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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 7th May 2018 at 10:07 PM Last edited by SmugTomato : 30th May 2018 at 9:30 PM. Reason: Add-on update
[TESTERS WANTED] Sims 2 GMDC Import/Export for Blender 2.79
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PLEASE REFER TO THE DOWNLOAD PAGE
Everything on this page is outdated
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I've been working on a Blender add-on to import and export GMDC files, I've now reached the point where it requires testing by other people.
As of version 0.1.4A it should be fully featured.

How to use:
Please start blender from the command prompt if you know how to, this way if anything goes wrong you can copy-paste the error message it spits out in it.
To be able to do this you will most likely have to add Blender to your PATH variable. General instructions on how to add something to the PATH can be found here.
When you add it make sure to add the folder containing Blender's .exe file and not the actual .exe.
After this you can open your command prompt, type 'blender' or 'blender.exe' (without quotes) and press enter.

After installing the add-on from the zip file in blender you can import the GMDC file and edit it however you like.
Before exporting, make sure to normalize all bone weights.
It's very important to go to the UV editor and selecting 'Seams from Islands' as the exporter relies on these to split edges right now, I plan on automating this step later.
Marking edges as sharp will make the exporter will make sure to skip these when recalculating normals.

Version 0.1.3A appears to contain a major bug
Bounding meshes and more importantly the bone assignments of sim meshes got messed up on export, it has now been fixed.
To fix it, open a save from before exporting it, then simply export it with 0.1.4A or higher.

Quote:
Update: 15/05/2018
  • V0.1.4A
- Bounding meshes now get properly generated for rigged meshes.
- Bone assignments are no longer messed up on sim mesh exports.
- Added a UI panel for GMDC models.


Quote:
Update: 11/05/2018
  • V0.1.3A
- Bounding meshes now get generated for rigged meshes as well.


Quote:
Update: 10/05/2018
  • V0.1.2A
- Objects are now supported, including shadow meshes.
- Bounding meshes for static objects get created.
- Rigged objects can be imported and exported successfully, with the exception that they will not have a bounding mesh yet.


Quote:
Update: 09/05/2018
  • V0.1.1A
- Mesh no longer gets edited on export, instead all actions are now safely performed on a copy.
- Fixed hard edge seams on morphs.
- Fixed not being able to export morph-less meshes.


GITHUB LINK
Screenshots
Attached files:
File Type: zip  sims2gmdc_0.1.0A.zip (37.0 KB, 9 downloads) - View custom content
File Type: zip  sims2gmdc_0.1.1A.zip (37.3 KB, 3 downloads) - View custom content
File Type: zip  sims2gmdc_0.1.2A.zip (39.2 KB, 5 downloads) - View custom content
File Type: zip  sims2gmdc_0.1.3A.zip (40.0 KB, 6 downloads) - View custom content
File Type: zip  sims2gmdc_0.1.4A.zip (46.9 KB, 29 downloads) - View custom content
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Scholar
#2 Old 7th May 2018 at 11:03 PM
Thank you for updating this tool. Now I don't have to rely on Milkshape or older versions of Blender to make Sims 2 meshes. With that said i'm having a problem with exporting the mesh. Here's the error that I got in Blender. The same thing happens in the updated version.
Screenshots
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#3 Old 7th May 2018 at 11:20 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Squidconqueror
Thank you for updating this tool. Now I don't have to rely on Milkshape or older versions of Blender to make Sims 2 meshes. With that said i'm having a problem with exporting the mesh. Here's the error that I got in Blender. The same thing happens in the updated version.


Looks like I forgot to add a check to see if any morphs are present on export, could you also upload the blend file so I can inspect it further?
Scholar
#4 Old 8th May 2018 at 12:54 AM
Quote: Originally posted by SmugTomato
Looks like I forgot to add a check to see if any morphs are present on export, could you also upload the blend file so I can inspect it further?

I had made two versions of the edited mesh one without the sculpting details and one without all the details. I've even tried exporting the original unedited mesh in case I had done something wrong which is included in the rar file but no luck.
Attached files:
File Type: rar  cfhairpompodore.rar (222.5 KB, 2 downloads) - View custom content
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#5 Old 8th May 2018 at 8:00 PM
Yep, turned out to be a pretty simple fix. I had forgotten to add proper checks in multiple places inside some messy code. I've managed to succesfully export the hair now, It will be included in the next release.
For now you can get it from the github page.
Scholar
#6 Old 8th May 2018 at 10:51 PM Last edited by Squidconqueror : 9th May 2018 at 3:31 AM.
Quote: Originally posted by SmugTomato
Yep, turned out to be a pretty simple fix. I had forgotten to add proper checks in multiple places inside some messy code. I've managed to succesfully export the hair now, It will be included in the next release.
For now you can get it from the github page.

Thank you so much for fixing up the GMDC exporter importer for the users that use the newer versions of Blender. I'll show you the mesh that I made in Blender if only I could just get it to show up on Bodyshop,it's an altered EA mesh. Are you planning to get it to work with making new animations? I've read in your other thread that's one of the things that you're planning to work on. I would love to see that working in Blender but it's just a suggestion.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#7 Old 10th May 2018 at 11:09 AM
Next update will have support for static objects, I already have them working but I need to create a bounding mesh so it can actually be interacted with.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#8 Old 10th May 2018 at 7:41 PM
Objects are now working, with the exception that rigged objects do not have bounding meshes yet.
I've just created this table with working shadow meshes.
Instructor
#9 Old 11th May 2018 at 12:37 AM
Quote: Originally posted by SmugTomato
Objects are now working, with the exception that rigged objects do not have bounding meshes yet.
I've just created this table with working shadow meshes.


Safe to assume this is with the 0.1.2A version? Thanks for giving your time and skills to making this much-needed tool.

ETA: Ignore that; I just re-read the first post and figured it out.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#10 Old 11th May 2018 at 4:05 PM
Another update, Version 0.1.3A.
With this update bounding meshes get generated for all objects, including rigged meshes.
I'll be working on fixing the neck seams and general code cleanup next, I'll also have to work on proper error handling and making it more user-friendly.

Quote: Originally posted by d4RE
Safe to assume this is with the 0.1.2A version? Thanks for giving your time and skills to making this much-needed tool.

ETA: Ignore that; I just re-read the first post and figured it out.

I sure wish my linear algebra skills were better for this project...
But at least I should be done messing with Quaternions now, so that nice.

I don't think it will find a lot of use due to the age of the game, but I think those who still enjoy creating CC for TS2 should have more choice than only using a very limited program like Milkshape or a severely outdated version of Blender.
Scholar
#11 Old 11th May 2018 at 8:34 PM
I got this error while importing a face into Blender but Blender still accepted the file and imported it. I hadn't tried exporting it yet. It's probably because I imported too many armatures though.
Screenshots
Mad Poster
#12 Old 11th May 2018 at 9:09 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 11th May 2018 at 9:24 PM.
Faces have morphs, and I'm pretty sure it was stated above (or in one of the other Blender plugin topics) that Blender currently can't import the face morphs. Milkshape can't either, and also throws errors.

You need to import it as an OBJ (use "export" in the GMDC in SimPE, not right-clicking).
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#13 Old 12th May 2018 at 2:13 PM
I'm currently working on a panel with some useful tools in it, to show users the custom properties on groups in a structured way.
Currently it looks like this, feel free to leave any suggestions on things you'd like to see in there. If it's not too difficult to implement chances are I will.

Field Researcher
Original Poster
#14 Old 12th May 2018 at 2:34 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Squidconqueror
I got this error while importing a face into Blender but Blender still accepted the file and imported it. I hadn't tried exporting it yet. It's probably because I imported too many armatures though.

Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Faces have morphs, and I'm pretty sure it was stated above (or in one of the other Blender plugin topics) that Blender currently can't import the face morphs. Milkshape can't either, and also throws errors.

You need to import it as an OBJ (use "export" in the GMDC in SimPE, not right-clicking).


I haven't looked into faces yet, I may take a look at it at some point if I see a point to it.
Mad Poster
#15 Old 12th May 2018 at 3:06 PM
The face problem is a Milkshape issue, too. Not sure if the multiple face morphs is the issue. Face morphs may come in handy for custom face animations and such - I don't think that's been possible before, but I know someone tried tackling it a while ago without having too much success.

Are the joints for objects connected (like body meshes) in Blender? I work a lot with infant/baby meshes, and they're more like object meshes with disconnected joints in Milkshape, so I'm just curious.

(I'm really hoping someone would make an animation exporter in Blender, but I understand if that's not your goal).
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#16 Old 12th May 2018 at 3:24 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
The face problem is a Milkshape issue, too. Not sure if the multiple face morphs is the issue.

Are the joints for objects connected (like body meshes) in Blender? I work a lot with infant/baby meshes, and they're more like object meshes with disconnected joints in Milkshape, so I'm just curious.

(I'm really hoping someone would make an animation exporter in Blender, but I understand if that's not your goal).


The joints on non sim meshes (Toddler<>Elder) will go from (0,0,0) to whatever their defined point in space is. This is because the actual bone hierarchy is stored in the CRES.
I do have a semi-working CRES reader in an older commit that I could salvage later if I ever feel like adding that functionality.
My priority for now is obviously to polish the tool in it's current state of course.

As for animations, I don't see that happening anytime soon I'm afraid, It's beyond the scope of this project.
Mad Poster
#17 Old 12th May 2018 at 5:41 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 12th May 2018 at 5:52 PM.
Is it currently possible to import more than one GMDC without the skeleton/rig making issues (like in Milkshape, where if you click the wrong button, it imports and later exports multiple skeletons)? Blender usually imports the extra skeletons as separate rigs for TS4, does it work roughly the same for TS2 meshes?

(I currently use Blender 2.70 because I've been working on extracted TS4 meshes via S4S, so I haven't gotten around to testing the plugins yet - I know I can have several Blender versions, just haven't gotten around to installing 2.79)
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#18 Old 12th May 2018 at 5:50 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Is it currently possible to import more than one GMDC without the skeleton/rig making issues (like in Milkshape, where if you click the wrong button, it imports and later exports multiple skeletons)? Blender usually imports the extra skeletons as separate rigs for TS4, does it work roughly the same for TS2 meshes?

(I currently use Blender 2.70 because I've been working with TS4 meshes via S4S, so I haven't gotten around to testing the plugins yet)


You can import as many skeletons as you want, the exporter only looks at the armature linked in the modifier on the objects.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#19 Old 15th May 2018 at 7:06 PM
Version 0.1.3A appears to contain a major bug
Bounding meshes and more importantly the bone assignments of sim meshes got messed up on export, it has now been fixed.
To fix it, open a save from before exporting it, then simply export it with 0.1.4A or higher.

See original post for more details on 0.1.4A
Lab Assistant
#20 Old 30th May 2018 at 3:59 PM
Is it possible for morphs to be imported/exported as shape keys or is that already implemented?

Edit: Okay, I see that's already implemented.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#21 Old 30th May 2018 at 9:09 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Surei
Is it possible for morphs to be imported/exported as shape keys or is that already implemented?

Edit: Okay, I see that's already implemented.


I see you've already answered your own question. But yes, that was my goal from the start
Please refer to the download page for accurate and up to date information as the last version posted here is outdated/
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