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Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 18th Jan 2020 at 4:49 AM
Default Custom content Recolors not showing up properly
Okay so, I've made some sign recolors in SimPE. I have recolored with this sign before so I don't know why all of a sudden it's not working. I hit the recolor button in the object workshop and select the "grilled cheese" poster. I could swear I'm not recoloring a recolor. I'm using the original. I also have the latest edition of CEP installed in my game so I don't think it's that. This is how it's showing up in-game.
Screenshots
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 18th Jan 2020 at 3:37 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 18th Jan 2020 at 4:00 PM.
Did you use DXT recoloring? Preferably 3 or 5, because it can give a somewhat grainy result (usually not as bad as Import).

If you use Import, the result is often not as good, and you have to update all sizes (when using DXT, you don't need to do that step).

Also make sure you're using the proper size texture (should always be either the same size as the original or sized up proportionally - so if the original is 512x512, the new one needs to be 512x512. If you want it smaller or larger, you'd need 256x256 or 1024x1024, or basically either double or half of the size of each number to get a workable one). If it's a different size like 522 x 513, it won't show properly, and even a pixel too wide/narrow can make it act strange. And use PNGs.

If you use Gimp, you may have to do some changes to the PNG to make it to show properly (I'm not entirely sure, but mentioning it just in case - it's more of an issue with BMPs which need to be set as 24-bit, usually more of an issue with Bodyshop, possibly Homecrafter).

It looks like something has happened to that recolor, so make sure you haven't accidentally recolored a glass part or some such. You'll want to check that.

Naming can occasionally cause items to misbehave, so make sure you don't have any unwanted characters in the filename (like an extra punctuation mark).

If you still can't figure it out, could you upload one of the recolors here so we can take a look?
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#3 Old 27th Jan 2020 at 5:17 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Did you use DXT recoloring? Preferably 3 or 5, because it can give a somewhat grainy result (usually not as bad as Import).

If you use Import, the result is often not as good, and you have to update all sizes (when using DXT, you don't need to do that step).

Also make sure you're using the proper size texture (should always be either the same size as the original or sized up proportionally - so if the original is 512x512, the new one needs to be 512x512. If you want it smaller or larger, you'd need 256x256 or 1024x1024, or basically either double or half of the size of each number to get a workable one). If it's a different size like 522 x 513, it won't show properly, and even a pixel too wide/narrow can make it act strange. And use PNGs.

If you use Gimp, you may have to do some changes to the PNG to make it to show properly (I'm not entirely sure, but mentioning it just in case - it's more of an issue with BMPs which need to be set as 24-bit, usually more of an issue with Bodyshop, possibly Homecrafter).

It looks like something has happened to that recolor, so make sure you haven't accidentally recolored a glass part or some such. You'll want to check that.

Naming can occasionally cause items to misbehave, so make sure you don't have any unwanted characters in the filename (like an extra punctuation mark).

If you still can't figure it out, could you upload one of the recolors here so we can take a look?


I update all sizes after I'm done, if it's not cropped correctly SimPE crops it for me and all is well it seems, but when I get to the game it messes up. I also don't think I recolored anything glass related saying as I'm recoloring posters. I put numbers in the filename, is that bad? Here is one of the files:

It won't let me upload the SimPE one. is this good?
Attached files:
File Type: rar  Pool sign 13.rar (42.4 KB, 6 downloads)
Field Researcher
#4 Old 27th Jan 2020 at 11:36 AM Last edited by clsve : 27th Jan 2020 at 1:54 PM. Reason: second thought
That recolor is a recolor of "A Stroke" by Alfred D'Simvo (GUID 0x4F88D37B, Group 0x7FCAD3F5) Price 1700 ยง.

It showa up in my game but you have to scale down your front side to the size of painted area in the original picture and perhaps change painting on the sides.
Mad Poster
#5 Old 27th Jan 2020 at 3:56 PM
The texture reads as DXT1, which makes it lower in quality, probably due to the import function. Using DXT3/5 gives a better result.

When that's said, clsve is right. Paintings can be a bit difficult to get right because they're mapped somewhat strange. The best would be to extract the UVmap, because then you know where the lines go. Some meshing programs let you extract UVmaps so they can be used as an overlay while you're making your design. It helps you keep within the lines. I tend to also use a meshing program to preview the recolors, because then you see the whole item.

I added the UVmap for the "A Stroke" picture below. It's see-through, so you can use it as a layer in for instance Photoshop, to guide where to put your texture. I also added a PSD with layers so you can see what goes where, and why the sides of the picture get all sorts of weird lines on them. It also shows why UVmaps are very useful when you recolor something, because the edges of an item don't always go where you think they do.
---

Tip:
Blender3D and Wings3D are free programs you can use for this. Personally I prefer Milkshape for the previewing, and lacking that, Wings isn't too bad. Blender's material/texture appliance is a bit nitpicky and complicated, but it gives good UVmaps and is very useful for meshing projects. With some tutorials you can actually do a lot of the texturing in Blender itself (it has painting tools and you can make somewhat detailed textures by painting directly onto the model, but I don't think you can have separate layers like in Photoshop). Milkshape lets you see the UVmap, but I don't think you can extract it from there. You can however have Milkshape running alongside your texturing program and do adjustments almost in real-time. Meshing programs can be surprisingly useful for recoloring

If you want a how-to on extracting UVmaps, I can either link to a tutorial or write up a quick one, depending on the program.
Screenshots
Attached files:
File Type: zip  Guide.zip (176.0 KB, 4 downloads) - View custom content
Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#6 Old 28th Jan 2020 at 4:15 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
The texture reads as DXT1, which makes it lower in quality, probably due to the import function. Using DXT3/5 gives a better result.

When that's said, clsve is right. Paintings can be a bit difficult to get right because they're mapped somewhat strange. The best would be to extract the UVmap, because then you know where the lines go. Some meshing programs let you extract UVmaps so they can be used as an overlay while you're making your design. It helps you keep within the lines. I tend to also use a meshing program to preview the recolors, because then you see the whole item.

I added the UVmap for the "A Stroke" picture below. It's see-through, so you can use it as a layer in for instance Photoshop, to guide where to put your texture. I also added a PSD with layers so you can see what goes where, and why the sides of the picture get all sorts of weird lines on them. It also shows why UVmaps are very useful when you recolor something, because the edges of an item don't always go where you think they do.
---

Tip:
Blender3D and Wings3D are free programs you can use for this. Personally I prefer Milkshape for the previewing, and lacking that, Wings isn't too bad. Blender's material/texture appliance is a bit nitpicky and complicated, but it gives good UVmaps and is very useful for meshing projects. With some tutorials you can actually do a lot of the texturing in Blender itself (it has painting tools and you can make somewhat detailed textures by painting directly onto the model, but I don't think you can have separate layers like in Photoshop). Milkshape lets you see the UVmap, but I don't think you can extract it from there. You can however have Milkshape running alongside your texturing program and do adjustments almost in real-time. Meshing programs can be surprisingly useful for recoloring

If you want a how-to on extracting UVmaps, I can either link to a tutorial or write up a quick one, depending on the program.


A tutorial for milkshape would be nice please.
Mad Poster
#7 Old 28th Jan 2020 at 6:05 PM
The main problem with Milkshape is that you can't easily extract UV maps from meshes with it, but you can use the UVs as a rough guide.

For any of the programs, you need a mesh (extracting the GMDC as an OBJ is the easiest) and the belonging recolor file (as PNG).

In Milkshape:


In Blender it's a little bit trickier, but here you can get the actual UVmap. This tutorial is just for UVmap extracting.



I don't have Wings installed on my new laptop because I no longer see a use for it (I used it for a while before I learned the Blender method, and because for a long time I couldn't get Milkshape to install on my old laptop), but UV extraction is a little bit easier there (I've found I do prefer Blender over it, though - I had a long frustration period with Blender, but I've started getting used to it).
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