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#1 Old 5th Apr 2025 at 3:15 AM
Default Exporting Sims 2 car models
Does anyone know how to export car models from Sims 2? I tried a tutorial I found on a very old modthesims thread that said you have to go to SimPE and clone car and then export the gmdc mesh file. I did all that but when I open the object file I can't find the gmdc mesh file. Unless that isn't a thing anymore how do I export car models? I wanna use them in blender for my personal projects but I haven't found any other guides, other than the one I mentioned, that explains how to do it. Anyone knows?
Mad Poster
#2 Old 5th Apr 2025 at 4:30 AM
Do you find the GMDC resource in the file? There should be one.
If so, right-click it in the "Resource list" window, and choose "Extract".
You'll be able to open it in Milkshape with the Unimesh importer (same as for clothes, etc.). There's also plugins for Blender available.

Object GMDC files are partly rigged for animation, meaning it has a "skeleton" with loose joints and has joint assignments for those joints, but you probably won't be able to animate anything without re-rigging the joints (at least in Milkshape, not sure about Blender).

Also make sure your cloning options are proper.
- Most important - leave "Reference original mesh" UNTICKED, as it will repo the mesh to the ingame one, meaning the GMDC resource won't appear in the file at all.
- If you want it to pull all the colors, don't tick "Pull only default color".
- If you just want to extract the original resources with default names and the largest size textures (not create a new file), untick everything except "pull wallmasks" and "pull STR# linked resources" (both can be handy depending on the items you're extracting). Just be aware that you'll usually need to extract textures from the LIFO resource instead of the TXTR resource for larger images.



You can also extract the OBJ mesh ("Export" button in Plugin view), but this one is not rigged, and the UVmap sometimes shifts down a full square, which often can need fixing.
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Original Poster
#3 Old 5th Apr 2025 at 6:23 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Do you find the GMDC resource in the file? There should be one.
If so, right-click it in the "Resource list" window, and choose "Extract".
You'll be able to open it in Milkshape with the Unimesh importer (same as for clothes, etc.). There's also plugins for Blender available.

Object GMDC files are partly rigged for animation, meaning it has a "skeleton" with loose joints and has joint assignments for those joints, but you probably won't be able to animate anything without re-rigging the joints (at least in Milkshape, not sure about Blender).

Also make sure your cloning options are proper.
- Most important - leave "Reference original mesh" UNTICKED, as it will repo the mesh to the ingame one, meaning the GMDC resource won't appear in the file at all.
- If you want it to pull all the colors, don't tick "Pull only default color".
- If you just want to extract the original resources with default names and the largest size textures (not create a new file), untick everything except "pull wallmasks" and "pull STR# linked resources" (both can be handy depending on the items you're extracting). Just be aware that you'll usually need to extract textures from the LIFO resource instead of the TXTR resource for larger images.



You can also extract the OBJ mesh ("Export" button in Plugin view), but this one is not rigged, and the UVmap sometimes shifts down a full square, which often can need fixing.


This is what my SimPE looks like. The left side is the aftermath of cloning the sedan. As you can see there is no gmdc, and tick boxes under Clone looks right.
Screenshots
Mad Poster
#4 Old 5th Apr 2025 at 7:10 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 5th Apr 2025 at 7:26 PM.
That's weird - I'm getting all the needed resources with those exact settings, including the GMDC ones.

Have you checked that your settings in Preferences are set up properly (linked under "System Folders", and ticked under "File Table", possibly also with Advanced Mode ticked in "SimPE Settings")?

If you just need the mesh(es)/GMDC files, you can try to search for them with the Finder tab. Use the "NameMap Search" and "Contains [match]", and search for something in the GMDC file string - fhis searches up matching files, and you should get the GMDC resource as an option (in this case it seems "vehiclesedan" gets too many results to show, but you can try "vehicleSedan_root_rot_gmdc", double-click it, and this also shows you where to find the "vehicleSedan_tslocator_gmdc" along with several other car GMDC resources). If you don't get any results here, something is likely not set up properly in your settings.
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Original Poster
#5 Old 5th Apr 2025 at 8:44 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
That's weird - I'm getting all the needed resources with those exact settings, including the GMDC ones.

Have you checked that your settings in Preferences are set up properly (linked under "System Folders", and ticked under "File Table", possibly also with Advanced Mode ticked in "SimPE Settings")?

If you just need the mesh(es)/GMDC files, you can try to search for them with the Finder tab. Use the "NameMap Search" and "Contains [match]", and search for something in the GMDC file string - fhis searches up matching files, and you should get the GMDC resource as an option (in this case it seems "vehiclesedan" gets too many results to show, but you can try "vehicleSedan_root_rot_gmdc", double-click it, and this also shows you where to find the "vehicleSedan_tslocator_gmdc" along with several other car GMDC resources). If you don't get any results here, something is likely not set up properly in your settings.



Now that you have mentioned it. SimPE doesn't recognize any of my folders, it's trying to find "The Sims 2" but since I got the Legacy Collection it isn't called that. Otherwise all of my paths are correct.
Mad Poster
#6 Old 6th Apr 2025 at 2:09 AM
It's likely having issues with pulling all the needed resources, then. You'll need to fix the SimPE setup before you can do much else.

Was SimPE already set up with paths, or did you try to find them manually?
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Original Poster
#7 Old 6th Apr 2025 at 3:22 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
It's likely having issues with pulling all the needed resources, then. You'll need to fix the SimPE setup before you can do much else.

Was SimPE already set up with paths, or did you try to find them manually?


By the way I just wanna say how thankful I am that you're being so helpful and informative, I really appreciate it :D. Anyway, SimPE didn't have at paths setup when I downloaded it, I had to manually add in the paths.
Mad Poster
#8 Old 6th Apr 2025 at 3:48 AM
Which version of SimPE are you currently using? Not sure which version will work best with Legacy.
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Original Poster
#9 Old 6th Apr 2025 at 3:56 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Which version of SimPE are you currently using? Not sure which version will work best with Legacy.
SimPE version that I have is: 075f_qa_hoods_fix
Test Subject
#10 Old 8th Apr 2025 at 2:38 PM
Quote: Originally posted by FairChild
Does anyone know how to export car models from Sims 2? I tried a tutorial I found on a very old modthesims thread that said you have to go to SimPE and clone car and then export the gmdc mesh file. I did all that but when I open the object file I can't find the gmdc mesh file. Unless that isn't a thing anymore how do I export car models? I wanna use them in blender for my personal projects but I haven't found any other guides, other than the one I mentioned, that explains how to do it. Anyone knows?




Try SimPE's Resource Tree, check GMDC under Geometry Data Container.
Test Subject
#11 Old 12th May 2025 at 6:05 AM
Hi, I'm trying to export the same sedan vehicle to Milkshape. I can't export it because I don't have the 5GD file format that Milkshape3D recognizes. Do you know what I might be doing wrong? It would be a great help.

Imagen:
Screenshots
Mad Poster
#12 Old 12th May 2025 at 11:31 AM
You need to right-click the GMDC file in SimPE and click "Extract".

Clicking "Export" at the bottom (in the Plugin View) only gives you the OBJ format, which is without the skeleton/rig.
Test Subject
#13 Old 12th May 2025 at 4:49 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
You need to right-click the GMDC file in SimPE and click "Extract".

Clicking "Export" at the bottom (in the Plugin View) only gives you the OBJ format, which is without the skeleton/rig.


Thanks for the info. I'm already using it in Milkshape. I have one more question: How do I replace the mesh on a sedan that's drivable with the vehicle? Thank you in advance.
Mad Poster
#14 Old 12th May 2025 at 10:35 PM
If everything is in the same spot, and you have a mesh that's set up with joints and bone assignments matching another extracted car in TS2, you just right-click the GMDC and do "Replace". Make sure it's a 5GD or ".Simpe" file (export from Milkshape with Unimesh).

I usually copy the string under "filename" first, and then paste it back in after replacing. Makes things a bit tidier in the file.
Test Subject
#15 Old 18th May 2025 at 1:10 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
If everything is in the same spot, and you have a mesh that's set up with joints and bone assignments matching another extracted car in TS2, you just right-click the GMDC and do "Replace". Make sure it's a 5GD or ".Simpe" file (export from Milkshape with Unimesh).

I usually copy the string under "filename" first, and then paste it back in after replacing. Makes things a bit tidier in the file.


thanks, in fact I managed to extract it as .5gd and replace the mesh of the Yomosoto Evasion to the Sedan Carpool and I have it saved as .ms3d (by milkshape) what I do not understand now is why I can not import the .ms3d file in the GMDC of the Evasion NL, I have the Data plugin with Unimesh_Wes_Automatic and manual As data that in theory could let me import ms3d but it does not help me much, blender would not be of help because it cannot import animations of the car
Screenshots
Mad Poster
#16 Old 18th May 2025 at 1:36 AM Last edited by simmer22 : 18th May 2025 at 11:30 AM.
Was sure I'd answered this one, but apparently you've posted several places - See my post here: https://modthesims.info/showthread....034#post6003034 #1169

It's easier if you keep your questions in one place, instead of posting in several topics.

Quote:
A ".5gd" file (or in some cases a ".simpe" file) is a file that can contain a skeleton with joint information.
- You need to export from SimPE by right-clicking the GMDC in the Resource View and choosing "Extract"
- You can import/export these files to and from Milkshape with the "Sims 2 Unimesh exporter v.4.09", and "Sims 2 Unimesh importer v.4.09" (not the "save" option, but the export/import menus under "file")
- You can import back to SimPE by right-clicking the GMDC in the Resource View and choosing "Replace" (needs to be a .5gd or .simpe file).

A ".ms3d" file is the default saving format for Milkshape files. You can't import those files into anything sims-related.
- (If you want to save the project, you can save as a Milkshape file. It's easier to open up again in Milkshape to do further edits and such, but you will need to use the Unimesh exporter for SimPE use).

An ".obj" file has just the mesh, no animations. Can be used for simple items that don't have animations/joints
- (it's the one that also shows up as "Maya object file importer/exporter")


And make sure you're not doing any direct edits to the ingame files. If you want to replace anything ingame, you need to make a default replacement file of some sort, to be put in the Downloads folder. Mentioning it just in case.
Test Subject
#17 Old 18th May 2025 at 4:51 AM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Was sure I'd answered this one, but apparently you've posted several places - See my post here: https://modthesims.info/showthread....034#post6003034 #1169

It's easier if you keep your questions in one place, instead of posting in several topics.


Sorry, I thought it would be better for more help😊but I'll take it into account
Test Subject
#18 Old 14th Jun 2025 at 1:23 AM
Hello, good afternoon, how are you? I have been working on the Yomoshoto-Sedan project (converting the drivable Yomoshoto NL to a cloned drivable Sedan) and I am very stuck on the groups and joints, I do not remember which was which and there are really many joints and groups (30 groups and 34 joints), I would like to receive more help to be able to finish the project, someone who knows about milkshape, I would like it if you could write to me privately so that I can combine or send you the project so that you can see it and make the necessary modifications, I would like to export it as a simple . 5gd file and replace it in the package that I have of the same (could you pass everything together for review)
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