I saw some contents on mts with 'glowing' effects, like esmeraldaF's wings(found on this link http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=390201), and I was wondering whether I could give my custom object the same bright glow. Could someone tell me how to do it???

The text in that upload states that is was used with the Ghost Eyes shader, which is in the mtlscr files when you decompile. The closest thing to a tutorial about editing this would be the glass tutorial by orangemittens. Tutorials:TS3_Meshing_Tutorials^wiki You can also search out the posts here in CAS Parts and/or Meshing since she gives credit to a couple of other creators for helping. The specific info might be in that thread.

Ha ha, I just tried to answer this in the thread you just posted in the CAS Parts forum, only for it have already been locked when I clicked 'Post Reply'!

I don't know about objects, but for CAS parts, use Delphy's Simgeom MTNF and TGI Editor (http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=372169 ) on your mesh. At the top of its screen, there is a drop-down for 'Shader Type' and then underneath that, a box with 'MTNF Entries' and input areas for 'MTNF Details'. Play around with those values and you can achieve various interesting effects, including the glowing effect.

Thanks Esmeralda!! I will try it as soon as I can!

To apply a new shader to your object you're going to need the code for the shader. Does anyone know a way to get the code for the ghost eyes shader? It needs to be in text format so that you can replace the text of the object's old shader with the ghost eyes shader text in the mtlsrc's.

well....um....what are mtlscr files..I know HugeLunatic mentioned it up there, but thats precisely what I don't understand...and you said the shader code must be in text format.. does that mean we won't be able to apply the ghost eye shader to an object until we find out how to get the code???

Anyway, thanks for answering :D

The mtlscr files are what you get when you decompile your object with the obj tool. You can edit these mtlscr files with Notepad or any text editor. There is a line in there that refers to the exact shader that is used for your object. They tend to be phong or glass for objects. That is the tutorial I linked to for glass, it shows how to edit these files. There isn't going to be a tutorial for every specific thing someone wants to do, your going to have to read what is here and then experiment on your own and be creative.

I looked at the SimGeom editor and while it does have a nifty drop down box to choose shaders, you need to open a simgeom file to be able to apply it. I have no idea of the format of simgeom files after exporting, if there is even mtlscr files to look at. Your going to have to do some testing on your own and looking through game files if you want to find that shader name.

Ok....so basically I'll have to experiment...well, I guess I'll ask more after I do some poking around....

Well, the only poking around that needs done here is to find the code for the ghost eyes shader.

Once you have that you just open the folder where you have your decompiled MLOD1 and go to the mtlsrc that has the material slider. Copy the ghost eyes shader information in its entirety and then replace the MLOD1's shader code with it. Then repeat the same process for the MODL.

You can tell which is the material slider by looking at the MODL/MLOD information using the ObjTool...it's listed there. There are pictures of this process in the glass tutorial. That tutorial is basically just a tutorial for how to change an objects' material slider but using the glass slider as an example. The same process will work for any slider...phong, mirror, even the plumbob one (although that one causes other issues).

The experiment part would be seeing what will happen if you apply a shader meant for Sims onto an object. I'd like to get the code just to see what would happen...lol.

open it in TSR's Workshop and edit the materials for the individual meshes you want the effect on

Do you mean individual groups inside a mesh? Or like in OMs glasstutorial in the blocks in the individual meshes?
Sorry, do not know TSRW yet.

Info on Ghost shader from WesHowe
http://forums.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=367089

If I read that correct he says you can change the name from "Phong" to "Ghost" in Notepad? Maybe changing to "Ghost Eyes" will work?

Cocomama, that isn't the same shader. That shader makes things look transparent like glass...it will not make them glow. What is being described in the thread you linked to is the same process that is in the glass tutorial...that's how I knew how to write it...I learned the process from Wes in that thread. The tutorial basically just goes through the information from the thread and illustrates the steps with pictures.

You have to do more than just change the shader name...there are lines of code having to do with various aspects of the material and those have to be changed along with the shader name. Then all the numbers for each aspect need to be altered as well. The easiest way to do this is to get the text for the shader you want and copy it. Then you replace the old shader that you don't want with the new information.

Raven Shadow does TSRW have a way of showing the text of the shader code and allowing it to be modified? Or do you just have to apply the shader as-is and can't make adjustments to it at all? Is the glowing eyes shader one of the options it allows to be used on an object? Or can it do just phong, glass, and the other usual suspects? I don't use that tool and am just curious about what it can do.

Eta: oops...I saw the code written out and mistook that thread where the way to make glass was discussed...lol. That thread goes into exactly how to change the sliders and how to know where to find them also. Anyhow, if the ghost slider from that thread is one that makes Sims look like ghosts and it worked on a stereo then maybe the ghost eyes one would work on an object...that would be cute.

Sorry OM, did not know it was the same information. I could not do your tutorial. because I got stuck at the line that said something like, copy Notepad into the Send To folder. And I could not find a Send To folder on this PC. There is one on my Vista laptop, I will try again, promise.

Raven Shadow, could you please make a little step-by-step for us how to change the Phong in TSRW?

Sorry also...see my edit above...I thought you were linking a different thread than you were.

If you don't get that "send to thing" when you right click I put instructions in the tutorial about how to set up your computer so that you will. I think it's at the end of the tutorial. I had to have someone walk me through it when I first started using Notepad also...I initially didn't get the send to choice either and had to adjust things so that I would.

Yes...I just double checked. At the start of the tutorial I reference a footnote you can use to show how to add Notepad so it shows up as send to when right clicking something. Here's the footnote:

Footnote: Setting up Send To Notepad
1. Right click computer start button
2. Choose Explore
3. Navigate to Programs
4. Open Accessories folder
5. Right click Notepad and choose Copy from the drop down
menu
6. Left click on the Send To button in the left hand column
7. Right click in the white area on the right hand side of the screen
and click Paste from the drop down menu.

There are pictures for the steps in the tutorial in case I didn't explain it well.

Yes, I did find that Footnote, but I do not have a Send To.
I've made a picture of what I have

I'm on Windows Vista and my send to folder is here:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo

on XP it's C:\documents and settings\username\send to

What system are you on? Somewhere on your system there is most likely a send to folder...you just have to hunt for it.

Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 3. Gosh that is old!
I did hunt for Send To, searched for it, asked for it to several people, but there simply is no Send To on this PC. Except from what I got on the picture.
But I did see one on the Vista laptop. I will try it there later.
Maybe I need to think about a new OS on this PC, but it will be no Vista!

Coco it may be that you need to turn on the ability to see hidden folders. But XP comes with that folder by default (all versions) and so you should have one. Your computer will have that folder for every user that is on it.

Also, in the picture that you posted you clearly have a send to folder and it even has some Sims 3 things in it. It seems that, if necessary, you can always add a folder like that for all users. Here's a link where all this is discussed:

http://www.fmsinc.com/free/NewTips/...tworkAdmin6.asp

Lastly, you won't need to use "send to" for this purpose if you don't want to. Go to the mtlsrc that you want to look at and right click it. Choose "open with" and if you don't have that choose "open". If you choose open it may tell you it doesn't know how to do it...but if you look lower in that dialogue box it will give you an option to choose the program to open it with. Check off that option and it will give you a new box with all these different programs listed. Select Notepad and then it should open the mtlsrc with Notepad. Not only that, but from then on the computer should know that if you double left click on any mtlsrc that it should open it using Notepad. So this might actually be an easier way of doing things especially since your send to folder has gone missing.

Well.... maybe I'll post another specific thread about the ghost eye shader code.....that shader's driving me crazy.....

Please don't post new threads for the same topic. You have been discussing the shaders in this thread, specifically the ghost eyes. Anyone who knows how will be able to post in this thread. If no one has posted then they either don't know or haven't see this thread.

You might want to do what Raven_Shadow has said and use TSRW or start looking through game files/objects to find the correct code.

@ sims reality: If it's any help, the way I made my first glowing accessory was by using the SimGlass shader and setting 'Diffuse' to a value of 80. I only later discovered I could get a similar effect by simply using Ghost Eyes without having to change anything, so being lazy, I just use that now. But maybe you can try the glass shader as I described above - maybe that will be easier to use with objects? Unfortunately I don't know - I've only just started learning how to make objects and haven't tried playing with shaders yet. I'm still trying to figure out how to make objects that don't disappear when the sim uses them, and *then* I'll worry about shaders!

Oh.. ok.. I myself is pretty new to custom contents creation, and I guess I'll look really close at OM's glass tutorial..and try to apply your method.

Thread split...

Please keep all discussion of what you may think are inaccuracies of that tutorial out of this help thread. Post it in the tutorial thread. If these posts disappear...well I figured out cut and paste.

Edit: Off topic tutorial posts have been split and merged with the tutorial thread.