Hello everybody,

i started using milkshape to create custom objects i wish to have in game, and the first idea i had is to make a nude custom mannequin ready to be dressed in the clothes that are sold in the shop. I'm not expert using Milkshape, i've just started some day ago, so i'm not sure if i'll say something silly, i apologize in advance.
To attach the head to the body, after selecting all the vertex, i've tried more options: at first i used Sims2 Unimesh Vertex Data Merge, and the result was this:


then i used Sims2 Unimesh Normal Data Merge, and it was like this:


Trying to fix it i used Cat's Normal Smoother and now it looks like this:




As you can see from pictures (mostly back on the neck) it's not ok. The head is now connected to the body, but looks still separated.

How can i fix it?

Select the vertices two by two (one on the head mesh, one on the body mesh) for the same position or same relative position (if they're slightly shifted, depends on the meshes). Make sure you select only one side or only front or back - you have to pay attention to all the 3 views when selecting), then do the data merge, then the normal merge for EACH pair (You'll quickly see if the normal merge works or creates black patches).

The groups will do the vertex and normal merge to the object at the top of the ones you're working with in the Group list, so if you notice it's merging to the wrong item, swap the group position.

The vertices need to be connected to each other (what the Data merge does) for the Normal merge (or Cat's version) to do its job.

---

Sometimes, the Normal merge, Cat's version or Align Normals causes black patches on the mesh. This can be caused by various issues in the mesh, but sometimes it happens without any good explanations.

Data merge will always "merge" everything you've selected together (not actually merge it, but gather everything into one point).

Merge normals copies the normals from one vertex to another, but I'm a bit unsure if it works on a collection of vertices (I mostly use it on one by one, instead of the extended manual edit). I'm a bit unsure about Cat's normal smoother, but it seems to work somewhat like the Align Normals function - sometimes one works best, sometimes the other.

As usual, simmer22 you are the best!!!

Your perfect and clear instructions let me understand everything, so i made it! There's still a light line on the back side of the neck. I tried to improve moving the vertex in the middle, i can't do better than this.



Do you think it's ok? I'd like to fix it better, but i don't know how to do it...

It almost looks like there's a circle of geometry on the inside of the neck (or body?) mesh? If that part isn't a gaping hole when you start putting the two parts together, you can get some weird things happening with the normals.

If the mesh between the head and body meshes is closed (top part of picture), delete the "wheel" of faces/polys, so you're left with just the edges/vertices visible on the outside (bottom).

This could be why you had issues to begin with. It wasn't too easy to spot in the first pictures.

This object is a mix between two meshes. The head comes from here: https://www.thesimsresource.com/art...esh/id/1041045/, and the body from here: https://deedee-sims.tumblr.com/post...nks-to-anon-who

I extracted with SimPE the GMDC from both and worked on that. Listening your tips i deleted those faces but was not enough. An ugly light line remained always there, so before starting snapping vertex i had to modify manually the vertex on the neck, only after this merging vertex gave no problems.
Here's the final result, I highlighted the mods in the picture:



Thanks a lot, simmer22... now i have to learn how to assign texture using Texture Coordinate Editor or UVMapper... I'm a little unsure because I don't know which one to use, and which is the best tutorial to follow in this case...
Do you have some suggestion?

Both of those meshes are likely already UVmapped, so if you need to do any changes, it's probably just moving the UV islands around and editing the textures accordingly. You can also choose to use an object with two recolorable subsets (or add a subset to one that only has one), so you can use textures from both items without having to edit the UVs.

My idea was making a new unique texture for the whole object, because i don't like the white color of the head and the shining light grey of the body. I'd like to make a pale beige skintone. Unfortunately this is my first attempt to create a custom object, so i didn't understand very much all your words. I use Photoshop very well, the graphic part probably won't be a problem, but i'm still trying to undestand what i have to do about all the rest...
In the last months i have learned to recolor objects, clothes (with BodyShop) and paintings, make a custom wall, animating a lighted painting... the creation of a new package from scratch is the most difficult thing i'm trying to do now, that's why i was asking for suggestions... Sorry to be so newbie that I can't keep up with you...

My guess is that both previous creators used the body parts you can find ingame to make these items. Those are already UVmapped and have textures that go along with them, so it should be somewhat easy to edit this.

I can take a look at it later to see which edits you'd need to do.

The texture file of the body is this:



The texture file of the head is this:



How can i add the head at the rest of the body?

For the TSR mesh, the texture with the jacket also works for the face/head. The light grey texture you posted above is for the base.

Looks like they combined the face and head into one, but they've been squished together a bit so getting the exact size/shape when editing textures onto them takes some trial and failure. If you want to use the grey mannequin textures you'll likely have to edit the face texture a bit to fit the UVmap. In your picture editing program you can instead just pick up the grey color and blend it together, so the head gets the same color as the body but without any texture, and you get a smooth transition.

(The UVs are also shifted up one space for the TSR mesh, so probably for the head in your mesh as well. It's a common issue, just select all those UVs in the Texture Coordinate Editor (they're outside the "square"), click "Move", write 1.0 in the second "Offset" box, and click the "M". The UVs should jump down to the proper space. If they don't, make sure the "lock" for X and Y further down aren't ticked).

Personally I'd probably have started over with a newly extracted head and face from ingame, because the UVs and textures would've been a bit easier to work with, and you can control the sizing a bit more. They've used the AFface and AFhairbald meshes (Both are best exported as GMDC/5GD, not as OBJ - the face mesh sometimes gives errors because of morphs, but you can click no to morphs or delete them after).

Thanks, ok, i do it as soon as i can.
Update:

I tried to do what you said, but the Texture Coordinate Editor is... empty... Can't see the body, the head or the base even with settings you suggested...
And now, some hour later, i found out the reason: every object has not material, this is because i deleted textures for mistake at the first import and now if i try to make a new project with those object (or importing .5gd files) it import them with no textures. I tried importing other object: always no materials. What can I do?

The problem is serious: milkshape can't import materials anymore!!!

SimPE doesn't export materials to Milkshape.

You have to export the texture from the TXMT, then add a material in Milkshape, and add the texture to this, then add the material to the group. Only then you'll be able to see the UVs in the Texture Coordinate Editor.