Difference between revisions of "MTS2:Creator Guidelines/Body Shop"

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=Creator Guidelines - Body Shop=
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=Sims 2 Body Shop Upload Guidelines=
  
Uploading sim content?  This guide will walk you through every step of what we require on MTS2.  Please make sure you read these guidelines carefully, as our standards have changed over the years, and there may be some items you weren't aware of before.
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When sharing Body Shop content for The Sims 2 at Mod The Sims, we have some basic requirements to ensure that your creation is good, shown well, and has the correct info and files needed for people to use it in their games. This allows both moderators to check your uploads for quality, and for downloaders to see if your item is something they want to add to their games.
  
At the end of the guidelines after full explanations of each item is a checklist, so you can make sure you've done everything you need to.
 
  
 
==Quality==
 
==Quality==
  
The first thing moderators look for when moderating uploads is quality - simply, is the item good or not?
 
  
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{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Textures
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|-
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|
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* '''Clear:''' Textures should be crisp - not blurry or pixellated.  See: [http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Game_Help:Blurry_Body_Shop_Projects Game Help: Blurry Body Shop projects], and make sure to turn up the Texture Detail setting on your in-game graphics options.
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* '''Brightness:''' Neon or bright colours are fine, but don't go too bright - 80% saturation is usually plenty for even neon textures, but more just looks blinding!
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* '''Black and white:''' Items meant to be black or white should use very light grey and very dark grey textures, not pure black and pure white.  See: [http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Tiptorial:_Making_Black_and_White_Clothing_the_Right_Way Tiptorial: Making black and white clothing the right way]
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* '''Highlights and shadows:''' Even skin-tight items should have some highlights on areas like breasts, tummy, butt, knees, and thighs, and should have shadows on areas like underarms, crotch, middle of the back, etc...  See: [http://simswiki.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:How_to_Add_Shadows_and_Highlights How to add shadows and highlights]
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* '''Details:''' Details like buttons, seams, shadows, bellybuttons, etc., should be in the right place and look like they fit the shape they're texturing.  If you use photos as your texture base, you may need to adjust these significantly, and choose your photos wisely.
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* '''Seams:''' Seams on your textures should look fairly natural, and not out of place. Avoid using repeating patterns which have seams in them. See: [[Tutorials:Seamless Textures]]
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* '''Bump maps:''' Bump maps should fit the item well, and not just be a desaturated version of the regular texture.  If you can't view bump maps yourself, you should make a neutral bump map. See: [http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=268418 Tiptorial: Bump Maps] for more info.
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* '''Adult skintones:''' Skintones uploaded to MTS must be "barbie" below the waist - that is, you may include nipple details but not genitals or pubic hair.  Such items are welcome at our adult site, [http://www.sexysims2.com Sexy Sims].
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* '''Choice of mesh:''' If you're retexturing a mesh, the style of textures should match the mesh shape (for example, a tuxedo on a skin-tight mesh doesn't make much sense), and the mesh should be one that's decently well-made.
  
===Highlights and Shadows===
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Meshes
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|-
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|
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If you have made or edited a 3D model (mesh) to make your Body Shop content then you also need to think about:
  
Your textures should have some detail to them - not just a flat single-colour bucket fill, but with highlights and shadows in the right places, to give the appearance of folds, ripples, etc. - even fabric that would be skin-tight is going to have some shading and highlighting. 
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* '''Polygon count:''' Your poly count should be reasonable for the item, usually in line with the poly counts of a similar item from the game.
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* '''Morphs:''' Fat and pregnant morphs should be made whenever possible, and should work properly.  Unless there's a good reason not to for that particular creation, a fat morph is required.
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* '''UV Map:''' The texture/UV map should not be seriously distorted.
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* '''Mesh shape:''' The mesh shape should generally be fairly realistic - looking as if it's subject to gravity, with body parts done in a believable sort of way (for example, no boobs the size of minivans that levitate around the collarbones, please).
  
* For a tutorial on a simple technique for adding shading and highlighting to a garment, see: [[Tutorials: How to Add Shadows and Highlights|How to Add Shadows and Highlights]].
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|}
  
  
===Photoskinning=== 
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==Files==
  
"Photoskinning" means using textures from a photograph to make an item.  While photoskinning is a common practice, doing it well takes a lot of effort.  You need to make sure you are using high-quality source images that aren't too small so that they get pixellated or blurry when you size them to your texture.  You also usually can't just copy-paste the whole thing in one go and have it look right - you will need to cut the image into pieces to make sure things like seams, zippers, pockets, etc., end up in the right place on your garment. And you will need to make sure your source images are appropriate, too - a pair of jeans sort of rumpled and wrinkled up laying on a table will not photoskin properly into a pair of jeans on a sim.   
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{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Correct files
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|-
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| All Body Shop Content must be uploaded from your '''"Saved Sims"''' folder - not your "Projects" folder. Files from your Projects folder are unfinished and will not work properly.  '''Do not upload files from your "Projects" folder!'''
  
* For a basic tutorial on photoskinning, see: [[Tutorials:How to Make a Top Out of a Picture|How to Make a Top Out of a Picture]].
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The correct files are in "My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/SavedSims" and will be called something like 83edf5a_YourProjectName.package, where the first part is a randomly generated string, and the "YourProjectName" part is what you called your project when you made it in Body Shop.  You can rename your files to be something more descriptive (they'll still work renamed) but please do not delete the ".package" extension. This extension is required for the game to find your files.
 
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* For more tips on photoskinning, see this thread on MTS2: [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=266718 Photoskinning].
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* And if you are using Photoshop, you may find that displacement mapping works better than Photoskinning: [[Tutorials: Beyond Photoskinning: Transformation and Displacement Mapping in Photoshop|Beyond Photoskinning: Transformation and Displacement Mapping in Photoshop]].
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Please do not put your creations on full sims and upload them as .sims2pack files.  We just need the finished .package file from Projects, not a full sim.  Please also do not include any .bak files (backups made when editing a file in SimPE), thumbs.db files (Windows thumbnail database files, which can cause folders to crash if they become corrupted) or DS_Store files (Mac system file, also not needed).
  
===Not Too Bright===
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'''Please note that if you are uploading recolours of your own mesh, you need to upload the mesh to MTS as well.''' Please don't link elsewhere for people to get your mesh, unless it's already on MTS.  You will need to provide additional pictures and information for a new mesh upload.
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|}
  
When creating an item that is brightly-coloured or neon, you need to keep in mind the way the game renders colour...  Creating something that looks truly neon-bright in your graphics program will look blindingly bright in-game - as if it's actually illuminated, rather than just brightly-coloured.  You can always turn down the saturation on your texture if it's looking too bright.
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{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-ZipRar7z}}
  
* For a good example of neon textures done well, not too bright, see: [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=226025 Harajuku Inspired Outfits].
 
  
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==Information==
  
===Black and White===
 
  
When making something that's black or white, you never use -actual- true black or white.  For black you use dark grey, and for white you use light grey.  That way you can still add lighter or darker for shadows and highlights, and your item will look right in the game - true black just looks like a dark hole, and true white is far too bright.
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{{Template:Guidelines-InfoFiles-TitleDescription}}
  
* For tips on making black and white clothing look right in-game (including suggested settings), see: [[Tutorials:Tiptorial: Making Black and White Clothing the Right Way|Tiptorial: Making Black and White Clothing the Right Way]].
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{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Information to include
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|-
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| Make sure your upload text contains at least the following information:
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* The '''age(s) and gender(s)''' your creation(s) are for (example: "This works for young adult, adult, and elder females.")
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* The '''category''' your creation appears in in CAS (example: "This outfit shows up in the everyday and formal categories.")
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* If you have made a new mesh, you need to include '''polygon counts''', which you can find by checking your GMDC in SimPE.  You should also mention what '''morphs'' you have made - whenever possible, your mesh should have at least a fat morph.
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* If a '''mesh is required''' then you must provide a credit to the original creator, mentioning them by name ("Mesh by Soandso") as well as providing a clickable link to where the mesh may be found. You should make it clear that the mesh is required but not included, if you have not included it with your files, so downloaders know they will need to get it separately.
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|}
  
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{{Template:Guidelines-NotPerfect}}
  
===Crisp/Unpixellated===
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{{Template:Guidelines-InfoFiles-TitleDescription}}
  
You need to make sure, also, that your textures are crisp and clear.  There shouldn't be any blurriness or pixellation to your textures.  They should look as clear and crisp as Maxis textures.  If you're using an image for texturing (photoskinning or otherwise), make sure you're not scaling up your image - if it's a logo or design, you should have to shrink it to fit on your texture, not make it bigger.
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{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
 
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|-
* If you find your textures are nice and crisp in your graphics program but suddenly look blurry in Body Shop, that's likely a problem with Body Shop's settings.  See here for information on fixing that: [[Game Help:Blurry Body Shop Projects]]
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! style="text-align:left" | Expansion/Stuff Packs required?
 
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|-
* If your textures are nice and crisp in your graphics program and Body Shop, but they look blurry in-game (and everything else does too) that's probably your game's graphics settings.  In the game, under options (...), in graphic options (monitor icon) turn Texture Detail up to High and click Apply Changes.
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| New meshes and items that are "skin-tight" such as skintones, eyes, makeup, etc. require only the base gameRecolours or retextures of Expansion Pack (EP) or Stuff Pack (SP) content will require that EP or SP, so you must mark it as required.
 
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|}
 
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===Bump Mapping===
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If you're not aware of what the term "bump mapping" means, or if you don't know if you can view bump maps in your game, first, see here: [[Game Help:Bump Maps and Shaders]].  There are also instructions there on enabling bump maps if you don't have them.
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Simply put, bump maps are a way for the game to add the appearance of dimension to your textures even when those parts aren't actually 3D.  Well-done bump maps can add a nice detail to buttons, hems, edges, belts, zippers, sweater textures, etc.
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However, you cannot rely on bump maps to add detail - your textures should look good without bump mapsBear in mind that many people cannot view bump maps, so if your textures don't look good without them, your creation will not look good for a vast number of people.  Also keep in mind that it's better to have no bump maps at all than to have badly done ones.
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If you cannot view bump maps, you need to remove them from your creation - do a bucket fill of 50% grey (RGB value 128.128.128) in the bump map texture to create a neutral bump map (no bump map).
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* For more tips on bump maps and doing them right, see this thread on MTS2: [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=194746 Basic Bump Map Question]
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===No Simple Slider Changes===
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If you're going to make something for sims, don't just grab a Maxis texture and change the colour on it - making a slightly paler Maxis skin, for instance, or making a blue shirt green.  This is something that anyone can do, and really isn't worth uploading.  Take the time to create a unique texture, add some new details, and make it something worth uploading (and downloading).
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* For tutorials on adding textures, logos, and doing more than just a simple slider change, see: [[Tutorials:Body Shop Recolouring Tutorials]].
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==Screenshots==
 
==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.
 
 
'''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.
 
 
===Screenshot Basics===
 
 
For instructions on:
 
 
* Taking large, clear pictures (bigger than the game will allow)
 
* Changing your in-game settings for best graphics quality
 
* Camera controls
 
 
See: [[MTS2:Creator Guidelines/Screenshot Basics|Screenshot Basics]]
 
 
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.
 
 
 
===In-Game===
 
 
[[Image:InGamevsBS.jpg|right|300x300px]]In order to see what your creation looks like in-game, we require in-game screenshots.  You must actually load the game and take your screenshots there.  We do not accept Body Shop pics, texture pics, SimPose, 3D program pics, etc., without the required in-game pics too.  Please don't try to cut out backgrounds or fake in-game pics.  We can definitely tell the difference.
 
 
For best results, put your item on a sim on a lot.  Create-a-Sim screenshots are acceptable, but the lighting in CAS is pretty bright and you may not be able to get detail pics and that sort of thing, too.
 
<br style="clear:both" />
 
 
 
===Poses===
 
 
[[Image:SimplePose.jpg|right|300x300px]]If you are uploading clothing, your sims need to be in a pose that shows off your clothing properly.  The best way to do this is simply to have your sim stand there, doing nothing, arms at their sides.  You can also just have your sim walk normally - click "go here" and have them walk.
 
 
Please don't use that twisty-torso model walk as it distorts the sim's body, or model-type poses that really don't show what you've made very well.  It may be artistic and interesting for contests and the like, but remember, you're showing off your creation, not the sim or your posing skills.
 
<br style="clear:both" />
 
 
 
===Big Enough===
 
 
Your pics should be large enough to see the detail of what you've made.  Remember, MTS2 allows images up to 1280x1024 pixels and 185 kilobytes so you should be able to upload nice big, pictures, without having them too small.  See the information above under "Screenshot Basics" for info on taking larger pics than the game will normally allow.
 
 
And please don't take smaller 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.
 
 
 
===Show the Whole Thing===
 
 
[[Image:WholeOutfit.jpg|right|300x300px]]Make sure that your screenshots show the whole item - for clothing or skins, this needs to be a head-to-toe shot.  Don't crop or leave out important details like hands, feet, etc., even if you haven't done anything with them - people want to know that the cute bathing suit they're downloading doesn't have heels, for instance.
 
 
You CAN use cropped or closer pictures to show detail and/or for your thumbnail shot, but make sure you have at least one pic that shows everything.
 
<br style="clear:both" />
 
 
 
===Detail Pics===
 
 
[[Image:FFMUndies-Detail2.jpg|right|300x300px]]For an upload with special details that cannot be clearly seen from a full-body shot, it's a good idea to show detail pics.  You can get some nice close-up shots this way that really show the interesting bits.  Make sure these are in addition to (not instead of) your full body shot.
 
<br style="clear:both" />
 
 
 
===Close Enough===
 
 
[[Image:Eyes-RightWrong.jpg|right|300x300px]]Take your pics from close up!  Don't take your pics from across the lot or far away - this won't show what you've made.  Get nice and close, on the same level as the sim.
 
 
For things like makeup and eyes, this is especially important!  You want to make sure people have a very clear idea of what they're getting, so you can't take your pics from too far away or your creation simply won't be visible.
 
<br style="clear:both" />
 
 
 
===Multiple Angles===
 
 
[[Image:Fanseekids-william.jpg|right|300x300px]]Especially with things like clothing, skintones, or hair, it can be very helpful to not only show the item from the front, but also the sides and the back.  People downloading want to know that what they're downloading doesn't just look good from one angle, but from all sides.
 
<br style="clear:both" />
 
 
 
===Enough Light===
 
 
[[Image:LightandDark.jpg|right|300x300px]]Don't take your pics at night or in a dark room!  Take your sim outside in the sunlight (make sure they're facing the sun - light comes from a certain direction on the lot!) or put them in a well-lit room.  At the same time, make sure you don't use too much light: Create-a-Sim screenshots can sometimes be too bright to show things like freckles on a light skintone, or if you put a sim in something light-coloured under a bright light, it can wash out and lose a lot of the detail of what you've made.
 
<br style="clear:both" />
 
 
 
===Try Neutral Backgrounds===
 
 
For best results, use a simple plain backdrop for your screenshots.  While it may be tempting to do a really complex set, what you're showing in your screenshots is what you're uploading, and something simple and plain is the best way to show off what you've made.  If you're uploading something mostly dark-coloured, make sure to use a light backdrop (and vice versa - darker backdrop for light stuff) so it doesn't get lost in the background.
 
 
This is not an absolute -requirement- and for some things like historical clothing and the like you may do better with a simple basic set, and a nice garden scene can look nice too - just make sure that what you're doing in the background doesn't detract or distract from what you're actually uploading.
 
 
 
===All Items in Set===
 
 
If you are uploading a set of items with multiple colours or styles, you must include in-game screenshots of every item in the set!  You can't just upload a single in-game pic and then show the other colours it comes in, or texture swatches, or whatever.  It may be time-consuming to take pictures of a large set, but it gives downloaders a much better idea of what they're getting.
 
 
 
===Obscured Skintones===
 
 
[[Image:HystericalParoxysm Raven.jpg|right|300x300px]]Because MTS2 is not an adult site, you need to take special care when uploading skintone files.  Not only must your skintones not have too much "adult" detail on the actual skins themselves (please see the special note below regarding skintones) but you must obscure your screenshots.
 
 
This means you need to cover the female breasts, the crotches on both genders, and the butt crack of both genders.  You may do this by putting your sims in skimpy underwear, by covering those areas in a black bar, or, probably the best way to do so without your obscuring getting in the way of your texturing, selecting those areas in your graphics program of choice and applying a blur or pixellation filter to them.
 
<br style="clear:both" />
 
 
 
==Adult Content/Nudity==
 
 
MTS2 is not an adult site.  We do have an adult site affiliated with MTS2, [http://www.sexysims2.com Sexy Sims 2] where adult content may be uploaded.  But because MTS2 is a PG-13 site, no adult content may be uploaded to MTS2 itself.
 
 
===Skintones===
 
 
Skintones uploaded to MTS2 must be completely "barbie" below the waist.  That is, you cannot include genitals or pubic hair for either gender.  Skintones uploaded to MTS2 may include female nipples, or you may leave them off if you prefer, for a Maxis-like skintone that is completely "barbie."
 
 
You must obscure your skintones even if they are completely "barbie."  Please see the section under Screenshots, Obscured Skintones, for exact details on what you must obscure, and how to do so.
 
 
===Other Adult Content===
 
 
Content with swear/curse words or sexually suggestive themes may not be uploaded to MTS2.  Please upload these items to the adult site instead.
 
 
Items relating to illegal drugs do not belong on MTS2. You -may- post items relating to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, as well as alcohol and tobacco on MTS2, but items related to illegal drugs should go on our adult site.
 
 
"Nude clothing" uploads are not allowed on MTS2 - that sort of thing needs to go on the adult site.
 
 
For more information and a further list of items we do not allow on MTS2, see: [[MTS2:Uploads_NOT_allowed_on_MTS2|Uploads Not Allowed on MTS2]].
 
 
 
==Right Info/Right Files==
 
 
 
 
 
* know the mesh - include it if it's hosted elsewhere/shareable, otherwise link directly as possible and/or give directions
 
 
* Screenshots - in-game, showing the whole body, big enough, not Body Shop, detail pics if needed - shots of all items.
 
 
* Right files - not from projects, zip/rar
 
 
 
 
 
Checklist:
 
 
'''Screenshots:'''
 
 
*
 
 
 
 
 
 
If you are uploading clothing, genetics or Skinning items.
 
 
* All uploads must include a screen shot taken from with in the game. Body Shop photos are NOT allowed. Close ups are good things. If you make eyes be sure to get a close up of the eyes. As well as make up and the like.
 
* Clothing downloads should not look pixelated or blurry. If your clothing appears blurry please use the sharpen tool while you are creating to make your image cleaner. You may also want to read through some of the wonderful tutorials on the site to make your clothing as perfect as possible.
 
Faylen's Clothing tutorial is a great place to start.
 
 
Clothing Tutorials
 
* Any clothing with sexual or adult language should be uploaded to the adults forum. Please do not include photos that show nudity.
 
 
* If you are creating new clothing, it must be unique in the sense that taking a paint tool and coloring a pair of jeans bright solid red is not good quality and will be rejected as well. Again if you use a new clothing mesh and make a recolor you can not include the mesh with your clothing. Leave a link for people to obtain the mesh and post only your recolor.
 
 
* Please remember that pictures will sell your upload. Be sure to take close up shots of your items, in well lit areas, so people have a great idea of how your item is going to look in their game.
 
 
For some great tips on taking pictures please read [http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=85777 Screeshots 101 - Better Picture Taking]
 
 
===The Perfect Post===
 
 
Not sure of how to create your post? Here is an EXAMPLE of a PERFECT clothing post
 
 
Category-Downloads>Clothing>Clothing Recolors>Female>Adult<br>
 
(Make sure you select the correct gender and age group for clothing)<br>
 
  
Title - Cute Pink Summer Dress <br>
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{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
(Be descriptive in your title)
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|-
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! style="text-align:left" | Screenshots 
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|-
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| You will need to include certain screenshots with your creation.  You must:
  
Description: (Make a cute little description here of your item)
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* '''For recolours of the same texture''', pick a colour and show at least one full size picture, and you can show swatches of the rest of the colours. You should also show your creation from other angles - at least the back and sides.
An outfit for you here today. This is a Beautiful dress for Adult Female sims. Will show in Everyday and Formal categories. It was made from an original Maxis mesh and will work on all versions of the game.
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* '''For recolours of different textures''' you need full size pictures of everything. You should also show your creation from other angles - at least the back and sides.
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* '''For new hair or clothing meshes''', you should also show your creation from other angles - at least the back and sides.  For body/clothing meshes, you should show how the fat morph looks, and the pregnant morph, too, if you've done a pregnant morph.
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* '''For skintones:''' If you're uploading a skin, please blur or otherwise cover the butt crack and crotch of both genders, and the female nipples.  Sims can wear extremely skimpy clothing, or you can blur or cover those areas in a photo editor.  Take several pictures of the bodies and faces, showing the different colours (if you've made more than one), and the different ages and genders.
  
'''Note''': Be sure to mention which version of the game the item was made from so people know whether it is compatible or not with their game, and state the age and categories your clothing will show up in. In addition-If you have recolored a mesh someone else has made, be sure to give credit to the original mesh creator and a link to the mesh so people can download that. Otherwise your recolor will not show up in their game*
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{{Guidelines-ScreenshotsBigClearEtc}}
  
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Please remember, for your required pictures:
  
===Pictures to Include===
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* '''In-game:''' You must actually load the game to take your pictures - pics from Body Shop are not sufficient as the lighting is not very good.  Create-a-Sim pictures are not allowed, you must show your content in-game, on a lot.
*A full shot of the item IN GAME
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* '''Uncovered:''' You should take pictures of sims modelling your content in basic poses without arms or legs in the way, use short or pulled-back hair on a clothing model, no bangs/fringe obscuring makeup or eyes, nothing in the way of the view of your content (except for skintone censoring, if you've made a skin).
*A close up to show the detail work as well.
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Take your photos outside of your sim homes to allow the best possible lighting.
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Tip: You may, of course, include additional other pictures presenting your creations however you like, and you can get as creative with them as you want. :)
  
If you follow the guidelines posted above, you will guarantee yourself an approval. If you receive a rejection of any kind, it is because a certain criteria was not met. In that event, please re-read the guidelines.
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{{Guidelines-Screenshots-Tips}}
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|}
  
===Skins and Eyes===
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==Other==
  
For skins, make up and eyes, pictures are VERY IMPORTANT. You want to be as close as possible and in well lit areas.
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{{Guidelines-NotAllowed}}
  
'''Note for Skins''': You want to make sure to let people know if your skin is for all ages or which specific ages you've recolored. And you want to show how the skin appears on all ages of a sim.
 
  
These are pictures taken from posts here at MTS2 that are a perfect example of what to include with your uploads.
 
  
===Credits===
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[[Category:MTS2 Creator Guidelines]]
Dayseis for the original article.
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Latest revision as of 09:29, 18 January 2017

Contents

[edit] Sims 2 Body Shop Upload Guidelines

When sharing Body Shop content for The Sims 2 at Mod The Sims, we have some basic requirements to ensure that your creation is good, shown well, and has the correct info and files needed for people to use it in their games. This allows both moderators to check your uploads for quality, and for downloaders to see if your item is something they want to add to their games.


[edit] Quality

Textures
  • Clear: Textures should be crisp - not blurry or pixellated. See: Game Help: Blurry Body Shop projects, and make sure to turn up the Texture Detail setting on your in-game graphics options.
  • Brightness: Neon or bright colours are fine, but don't go too bright - 80% saturation is usually plenty for even neon textures, but more just looks blinding!
  • Black and white: Items meant to be black or white should use very light grey and very dark grey textures, not pure black and pure white. See: Tiptorial: Making black and white clothing the right way
  • Highlights and shadows: Even skin-tight items should have some highlights on areas like breasts, tummy, butt, knees, and thighs, and should have shadows on areas like underarms, crotch, middle of the back, etc... See: How to add shadows and highlights
  • Details: Details like buttons, seams, shadows, bellybuttons, etc., should be in the right place and look like they fit the shape they're texturing. If you use photos as your texture base, you may need to adjust these significantly, and choose your photos wisely.
  • Seams: Seams on your textures should look fairly natural, and not out of place. Avoid using repeating patterns which have seams in them. See: Tutorials:Seamless Textures
  • Bump maps: Bump maps should fit the item well, and not just be a desaturated version of the regular texture. If you can't view bump maps yourself, you should make a neutral bump map. See: Tiptorial: Bump Maps for more info.
  • Adult skintones: Skintones uploaded to MTS must be "barbie" below the waist - that is, you may include nipple details but not genitals or pubic hair. Such items are welcome at our adult site, Sexy Sims.
  • Choice of mesh: If you're retexturing a mesh, the style of textures should match the mesh shape (for example, a tuxedo on a skin-tight mesh doesn't make much sense), and the mesh should be one that's decently well-made.
Meshes

If you have made or edited a 3D model (mesh) to make your Body Shop content then you also need to think about:

  • Polygon count: Your poly count should be reasonable for the item, usually in line with the poly counts of a similar item from the game.
  • Morphs: Fat and pregnant morphs should be made whenever possible, and should work properly. Unless there's a good reason not to for that particular creation, a fat morph is required.
  • UV Map: The texture/UV map should not be seriously distorted.
  • Mesh shape: The mesh shape should generally be fairly realistic - looking as if it's subject to gravity, with body parts done in a believable sort of way (for example, no boobs the size of minivans that levitate around the collarbones, please).


[edit] Files

Correct files
All Body Shop Content must be uploaded from your "Saved Sims" folder - not your "Projects" folder. Files from your Projects folder are unfinished and will not work properly. Do not upload files from your "Projects" folder!

The correct files are in "My Documents/EA Games/The Sims 2/SavedSims" and will be called something like 83edf5a_YourProjectName.package, where the first part is a randomly generated string, and the "YourProjectName" part is what you called your project when you made it in Body Shop. You can rename your files to be something more descriptive (they'll still work renamed) but please do not delete the ".package" extension. This extension is required for the game to find your files.

Please do not put your creations on full sims and upload them as .sims2pack files. We just need the finished .package file from Projects, not a full sim. Please also do not include any .bak files (backups made when editing a file in SimPE), thumbs.db files (Windows thumbnail database files, which can cause folders to crash if they become corrupted) or DS_Store files (Mac system file, also not needed).

Please note that if you are uploading recolours of your own mesh, you need to upload the mesh to MTS as well. Please don't link elsewhere for people to get your mesh, unless it's already on MTS. You will need to provide additional pictures and information for a new mesh upload.

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.


[edit] Information

Title & Description
Give your upload a descriptive title and write a text description for your upload, describing what you're uploading. Your title and description must be in English or provide an English translation. If you are not a native English speaker, using Google Translate is okay. You can also ask for help writing your description in the Creator Feedback Forum.
Information to include
Make sure your upload text contains at least the following information:
  • The age(s) and gender(s) your creation(s) are for (example: "This works for young adult, adult, and elder females.")
  • The category your creation appears in in CAS (example: "This outfit shows up in the everyday and formal categories.")
  • If you have made a new mesh, you need to include polygon counts', which you can find by checking your GMDC in SimPE. You should also mention what morphs you have made - whenever possible, your mesh should have at least a fat morph.
  • If a mesh is required then you must provide a credit to the original creator, mentioning them by name ("Mesh by Soandso") as well as providing a clickable link to where the mesh may be found. You should make it clear that the mesh is required but not included, if you have not included it with your files, so downloaders know they will need to get it separately.
Not Quite Perfect?

Let the people know if there are unavoidable issues or weirdness with your upload that downloaders should be aware of. Nobody's perfect, but you need to let your downloaders know if there is something odd to watch out for.

Title & Description
Give your upload a descriptive title and write a text description for your upload, describing what you're uploading. Your title and description must be in English or provide an English translation. If you are not a native English speaker, using Google Translate is okay. You can also ask for help writing your description in the Creator Feedback Forum.
Expansion/Stuff Packs required?
New meshes and items that are "skin-tight" such as skintones, eyes, makeup, etc. require only the base game. Recolours or retextures of Expansion Pack (EP) or Stuff Pack (SP) content will require that EP or SP, so you must mark it as required.


[edit] Screenshots

Screenshots
You will need to include certain screenshots with your creation. You must:
  • For recolours of the same texture, pick a colour and show at least one full size picture, and you can show swatches of the rest of the colours. You should also show your creation from other angles - at least the back and sides.
  • For recolours of different textures you need full size pictures of everything. You should also show your creation from other angles - at least the back and sides.
  • For new hair or clothing meshes, you should also show your creation from other angles - at least the back and sides. For body/clothing meshes, you should show how the fat morph looks, and the pregnant morph, too, if you've done a pregnant morph.
  • For skintones: If you're uploading a skin, please blur or otherwise cover the butt crack and crotch of both genders, and the female nipples. Sims can wear extremely skimpy clothing, or you can blur or cover those areas in a photo editor. Take several pictures of the bodies and faces, showing the different colours (if you've made more than one), and the different ages and genders.

Keep the following in mind for your screenshots, especially the required ones:

  • Size: 800 pixels wide by 600 pixels tall is a good size for the smallest pic you would want to upload. Your images can be up to 2560x1440 pixels, and 800 kb, so you have lots of space to work with!
  • Lighting: For most things, it's best to take pictures in an interior room with good lighting. For lots, pictures should be taken during a nice sunny day, for floorplans, take the pictures with the lights ON.
  • Clarity: Neither blurry, nor pixellated/crunchy. Do not size up small pictures to make a large one as this will blur them, and make sure not to use too much compression/too low quality when saving your images.
  • Distance: Take your pictures so that your creation fills the screen without anything cut off at top or bottom - neither zoomed in too close, nor zoomed out too far.
  • Distortion: If you resize your images, retain the aspect ratio so they don't get stretched or squashed. Take care when zooming in and out with the camera that you do not create a fisheye effect on your pictures.
  • Photoshopping: Do not apply filters like sharpen, contrast, etc. to the required pictures, as downloaders want to see what your creation will look like in their game, not your skills at using Photoshop.
  • Attached: All required images must be attached directly to the MTS upload, not just inserted using the img tag, so that even if the pics get deleted from your Photobucket (or other host), the upload on MTS is still complete.
  • Show all items: For most areas, if you are uploading a set, you must take all the required pics for each item in the set. If there is an exception, it will be noted.
  • Picture limit: You may upload up to 100 pictures for a single upload thread, so feel free to add some additional pictures just to show off your work to its best. Of course, keep it reasonable - nobody needs 50 pics to show off one sim or hair.
  • Inline pictures: Inline pictures are those that use the [img] tag to show up in with the description text. So that it doesn't take too long to load, please keep this to no more than 4 pictures done inline, unless you put them inside an [infobutton] tag. To do this, see our guide on post formatting.

Please remember, for your required pictures:

  • In-game: You must actually load the game to take your pictures - pics from Body Shop are not sufficient as the lighting is not very good. Create-a-Sim pictures are not allowed, you must show your content in-game, on a lot.
  • Uncovered: You should take pictures of sims modelling your content in basic poses without arms or legs in the way, use short or pulled-back hair on a clothing model, no bangs/fringe obscuring makeup or eyes, nothing in the way of the view of your content (except for skintone censoring, if you've made a skin).

Tip: You may, of course, include additional other pictures presenting your creations however you like, and you can get as creative with them as you want.  :)

[edit] Other

Uploads not allowed on MTS
These items are not allowed on MTS in any category.
Pay/Pirated Content

Everything required or recommended for an upload must be freely available, without having to pay.

  • No uploads requiring pay content: We do not host content (for example, recolours of a pay hair or object mesh) that absolutely require pay content to function in-game.
  • No optional pay, pirated, or stolen content: Even for optional or recommended content not absolutely required for the creation to work (for example, hair on a sim or a couch on a lot), this means:
    • No content you must pay for. This means you cannot use items that are pay, donation, subscriber only, "special gift", etc. type content, anything accessible only when you pay money or subscribe.
    • No content from sites that are repositories of unmodified content when it is still available from the original creator, whether these items are pay or free (no Booty or Simscave, torrents, sites full of stolen content or similar, but the Graveyard and sites that offer recolours or modifications with the mesh are okay).
    • No EA content simply converted to base game use with no other changes.
    • No pirated EA Store content. EA Store content, linked to the legitimate EA Store, is okay though. TS2 store content may be included, with proper credit, since the store is no longer available.
Other content not allowed
  • Items that belong on the adult site: No content posted on MTS can have visible nudity, sexual content, or adult content, and instead must be posted on our adult site, Sexy Sims. This means on MTS, you may not post:
    • Content that contains nudity, which we define as exposing the female nipples, or the butt crack/genitals of either gender, including semi-transparent stuff like a sheer bra. Items that are merely "sexy" like skimpy miniskirts or string bikinis are fine on MTS. Transsexual/transgender items are also not considered adult content unless they contain nudity.
    • Skintones containing genital details - female nipples are okay on MTS but see below regarding screenshots.
    • Images of skintones with uncensored female nipples. Please blur or cover the nipples, butt crack, and genital area when taking screenshots of your skintones.
    • Fine art uploads containing visible nudity.
    • Items with specifically sexual content (sex toys, sexual poses).
    • Items containing swear/curse words
    • Items relating to illegal drugs. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs, alcohol, and tobacco are okay on MTS though.
  • Sexualized children: We do not allow any sexy/sexualized content for baby, toddler, or child sims in any way - no breasts whatsoever on child sims, no "sexy" outfits, etc. If you want to make preteens, make a less developed body for teen sims. Sexualized child content is not allowed at our adult site either.
  • Offensive content: Racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, bigoted, hateful or otherwise offensive content will not be allowed. Again, also not allowed at our adult site.
  • Gore/violence: We do not allow uploads which feature prominent, graphic violence and/or gore. Examples of things we do not allow would include items centred around mass shootings, images showing explicit violent imagery, cannibalism, and infanticide. Limited violence and gore may be featured if not the dominant focus of the upload, and not excessively graphic. Think a PG-13 movie. If uncertain whether your upload crosses this line, we suggest making a thread in the Creator Issues forum asking for feedback from a moderator before uploading.
  • EXE installers: Creators are not allowed to post exe (or other executable) files for any area of the site but Modding Tools. If your content needs to be installed to a certain directory, you can compress your files and leave the directory structure intact, so you can tell people to just install to Program Files, for instance, and the files will go where they need to. Executable installers can easily hold viruses, and are generally not needed for installing most content.
  • Preorder bonus content: Certain items were only available if you preordered certain expansions or stuff packs from certain retailers. It's unfortunate if someone missed out on getting them, but they can't be redistributed here as EA has made it clear that they do not allow it.
  • Unmodified EP/SP/Store content: While it is common practice to modify and use bits and pieces of game content to create custom content, extracting content from an expansion, stuff pack, or Store item and uploading it unmodified is not allowed on this site. You are welcome to upload significantly modified versions of expansion, stuff pack, or Store content, but you can't just be ripping it and changing one tiny thing (or nothing) just so people who didn't purchase it can still use it.
  • Stolen/reuploaded content: This should go without saying, but do not upload content made by others and claim it as your own, in whole or in part. Don't upload the work of someone else without their permission... if they wanted to share it at MTS, they can easily upload it here themselves.
  • Uncredited content/violating permissions: If any part of what you have uploaded (mesh, textures, alphas, bump maps, coding, etc.) comes from somebody else's work, you MUST provide a link and credit in the text of your post, for the original author. State what you've used of theirs, the author's name, and give a link back to them. You must check the author's policies to see if you can use their content in the way you want, and you may not violate any policies stated. If there are no policies or they don't disallow your type of usage, or the site is permanently offline, then you can assume it's okay. Please see here for more details: Updates and Remixes of Creations.
  • Redirects: If you want to move a creation to another site, please remove your upload from MTS, don't just edit the text to point to a different site.
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