Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

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Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby Bolche » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:11 am

Here is a crazy idea:
There is a loooot of fan made content for the games of "The Sims" series. Skins, clothes, hairs, etc. See http://modthesims.info for an example.
Could it be possible to use some of this content in MH? I know the humanoid meshes are radically different, but once a mapping between the meshes is made we could automate the process of adapting the models, and so we could have tons of clothes, hairs and skins for use!

I know probably many of the meshes have copyright problems and some authors won't release their work on a free license, but maybe some artist are willing to help out.

Do you think it is feasible or things are just too different to consider?
If this is just stupid, sorry to bother...
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Re: Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby Manuel » Thu Sep 22, 2011 7:46 am

Hi, and welcome.

Not so crazy idea. It's a good suggestion indeed: one of main problem of MH is the lack of artists that help us to build some quality libraries of hairs, clothes and accessories. If we solve the problem of copyrights (original artist should give us the permission to re-license the mesh under GPL), sites like modthesims will be a great resource.

Are you used to these sims sites?

Best,

Manuel
Manuel
 

Re: Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby Bolche » Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:08 pm

I've used them as I user, downloading content, but not creating anything.
I will write in the forums to see if someone can relicense their work.

Even if some don't relicense their work under the GPL, maybe their work could be avaliable to the end-user, just not part of the "official distribution". In this case a tool for converting between them would be necessary.

Best,
Eduardo
Bolche
 
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Re: Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby Aypirovano » Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:41 pm

Hello! This is my first post :)
I know how to use this content. You have to download a TSR: Workshop, because it has a plugin to import into Milkshape (and convert to other format). Other programs can unpack the downloaded content. The file extensions are .package and .sims3pack.
TSR: Workshop lets you create new hair and clothes, too.
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Re: Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby Manuel » Fri Sep 23, 2011 12:39 am

Bolche wrote:I've used them as I user, downloading content, but not creating anything.
I will write in the forums to see if someone can relicense their work.

Even if some don't relicense their work under the GPL, maybe their work could be avaliable to the end-user, just not part of the "official distribution". In this case a tool for converting between them would be necessary.

Best,
Eduardo


Hi Eduardo,

Well, before to write them, better we think about how to gratify them.
GPL conversion don't mean the hairs will be anonymous: we can think about a special page for them on the new site (yeas we are working on a new site!)..
Best,

Manuel
Manuel
 

Re: Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby Manuel » Fri Sep 23, 2011 12:40 am

Aypirovano wrote:Hello! This is my first post :)
I know how to use this content. You have to download a TSR: Workshop, because it has a plugin to import into Milkshape (and convert to other format). Other programs can unpack the downloaded content. The file extensions are .package and .sims3pack.
TSR: Workshop lets you create new hair and clothes, too.


Hi, welcome, and thanks!
Can you post a complete tutorial? And..maybe do you know how to import a MH character in SIms?

Best,

Manuel
Manuel
 

Re: Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby Aypirovano » Sat Sep 24, 2011 12:22 pm

This is my tutorial:
TSR:Workshop is needed. You can download in http://www.thesimsresource.com/programs ... 19/id/117/
Install end execute the program.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

The mesh includes hands. You can delete it. Shoes are not included in the models.
The procedure is valid for hair and accessories, too.

Textures:
Image

These are the most important textures. There are other textures, such as Transparency Map or Overlay, but I don't know how to use.
Sims 3 have a strange system of texturing. You need improve the texture (Coloring, for example)

I am sorry if my English is bad.
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Re: Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby Manuel » Sat Oct 01, 2011 5:12 pm

Thanks for the tutorial...
I've no time to try it yet, but I'll do something in the incoming week.
Anyone can investigate about the license?

Best,

Manuel
Manuel
 

Re: Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby robotguy4 » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:37 am

Weird. EA's website gives a 404 error when I try to access the license via their website...

Good thing I know a place that copied it as a way to explain their legitimacy...


I excerpted parts that seem relevant.

From the EA TOOLS END USER LICENSE:
You may include materials created with the Tools & Materials on your personal noncommercial website for the noncommercial benefit of the fan community for EA's products, provided this is beneficial to the product(s) in EA's judgment, and provided that if you do so, you must also post the following notice on your site on the same web page(s) where those materials are located: "This site is not endorsed by or affiliated with Electronic Arts, or its licensors. Trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Game content and materials copyright Electronic Arts Inc. and its licensors. All Rights Reserved." You will not represent that your site is endorsed or approved by or affiliated with EA or our licensors or that any other content on your site is endorsed or approved by or affiliated with EA or our licensors.


From the The Sims 3 EULA for retail game:
2. Intellectual Property Rights and Ownership.

A. Reservation of Rights. You have purchased a limited license to the Software and your rights are limited to the license grant above and subject to this License. You may not otherwise copy, display, distribute, perform, publish, modify, or use the Software or any component of it. You are prohibited from making a copy of the Software available on a network where it could be used or downloaded by multiple users. Except as expressly licensed to you herein, EA and its licensors, as applicable, owns and reserves all right, title and interest in the Software, and all related data, characters, themes, objects, storyline, images, photographs, graphics, animations, video, music, text, and the associated copyrights, trademarks, moral rights and other intellectual property rights therein. This License is limited to the intellectual property rights of EA and its licensors in the Software and does not include any rights to other patents or intellectual property. Except to the extent permitted under applicable law, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer or created derivative works of the Software by any means whatsoever. You may not remove, alter, or obscure any product identification, copyright, or other intellectual property notices in the Software. All rights not expressly granted herein are reserved to EA.


B. Contributing Content through The Sims 3 Launcher
......
3. In exchange for enabling your contribution of content, when you contribute content through the Software, you expressly grant to EA a non-exclusive, perpetual, fully transferable and sub-licensable, worldwide, irrevocable right to use, reproduce, modify and create derivative works from, distribute, transmit, broadcast, and publicly display and perform the content, or any portion thereof, in connection with the distribution of such content to other users and potential users of the Software (such as, for example, featuring such content for download in The Sims 3 Launcher) and in the marketing and advertising of the Software, without further notice, payment or attribution to you. You grant EA all licenses, consents and clearances to enable EA to use such content for such purposes.

4. In exchange for the right to use content contributed by other users through the Software, when you contribute content through the Software, you expressly grant to other users of the Software the non-exclusive, perpetual, transferable, worldwide, irrevocable right to access and use, copy, modify, display, perform, and create and distribute derivative works from, your contributed content in connection with the Software, and to distribute and otherwise communicate your contributed content as a component of works that they create using the Software, for example, The Sims lots or The Sims videos, without further notice, attribution or compensation to you. You hereby waive any moral rights of paternity, publication, reputation, or attribution under applicable law with respect to EA.s and other players. use and enjoyment of such content contributions in connection with the Software.


Regardless of licensing, you could always draw some ideas from MTS's tutorials... Especially in the skin department (hint, hint).


Along with TSR:W, you may also want to look into S3Pi (Sims 3 Package Interface library) and S3pe (Sims 3 Package Editor), which can be found here:
http://www.simlogical.com/ (note: this link takes you to the same redirected site, but with a more subdued theme...)

MTS (Mod The Sims) forum for these tools:
http://modthesims.info/forumdisplay.php?f=604

The main reason I mention these is because, unlike TSR:W, you can obtain and compile these from source:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/sims3tools/files/

S3Pi is an open source library to support people wishing to make tools for The Sims 3. It is written in C# under .Net 3.5 and contains wrappers that implement methods to read and write package files, unpack packed files, and interpret several filetypes. This is probably a good place to start.

S3pe is package editor to view package contents and formatted editing of known resource. Includes has tools for searching package content and generating hashes. Also has external editors for VPXY, STBL and OBJK.

Here is a comprehensive tutorial for custom clothing (in the sims 3: clothing=bodies).



More tutorials here:
http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=T ... _Tutorials

List of Sims 3 Modding tools:
http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=T ... ddingTools

Advanced coding tutorials:
http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=T ... _Tutorials


Package files are files that are used in mods. This includes bodies, facial sliders (which can actually be used to change bodies as well), skins, objects in the game and gameplay mods. There also sims3packs which are run by the sims 3 launcher which contain just objects, worlds, patterns and custom sims.


The Sims 3 tools were made by Peter and Inge Jones. You can contact Peter through [url:http://www.drealm.info/contact.xhtml]his website[/url] or through any of the previously mentioned forums.


Also, don't forget, even if there are licensing issues with EA for the default content, you could probably contact some Sims 3 modders to see if its ok to use THEIR original meshes and skins. Some modders have created skins and meshes that replace the default "EAxis" ones. I'm not a lawyer, and these are probably derivates in one way or another.
robotguy4
 
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Re: Crazy idea: Fan "The Sims" content

Postby robotguy4 » Mon Oct 03, 2011 7:53 am

Manuel wrote:
Aypirovano wrote:Hello! This is my first post :)
And..maybe do you know how to import a MH character in SIms?

Best,

Manuel



http://nene.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=355471
robotguy4
 
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