Post by orangemittens on Dec 6, 2014 19:41:30 GMT -5
This tutorial will show you how to make a top recolor that has transparent areas without EA's bump, shadow, and specular images showing up and ruining them.
The same technique can be used for pants, shorts, and skirt recolors. For a full body outfit you will need to download the male or female full body nude:
These will soon be included as a Sims 4 Studio Recolorable inside Sims 4 Studio but for now you need to download them and clone them as custom content. If you aren't sure how to do that there is a tutorial going over that in the tutorials section here.
What You Will Need:
Sims 4 Studio v. 2.0.0.6 or up
A 2D Editor - I used Paint.net but any 2D editor that can handle alpha images and .dds will do.
Create Your .package:
1. Choose Create CAS Standalone.
2. Click the CAS button.
3. Filter by Gender - female, Age - adult, and Part Type - clothing top and pick the nude top.
4. Click the Next button. Name the .package whatever you want your FINAL .package to be named.
5. The model will show up with her default outfit on. Now that your .package is saved click Cancel.
Get images resources from the top you want to recolor:
6. Choose Create CAS Standalone.
7. Click the Create Recolor button.
8. Select an EA garment that you want to recolor. Again click the Next button. This time it doesn't matter what you name the .package because you are only doing this to get the texture
image. I chose EA's black crop top.
9. When the model viewer screen comes up click Export Texture.
10. Click Cancel. If you want to use another EA top to go with the one you just got the texture from simply clone another and export its texture also. I chose a long sleeve top
to go over this one as you will see in upcoming steps.
Make your recolor with transparent areas
11. Open up your 2D editor.
12. Open up the texture image of the top you exported from Sims 4 Studio.
13. If you are planning to put another more sheer garment over the first open that image in your 2D editor, copy it (the entire image not just the textured part) and paste it into a new
layer.
14. Click on the layer that you want to make more transparent in the Layers list.
15. When the Layer Properties box pops up move the Opacity slider to the left to decrease the opacity. You will see it become more transparent on the image. When it's how you want it
click OK.
16. At this point you're done if that's all you wanted to do.
I wanted to add more details so I copied and pasted a composite Sim image onto mine in its own layer and moved it to the bottom. This allows you to see where on the Sim details go.
For example, the arrow below is pointing at the Sim's left arm.
***You can find the composite Sim image here: Composite Sim Images
17. Once you have the image done how you want it either delete the layer holding the composite Sim image or hide that layer. Then click File and Save As.
Save the image as a DXT5 (Interpolated Alpha) with the Generate Mip Maps box checked.
Import your new image to your .package
18. Back in Sims 4 Studio click the My Projects button. Navigate to where you saved the first .package that you made. This is the one you cloned from the nude top.
19. Click Import Texture and import your image.
20. Before adding any more swatches click the Warehouse tab. This will take you to a section that lists all the components of your item that Studio cloned and included in the .package.
Make your top buyable and edit it so it won't show in situations where the Sim has a nude top - it is important to do these steps before testing your item in the game!
21. Click the CAS part line on the left. This will open a view that displays all the properties EA has coded into the CAS part. Scroll down until you find the section EA labels PartFlags.
EA makes things show in the CAS catalog with a line that they named ShowInUI.
Because we are using an item that doesn't automatically show in the catalog (because EA did not choose to have ShowInUI selected in it originally) you need to put a check in the box
there to change that so your item will show in the catalog.
Scroll down until you see the Tags field and click on the word Collection.
When the Collection Control box pops up click the first tag line. Change the TagValue from OutfitCategory_Bathing to OutfitCategory_Everyday.
Click the second Tag line. The TagValue will be OutfitCategory_Situation. Click the X to delete this. People using the Vogue version of Studio need to click the Remove button instead.
Click the OK button to close the popup box. Note that if you do not remove this line the Sim will wear the garment when they should take the garment off. If you test in game with
this Tag line still there the Sim wearing it may refuse to become fully naked even if you remove the item from the game.
Finish your .package and save
22. Now click the Studio tab again and add as many new swatches as you like. Change their color as usual and add a custom thumbnail if you like.
23. When you're finished click the Save button.
And check out your new garment with transparency in the game 
