I'm sure we've all wondered at some point what EAxis was thinkin when they created the various clothes for our pixel people. Some of it is so utterly hideous, fugly, and or just plain OMG you need eye bleach from lookin at it. I mean honestly do the programmers, designers, or whoever had a hand in the creation of said items actually HAVE these items in their closet or drawer.

Ok, so I know we all agree on the idiocy of the the look, so what is the best way to fix them? Is it better to get defaults, use hiders, or an other option? I like the idea of defaults since the design of some of the outfits themselves are not bad, mostly it's the hideous 'material' and/ or color. However, with soooo many of them bein bad how long would it take to actually go through each life stage, through each part (day, pj, swim...), and for both genders. I'm guessin not a quick easy job so then maybe just hidin them isn't the better way?

What is the solution you use? Do you just download cute stuff and ignore EAxis fugly stuff? Do you use mostly defaults? Or do you prefer to use mostly hiders?

I prefer texture defaults, mesh defaults that fixes annoying problems but can use the same textures as the original, and meshes with added morphs. I don't like defaults that completely replace something, because it's so annoying when the game gets confused and uses the wrong mesh or texture for recolors or any such. Besides, I prefer to know the difference between CC and original items.

I don't use a lot of the maxis CAS stuff for stories/pictures, but I will often use it for test families, because then I'm sure I can remove most of my CC without them ending up bald or with the wrong clothes, or some other bug.

Complete default replacements aren't any better than regular CC. The game still has to calculate the items, so you don't save much loading time, and if you choose replacements with much higher polycounts, you're doing your game a disservice. NPCs still end up with (perhaps somewhat less) fugly combinations of tops and bottoms, or a style that doesn't fit them. If you use more than one recolor for each hair, or have more recolors of a mesh than what you can cover with a maxis outfit set, you're stuck with a lot of useful items at the back of the catalog.

If you absolutely want to get rid of the original stuff, I don't think it matters much whether you use hiders or default replacements, because you're going to end up with CC either way.

Honestly, I've just collected enough CC over the years that's Maxis stuff is all the way back in there and I never go that far. It's like a horizontal archeology fashion catalogue. But I f I were to ever be bothered by looking at it that much I'd pobably just get defaults - defaults are just cc you could normally download that have had the files written to override the originals.

I use default replacements for the ones that have default replacements, and use hiders for the ones that don't have default replacements.

I default and then end up with invisible clothes. <_< I'm tired of it.

What is texture default or mesh defaults?

There are times I wish I could copy the few items I happen to think are ok and delete the whole rest of it. I tend to use the same clothes in the various colors and totally avoid at least 85% to 90% of EAxis stuff. I wish clothes were done similar to how objects are so you could have one main item and then a whole bunch of recolors without needin to go through them all to get to the next item.

I've always wondered why they put hats in the hairs section and not in the accessory section so that if you wanted to have one of the hats for say winter or such it totally changes the hair style and or color since all the reds are not the same tone. ...

*Sigh* .. EAxis ...

Texture defaults (default replacements, that is) replace only the texture, and uses the original mesh. Mesh defaults replace only the mesh (adds morphs, fixes an edge on the pants, or similar - and can use the same textures as the original mesh). Full defaults replace the texture and the mesh (replacing one outfit for another).

I tend to say "defaults" as a shortened form of "default replacement" because there's less typing involved...

As for hats, there's no way to make them fit all hairstyles (like you can in TS4, and in TS3 if you have special sliders), so we're either stuck with hats included in hairs, or hats made too big and placed in the accessory section.

You can put CAS recolors together - BUT you have to do it manually, by changing the "sortindex" in each recolor file to be ascending numbers. Unless you're already making big changes to your downloads, it's probably not worth the effort.

I didn't know there were different kinds of defaults which is why I asked. I thought a default was an item that would take the place a fugly EAxis in game one. Do you have pictures or can you point me to some that you use so I can see the difference?

Some examples:

This one is only a texture replacement, since it uses the diaper mesh:
(technically it's not the default version on the picture, but the defaults and non-defaults look identical)
http://s26.postimg.org/qs6hycjzd/Screen_Cap233_red.png

This is a full replacement (mesh and recolor)
http://s26.postimg.org/3pfha4p7t/Sc...015_red_600.png

And these have an added pregmorph, but essentially looks the same otherwise (mesh replacement)
http://www.insimenator.org/index.php/topic,77278

I really like the pregmorphs, because they add some usefulness to the EAxis clothes. A lot of the clothes I wouldn't use much otherwise have gotten new life as recolors for pregnant sims. As a bonus, I don't have to downlad extra maternity clothes for test lots.

You also have a fourth option, much used for hairs. It replaces the item via the PropertySet (or some such). It's not really a default, just a "decoy" default. It takes the place of the item without actually replacing it, so that recolors of the original item shows up using the original mesh. I'm not sure if a lot of people use this method, though.

So what gives with all the annoying invisible clothes I end up getting? I tried a mail career default, he was fine she was invisible, tried a bus driver default, he was fine she invisible, I also currently have an invisible formal dress and invisible female cow girl shirts and I have before had invisible swimwear, all female except the time I had invisible male polo shirts.

I just ignore Maxis items that are of no interest to me. Will never use hiders, and really never default anything that I can simply tweak myself (mesh edit or recolor). The only thing I default are things I see as needing a permanent fix and/or change.

For the most part, I like the majority of Maxis content.

I have texture-replaced a few of those really ugly female tops (did a little fixing on some I downloaded), and a set of sundresses I never used because of the awful textures, and probably a few others with flaws that made them annoying enough to do something about them - but other than that I tolerate most of the Maxis content. I haven't hidden anything, because on occasion I find myself really needing some bizarre outfit I can't find a good match for elsewhere, often in the middle of a play session (like the clown costume and various others for a Halloween pictures, the weird biker outfits for my early aliens, maybe the overalls for a farmer, and similar). I also frequently use Maxis outfits and hairs for test sims. Most of the time I don't mind the original stuff, because they're hidden so far back in the menu I don't even bother to find them. I also don't bother much with NPCs, so what they wear is usually of little concern, even if I do have a few texture replacements for them.

I use skin and eye replacements, plus face templates and a few other things - but they're all texture replacements, and replacements that don't affect the game in a bad way, so they don't mess up my game. .

I say default. Its kind of a pain. I have been gradually default replacing everything for a few months now. I don't try and do it all at once, cause I can only imagine how long it would take. Usually I just download a bunch of items from one category and go play. So I'll probably do all of the male pajamas and underwear tonight or something like that.

Don't really do either. I don't have much for default replacements, just skins and a modesty set (why so many midriffs?) and a few scattered here and there. I keep meaning to find more for the silly outfits and hairstyles though.

I use defaults. If I can't find a default I like then I just ignore it.

I just download new things. The few defaults in my folder never get used, unless they spawn on new Sims, because I never go back far enough in the catalog to get through all the Maxis clothes anymore.

I don't find a lot of the maxis stuff horrible or horrible enough to replace. I'm only really annoyed at the non-everyday clothes that were included (the pseudo-Hula outfits, the racing suits, the knight armor, gorilla costumes, the early 2000s rave outfits) and for those there are often not many default replacements for those or none that I like. For the kilt, for example (which is supposed to be a formal outfit these days IRL, as far as I can gather), the Sims 2 default database merely has some better looking kilts and some pants that are to photo realistic for my taste. Wooo

I don't bother with hiding, because, meh, the thing doesn't hurt anybody with just sitting there and never being used. And I'm lazy when it comes to stuff like that.

Personally, I use hiders for the stuff I really don't want and will never use (like the gorilla outfits) and leave the rest. For one thing, EAxis stuff is always at the end of the catalogue so I don't have to look at it if I don't want to and secondly, I don't create sims to look lovely, I create sims to tell stories and there are times when I absolutely need those plaid shorts. Besides, defaults can cause issues, as Jo points out. OTOH, I do have the hair retexture defaults I got from somewhere. Base game hairs look rather better but otherwise aren't changed and, of course, I use default skintones and eyes.

I tried both and have come to conclusion that hiders are FAR less trouble.
With defaults, you need to download carefully and keep them in order, which they fall out from very soon. I tried to organaize defaults by filenames matching internal names, but it's hard when they go 3-in-1 package. Many defaults come in sets (combined ages, for example), so you need to make sure there are no overlapping sets. Then, when you download some regular recolor you need to think "do I have this mesh defaulted? won't there be conflict? will it work with replacement?". None of this with hiders - you just download what you like.
If you want to transform the entire game quickly, you download a few hiders and the first step is done. If you use the ones where there is one file for each EP and SP, it's easy to maintain them and find any item, if you'd want to unhide it.
Some clothes, like NPC outfits, still need defaulting, but not so many.

But when you hide them can't sims still grow up into them or spawn wearing them? That's why I default, not to hide them in catalog but so they won't show in game. So nobody knows anything about my invisible clothes?

Generally I prefer default replacements, but I do have to keep note of what I've replaced, as "there can be only one." First up on my kill list: the damned puffy jacket. I hate it, and my game adores having sims age up in it.

But unless I am really annoyed by that kind of situation, I just ignore it, because I am a CC addict.

ETA: Part of the reason I'm used to using default replacements is that I do tend to play themed neighborhoods where, if I can find them, default replacements are exceptionally useful - saves me time in making over townies en masse. (There are some good medieval ones.)

Sorry Jo .. I'm clueless. Unless maybe you have The Emperors New Clothes stashed in your DL's .. :p

Good one CaliBrat

That's another good thing about hiders - hidden clothes won't spawn on townies and growing up sims. Although, there's one condition - you should have at least one *townified* clothing item in given category. It could be townified CC or maxis item - all the same. Otherwise, the game will have no choice but to spawn hidden item anyway. Since I decided do use hiders I also townify appropriate CC clothes using Wardrobe Wrangler.
It's a bit different logic with hair. Sims grow up into certain hairstyles, they are not chosen randomly. So if you've hidden "hairbarrette" (child-elder), it will not spawn on townies, but your toddler wearing "hairmob" will grow up into hairbarrette anyway. Because they are a *family* of hairstyles.

The downside to using hiders is that if you start using them in already established 'hood, hiders prevent clothes from generating on new sims, but don't take them off the existing ones. So hiders are more helpful on fresh starts, or you'd need to do makeovers.

I do not know about invisible clothes. Possibly a conflict.

(I sound like a hider promoter )

If you hide clothes properly, sims shouldn't be able to grow up wearing them (unless you've hidden everything - then I'm not sure). Although, I have occasionally come upon hidden CC outfits that my toddlers suddenly wear when growing up. Mostly from the long gone SimSquirts, I think.

Personally, I usually end up switching clothes and hairs anyway, and I don't use NPCs much, so I usually don't care what they're wearing. But if you want a fully custom game, I can imagine defaults are a nice touch.