Milkshape UV Mapping Shoes/Extras Mini Tutorial

[Dr Pixel]

This tutorial explains how to UV Map a new addition (shoes, watch, etc) that you have created. You should do the uvmapping *before* adding the object to your mesh.

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=267708

Here I have made a new shoe mesh in MilkShape. I am going to uv_map it first, before I duplicate to make the second shoe. This way, both shoes will share the exact same uv_map and it will be easier to skin, and easier to find room for it on the texture image.

First, I select the whole mesh - then I use "unweld" on the vertex menu. This will allow us to separately move the uv-co ordinates without interference with each other.

Next, I want to separate the three main parts - the side, the top, and the bottom, so I can uv map each from a different view.

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=267709

I go to Select mode, and set it to "face" - I carefully select the faces of the sides of the shoes, leaving the top and bottom un-selected. I check by using "Hide Selection" on the edit menu.

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=267710
What I want to see is just the top and bottom, and none of the side parts.


When I have all the side parts hidden, I set the selection controls to "face" and "by vertex", then select only the bottom of the shoe. I ReGroup this, and name it "bottom"

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=267711

I now select only the top part, regroup again, and name it "top"

I unhide everything now, and rename the other group "sides"

Now we are ready to do the uv_mapping
I Select All on the menu, then assign a Maxis skintone texture .bmp as the image. This will make it easy to find a good place to put our new parts where they will not interfere with the clothing texture or with the skintone texture. A safe place is in between the front and back sides, below the hands.

(To get the skintone texture, use BodyShop to export a SkinTone project. You don't need to import it back to the game, you can just go in the folder inside "Projects" and get the texture image for the age/sex you are working on.)

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=267712

I open the Texture Co-ordinator. I click [Region], and drag a box where I want the sides mapped. Then I choose Sides in the first drop-down box, and "left" in the second one. Then I click [ReMap] This will remap the shoesides group into the defined box, from the left side view.

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=267713

I repeat for the Bottom group, setting "Bottom" and "bottom" in the two boxes. I do the same for the top, using "top" and "top" in the drop-downs.
I define a different "region" for each first, of course.

Now I select all the groups, and regroup them back into one.

Then I go back to the texture co-ordinator, and move, rotate, scale the various sections as needed

http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=267714
This is what my final uv mapping looks like.

The final step is to select all the groups again, and on the vertex menu use "weld together"

You can now duplicate the shoe for the second shoe, export as an .obj file, and go back to your body mesh to bring the new shoes in and assign the vertices, etc.

Here is how the finished shoes look:
http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=267715

[Nouk]

Very nice and useful! *Applauds*
Thank you for making this! I always wondered how people made such nice shoes :)

[gamminguy33]

This is awesome, I'm working on my on and maybe it'll save my butt :rofl: Thanx

[night night cat]

THX!!! It is very helpfully for me!!
I will try it.

[JosephTheSim2k5]

dr. pixel... why is everything you do so damn useful :P hehe :) thanks :)

[Serasims]

thank you sooo much!

[mininessie]

thanks ,i had discover some of this myself,but now i understand better,thanks you so much

[porkypine]

HI Dr. Pixel!

How do I do this last step? "Duplicate the second shoe" and "Bring the new shoes in..." In other words, how do I add this part to my existing mesh?
---------------------------------------------


You can now duplicate the shoe for the second shoe, export as an .obj file, and go back to your body mesh to bring the new shoes in and assign the vertices, etc.

--- -------------------------------------

:!: I figured out how to do it! But you may want to let others know how to do it. They'll probably trip up on the same step. :0) Thanks!

[tiggerypum]

If the shoe is in it's own group, you can use the duplicate command in the group area to duplicate it. There's also a duplicate command someplace else in the program, because I've selected parts of a mesh before and duplicated them. Although I'm not sure if I know how to flip a mesh left to right, lol.

[porkypine]

Thanks Tig! :0) I've learned how to add parts to a mesh without exploding it and now I've learned how to UV map it and add it to the main body group and find a spot for it. :0)

[spambi2004]

Thanks for this tutorial, it worked perfectly :) One question -- is there an easy way to reassign all the bones in the duplicated foot from right to left or left to right?

[tiggerypum]

No, you'll have to redo the bone assignments by hand.

[Mesher1666]

I love your tutorial but have just 1 question :help: how do u get just the shoe in milkshape. im kind new to meshing but i have done a clothing and hair mesh. i just need help with this one problem. THX! :D BTW: i :lovestruc all ur tutorials!

[tiggerypum]

He MADE the shoe, people can make things using 3d modeling programs. You are indeed very new - you need to go do the 3 unimesh tutorials, and then tutorials for milkshape from the web to learn how to make your own models (or pieces)

[Numenor]

This must be the most stupid question about Milkshape, but where am I supposed to find the Texture Coordinate Editor? In my Milkshape v. 1.8.0 I can't find it anywhere...

My problem is that when I load an OBJ into Milkshape, the entire UVmap gets translated:

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/3959/image3ng2.th.jpg (http://img252.imageshack.us/my.php?image=image3ng2.jpg)

The two images show how the UVmap looks in the original OBJ ("Before") and after having imported in Milkshape ("After").
Please note that the mesh is mapped outside the texture: it must be so, I can't change it. Is there any way to prevent Milkshape from modifying my UVmap? Or at least, to fix it with the Texture Coordinate Editor?

[HystericalParoxysm]

Window - Texture Coordinate Editor.

Milkshape does have that annoying quirk - it'll drop the map down below your texture for some stupid reason. I think either UV Mapper can adjust it (it has a query when importing if that has happened) or you can do so in the Texture Coordinate Editor.

[Numenor]

The Window menu! :P I've examined one by one all the other menus, but I overlooked that one :lol:

This habit of Milkshape to move the UVmap usually doesn't create any problem, because the texture is "tiled", and therefore a translation of 1 unit downwards doesn't change the object appearance. But in this specific case, I'm mapping a kitchen countertop, and it must be mapped exactly in that position, otherwise the sink hole won't appear in the right location; and I can't use UVmapper because I'd lose the joint assignments...

However, thanks for helping me with the Texture Coordinate window; at least, one problem is solved :lol:

[tiggerypum]

Numenor, I don't believe it's milkshape - I believe it's obj export that is the issue, although I could be wrong (in terms of the moved uvmap). The 'fix' for accessories doesn't like the mesh that I initially extracted using obj format (and later adjusted the uvmap on). Unimesh doesn't create the low mapping - Wes would know if it's a milkshape quirk or obj export quirk perhaps. Does unimesh work on the cabinets?

PS - you need to assign the material before the uvmapping stuff works - full details are here (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=175147)

[Numenor]

Thanks Tig, I've found out how to assign a material and open the UV editor :)

Unimesh should work fine for the counters, I guess; I don't like it very much, though, because it shows only the joints, and not the bones, and the joint names are hard to understand (but I'm not sure to have the latest Unimesh :P )
Anyway, the Unimash is a valid solution for my problem; thanks for suggesting :)

[Mesher1666]

:!: Well does any1 have a tutorial on how to make your own objects on Milkshape. I have done alot of ediditing with clothes and all but if any1 has something on how to make your own stuff, that would really help please. :D Thank u though! :up:. If any1 has any recommened site and/or tutorials 4 me pleeeeeeeease reccomend them. thx! but make sure they're good! :Pint: <---

[Dr Pixel]

The misplaced UV_map is in fact a quirk of SimPE's .obj exporter - it doesn't happen when importing .obj files from other sources into MilkShape.

Numenor, for doing object meshes that have no morphs, you might prefer the MS3D Ascii import/export options of SimPE and MilkShape. It's not useful for BodyShop parts (no multiple vertex assignments) but quite good for objects, since those don't seem to use multiple vertex assignments anyway.

The joint names will be what you expect, no worries about the comments, the joints will have the "bones" shown, and the UV_mapping still comes in correctly located.

As for tutorials on making new parts in MilkShape, the first place to look is in MilkShape's "help" file - it has some basic stuff in there. If you don't have the MilkShape Help File you can download it from the MilkShape site. There is also a Tutorials link there, which offers links to many MilkShape tutorials on various subjects.

I have been intending to write one myself, about creating simple new parts, but haven't yet had the time.

[Numenor]

Thanks Dr Pixel for clearing up this point. Now that you made me think about it, the problem aroused when I imported in Milkshape a .OBJ mesh that was extracted directly from SimPe (while, in most cases, I import in Milkshape .OBJ files that come from Wings and UVmapper).

I understand that you are expert with Milkshape, and you find easy to tranfer the mesh from SimPe to MS in .TXT format, and then work on the mesh in MS; but I just can't use MS as quickly and easily as I can with Wings, so I must make these additional intermediate steps :P -

However, your clarification has now solved all my problems :D Thank you.

[Mesher1666]

I did look 4 the help file and it really helped!Thx Dr. Pixel. I'll be looking out 4 ur next createing tutorial :D

[Ken Murikumo]

I don't mean to resurect a dead topic, but how would i have two different textures for one mesh. Say the "body" mesh has a jacket, but the chest still dips around to the sides. I want to be able to map the entire jacket on its own texture so i can have the skin display properly. It would be a pain in the ass to pop it into the area that isn't used... And again, how do i upload my own meshes?!11!

[Fashion2U]

So how do you make your own shoe meshes? :) Lolz

[Dr Pixel]

This thread isn't really about making shoes, it is about the uv_mapping of shoes and othernew parts that you have added to a mesh.

However, the shoes I made for this are really rather simple -

Briefly, I first cut off the bottom of a Sim's foot to make the sole and sides of the shoe. Then I duplicated just the bottom part, moved it up, and reversed the faces to make the top. The heel was made from a cylinder.

[Rosebine]

ken Murikumo, sorry if i didn't get it right, lol
but when i want 2 different texture on a same mesh, this is what i do...
i create 2 meshes...than UV map them separately...
then bring them back into Milkshape, group them together, and that's it !
lets say, each UV map was 256 by 256, then my new UV will be 256 by 512, so both previous UV's can be on the same final one...one on top of each other...

sorry, if this is completely not according to the subject...this is what i do for object meshes...:0)

Rosemary :0)

GREAT tutorial Dr pixel ! THANKS !...if you do a pdf version, I'll sure grab it !

[Sheyza]

I just used this to UV map a spiked collar. This was soooo helpful. I thank you for writting this. :)

[isa_love_anime]

I have a question.... How do I import the mesh as an .OBJ file? (it may sound really stupid, but I dunno how ._.')

Anyway, it's a really useful tutorial! ^^

[Numenor]

You can import an OBJ file in Milkshape using the menu File / Import / Wavefron OBJ.
However, this tutorial requires that you only work with Milkshape, not with external editors. This is required because all the meshes related to the sim body must be properly assigned to the body joints; and if you work in OBJ format, you will lose the joint assignment (alas, the shoes won't move along with the feet).

Of course, you can import an OBJ and then manually assign the vertices to the right joints, but it's not very easy (especially when working with a body skeleton, that is composed by a lot of joints).

[isa_love_anime]

Ummm... That's bad ._. I don't have experience enough to do such a thing, and if YOU say that's difficult, I won't even try >.< *sweatdrops*

Is there any problem that I do all the UV Mapping like in this tutorial, but save the file as .MS3D, and then attaching to the "main" mesh?

[Numenor]

The .MS3D format isn't recognized by SimPE: you can't import it in the package.

The correct procedure for clothings, hair and - in general - bodyshop stuff (and animated objects, too) is:
1) Export the entire GMDC from SimPE (right-click on the GMDC -> Extract)
2) Import it in Milkshape using the Unimesh plugin
3) Edit the mesh and UVmapping in MS
4) Export the edited mesh from MS using the Unimesh plugin
5) Replace the entire GMDC in SimPE with the one exported from MS.

None of the steps above can be done using the OBJ format.
It *is* possible to import an external mesh made in OBJ format during step 3; but then, you have to assign the vertices of the imported mesh to the various joints.
When working with an animated object, the procedure is quite easy (there are usually 3-4 joints to deal with); but the sim skeleton is composed by many joints (never counted them all, lol!) and a manual assignment is difficult.

[tiggerypum]

IF you are just importing shoes - and not entire parts of the body - then the joint assignments are not overly complex and can be done by hand with some patience and testing.

If you wanted to make say, and entirely new body (like based on some 3d model you saw) that would be hard, as we're then talking 1500-2500 or more vertices to assign, and some of them have complex assignments.

All you do is START with your base gmdc body (that has bone assignments and a skeleton). Then import the obj, and do work similar to the 3rd tutorial. You will have to do all the bone assignments by hand for the obj part you imported.

[isa_love_anime]

Actually, what I really want is: I "made" a belt accessory, but I want to it be "in" the Shorts mesh that I made too, so it wouldn't be only an accessory. I already mapped it like in this tutorial, so that's why I asked how I could attach this piece to the main mesh ^^'
If I export it as a SimPE file, than go to my MS3D mesh file, and import the belt there to put it together, it will be right?

[zionfeather9]

Hi Dr. Pixel, i have a question

I havent a clue where to start with shoes and i was wondering where do i start?

Thanks.
p.s. i know its probably in the wrong posting area too.

[zippythewildone]

So, I made a mesh and I just need to UV-Map it now. But when I click region and try to draw a region box nothing happens. Anyone know why? Did I skip a step or something? Is it Because in my texture coordinator I just have a gray space instead of a texture loaded?

[BloomsBase]

You always need to load a texture first
select all meshgroups(faces, not vertices)
Go to materials tab
click new
click none(top one)
browse to a txt file
click assign

In the texture coordinator
select the meshgroup(part) you want to map
click region
draw a rectangle
pick the angle...uh(front/back/right/bottom or left)
remap