Basic CC Tutorial

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Basic CC Tutorial

Postby Nikodemus2012 » Fri Sep 19, 2014 2:47 am

A Very Basic Tutorial for the Sims 4
Part I: Clothing Recolors/Basic shaping

Programs Needed:
1. An image editor that can handle layers and channels( I use Photoshop CS6)
2. Either native support for .DDS files or a conversion program to go back and forth. (I have NVidia’s DDS plug-in for Photoshop)
3. Color Magic(extracts .package files from the Sims 4 database files)(Link below)
4. Sim4PE (Allows you to edit .package files and extract the Images, also allows you to import them back in.)(Link below)

Links:
Color Magic- http://sims4.the-prof.net/?p=188
Sim4PE - https://github.com/Sims4Group/Sims4Tools/releases
NVidia DDS plug in for Photoshop - https://developer.nvidia.com/nvidia-tex ... -photoshop

Step 1: Color Magic
• Open up color magic and have it aim for your Sims 4 folder.
• Put in your creator name below.
• Click Next.
• Find the item of clothing that is closest to what you desire.
• Click next ( You can click the default replacement box if you want it to replace what is in game instead of adding to it).
• Change the unique item name to whatever you wish though I would recommend keeping at least the YF/YM standard.
• You can also change the item’s flags here like what style/material/category it is used for, also ages. Swatches will allow you to replace the in game thumbnail with a base color.(well at least as far as making your own edit is concerned)
• Then click finish and save into a work folder. Make a back up of the file you just made.

Step 2: Sim4PE
• Load Sim4PE and open the package you made from color magic
• You will see 4+ files. And at least 2 image files. One will be a black and white pressure image. (This helps modify the mesh and closes gaps. Also clothing thickness). The other images will be full color of the item.
• Right click on both image files and Export to DDS.
• Now you may import the DDS files to your image program

Step 3: Image manipulation
• DDS Images have 4 layers- RGB and alpha.
• Alpha determines the transparency of an object. The brighter white an object is in an area. The more solid it will be.
• Make sure at least the outline of the alpha always matches the outline of the other channels exactly or the game makes it look horrible.
• Before you start messing with the pressure image, I would suggest doing base modifications to only the color DDS and totally blank out the pressure one. After some practice you can easily make the pressure image match your new design my copying and pasting just the alpha layer of your color image and then changing it internally.
• I have included a full body map of what body parts are where in a Sims 4 skin at the end of this. And yes you can make pants that cover the upper body, etc. (experiment, you will get some funny results sometimes)
• Make your design using the pattern you chose as a guideline. I often use warping with all 4 layers available for edit at once to get my shape before I do any actual changes or drawing.
• When you are done save those images back into DDS format(I generally use a different name, just in case)

Step 4: Back to Sim4PE
• Open your duplicate .package up and right click the image files again this time importing the edited DDS files over the ones in package.
• Save as whatever new name you want(make sure you close sim4pe after or Sims 4 won’t open)
• Copy the file over to the Sims 4 mod directory
• Load game and test your item in CAS. IF you don’t like it drop back down and re-edit your files starting back at step 2
There you go. Basic CC making in the Sims 4.

Body Images: Attached as DDS files in zips for actual sizing and framework
The Sims small female Download
The Sims small male Download


Sims4CC Tutorial I docx.zip
(153.98 KiB) Downloaded 209 times


sims4malefemalebodies.zip
(1005.25 KiB) Downloaded 228 times
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Re: Basic CC Tutorial

Postby Nikodemus2012 » Sat Sep 20, 2014 5:11 pm

I forgot one thing when you save in photoshop to DDS make sure the format is DXT5 and bitmaps are on
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Re: Basic CC Tutorial

Postby BeAFrog » Tue Sep 30, 2014 12:03 pm


(No video displayed? / Kein Video angezeigt?: Java & Flash Installed/Installiert?)

This video will help you to create stockings. Give it a try it isn't as hard as it may seem. You will need the tools mentioned by Nikodemus2012.

For editing a dds you can use Photoshop,Gimpand I assume Paintnet

This is a couple of steps I took to create the transparent top.
I messed around with different brushes and the basic form I wanted to archive the different intensity level.
xSIMS Transparent Top Tutorial 1

xSIMS Transparent Top Tutorial 2

xSIMS Transparent Top Tutorial 3

xSIMS Transparent Top Tutorial 4


Changing the colour or adding a motive is basically the same process, however, you would not touch the alpha but the colour layer.
Last edited by BeAFrog on Tue Oct 14, 2014 8:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Updated
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Re: Basic CC Tutorial

Postby susi12345 » Mon Oct 27, 2014 10:38 am

hallo
sieht gut aus würde es ja auch gerne machen
aber ich bin woll zu dumm dazu
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Re: Basic CC Tutorial

Postby ANITA » Mon Dec 01, 2014 11:48 pm

I'm having trouble opening the DDS file in CS3. I downloaded the nvidia plugin, but i still can't import it or open the dds files a saved.
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Re: Basic CC Tutorial

Postby ANITA » Tue Dec 02, 2014 12:50 am

So I had to go to indestructibles and download their version and copy and paste it for it to work
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Re: Basic CC Tutorial

Postby BeAFrog » Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:47 pm

May be the current version from Nvidia isn't compatible with CS3. However, glad you found a way. ;)
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Re: Basic CC Tutorial

Postby krystinaT » Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:11 am

I tried to download NVIDIA Texture Tools for Adobe Photoshop and it is no longer available is there another one to use?
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Re: Basic CC Tutorial

Postby BeAFrog » Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:59 pm

Hi krystinaT,

are you looking for this file? It's the same that Nikodemus2012 already linked.

Best,
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Re: Basic CC Tutorial

Postby misterd » Tue Mar 17, 2015 11:37 am

thanks for the tutorial! Helpful :D
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