I know alot of people want to make vehicles for the sims 3 but have no idea were to start.
This thread explains a little were to start and wat to do.

Wat do you need:
TSRW,
I always use TSRW for cars as it gives you nice 3d view of the car complete with specular/reflection Bone and slot settings etc etc.
Download the latest version
http://www.thesimsresource.com/prog...y/sims3/id/117/
click the Workshop TRAC for beta versions.
TSRW comes with a set of plugins(WSO) for Milkshape.
These are located in the folder extra's in the TSRW installation directory.
Copy the files and paste them in your Milkshape directory

s3PE,
http://dino.drealm.info/den/denforu...php?topic=189.0

s3OC,
http://dino.drealm.info/den/denforu...php?topic=190.0
Only needed when making default replacements.

Install Peter's S3PE plugin for TSRW:
http://dino.drealm.info/den/denforu...php?topic=193.0
This plugins allows you to edit open the RIG(and other files) from within TSRW.
Copy and paste one of the files(x86 or 64bit) in the plugins folder in TSRW's installation directory

Atavera's Wrappers:
http://code.google.com/p/s3pi-wrappers/downloads/list
These are needed for the RIG editing in s3PE.
Copy and paste these files in S3PE installation directory.
Overwrite existing files.

Milkshape,
http://chumbalum.swissquake.ch/ms3d/download.html
This is not a free program!

Photoshop/Gimp or any other texture editor
http://www.gimp.org/downloads/

DDS plugins for the Texture editor program of your choice.
http://code.google.com/p/gimp-dds/
http://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-...adobe-photoshop
Not really necesarry as TSRW can convert imported png's.

UVmapper/LithUnwrap
http://www.uvmapper.com/downloads.html
http://files.seriouszone.com/download.php?fileid=198
I have to say i never use a UVmapper, i always UVmap the parts myself in Milkshape
But i do use LithUnwrap if i need a bmp from my UVmap

A good 3d model of the vehicle(see post#2 for details)

Optional:
Blender for baking your textures:

The Model,
First thing you need is a 3d model of the vehicle.
There is alot of free stuff on the net but be warned, 90% is crap.
Free stuff often contains reversed faces, has welded vertice, has no UVmap and are not always easy to repair.
Things you should check on your 3d model:
-Does it has reversed faces?
You can check in Milkshape by turning off ''draw backfaces''
If the model contains alot of ''holes'' in complex area's dont bother to repair.
-Does the model has a UVmap?
Apply a material to the mesh(select all/mattab/new/none/browse for texture/apply) and visit the texture coordinate editor(Window) to see if the parts are uvmapped properly.
If not then you need to do it yourself, wich is alot of work.(but fun to do)
-Is the mesh seperated in diffrent meshgroups?
The more meshgroups the better as it is very hard to split all those meshparts up from one solid model.
-Is the mesh assigned to materials.
This might sounds strange but some game(models) do not have one specific meshgroup assigned to a material but a random selection of vertice/faces.
It is then better to make new meshgroups with these materials instead of using the existing ones.(a must if you need to reUVmap them)

If you like a challenge and want to create your model from scratch(wich is never done by any sims 2 or sims 3 creator) have a look at this funny vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0pf...feature=related
Besides that one there are tons of car modelling tutorials although most use 3ds MAX.

So it is much easier to either download a model:
http://archive3d.net/?category=28
http://www.archidom.net/ddd/model_F.htm
http://thefree3dmodels.com/stuff/vehicles/13-3-2
http://www.dmi-3d.net/rescue1.html
Another great site to find models is : http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/
But i am having a bit trouble to convert the uvmap correct with these wich forces me to completly reUVmap the whole model...

or convert it from another game like:

Need for speed.
I have no experience with it, but i know Fresh Prince often takes his models from that game.

GTA
When i want a specific model i often vist this site:
http://www.gtainside.com/en/news.php and take the car from there.
However, you need zModeler(Not free) and 3ds Max(Not free) to convert those models and TXDworkshop for the texture conversion.
When converting those cars the meshgroups often get messed up wich gives me alot of work.
Converting from GTA VI is very hard as meshes are coded, pick San Andreas or older versions!
Always check the included readme's to check wether you can use the mesh.

GT legends,
Also requiers specific tools but are often very good models to work with.
Unfortunate 99% are copyrighted so make sure you have a free model or permission from the original creator.

There are even more games that you can use to extract a 3d model.
Midtown Madness
Xpand Ralley
Trackmania United
And many more

Cloning with TSRW.

I wanted to convert a few basegame car Rigs to the FastLane format but i must be doing something wrong.......

Here is a FastLane car that you can use for the time being.
It is the Car_LuxeryExotic with its script changed to a basegame script ''CarExpensive1''
This car has 4 custom textures attached(overlay/specular/multiplier and Mask.
I ''fixed''the Mask as it only had 2 recolour channels enabled.
--The body is recolourable
--The wheels have 2 recolourable parts, the center and the rim itself.
As example i also uploaded a clone of the same car with a edit on one wheel, the left back wheel(0xF8CF5C13)

These 2 are save to clone, no mods done to it except enabling the 3rd recol channel and a small edit on the texture file.


Clone:
--Boot TSRW
--Start New project
--Choose New import
--Browse to one of the above packages(in the popup window change the format to .PACKAGE instead of the .WRK format.) and select it.
--click next
--Fill in a projectname, change the title and description(not so important as all can be changed later also.)
--click next
--click OK

You now should be able to view the car in 3d view in TSRW
Check out the buttons in the upper left corner:
*The 4 levels of detail(Most vehicles have 3, some have 2)
*Show Grid
*Show normals
*Show groundshadow(TSRW's ''ground'' does have a mesh mistake and uvmap mistake in it but not near the car's shadows.)
*Show normal/bumpmap(TSRW needs to fix the normalmaps on vehicles, these have the original uvselection scaled out(dont know how to call it)
Not only is the display wrong but after export the normalmap will show on the whole car instead of a specified selection.(wheels most of the times)
The above car does not have a normalmap attached, no worries if you clone it.
*Show wireframe(i sometimes use this if i adjust slots to have a better view at them)
*Show slots, it shows the slots but also the footprints and is very helpfull when editing these.
*Show joints, shows all the joints used on the vehicle.
*Free and View, both buttons allow you to change the view on the car(sometimes used when selecting a Geostate)
The view on a vehicle can also be changed with the left and right moussebutton:
left click and hold = rotate
right click and hold = zoom


PROJECT(1st tab)
Here you can change:
*Name
*Description
*Prize
*Launcher thumbnail, when people use Ea's launcher a thumb will show, change this if you like.
If you don't then TSRW will add their logo with a shot of the car in TSRW.

Category Flag
were do you want your vehicle to popup?
--leave the ticked boxes as they are.
If you want to place a vehicle on a community lot(as deco) then:
--tick Community in the Room category
--tick MiscObject in the build category
If you also want to view the car in neighborhood and CAW then:
--tick LargeObject in ObjectTypeFlags

TEXTURES 2nd tab
There are plenty tutorials arround for good texturing, i strongly recommend to read one of those.
I will however explain wat is (for me) the easiest way to texture the mesh.
I do want to mention that it is important to use the texture format that is given by the original clone!!!

--Overlay, is often used to bring in some detail, these textures can not be recoloured.
This file overrules existing textures on the multiplier texture.
Always DXT5interpolatedalpha.

--Mask, used to color specific areas.
either DXT1noalpha or DXT5interpolatedalpha.
a 3 channel recolourable object is always DXT1 while a 4 recolourable is always DXT5!!
Remember that object mask textures use a diffrent setup on the channels then CASp mask textures,
a mistake i made when starting to make objects.

--Multiplier, Most important texturefile, determines wat parts are textured
DXT1noalpha or DXT5interpolatedalpha.
On vehicles DXT1 is used.

--Specular,
DXT1noalpha or DXT5interpolatedalpha.
On vehicles DXT1 is used.

These are the 4 important ones and on a default setup related to eachother.

additional:
--Stencils, while the overlay overrules the multiplier the stencil will overrule the overlay texture.
DXT5interpolatedalpha
I use these often to change license plates.

Multiple overlays, textures used when there isn't enough space on the default texture(size)
With a UV selection you can move the uvcoordinates of a meshgroup and assigne a diffrent texture to them, i call it a overlay as it is always a non recolourble single texture file..
DXT5interpolatedalpha

Texturing with multiple overlays(easiest way)
I only have done this once but i think it is much easier to work with more then just the default textures(overlay/mask/multiplier and specular.)
Will explain asap.

The RIG(adjusting the wheels and slots)

Short, i will revisit:

Move a wheel(as meshpart) in any direction you want.
Remember to wich joint that wheel is assigned and write down how much you moved it.
Import the mesh in TSRW
In the meshgroup that contains the wheels you find the Skin info(click + to open)
Recalculate the new value and fill it in the box(right box is wheelbase movement, middle box is height, left box is to left and right)
If medium and low meshes are imported you do the same for those.
If your using s3OC/s3PE you find these values in the Mlod and ModL(using s3PE's GRID)
Data grid/Chunk entry/RCOLblock/BONES/inversebindpose/translate

RIG
The RIG file also needs updating:
Edit.
project contents.
Right click the RIG.
Choose open as package in s3PE.
Right click the file in s3PE.
Choose edit RIG.
Scroll down to were you see the wheeljoint you want to edit.
DO NOT edit the wheeljoint itself but use the wheeltranslate joint listed above it.
When done click commit.
Save.
OK.

The car with the wheeledit i uploaded i moved the left backwheel 1 tile(unit? or watever)
So i changed the offset from joint 0xF8CF5C13 with 1 in the Skin info of the meshgroup.
And i changed the Rear_L_wheeltranslate(0x5390F108) offset to -1 in the RIG.

EDIT,
If you want to edit a bicycle or motorbike read this post:
http://www.modthesims.info/showpost...365&postcount=2

MTNF settings(chrome/recolourble glass/real mirrors)

Body:
Diffrent setups are possible on the body.
You want it shiny use the settings of the Car expensive2(the black sedan)
This looks very nice on dark painted cars.
Mulitplier: normal shade of grey
Specular: white
settings:
Fresnel= 0.1 to 0,25
specular style= 0
shininess = 200
I usually go for the default setting:
Mulitplier: normal shade of grey
Specular: light grey
Fresnel= 0.3 to 0,5
specular style= 1 or 2
shininess = 20.


Interior:
The interior, tires and chassis should not be shiny or reflective in my opinion
Mulitplier: normal shade of grey
Specular: dark grey or black

Interior material settings:
Fresnel= 0.25 to 0,5
specular style= 0 or 3
shininess 30

Chrome:
Make either the overlay(non recoloroble chrome) or multipliertexture(recoloroble chrome) a very dark grey shade.
Make the specular white.

Chrome settings material:
Fresnel= 0.25 to 0,5
specular style= 1
shininess 10


Glass:
Follow this tutorial about recoloroble glass: http://issuu.com/thesimsresource/docs/simspiration3
Page 49
You basicly duplicate a meshgroup that is already enabled for recoloring.
Change the shader without loading the default settings for it and adjust the diffuse so the meshgroup becomes transparant.
Best result you do have if your glass meshpart is UVmapped properly.
Editing the mask will allow you to give it any color/pattern you like.

Glass settings material:
diffuse= 190(RGB, 255/255/255)
Fresnel= 0.25 to 0,5
specular style= 0
shininess 10 to 20

NOTE,
TSRW does not always display the recoloroble glass correct.
You need to go to extra's listed under its meshgroup and tick the material to see.
It is best to check it out ingame instead of in TSRW.
I You often have better results when not using any textures, a nice setting is the glass on the Car_used1(the cheapest).
Not recoloroble ofcourse.

Fixing the Light(LITE)

Not the easiest task even with TSRW(still wondering how S3PE users pull this off)
Take a look at the tab Misc.
Open the + and click each light plane and see how it is positioned on the original car.
Open the light file and use the drop down box to select the plane you want to edit.
I am always having a hard time picking the correct boxes to edit, really frustrating.
Take your time, do one plane at the time and you will manage

Replacements with S3OC and TSRW

Clone the vehicle with s3OC:
--Open S3OC --Cloning/normal objects
--lookup the car
--choose clone/fix
--Untick all boxes except Enable compression
--Start
--Save your file

Open TSRW and clone the same car
--Create new project
--Object
--Vehicles(If your vehicle is NPC driven you find it in the Debug/MiscObjects section instead of vehicles.)
--Cars
--Select the correct car
--Next
--Next
--OK
Unfortunate all instance numbers are changed so this file is now a standalone clone instead of a replacement.
So we are going to delete all files and import the clone we made with s3OC.
--Project contents
--Right click each file and choose remove till the whole window is empty
--Then choose Import/import from package
--Browse to your car file you cloned earlier with s3OC.
--select and import it
--a message/popupbox will appear and display the ammount of files you imported.
--OK
--OK
You now should be able to see the S3OC cloned car in TSRW.

Few Hints
Unfortunate, when replacing the textures with your custom ones TSRW will automaticle change the instance numbers on them wich means the Mlod/Modl will no longer read them.
To relink the meshgroups to the custom textures again we do the following:

I feel this thread would be more appropriate as a Wiki entry. This will enable people beyond yourself to contribute.

Here is a start using the info above http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Vehicle_Creation

Feel free to copy and update the WIKI!!
forgot Atavera's plugin

Feel free to add to it yourself, or if your unsure about it, add it here and I'll convert it later..

Hi,
Using TSRW I found the car I wanted to base my 'creation', I exported the mesh as an .obj file and imported it into milkshape.
From there I made a few changes then exported it as another .obj file, but when I tried to import it into TSRW I get the error message "Object reference not set to an instance of an object".
Did I do something wrong or have I just missed something?

You can not use the obj export function on cars, you need to export as WSO file.
Read my first post and install the WSO plugin in Milkshape's folder.(added info)

OBj files do not support a skeleton and vertex boneweights

So...info on adjusting wheelbase coming soon? Would it be possible for you to supply the modified RIG to replace in my own package? I didn't see where you had attached a modified base game car.

i hope so, buyed/installed Pets/patch 1.26 and after waiting on the right tool updates i thought i could upload some default basegame cars with updated rig.
But if its the new tools or not im having a hard time converting them.
If i can not pull it off ill upload a few Fast Lane cars with basegame scripts attached.

added a car you can use

Thank you!

First of all thank you for writing up this tutorial.

Also apologies for resurrecting a dead thread, but I've got a stack of partially started objects I've been waiting to finish up for some years. There are some car projects, I figured they'd be complicated so I've been starting on some research. I found this tutorial but was more than a little alarmed by this and wondered if you could clarify...



... my issue is, I always make my own meshes, but your wording suggests it's a bad idea. On the other hand the downloadable models were made by someone, so I was wondering if you could give some insights into what it is those mesh makers got right that make their models suitable for converting to a Sims object? I've got around 2000 scenes worth of objects (12 of which are vehicles) I've been waiting for a long time to have a gap in my schedule to process, I don't really have the time and energy to deal with tidying up my vehicle designs, mapping them and dealing with importing them if they're just going to automatically fail because my home-made mesh lacks some key ingredient if that makes sense.

I was wondering also if you could add or link to some information on adjusting/deleting/adding FX? Like changing the position of the head lamp beams and such - I'm having trouble figuring out how to approach that (which I also need for another project involving a stereo - I got as far as downloading Atavera's plugins and then... well after that I am lost!).

Thanks!

It isn't a bad idea at all. At the time when he posted that, the cars had simply been pre-made already. However, I have successfully fully meshed my own car for the S3 without issue. It's just for most people, undertaking the challenge of creating any car is difficult. is creating one from scratch is Very difficult. He was informing you that F-P, VoVilla and others aren't crazy machines that pop out cars left and right from scratch.
More people should make cars and I highly encourage you to create one. It is especially exciting to see someone attempt an original design as well. Pre-made cars have nothing extra yours would have. Just making sure to get the scale correct is the hard part. So that Sims, fit correctly and it blends with others cars.
FX positions are located in the RSLt file, conveniently viewed with the plugin via S3PE.

Hopefully this make sense and helps.

OMG... I'm so stupid! lol.
Thank you - of course - I re-read the tutorial again and it actually doesn't say what I thought it said (that'll teach me for skimming).

I must admit I always wondered how FP turns out new cars so quickly - and now I feel a little bit let down that some of my idols aren't meshing geniuses after all (also at the same time slightly relieved because I am a slow mesher and I have a lot of trouble with complex shapes).

The problem is with pre-made models though, surely, is the poly counts are usually way too high for the Sims no? I get there are plenty of people who make 10,000+ poly chairs and lamps and what-not, but Sims 3 is a low poly game. What would be an acceptible limit for a Sims 3 car?

And there's still the LOD versions - I guess maybe there's a 3D editor that does a better job, but I use 3DS Max and Milkshape and both do a really pants job of optimizing. I do try it out from time to time on my HD models, but wind up with some ugly-arsed creased thing that's not fit for anything and always needs more work to beat it into shape than it's worth compared to doing it over from scratch.

Presumably they typically would also need extensive re-mapping as well to deal with the CAST patterning, to make sure there is consistent texture scaling and directionality across the model?

I'm starting to think it's probably about the same time and effort either way so I think I will press on with my own models! Lets hope someone out there wants some rather whacky looking vehicles!

Go for it! And yeah, a lot of models out there are very high poly. In S3 you can get away with about ~30k polys for a car. MS3D, in general does do a good job in reducing polys. With prefabs, wheels are usually poly heavy and little details like lights and such contain a lot too. Removing or simplify these areas are good ways to push down the count as well. Interiors dont need to be glamorous either.

I often run the models through Max or Zmodeler to keep the normals and groups(most linked by material) and export as obj.
When i get them in MS i decide wat should be recolorble and wat not and start by regrouping/remapping the parts in:
Body(castable)
Windows(castable)
Chrome(castable)
interior(castable)
Detail(non castable)
All castable parts i uvmap on a 1024x1024 texturetemplate, when done i group them in group0 to group3
All non castable detail parts i map on a 2nd texturetemplate. also 1024x1024.
Car parts often take alot of space therefore i use 2 texture setups, one for the castable and one for the non castable.(wich will be group4)
It saves you alot frustration as you dont have to stuff it all on one texture.
Have a look at the icetruck to see how its done.
The castable parts i bake in Blender and it will not need further editing then.


I work with PS and MS at the same time.
Sometimes udate texture to fit coordinates or scale/position the coordinates on the texture.

Mapping the cars body is tricky, i often end up with the landscape reflection on the wrong side of the car......still have to write that down lol.
textures for the detail i pick from the net, copy and past and map your parts on it.
for decals(letters etc) and such you best use a alpha texture with correct MATD settings.

I always look up the specifications of a car and scale them to the correct size(1 tile is arround 0.86 meters imo)
I try to keep em arround 20.000 polygons or lower.

When i am satisfied with the car and its textures in Milkshape i clone a Fastlane car.
Basegame cars are a pain to edit the wheelbase while FL cars are much easier.
I do attache a basegame script to it so basegameplayers can enjoy them aswell.(if i dont they dont have the cars sound)
A 4 color castable file is a must on a car imo and these days you can easily upgrade any 3 color package to 4 color with TT3.
I use TSRW wich easily lets you add extra meshgroups for chrome, recolorable glass,alpha parts, you name it.
Besides that you can then tune the MATD to your liking.

So i start with a FL car in MS and then import my almost finished one.
I always choose a clone car that matches the height of the wheels of my custom car.
I also position the front wheel axle on the same spot as my clone, both save me alot of work as i then only have to edit the rear axle offset and the driver position.
Editing the rearwheel axle i described earlier.
I always regroup my clone into one mesh and use the move boxes in MS to get the correct offset(same with the driver seat and stweeringwheel)
Those offsets i use in the RIG's translation joint of the wheels and the joints for the seats and steering.
lol, i keep rambling....if you got any quistions, feel free to ask.

Quality rambling though Thank you loads - there's a ton of useful bits and pieces there, I've saved the whole thread for later reference.

I guess that's the other advantage of doing a from-scratch design is that it's much easier to fit it around the existing positions and scales of various things.

And 20k polys is shed loads - so many possibilities!

Hi Bloom,

nice tutorial so far, thank you. Thought I'd share some minor experiences.

Taking the basegame "van" through a quick edit, I made it look a little less like a SUV (basically just moved some vertices - pic attached), worked like a charm though I started to hate Milkshape for its UI layout.

I cloned the basegame taxi with S3OC, did a quick paint job on the textures and ran into trouble when trying to get rid of the roof sign. I'm using TSRW 2.0.43 (d/l'ed this week); exporting WSO's worked fine.

1st try - Exported the 3 car mesh WSOs, used Milkshape to remove each sign (meshgroup), MS-exported WSOs again... and TSRW refuses to load meshes because there's a group missing (sure, Group 02, scrapped it in MS). Any idea how to tell TSRW to not only hide, but remove that group reference?
2nd try - Exported the WSOs again, resized the sign meshes and hid them under the hood. TSR re-imports the WSOs but fails to create a package jabbering about a draw sequence/instance error (pic attached)
3rd try - in the meshes tab, without the original meshes, untagged the "display" box on each Group2 so the signs would not be displayed. Sam effect as 2nd.
4th try - on the wrong path, wondered if the shadow meshes somehow depended on the model LOD meshes, had them ecalculated - nope. Same effect.

5th try - with TSRW, I also cloned the basegame "CarSedan" which looks almost the same but a minor difference, imported the non-roofsign WSO meshes from 1st try and modified textures... well... SUCCESS. Another fugly crappy EA junker, the 4-door version of the 2-door "Sedan". But hey, it's done. One for the learning curve.

On a side note, the van uses more mesh "lines" for detail than the taxi/sedan, e.g. the door outlines. And it's incredible how awful the LOD3 models are... they look like an accident fatality.

Thanks for all your help and creations,
Torsten

You can right click a meshgroup in TSRW and delete it, it also will delete the meshpart itself .
The taxi signe is mapped outside the original uvmap and it is possible tsrw is trowing a error at you becose of that but i never had that error myself tho.
TSRW can not handle the cars normalmaps, it screws them up terrible.
Annoying thing is that it changes the uvselectors(materialtab) on import.
Not sure if S3OC displays them correct after a meshimport tho

I fell in love with that 2 door sedan, you find out soon