Face Templates - 2008-05-08 - No Update - New Links

[Nailati]

Big thanks to everyone for trying these out. I needed some fresh sets of eyes.

My inspiration has returned, and I'm buckling down on this...hopefully, my next update will be the completed set. My goal is to finish them by the end of the month. But don't hold me to it. 

I'm working on the face-height issue. As it is now, the templates are basically aligned at eye-level; I think perhaps lining up the noses, instead, will eliminate the Grinch effect (unnervingly large distance from nose to upper lip) that I've noticed on some of the offspring.

As always, I'm still interested in your opinions and suggestions.

Aside:
I've unwisely attempted to explain this project in general terms to a few of my friends -- none of whom are Simmers nor computer geeks. They find it at once baffling and unbelievably boring. They respond to my excitement much as you'd respond to an enthusiastic child, who, beaming with pride, has just presented you with a disastrous marriage of macaroni and glue. Verbal pat on the head, change of subject.
"Huh. That's...neat!  [pause for two beats]  Say, isn't that show about to come on? That one show? With the guy?"
Stupid friends. Stupid real life.
But the people on the on-line intarweb net forums understand!

[Mina-P]

So far I like what I see. The heights of the faces look pretty good to me. I always hated how, with the Maxis defaults, the position of the eyes was way too low compared to the ears.

[vilia]

Thanks for the update Nailati.

I'm keen to see what the next round looks like BUT the most important things are that you a) are enjoying it, and b) know that your work is appreciated.

[Renatus]

I just got a chance to test these tonight. Holy shit, Nailati! These are wonderful! I was floored by how much better the sims look with those faces, much better than even 'realistic-izing' the faces with Gigge's method. Even the faces I don't particularly like look human.

All of the CAS blending I did resulted in suitably human-looking sims as well. Some faces don't blend super well, as usual, but the results from these are much, much better looking than with the game defaults - not a single one I made was hideous or even unfortunate (and with face blending limits off some of the problems I saw with unlike faces being blended, like really big cheekbones, smoothed much better). The only remotely monkey-faced sim I ended up with still looked decent, and she would have been pretty with the right lipstick.

The eyes may be a little close together after all. Some of the faces they seemed like they could stand to be a click apart, others they seemed like they'd be better a click narrower, sideways. But this was up close, zoomed out the faces looked good. Up to you, I'll use these either way.

As a side note, these faces look really good with the Louis skins (I'm using the ShinySims versions).

I'm REALLY looking forward to having the completed set. Testing these has made me want to play again.

[TaWanda]

 I've been playing with these in CAS for a while, crossbreeding through many generations. I really like them, even trying for ugly still got much more realistic looking faces. No more sims that look like they  are trying to eat thier noses or look like they got a hanger stuck sideways in their mouths!

[myskaal]

These templates look incredible!

Here's hoping for the completion. Just wow.

[SciBirg]

While I impatiently wait for these gorgeous templates to get done:

Is it possible to mix them with some other templates? I have found some that have child templates, you see.

EDIT: I can't even download the ones you have made, "too many people are downloading..." error message.

[Nailati]

Thank you all so much for the continued interest. I'm sorry I've been MIA; I'm going through a devastating breakup (not trying to be drahmatic, that's just the nature of the situation, and I'm sure many of you have been there) so I haven't been able to muster up flying fuck. I'm set on finishing these, though; I've got to do something with myself.

I agree that the eyes look too close together in the current templates. I think that's because Sims' heads are narrower than human heads. To make them the correct width you'd have to either a) widen the upper & lower faces, which looks distorted and cuts into some of the hairdos, or b) shorten the face (to gain more relative width) to the point where it is too small for the body and neck. (I think I've verged on doing this with some of the females.)

So it turns out that to avoid overcompensating for the head's width, you have to live with the fact that the eyes will be somewhat larger and closer to the edges of the face than a human's.

Before stuff happened, I made a better base face (#2) based on pictures of computer-generated "average" or "ideal" faces ( like this and this and this) and on the Marquadt golden ratio mask. Picture:



I feel pretty good about the adult #2; I'm working on the other age groups, and then I'll use #2 as a guide to making corrections in the other faces.

@SciBerg: You can mix these with any templates you like, but be advised that it could be weird if the different ages for a particular template are very dissimilar in appearance.
I'm able to download the zip; are you still having problems?

[neriana]

Break-ups suck. Good luck with yours.

[J. M. Pescado]

Break-ups suck. Good luck with yours.

Break-ups do NOT suck. But good luck with it anyway. And remember.
FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOM!
LIVE FREE OR DIE! Hopefully you have learned something from this particularly stupid move and won't repeat it. Otherwise I will make fun of you.

[aussieone]

Geeeez!

Feel the love in the room!! 

[J. M. Pescado]

Geeeez!

Feel the love in the room!! 

I don't see why people are so upset about breaking up. I mean, doesn't the inherent concept just fill you with an urge to paint yourself blue and run screaming naked across the field screaming "FREEDOM!"? What's so BAD about getting rid of that pesky ball and chain that has managed to attach itself to your ankle? I really don't get it. Isn't ditching that loser a GOOD thing? Shouldn't this be a HAPPY event accompanied by a chorus of angels singing "HALLELUJAH!"?

[Flamingo]

JM, for someone who describe themselves as someone who would stay committed, you definitely seem enthralled by the pospect of not being in a relationship anymore. Although I do have to agree with you, I'm sure Nailati actually cared for that person.

Anyway, if I could make some suggestions Nailati, could you make the female's eyes a bit more wide for #2? That and perhaps make the eyes a little longer on the male, with maybe thicker eyebrows and less gaunt cheeks? I hate to sound like I'm nit-picking and perhaps I'm just not used to the templates, but I think it may make it look a bit better, or at least more like the first one you linked to, which you may not be trying to replicate.

All in all I have to say that these are a major improvement over the Maxis defaults and am anxiously awaiting their completion

[J. M. Pescado]

JM, for someone who describe themselves as someone who would stay committed, you definitely seem enthralled by the pospect of not being in a relationship anymore. Although I do have to agree with you, I'm sure Nailati actually cared for that person.

Of course I'd be committed. Victory or death. There is no other way. The objective of a relationship is to be the one to hold out, because under the terms of any relationship I'd bother to engage in, the winner takes all. Anything else is an invitation to chicken out. Having thus committed to such a struggle, I am not about to surrender! VICTORY OR DEATH! VICTORY OR DEATH!

If so somebody breaks up with you, it means that you have achieved VICTORY! Now all their base...are belong to you, and you are rid of them. VICTORY OR DEATH!

[Renatus]

JM, you are a gigantic windbag and more full of shit than the NYC sewer system.

Nailati, I'm sorry to hear you've been having troubles with your personal life - I hope my PM didn't pester you too much.  The revised #2 templates look great, and it's really cool that you're going back and revising them all to fit even better. Take your time and take care of yourself.

[aussieone]

JM, you are a gigantic windbag and more full of shit than the NYC sewer system.

Nailati, I'm sorry to hear you've been having troubles with your personal life - I hope my PM didn't pester you too much.  The revised #2 templates look great, and it's really cool that you're going back and revising them all to fit even better. Take your time and take care of yourself.

Ah, finally!

The voice of reason and compassion 

[RainbowTigress]

I take everything JM says with a huge bucket of salt. 

[Ness]

One question that I'm sure has crossed everyone's mind...  with the departure of BlueSoup, will these templates ever actually get finished?

[vilia]

Yep

The good news is that I got my paws on Virtual PC, which means I can now run SimPE, so I've been able to play around and test these things out. (Blue is still my Tech Support should Virtual PC go pear-shaped, and is awesome because I never would have started this project without her offer of help, and also she has quite a skinny head I'm sure. So there!)

[NikonSnow]

I take everything JM says with a huge bucket of salt. 

I'd also advise a shot of tequila. And I really like the new #2 templates. Something about it strikes me as correct. (And those links were very intresting.)

[J. M. Pescado]

JM, you are a gigantic windbag and more full of shit than the NYC sewer system.

And you wonder why you people are constantly whining about your pathetic and simpering "relationships" that NEVER WORK. The objective of any relationship is the same as anything else: to WIN. You WIN when the other party dies or breaches contract. It's that simple. What's so "shit" about that?

The voice of reason and compassion 

Reason and compassion are inherently incompatible objectives. Compassion is inherently unreasonable.

One question that I'm sure has crossed everyone's mind...  with the departure of BlueSoup, will these templates ever actually get finished?

Clearly, BlueSoup has failed us! You must not!

[neriana]

I take everything JM says with a huge bucket of salt. 

Saltlicks are good. J.M. is a jerk, and never claimed to be anything else or anything less.

Otoh, he does have sort of a point this time. Instead of dwelling on how hard a break-up is, it's good to dwell on how awesome it is that you are free again, and have escaped from a relationship that wasn't giving you what you needed.

[maxon]

One question that I'm sure has crossed everyone's mind...  with the departure of BlueSoup, will these templates ever actually get finished?

Clearly, BlueSoup has failed us! You must not!

I'm puzzled here - if relationships are a battle and the spoils go to the winner why are you not doing this:

I don't see why people are so upset about breaking up. I mean, doesn't the inherent concept just fill you with an urge to paint yourself blue and run screaming naked across the field screaming "FREEDOM!"? What's so BAD about getting rid of that pesky ball and chain that has managed to attach itself to your ankle? I really don't get it. Isn't ditching that loser a GOOD thing? Shouldn't this be a HAPPY event accompanied by a chorus of angels singing "HALLELUJAH!"?

Instead of a Blue Soup, you could have a Blue JMP.  Hallelujah?

[J. M. Pescado]

BlueSoup isn't a relationship. BlueSoup is a symbol of unreliability and failure to be brandished about as an warning to others, not to mention used as part of inaugural speeches for MATY officeholders: Clearly, BlueSoup has failed us! You must not! Besides, do I sound upset about it? Of course I'm not. I have a new dead horse to beat, what could be better?

[maxon]

Ah - I think my work here is done.