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Sockpuppet
Original Poster
#1 Old 15th Jun 2010 at 9:14 AM Last edited by Base1980 : 24th Jun 2010 at 1:40 AM.
Default Tutorial: Converting sims 2 bodymeshes to sims 3/ Bone and armfix
Note,
This will only work on meshes used with Wes H his GEOM exporter, NOT TSRW's WSO exporter!!

I wanted to post this in the tutorial section but for some reason i no longer have acces to it.
Maybe a moderator can move this to tutorials?

Alot of people want to convert excisting sims 2 bodymeshes to sims 3 but are facing issues with incorrect assigned boneassignements and have trouble fixing the arms.

I made a file that will fix the boneassignements and one that helps to change the arms.
You do need to follow the correct order as described!!

STEP 1, fixing the bones

*Start Milkshape
*Open the file ''Bloom_S2toS3_Bonefix.Ms3d''
*Import your sims 2 mesh with Wes his UNIMESH importer

When creating a meshpackage for the sims 3 you usually use the comments from the original meshes were your creation is based on!
But since you can change these later on i included a mesh that has comments that you can use to export your sims 2 mesh.
That mesh is called ''Reference''


*Copy the comments from the reference mesh and fill them in the comment box of the sims 2 mesh you just imported(keep in mind you do need to change those later.)
OR
*Fill in the comments from the original sims 3 mesh that you cloned and are going to use to build your own custom meshpackage

*Delete the ''reference'' mesh
*Export the mesh using Wes his GEOM exporter
*Save

This will fix all incorrect bonesettings

Edit,
I forgot to fix one bone.....the breath bone.
But is not used on 99% of sims 2 meshes.
Attached files:
File Type: rar  Bloom_S2toS3_Bonefix.rar (3.2 KB, 927 downloads) - View custom content
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Sockpuppet
Original Poster
#2 Old 15th Jun 2010 at 9:14 AM Last edited by Base1980 : 15th Jun 2010 at 1:21 PM.
Default Armfix
STEP 2, fixing the arms
You must use a mesh that has correct boneassignements, either one you fixed yourself or the one fixed with my import/export file.

*Start Milkshape
*Open the file ''Bloom_S2toS3_Armfix.ms3d'' and tick the box ''show skeleton'' in the joints tab


*Import your ''Bonefixed'' GEOM with Wes his GEOM importer


*Go to the model tab and choose select and at select options the joints
*Hit the ANIM button on the right bottom of your screen(vertices will become invisible)
*Go to front view and select the left forearm joint(elbow)


*Go to model tab, click rotate and use the following:
-Rotate options set ''User point''
-In the Y box fill in 3.5
-Hit the rotate button next to the boxes(the forearm joint and all related vertices will rotate 3.5 degrees backwards)
*Go to front view and select the upperarm joint


*Go to model tab, click rotate and use the following:
-Rotate options set ''User point''
-In the Y box fill in 6
-Hit the rotate button next to the boxes(the upperarm joint and all related vertices will rotate 6 degrees backwards)
*In the Y box fill in 0 and in the Z box fill in -45 and hit again the rotate button next to the boxes(the upperarm joint and all related vertices will rotate 45degrees downwards)


*Fill in 0 at the Z box

*Repeat all the above steps for the right arm only the positive values become negative and vice versa(-3.5/-6 and 45)

When done it should look like this:



*Go to Animate(next to tools at left upper screen)
*Choose ''rotate all''


*Click ok(the skeleton will jump back to its original position)


*Hit the ANIM button on the right bottom of your screen(vertices will become visible again)


*Export your mesh with Wes his GEOM exporter
*Save your file

NOTE,
If i am not mistaken this should work for teens through elders although teens should be scaled to adult size first.
This does not work for toddlers and childs!!
Attached files:
File Type: rar  Bloom_S2toS3_Armfix.rar (2.6 KB, 381 downloads) - View custom content
Sockpuppet
Original Poster
#3 Old 15th Jun 2010 at 9:17 AM Last edited by Base1980 : 15th Jun 2010 at 11:17 AM.
Default Additional info
Even after using these files it still is a huge ammount of work to use the sims 2 meshes in sims 3.

Next steps are:

-Fix the neck wich demands serious meshing skills
-Fix the calves so the shoes/feet will fit
-Fix the hands
The sims 3 skeleton has a extra bone for each finger so animation on sims 2 meshes can give deformation.
And you dont want to use those ugly hands anyway do you?
-Fix the uvmap(the setup of a sims 3 uvmap is way diffrent then the ones used with sims 2.)

When this is done you need to make the 3 or 4 morphs(fit/fat/thin and pregnant)
And all of this times 3 as sims 3 uses High detail/medium detail and low detail meshes.

But you could use these files to convert complicated sims 2 bodymeshparts like hoodies, collars etc and attache them to excisting sims 3 meshes.
Mad Poster
#4 Old 15th Jun 2010 at 11:43 AM
Wow, this looks fantastic, thank you! Will try it out later as soon as I get the chance. Just being able to reposition the arms will be a huge help if this can do it without the shoulders becoming all deformed and distorted, a huge problem I have with all TS2 bodies I try to convert (except for the Servo and the skeleton, simply because their arms were not physically attached to their shoulders). Why oh why did they have to change the arm positioning between TS2 and TS3!! On the latest TS2 body I'm trying to convert (the Social Bunny), the body has come out OK-ish but the arms are a mess, so I look forward to trying your arm fix tool! Thanks again for taking the time to do this tutorial!
Sockpuppet
Original Poster
#5 Old 15th Jun 2010 at 1:13 PM
You should start by fixing the bones by importing the original bunny mesh, using the bonefix import/export.
The shoulderpart will be assigned to the correct bones and rotating the arms should not give any deformations then.
Inventor
#6 Old 16th Jun 2010 at 12:09 PM
Briljant, Base1980, thank you so much for these templates!!
It works for children too, really, I've used the bones template and only the directions to rotated the arms.
There is only a lot more scaling to do for children because those TS3 children are sized differently, mmm.. more muscles.

Here is a picture from the mesh I am working on, still a lot of work to do, but your templates are a great help.
Screenshots
Lab Assistant
#7 Old 22nd Jun 2010 at 4:46 PM
Wow, this is nice tutorial.

Perhaps the next one you make could be about converting TS2 sim animations to TS3 with Wes's AnimTool and whatever you use to export TS2 animations to steam/valve SBX files. Now that's something I'd definitely read.

Converting animations from TS2 to TS3 would also involve fixing the arm position in the first frame of the animation...unless the animation coordinates are done as offsets from the first frame, in which cause you'd have to write an algorithm to compensate the offsets in each frame for the new arm positions, but it still could be done.

So I agree with EsmeraldF: Why oh why did they have to change the arm positions between TS2 and TS3, as it'll make it even harder to convert animations!
Field Researcher
#8 Old 26th Jul 2010 at 12:22 AM
Ah here's what I have been looking for.
Hm....

Looks like a fair bit of work ahead of me to get the meshes i like from sims 2 into sims 3.

Is this the same process if you are wanting to use just pants or a top?

You expect people to pay for those hairs?!
Sockpuppet
Original Poster
#9 Old 26th Jul 2010 at 1:33 AM
Its even more complicated but its the same process.
But when you are done you need to fix the waist, sims 2 meshes have less faces arround the waist so you need to split up a few so it can be fitted to a sims3 bottom.
Field Researcher
#10 Old 26th Jul 2010 at 2:39 AM
I was thinking this is most probably the issue.
Some thing new i will have to get used to.

I'll have to look at a pair of Sims 3 pants myself to see the comparison in poly count on average compared to the Sims 2.

You expect people to pay for those hairs?!
Lab Assistant
#11 Old 26th Aug 2010 at 12:57 PM
Sorry to commit necromancy, but when I open your file in milkshape, the arms are already bent.
Sockpuppet
Original Poster
#12 Old 2nd Sep 2010 at 10:37 PM
Quote: Originally posted by pandaseal
Sorry to commit necromancy, but when I open your file in milkshape, the arms are already bent.


When you open the bonefix file the reference mesh has indeed bended arms.
But that file is a template to correct the boneassignements and not the one you need to correct the arm position.
That sims 3 mesh contains some mesh group comments that you can use and will be deleted during the process.
Lab Assistant
#13 Old 2nd Sep 2010 at 11:22 PM
Alright, thank you. Sorry to be such a noob.
Test Subject
#14 Old 20th Nov 2010 at 5:58 AM
Hi,

I don't know if anyone would be able to help me.

If you are looking for a new challenge then I request that someone tries to convert Ronyu02's Sims 1 Bella Goth Clothing:

http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=203883

I would like to attempt it myself but I wouldn't have the first idea on how to do the required meshing. Unless someone knows where a skin which enables sims to become invisible is...?

Many thanks.

Tj
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