Trying to make open bottom dresses

[Guest]

I shouldn't get carried away, since disappointment happens, BUT... happy HAPPY HAPPY!!!!!!!

 

Removing the spine 1 bone from the tank top/ corset part and replacing it with the bone from a flat front wso didn't work... BUT... never give up... I remembered using the 1 piece swimsuit for something (can't remember what). The front is flatter than swimsuit plunge. I pulled the 2 meshes and compared bone weights. The ONLY difference I saw was exactly where my problem was in the cleavage/ tank top. Looking at the weight colors, they are the same in the area where the top and torso meet, so both should move together, right? AND... new package with group 0 (arms and boobs) using swimsuit plunge and the tank top/ corset using the one piece swimsuit. A few minor things that I think I can fix, BUT...

 

 

1 good, the buttons aren't messed up. 2 a little bump up on the tank top. 3 these two studs. 4 not sure why? All 3, I think I can fix.

 

 

1 good cleavage. 2 tank top not being eaten by her boobs! 3 no gap where the two meshes meet!

 

So, swimsuit plunge and one piece swimsuit! ))))))))))))))

 

Just noticed her left hand... looks like I need to increase the size of the hand part of the gloves. And that is why I never upload anything... I thought the gloves were basically done, but then, I see something to fix!!!!! 

 

Non-Sequitur, the texture on the gloves is what I was trying to explain before, about making a texture overlay and applying it to the multiplier. Its one of the TSRW leather textures. I pulled it from TSRW, copied and pasted it to fill a 1024 x 1024, desaturated it, increased sharpness and contrast, decreased opacity and merged it to the gloves multiplier.

 

 

[Nonsequitur]

The game was not changed - the way they control security (in the background) changed to make better use of newer machines hardware and OS software changes. With my outdated OS - My machine can't jump that security fence - my OS doesn't have the "keys" and is incapable of having those keys. Although, my machine can operate and play the game - they wont let me even get to it. 

 

I think there are other properties at work then just Bone connections. Like the nasty distortion area in front of the crotch. Something about discontiguous mappability since mapping is directional. Reading about meshing problems on a CAD Vector graphics journal...  From personal experience, I don't seem to have that kind of problem if the entire object is a solid/closed mesh. That's why I suggested a closed cylinder - all edges are connected. Worth an experiment.  

 

7 hours ago, LadySmoks said:

I still can't get the top to behave as I want

When all else fails - back to basics...

Oh the price we pay for ... fashion.

 

 

 

15 hours ago, JoshQ said:

You don’t need a cracked .exe

There's not much in the description of NRaas NoCD.  This mod disables the scripted portion of the CD authentication check, allowing the game to start without the CD in the drive.

It does not change the updated online security protocols of Origin or bypass them.  It's not the Game - it's Origin/EA. Their security changed to 64 bit calls which my machine can't do. I don't have CD's of the Game nor do I have a digital copy (now).

 

Nonsequitur wants a crack...er!

 

15 hours ago, JoshQ said:

english is barely adequate

Como LadySmoks y usted ha dicho, "" Práctica y paciencia ". Un programa traductor podría ayudar aunque, como esta traducción, puede tener algunos errores gramaticales. No nos reiremos. Sin ti, ninguno de nosotros sería tan hábil como nosotros.

[Nonsequitur]

I've been meaning to ask you about your gloves. Are they a mesh, a combination of mesh and skin overlay, or just an overlay?

I've been trying to make a pair of mesh gloves of a long time. I revisit from time to time. 

Wrapping a mesh over a mesh is problematic for me so have been working with sections of the forearms. 

 

Although it is extremely tedious to individually scale each finger, thumb, wrist, and forearm, then adjust for smoothness,  it shows up nicely in Blender and MS but terrible in TSRW even though the mesh is relatively thick without holes. I've been attempting to set them as an armband/accessory and accessories always give me headaches with meshes. Just wondering...

[Guest]

50 minutes ago, Non-sequitur said:

The game was not changed - the way they control security (in the background) changed to make better use of newer machines hardware and OS software changes.

I think I understand now. It was hard for me to understand because I do not play online at all. I have disks, and the No CD. This laptop doesn't even have a CD drive. So, your game isn't stored on your computer at all? No files in C:programs????? Because if you have all the game files in your computer, it would be like Origin is acting the part of the CD to allow you to run the game, but if you install No CD, it may bypass the need to be online with Origin??????????????????? Its a simple download from Nraas... worth a try.

 

56 minutes ago, Non-sequitur said:

When all else fails - back to basics...

No no... I think I got it, and now just some tweaking. )

40 minutes ago, Non-sequitur said:

I've been meaning to ask you about your gloves.

They may be becoming the latest headache! They are a mesh, but I'm seeing clipping issues, more and more. I opened Lucy's Harley gloves, which are a 3d mesh to see how she did them and get some ideas. What I did was to duplicate the arms to mid bicep or so, and hands, leaving off the fingers. Josh had mentioned to me about shrink/flatten as a way around solidify. It didn't work for that, but I tried it for the gloves. It seems to expand or contract the mesh around things like the fingers, instead of the entire mesh area. You do need to merge vertices before using it, then split them again.

 

So, I started as a clothing part in TSRW to get it visible, not an overlay that you can't see, to get an idea of how it would look. Then, I did exactly as Lucy, and cloned the 3 hoop bracelets, which is an accessory with a mesh, so it was just like other CC where I switched meshes. I expanded my mesh's UV from the overlay gloves accessory to the full accessory layout that covers the whole UV map and aligned my multiplier and mask.

 

I thought it was all good, but saw clipping in the pic above, went back and increased the hand size and put it back in, but I still get clipping on certain motions. Seems odd since the glove vertices are perfectly aligned with the arms and hands? The only thing I can think of is that I used the wrong wso to transfer bones. So, I'll just go back to TSRW and do it again. )

 

I did go back to do some work on the leather pants and added some things you had suggested... the 3d buckle and eyelets. As always, I think the mesh looks great! Its when I add bones and morphs, and test it that the bugs come out. (

All the extras made the mesh bigger, but still not as bad as the top!

 

THAT... is YOUR influence on my work!!!

 

 

[Nonsequitur]

1 hour ago, LadySmoks said:

No files in C:programs?

No. They use to be stored in Program files\Origin Games\

I deleted anything dealing with EA and Origin.

Unless I upgrade to 64 bit - no game. Origin is not denying I own them - just access to them "until" I meet their security requirements. Bogus!

Because the software no longer exists in my machine - accessing it is not possible unless I download from Origin again - can't access Origin through the game client, so that can't be done.

 

Gloves are usually overlay only - like socks. I tried my gloves (100% mesh) as clothing and it looks much better than as an accessory - still a lot of clipping at the fingers.  It's like Accessories dont position the mesh at the same location as clothing or anything else in the game. I haven't tried doing a blend of a cuff mesh into the hand.  I'm slowly weaning myself off making things for Sims 3 - no choice really.  I can do everything as before except test in game or play.  You know there are a lot of times when what you make shows perfect in all editors until you put it in the game - then you see the errors. I'm not about to put out crap that's screwed up; distorted, riddled with pinholes, badly clipping, or doesn't function. 

 

 Not familiar with merging and splitting vertices- I think. Never seen the shrink/flatten function - well it gives me something to do. Can't finish anything so might as well do some looking around and trying things on disposables in Blender. 

 

Thanks for the compliment. ... or is it... lol

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Non-sequitur said:

No. They use to be stored in Program files\Origin Games\

I hate to say it because I often make hasty decisions, but it sounds like the files were in your computer and NoCD might have accessed them. Is it possible to do a system recovery and get the files back to try NoCD???

 

5 hours ago, Non-sequitur said:

I tried my gloves (100% mesh) as clothing and it looks much better than as an accessory - still a lot of clipping at the fingers.

The ones by Lucy, and mine are a separate mesh and I used the body mesh as bones and morphs reference. It should work. But it seems you have clipping too as clothing. I think the accessory UV allows for better detail since it uses the full 1024 x 1024 instead of just the arm areas.

 

5 hours ago, Non-sequitur said:

You know there are a lot of times when what you make shows perfect in all editors until you put it in the game - then you see the errors.

HA HA! Yes, I know that all too well! This Arkham outfit would have been done weeks ago if everything looked in game as it does in TSRW.

 

Shrink/flatten is in the mesh menu under transform. Older Blender has "remove double vertices" instead of "merge vertices", but also is in the mesh menu, vertices... along with "rip" which separates them.

 

Just finished a package with the new bottom mesh. Getting ready to look at it now.

 

I hope you find a way to get TS3 back.

[Nonsequitur]

I had a little success remaking my Harley gloves. 

I've had some time to watch Blender videos and started playing around with Shrinkwrap. I've only played with it for a few hours so it's not refined but, I think it has possibilities.

The end result for an Accessory - so far:

 

 

As you see the area around the palms and fingers is problematic. 

I used a single forearm of a Sim Body just as it was when the body was cut away.

Set the forearm as a separate group.

 

In Blender 2.79

I then used the Modifier Shrinkwrap with the target GEOM_00 (a fresh body upper), set to Project, with an offset set at 0.002 and Apply. I then use the Modifier Solidify (Thickness 0.002) and apply. I then Subdivide-4, adjust the cuff flair, copy and mirror left-right. Auto-Aline the Normals, Expand the UV Map, save as group_base without the body so Toolkit will do the Bone assignments. Run it through Mesh Toolkit or assign bones. I bring that file back into the editor and rename the group_base to "Group_0" so Accessories will accept the WSO.

 

Getting better. I may try to adjust the bare spots individually on one glove and mirror to the other side. Kind of a roundabout way of doing it I guess.

 

It doesn't do a bad job as my first attempt and works a TON  better than scaling of each finger, palm, back of hand, wrist and forearm - with all the alinement tweaking needed. And, better than Solidify, or Shrink/flatten. I didn't do much of anything with the welding/unwelding, or anything with the vertices or faces - no merging, splitting, etc. 

 

 

[Guest]

The problem is that you can't really test it. It sounds like "shrink/wrap is the same thing as shrink/flatten. The use of "offset" seems familiar. Truth is, I've abandoned the glove accessory for now and attached them to the top. I did the 3d diamonds on the back of the hands though.

 

I enlarged the choker, added a leash loop and more vertices to smooth it out more.

 

Buckles on the top and the belt buckle on the bottom. I need to work on buckle texture.

[Guest]

I'm getting close now... )))

[JoshQ]

EA’s bone assignments “works” but then the sim moves the neck to the right and the whole choker deforms. If you want to go with the “one bone” route you will also need to more or less align the choker to this vertex row:

 

 

That will help to redude clipping a bit more.

 

[Guest]

Hey Josh! I'm happy with the appearance of the choker. I made it with a 3d buckle, eyelets and a leash loop! ))) I also added vertices to make it smoother as you and NS suggested. ) Yes, the distortion does bother me a bit, even though EA chokers do the same thing. I actually need to repackage it as a base game item... so, when I do, I'll experiment with changing the bones. I think I understand how. I also think its already aligned with the vertices you mention.

[JoshQ]

The only way I’ve been able to remove clipping from garments is by using the knife tool to reduce the body mesh as much as possible, so both garment and body intersects the least. 

In the gloves case just delete the fingers beneath.

 

 

[Guest]

It can not be done that way for what I wanted to do. You see, I wanted to make 3d gloves as accessory, which means fitting over the existing body mesh, just like the choker. To have them not look like arm pads, the tolerance is very small, -.002 on shrink/flatten. Even though the glove bones and vertices are arm and hand bones, just the tiny offset created clipping. So, I just made the gloves part of the arms and torso top piece with a 3d piece at the top of the glove and 3d diamonds on the hands.

[Guest]

Not sure which of you guys mentioned cutting holes in mesh? THAT is my current mission to understand! Again, there are things I do to compensate... one is to have things like the studs simply be cylinders that poke through the mesh. Even though they are in the same position as the main mesh, they seem to react differently to bone weight, morphing and body movements that cause the studs to slip inside the mesh and not be seen during certain sim movements. I figure it will be better to cut a hole in the mesh, the diameter of the stud, snap the stud to the mesh (can't merge vertices because I want the stud UV where I can work with it on the map) and then triangulate the mesh around the hole. I haven't looked that closely at the meshes you guys make... yet... but I think that is what you do??? More or less???

 

So far, I found several tutorials and videos on the subject, outlining several different ways to do it. And as with all things meshing, it will be a matter of time to go through them, find a video/ tutorial and method I understand, and PATIENCE AND PRACTICE!!! )))

 

In the mean time, I went back on the gloves as being part of the tank/ corset top and increased the size of the arms and hands to give the appearance that the gloves have some padding... as in Harley's gloves have lead in the knuckles! ))) As usual, I have to go do things, but will get the new mesh in a package and test it soon.

 

Non-Sequitur, any luck recovering your sims files and trying the NoCD???

[Nonsequitur]

3 hours ago, LadySmoks said:

I haven't looked that closely

There are supposed to be ways to take one mesh and use it as a mask or template to add vertices and faces to another mesh - in other words... punch a hole in a mesh - haven't found that and haven't tried various forms of merging. But, with a little planing, you can make a Plain with a lot of face segments, and delete faces or vertices within that Plain to make holes - then extrude.   That's how I made the holes in the belt. Then desamate using triangulate (and symmetrical for the belts circular radius) if you need to - after it's in position.

 

Nope. I check my mail often.

Don't have a copy on my computer to check and see if No-CD would work to circumvent the authorization process. I would doubt it though.

Since No-CD is a package that resides in the Mods folder and is read when the game initializes - the problem is that I can't get to the part where the game initializes. Origin has to authorize my use (on line or off). Starting TS3.exe directly from the "bin" folder immediately brings up Origin Client and it crashes.  That's why I deleted everything EA/Origin from my system.  

 

They wouldn't respond to my complaints, nor are they responding to any "ticket" or email I'm sending to them. I just get the automated response at the start of an official posting - then the "ticket" is pretty much canceled or "resolved" on their website.  It's not like I ever have any dialog with them - a few postings on TheSims3 Forums that I can no longer access (a month earlier) - but, they haven't responded to find out anything from me or even to make a statement.

 

Except for this one time when they reset my accounts notifications to everything ON and blocked me from accessing that part of my account to turn them off. I was getting hundreds of notices a day and EA/website refused to turn them off or correct my access. This went on for about a year - until I shamed them on their own Forum with a detailed showing of the information as proof.  Two days later - no new notices from their website.  Two months later - no access to the Forum. A few Bug Tickets submitted and instantly cancelled by them.

 

You would have a hard time convincing me to trust them to be ethical with their demonstrated practices.

 

 

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, Non-sequitur said:

There are supposed to be ways to take one mesh and use it as a mask or template to add vertices and faces to another mesh - in other words... punch a hole in a mesh 

I'm just starting to look closer at the options in some videos. One I watched is basic. Take a cube, then create a cylinder... put the cylinder in the cube, click whatever in boolean modifier and tah dah!!! Remove the cylinder and the cube has a cut out through it shaped like the cylinder.

 

I imagine the next step would be to click triangulate and its done. Still going through tutorials and trying them. The plan is to put the studs in the mesh better.

 

30 minutes ago, Non-sequitur said:

You would have a hard time convincing me to trust them to be ethical with their demonstrated practices.

I wouldn't try. I don't like Origin. I hate having to login to a game I bought the disks for, on my own computer. WHAT? So if someone steals my laptop, at least they can't play my sims game without the password???

 

Maybe... just maybe I can see having to login if you go online and use Origin, but I don't.

[Nonsequitur]

Anyway - I'll find what I need to play and test. It's just a matter of time. Haven't checked the Asian or Eastern Europe sites yet. Just a matter of how far I want to peel that Onion.

 

 

That was with a standard EA forearm with the fingertips cut off.

I did not subdivide or do anything to the forearm.

I loaded another EA upper body, selected the body as the Target and the offset at 0.001 with Shrinkwrap, nothing else. 

There is a dime size hole at the palm side index finger 1st knuckle. That can be quick-fixed by merging another unmodified forearm with this modified one and blending the UV's.

It seems the more dense the mesh is - the more face-edge problems show up.

It's 100% mesh, even the various diamonds are a mesh - and set up as a bracelet Accessory. I wanna test it... SQUIRREL!...

 

The difference between Shrink Wrap and Shrink/Flatten is suttle.

Shrink/Flatten: you need to place your mesh entirely within the frame of the target mesh you want to apply it to. Great for making short loops of bandage like with Mummy Wrappings, Rings, and Bracelets. Also good for making corsets.

Shrinkwrap: Get it close to where you want it to be on the outside of your target mesh and it wraps to the outside or nearest vertices. "Project" doesn't work for everything. This seems to work well for larger areas and more complex curves.

I've played with Wrap, which has many of the same properties but haven't been able to get it to work.

[Guest]

7 hours ago, Non-sequitur said:

Anyway - I'll find what I need to play and test. It's just a matter of time. Haven't checked the Asian or Eastern Europe sites yet. Just a matter of how far I want to peel that Onion.

Well, obviously I don't have problems with Eastern European sites. ))) There's a lot to be found, and maybe you'll get back online... or offline, but either way, back in the game!

 

The gloves look good. I may return to trying to make them as an accessory... some day... but for now, just making them as the arms of the corset top is working okay, and there's zero chance of clipping that way. I did make the arms "fatter" by .001 or .002... forget which, now, and the diamonds are 3d insets as well.

I haven't decided if I'm going to make my own bracelets or just link these. I've been finishing the multipliers. Still need to add the corset laces.

[Nonsequitur]

been working on a choker as well

 

 

Looks good in TSRW.

I made a hollow cylinder, placed it roughly around the neck, Shrinkwrap and adjust offsets. Then on to the rest of it. It's set up as a necklace accessory.

[Guest]

Unfortunately, you can't test it. ( One of my great hates is that EVERYTHING looks good in TSRW. Hit the fat/thin slider, and the fit slider... all good... then in game it lasts about 10 seconds and I'm shutting it down and pulling the mesh apart again... and again... and.... (((((((((((

 

I started going back over the multipliers to add some things. Put another strap around the back of the boots a couple days ago. Split the colors on the tank top and straps earlier today. Still need to add the laces on the corset.

 

I remade the choker from the base game 3 hoop bracelet and then renamed it as necklace accessory. I'll need to double check, but I think everything is based on base game items now.

[Guest]

Been naughty... OMG! Look what the baby got her hands on!!!!!!

I'm a MUCH better mommy than my sim is!!!!!!

[Nonsequitur]

That's not a teething ring... lol

[Guest]

I think she thinks its a toy submarine! I... HOPE... she thinks its a toy submarine!!!!!!!

[Guest]

You know there are no sexy spread leg poses for female sims 3? Wonder why? Prudes!!! Years ago, I was a failed pose maker! Had to find a few videos to refresh my memory how to do them, but...

Not sure why the gun won't line up? Its right hand bone. I'll figure it out sooner or later.

[Guest]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Of course I'll be repeating this in 13 days! )))