or assembly name Microsoft.DirectX, or one of its dependencies, was not found. SimPE Version:
Default (0.58.1.29278).

Exception Stack:
System.IO.FileNotFoundException: File or assembly name Microsoft.DirectX, or one of its dependencies, was not found.
File name: "Microsoft.DirectX"
at SimPe.Plugin.fGeometryDataContainer..ctor()
at SimPe.Plugin.GeometryDataContainer.get_TabPage()
at SimPe.Plugin.RcolForm.BuildChildTabControl(AbstractRcolBlock rb)
at SimPe.Plugin.RcolForm.SelectRcolItem(Object sender, EventArgs e)

=== Pre-bind state information ===
LOG: DisplayName = Microsoft.DirectX, Version=1.0.2902.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35
(Fully-specified)
LOG: Appbase = C:\Program Files\SimPE\
LOG: Initial PrivatePath = NULL
Calling assembly : ambertation.3D.mdx.binding, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null.
===

LOG: Publisher policy file is not found.
LOG: Host configuration file not found.
LOG: Using machine configuration file from C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v1.1.4322\config\machine.config.
LOG: Post-policy reference: Microsoft.DirectX, Version=1.0.2902.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=31bf3856ad364e35
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Program Files/SimPE/Microsoft.DirectX.DLL.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Program Files/SimPE/Microsoft.DirectX/Microsoft.DirectX.DLL.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Program Files/SimPE/Microsoft.DirectX.EXE.
LOG: Attempting download of new URL file:///C:/Program Files/SimPE/Microsoft.DirectX/Microsoft.DirectX.EXE.

Source:
simpe.gmdc.exporter.base

Execution Stack:
at SimPe.Plugin.fGeometryDataContainer..ctor()
at SimPe.Plugin.GeometryDataContainer.get_TabPage()
at SimPe.Plugin.RcolForm.BuildChildTabControl(AbstractRcolBlock rb)
at SimPe.Plugin.RcolForm.SelectRcolItem(Object sender, EventArgs e)[/error]

Have I done something wrong or is there another issue I need to adress? Any help would be greatly appreciated

You need the managed DirectX extensions, found on the SimPE site, listed under "required to run SimPE" when you go to download it.

Wow. Talk about fast. Thanks, I'll go there now.

I am sorry to keep asking questions (I really appreciate the very detailed tutorial, I am learning things rapidly here) But I did come to another block. I got to point 42 where it says to right click and change projection to bottom. When I hit bottom my model disappears. I drag the mouse all around to try and find the model, but it is gone. When I put the projection back to any other angle it reappears. Do I have something set wrong? I would be forever greatful whenever you get the chance to help! Thank you!

You should be able to right click on the window again, where the missing model is, and pick something like 'frame all' or 'frame selected' on that menu, it will center the mesh for you in the viewport.

Would me not using the bottom projection cause the dress to look funky in the bodyshop? I read the post before mine and her's looks similar to mine in the sense that it looks jagged and all over the place. I can see the dress laying down on the platform in the body shop, and it looks like the arms are huge hoses coming from the dress on the floor and up to the head. Like it exploded LOL. I wish I knew how to save the image to show you. The head of the mannequin is still in the same spot it always is and the dress is laying down facing up. There is little hagged pieces of the dress at certain angles and the arms of the mannequin appears long and coming from the dress on the bottom and all over the place. I really do apologize if I am bugging you and if there is an obvious answer I should have seen. I really am extremely appreciative of all of your help. Thank you again for taking your time to help me (and put together this tutorial, major kudos to you!)

Can you als do the hairs,clothes with blender?

this is a great tutorial,I made a good mesh on the first try however when i took a look at the the recolor,however i can always make a new one.but still great tutorial but still for people who cant get it right its not as hard as it seems,i read each step,then did it.and when i was finished the mesh came out nice

lolovolley - Mesh is Laying Down in Bodyshop - from the infocenter: http://www.modthesims2.com/article.php?t=131397

TiktaktowP - directions as they are regarding using Blender and Meshtool are in this article in the InfoCenter - http://www.modthesims2.com/article.php?p=1058634 I suggest you do a simple experiment by moving one vertex and make sure it works for you before doing any major edits.

Hi I just wanted to say thank you for this Tutorial. I downloaded one very similar from another website but yours was more in depth and easier to follow. I have both printed off and was able to compare them. Yours is the one I will keep. I have seen alot of people asking for a printable version. I just clicked up at the top on tool threads and clicked show printable version and printed it. I don't know if this might help others or not.

THANKS AGAIN FOR THIS GREAT TUTORIAL

I am so glad when I finally got my first mesh into bodyshop. Then I got the XZY XYZ thing and fixed it; I actually fixed it! However, my head is a little detached. What did I do wrong? I wrote a tutorial also. It mixes the NeptuneSuzy tutorial with the Galen Cooper video tutorials. It shows how to make a dress mesh. It's not long either. I think I will post it. I know its's very user newbie friendly. It's only twenty steps long.

In the InfoCenter there's instructions for that also, about pulling the vertices slightly up on the neck if that happens. That had seemed to be a rounding error in Milkshape but I thought it was fixed - my mesh I did for this tutorial did not do that. That's all you should need to do, is select that top row and move them up just a tiny bit.

I haven't even read this yet, and I want to thank you for just taking your time to type this whole thing up. I admire your selflessness.

Thanks...it really helped a lot, but how do you find the names for other outfits? Like you knew afdresslongloose...how'd you find that?

wolf_g, you find the name in the property set for all modifications of Maxis meshes... It'll display in the resource list like this one did... Or you can click the Property Set, look in plugin view, and it'll be listed on the "name" line if you want to copy it to paste into the resource finder - make sure you just get the mesh name, the first part before the underscore.

i cannot find the export button in SimPE either. it's really confused me. The bottom of the screen shows the plugin view, there is just no export button at all and my GDMC is highlighted. Can you please help me.

blueeyesangel, please post a screenshot of your screen - because 'export' is a built in function of SimPE and should be visible. You can use 'printscreen' and then PASTE into a paint program, and save it as a jpg. Then you should be able to upload it here (with manage attachments) or to some free photo place like photobucket.

hi... for some reason my computer says that sim PE is not a win32 application o.o" could you help me please?

nokel, you should ask that over on the SimPE forums - while we can answer stuff like errors related directly to this tutorial, that's a problem with installing SimPE, and isn't really about this tutorial, just SimPE itself.

k thanx anyway