|
Post by Virelai on Dec 15, 2019 21:34:50 GMT -5
So I've brought this up in a couple of topics, but I think instead of steering those topics away from their original purpose, I should make my own topic.
First of all, I'm a newbie, so, like, I could be missing a very basic step here. However, I think the problem is more complicated than that. Anyway, the problem: In learning how to clone a different object using a different game-ready mesh as the base (per this guide), I ran into this problem that when I try to import an object file in per the guide it comes out pink and textureless. Googling it, I found out that means that the textures are missing. However, I can not, for the life of me, figure out how to fix this. It refers to the missing file is missing from somewhere in Sims 4 Studio's ProgramData.
For reference, I've only been experimenting with EA objects so far. In all cases of running into this error, both objects were EA meshes simply exported from Sims4Studio Wishes and then put into Blender (2.76), with the one to be imported, put in Blender first and exported as an Obj. file after following the steps outlined in the guide. (I've tried exporting from both "Standalone Recolor" and "Create 3D Mesh" to see if that would make any difference, it did not).
EDIT: Here's some info I forgot to include last time that might be relevant - I have both a SSD and a regular HD.
Also, for another unrelated (but in the same process) question, I noticed that when I import an Obj. file over, it doesn't bring over the "s4studio_mesh_0", only "s4studio_mesh_1".
|
|
|
Post by REDFACTION on Dec 17, 2019 13:33:44 GMT -5
I'm not sure to understand what you are trying to do but if you exported a mesh from S4S it should come textured in blender.
Could you add some screenshots and detail step by step what did you do ?
|
|
|
Post by secretlondon on Dec 17, 2019 14:13:01 GMT -5
If its from the game why import into blender?
|
|
|
Post by Virelai on Dec 17, 2019 14:35:14 GMT -5
I'm not sure to understand what you are trying to do but if you exported a mesh from S4S it should come textured in blender. Could you add some screenshots and detail step by step what did you do ? So up to this point, I've just done the standard take into S4S and save, open up the meshes up in Blender. Here, after checking to make sure the type and cut numbers match, I export the object to be put in the other Blender window: I import it into the other Blender window with the other mesh, and this is what happens (notice the pink pot, most objects I've tried this with are entirely pink): If its from the game why import into blender? I am not aware of any other way to access the object files. I'm importing these into Blender to experiment trying to get plants that don't change with the seasons to change, as cloning over an EA plant that does change is one way people say to get it working. Now I'm not saying my experiment here will work at all, but I can't even get to the experiment to figure out where to go from there because of this other issue.
|
|
|
Post by REDFACTION on Dec 17, 2019 15:22:58 GMT -5
I export the object to be put in the other Blender window: Try the following : - Instead of exporting your mesh as an .obj, juste save the .blend file after your edit
- Open your 2nd .blend file and press SHIFT + F1
- Select your 1st .blend > Object > s4studio_mesh_x
This should import the mesh with all its dependencies, including textures.
|
|
|
Post by Virelai on Dec 17, 2019 16:24:12 GMT -5
I export the object to be put in the other Blender window: Try the following : - Instead of exporting your mesh as an .obj, juste save the .blend file after your edit
- Open your 2nd .blend file and press SHIFT + F1
- Select your 1st .blend > Object > s4studio_mesh_x
This should import the mesh with all its dependencies, including textures. Thank you, but the problem still does exist, although it's behaving differently from before and as well for different projects this time.
For the one I showed above, it seemed fine until I put it into S4S, where the pot (which the lack of texture in the old method was keeping me from getting far altogether) seems to have taken the texture of the original planter instead of having its own:
With that said, it does at least make the plant behave correctly for the seasons!
Still some problems there aside from the texture issue (such as there being an imprint from the original planter and it needing to be placed somewhere with the same size). I have a lot to learn still.
12/18 edit: I did some working around and changed the pot texture in S4S and got it with the correct texture:
Still, it's oddly transparent (that doesn't show up in this image well if at all), and has the 'shadows'/'imprints' from the original planter.
|
|
|
Post by menaceman44 on Dec 19, 2019 9:58:27 GMT -5
That's because you also need to export and edit the shadow mesh to match the object mesh. On the Mesh tab in studio you should see a dropdown box which currently says "LOD 0 (high)" Click on the dropdown box and it will list all of the other meshes for the object; usually one or more other lower detail versions and then the shadow versions of each. These all need to be updated for your object to look correct in the game. If you don't edit the lower LOD entries then your object will snap back to the old object base when you zoom the camera too far away.
Regarding textures, when you import a .blend file into Studio there is no texture that comes with it. Studio only reads the texture from inside the package.
As REDFACTION mentioned, when you want to work with two seperate meshes in one project you don't need to save either of them as .obj files. Keep them both as .blend files and then in the file you are using as a base use the File> Append option to bring in the parts from the other .blend. The imported mesh will usually show up grey and untextured until you assign it to the texture.
|
|
|
Post by Virelai on Dec 19, 2019 12:50:02 GMT -5
That's because you also need to export and edit the shadow mesh to match the object mesh. On the Mesh tab in studio you should see a dropdown box which currently says "LOD 0 (high)" Click on the dropdown box and it will list all of the other meshes for the object; usually one or more other lower detail versions and then the shadow versions of each. These all need to be updated for your object to look correct in the game. If you don't edit the lower LOD entries then your object will snap back to the old object base when you zoom the camera too far away. Regarding textures, when you import a .blend file into Studio there is no texture that comes with it. Studio only reads the texture from inside the package. As REDFACTION mentioned, when you want to work with two seperate meshes in one project you don't need to save either of them as .obj files. Keep them both as .blend files and then in the file you are using as a base use the File> Append option to bring in the parts from the other .blend. The imported mesh will usually show up grey and untextured until you assign it to the texture. Thank you. I have a question, as I noticed that the file of the original planter that I've put the new pot over doesn't appear to have any LODs that aren't high, whereas the original did.
I replaced the single Shadow LOD with the original Shadow LOD from the original potted plant's file so it matches. In-game that got rid of the "imprint", but the transparency is still present, as is the same amount of space needed to place as the planter that this was cloned over. Also, the plant portion of the mesh disappears when scrolling out further from it.
The transparency is visible in this image, with it being compared to the original pot plant mesh:
|
|
|
Post by menaceman44 on Dec 19, 2019 16:42:50 GMT -5
Could you share your package for me to take a look at please?
|
|
|
Post by Virelai on Dec 19, 2019 16:46:05 GMT -5
Could you share your package for me to take a look at please?
I did notice that the original planter does only have those two models. Maybe it was just a bad choice for one to use to clone.
|
|
|
Post by freeasabird on Dec 19, 2019 20:32:48 GMT -5
So I've brought this up in a couple of topics, but I think instead of steering those topics away from their original purpose, I should make my own topic.
First of all, I'm a newbie, so, like, I could be missing a very basic step here. However, I think the problem is more complicated than that. Anyway, the problem: In learning how to clone a different object using a different game-ready mesh as the base (per this guide), I ran into this problem that when I try to import an object file in per the guide it comes out pink and textureless. Googling it, I found out that means that the textures are missing. However, I can not, for the life of me, figure out how to fix this. It refers to the missing file is missing from somewhere in Sims 4 Studio's ProgramData.
For reference, I've only been experimenting with EA objects so far. In all cases of running into this error, both objects were EA meshes simply exported from Sims4Studio Wishes and then put into Blender (2.76), with the one to be imported, put in Blender first and exported as an Obj. file after following the steps outlined in the guide. (I've tried exporting from both "Standalone Recolor" and "Create 3D Mesh" to see if that would make any difference, it did not).
EDIT: Here's some info I forgot to include last time that might be relevant - I have both a SSD and a regular HD.
Also, for another unrelated (but in the same process) question, I noticed that when I import an Obj. file over, it doesn't bring over the "s4studio_mesh_0", only "s4studio_mesh_1".
When you import a wavefront or an .obj file into Blender and its pink it's not a cause for concern. Like the guide said it just means that the texture hasn't been added to it, you can either add the texture in the Material section on the far right side before you export it as an obj file, or after import just click Image (on the bottom left hand side) and then Open Image, navigate to the texture and you can import it that way. It is a pain when the mesh arrives all pink but its easy to put right. I still forget to add a material slot after 5 years of doing this, which is why my little desk space has a slight indent from banging my head occasionally
|
|
|
Post by menaceman44 on Dec 20, 2019 7:45:16 GMT -5
Sorry. After looking at your package I'm at a complete loss. Did you share the package you used to take your screenshots because it wouldn't show up in my game until I changed the DevCatagoryFlags and gave it a price and catalogue sort. Either way I did notice that you need to remove doubles along the seam on the planter. It also doesn't cast a shadow in sunlight. I tried to fix that by changing the shader of the shadow mesh. That did make the shadow work but then the actual object was invisible! I changed the footprint just by clicking the button in Studio at the bottom of the Mesh import tab to update it to fit the mesh. It made it a 3x3 footprint.
Ultimately I don't know enough about how plants differ from regular objects and I've been away from object creation too long it seems to be able to help further.
|
|
|
Post by Virelai on Dec 20, 2019 9:03:06 GMT -5
Sorry. After looking at your package I'm at a complete loss. Did you share the package you used to take your screenshots because it wouldn't show up in my game until I changed the DevCatagoryFlags and gave it a price and catalogue sort. Either way I did notice that you need to remove doubles along the seam on the planter. It also doesn't cast a shadow in sunlight. I tried to fix that by changing the shader of the shadow mesh. That did make the shadow work but then the actual object was invisible! I changed the footprint just by clicking the button in Studio at the bottom of the Mesh import tab to update it to fit the mesh. It made it a 3x3 footprint. Ultimately I don't know enough about how plants differ from regular objects and I've been away from object creation too long it seems to be able to help further. It didn't show up in your game at first? That's bizarre, because it certainly does in mine. It is a world item that is locked behind the cheats testingcheats true and then bb.showliveeditobjects, but I assume you know that.
I understand. I appreciate your help! Since you did do these: How do you remove the doubles along the seam of the planter? And how do you edit the shader of the shadow mesh? (I assume the latter may be in a tutorial, if it is I can find that).
|
|
|
Post by menaceman44 on Dec 20, 2019 16:21:23 GMT -5
I didn't realise I would need cheats to get it to show. I wrongly assumed you had placed it in the deco plants section.
For the seam on the planter, with the mesh open in blender, select the seam in Edit mode that needs to be smoothed out with edge select and then at the bottom of the Tools tab you should see a button labelled Remove Doubles. Click that once. Alternatively with the seam selected you can go to Mesh (along the bottom of the blender screen) > Vertices > Remove Doubles to get the same result.
|
|
|
Post by Virelai on Dec 21, 2019 10:08:42 GMT -5
I didn't realise I would need cheats to get it to show. I wrongly assumed you had placed it in the deco plants section.
For the seam on the planter, with the mesh open in blender, select the seam in Edit mode that needs to be smoothed out with edge select and then at the bottom of the Tools tab you should see a button labelled Remove Doubles. Click that once. Alternatively with the seam selected you can go to Mesh (along the bottom of the blender screen) > Vertices > Remove Doubles to get the same result. Thank you for all of your help! When I look at the model I couldn't see any issues with the seams myself, so I'm not sure what you're talking about here.
Now, I do want to post something else I discovered when going in to edit the shader data - the world items that are plants all have some seasonal related values to edit in the same area as the objects shader leads us to (under the variantIDs). I discovered in particular that the items that change with the seasons have a SeasonalFoliage value of 1. For some reason a lot of the data is there in the world plants that don't change, but their SeasonalFoliage value is set at 0. Setting the SeasonalFoliage value at 1 makes them change with the seasons like they should.
I also noticed that the problem where you scroll out and the plant part of the meshes disappear is not a specific problem with the items I've been modding, but also is present in the default EA planter mesh that I used to clone the pot over to begin with. The default "summer" phase doesn't do that, but the "winter" phase does.
Now, I really don't know what I'm doing and I don't know why they were set that way, if it was a mistake from EA, or if turning them to 1 just creates issues?
EDIT: So... I think this method is working pretty well!
The one and only issue I'm running into is that it adds the wind intensely to each plant changed. This is fine for the items that are just plants (like the ivy hanging over the ledge in the background there) but the potted plants and the lamp posts I've edited have this issue where the whole entire mesh swings.
I think that could easily be fixed by just getting rid of the wind for the object. I don't know if there is separate wind value for each part of the mesh.
|
|