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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 17th Apr 2016 at 9:37 PM Last edited by AuzzPanda : 10th Jul 2016 at 4:02 AM.
Default Mesh From Scratch
Hi!

Okay.
I would really love to make more elaborate meshes now...
I can only seem to find tutorials that are for really small edits to pre-made meshes. But my question is, how can I MAKE make a mesh? Like how do I add sleeves, make a dress long with no glitching, know how to make it black on the inside of the dress so it doesn't look like a blob of colour is eating the legs, make a new hair, a completely new style, making sure that all sides are covered with the same shape, retexture it so it looks like its all slicked back instead of going straight down, and stuff

I have a feeling I missed all of these tutorials, bhut I just can't seem to find them... Or I feel like the tutorials that there ARE are giving me the obvious answer to all of these but I can't seem to figure it out...

Also I am well aware that this is for experienced meshers and is hard to do

Thanks so much! Have a good one!
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Lab Assistant
#2 Old 18th Apr 2016 at 1:35 AM
Assuming that you know your chosen modeling program well enough, just do it. Think about what you want to make and just mesh. Don't be concerned about how "hard" something is. Tackle the problems as you get to them.

If you're not comfortable with meshing yet you can look up tutorials for your program. If you use Maya and want to make clothes for example, you could search "clothes tutorial maya". You will have have better luck finding what you need if you don't limit yourself to Sims related tutorials. Should you need a Sims related tutorial this database is useful.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#3 Old 18th Apr 2016 at 2:48 PM Last edited by AuzzPanda : 10th Jul 2016 at 4:04 AM.
Quote: Originally posted by Surei
Assuming that you know your chosen modeling program well enough, just do it. Think about what you want to make and just mesh. Don't be concerned about how "hard" something is. Tackle the problems as you get to them.

If you're not comfortable with meshing yet you can look up tutorials for your program. If you use Maya and want to make clothes for example, you could search "clothes tutorial maya". You will have have better luck finding what you need if you don't limit yourself to Sims related tutorials. Should you need a Sims related tutorial this database is useful.


Thanks so much! Words of inspiration make this easier
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#4 Old 18th Apr 2016 at 4:44 PM
But I do have a problem... I can't really seem to get it to work...

here is what the mesh looks like:




Do you know why it's so dark at the back?

And also here is what it looks like in body shop:

Is this a retexturing problem? Like the gap and stuff because in the mesh there are no gaps, with also leads me to wonder how do you make so many tips of the hair? I'm guessing that's all retexturing stuff. (I'm sorry, I'm better with actual meshing itself than with retexturing, I never got the hang of that )
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#5 Old 18th Apr 2016 at 4:45 PM
ALSO when you look at it on the side there are a lot of gaps in between the layers, so I'm guessing I have to make another plane the size of those layers yet facing sideways? :o
Lab Assistant
#6 Old 19th Apr 2016 at 7:21 PM
Do you have a material applied to the mesh? The dark part could indicate the direction the normals are pointing. If you want them to be consistent you will have to flip the direction. Do you have 2 groups? It should be the same mesh. One with the normals facing in and one with them facing out.

Parts of the mesh are too far into the body. Export out an adult male nude mesh and use it as reference so that you can know where to position the hair.

By the hair tips, I'm assuming that you want tapered or split ends. Yeah, that's the work of the texture. You have to use or make textures of hair with tapered ends on a transparent (alpha) background. The package file itself will have to allow for alpha meshes, and if it's cloned from a hair mesh then it's likely that it does.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#7 Old 23rd Apr 2016 at 4:05 PM Last edited by AuzzPanda : 10th Jul 2016 at 4:05 AM.
Quote: Originally posted by Surei
Do you have a material applied to the mesh? The dark part could indicate the direction the normals are pointing. If you want them to be consistent you will have to flip the direction. Do you have 2 groups? It should be the same mesh. One with the normals facing in and one with them facing out.

Parts of the mesh are too far into the body. Export out an adult male nude mesh and use it as reference so that you can know where to position the hair.

By the hair tips, I'm assuming that you want tapered or split ends. Yeah, that's the work of the texture. You have to use or make textures of hair with tapered ends on a transparent (alpha) background. The package file itself will have to allow for alpha meshes, and if it's cloned from a hair mesh then it's likely that it does.


Okay, thanks so much

So no, I did not have a material assigned to it in milkshape! I had no Idea it was necessary to do that for it to work well

And alright, I'm not very sure at all how to understand the placing of the texture, but thank you so much for your help,
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#8 Old 23rd Apr 2016 at 4:13 PM Last edited by 98675 : 5th May 2016 at 10:19 PM.
Alright, I seem to have two more problems

So I applied the texture, yet it doesn't seem to be blending in. Like it doesn't recognize the new bits....


Now, do you know how to fix the way the normals show? What I mean is that they are showing front and back, yet I need side ones to right? Would I have to make a new mesh part, fit it into the mesh, and THEN duplicate it?


Thank you!
Lab Assistant
#9 Old 7th May 2016 at 7:07 AM
How does the texture and the UVs line up?

Does your texture image have an alpha channel, and is saved in a format that supports it (PNG, BMP-34, TIFF)? Your material may have to be alpha enabled in Milkshape. As I don't use MS extensively, I can't tell you how to go about doing that.

After you're finished with the mesh and UVs, you then make the second group. Duplicating the mesh and flipping normals is one the last steps if not the last. Milkshape does have tools editing normals. You may have to add them in if you don't already have them.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#10 Old 7th May 2016 at 3:17 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Surei
How does the texture and the UVs line up?

Does your texture image have an alpha channel, and is saved in a format that supports it (PNG, BMP-34, TIFF)? Your material may have to be alpha enabled in Milkshape. As I don't use MS extensively, I can't tell you how to go about doing that.

After you're finished with the mesh and UVs, you then make the second group. Duplicating the mesh and flipping normals is one the last steps if not the last. Milkshape does have tools editing normals. You may have to add them in if you don't already have them.


Alright, yes (I think). It has the alpha-5 and alpha-3 in BMP files.

I'm sorry, what is ''flipping normals'' exactly?

I'll have to see the UV. I don't really know how t read it, I'm more used to clothes.

And makes me wonder, witch program do you use?
Thanks!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#11 Old 7th May 2016 at 3:27 PM
Okay I don't really understand how to fix the UV map on hair....

It's like they are two seperate things, what I added and the original mesh...
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#12 Old 8th May 2016 at 5:35 PM
Oh I think I understood the UV map.
Lab Assistant
#13 Old 9th May 2016 at 9:03 AM
The normals are basically the shading on the mesh. You know how there are light and dark parts of the mesh? If you want the normals to point a certain way you will have flip or change their direction. There are more information about normals out there if you need it.

I mainly use Blender 3D.

Have you worked with UVs before?
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#14 Old 19th May 2016 at 6:15 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Surei
The normals are basically the shading on the mesh. You know how there are light and dark parts of the mesh? If you want the normals to point a certain way you will have flip or change their direction. There are more information about normals out there if you need it.

I mainly use Blender 3D.

Have you worked with UVs before?


Oh okay, yeah. I use Cat's Normal.
So I'm guessing that means I need different mesh parts for the sides.

Only with clothing UV's. But I can understand those since they are the shape of the body, however the hair UV doesn't seem to have the same structure, it's all over the place!
Blender? That one's better right? How come, options?

So I need to fix the UV for the texture to properly apply to the new layers right? Is it like the clothing, were I have to elongate and stretch it around?
Thanks again
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#15 Old 20th May 2016 at 6:13 PM
ALso I just realized that all this time it was so mcuh easier to work with cylinders! I don't understand, why do people usually use planes? Cylinders give all the face's from all angles straight away, hmm...

Also, if I want to make a wavy/VERY curly texture, does that just depend on the texture or must I also do a difference on the mesh?
Thanks!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#16 Old 20th May 2016 at 7:22 PM
Okay yep, I've finished the mesh. Now it's just the texture that won't really ''apply'' to the mesh. So how do I do this UV Map thing for hair? Hm...
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#17 Old 20th May 2016 at 10:57 PM
OOOOH okay. I sort of understood now, following this:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=60686
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#18 Old 21st May 2016 at 12:55 AM Last edited by AuzzPanda : 10th Jul 2016 at 4:07 AM.
alright basically no I can't rely on the texture to make the shape wavy. At least in milkshape though, it's rather hard to make the waves... Are you meant to do it with the ''rotate'' tool?

Also, how can I make some of the hair look like it's being tied backwards, (Meaning the texture), is it made in photoshop or something with the Uv Map?
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#19 Old 21st May 2016 at 1:02 AM
Also, I can't get to match what I added to the mesh (Hair from neck down type-ish) To match the head hair seamlessly. Speaking off, the head-hair has a very blurry texture that I can't seem to get rid off, but oh well. I could always import the same meshed-head from the beginning of the project.
Lab Assistant
#20 Old 23rd May 2016 at 1:31 AM
I use blender because I find it easier to model with, and yes there's more features.

Whether people decide use planes or box model hair it depends on a lot of things. Many times creators use both.

Curly hair can be made with textures or meshes. For meshes, It's probably easier to make curly hair by modeling with curves. Curly hair meshes can be very high poly so people usually opt for curly textures. You can find curly hair textures or paint them yourself (with photoshop or whatever).
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#21 Old 23rd May 2016 at 9:06 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Surei
I use blender because I find it easier to model with, and yes there's more features.

Whether people decide use planes or box model hair it depends on a lot of things. Many times creators use both.

Curly hair can be made with textures or meshes. For meshes, It's probably easier to make curly hair by modeling with curves. Curly hair meshes can be very high poly so people usually opt for curly textures. You can find curly hair textures or paint them yourself (with photoshop or whatever).


Hmm alright.

Oh I guess that then mabye I will make the sides curly and the rest of the mesh simply straight with the curly textures.

How about those little messy realistic strings about the hair, perhaps I will do it by making small planes.
Lab Assistant
#22 Old 23rd May 2016 at 10:37 PM
That sounds like that could work. Is Milkshape the only program you use? You don't have to limit yourself to Sims tutorials.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#23 Old 24th May 2016 at 5:37 PM Last edited by 98675 : 24th May 2016 at 5:48 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by Surei
That sounds like that could work. Is Milkshape the only program you use? You don't have to limit yourself to Sims tutorials.


Oh yeah no I don't anymore since you said that, I've found more help, what I mean about using other programs though is that I wouldn't know how to do things like ''import'' the mesh and then export it, nor would I know what plugins there are...

So you use blender? Hmm...
Does it work more or less the same way?
Does it give you the pre-determined shapes to work with? Like planes?
If so, what shapes do you work with usually?
And where could you get the models from?
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#24 Old 24th May 2016 at 6:28 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Surei
That sounds like that could work. Is Milkshape the only program you use? You don't have to limit yourself to Sims tutorials.


Sorry for bothering yet again,
I have another question. If I want to make a part of the hair texture to be slicked back into a knot, does that depend on the texture itself or the UV mapping?
Lab Assistant
#25 Old 24th May 2016 at 9:25 PM
Knowing your program's capabilities comes with experience with that program. I was able to get my stuff into the game because I knew my way around blender. The good thing about milkshape is that has tons of import/export options, should you choose to use other programs.

Quote: Originally posted by 98675
Does it work more or less the same way?

In what way are you asking?

Quote:
Does it give you the pre-determined shapes to work with? Like planes?

Yes, most 3D modelers do.

Quote:
If so, what shapes do you work with usually?

Depends on the object. Example: I start skirts with a circle, pants with cylinders, planes for shoes. Sometimes I start with a vertex.

Quote:
And where could you get the models from?

Where everybody else gets models? (Not sure what you're asking) Blender has plenty of import/export options as well should I choose to use premade models.

Knots are usually made using texture or mesh.
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