Difference between revisions of "MTS2:Creator Guidelines/Sims 3 Custom Patterns"

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''This page was last modified 9:06, 29 June 2010''
 
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=Sims 3 Custom Patterns=
 
=Sims 3 Custom Patterns=
  
 
==Introduction==
 
==Introduction==
  
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Have you created some neat new custom patterns using Delphy's Pattern Packager or the Create-A-Pattern tool? Here's MTS's guidelines for sharing custom patterns!
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Have you created some neat new custom patterns using Delphy's Pattern Packager or the Create-A-Pattern tool? Here's MTS's guidelines for sharing custom patterns!  
  
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==Quality==
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==Quality/General==
  
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===Must be TRULY custom!===
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This is by far the most important factor in pose uploads, but also the hardest to quantify.
  
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We only allow uploads of REAL custom patterns - that is, ones that you have made with a pattern creation tool.  Please do not upload saved pattern presets made from within the game itself - anyone can make those themselves with very little time and effort.
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{{Guidelines-Quality-TimeandEffort}}
  
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Must Be Truly Custom (*)
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|-
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|We only allow uploads of REAL custom patterns - that is, ones that you have made with a pattern creation tool. Please do not upload saved pattern presets made from within the game itself - anyone can make those themselves with very little time and effort.
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<br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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===Aesthetics===
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Aesthetics (*)
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|-
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|Is the pattern you've created useful? Does it look nice? Can it be used on a decent range of different types of items? Remember, just because you CAN make something into a pattern doesn't mean you SHOULD - stuff that looks like Myspace backgrounds should not become custom patterns.
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<br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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Is the pattern you've created useful?  Does it look nice?  Can it be used on a decent range of different types of items?  Remember, just because you CAN make something into a pattern doesn't mean you SHOULD - stuff that looks like Myspace backgrounds should not become custom patterns.
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | No Logos (*)
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|-
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|Please make sure your pattern is an actual pattern, that can be used in more than one occasion. Logo's and single, isolated pictures of, for instance, cartoon characters may look lovely on a shirt, but will not be good for wallpaper. To make a shirt with a logo or picture, please use Delphy's Clothing Unitool (CTU) instead.<blockquote>You can find the CTU here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=348082</blockquote><br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Seamlessness (*)
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|-
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|Your patterns should always be fully seamless. The means it should be able to tile in multiple pieces without the edges being visible. <br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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===No Logo's===
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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Please make sure your pattern is an actual pattern, that can be used in more than one occasion. Logo's and single, isolated pictures of, for instance, cartoon characters may look lovely on a shirt, but will not be good for wallpaper. To make a shirt with a logo or picture, please use Delphy's Clothing Unitool instead. You can find it here: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=348082
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! style="text-align:left" | Good Default Colors (*)
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|-
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|Please show your pattern in the default colours, so people can find it in-game. And please choose some good default colours - nothing too bright or garish, or too dark and hard to see. You can always take additional pics of your pattern in other colour options.  
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===Seamlessness===
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</blockquote>
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<br style="clear:both" />
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Your patterns should always be fully seamless, able to tile in multiple pieces without the edges being visible.
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|}
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===Good Default Colours===
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Please show your pattern in the default colours, so people can find it in-game. And please choose some good default colours - nothing too bright or garish, or too dark and hard to see. You can always take additional pics of your pattern in other colour options.
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==Screenshots==
 
==Screenshots==
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People want to see what they're downloading!  Your screenshots sell your upload - if people don't like the look of your screenshots, they're not going to download - and if your screenshots are too bad, you won't get your upload approved.
 
People want to see what they're downloading!  Your screenshots sell your upload - if people don't like the look of your screenshots, they're not going to download - and if your screenshots are too bad, you won't get your upload approved.
  
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'''All of the screenshot images below can be clicked for larger versions.''' You wouldn't want to upload them with as small of pics as are displaying here anyway - we're just using smaller pics so this thread loads quickly and is easy to read.
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{{Guidelines-Screenshots-BigEnough}}
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{{Guidelines-Screenshots-WellLit}}
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{{Guidelines-Screenshots-Angle}}
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{{Guidelines-Screenshots-WholeThing}}
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{{Guidelines-Screenshots-CloseEnough}}
  
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | No Photoshopping on required screenshots (*)
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|-
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|While it can be tempting to get artistic with your screenshots in Photoshop, please don't. Screenshots need to be just as things look in the game, with no extra filtering such as contrast, sharpen, blur, saturation, etc.
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<br style="clear:both" />
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|}
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{{Guidelines-Screenshots-InlineandAttached}}
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{{Guidelines-Screenshots-NoPayContent}}
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{{Guidelines-Screenshots-Tips}}
  
 
===Required Screenshots===
 
===Required Screenshots===
  
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[[Image:Retropop - Azteca Nouveau.jpg|right|300x300px]]We require certain screenshots for custom pattern uploads - if you do not include these screenshots, your patterns will not be approved!
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We require certain screenshots for custom pattern uploads - if you do not include these screenshots, your patterns will not be approved!  
  
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* '''Show Everything (2x):''' You need to show at least one picture of EACH and EVERY pattern included in your set, showing them on at least two items.  
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Show Everything Twice (*)
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|-
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|You need to show at least one picture of EACH and EVERY pattern included in your set, showing them on at least two items.
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<br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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* '''Multiple Colours:''' You will need to show your pattern in the DEFAULT colours and at least one OTHER set of colours.
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Multiple Colors (*)
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|-
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|You will need to show your pattern in the DEFAULT colours and at least one OTHER set of colours.  
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<br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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* '''Tiling:''' On at least one of those items, the pattern must be obviously tiling/repeating. Bedspreads, walls, floors, and rugs are all good options. You may show your patterns on additional items such as clothing if you choose, but such images will not be sufficient for the required shots!
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Tiling (*)
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|-
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|    On at least one of those items, the pattern must be obviously tiling/repeating. Bedspreads, walls, floors, and rugs are all good options. You may show your patterns on additional items such as clothing if you choose, but such images will not be sufficient for the required shots!  
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<blockquote>One of your required screenshots MUST display your pattern on a 4 tile or longer wall. That way the downloaders can get a clear shot of how the pattern will tile. However, this rule may be bent if you are uploading a pattern that obviously would not belong on a wall--such as carpet. In this case, you may display the pattern on a large floor.</blockquote>
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<br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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<blockquote>One of your required screenshots ''MUST'' display your pattern on a ''4 tile or longer'' wall. That way the downloaders can get a clear shot of how the pattern will tile. However, this rule may be bent if you are uploading a pattern that obviously would not belong on a wall--such as carpet. In this case, you may display the pattern on a large floor.</blockquote>
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Appropriate (*)
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|-
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|Please make sure you use appropriate items upon which to display your patterns. A plaid pattern may look good on clothes and bedspreads, but would be silly on a car. <br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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* '''Appropriate:''' Please make sure you use appropriate items upon which to display your patterns.  A plaid pattern may look good on clothes and bedspreads, but would be silly on a car.
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Create-A-Pattern Tool (*)
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===Create-A-Pattern Tool===
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|-
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[[Image:Capnono.png|300x300px|right]]
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|[[Image:Capnono.png|300x300px|right]]
 
The [http://www.thesims3.com/game/tools/pattern| Create-A-Pattern Tool] has a built in "preview" feature that allows for you to test your patten on various objects. However, these simulations are ''NOT'' permitted as part of your required screenshots for your upload. '''You must take all pattern screen shots in the actual game'''.
 
The [http://www.thesims3.com/game/tools/pattern| Create-A-Pattern Tool] has a built in "preview" feature that allows for you to test your patten on various objects. However, these simulations are ''NOT'' permitted as part of your required screenshots for your upload. '''You must take all pattern screen shots in the actual game'''.
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<br style="clear:both" />
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<br clear="all">
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|}
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===Screenshot Basics===
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You need to make sure you have nice big, clear pictures that show off what you've made.  They can't be too blurry or pixellated, and you need to know how to use the game's camera controls properly, so make sure you review the information on that link thoroughly before continuing.
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<blockquote>
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'''Tip:'''
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</blockquote>
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<blockquote>
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[[Image:RightArrow.gif]] For instructions on:
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* Taking large, clear pictures (bigger than the game will allow)
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* Changing your in-game settings for best graphics quality
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* Camera controls
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See: [[MTS2:Creator Guidelines/Screenshot Basics|Screenshot Basics]]
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</blockquote>
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===Big Enough===
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Your pics should be large enough to see the detail of what you've made.
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<blockquote>
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'''Tips:'''
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</blockquote>
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<blockquote>
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[[Image:RightArrow.gif]] MTS allows images up to 1280x1024 pixels and 195 kilobytes so you should be able to upload nice big pictures.  See the information above under "Screenshot Basics" for info on taking larger pics than the game will normally allow.
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</blockquote>
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<blockquote>
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[[Image:RightArrow.gif]] Don't take small pics and just make them larger in your graphics program - this just gives you a blurry pic that's bigger in dimensions with no additional detail.
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</blockquote>
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<br>
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===No Over-Photoshopping===
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While it can be tempting to get artistic with your screenshots in Photoshop, please don't. Screenshots need to be just as things look in the game, with no extra filtering such as contrast, sharpen, blur, saturation, etc. Also, please don't go too crazy when it comes to adding text - make sure your text is in blank areas of the picture or covers an absolute minimum of your creation. Remember, you're showing off what you've made for the game, not your skill in Photoshopping your pics.
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===Enough Light===
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Your main screenshots should always be daytime screenshots, as they make it much easier to see what your lot looks like.  Make sure your lights are turned on, and your game options are turned up enough that light makes a difference.
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===Distance===
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Please take your screenshots so that your pattern fills the screen, not zoomed out too far or zoomed in too close.
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===Angle===
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When taking your main front view picture, drop down to a low level with the camera, so that you are taking your pictures basically from a sim's perspective.  Many beginners make the mistake of taking pictures from high above, from the normal perspective one would have as a player, which really doesn't show off your creation very well.
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==Uploading==
 
==Uploading==
  
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Once you have your creation made and screenshots taken, you need to make sure you have all the fiddly bits in order when uploading.
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Once you have your creation made and screenshots taken, you need to make sure you have all the information and file types in order when uploading.
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===Package Files Only===
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Please upload your patterns as .package files. If you use Delphy's Pattern Packager tool, then you have nothing to worry about. However, if you use the Create-A-Pattern tool then you'll need to [http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=364038| extract] the .package file from the .sims3pack.
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===ZIP or RAR===
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You will need to put your .package file(s into a RAR or ZIP file to upload here. Please see [[MTS2:Creator_Guidelines/RAR_or_ZIP_Your_Custom_Content|here]] for instructions on doing so.  Please do not include both a ZIP and RAR with the same contents - just choose one.
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Please do not double-compress your files - you should not have a ZIP inside a ZIP or a RAR inside a RAR.  This does not compress the files any more and just makes an extra step for downloaders.
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===Upload in Sets===
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If you have created several items in a set, or similar items in the same sort of theme at the same time, please upload these together in a single set, all on one thread (instead of all separately, one by one, on different threads).  This is easier for everyone: on our upload moderators, as they only have one thread to review rather than several... on you, as submitting a single thread is much quicker and easier than several... and on downloaders, as they can get everything they want all in one place rather than having to hunt around.
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===In-Game Picture as Main Thumbnail===
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If you include pictures of just the texture you used for the pattern, please make sure to pick an in-game picture as your default thumbnail in the upload wizard.
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===Good Title===
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You'll need a good title for your upload – something descriptive, like "Textural Knit Fabrics" or "Art Deco Inspired Retro" work well for a title.  "My first upload!!!" or "stuff by simmer121!!!"  is not.
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===Good Description===
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{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-ZipRar7z}}
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{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-Title}}
  
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You'll need to write up a little basic description of what your upload is... you don't have to get too fancy, but you do need to write something to get people interested.
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Package Files Only (*)
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|-
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|Please upload your patterns as .package files. If you use Delphy's Pattern Packager tool, then you have nothing to worry about. However, if you use the Create-A-Pattern tool then you'll need to [http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=364038| extract] the .package file from the .sims3pack.<br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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For instance, "These patterns are suitable for all manner of fabric items - bedspreads, upholstery, and clothing. Some are bold, and some are subtle, but all will look lovely in your homes or on your sims," is a good description.
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Upload In Sets (*)
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|-
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|If you have created several items in a set, or similar items in the same sort of theme at the same time, please upload these together in a single set, all on one thread (instead of all separately, one by one, on different threads). This is easier for everyone: on our upload moderators, as they only have one thread to review rather than several... on you, as submitting a single thread is much quicker and easier than several... and on downloaders, as they can get everything they want all in one place rather than having to hunt around. <br style="clear:both" />
 +
|}
  
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"This is my first upload! I don't know what to say here.  My English is not good" is NOT a good description.
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Good Description (*)
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|-
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|You'll need to write up a little basic description of what your upload is... you don't have to get too fancy, but you do need to write something to get people interested.
  
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For instance, "These patterns are suitable for all manner of fabric items - bedspreads, upholstery, and clothing. Some are bold, and some are subtle, but all will look lovely in your homes or on your sims," is a good description.
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<blockquote>"This is my first upload! I don't know what to say here. My English is not good" is NOT a good description.</blockquote> <br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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===Number of Palettes/In-Game Category===
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Number of Palettes/In-Game Category (*)
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|-
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|Make sure to mention the number of colour palette options (1-4) your pattern(s) have, and what category or categories they show up under in-game!<br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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Make sure to mention the number of colour palette options (1-4) your pattern(s) have, and what category or categories they show up under in-game!
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{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | In-Game Picture as Main Thumbnail (*)
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|-
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|If you include pictures of just the texture you used for the pattern, please make sure to pick an in-game picture as your default thumbnail in the upload wizard.<br style="clear:both" />
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|}
  
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{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-HairCredit}}
  
 
==Additional Stuff==
 
==Additional Stuff==
  
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* If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask in [http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=492 Creator Issues].
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* If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask in [http://www.modthesims.info/forumdisplay.php?f=492 Creator Issues].
  
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* If you're not sure whether your lot is ready for uploading, use the [http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=473 Creator Feedback Forum] to get feedback on it.
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* If you're not sure whether your poses are ready for uploading, use the [http://www.modthesims.info/forumdisplay.php?f=473 Creator Feedback Forum] to get feedback on it.
  
  
 
[[Category:MTS2 Creator Guidelines]]
 
[[Category:MTS2 Creator Guidelines]]
 
[[Category:Sims 3]]
 
[[Category:Sims 3]]

Revision as of 06:59, 16 May 2011

Contents

Sims 3 Custom Patterns

Introduction

Have you created some neat new custom patterns using Delphy's Pattern Packager or the Create-A-Pattern tool? Here's MTS's guidelines for sharing custom patterns!

Quality/General

This is by far the most important factor in pose uploads, but also the hardest to quantify.

Screenshots

People want to see what they're downloading! Your screenshots sell your upload - if people don't like the look of your screenshots, they're not going to download - and if your screenshots are too bad, you won't get your upload approved.

Big Enough
The larger your pics, the better! Tiny pics won't show enough detail to see what you've made.
  • Minimum Size: 800 pixels wide by 600 pixels tall is a good size for the smallest pic you would want to upload. You may have smaller pics for thumbnails and the like, but for your required screenshots, please go as big as you can!
  • Maximum Size: MTS allows pictures up to 2560 pixels wide by 1440 pixels tall, and a file size limit of 800 kbs - so you can have nice, big, pretty pics. You may have to resize your pictures or apply compression to get them to fit within that limit.

Please don't just take a small pic and size it up in your graphics program to get bigger pics - this only makes the dimensions larger but doesn't add any detail and just gives you a blurry, pixellated larger pic, not a nice clear one.

Well-lit
Chairs-EnoughLight.jpg
Make sure you take your pictures during the daytime in bright sunlight, in a well-lit room, etc., - make sure your screenshots are nice and bright enough that people can see what you've made. Nighttime shots or those in a dark room really don't show off your creation very much.

At the same time, make sure you don't use too much light: if you put light-coloured item under a bright light, it can wash out and lose a lot of the detail of what you've made.

Maximum Number of Inline/attached screenshots
  • Inline screenshots are images that appear in the text of the upload that load for the viewer along with the rest of the text. Inline screenshots can either be linked from the attached screenshots, or from an external hosting site like Tinypic, Photobucket, or Flickr.
  • Attached screenshots are screenshots that have been attached to the upload using the "manage attachments" feature on MTS. They display as small thumbnails until clicked on.


You may host your inline screenshots elsewhere like Photobucket, Tinypic, or Flickr - however, these screenshots hosted elsewhere must be additional "bonus" screenshots. All of the screenshots we actually require for your upload need to be attached to the thread itself. If your Photobucket account runs out of bandwidth or you delete the pics, people still need to be able to get the required screenshots on your thread.

You may now upload up to 100 pics! Of course, please keep it to a reasonable quantity... only things like huge sets, full worlds, etc. should have that many pics! Remember, you can always collage several different images together into one image if you have a bunch of stuff to show off, or want to show multiple angles of an item.

For the bonus photos, we recommend you use a spoiler tag to hide the images, then people can click on it to see them. Their pages will load faster if all the images aren't downloading at once. [spoiler=interior rooms]http:// wheveremypictureis/picture.jpg[/spoiler] The 'interior rooms' can be replaced by whatever grouping you want to present, 'hidden garden', 'pool views', 'master suite', 'kids room', etc.

You may place as many photos within a spoiler grouping as you'd like.

Required Screenshots

We require certain screenshots for custom pattern uploads - if you do not include these screenshots, your patterns will not be approved!

Uploading

Once you have your creation made and screenshots taken, you need to make sure you have all the information and file types in order when uploading.

Zip, Rar, or 7z
To upload your file(s) to MTS, you will need to compress them into an archive file, which makes them smaller and allows you to include many files in one download. The archive file formats we currently accept are .zip, .rar, and .7z.

For instructions on compressing your files into an archive, please see: Creator Guidelines: Creating Archive Files.

  • Do not include multiple archives with the same contents - that is, please don't put your files in both a .zip as well as a .rar because some people only want .zip files. Choose one format.
  • Do not double-compress your files... a .rar file inside another .rar file (or any other archive inside another) doesn't compress it anymore, and it makes it so we can't see the contents without downloading, and also just makes an extra step for the people downloading.
  • The file size limit on MTS is 50 mb. If you exceed this limit you will need to split your archives. This should probably never come up except for large worlds for The Sims 3, or huge sets of smaller items.

Additional Stuff

  • If your upload is rejected or marked as changes required and you're not sure why, ask in Creator Issues.
  • If you're not sure whether your poses are ready for uploading, use the Creator Feedback Forum to get feedback on it.
Retrieved from "http://simswiki.info/index.php?title=MTS2:Creator_Guidelines/Sims_3_Custom_Patterns&oldid=50395"
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