Tutorial: how to change genetics after home plastic surgery *FREETIME update* 06/11/2008

[Nukael]

Hi everybawdy,

Alas, alas, the simplified method was not meant to stay!
Freetime has apparently changed some things about genetics, which means that the simplified method of changing your genetics won't work anymore.
:faceslap:
And so, I present to you once more, the slightly longer version, it's only a few clicks more, really...

The version of Simpe I used for this is 0.68 (I know the screenshots say otherwise, but opening your neighbourhood hasn't changed since then, has it?)

1. Open Simpe, then open your neighbourhood via the neighbourhood browser

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen001.gif

2. Open the Sim browser

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen002.gif

3. Find the Sim that has recently been to the plastic surgeon (they're listed by their first name) and click "open"

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen003.gif

4. You'll see a lot of info. Click on "more" and choose "open character file"

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen004.gif

5. Then the character file of your Sim opens. On the left hand side you will see "Facial Structure", click it and on the right hand side two lines will appear (if you've done plastic surgery that is!!!)

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen005.gif

6. Right click the second line and choose "Extract..."

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen006.gif

7. Save the extracted file to somewhere you'll find it again.

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen007.gif

8. Right click the first line and choose "Replace..."

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen008.gif

9. Now, this is IMPORTANT! Choose the file you extracted earlier, but choose the .simpe file NOT, I repeat NOT the xml file. CHOOSE THE .simpe FILE! Ohterwise your Sim will be left without a face foreeeever.

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen009.gif

10. Now save the file, and you're all done!

http://www.rufuscreations.com/sims/gen010.gif

That's it! Have fun with it! :gjob:

[thistle8]

Thanks, dont suppose you know how to change their skin tone?

[Nukael]

It depends on which you want to change, if you just want to change the appearance skintone, you can use Sim Surgery, but it's still a bit messed up because of University.

If you want to change the genetics you can find them in the neighbourhood file under Sim dna. What every line is you can find on the forum, search for Sims Dna and you should find a thread: mystery of Sims Dna revieled or something like that.

[SeaZephyr]

Awesome! Thanks for this, I will be using it!

[thistle8]

Thanks :o)

[cheekywench]

This is very helpful. Thanks for posting!

[Motoki]

Oh thank you, I was wondering how to do this and I knew there must be a way. Now my newly beautiful sims don't have to be childless or else have little monsters lol.

[RGiles]

Awesome. :) Thank you. I'm going to move this to the tutorials section where it will be easier to find.

RG

[SilkStockings]

OH MY GOD, THANK YOU!! I worship you!! :bow:

[Nukael]

You're welcome :D I tried posting this thing first in the tutorial section, but hey! I'm not allowed, oh well, it's found its way there anyhow :)

[Crmelsimlover]

YAY! Now my newly beautiful sims can have beautiful offspring instead of spawns from hell. Thank you!

[nickmillard]

OMG :wow: This is cool, thanks! :D

[elvendragon]

:bow:

You rule.

[Katt1367]

Thank you so much!

[jordi]

Thank you tons. Now I can finally apply eugenics to the ugly townies!

[butt3rfly]

Why does my sim have only 1 line? Not 2? :(

[Grapholina]

Right clicking on that line isn't available in my SimPe. However, I can always pull up the file by going to the file location first and clicking on the file number which will in turn pull up SimPe.

[Motoki]

Why does my sim have only 1 line? Not 2? :(

butt3rfly do you have the university expansion? Because if not then your sim will only have line 1 and that is normal.

[Ancient Sim]

I don't have the facility to right-click either - my grey line stops when it gets to the Neighbourhood part, it doesn't mention the file (I have the latest edition of SimPE - version 35). I opened the file from the Character Files and did it that way (which is awkward as nowhere in SimPE can I find any mention of the character number) ... anyway, I changed it, but the file names didn't alter, the two lines still show as different and I don't know if they are meant to because there is no picture of how it is supposed to look once it's done. In other words, I have no idea if I will be passing on the new genes or the old ones! Only one way to find out, I suppose ...

Anyway, if it works, brilliant ... if it doesn't, I'm gonna have one ugly kid born because this Sim was one I made and it sort of went wrong!

[Motoki]

If you look at the hex code and compare it between the two entries it should look exactly the same if the change took. I know it will look like gibberish, but it should be exactly the same gibberish lol.

[butt3rfly]

butt3rfly do you have the university expansion? Because if not then your sim will only have line 1 and that is normal.

I have the university expansion, but my sim still has only line 1..

[Ancient Sim]

I have the university expansion, but my sim still has only line 1..So do mine unless I use the plastic surgery object, then another one appears. They'll only have one if you haven't altered their facial appearance as far as I can see.

[skanlala]

Thanks for posting this. It's interesting to know.

For some reason I have a hard time playing god with my townie and ugly sims' genes lol but if I ever feel like it I'll definitely use this.

[JohQ]

This is so great! Thank you!! :)

[Lpfan]

WOOHOO!! Now Goopy can have some beautiful kids with his new face :D ::Sorry Goopy fans, but the face had to go:: :smash:

[McClainNM]

Thank you for posting this tutorial. I just got to the stage of game play where I need to do something permanent with the looks of sims that use the plastic surgery kit. Thanks again.

[Cold_Ethyl]

I always have the problem of my actrative sims having such God awful ugly childern so this I see. Thank you when I get Uni on monday I will give this a shot.

[meligroban]

I was also wondering about the same thing someone else mentioned, the two lines stay the same as they were before; the first line doesn't appear to be changed at all. Is it supposed to stay the same or should it look the same as the second line? :dolt:

[RGiles]

The line staying the same... do you mean the group, instance and subtype numbers? If so, those should NOT change, so you're doing it right. :)

[Jaedle]

Awesome. I can actually let Komei have kids now? It's amazing how just 4 clicks of a mouse made him handsome

[anachronista]

Here's a question. I was just changing some sim facial structure files per instructions in this tutorial. I do that with NPC townies and University Secret Society members with the aid of the Merola mirror and the plastic surgery machine. As I looked at the files of these sims, however, ones that I KNOW I sent to the plastic surgery machine, I noted that they had only one facial structure file. No second line!

It's hard to tell whether this is the original face file or the changed one. Would this have to do with the fact that these are NPCs or is everyone else as mystified as I am?

Also, last time I was having a plastic surgery party at the Volauvent Society, I noticed a very high failure rate. I had to run the machine five or six times to get a good result on some sims regardless of their motives. There was one sim that always failed no matter how many times she used the machine, so I had to let the cow plant eat her. Sigh.

[Kipsy]

I've got the same problem as Anachronista.

I know for a fact that I've used plastic surgery on a sim, and there's only one facial structure line. I'm using the newest version of SimPE...so...

[kasta]

I also only have one facial structure line. This sim was modified using sim surgery. It is not an NPC sim, it is a second generation sim. Was an alien impregnation and she was hideous so I changed her. I'm also using the newest version of SimPE version .44

[Prothoss]

When i did your tut there was only one line in the character facial lol,

[chyrun]

awww thank you for the tutorial. It may come really handy :)

[Inge Jones]

I'm only getting one Facial line in my Sims after surgery. Could SimPe be doing it differently nowadays?

[DLDuncanHI]

Have tried your tutorial and it works great. Just wondering if you can make the changes you do in a makeover (hair style, hair color, color for eyebrows, stubble, beard, etc) genetic. These don't appear to be part of the facial structure that gets changed through the process you describe.

Thanks for your help!

Aloha! :beer:

[Nukael]

Oh dear, I've been out of the scene for quite a while, haven't I? The last version I used of Simpe was something like .32 or so... From what I gather from the comments is that Simpe has changed a bit.
Now I got the new lay-out of Simpe, and Nightlife, I'm back in the game! Once the new Nightlife compatible version of Simpe comes out, I'll check and do some more testing to see what's exactly changed.

DLDuncanHI: the changes made in makeover aren't stored in the seperate user files (for Uni and the base game that is, don't know for Nightlife), these changes are kept in the main neighbourhood file. You should be able to open their genetics in Simpe now by clicking a button (am not sure, typing off the top of my head), you have to change the genetics there. Lists for what is exactly what can be found on this site (a thread "Mysteries of Sim Dna reveiled" helped me a lot on writing this tutorial

If you haven't used plastic surgery your Sims only have one line. The line you change DOES NOT change its appearance, but what's inside is definetly different.

BUT, as I seem to have fallen behind a bit on the scene I cannot guarantee recent changes in Simpe (especially the new user interface) have altered some stuff. I'll look into it

[JimmyHln]

ack.... Too many sims....:gonemad:

I tried this with my copy of Sims2 Nightlife and the newest version of Simpe (first nightlife friendly version, not fully nightlife campatible though) and it seems to have worked. I had two lines for a sim that had gone through plastic surgery and changed the file. I have not tried producing offspring afterwards yet though. Thank you very much for this info.

Unfortunatly, I have far too many sims that need this little DNA splice do try and get them all done at once. I will have to wait untill a couple is ready to reproduce and then fix their DNA if needed. It still beats trying to improve the gene pool over several generations through controlled breeding though... :twisted:

[HeartDeco]

If you have Sim parents with prominent and/or vastly differing facial features, you may want to consider turning off the Facial blend limits used by the game when creating the baby. This way instead of the game trying to blend dramatically different facial structures, which programming can only take so far, it will 'borrow' parts from each parent.

Even the most beautiful parents will have 'half-baked', ugly Sim children if their facial features can't be blended to an adequate degree.

The command for this can be entered in the Neighborhood view of the cheat window, sometime after conception and before the actual birth of the baby or prior to using CAS: faceBlendLimits off

Just a thought for those with pleasing asthetics high on their list for NL.

HeartDeco

[SSChan]

Here's a question, is it possible to take the genetics of another sim and do the same thing? Basically giving the facial structure of Sim A to Sim B. Because the patient sims are too young they haven't had home plastic surgery, just Sim Surgey via SimPE; so, they don't have the second line. Any help would be appreciated.

[Sitara]

Thanks! How did you find out about htis if I may ask? Just trial and error or...?

[Jabberjahz_XXX]

People, if you have the latest version of the InSimenator, you can do surgery on your younger sims. Now, as of yet I have tested to see if you can changed the genetics in SimPe like you do adults but I will later one. Just wanted everyone to know that.

[blinkpia]

Why don't I understand how I install it?? Please help me, I want to use simPE! (...)

[@Stefan]

Where can I find SMIPE that can recolor, nightlife objects?
please post some link, because I cant find it under downloads at SIMPE site...

[Inge Jones]

I think you can only get SimPe at the SimPe site. SMIPE probably has its own site. Or are you thinking of CEP?

[Nukael]

Thank you all for answering some of the people's questions. I am without my own internet connection for the moment so I'm not able to review this thread that much. Thanks for the understanding :D

[amberandcarlos33]

I have exported a NPC Sim for surgery and have changed her look then saved her under Saved Sims. How do I import her in to SimPE in order to replace the original NPC with her face? Or am I going about this all wrong? Just curious. Actually all I really want to do is give my NPC's make-up. They are all pale and make-up-less. So if there is a way to do this, if anybody can be of assistance. I'd appreciate it.

Thanks,
Amber

"Hold fast to dreams for dreams die. Life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly." ~ Langston Hughes. :banghead:

[Wintermute]

Thank you for the tut! I will follow it as soon as I exit the game.

[Loslonelyboys201]

Gracias! I will try that after I get my neighbourhood Browser to work. For some reason it won`t let me open a neighbourhood.

[mourning.glory]

I have a bit of problem with this. I proformed plastic surgery on a sim (Tybalt Capp) to make his cheeks less shrunken in, and it turned out well (He really is good looking with a little help). I then followed this method and changed his genetics. However when he had a child her cheeks were HUGE, obviously because I had made his bigger with plastic surgery. Is there anyway to get around this? I just want good looking children!

[Nukael]

I have a bit of problem with this. I proformed plastic surgery on a sim (Tybalt Capp) to make his cheeks less shrunken in, and it turned out well (He really is good looking with a little help). I then followed this method and changed his genetics. However when he had a child her cheeks were HUGE, obviously because I had made his bigger with plastic surgery. Is there anyway to get around this? I just want good looking children!

Ehm, not really, but you can check if you've got FaceBlendLimits on or off (search the forum how to, it's just a cheat function). If it's off, then you're bound to get more extreme features in your children.

[Airelda]

I have used this tutorial and the earlier version of it on probably about 100 of the Maxis-ugly sims in my game. I feel sooo much happier now I have learned to change their faces and make it genetic. My game feels like it is full of my own sims now, not full of sims I dislike and avoid.

I cannot thank you enough for teaching me how to do this and for making my game so much more fun and rewarding to play!

[twelvebottles]

I could use a similar method to have two sims get the same genetics, correct?

[TheSimSariah]

I am also not getting two facial structure lines, just one =/

[gantz4u]

ok heres a good link...dont pass this up... its a tutorial on how to make cool zombie
in photoshop....i found it surfing for dawn of the ded pics.. its pretty good.. im scared

http://www.graphics.com/modules.php?name=Sections&op=viewarticle&artid=177

[Remyz]

Any idea of how to change some of their other genetics, like their eye color?

[pleasantveiw1]

Not sure if this is the right place to say this, but what is the simpe

[IgnorantBliss]

SimPE (http://sims.ambertation.de/) is a free tool for many different things. You can edit your sims, recolor or clone objects with it, and so on.

[pleasantveiw1]

thanks so much

[teddyccs]

Thanks Nukael!!!

I have some question..
Can I efface extracted file after replaced and save??

[Gesundheit]

I can follow the tutorial just fine until the last step, saving changes. It says Warning: Changes Cannot Be Saved! This has happened before, on other things... what should I do?

This is just a Warning. It is supposed to keep you informed about a Problem. Most of the time this is not a Bug!

"C:\Documents and Settings\Catherine1\My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N007\Characters\N007_User00176.package" is write protected.

[Jacki]

You are... a legend. Absolute. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[agraphia0]

Thank you! :duck:

[audio]

can any 1 help me where can i find sim browser at

[IgnorantBliss]

can any 1 help me where can i find sim browser at

See the tutorial, and the second screenshot. It shows you where to find it.

[caseysocrazy]

This is just a Warning. It is supposed to keep you informed about a Problem. Most of the time this is not a Bug!

"C:\Documents and Settings\Casey\MyDocuments\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N004\Characters\N004_User00088.package" is write protected.

same thing as above post.
what do i do?
it was working fine the other day

[Nukael]

This is just a Warning. It is supposed to keep you informed about a Problem. Most of the time this is not a Bug!

"C:\Documents and Settings\Casey\MyDocuments\EA Games\The Sims 2\Neighborhoods\N004\Characters\N004_User00088.package" is write protected.

same thing as above post.
what do i do?
it was working fine the other day

Wow, a lot has happened since I've been gone. Sorry about that, but I'm back now, sort of.

I know this is a bit late, but the answer is that your files are set to "read-only" probably. To remedy this go to your "Characters" folder, (but DO NOT open it). Right click, and disable "read-only", click "apply". If this doesn't work, I'm not sure.
Check to see that only Simpe has access to that folder (is every other Sims programma closed? i.e. Sims Bodyshop...)

Happy Simming!

[SIMale]

I can't see the images in the first post in this thread.

[Kalendes]

Yeah, I can't either. The images appear to've been deleted, which makes it a bit harder for newbies to follow this tutorial. :/

[moshi_moshi_suttato]

thank you, thank you, thank you. I had one HELL of a time trying to fix my sim's genetics. (I was trying to package him to bodyshop as well so I could use him later.)

edit: yes, please do replace those pictures in the first post. I luckily understood the text enough to avoid doing something horribily wrong. owo;

[devil_lush]

Hi, this method has always worked for me.. till SEASONS.. i follow all the steps as i've always had...and everything seems normal...but when my modified sims has a kid...the kid has all the old features that the parent had... as if i hadn't modified with simpe... does anyone know what it can be?

[Emily.Rose]

im sorry tht this hasnt got enything to do with this...but wen i save downloads into my download file in the ea games sims 2 file it doesnt show up in bodyshop. can anybody help??

thnx X :(

[Nukael]

Hello hello, I'm working on getting back up to date with this tutorial. With screenshots and all.

Hang in there! :rofl:

[Nukael]

Hi, this method has always worked for me.. till SEASONS.. i follow all the steps as i've always had...and everything seems normal...but when my modified sims has a kid...the kid has all the old features that the parent had... as if i hadn't modified with simpe... does anyone know what it can be?

There is a bug apparently in Simpe or Seasons so that sometimes the extracted file is named the wrong way. Check my updated tutorial for a fix.

[GnatGoSplat]

This can be simplified a little.
Instead of extracting anything, you can right click on the first one (this is the original face) with Instance 0x00000001 and click Delete.
Then select the second one (the new face) with Instance 0x00000002, click on Resource at the bottom, and change the instance to 0x00000001. Then click Commit and Save.

[Simply Red]

This worked perfectly and was so simple. Thank you for this tutorial.

[lesse]

Wow, thank you SO much for this quite easy tutorial.

[robnor]

Please help. Whenever I've tried to change only skintone in simpe, it doesn't work and tells me there was an error. What am I doing wrong?? also there are times when I have exported a sim to bodyshop so I can change genetics on unattractive sims, but when I try to go into bodyshop, it crashes. Why??? It's almost gotten to where I don't use my bodyshop at all or I'm constantly reinstalling so I may use bodyshop. Can anyone help me??? Thanks. :help:

[devylzangyl]

Is this gonna be updated for the new Simpe to use with FreeTime?

[Jaclyn]

This has always worked perfectly for me, so thank you very much for simple and VERY easy to do tutorial. You saved my life.

However, now that I have freetime (and the updated SimPE) it no longer works. Instead of changing the genetics, it's like it reverts the genetics. If I go to change the appearance of a previously face-lifted sim, their face reverts back to before the face lift.

Now I'm just confused!

[Jaclyn]

There is a bug apparently in Simpe or Seasons so that sometimes the extracted file is named the wrong way. Check my updated tutorial for a fix.

p.s. ... where is this fix you are talking about? It's not in yoru updated tutorial.

[JessieBee185]

Where you said to change the 2 to a 1, mine is already a 1... Should I leave it and click force commit anyway?

[JessieBee185]

Never mind. I forgot to click the non-deleted one before clicking on resources *smacks forehead*

Thanks for the tutorial btw! I hated that my beautiful maked over sims were having seriously fugly children...

[Chemi]

Thank you soo much for this tut! Now my beautifully remade alien girl can have beautiful children with her handsome husband! Woot!

[Nvenya]

I'm also experiencing the same problems that Jaclyn is having. I have Freetime and every time I change the genetics with SimPE they revert back after using the mirror in game.

[Nukael]

p.s. ... where is this fix you are talking about? It's not in yoru updated tutorial.

Because the tutorial was completely rewritten, the fix became redundant, as it only applied to my old method.

As for the Freetime stuff, I only just got Freetime myself, so I'll have to check and do some testing.

[Nukael]

And the tutorial's been updated! I found out that the simplified method didn't work anymore for some reason with Free Time, but the older method still works fine, so I've posted that one back up.

That should work.

[AndarielHalo]

What is meant by "home" plastic surgery? Does this mean SimPE Sim Surgery or something else in game that I haven't discovered yet?

[Nukael]

It's a career reward when you become a celebrity. It was introduced in University. I forget which career it is though, I think show business.

The object is commonly used to turn ugly townies into more watchable Sims. Although I mainly use Simpe's Sim Surgery nowadays.

[devylzangyl]

Is the method still the same with Apartment Life or is there gonna be a new tutorial?

[StarrySim]

I have all expansions, and the new SimPE updated for AL. Here's my problem - when I click replace and go to select the file I extracted, I'm not sure which one to select. One has the .simpe extension, and one has no extension. However, my icon for the .simpe file is the same as your icon for .simpe.xml. To me it looks like the file with no extension is actually the simpe file, and this is the one I should choose - is that correct? Please see attached screen shot.

[Nvenya]

Wanted to thank you for updating this and to say that it's working for me again.

StarrySim, though this is a bit late just wanted to say that if you hover over the files it will tell you which is which type (i.e.- SimPE packed file, XML document). You want to choose the SimPE one.