There are a few meshing questions that seem to pop up repeatedly as they're caused by mistakes that it's easy to make especially when first starting to mesh for S3. Everytime one of these questions pops up someone either has to go through the same explanation again or hunt down the link where the answer was discussed. Also, there are a couple of Milkshape-related questions that seem to repeat as well.

The threads where answers to this kind of question can be found are often buried on back pages and/or named in a way that makes it difficult to guess the answer might be in there. Anyway, I thought it might be helpful for people who are new to meshing S3 to put some of the questions like this all in one place with the links to answers for easy reference.

Object Texture-related:

1. Object is shiny/too bright in the game: check the Specular dds...this is the one that is bright white colors. It needs an alpha that is black. Sometimes just opening this dds in an editor will alter the alpha. So even if you think you didn't change it...check it anyway.

Link: http://www.modthesims.info/showthre...highlight=shiny

2. Object is black and unrecolorable in the game:

A. Your overlay IMG (solid black or black with images on it) may have lost its alpha layer. The alpha layer needs to be restored so that the object will become recolorable in the game and so the images show up where they are supposed to on the object.

B. Your multiplier IMG (the greyscale one) may be too dark. See link for discussion of problem and how to fix it here:

http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=394567

3. Object is brown in the game: You may have deleted your Specular IMG. Check to make sure that you have one in the package.

Link: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=386779

4. Object pattern is blurry in the game: You may need to edit the Mask width and height in your MLOD1 and MODL if you have changed the size of your dds IMG's. This is done by changing the values for these lines in the mtlsrcs.

Link: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=374964

posts 11 and 13

5. Object is getting odd pattern effects in the game: You may have altered the red, green, and or blue hues on the Mask IMG. Make sure each is a pure color.

Link: http://www.modthesims.info/showthre...25#startcomment

posts 52 & 59

6. Pattern is distorted on object in-game: If you changed the shape of your dds IMG's you may need to change the tiling on your object to match this new shape. If your object is significantly larger than the clone you're using you may need to change the tiling on your object.

Link: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=390319

7. I made changes to my mesh that should change the texture's appearance and reimported it over an older version but the changes aren't showing up: Empty your caches and then check your object.

8. I changed the greyscale IMG to match my object but I'm still seeing shadowing on my object that looks like the original object's shadow: You may need to change the specular IMG to match your object as well.

Object Invisibility-related:

1. Object is invisible in the game: Your groups may be out of order. Try moving them so that they are in the same order as the groups in the original object that you cloned. Simply renaming them will *not* cause the order to change. You need to go to the Groups tab, select the Group, and use the Up/Down button to move it to the right place on the list.

2. Animated object is invisible when in use: You may have forgotten to assign joints. See below if you're not sure how to assign them.

3. Glass object is invisible in-game: You may have forgotten to assign joints.

Object Shadow-related:

1. Wall object's shadow looks funny/looks like original object's shadow: You need to remap your object's shadow.

Link: http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=369150

2. Object's indoor ground shadow looks funny/looks like original object's shadow: You need to remap your object's shadow.

Link: http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=369150

3. My object's shadow looks funny when the object is placed outside: You need to alter the "sunshadow" models, MLOD2 and MLOD3.

Link: http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=369150

4. I want to make low poly versions of MLOD2 and MLOD3 (sunshadow models): Turn your object into an obj. Use Direct-X to lower the poly count. Save. Import your original MLOD2 into MS. Import your altered obj. Delete the original group. Assign joints and use your new model to overwrite the original.

Milkshape Related:

1. When I open my object in Milkshape there are blue lines all over the mesh: These are the joints. To get a better view of the object follow the instructions in the link.

link: http://www.modthesims.info/showthre...5#startcomments

Post 88

2. Trouble registering Milkshape: link http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=379942

3. Do I need Milkshape to make objects for Sims 3 using the tools at MTS?: There is now an experimental pair of Blender plugins which allow you to use Blender instead of Milkshape. See the sticky to download them.

link: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=389058

4. I don't like meshing with Milkshape. Is it possible to use some other program but still use the tools at MTS? Yes

link: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=386527

post 8

5. How to assign joints using Milkshape: Import your unchanged clone into Milkshape. Import your object into Milkshape (make sure the groups are not named the same as the original object's groups during this step) One by one replace each of the original object's groups with the corresponding group from your object. Make sure your groups are in the same order as the groups of the original object. Once this is completed go to the Joints tab in the far upper right hand corner. Click the SelUnAssigned button. Your object should get a lot of red dots on it. Now click the Assign button. Joints are now assigned and you can export your new object to overwrite the clone.

This will work for most objects since most objects have a single joint. For objects with multiple joints there is more to it.

6. Milkshape is asking me for a key/asking me to pay: Your 30 day trial period has expired and you will have to buy Milkshape to continue using it. If you have questions about this go to the Milkshape site to make inquiries there:

http://www.chumba.ch/chumbalum-soft/forum/

Blender Related:

Ceixari has created experimental plugins so you can now use Blender instead of Milkshape to import/export S3 decompiled clones and work on them. Download and discuss the plugins in the thread linked below.

link: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=389058

Basic Meshing Tutorial:

1. Ella Charm's tutorial on meshing objects goes through the process in detail and provides explanations & illustrations of every step. That tutorial is here:

http://www.modthesims.info/showthre...t=375349&page=1

2. If you're having trouble opening the multiple rar files of the tutorial, Ella has added a section to the Wiki explaining how to do so. Go to the link below and scroll to the multi-part files section to find illustrated instructions:

http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php...ulti-part_files

How do I know how many polys/faces/vertices my object has?

You can find this information by using the ObjTool's MODL/MLOD Info button. Just open the ObjTool and click that button. Navigate to your object's MLOD1 (the one with the shadow) and select it. On the right hand side of the ObjTool screen you will see information. You will find the face and vertice count for your object at the bottom.

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Hope this is helpful for people who are starting out meshing for S3. If anyone spots an incorrect link or has a better link for the problem in question let me know Also, if anyone can think of a commonly asked and answered meshing or Milkshape question they think should be added let me know.

Also there are many useful tutorial covering various aspects of meshing an object in the meshing tutorials section.

Milkshape also has its own forum which has many tutorials for using Milkshape.

Wow. This should be a sticky, i.e. "Having problems? Start here..."

it's pretty basic but hopefully helpful.

Wow.....this is EXTREMELY helpful!!! Thanks~!


PS. There is an easier way of fixing mask hight>>>TSRW! XD... I've been using TSRW alot lately (mostly because I'm too lazy to use whole different set of tools.....XD) and it fixes your mask hight automatically :D.

This is very helpful, thank you! Number 4 of the object texture tips solved a problem of mine yesterday, when my new object's texture was blurry despite the textures being sharp, and I had all but given up. My clone object's DDSes were 1024x512 while the original object's DDSes were 512x1024, and simply changing the mask width/heights to match as instructed in the link you gave, finally solved it.