1: Using EP mesh is said to require that certain EP but is there a way to use some EP mesh but still not require people to have that certain EP. Example if the EP's mesh would be imported to milkshape, modified a bit, create your Lods for it and then export them as new files. Will these meshes still require the EP?

2. Why do the tutorials always say "make sure you unchecked the auto smooth" (in milkshape) why does the auto smooth has to be unchecked?

3.When using Wes H normal data merge tool (shortcut as N as the Blooms tutorial recommended) Then you hit N for some vertexes but since it does not give any message of using that or nothing really changes so how can I be sure hitting the N has done anything for the mesh? (Unlike when using VDM you can clearly see how the vertexes get merged together) What if you hit the N more than 2 times for the same vertex to make sure you copied the normal data to it - will anything bad happen by doing that more than once?


4. I have modified a cloth mesh in milkshape so now it needs to be turned into fat morph. Well first of course I duplicate this mesh I made and then I need to import fat guide. So the question is that since the fatbody is only going to be as a guide it doesn't matter even if imported mesh is an obj. file right? Does the fat guide need to be placed above the mesh that I'm going to modify into morph? (Since the obj. file doesn't contain any sims data, or does it?)

5. When I have turned the duplicated mesh to look nice on a fat person I need to copy the morph data for its comments. Where do I get that data? Is it the same that is copied for pregnancy morph?


6. Lastly, When I'm done with the fat morph and exported it. Do I need to create Loads for fat morphs too? Can I just use the DirectX Mesh tool to reduce the fat morhp mesh quality and then export it as load2, and then reduce again and export it as load3. Or do I seriously have to create every load for the fat morhp from the original 50%fit/fat mesh's loads?

Thanks for anyone who can answer even to one of these

1. Yes - it's piracy, and apart from being illegal is a banning offence here. If you actually make a legitimate modification because you want the mesh to look different, rather than just moving the vertices around a bit for the sake of it, then that's fine: you will have to create new morphs if you want it to be usable without the EP in question, and also make sure you replace the bumpmap and all the textures, as some of those may be EP-dependent.

2. Autosmooth breaks it Autosmooth relates to normals, which affect how the mesh reflects light. If you keep autosmooth on, then you'll end up with weird seams and shiny bits where you don't want them, and it's very hard to fix after the damage is done.

3. You can preview the normals using the Selection Editor (MAKE SURE to save first and undo after you've quit the selection editor: it unwelds all your vertices); and the difference is visible in the 3D view, though you may have to spin the mesh around a bit to see it.

4. You don't need to do anything special with the guide - just import it any old how and delete it once you're done.

5. Good question. Dunno.

6. You need to create separate morphs for each LOD. The morph must have exactly the same number of vertices as the base mesh, so if you use DirectX then you'll almost definitely end up with slightly more or slightly less vertices in, say, LOD2 fat, than you have in LOD2. You could also use DirectX then tweak things manually to get the vertex count right, if you prefer.

1. If you're making a legitimate modified mesh as Whiterider said, when you give it a new group ID you should make sure the EP flag, which is the first byte/first two hex characters of the group, is zero to enable it for all versions of the game. Example off the top of my head: groupID 0x18abcd12 is valid only for Ambitions. GroupID 0x00abcd12 is valid for all versions.

5. The comments in Milkshape are indeed the same for all the morphs. Just replace the group comments for your morph mesh with this:

FVFItems: 3
TableType: 0
References: 1
TGIRef00: 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000

1, best is to clone a basegame outfit and replace the textures and mesh with the ones from the EP

2, autosmooth will smooth the mesh but if the mesh is splitup(like with sims meshes who have like a front/back/hands/feet etc etc) autosmooth will smooth out each part on its own wich gives you the seams you dont want.

3 the normal merge tool results aren't always visible, but if you want to check if it works then change some numbers with the manual edit tool so the normals get messed up. Then use VNM.
It doesn't matter if you hit the key more then once

4 yup, you can place the fat obj file as reference file on top in the meshgroup list.
Only thing you need to do is to fix the comments and(i always do) is to unassigne the whole mesh from the boneassignements.

5 as Cmar explained.

6 it depends wether you want to upload your creation or not.
The lod2 is hardly used(only on low end computers) and the lod3 is a far distance mesh
you decide.
But you do need to make/edit 15 meshes if you want things perfect......

I never use your method(makin new morphs) but frankenstein the meshes and use a 2 group outfit to load the custom meshparts in.(only way to frankenstein the morphs)
I do this because the lod2 and lod3 cant be made from the lod1 mesh as direct x kills the boneassignements and reassigning them is a huge task.

15 meshes? Where did all the 15 come from? If I want do things perfect wont that contain about making 6 meshes? : as 3 meshes (LOD1,2,3) for 50%fit/fat and then 3 LODs for the fat mesh. So what are the rest 9 meshes?

Well I was only thinking that I could use some parts of EP meshes and basemeshes to frankenstein the meshes to create different looking meshes that would still keep all the boneassignements, because that's the only way I could create complitely new clothing since I can't create clothing from scatch or else it would take weeks to make all boneassignements.

So When frankensteining the cloth meshes all the LODS and morhps are must to be done manually so the boneassignents wont get meshed up? No shortcuts here? How am I supposed to make lower quality of a frankensteined mesh btw? I cant delete vertexes to reduce polycount manually just like that without killing the boneassigment or can I?

edit: Actucally is is even possible to make all 3 lods and all 3 morphs for the frankenstein clothing meshes?

LOD1: Base, fat, fit, special
LOD2: Base, fat, fit, special
LOD3: Base, fat, fit, special

I dunno where the other three come in . And ofc you don't have to do special if you're not making an af outfit.

The method generally recommended for frankensteining is to find a base mesh with several parts - i.e. several of the EA meshes, for no apparent reason, have one part for the clothes and then a second mesh part which contains the right thumb - and import one frankensteined segment as each mesh part. You could presumably import the LOD2 and LOD3 meshes the same way (though LOD3 only gets one mesh part).

The 3 thin meshes make a total of 15 meshes.
There are several adult meshes with 2 groups for every LOD, even the LOD3. Bloom has mentioned at least one in the thread about frankenstein a mesh.

OKay I guess the Frankenstein question is too tough.
Anyway I got two more questions I'm not sure about so please I'd really appreaciate an asnwer to these then I stop bothering for a while

1.When using DirectX Mesh tool, the mesh becomes all black. How do I fix the normals? is there tutorial how to do that?

2.Do I have to copy any data for the comments for accessory meshes? Since hair meshes require it and also the morphs.

1. Install Demon's align normals plugin, and use it.
2. Yes - just copy the comments from any EA accessory mesh.

alright THANKS alot from all the answers

With accessoires i often use autosmooth, turn it on/mirror the mesh and back/turn autosmooth off, then use Demon's tool to finetune
Especially watches become ugly when completly smoothen.