Default Skin Replacement Observations (Alien & Other)

[Ambular]

Persuant to discussions here:
http://www.moreawesomethanyou.net/smf/index.php?topic=2930.0
(Which I'll call Method 1--Sleepycat and angelyne's one-file method)

and here: http://www.moreawesomethanyou.net/smf/index.php?topic=4040.0  (Method 2--the quick-and-dirty, 2-file SimPE shortcut)

I decided to undertake a trial of these two default skin replacement methods and see how they compare.  My post has grown long-winded enough I thought I'd better start a new thread.  :)  (Now watch someone link me to a thread somewhere else where this has already been gone over...)  XD

First off, I've been using Method 2 default replacements for the four standard skintones for quite some time now, and I've had no trouble with them at all.  They work beautifully.

The issue angelyne had with this method had to do with a zombie skin and sounded as though it might also involve an alien skintone (green scalp coloration.)  So by way of testing how it worked for me with a non-standard type of skin, I went and made default alien replacements using the same skintone with each of the two methods.  (I happened to have a custom green skin I like, thus why I went with alien.)

Based on what I saw, I'm guessing that the problem is with alien defaults or non-standard defaults in general, not all default replacements.  I remember seeing somewhere that the alien skin is missing some of the standard textures, and that seems to be the case with the ones I made.  I'd hazard a guess there may be some sort of weirdness with zombie skins as well.

Using the Method 1 file, I got elders with adult colored scalps and mismatched body colors, but everything else was fine.  Using the Method 2 files, I got elder scalp colors on adults and everything else was fine.  (Please note I only tested them in CAS using testing cheats, I haven't actually put them into the game.)  Neither of these problems appeared in the original green skin file I based the defaults on.

More interesting, however, there is a HUGE difference in the final file size between the two methods.  Here's how they compare:

Original alien default skin I downloaded to use as a base for Method 1: 15,344 kb

My new Method 1 alien default, with most textures imported using the DXT5 setting (which has been reported to work best in another thread:) 29,997 kb

Combined size of my original green alien skintone plus its Method 2 file: 4,298 kb

Size of a default replacement light skin I had downloaded to use as a base for making my own Method 1 default: 11,521 kb

Size of the light skintone I use as my default plus its Method 2 file: 9,195 kb

There is no perceptible difference in my game between the graphical quality of the Method 1 and Method 2 defaults and the base skins they were made from.

Based on all that, at least with the four normal skintones, I'm going to say it's probably worth it to at least try Method 2 and see if it works out well before trying Method 1, since it's easier and results in smaller overall files sizes; but proceed with caution when replacing any of the "specialty" skins.  As far as the alien goes, I'm thinking the mismatch problem could be circumvented by using a skintone that has very similar coloration from one age to the next.  (I don't think I'm personally going to touch the zombie skins, since I never use them anyway.  XD)

I'm also going to see if I can figure out how to hide a custom skin from the catalog without bolluxing it up as a default.  That way Method 2 defaults won't appear any different on the front end than the other kind, and the game will have less stuff to load...

Obviously I haven't gone to the full length it's possible to go checking this stuff out, so input is most welcome!

[maxon]

My new Method 1 alien default, with most textures imported using the DXT5 setting (which has been reported to work best in another thread:) 29,997 kb

Combined size of my original green alien skintone plus its Method 2 file: 4,298 kb

Size of a default replacement light skin I had downloaded to use as a base for making my own Method 1 default: 11,521 kb

Size of the light skintone I use as my default plus its Method 2 file: 9,195 kb

There is no perceptible difference in my game between the graphical quality of the Method 1 and Method 2 defaults and the base skins they were made from.

Based on all that, at least with the four normal skintones, I'm going to say it's probably worth it to at least try Method 2 and see if it works out well before trying Method 1, since it's easier and results in smaller overall files sizes; but proceed with caution when replacing any of the "specialty" skins.  As far as the alien goes, I'm thinking the mismatch problem could be circumvented by using a skintone that has very similar coloration from one age to the next.  (I don't think I'm personally going to touch the zombie skins, since I never use them anyway.  XD)

I had something similar recently as I was recategorising my facial hair to work properly in the bins and work with the hair colours.  I was told that the increase in file size is due to importing the textures in SimPE which gets rid of the file compression skins made through Bodyshop normally have.  I was doing this becaue I was annoyed to find that some makers don't bother to make elder versions of beards and eyebrows (God that annoys me).  I found file sizes leaping up by up to 10 times their original size.  Reimporting the skins through Bodyshop reintroduced the compression and the file sizes returned to normal.  This doesn't help you much because if you reimport through Bodyshop, the skin tone will become custom once more.  However, I thought you might find the info useful.  I would agree then that method two seems to work better, especially if you are conscious about how much custom stuff you have in the game and how much that is impacting on loading times.

ooo - edit to say, I also exported and reimported some custom skin tones I DL with large files - I think I was correcting one.  I found the file sizes shrank hugely.  I wonder if they had been made by the same method.  I have a set of default replacements I really like, so all my other skin tones are custom, though I've also made them work with the genetics system.  It's surprisingly easy to do that.

[JaneSims]

You know, you can recompress the texture files right in SimPe. Just switch to Resource view, select the texture file in the right panel, then select yes ifrom the drop down box where it says "Compressed". Save. repeat for each texture file.

[Ambular]

Thanks for the info, JaneSims.  If you wouldn't mind elaborating a bit, how much compression do you get with that option?  And does it affect the image quality (particularly if you're already importing PNG's?)

[angelyne]

I was made to understand that using the SimsPE "shortcut" method for creating default replacement files requires the original skin to be in the download folder.  This could be why the result file is smaller.

I haven't tested this myself specifically, but it would explain the problems I had with this method originally.

Do you still have your original skin in your dowload folder?  If so, can you try removing it as a test?

[Ambular]

I was made to understand that using the SimsPE "shortcut" method for creating default replacement files requires the original skin to be in the download folder.  This could be why the result file is smaller.

I haven't tested this myself specifically, but it would explain the problems I had with this method originally.

Do you still have your original skin in your dowload folder?  If so, can you try removing it as a test?

Yes, it looks as though the original file does have to be in the Downloads folder.  Without it, I get a bright white head and a flat gray body.  However, just to reiterate: the file sizes I gave for Method 2 are the combined size of the original skin file and the new default replacement file put together.  Even with two files, the overall size is smaller.

I haven't yet tested a default made with file compression as per JaneSims' suggestion, however, so that could change things.  Hopefully I'll get around to it in the not too distant future and report my results here. 

[JaneSims]

The compression makes a huge difference - like about 10 to 1. I haven't notcied any difference in quality but that may depend on your video card. Make a back up copy & try it see how it works for you. Some of my files went from 2,000 down to 250 - which means faster loading. Having skins & hair compressed is almost essential because they are constantly displayed. The occassional formal isn't as necessary because most of the time the sims aren't in formal wear.

I also make sure that each of the textures has the 10 default textures so the game can choose which texture size to use at the various zoom levels. There isn't any point in the game using the 1024 x 1024 bitmap when you are zoomed way out. Having the different levels of bitmaps (the different sizes) allows the game to conserve memory at different zoom levels.

To add these extra levels, when you use the Build DTX option, change the number in the "MipMap Level" to 10 & SimPe will automatically create these for you.

[Ambular]

Okay, the next chapter in the continuing Default Saga... XD  I made a default skin following Angelyne's Method 1 tutorial, with the addition of the two steps suggested by JaneSims above, and wound up with a perfect default indistinguishable from the original skin, at a file size of only 5,720 kb.  So, as far as the finished product goes, I guess Method 1 is the clear winner as long as you make sure to include all the necessary steps.

On the other hand, it took me, I'd say, between half an hour and forty-five minutes to go through the process from beginning to end, and I was reasonably familiar with SimPE starting out.  So for those who just want the defaults of their choice without investing at least two or three hours in it, and/or who have an awesome system that makes file sizes irrelevant, Method 2 might still be worthwhile.

I am curious now, as a closing note, what the original, "long" method for creating a default skintone replacement entails.  Anybody got a link to a tutorial for that?