I modified a basegame mesh in Milkshape (v. 1.8.5. beta) for a new jeans project but I'm having trouble with it. I am using TSR Workshop v. 2.0, mainly because I know the program fairly well and it seems to be easier for working with morphs.

The problem I am having is that the seam between the top and the bottom mesh is visible ingame. I tried everything I could think of and read in the forums so far to fix it, I redid the mesh three times, turned off auto smooth, used demon's align normals tool, tried to mess with the uvmap, tried to attach the bottom to a nude top mesh and then delete the top part again...

I also exported the basegame mesh from TSRW, opened it in Milkshape, saved without changes and loaded it back up and the seam even showed up on this mesh. So maybe it is a tsrw problem or something that Milkshape does?

I even tried doing the mesh using CTU, but the mesh exploded on me... I wanted to have the morphs, too and must have done something totally wrong. If you want to have a laugh, here it is :


I took some screenshots to show you the problem with the seam.
This is my texture using the basegame mesh- no seams, everything looks good:



This is my modified mesh- the seam is visible just above the navel:


The seam goes all the way around the mesh:


I just edited the leg opening and the butt part of the mesh, I didn't even touch the seams, so I have no idea where it comes from!

I am just starting with meshing, so everything is still new to me and I might have done something completely wrong in the process. Any help or pointers in the right direction would be much appreciated

I would also be willing to give CTU another try if someone could guide me a little in terms of adding morphs to a custom mesh etc. (I already read CmarNYC's tutorial on how to add morphs to basegame meshes).

I just desperately want to fix my problem, as it seems to happen with other bottom meshes, too... I tried doing another one in tsrw, even with another texture, and it has the same issue.

Thanks for reading, I'd love to see some replies now

You must have had autosmooth on when you started or you alligned the normals manually.
If you want to fix your mesh import the original mesh(and its morphs)
Then import your custom mesh.
Hide all the morphs and use Wes H his normal data tools to copy the vertice normals from one bottom to the other:
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=398865
When done do the same for the fat, then thin etc.

A quicker way is prolly to cut off the top roe of faces of the mesh and morphs, import the original one and do the oposite with those, then regroup all base/fat/fit etc.

It also looks like the skin may be kinda wonky... the shadows/highlights don't match up. Did you edit the UVMapping at all?

OT, but you should post that first screenshot in the 'Modding Disasters' thread: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=362118

Actually, now I think of it, there might be an easier way than what Base suggested. Import the original mesh as a separate group, and then use, erm... I think it's UniMesh Normal Data Merge plugin (under the vertex tab). I'm not totally sure how the plugin works - I use trial and error - but I believe you select first the vertex you want to copy normals from, then the one you want you copy normals to, and run the plugin. You can also copy normals from and to several vertices at once - I assume instructions on doing so are in the UniMesh manual.

That is wat i suggested

Oh yeah, so you did. Brain fart. I have to say though... UniMesh would probably be quicker. If the OP can figure out how it works . But then, I could say the same thing about MorphMangle...

Thanks for the replies


Tried this now, one vertice at a time at the seam on all morphs and the base mesh. Still no visible change ingame

I wondered if it might be the uvmap that causes the trouble.
I edited just a tiny bit of it since I didn't edit very much on the mesh. All I did was rise the uvmap a couple of millimeters to match my texture at the seam of the jeans. I marked it on the second screenshot.
Maybe I do have to edit the uvmap further, but I only used uvmapping for simple objects, not yet for clothes and don't know what would need to be done there.
This is the uvmap of the original mesh, with my texture behind it:


This is the edited uvmap of my new mesh:


I also put Ladyfrontbum's skin on the mesh in Milkshape as a texture and imported a top nude mesh to check how the seams would turn out and they seem to be fine (the seam that is visible at the bottom is the seam of the jeans, which is not the problem):



I don't know if the skin files are applied to the mesh with the same positioning ingame, too, but the texture put on the meshes looks pretty much like the positioning of the skin textures ingame. My texture files are all 1024x1024pixels, juist like the skin textures.

I really don't know anymore right now, so maybe you guys have another idea?

Sorry for my intrusion but I'm having the same issue and tryed what Base sugested and it's not working - I selected the vertices and clicked the Normal Data Merge and nothing happens. The only plugin wich allows me to joint the vertices is Vertex Data Merge.

Here some pictures of my trying:

I'm not sure if you're expecting Normal Data Merge to do what it actually does. All it does is copy normal data from one vertex to another (or more than one). This can correct lighting problems that create a visible 'seam' between parts. And I'm not sure if 'joint' in your post is a typo: If you mean 'join', Normal Data Merge won't do that and in fact joining two vertices into one (the Milkshape Weld functions) will change your number of vertices and mess up your morphs. If you mean fix the joint/bone assignments, that's not the function of Normal Data Merge. Vertex Data Merge will do it by copying all the data for a vertex including the bone assignments.

From your pictures it looks like you're having morph problems, probably meaning either you've changed the number of vertices in your mesh and not created new morphs, or the vertex numbers in your new morph meshes don't match the base mesh.

CmarNYC:

Thank you for your answer. I think I was not clear in mi doubts.

Please, if you can, take a look at my thread: Weird shine.

its going to be hard to answer your questions if you mix up 2 diffrent errors...

When using the normal data merge tool you will hardly see changes in Milkshape, true.
But you will in CAS or ingame.

The data tool will NOT solve any problems like you have in the last screenshots, thats a morph issue like Cmar explained.

If you want to check custom meshes(before new morphs are build) you need to set both body sliders(fat/thin and fit/normal) in the middle.

Its easy to check wether its your uvmap or normals.

Import a top and check if there is a seam at the waist.(if there is then its the normals)
If there is not, then apply a texture to both bottom and top and check the waist again..(must be the uvmap then)

The row of verts you moved already on the uvmap wont effect the waistline

I have checked that already (see the screenshot of the waistline in my other post). No seams visible... so it must mean that my uvmap is somehow messed up... but how do I fix it? And as you can see in my previous post, both uvmaps are almost identical, so how can one be messed up and the other be okay? It's a mystery to me...

upload the mesh?
Could be a texture issue then...
Also tried to delete your caches and look in CAS with only this mesh installed?

yes, I also cleared my cache and made a new clean profile with anygamestarter for testing the mesh...

Base, I sent you a pm with links to my mesh files. Thank you very much for your help!

One problem I see with your UV map and texture is on the back. Basically, your back belt loop and the nearby seems and textures are not going to show up on your sim. Anything within that half oval is not part of your sim. Maybe you wanted it that way?

Yes, I put a new seam along the oval, it is just hidden beneath the UV map. Apart from some minor detail flaws that need to be fixed, I'm quite happy with it

I think the problem is your mask texture, nothing wrong with the meshes.
When i opened the package with TSRW i noticed it has a 3 channel recolor option but your mask texture has a alpha channel wich is only used on 4 channel recolor outfits.
I also have my doubts how you textured the 3 mask channels.
Link or load a blanc default mask texture and check the pants in CAS.

Also check the alpha's on the multi and overlay textures, if they have a shade of dark grey instead of black they might color the belly.

I never thought about that... I'll definitely check the textures, thanks very much!

Edit: Okay, after spending time to fix my textures and making sure they were okay and after trying them out, the seam persisted. Following this, I tried the basegame textures.The problem persisted. Then I tried the basegame mesh without any edits or exporting/importing meshes with my textures on: No seam there.
Next, I created a new Project in TSRW and exported the meshes, then reimported them without doing anything to them... and guess what I saw next... SEAMS! They were visible in TSRW with a very short top on top mesh.
I now officially blame TSRW. Found no solution in their forums, other than "turn off auto smooth in milkshape", but that's the first thing I did with my mesh and I redid the meshes several time from scratch since then, always making sure that auto smooth was off before I imported anything. And well, if it happens to meshes that were never even opened in a meshing program, just reimported...

I guess I will switch to CTU and have to start from scratch there... Will be a lot of work for the morphs, though.

It is just weird that no one seemed to notice this problem of TSRW before.
I also installed the most recent TSRW beta to see if this was fixed, but it's still the same.
I didn't try skirts and other ages and genders yet, so I don't know if this is a problem with all reimported TSRW bottom meshes, but surely this would have been noticed!

Thanks to those who tried to help me! If anyone does have a solution to this specific TSRW problem, please do let me know.

I am still using version 2.0.0.17647 wich doesn't have these issues, you might want to switch back?

until yesterday, where I tried the new beta, I used version 2.0.0, too. I am thinking of switching back to version 1, some said it's easier to work with clothing meshes and morphs etc, because you only have one mesh group. I'm really desperate, I wanted to mesh so badly and now everything is just so frustrating But I will try to reinstall version 2.0.0, first, maybe I get lucky and it will work...
It would be good to know, though if the seam problem occurs just on my machine/programs or if the seam appears for all users of the package.
Did you actually try out my package ingame, Base? I would be grateful if you could do it to check if you do see the seams, too.

Using different pant meshes does not solve my problem, either. I just hope TSR has a fix for it soon or somebody can explain why this is happening and how to get rid of it.

EDIT: By looking at recent clothing download pictures at TSR, I saw that many creators have the issue, but they seem not to care... you can see the seam on several pics if you look closely. But who wants a broken mesh like that in their games?

Strange, never had problems with 2.0
You dont want to switch back to 1.0 tho, its useless for meshing as it doesn't support the morphs.(as far as i can remember.)
Ill try to copy your project when i have time and post the results.

edit,

You still might want to revisit you mask texture, its not working like it should

Yeah, I guess going back to version 1 isn't really the solution. I posted the bug at the TSR forums and a moderator there kindly wrote a ticket for the bug. So, hopefully the issue will be fixed with the next public release.