Making medium and low detail meshes with a high detail mesh using Milkshape's direct x tool:

-import your lod1
-go to groupstab and select the mesh
-go to model tab and tick scale
-at the scale options you choose Origin
-at the 3 boxes you fill in 10000
-hit the scale button
-go to vertex menu and choose weld together
-go to tools menu and choose direct x mesh tool
-pull the slider to 50%(or calculate it by comparing similar GEOMS) ***
-hit save button
-go to tools menu and choose Model Cleaner
-choose NO in the first popup window
-hit OK in the second popup window
-go to groupstab and select the mesh again
-go to the model tab and fill in the 3 boxes 0.0001
-hit the scale button
-export the mesh as OBJ file(Wavefront OBJ)
-save it in watever you want to call it

-go to file menu and start new
-import your lod1 mesh again
-go to groupstab and rename the GEOM-00(i call it reference)
-import your just saved OBJ file(new lod2)(Wavefront OBJ)
-go to groupstab and select both meshes
-go to model tab and choose scale
-at the scale options you choose Origin
-at the 3 boxes you fill in 10000
-hit the scale button
-go to vertex menu and choose weld together
-go to groupstab and copy the comments in the comment box from the reference mesh
-past those comments in the comment box of the GEOM-00(newlod2)
-delete the reference mesh
-go to tools menu and choose Model Cleaner
-choose NO in the first popup window
-hit OK in the second popup window
-go to groupstab and select the mesh again
-go to model tab and choose scale
-at the scale options you choose Origin
-go to the model tab and fill in the 3 boxes 0.0001
-hit the scale button
-export as GEOM

I have autosmooth on during this process
When done you still need to:
*fix the neck seam
*fix the waist or foot seam
*fix the normals
*make new morphs if needed
*update the comments with the correct ones
*** i used the afBodyShirtLong as test file(its medium lod2 was arround 50% of the higher lod1)

Issues:
It seems the mesh sometimes loses boneassignements on the fingers.(OR....those high lod finger joints are not used on the lower lods)
The elbow will not bent properly during animation, need to move and update(boneassignements) the vertices in that area.
Best to cut off the arms and replace them with ones of a lower lod basegame mesh
Lower lods dont use breast assignements(and maybe a few other joints) reassigne those.

The scaling is done to avoid that Non identical vertices that lay close together are being weld.
Use your new lod2 GEOM to create the lod3 GEOM


NOTE,
I have not tested it yet on meshes imported with TSRW's WSO plugin!
Should work the same exept the comments, those are not needed with the WSO plugin.

If you look at a sims mesh in Milkshape its pretty small compared to Milkshape's grid.
So when you select parts of a mesh(especially high polygons) and use the weld option there is a high risk that vertices close together will snap.
Its a setting in Milkshape that vertices within a paticular range(distance?) of eachother will snap.
To avoid that i first scale the mesh bigger.(the bigger the better.)

The next step is to weld the whole mesh together as one.
This is needed because direct x otherwise will divide each seperate mesh part on its own(front/back/toparms/bottomarms) wich will cause gaps on the seams.

After done that you can use the direct x tool without any problems
And you are right, you will lose all boneassignements when using it

Another problem is when you weld the mesh you will also weld the seams wich screws up the UVmap on export.
But you can use the modelcleaner to bring back the seams. It uses the UVmap as reference and will split all vertices on the seams.
Now you scale the mesh back and export as obj file.

Last thing is giving the mesh its boneassignements back.
Discovered a long time ago that you can use the weld tool to copy boneassignements.
Since the original high lod and the new medium or low lod still share the same vertices(position) you can weld them together(in theory, because they never will merge as both are seperate meshgroups.)
But the weld option does copy the boneassignements from one mesh to the other.(reference lod1 mesh must be the first mesh listed in the groupstab tho)
Using the weld option does requiere the scaling first as i explained earlier.
And after welding the mesh for the 2nd time you need the modelcleaner again to divide its parts.


I hope this makes sence?
Not easy to explain being dutch
Also because i am not a mesher, just found it out by how they say it...trial and error?
Ill add this to the tutorial.

It will not work for me Bloom, I have tryed it several times, with and without autosmooth on.
Something is wrong when I scale back.
Please do not think your tutorial is not working, it probably is just one of the troubles I have with this PC and Milkshape, it usualy has something to do with DirectX or boneassignments.

So this method actually reatains bone assignments?! Amazing~! Thanks for the wonderful tut :D

Thank you for trying out and its not you, i forgot one line...i am sorry Coco.
After you use the modelcleaner the whole mesh is no longer selected only the vertices on the seams are.
So when you then scale the mesh back you get the result as in your screenshot.(i recognized it imidiatly as i also had it one time)
I forgot the line were to reselect the mesh in the groups tab....
Its updated now.




yes it will and your welcome

I might try to include steps for the thin/fit and pregnant(if it works)
The fat you always have to make yourself.
If that doesn't work out ill have to go study and create Poser magnets.

Edit,
Now i am thinking about it...
Using the modelcleaner on frenkensteined meshes(and morphs) will prolly also allow you to regroup diffrent morphs parts and use them all in one meshgroup.

I don't worked with GEOM meshes (but, they have only 1 group or?). Because WSO meshes have 5 groups. So, for this tutorial, I can used all 5 morphs in same time for this tut? Or I need do every single mesh?

It's amazing tut. )

I tested it for .wso - not works. Every morph have different number of polycounts. For import into TSRW, they must have same number of polycounts.

For now you can only do the group_base, you need to make new morphs for the created medium/low detail.(duplicate the basemesh)
It does save you work as you do not have to reassigne the vertices with bone weights.

Thanks. So, Create new morphs + move + scale...

Uh...no
You create a medium detail(lod2) from the highdetail(lod1) with this tutorial.
When done you can duplicate the lod2 4 times and make morphs out of it.

Hm? Why not?
I tried this tutorial & works for TSRW.
I imported High LOD (delete other morphs except group_base) + followed all steps of this tutorial + export as .obj

Then I imported again High LOD > reference + .obj + followed again steps of this tutorial + delete reference mesh + duplicate group_base 4 times (fat, thin, fit, special).

But, all morphs (duplicated) are identical from group_base.
For fat, thin, fit & special - I should make a new morphs (move, scale, etc to similiar look of EA Medium LOD...)

Or here is easier way? :-/

that is the correct way, sorry if i didn't understood.
I still have to try if i can include the lod1 morphs

No problems.
Thank you, it's great.
I tried for Children + duplicate 4 times + adapt only fat morph (it's not a lot work).

But, if you made changes on group_base then duplicate it 3 times + rename (thin, fit, special) - result is explode in TSRW.

Best solution is: first duplicate group_base 4 times + rename (fat, thin, fit, special). Then you need for ever morph rectify all unnecessarily.

It's way who works for me.

Note: I don't have AutoSmooth during process of fixing normals + neck + foot. (no need)

yup.
You dont need autosmooth, you need to fix the normals when finished anyway.

I tried to include the morphs but it keeps exploding.
Also alot of times im missing boneassignements on the hands and arms(you see big spikes then in TSRW)
It still is alot work but not as much as reassigning a whole new mesh.

I contacted a few people who can help me with making Poser magnets but no one responded.

It's a pity. I tried this tutorial with ever single morph (base, fat, fit, thin and special). But, ever morph have different number of polycounts (vertices or faces) after using Direct Tool.

Poser magnets? What's it?

Maybe you can ask for it Murano?
Because it is in everyone's interest to have a stable game due polycounts.

Poser is a 3d program, i used it alot when creating bodymeshes for sims 2.
You can create magnets with it wich when used transforms the base shape into a morph.

Sound interesting. I hope that you will find someone for 'together-work'.

I'd would to praise myself. ))

This is my first set of .wso meshes who I created LODs for 5 morphs. (so far only reshaping for 5 morphs using Morph Mangle ~ but often with .obj using Morph Mangle)

I'm so prooooud XD
Finally I know how create LODs for five (.wso) morphs (thanks to this tutorial). Uh, hard work, but it pays to invest the effort! This is Teen mesh.

This is mostly combined mesh, but I deleted vertices of smooth foots + I added new part of skinny jeans to this dress. Looks as dress-fit

I used short red formal dress + delete smooth foots + added part of skinny jeans to dress.
I used Top part of dress from LODs (saving time) + I used Bottom part of dressfit (It's so easier for re-shaping than Top part due breasts, shoulders, etc...) for using Direct X Tool + this tutorial + then I reshaped for Fat, Fit, Thin. Group & Special don't need, they are same + OK after using Direct Tool.

To create, fix of UV and the vertices of legs, re-assign I spent about 7 hours of effort.

This meshes are separately in 2meshgroups.

http://i53.tinypic.com/6glhza.jpg

Bloom this is a big help - was having trouble with my lods
Thank you so much


Also does this method work on hair?