Body Meshes
Body meshes are very important for the skin’s visualization during the game, regardless the type they are (normal, buyable, pets’).
Bmp’s files alone aren’t enough.
We have to think at the Bmp’s files as the cut material for a dress not already sewn.
Body meshes are the files that through their codes give the dress its shape.
We can easily recognize some of them by their extension: .cmx , . cfp e .skn.
When we create a dress we have to make sure that we possess the corresponding body meshes.
When we download skins from any specialized website we have to remember to extract not only the bmp file but the body meshes file as well.
The name of the body mesh starts with a code made up of letters and numbers, just like the bmp’s one, which identifies the destination the skin has, the shape the dress will have, the gender of the sim to whom the dress is for, the size and the skin complexion of the sim that will be wearing it.
Here you can find some examples that (hopefully) will make you understand better:
B003FAFatLgt_
B (normal skin for TS), 003 (pants), FA (for women), Fat (size (in this case large)) Lgt (skin tone (in this case light))
B009FCChddrk_
B (normal skin for TS), 009 (knee long skirt), FC (girl), Chd (one size for child), drk (skin tone (in thise case dark))
S402MAFitMed_
S (Swimsuit) ,402 (bathing trunks), MA (male), Fit (size (in this case medium)), Med (skin tone (in thise case medium))
Knowing the codes means also knowing how to rename the skin’s file to change the body mesh to adapt it to a new cloth model.
Some examples: a skirt can become a pair of shorts, pants, pantyhose, or a long skirt.
Even more important for us should be rename the dress for the The Sims (the ones you can find in the cupboard), in a way to make them buyable (in the shops of the downtown for example) or vice versa.
Let’s try to transform a men formal dress (let’s pick the elegant suit (Hot Date)) in a suit (for the cupboard)for child.
F100MaFatdDrk_original
F (Formal àformal dress), 100 (model), MA (for men), Fat (large size), drk (dark skin)
Formal buyable for child doesn’t exist so F will change in the normal B.
The suit model for child is 002.
MA becomes MC.
There isn’t the large size for child so will change in Chd.
Drk instead will stay unchanged, it’s the only part of the code that we can’t change.
In the end we have to give a name to the skin (bmp) to be able to identify it and to insert it in the game.
F100MaFatdDrk_original à B002MCChdDrk_first experiment
That's that the elegant suit for child!
We can do the same catching an elegant dress from the cupboard and make it buyable in the downtown.
B325fafitmed_Sunshine
Now we’re lucky: the code’s model is the same, so all we have to do is to trasform it from normal to formal:
B325fafitmed_Sunshine à F325fafitmed_first experiment
If you don’t own any of the expansions, you’ll be pleased to know that by modifying the the pijamas’ and the bathing suits’ codes you’ll be able to make them, one at time, the default pijama (the usal ones: the sky blue one for him, and the green one for her) and the default bathing suit.
To do it: let’s suppose that we have downloaded a kid’s pijama from a website; all we will have to do is to give it the generic code for the “The Sims” default pyjama and then give it any name you’ll choose.
PajamaMdrk_any name you choose
The only thing we have to keep in mind is that the skins made up specifically for a particular complexion could not be modified to be adapted to any other complexion. Drk. will never fit Med., etc.
Also don’t forget that even men’s and women’s , adult’s and children’s codes could be different, so make sure to pay attention.
Now you’re skilled enough to orientate in the world of codes and of body meshes, and you’ll be able to create your own skins!
Good work!
