Good day

In this thread I will share my experience and knowledge on the topic of using Blender(and other useful tools) to mod Sims 3... which is about a week tops

First thing first - I brought you all:

Sims 3 CLIP Tool - Updated for Blender 5.0

Based on Sims 3 CLIP Tool - Updated for Blender 3.x by Lazy Duchess of io_s3py_animation-1.60 from https://sims3cliptool.wordpress.com/
This tool will allow you Import rig, animation and other Sims 3 assets to re-animate and Export it as new animation that could(I hope) be used in Sims 3

How it works:
Like I would know - I can't code, I just google-fu some Blender API forums and guides, find/replase some lines, popped a vein and here we are. Should work.

If it doesn't work - let me know, I'll try to do something about it, but most likely unsuccessfully

Perhaps would be more fitting in Creator Feedback if it's totally untested?
The download link is also temporary / will expire, you might want to attach it to the post or upload it somewhere like Google Drive

I'd be interested to know if there's improvements in Blender 5 that affect animating enough to justify upgrading from 3, as well.
It's not a software that is necessary to update every version, different versions are suitable for different work and are still in active support.

I suppose I'm just a little confused as to why/what this is for, given the admission that you don't know if it works it sounds like you aren't using it yourself.
Maybe it would help to share why you made it?

Not totally - just untested in things outside of my moding needs, main function I use it(importing and exporting animations) is working



If by that time it'll prove to be redundant - temporarity is a blessing If it will be used - then I'll pollute this place with my file uploads



I dunno about improvements - basically Blender restructuring animation features since I belive 4.4 and said restructuring will carry on in the future, so if and when if upgrade would be benefitial it's better to have headstart



Easy - I needed S3 animation import in my current working Blender and it didn't work, so I "fixed" it. And rather than keep it to myself I decided to share it so it may help someone in my shoes.

Hello! Speaking as a user of Blender 5.0, could you reupload your updated addon? I'd love to try it out!

Uploaded to the 1st post, wish you luck!

Intermediate posting:

During meshing etc. I stumbled upon issue with translating GEOM to game - objects and CAS parts, while appearing fine in every possible tool I have, in game look blackened or having black spots or only partially textured.

Testing probable causes currently I think issue is small attribute in Face Corners domain called SIMGEOM_TAGVAL - if it's 0 all the way it causes mesh to apear color black(as far as I can tell), if other values renders as it supposed to.

My advice: delete SIMGEOM_TAGVAL attribute from the mesh before exporting - that seems to force game assign default values to it(I assume) and make it appear in game properly.

IMPORTANT: this is not an informant opinion so as usual - backup everything you don't wish to lose before you do anything!

This has been an issue with some hairs, when using TSRW. It can be checked or corrected in the mesh tab, select LOD, hover pointer to the right of Mesh, vertices, faces line and click the 3 dots. In new dialog box, click down arrow and select GEOM Vertices Editor> Open. Change the Tagvalue to ffffffff, then copy to all.

No clue how to change that if using s3oc, or if it's an issue. @Cardinalsims probably knows.

You mention deleting SIMGEOM__TAGVAL before export? Where is this found, and which Blender version??? I have not seen it as part of Smug's Geom Tools, but I often miss things.

Here I'm posting about Blender 5.x

This attribute can be seen in the Spreadsheet window for me so far only in Face Corner domain. It can be removed with Remove Named Attribute node in Geometry nodes, after it's done just Apply modifier and mesh can be exported without SIMGEOM_TAGVAL

Intermediate posting:

Use of Blender GEOM Tools v2.1.4 by SmugTomato provide some weird quirk on Export GEOM resulting in S3PE not be able to handle them in previews and stuff.

Testing probable causes currently I think issue is in geom_write.py line 77
changing it to seems to fix it - testing it myself currently

Not sure, but when I export geom, I always have to use MTK to transfer vertex ID from the original geom to the one exported from Blender, then use the one from Blender as reference to change vertex position or UV, or bone weights, etc, and then reimport the altered original, back to s3pe, if that gives you a direction to look.

WIP post:

Missed me? probably not

Today I brought you all:

BoneDelta Tool BETA v0.01

Based on Sims 3 CLIP Tool - Updated for Blender 5.0 and BoneDeltaEditor by Delphy
This tool will allow you Import rig and Load BOND(.bonedelta) files and Export it as new BOND(.bonedelta) that could(I hope) be used in Sims 3

Just like before - I have no idea how it works because I can't code, but my tests so far show that it should work. Reason behind BETA v0.01 is mostly unrefined UI and UX.

If it doesn't work - let me know, I'll try to do something about it, but most likely unsuccessfully.

Edit:
Little update to include... "extended" rigs
Edit:
Another update to increase compatibility with CC BONDs

Just a heads up that you cannot import a GEOM into Blender 4.5 or 5.0 with geom-tools-v2-1-4.
You get an error


This is because Blender changed its internal mesh format in version 4.1
https://developer.blender.org/docs/...ng/#auto-smooth
https://developer.blender.org/docs/...reaking-changes

Fortunately it is sufficient to comment out the line

in geom_import.py
and Blender 4.5 or 5.0 will now import and autosmooth the mesh.

I have not tried to export edited meshes back out yet, but I usually start with MTK to try and fix any problems.

Good day, lads and lasses!

Today I brought you all:

Kinematic Tool BETA v0.01

Based on Sims 3 CLIP Tool - Updated for Blender 5.0
This tool will allow you create and work with Inverse and Forward Kinematics on imported rigs for Sims 3

I can't code, but my tests so far show that it should work. Unrefined UI and UX should be expected, I'll get to fix them(eventually), in the mean time - maybe it could be useful.