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Instructor
Original Poster
#1 Old 27th Jun 2016 at 10:31 PM Last edited by sam&skye : 27th Jun 2016 at 10:55 PM.
Default Problem replacing mesh (?)
I ran into a problem making a default replacement here. I got the textures replaced, but that's the easy part because I can actually tell those apart.
I also managed to replace a mesh before, but there I had the luck that everything was named in a similar way, and this time it's not.

My clone of the top I want to replace contains these:

afTopEP10Mermaid_lod1
afTopEP10Mermaid_lod2
afTopEP10Mermaid_lod3

And the one I want to replace it with contains these:

afTopNudeafTopNude_Lod1_fat
afTopNudeafTopNude_Lod1_fit
afTopNudeafTopNude_Lod1_thin

Is there a way to tell what is what? Fat, fit and thin makes sense, but I don't know with which one of them to replace the lod1 - lod3 ones or if it even works that simple.

Any tutorials on replacing clothing meshes out there maybe? I only managed it by looking into another default and a lot of trial and error the first time...
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Virtual gardener
staff: administrator
#2 Old 27th Jun 2016 at 11:00 PM
Mesh replacements are a bit harder when it comes to the sims 3. Fun fact, i'm working on some same project right now XD. Anyway! Lod 1-lod3 usually stands for this:

Lod1: High level of details
Lod2: Medium level of details
Lod3: low level of details.

you might know that LODs (or actually called level of details) are different meshes from the same mesh. Like say you move far away, the mesh will become the low level of details because you don't want your game to render a lot when it's already rendering an entire city instead of one part of the scenery or focusing on one lot.

Anyway, does this AfTopEP10Mermaid have a GEOM file that has a fat, fit and thin file? If not, you could make one yourself. Usually what I do is using the afTopNudeafTopNude_Lod1_fat/fit/thin as reference, see how it's done and copy strings from the comments in Milkshape. (just like the regular progress). But I guess since most clothing that's made after Pets, EA has used another method it seems. Which means you might not have the LOD1_fat/fit/thin in the afTopEP10Mermaid files.

Anyways, you can see your models in S3PE with this model viewer plugin that comes with this plugin: https://code.google.com/archive/p/s3pi-wrappers/

When it comes to replacing, you can clone the afTopNudeafTopNude with S3OC for example, make sure you uncheck the renumbering option (where you can also add your name). Un-checking it makes it the actual default version of the mesh. Replace (NOT IMPORT) your mesh (if you're sure what to import) But make sure the instance number never changes, else the default replacement won't really work out great.
Instructor
Original Poster
#3 Old 28th Jun 2016 at 12:24 AM
Oh geez. Okay, It's gonna be complicated. Maybe I should add that I have no clue whatsoever about meshes and never touched milkshape. I just opened some other mesh replacement, saw that it only contained GEOM files, and concluded those are the ones I have to replace. So I don't know the "regular process" either.

AfTopEP10Mermaid is the EA mermaid top that I extracted from the game, and it only has these 3 GEOM files. The other one is a custom one that I downloaded and now wanna replace the mermaid one with. (The EA nude top looks like they had a surgery...)

Any chance there's another way to replace things? E.g. somehow pointing the game to your custom mesh without "directly" replacing it, like you could do in Sims 2 by making the 3DID's point to your custom piece of clothing instead? I couldn't find a single tutorial on this for Sims 3.
Virtual gardener
staff: administrator
#4 Old 28th Jun 2016 at 1:48 PM
There is a way, but then you're stuck with the LOD1 _Fat/fit/thin ones. Like say you would use the slider, it probably would generate another mesh. It's a bit the same as in TS2, but here we have to work with Instances instead of 3DIDs. Thing here is, if you want to change the instance directly, everything else will get lost and it... well won't look good. like texture-less and all since the GEOM part is linked with other things. So I would either recommend replacing the afTopEP10Mermaid with the afTopNudeafTopNude_Lod1 base mesh.

Also, I cloned the CASparts with S3OC and they seem to just share the same like this:

afTopEP10Mermaid_lod1
afTopEP10Mermaid_lod2
afTopEP10Mermaid_lod3

and:

afTopNudeafTopNude_Lod1
afTopNudeafTopNude_Lod2
afTopNudeafTopNude_Lod3

What you want to replace is the GEOM files, the BGEO files and for being sure, the BBLN files (unless you want to make the mesh have this mermaid top texture too, replace the multiplier with each other). And I mean REPLACING not IMPORTING. And replace them with the names that comes with both packages. That's what the names are for and there you go! Default replacement. Just test it in your game and see how that turns out ^-^

I could make a tutorial if you want me to? ^-^
Instructor
Original Poster
#5 Old 28th Jun 2016 at 3:10 PM
It's not the EA nude top I'm trying to use. I did successfully make a default replacement using that, but took it out again, because the EA one looks really odd. Someone made a more natural looking replacement for the nude top, and that's the package I'm using here. Or, trying to use. So that's what confused me, the original nude top has these lod1, 2, 3 thingies, too, and a working default replacement for it looks like this?

I already got the textures done, since the top I want uses the same as the one I've replaced the mermaid top with before. So that part is done and working. It's just the mesh that I want to swap.

One more possibly dumb question: Doesn't the custom nude top need fit/fat/thin stages, too? Where the heck are those?

A tutorial would be great. I'm sure others on here could use one, too.
Virtual gardener
staff: administrator
#6 Old 28th Jun 2016 at 7:02 PM
Hmmm yeah I can understand the confusion. Thing is, the original Sims 3 meshes don't have a GEOM file like this. If it was made with TSRW, They would have been put in a GEOM file together as well (with other files to make it work of course). But I'm wondering if this would work as default replacement. Could you give me a source so I can figure out how it's done?
Instructor
Original Poster
#7 Old 29th Jun 2016 at 2:38 AM
Attaching it because I'm not sure you're allowed to link sites that contain boobs...

One file is the clone of the mermaid top (just for convenience in case you have to look at that) and the other one is the default replacement that contains the mesh I want for it.
Virtual gardener
staff: administrator
#8 Old 29th Jun 2016 at 11:57 AM
So just wondering... I took a look at it in GEOM viewer for S3PE, and I found something pretty interesting. So the normal one is... well I guess I can't post a picture of that, but it's just the nude top. But when I take a look at the fit/fat/thin...



(If this post gets deleted for just this picture, I'll be surprised) But it looks more like some wrapped up paper... or a very screwed up rock. Which usually means, the bones are corrupted in some way. Have you tried it in game? Did it had this effect too?

Second, I think the person who made this might have been like 'Okay LOD1/2/3 means Fit/fat/thin' But it does look... like the base mesh.
But of course! Here is the weird thing. I went into the Fullbuild0 package and the default one had the same Lod1/2/3 and it was the same exact picture. Now I can't check it out since the GEOM plugin I have wants or... needs a group_base, which those definitely doesn't. Sooo, apparently it's good if the mesh looks like this. So what you want to do is making a similar mesh like this. (if it's needed) But I guess you'll be okay replacing your mesh with the base one, try it out in game if it changes, like if the underpart of the boobs get sharper when you're sliding, or if the mesh goes crazy. Those are two possibilities.

So my question is, have you noticed anything weird when using this default replacement when you used the morph slider in-game?
Instructor
Original Poster
#9 Old 2nd Jul 2016 at 1:38 AM
I haven't used any sliders, haven't made a sim since I put it in. But I can go try that out.

What do you mean, though - use the slider "directly" on that top, meaning put it on in CAS, go to the body shape sliders and change things while the Sim is displayed with it? Or change my sims body, get her into the "naked outfit" somehow and look if it's weird? (I'll need to go hunt for another mod for the first thing.)
Virtual gardener
staff: administrator
#10 Old 2nd Jul 2016 at 11:21 AM
Quote: Originally posted by sam&skye
I haven't used any sliders, haven't made a sim since I put it in. But I can go try that out.

What do you mean, though - use the slider "directly" on that top, meaning put it on in CAS, go to the body shape sliders and change things while the Sim is displayed with it? Or change my sims body, get her into the "naked outfit" somehow and look if it's weird? (I'll need to go hunt for another mod for the first thing.)


Yeah, like put your default replacement in game, switch in CAS to that outfit and use the body shape slider in CAS.
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