Just give us time to reply

Look into the first post and Numenor's instructions on The NVidia DDS Utilities. There is a link where to download them, then you need to install them, and in your SimPE Extra -> Preferences, you need to set the folder where you installed them.

Ok thanx. I've already made my design. Now, if this works, all I have to do is copy that paste it in my new one. THanks for all the help u've given me today, I relle appreciate it. Have a nice day! :wavegbye:

Ok, I've downloaded it but WHERE do I save it? In what kind of folder? Cuz when I open it, I saved it in Mydocuments, it's not there after I gone to extras->preferences. I wonder why. Do you know? Plz comment back SOON, u know how impatient I am!!!! haha.

I am having a minor problem. None of the default objects are showing up. I can't get past the first few steps. This is what I do: I open the Object Workshop from the Windows menu. I click on the Start button and wait for the objects to load. When it is finished loading nothing shows up. I can't click on anything nor sort anything. I click on the Catalog button and still nothing happens. What am I doing wrong? Do I have to download something? I have CEP downloaded, do I need the DDS Utilities for this to work? I have NVidia are the Utilities separate from this? How do I find out if I already have this installed on my computer? Any suggestions/comments/possible solutions will be most appreciated.

Thanks,
Amber

very nice, i really appreciate this tutorial that you made. im just a begginer and i got a lot of stuff to learn but with tutorials like this i know ill be able to learn faster than i thought. thanx again n hope to see more tutorials like this one.

ROXY - You are impatient indeed
The DDS file that you download from the Nvidia site is an installer: you can put it wherevere you want (for instance, on your desktop); then, you double-click on it, and the DDS utilities get installed (the installer, by default, will install the DDS utilities in C:\Program Files\Nvidia Corporation\Nvidia DDS Utilities). When finished, you can safely delete the installer from your desktop.
Lastly, open SimPE, go to Extra -> Preferences and fill in the path to the DDS utilities (i.e. C:\Program Files\Nvidia Corporation\Nvidia DDS Utilities, unless you have changed it).


AMBER - When you click Start, the object categories should appear, but they are temporarily grayed out, and you can't click them. If you wait a little more, the categories should turn from gray to black, and become selectable. Have you waited until they got black?

So I've tried to recolor a couple of different objects but after I've selected the object, SimPE saves it but the resource folder shows up as empty.

This doesn't happen with every object, and I have all the utilities I need (I think).

Off the top of my head the objects this has happened with are the DollHouse Doll Accessory and the Beyond Belief and Mode:Live magazines.

Thanks

Both the objects you mention are not recolourable. You can recolour only the objects that appear in the game catalogue (this excludes the magazine); and even if they appear in the catalogue, they may not have colour options.
If you are unsure if an object has colour options, select it from the catalogue and wait for the description to pop up: if in the description window there are one or more little icons (among which one with a green border), then the object should be recolourable.

Oh, and you need the CEP for some objects to be recolourable. Be sure it is installed, and read the CEP FAQ with title: "How can I be sure that the CEP is correctly installed", that shows the icons with green border I was saying about above.

Never mind about that. I got it work with a little advice from my dad . Well, I made this beautiful orange crib with little bumble bees but I can't get it onto the game. Like, I know how, but it just wont save as my orange bumble bee thing. If I go to another thing on my recource tree and then go back, the boring dull blue crib bedding comes back! Do u know what might be wrong?

U see the thing doesn't save into the game as my orange bumble bee, it saves as the blue. I don't know what happened.

I think that they are two different problems.
As for the Build DXT window, I've never seen such an odd behaviour (the window that disappears immediately); are you sure that the window gets closed down? Or perhaps it is just placed behind the main SimPE window? Try using the ALT+TAB keys, to see if you can bring the DXT window to the front.

As for the other problem, the recolour that reverts to original, there may be several possible causes: an internal file name badly renamed, an internal reference missing, or even a bug in the CEP...
First of all, you should check that the in the Material Definition, there is exactly the same texture reference in both the "Properties" and the "File List" tabs.
If this doesn't solve the problem, try posting your package in the Repair Center

I tried alt+tab, it didn't work. I get the whole DXT window up but after there is a black screen that pops up and then the whole DXT window and the black thing goes away. Is that what ur talking about? I'm not sure I understand the 2nd part tho.

also, do u see picture under my name?? I put cute piggies there but I can't see them, can u?

No, I don't see any cute piggies...

If the DXT thingy doesn't work, use the traditional method:
1) right-click on the image and choose "Import"
2) load the new image (that must have the same dimensions as the original)
3) right-click again on the image and choose "Update all sizes"
4) Commit and save.

As for the 2nd part, if you don't know what I'm talking about, then you should post the package in the Repair Center (post a description of the problem there, too).

RoxyHearts are you committing after you build dxt? And is your texture dimensions powers of 2 ei 256x256 or 512x512 etc.

Thanks for the tutorial. I've been wanting to try the object workshop but it always looked too complicated. Your tutorial makes it look like even I could manage it.
Unfortunately I can't get past the first few steps. I can select the object, hit next, and click start on the recolor but when it comes to saving it I get a small dial with a notation to please wait and then nothing. I am selecting the same light fixture in the tutorial. I have the latest SimPE, CEP, Nvida utilities, directX 9. Obviously I'm missing something but can't figure out what. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I uninstalled everything and redownloaded everything and reinstalled. Works!!

What is SimPE and how do you get it?

SimPE

When I right click on the image I am not able to choose 'Build DXT'. Please help

Look into the first post, under the title "What you need", line "c". You need to download and install the DDS Utilities.

Just wanted to say Thank you, Numenor ! After 4 month of waiting for my telephone line (arrgh!) finally online again - without a working Nightlife-compatible SimPE I've had some time to play the game

I've done everything above, only used a different item and I don't see a change in the image when I click on "Build" from the DDS Utility Window. I just see the same image. Any ideas?

Thanks.
Amber

What are the dimensions of the image you're trying to import? What's the image format (like, DXT3, for example)?

PROBLEM: Okay, so I can't even get the DDS Utilities to install. No, I'm not that stupid when it comes to computers I followed the link in the first post and downloaded the installer. When I click on the exe file to install the DDS Utilities I get "Preparing to install" and then this error message:

Unhandled Exception
Error Number: 0x80040706
Description: Objects reference not set.
Setup will now terminate.

Any ideas? Thanks.

I'm sorry, I've never seen that message; and anyway I'm not experienced with such errors... Did you use an account with Administrator privileges? Have you tried to redownload the installer (in case the first copy was corrupted during download)?
Sorry if these pieces of advice are too "basic", but I can't think to anything better :P