Would love somebody to make a step by step tutorial as I'm totally new when it comes to SimPE etc....but would love to try and make some recolours of Numenors Wall Window set.

Anyone up for the job??


TIA

Natalie xx

Recolouring the WallWindow set is quite easy.
The "official" recolouring instruction, provided on the original WallWindow thread are:


The recolour template is attached to the first post: the file is "Numenor_WallWindow_(Standard+Seamless)_RecolourTEMPLATE_UPD-27june.rar".

You have to clone it; to clone the template, start SimPE, run the Object Workshop (there's an icon on the bottom of the screen), click "Open" and browse to the Template package. Select "Clone" (not "Recolour") and leave all the option untouched. Click "Next", then "Finish".
The "Scenegraph Rename wizard will appear: do nothing, just click OK. SimPE will ask you where to save the recolour package: assign a filename and save the package.

Now the recolour package is ready: edit the textures as explained in the "Recolouring Objects" tutorial (jump directly to step 3).

Thanks Numenor I had been wondering for a while now

I REALLY need some help with recolouring the WallWindow thingy!!

It's driving me mad, I've been at it for nearly 2 hours now and I can't get it right!!

Followed all the above instructions that Numenor posted. Cloned the template, deleted the "brass" files as I'm only trying to recolour the glass...

Clicked on the texture file and exported it to my desktop, applied my texture in paintshop and saved as a .png.

Went back into Simpe, rightclicked on the texture and scrolled to BuildDXT, opended my image and applied DXT3Format as my texture is partially transparent...clicked build...clicked "commit" and saved and exited from SimPE When opening my file in the game it looks like this.....


After I've applied my texture in SimPE and clicked build/commit it looks like this.....


I don't understand what I'm doing wrong.....I think it's probably the texture..but not sure.. I'm trying to make a "grate" effect. I made the texture using paintshop pro with a transparent background and then copy/pasted it on to the texture file....is this wrong? If anyone could help would be sooooo appreciated! Thanks

I suppose you're saying the texture should be translucent but it's not. If you made the initial graphic of the right size, you won't need to copy and paste it onto another image. Like you said, make a new image with a transparent background, then have the texture on top of it as a separate layer, with the level of transparency you need set in the layer palette (save it as a .psp file first in case you want to edit it later with the layers) and then save the same image as a .png (just say "yes" if PSP wants to make sure you want to save your image as something that doesn't support layers), then Import than into SimPE with the Build DXT function. It should keep the transparency .

It does keep the transparency as a .png and when I paste it over the recolour template it still keeps it's transparency as you can see the template under my texture.

I can't make a brand new image as Numenor states that you have to export the texture file from the recolour template and edit it then import it back into the package.....just stuck on how to get transparency on the template I think

No, you're not required to paste it on the recolor template. You only need to have an image of the same dimensions. I've done this many times, you can create a completely new image and use it . Why not give it a try?

So I can delete the texture file within the recolour template package and add my own?

Am I doing the texture correctly....transparent background, saved as a .png?

Correct and correct

Thanks, I'll give it a go...prolly be back laters though!! Lol

Yay!!! I finally cracked it!!! Only took me 6 hours!!! Oh well, first time using SimPE for recolouring....thanks for all your help!! Much appreciated!! xxx

Yay, congratulations! That's a pretty cool idea for a texture.

Jonesi, just a little suggestion: due to the particular UVmapping of the WallWindows, they will look better if you place them, in game, one facing a side of the wall and the next one facing the opposite side (look at the green arrow as a reference: place the first window with the arrow pointing toward you, and the next one facing the opposite direction).

Good job with your recolour!

Thanks!! Think I'm getting the hang of it now! A couple of questions though...if I may...
How do I change the colour of the glass....at the moment it's completely clear...say I wanted it a whitish colour, but still see through of course.....is it the same as changing the colour of the glass for transparent floors?....i.e. highlight the material definition file and change the RGB values in one of the stdmat thingys?

Also, every texture I make seems to be stretched over two panels of wall/window....i.e. to get the 256x512 texture to show up in the design I made it, I have to use a wall window that is 2 squares long...any idea why and what I can do to make the one texture the size of one wall window piece.

TIA xx

To recolor glass that has no texture, the easiest way is to start up SimPE after ticking Advanced Mode in the settings, then opening the Material Definition and the tab called Categorized Properties, and editing the RGB values for the line stdMatDiffCoef. The first number is the value for the Red between 0-255, the next for Green and the third for Blue. With a combination of these you can get your desired color. By pressing Commit after changing the values you get a little preview of the color in that little rectangle.

For the texturing, I think Numenor mentioned something about the uv-mapping a couple of posts ago. I think it was done like that on purpose to help the texture appear continous.

the red area marked on the template is what shows up for diagonals, for orthagonal walls, there's 2/7 off, 1/7 on each side.

Jonesi (and to anyone interested) - In order to create a window recolour with a patterned transparency, the best way is to clone the provided template and replace the red part of the template texture with a new texture, as explained by Fat D (remember to adjust/replace the alpha channel accordingly).

But if you want to create a plain transparent glass, you can create a standard recolour package with Object Workshop (the recolour package will contain only Material Override and Material Definition: no textures) and then edit the Material definition parameters:

1) stdMatDiffCoeff, as explained by IgnorantBliss; and
2) stdMatUntexturedDiffAlpha (it's the last parameter), using a value in the range from 0 (= completely transparent, invisible) to 1 (= solid, completely opaque).

Ooo thanks....tis a lot to take in having never used SimPE before, but shall work through each step and see what I come up with! Thanks for all the help, tis appreciated! xx

How about if I want coloured glass with a texture over the top....like on the "grate" texture I posted above...I want the texture as it is but with a whitish glass instead of completely clear....

You have to work on the alpha channel embedded on the image: in the alpha channel, the parts that should look solid must be painted in plain white, and the semi-transparent parts should be painted in grey (the darker the grey, the more transparent the final effect).

I don't know if you have already read it, but you can find some suggestions about the alpha channel in this mini-tutorial (I'm sure that there are some other informative threads about the usage of the alpha channel on the forum,though).

And you can also learn important things by examining the textures extracted from some "stained glass" window recolours in the downloads forum.