Changing the hair mesh for one recolor/age group?

[Ambular]

Well, I've asked around and looked for tutorials, but no luck so far.  Can anyone point me to the info needed to change the mesh for one age group in a hair style?

What I need to do: I have a female hair style in which the Teen through Elder ages use the single-ponytail mesh, and the child uses the double-pigtail mesh.  I also have a style in which the child uses a single-ponytail mesh and the older ages use the double-pigtail style.  I want to combine them so that all ages from child up use just the single ponytail.

Any help would be appreciated!

[Mike]

I don't know how to do things like this but you could ask Motoki. Maybe he knows what to do.

[Motoki]

Um, I know how to do it, but it's a bit of a pain in the butt and hard to explain heh. I wonder if you could just yank out the 3D ID references from one and swap them over to another, that might be easier but then you'd have to move the textures too.

I'd really have to take some time and write a step by step tutorial on it with pictures, but Brianna's tutorial for making custom meshes might apply actually. Well parts of it. I'll have to go look at again.

[Motoki]

Okay steps 17-25 in Brianna's mesh creation tutorial sort of apply.

http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=43092

Where the file you are extracting the resource node and shape from is the mesh file for the mesh you want to bring over.

Of course, you also have to know which 3D ID Reference belongs to the age in question. Generally I believe the 3D ID reference files with instance 1 is toddler, instance 2 is child and instance 3 is teen. It's starts to get stickier with 4, 5, and 6 because in my experience they don't seem to be consistant between different packages, or maybe I just have some messed up hair packages heh.

Unless the hair uses a Maxis texture and is pointed to use the Maxis texture (the only people I know of who have done this are myself and Pinhead and possibly Morague so I'd say the chances are slim to none) then you'll have to bring the textures over too. I think the Binary Indexes can be left alone but to be honest, I'm not even certain about that, we'd have to ask Pinhead on that.

Basically, I don't mean to spoil your wish, but it's a huge pain in the butt and kind of makes my brain explode just trying to explain it lol. Plus, I haven't had much luck with hairs I've been trying to mess with lately so Pinhead would be a better person to talk to about it, but be warned if you REALLY want to do this, there is no easy automated way, it's all manual editing.

[Ambular]

Okay steps 17-25 in Brianna's mesh creation tutorial sort of apply.

http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=43092

Where the file you are extracting the resource node and shape from is the mesh file for the mesh you want to bring over.

Of course, you also have to know which 3D ID Reference belongs to the age in question. Generally I believe the 3D ID reference files with instance 1 is toddler, instance 2 is child and instance 3 is teen. It's starts to get stickier with 4, 5, and 6 because in my experience they don't seem to be consistant between different packages, or maybe I just have some messed up hair packages heh.

Unless the hair uses a Maxis texture and is pointed to use the Maxis texture (the only people I know of who have done this are myself and Pinhead and possibly Morague so I'd say the chances are slim to none) then you'll have to bring the textures over too. I think the Binary Indexes can be left alone but to be honest, I'm not even certain about that, we'd have to ask Pinhead on that.

Basically, I don't mean to spoil your wish, but it's a huge pain in the butt and kind of makes my brain explode just trying to explain it lol. Plus, I haven't had much luck with hairs I've been trying to mess with lately so Pinhead would be a better person to talk to about it, but be warned if you REALLY want to do this, there is no easy automated way, it's all manual editing.

I'm not afraid of having to do it manually, as long as I've got correct instructions.  (First mods I made were two custom careers done the long way, before I knew there was a career editor.)  XD

I did try replacing the 3D ID Reference, but I either did it wrong or that doesn't work, because it had no effect.  :p  The mesh in question does happen to use a Maxis texture, though, for a wonder--it's just the adult ponytail scaled down for kids.  Heck, for all I know, one of you guys may have made it, I lost track of the creator.  XD