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 21st Oct 2014 at 11:57 AM
Default How did they do that?
Sorry if this is obvious, or pointed out before, but I came across something pure genius in regards to custom CAS content and wanted to know how. Have a look at the attached image and notice the two custom lips.

How did they add a custom preview?
Is it possible to extend this trick to other parts of CAS too, specifically Skin Details and Tattoos, and maybe even clothes?

These two lips are from talented creators Sintlika (package link here) and S-Club (package link here).

I cannot stress enough how painful it is to visually identify custom content in the Sims 4 and if this is possible on a wide variety of CC, it would make life so easy for both users and creators =) A tutorial would be most welcome!

Cheers!
Screenshots

List of downloads here
Advertisement
Lab Assistant
#2 Old 21st Oct 2014 at 12:20 PM
I don't know how to create the custom thumbnail (with the writing on it) but cloning any CAS part with Cmar's Castools will automatically give the new item it's own thumbnail.
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#3 Old 21st Oct 2014 at 1:18 PM
Quote: Originally posted by pahtrick
...but cloning any CAS part with Cmar's Castools will automatically give the new item it's own thumbnail.


Are you talking about the swatches (the tiny 32px color select indicators)? I use CASTools to clone and make standalone objects, but I don't see anything else when opened with SP4E that should enable changing the preview. I was under the impression that this was impossible until I saw these two lips packages in my game (fairly recently created) as the game would just focus and snap a preview shot of the part of the body. You see this with tattoos; you are free to make a tattoo anywhere, but the preview will use the original 'focus'.

List of downloads here
Ms. Byte (Deceased)
#4 Old 21st Oct 2014 at 2:21 PM Last edited by CmarNYC : 21st Oct 2014 at 4:53 PM.
The latest version of CAS Tools will let you optionally create an overlay inset image that shows over the thumbnail. This is the first time I've seen working custom thumbs and I'll have to take a look at them.

Edit: Okay, long story short the thumbnails are jpg images, not png as s4pe thinks. You should be able to create a jpg image with dimensions 104x148 and import it to your package with the appropriate TGI:

Type: THUM 0x3C1AF1F2
Group: 0x00000002 for a female 'model', 0x00000102 for male
Instance: Same as the CASP
Screenshots

Please do not PM me with mod, tutorial, or general modding questions or problems; post them in the thread for the mod or tutorial or post them in the appropriate forum.

Visit my blogs for other Sims content:
Online Sims - general mods for Sims 3
Offline Sims - adult mods for Sims 3 and Sims 4
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#5 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 12:40 AM
You are the super, Cmar!

I'll go experiment with this and see if I can come up with something useful.

List of downloads here
I aim to misbehave
retired moderator
#6 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 1:45 AM
Quote: Originally posted by CmarNYC
The latest version of CAS Tools will let you optionally create an overlay inset image that shows over the thumbnail. This is the first time I've seen working custom thumbs and I'll have to take a look at them.

Edit: Okay, long story short the thumbnails are jpg images, not png as s4pe thinks. You should be able to create a jpg image with dimensions 104x148 and import it to your package with the appropriate TGI:

Type: THUM 0x3C1AF1F2
Group: 0x00000002 for a female 'model', 0x00000102 for male
Instance: Same as the CASP


Thank you very very much! I had been trying to find out how to do it for ages :D

Check out my tutorials: For TS4: Eyelashes and for TS2: Eyes and Eyes 2
-My Insta-

Please, call me Nina (:
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#7 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 4:43 AM
And now I get to find all your wonderful creations more easy, Vampire =)

List of downloads here
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#8 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 5:27 AM
Not getting it to work quite yet. Maybe a little impatient =)

I open my package file (female bottom recolor, standalone/clone with the GEOMs, 3 colors, made with CAST., specc and bump removed, and recolors made with S4Studio and then manual swatches added via S4PE after - no idea if anything of this is relevant).

- Select somewhere outside the resource list and right-click > import from file > select my 104x148 .jpg (standard settings).
- Get the resource details input (attached)
- Fill out like you pointed out, instance id is copied from the first CASP entry
- Do the same for the 2 other recolors, copying the instance id to not have any mistakes (I poked around the lips packages above and they had one THUM for every CASP/RLE2 recolor)

Does nothing in game. Am I missing something obvious?
Screenshots

List of downloads here
Lab Assistant
#9 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 6:09 AM
this is the tutorial people are using to get custom thumbnails:

http://m1ssduo.tumblr.com/post/9881...le-guide-on-how
Ms. Byte (Deceased)
#10 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 9:21 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Ellusion
Not getting it to work quite yet. Maybe a little impatient =)

I open my package file (female bottom recolor, standalone/clone with the GEOMs, 3 colors, made with CAST., specc and bump removed, and recolors made with S4Studio and then manual swatches added via S4PE after - no idea if anything of this is relevant).

- Select somewhere outside the resource list and right-click > import from file > select my 104x148 .jpg (standard settings).
- Get the resource details input (attached)
- Fill out like you pointed out, instance id is copied from the first CASP entry
- Do the same for the 2 other recolors, copying the instance id to not have any mistakes (I poked around the lips packages above and they had one THUM for every CASP/RLE2 recolor)

Does nothing in game. Am I missing something obvious?


If you've had the item in your game already you have to delete localthumbcache.package from your Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4 folder.

Also that tutorial points out that different types of CAS parts have different size thumbnails.

Please do not PM me with mod, tutorial, or general modding questions or problems; post them in the thread for the mod or tutorial or post them in the appropriate forum.

Visit my blogs for other Sims content:
Online Sims - general mods for Sims 3
Offline Sims - adult mods for Sims 3 and Sims 4
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#11 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 10:10 AM
Perfect guide Peacemaker, thanks a lot!

Cmar, yeah the localthumbs will prevent you from seeing this correctly, but more importantly that guide pointed out the png/jpg hiccup that was confusing me =)

I'll see about making a super-clear hassle free guide for everyone on MTS - everyone who creates stuff for S4 needs to know this asap! Hehe.

List of downloads here
Lab Assistant
#12 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 12:33 PM
You are welcome. I think for stuff like facial details really need the custom thumbs since you can't make heads or tails of most of them. I do find that it beats around the bush a little though (needing to go into the thumbnail cache), but it gets the job done.

I didn't know there were different size thumbnails either, so I think and extensive guide would be really handy for a lot of people so they know how to do it right
Ms. Byte (Deceased)
#13 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 2:15 PM
I'm going to build this into my tool, too.

Please do not PM me with mod, tutorial, or general modding questions or problems; post them in the thread for the mod or tutorial or post them in the appropriate forum.

Visit my blogs for other Sims content:
Online Sims - general mods for Sims 3
Offline Sims - adult mods for Sims 3 and Sims 4
Pettifogging Legalist!
retired moderator
#14 Old 22nd Oct 2014 at 3:00 PM
I’ve added a link to that guide to the tutorials sticky list in the Tutorials forum.

It would be great if people would post a link in the list sticky thread when they come across a good tutorial somewhere, so that I can add it! Thanks in advance! (The sticky is open for posting for that reason .. I can’t possibly know about every cool tutorial on the internet, particularly when it’s about topics I’m not even familar with).

Stuff for TS2 · TS3 · TS4 | Please do not PM me with technical questions – we have Create forums for that.

In the kingdom of the blind, do as the Romans do.
Lab Assistant
#15 Old 26th Oct 2014 at 7:45 PM
The thumbnail is not a normal jpeg, that is, EA injects transparency into the jpeg extensions. The newest S4PE, from 0.2b I think (correct me if I'm wrong), has a built-in helper to help users import an png to jpeg without losing the transparency. If you're particular about the transparency, give S4PE a try and you won't be disappointed.

I do stuff for fun.
Ms. Byte (Deceased)
#16 Old 26th Oct 2014 at 11:48 PM
Kuree, could you explain how to use the s4pe helper? I'm using s4pe 0.2c, made a png thumbnail with transparency, and tried both importing the resource and using the Replace function to put the thumbnail in my package. Both times I got a thumbnail that won't display - I get a box with an X.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to save the .png with a particular format or use a different option in s4pe?

Please do not PM me with mod, tutorial, or general modding questions or problems; post them in the thread for the mod or tutorial or post them in the appropriate forum.

Visit my blogs for other Sims content:
Online Sims - general mods for Sims 3
Offline Sims - adult mods for Sims 3 and Sims 4
Lab Assistant
#17 Old 27th Oct 2014 at 2:32 AM
As I said, it is a very special jpeg. Normal png won't work here. First create an empty THUM resource then there are two ways to do that: 1) Click Resource menu button, and there should be two options at the button, namely, export to image and import from image. 2) Right click the resource and the context menu will pop up as well. Since they share the same code the interface should be the same. (Just ignore the exceptions messages, the default display cannot handle null image.)

PS: To anyone who wants to play around, I would recommend to read my release notes carefully. There are many useful helpers hidden as easter eggs for you.

I do stuff for fun.
Back to top