Swat Reaper have you successfully done one of the beginning body meshing tutorials? Hair meshing is an advanced topic and it is expected that you know how to do basic body edits before you try this tutorial. You should know how to use SimPE for modifying meshes before trying this hair tutorial.

I have a question about hair animations. How do you make it more bouncy? Do you assign certain vertices to different bones? Also, When I tried, it messed up, and I think it may have caused a bit of corrupt on my bodyshop program (Not loading the hair and freezing up). However, I could be wrong. If you could get me a tutorial on how to fix hair animations, or tell me how to fix this, that would be great. Thank you in advance! :D

1) Making hair bouncy is NOT part of this tutorial, and this thread is really for questions about _doing the tutorial as written_

2) If your bodyshop, etc, is no longer loading, try moving your files from the saved sims and downloads folder to a folder on your desktop. If that doesn't help, try moving the stuff from your projects folder to a folder on your desktop. If that doesn't help - did you download *anything* for the game while doing your project, try removing that also.

3) There is no tutorial for hair animations, it's still something people are experimenting with with mixed results. Here's the thread discussing it. Some people have gotten good results, some not so... This is an advanced technique that you can try (on your own, no tutorial or handholding) http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=151722

i get confused when you go from the tuturial and then switch to another about converting adult stuff. i'm trying to do a teen hair mesh and i can't get past that part.

nadascreations - I'm wondering if you are looking at the InfoCenter _articles_ which are a collection of 5 separate articles which give various bits of information about meshing hair, specifically focusing on the differences or specific questions people have asked -- http://www.modthesims2.com/article.php?t=139819

The first article there, for instance - gives an overview and some specifics about the details of what in a hair file is different (and confusing - finding the right 3dir). It's expected that you know how to find your hair meshes, edit them, update the mesh file, etc. The article format was designed to handle an assortment of articles - in this case 'converting hair meshes for different ages' is not a continuation, but a separate article about working with hair files.

There is a very basic tutorial available here: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=158048
it was not available when the hair articles in the InfoCenter were first created

Basically, it doesn't matter much which age(s) you are editing; the recolor file has references to ALL ages - FOR EACH AGE you wish to edit, you need to find the 4 pieces and build a mesh file, link the modified cres and shape to the correct 3dirs, edit the mesh, test. Then repeat the process.

This is probably a silly question but I've made my mesh - it works great, thank you for the tutorial. But how do I upload it - if I upload only the SimPE file from downloads it doesn't show up in game - I think because there is no pointer a bodyshop file. It only works if there is a file in saved sims and in downloads. How do I make just one SimPE file for my mesh?

If you made up your MESH_ .package and linked it correctly to the BodyShop recolor .package it should work fine. A common beginner's mistake is to leave the Resource Node and the Shape file in the first BodyShop recolor .package - you should check for that if you are having problems. After linking the BodyShop .package to the MESH_ .package you must delete the Resource Node and the Shape file you added to the BodyShop .package. They should both only be found in the Mesh_ .package, otherwise BodyShop gets confused and there can be problems.

You will need both files to have the mesh show up in the game - the MESH_ .package, and at least one BodyShop recolor .package.

They can both be in SavedSims\, both in Downloads\, or one in each folder, it shouldn't matter as long as both are in the game.

Thanks it was just the last bit I didn't know - about both files! I normally do objects lol.

Yeah, umm... Kind of a dumb question but... what if I followed all of the instructions correctly (to the best of my knowledge...) with a DIFFERENT mesh though, and as soon as I open the Custom Bin in BodyShop to look at it, the application crashes?
I was trying to make the "amhairmessy" thingy spikey, like a punk. Eheheh...

Without knowing exactly what you did, all I can tell you from your post is that you definately did do something wrong.

Since this is a tutorial I am going to assume this is your first mesh edit.

A tutorial is just for learning, you should go back and try it again - but this time do use the same mesh that I showed.

Every hair mesh is different, and your problem could be due to something in the mesh you edited, the tools themselves, or a mistake on your part. There is no way to tell. If you use the same mesh I showed, problems other than user-error can be eliminated because obviously what I did worked on this particular mesh.

Once you understand how to do it, then you can go on to making your own edits on other meshes and if something does go wrong at least you will have an idea where to look.

Oh and Solanum - go to your downloads folder and saved sims folder and projects folder and DELETE all the new files you created. That should fix your bodyshop problem.

Alright, I will try that. Thanks!
And I deleted the "error-mesh" and everything works fine now. Except.. the mesh. Haha.

Okay, I did Tiggerypum's body meshing tutorial and breezed through it with no problems.

Now, however, I just can't seem to get through this hair meshing tutorial. When I'm at the point where I load Body Shop to see if it works (before MilkShape)- it does. All seems well at that point.

But then at the end of the tutorial when I load Body Shop again to see my lovely new hair it just looks the same as it ever did.

I do delete the extra Resource Node and SHPE file. I use the bone assignments in the tutorial and I'm using the same hair as in the tutorial. I make sure that I add my edited container back in and give it it's original name back, etc, etc.

ANY advice, thoughts, etc. would be most appreciated.

I refuse to give up but I'm on about my 5th or 6th try.

Some things to check:

* In SimPE, after replacing the GMDC with your edited one, make sure you click [Commit] after putting the name back. Then checkmark all the mesh groups, and use the Preview feature to confirm that it is your edited mesh.

If it still looks like the original, you may have brought back in the wrong mesh.

* In BodyShop, do not try to look at the original project that you exported - that will usualy not work. Instead, to look at your new mesh either go to the New Project section and export it as a new project to have a look. Or else go to the Create-A-Sim section and try to find it there. Also don't expect the Thumbnail in BodyShop to look correct - find the mesh, then actually click on the thumbnail to put it on the mannequin for a look.

* Did you link the mesh to the correct three ages? There are three Hairtone XML files in your BodyShop .package that are labeled "af...." (adult female) - or two if you don't have University. One is for the Adult Female, one is for the Elder Female, and if you have University the third is for the Young Adult Female. If you only linked up one of them, the mesh will only show on one of those ages and you may be looking at a different age in BodyShop. Also make sure you have linked to the correct 3D Referencing file by comparing the instance number of the HairTone XML file and the 3D Referencing file - they must match.


For a quick check, in BodyShop try also looking in the Elder and Young Adult sections.

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If none of this helps, you could post the files here and I will look at them. I would need both the MESH_ .package, and the BodyShop .package that it is linked to.

Thank-you for the tips- they are appreciated. :D

I DID manage to make the toddler hair completely disappear. That's it.
*headdesk*

I think I'm going to start over yet again. I'll let you know how it goes.

I just wanted to pop in and say thank-you and show you the end result.

THIS is what I missed:


I was adding the modified cres and shape files ONE time- and using that one add to change them all- then deleting/saving ONE time. Made all the difference when I realized it- I also felt a little dumb. *headdesk*

Original TS2 Hair:



My End Result:


This last try I changed to the long hair from the ponytail just because I was really tired of that hairdo after so many days of looking at it. Also, I was trying to give the hair a wavy look- not great but it's okay I think for a first try I think.

I have question. I created mesh,but in Bodyshop I don't see changes.Why?
Thanks

Do you see the changed mesh in the preview in SimPE?

Hm,i think yes,but it was wrong.I notice one thing-in plugin-view is bad order-XZY...My mesh in SimPE is with changes, but in bed position.Can I correct this mistake?
Thanks a lot

If your mesh is laying down in SimPE, you didn't follow the tutorial.

The XYZ shouldn't matter, because you would not use Import or Export.

You use extract and replace up on the file listing in SimPE.

The tutorial is for the UniMesh plugins and MilkShape only.

Yes,i also think that. But which steps I should repeat?
Thanks

That would depend on exactly what you did.

Was your mesh was right-side up when you imported it into MilkShape?

And still standing up when you finished?

If it was, go back to MilkShape and export it again, being sure that you are using the Sims2 Unimesh Exporter option.

Then open up your SimPE MESH .package, right-click on the GMDC line, choose "replace", and bring the new GMDC in.

If it was not standing up when you imported it into MilkShape, you will have to go back to where you extracted the original GMDC from the SimPE .package you made.

Because if it came into MilkShape laying down, it means you used one of the [Export] options in SimPE rather than "Extract" and you will not be able to go on as explained in the tutorial.
See this post:
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthre...290#post1220290

My mesh was right when I imported and exported in Milkshape.I try to export (in Milkshape) again,but my mesh was without changes. I go back to where I extracted the orginal GMDC from the SimPE .package, but my mesh in BodyShop still show without changes.I try to creat new mesh.
Also I should to tell one thing. I use in Milkshape face and body examples(http://www.modthesims2.com/article.php?t=135300), but before my mesh saving I delete all face and body examples(in groups tab).
Thanks a lot

I seem to have a problem assigning bones in milkshape. Whenever I try to change the bone it will be assigned to, or the weight, milkshape just shutsdown with no warning or message. Can you help me with this?

Rashia, make sure you have the latest version of Milkshape, and the latest version of Unimesh. If you do have both, reinstall them both - I was having that exact problem when I'd upgraded one to the latest version, but not the other.