Help with Face Template Replacement Tutorial

[Missha]

I need help with Motoki's CAS face template replacement tutorial found here: http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php?topic=1280.0

"Now fine the face or faces in question (remember, you can get the names from the CAS in debug mode) and then export them. Make a new file in SimPE and import them. You can delete the exported files once you've added them to your new file and saved it. The face templates will always be in sets of 2, the regular and LOD15 version so make sure you get both geometric data container files for each template."

I have AllenABQ's file from MTS2 for that part found here: http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=106077&c=1&ht=0&page=4&pp=25#startcomments

Now find a sim whose facial structure you like and open their package file in SimPE. You can do this from neighborhood character files if you know the sim's character #, which you can get in the sim browser in SimPE, or you can do it with a bodyshop sim template. Those will get saved in the SavedSims directory and tend to get file names with numbers so you might not be able to easily tell who they are unless you just have one in that directory. SimPE also has a sim surgery plugin where you can export any neighborhood sim's looks to a bodyshop template in the SavedSims directory and call it whatever you want.

Ok...I'm good here....

Now when you open your sim's file go to Geometric Data Container. Their might be multiple selections here, particularly if the sim has gone through all the different ages in the game. For Adults, look for the ones with age3_0_gmdc and age3_0LOD15_gmdc in their names and extract these two entries as well (you can preview the mesh if you go to the 3D Mesh tab down below).

This is where things start getting sticky.   So I created all new models, sometimes a little tweaking for the different ages, and when I open their Geometric Data Container I can't make heads or tails of what I find. The toddlers especially. I got 0-7... 7?!  

So somewhere I saw what i suspected:
0= toddler
1= child
2= teen
3= adult
4= elder

So what's 5-7? Ghost?  

Since I'm not awesome (took me over 6 months to get registered on this blasted site) I need some simple clarification on what files are being referred to in this next section.

The other problem I had was I made all the templates in CAS, right? Made a toddler, child, M/F teen, M/F adult, M/F elder. Sounds good right? Then when I open the files and look at the Geometric Data they all only have ages 3 and 4. Even the toddler and the child. One or two of them had age 7 whatever that is but no ages 0, 1 or 2. What gives? What did I do wrong?  

Now go back and open your new file (the name doesn't matter btw) with the original face templates and go to the Geometric Data Container again. For the template you want to replace, highlight it on the main upper window on the right hand side and write down or copy the "filename" somewhere where you won't lose it. You will need it in a sec. Do this for the LOD15 version too. So in my example where I was replacing the first male facial template called amArchHeart I copied down the filenames amArchHeart_tslocator_gmdc and amArchHeartLod15_tslocator_gmdc. The second is the same name but with LOD15 inserted after the archetype name.

Now go back and open your new file -what new file? The file I imported? The file I extracted that AllenABQ has templates for? The file for the sim I made? I know it may sound dumb but Im afraid I'll botch these tutorial and kill my game not knowing what I'm doing in simpe. I just started a new game and had an issue installing because of the collection packs. Not interested in trying to redo this again. However, I am interested in havning my own custom face templates.

So what to do? What to do? I'm not awesome at all that's why I'm asking you!

[witch]

Since I'm not awesome (took me over 6 months to get registered on this blasted site)

Tee Hee

[ThePolygotNerd]

Now when you open your sim's file go to Geometric Data Container. Their might be multiple selections here, particularly if the sim has gone through all the different ages in the game. For Adults, look for the ones with age3_0_gmdc and age3_0LOD15_gmdc in their names and extract these two entries as well (you can preview the mesh if you go to the 3D Mesh tab down below).

This is where things start getting sticky.   So I created all new models, sometimes a little tweaking for the different ages, and when I open their Geometric Data Container I can't make heads or tails of what I find. The toddlers especially. I got 0-7... 7?!  

So somewhere I saw what i suspected:
0= toddler
1= child
2= teen
3= adult
4= elder

So what's 5-7? Ghost?  

Age 7 is young adult, but that can be ignored, as they just use adult faces.  You don't need to open the GMDC files, just extract them, and then use them to replace Allen's GMDCs, retaining the same file names.

In SimPE, you can filter the file type using the resource tree.  Select GMDC on this.  Each file has a string of meaningless characters at the start, and then the agex_0_GMDC or agex_0LOD15_GMDC.  These are the files that need extracting.

The other problem I had was I made all the templates in CAS, right? Made a toddler, child, M/F teen, M/F adult, M/F elder. Sounds good right? Then when I open the files and look at the Geometric Data they all only have ages 3 and 4. Even the toddler and the child. One or two of them had age 7 whatever that is but no ages 0, 1 or 2. What gives? What did I do wrong?  

I have no idea what the fuck you did here.  Are you really sure you're not being stupid about it?  The child sim shouldn't have a face if it doesn't have a GMDC..

Now go back and open your new file (the name doesn't matter btw) with the original face templates and go to the Geometric Data Container again. For the template you want to replace, highlight it on the main upper window on the right hand side and write down or copy the "filename" somewhere where you won't lose it. You will need it in a sec. Do this for the LOD15 version too. So in my example where I was replacing the first male facial template called amArchHeart I copied down the filenames amArchHeart_tslocator_gmdc and amArchHeartLod15_tslocator_gmdc. The second is the same name but with LOD15 inserted after the archetype name.

Now go back and open your new file -what new file? The file I imported? The file I extracted that AllenABQ has templates for? The file for the sim I made? I know it may sound dumb but Im afraid I'll botch these tutorial and kill my game not knowing what I'm doing in simpe. I just started a new game and had an issue installing because of the collection packs. Not interested in trying to redo this again. However, I am interested in havning my own custom face templates.

The procedure reduced to simple steps for you:
1. Open sim file.  Extract relevant GMDCs.  Close this file.
2. Open face template file.  Replace relevant GMDCs, making sure they keep the same file name.  Commit.  Save.

I hope this has clarified things for you.

[Missha]

I'm going to try this again and get back to you. I don't know what I was doing wrong either. I was hoping you could tell me what I was doing wrong. I don't do good following these tutorials without pictures. And simPE isn't  I'm going to be really busy this week but I'll try it again and tell you if that worked.

[Missha]

Hey guess what! I finally figured it out and made my first template replacement. I got the Heart ones done and now I'm tired and going to bed. I'll do the others later. Thanks for everyone who helped me out!

[jezzer]

QUIT.  DOUBLE.  POSTING.