I've searched the threads, and all I can come up with is: to modify/create meshes for Sims 2, you need MilkShape. Now, I really like and am comfortable with Blender -- it's a powerful, feature-rich product, and once you get your head around the interface, which makes sense --*after* a while, you really don't want to go with anything else. Is it possible, i.e., has anyone actually been able to edit/create a mesh file and successfully import it into the game?

The issue, as I see it is: Blender doesn't deal with the .smd file -- it imports the .obj file, which has no bones. If you add any vertices, there is no way to assign them to a bone. That will be an issue when you run your object through Sims 2.

Any thoughts?

Cheers,
~*~ Robyn

It will depend on what your meshing interests are.

As you said, there is no .smd import/export with blender, which means body/hair meshes are out other than very simple edits by slightly moving the existing vertices.

I do mostly body and hair meshes, so I use MilkShape and Wes H's plugins.

If you are mainly interested in doing objects, many object's do not have bones so you would have better success with those I think.

For the ones that do have bones and animated parts, I think there is a way to handle those with the newer meshtool without using the .smd format - check the thread on the newer MeshTool for more info, I could be wrong.

If you are doing objects you have a couple of options.

1) Depending on the object you can use the newest version of the meshtool, 0.9.46 I think. There is a tutorial on doing an armoire using obj files and retaining the animations. I've done this, it does work for some objects, but it is a bit tricky.
2) Model your object in blender get it how you want it, then import it into Milkshape, and assign the vertices to the joints. This works, I've done it. It's actually not that hard to do. You will most likely need to rotate your object to get it into the correct orientation, but that is pretty easy.
3) Wait a little bit. If I read correctly upcoming versions of SimPE will allow you to assign vertice to bones in SimPE itself. Not sure exactly how this will work though.

I've done both 1 & 2, and I found route #2 to be easier. Though yes you would need a copy of milkshape that can export.

I am actually more interested in doing body meshes than objects, Dr. Pixel, and thanks for your response. I'm surprised that Blender wouldn't do 'bones', since it can do so much more... but oh well.


So, if I understand you correctly, if I did want to edit a *body* mesh (for which there already exists an .smd file) I could edit this in Blender, then import into Milkshape to make it compatible with MeshTool and ultimately Sims 2. I'll break down and get MilkShape, then. It's cheap enough. Thanks Snowstorm. You've given me hope.
Cheers,
*~*Robyn

I've only done this for objects though not body meshes. I'd suggest grab the 30 day trial first and make sure it works for body meshes. I would think it should, but I've not used the body mesh plugin, just the object mesh version.

If you only creat mesh with blender, there seems no problem. You must do grouping and uvmapping with another good program. Blender seems has problems with material grouping when you import or export obj file.(is it upgraded?) Many cheap(?) or free program have same problem when dealing obj import and export with complex grouping structure. In that aspect milkshapde is better but not perfect. I do not know how sims2 mesh modding tools treat multi texture maps when they are imported even they are multi grouped. I think working with single group mesh seems safe. There is good 3d file format converting utilities like polytrans which treat obj format perfectly.

No, it isn't that Blender won't support bones - it certainly does.

The problem is that the .obj file format does not. The .obj format only supports the vertices and faces part of the mesh and not the necessary bone assignments. The MeshTool gets around this by adding the vertex position data and the face data, uv map data, etc back into the original GMDC and retaining the original vertex assignments. However this also restricts you to just moving the vertices around, no adding or removing any of them because that would throw off all the vertex assignments.

That is why the .smd support was added to the newer MeshTool. The .smd file format does include the vertex bone assignment data. But there is no .smd plug-in for Blender.

Meaning there is no way to get the whole mesh (including the vertex assignments) in/out of Blender.

You could pass it through MilkShape, but when you bring the mesh back into MilkShape from Blender (as an .obj file) all the bone assignments would be gone and you would have to re-create them from scratch.

If you have MilkShape, you're much better off using Wes H's plugins and doing the editing right in MilkShape to start with.

Or perhaps you could get someone who knows how to create a .smd plug-in for Blender.

Thanks, Dr Pixel. You have cleared up every question I had on this point.
Cheers,
*~*Robyn