*VERY IMPORTANT* THIS DOWNLOAD DOES NOT SUPPORT Q-XPRESS. IT WILL NOT WORK. USE OF Q-XPRESS ON THIS DOWNLOAD MAY CORRUPT YOUR GAME, HOWEVER UNLIKELY.

I love JWoods' object creation tutorial. But the downfall is that Milkshape is *NOT* free. With this in mind, I wrote this tutorial using all free programs.

You need the following programs for this tutorial: SimPE - http://sims.ambertation.de
Wings 3D - http://www.wings3d.com/
UVMapper Classic - http://www.uvmapper.com/

We are making something simple, an end table. Create a folder called "End Table" on your computer. Remember this folder's location.

Part 1: Making the Mesh

1. Open Wings 3D. When you open it, two windows will open, Erlang and the main program. Leave both open. Your screen should look like this:


2. Right-click in the center of your program. It will prompt you to choose a shape. Choose 'Cube'. Now your screen should look like this:


3. Click on the Window tab on the toolbar and choose 'Geometry Graph'. This is what your screen should look like:


4. Click on the pyramid to the left of the group name. If you don't know which that is, there is an arrow to it in the picture. This should be your screen now:



5. Now, right click again. You may notice that the right-click menu changed. Choose Scale.../X. Scale it down 'till it look pretty much like this:


6. Repeat what you did, but instead of choosing X, choose Z. Scale it 'till it looks like this:


7. Choose the Export function and export it a Wavefront '.obj'. Travel to your End Table folder and save it with the name 'EndTableMesh.obj'

8. Open SimPE and go to Tools../Object Creation.../Object Workshop.

9. We are cloning from the Cornerstone End Table, so go ahead and clone it:


10. In the Scenegrapher, DO NOT CHECK THE University Ready v2! Change the tableendclub to whatever and then click update. When done, press 'OK'.


11. Save the PACKAGE file in the following format. Your internet Initials/Object Name/Date. So for me, that is 'BVTutTable073005.package'. Save the package. It's contents will show up.

12. First off, we need a new GUID. Go into Object Data and check off 'Update all MMATs'. Click on Get GUID and register your GUID. Now, click on both 'Update MMATs and Commit' and 'Commit'.


13. We now have the new GUID. Now we must prepare the object for importing.

14. Open Wings 3D. Go to " File.../Import.../Wavefront '.OBJ' " and open the 'EndTableMesh.obj'.

14. Open the Geometry Graph the same way as in Step 3.

15. Right-click where it says 'cube1' and you will get three options: Duplicate, Delete, and Rename. Choose Rename.

16. Finally another screenshot. Rename cube1 to 'materials'. When it looks like the screenie, press 'OK'.


17. Choose the Export function and export it a Wavefront '.obj'. Travel to your End Table folder and replace the file with the name 'EndTableMesh.obj

Part 2: Importing and Texturing

18. Don't worry, Part 2 is much easier than Part 1. It is my weekend project.

19. Before we actually import the end table-to-be, we will match it with a reference object. I actually made a useless step in Part 1, I haven't deleted it yet. Open SimPE to the package fille you created in Step 11.

20. Choose Geometric Data Container in the Reference Tree. Choose the first file in the right-side area.

21. Check off the box to the left of where it says 'materials' and then click 'Export'. Refer to the picture for details:



22. Save the exported file as the name SimPE gives it, but in your End Table folder:



23. Open Wings 3D. Import the EndTableMesh.obj file.



24. Open the Geometry Graph and use the rename function(details in Steps 15 and 16) to change the name of materials to materials2.



25. Now, use the Import function (File.../Import) and choose Import as Wavefront (.obj).

26. Import the file that you exported from SimPE.

27. Now, you may not know this, but now there is a small end table underneath your cube. I have moved my cube so you could get a better look. Do not move your cube!



28. We want to resize our cube to match the end table's size. Select materials2 (Step 4) and then right-click on the screnn. Choose 'Scale.../Y' and scale the model so the model is the same height as the reference. Repeat for 'Scale.../X' and 'Scale.../Z' so it looks like the model shown:



29. Delete the model named materials(Step 15, but choose Delete instead of Rename), and rename materials2 back to materials(Steps 15 and 16).

30. Now, choose 'File.../Export' and Export as 'Wavefront (.obj)'.

31. Export it as the OBJ you exported from SimPE.



32. Quit Wings 3D. When the computer asks if you want to 'Save Changes', answer 'No'.

33. Open UVMapper Classic.

34. Choose 'File.../Load Model' and load the model that you just saved from Wings 3D.



35. A screen like the one below should appear:



36. Go to 'Edit.../New UV Map.../Box' to create a UV Map.

37. Make the Map Size '512'. Now, click OK.



38. This should be your screen now:



39. Go to 'File.../Save Model'. Do not change any of the checkboxes, just press OK. Save it as the file you loaded. When it asks you if you are sure you want to replace it, press 'Yes'.

40. Now choose 'File.../Save Texture Map', again, do not change anything, just press OK. Save it as the name UVMapper gives you but in the End Table Folder.

41. Here's a trick: I never told you to close SimPE. So go back to SimPE. If you closed it, reopen it and go to thew Geometric Data Container Again, this time choose 'Import'.

42. Import the model you saved in UVMapper Classic.

43. In the Mesh Group Importer, set Action to replace and in the submenu underneath choose materials. Details in the picture below.



44. Save the PACKAGE file. It seems there is no need for texturing in this tutorial. If in your case there is, you texture the UV Map and in the Texture File section import that BMP. We are done Part 2!

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Part 3: You Win!!

45. Put the PACKAGE file into the Downloads folder. You win! :puppy:

46. Use the item.

47. Hit the thank you button down there.

48. Ask Delphy why llamas can't talk.

49. Tell 5 friends about llamas.

50. You WIN!!!!

I started this tutorial on July 28, 2005. On August 17, 2005, it was completed. I thought that the end table I used needed texturing, but I didn't know that it didn't. So I finished in two parts. But there is a third part because from the start it was supposed to be a three-part tutorial. This message right here is basically a closure of this final tutorial of mine. Today is December 31, 2005, and I've finally made Part 3 today. Kudos! And also,if you were wondering why I wasn't uploading, it was because I have my own site now. It is located at http://d2x.examp.com/DSims/ (dead link)

The Italian translation was made by Zukkao. Please check out his site, http://www.simsfan.it.




----------
Tutorials:Sims_2_Object_Creation_with_Wings3D^wiki

Awesome! Thank-you so much mod_bv! I was hoping for something like this!

Are Wings free? How do I downloded it?

*@nn@*-The swedish girl

Wings 3D is absolutely free. If you look at the top of the tutorial, I wrote this:



The exact link to the download: (EDIT: Link broken, is deleted)

Good tutorial, Mod_bv. Thanks for this! Looking forward to the next parts.

Could this be moved to the Tuts forum?

An excellent tutorial, mod_bv. Very clear and concise.
With the version of SimPE I have (0.40.1992.25042), the Object workshop is located in the Plugins drop down menu.
I can hardly wait for Part 2 of this series. Many thanks!

So far so good. Quite clear and easy to follow.

This tutorial was made with the new SimPE GUI. You have SimPE Classic (any version below 0.42). I suggest you upgrade.

Also, could this be moved?

It's moved!

Thank you.

you are my hero, i have waited to long for something like this.
I just can't wait for your next part. You're the men!!!

The truth is I am a newbie @ WIngs 3D, I got it only two weeks ago! So I am still learning about it.

Wings 3D is WAY bette than MilkShape, i've made the best objects on it(only 2 so far, a helicopter and a revolver, which I will put up for download once I learn how to convert *simpe files to *package files)

does anyone here know how to convert them?

Well, that is Part 2 and 3 of this tutorial. Follow the tutorial by JWOods ,just skipping all milkshape parts. It's just I wasn't finished ane the tutorial was in demand so I posted it.

UPDATE: Very informative information from Numenor:

1) The .obj files created with Wings3D are NOT compatible with the MeshTool, not with the "Import" function of SimPE. The easiest way to fix these .obj files is to load them into UVmapper and immediately save them.

2) Wings3D HAS UVmapping functionalities: just select all the faces (faces, not vertices, lines or models), right-click on the object and choose Tesselate/Triangulate; then right-click again on the object and choose the last option: UV mapping.
A new window will appear: righ-click anywhere on it and select "Segment by" / "Feature Detection". Lastly, right-click one more time on the the UVmapping window and choose "Continue"/"Projection". Now you can export as .obj, and the file will contain the UV coordinates.
Mind that this UVmapping method leads to inaccurate results: UVmapper classic is way better, so I suggest to use it anyway. The only important thing to remember is to TRIANGULATE the object in Wings before exporting.

can you use this for hair meshing??

It is made specifically for object meshing. But you can use it for hair meshes, but you need to modify it to your needs.

hey this is a great thing

this is very awesome. now wings 3d wont just be sitting there on my comp!

One question, once you learn more about this, could you possibly make a tutorial for new clothing meshes with Wings cause I am afraid that if i follow the one for milkshape, i may messup or get confused haha.

Yup, Kiara, right on it!

And if you are mad that Part 2 isn't out yet, it is because I only work on tutorials on weekends. I am working on something else.

Production on Part 2 has officially begun!

is the tutorial finsihed yet?

No it isn't OMERTA, please be patient.

Hey in this tutorial will we learn texturing?