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

From SimsWiki
Jump to: navigation, search
(Pay Content)
 
(18 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
=Create-A-Sim=
+
=Sims 3 CAS Content Upload Guidelines=
  
==Introduction==
+
When uploading a Create-a-Sim content for The Sims 3 to Mod The Sims, we have some basic requirements to ensure that your upload 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.
  
Uploading custom sim content? This guide will walk you through every step of what we require on MTS. 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.
 
  
If you've uploaded TS2 Bodyshop content, then many of these standards are the same; however please pay particular attention to requirements regarding recolourable channels.
+
==Quality==
  
==Quality/General==
 
  
This is by far the most important factor in pose uploads, but also the hardest to quantify.
+
{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
 
+
{{Guidelines-Quality-TimeandEffort}}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
 
|-
 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Logos (*)
+
! style="text-align:left" | Textures
 
|-
 
|-
|Uploads based around clothes with logos on them should demonstrate a reasonable amount of planning and effort. As a general rule, logo items should be sets - don't just slap a nike logo on a shirt; do a hoodie, some shoes, maybe a hat or bag etc; or, upload a set of shirts with related logos. Stencils should be used as little as is reasonable - stencils are useful if you are using an image which is complex and has too many colours to be done using mask channels, however if your logo is just one or two blocks of solid colour, then it should be recolourable.  
+
| If you have made or modified textures for your creations:
 +
* '''Clear:''' Textures should be clear, crisp, and not pixellated.
 +
* '''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:''' For your main texture and for stencils/logos, most of the time for black or white, you should use very light grey and very dark grey, not pure black and pure white.
 +
* '''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.
 +
* '''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. 
 +
* '''Additional texture types:''' Additional texture types should be done well also, with bump maps fitting the item and looking correct, and speculars not set too shiny, etc.
 +
* '''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].
 +
* '''Channels and CASTability:''' Simple designs in one colour should always be done with channels.  Non-recolourable designs should generally only be used for more complex logos, patterns, etc. that cannot be split easily into recolourable channels.  Whenever possible, an item should be made versatile to recolour with the Create-a-Style tool, with multiple channels for customization.
 +
* '''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.
  
Always remember to state, if applicable, the brand or band your logo is for in the title or keywords of your upload - otherwise downloaders can't find it by searching.
+
[[Image:RightArrow.gif]] Tip: You can find great info on making quality textures in the [http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:TS3_CAS_Tutorials TS3 CAS Tutorials].
<br style="clear:both" />
+
|}
+
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
 
 
|-
 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Not Too Bright (*)
+
! style="text-align:left" | Meshes
 
|-
 
|-
|
+
| These apply only if you have made a new 3D model or "mesh" for your creation:
[[Image:Oepudress.jpg|right|300x300px]]When creating an item that is brightly-coloured or neon, or clothing with a bright default colour, you need to keep in mind the way the game renders colour... Creating something with a colour that you'd generally consider to be "bright" can be blinding in-game. Try making the colour a little lighter, to keep the brightness but without the blinding effect.
+
* '''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:''' Morphs should work properly, generally resemble the EA morph size/shape (unless you have a good reason otherwise, like specifically creating a new body type) and look nice.
 +
* '''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).
  
* For a good example of bright textures done well, not too bright (the one used in the example pic to the right), see: [http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=369345 Overall dress for childs (Oepu)].
+
|-
<br style="clear:both" />
+
! style="text-align:left" | CAST Presets
|}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
 
|-
 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Blacks And Whites (*)
+
|Uploads which are purely of Create-a-Style presets (no new textures or meshes made yourself) must be done as a useful, versatile set: carefully thought out and with some sort of theme (for example, a full set of natural hair colours, or a range of basic recolours of mens' shirts). The same for textures above applies to CAST presets - not too bright or too dark, not pure black or pure white, etc.
|-
+
|[[Image:Blacktops.jpg|right|300x300px]] When making something that's black or white, or has black or white as its default colour, 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 see 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. If you're making a male tshirt, a good indicator is to look at the armpits - there should be a bunch of little folds there; if you have to squint to see them, your default colour is too dark.
+
 
+
* 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]] This tiptorial is written for TS2, however the same tips apply.
+
<br style="clear:both" />
+
 
|}
 
|}
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
 
|-
 
! style="text-align:left" | Crisp/Unpixelated (*)
 
|-
 
|[[Image:Crispmasks.jpg|right|300x300px]]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.
 
  
* If your textures are nice and crisp in your graphics program, 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 the tick.
+
==Files==
* For a good example of clear, pretty, crisp textures (the one used in the example pic to the right), see: [http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=371184 Carnival masks (Anubis360)].
+
<br style="clear:both" />
+
|}
+
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-FileTypes}}
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | No Simple Slider Changes (*)
+
|-
+
|If you're going to make something for sims, don't just grab a Maxis item and change the colour on it - making a slightly paler Maxis skin, for instance, or making a blue shirt green, or inverting the colours on a texture.  This is something that anyone can do, especially with TS3's Create-A-Style tools, 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).
+
 
+
* For tutorials on adding textures, logos, and doing more than just a simple slider change, see: [[Tutorials:TS3 CAS Tutorials]].
+
<br style="clear:both" />
+
|}
+
 
+
==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.
+
{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-ZipRar7z}}
  
{{Guidelines-Screenshots-BigEnough}}
+
{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
 
|-
 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | No Over-Photoshopping (*)
+
! style="text-align:left" | Your mesh?
 
|-
 
|-
|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.
+
| '''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.
<br style="clear:both" />
+
 
|}
 
|}
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
 
|-
 
! style="text-align:left" | In-Game (*)
 
|-
 
|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 texture pics, CTU, 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" />
 
|}
 
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
==Information==
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | Show All Items In the Set (*)
+
|-
+
|[[Image:BlasphemyEyes-Colours.jpg|right|300x300px]]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 - you need to have actual in-game pics of everything!  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.
+
<br style="clear:both" />
+
|}
+
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
 
|-
 
! style="text-align:left" | Poses (*)
 
|-
 
|[[Image:Poses.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.
 
  
It may be tempting to have your sim doing something amusing or silly, or to show your bathingsuit-ed sim jumping into a pool, and that's fine - but make sure that whatever pose you choose, it shows off your creation first and foremost.
+
{{Template:Guidelines-InfoFiles-TitleDescription}}
<br style="clear:both" />
+
|}
+
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
 
|-
 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Show the Whole Thing (*)
+
! style="text-align:left" | Information to include
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Image:Fullpic.jpg|right|300x300px]]Make sure that your screenshots show the whole item - for clothing or skins, this usually 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 vest top they're downloading doesn't have armbands, for example.
+
| Make sure your upload text contains at least the following information:
 
+
* The '''age(s) and gender(s)''' your item(s) are for (example: "This works for teen and young adult females.")
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.
+
* The '''category''' your upload appears in in CAS (example: "This outfit shows up in the everyday and formal categories.")
<br style="clear:both" />
+
* The '''number and description of the recolourable channels''' of your creation (example: "This has 3 channels: shirt, belt, and trim")
 +
* If you have made a new mesh, you need to include '''polygon counts''' (for LOD1, or LOD0 if you're uploading a hair). If you don't know how to check your mesh's poly count, see [[Tiptorial:Poly Counts for Creators]].
 
|}
 
|}
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
 
|-
 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Take Detailed Pictures (*)
+
! style="text-align:left" | Expansions Required
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Image:Shoes.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 picsYou can get some nice close-up shots this way that really show the interesting bitsMake sure these are in addition to (not instead of) your full body shot.
+
| Make sure to select only the expansions needed for the content you're uploadingNew meshes usually require only the base gameRetextures/CAST Presets of Expansion pack (EP) or Stuff Pack (SP) content will require that EP or SP.  If you are unsure about what EPs/SPs your content requires, ask before uploading in the [http://www.modthesims.info/forumdisplay.php?f=597 CAS Parts Forum] on MTS.
 
+
* For a good example of pictures showing the details of an upload (the one used in the example pic to the right), see: [http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=369114 High Sneakers (Sims2Time)].
+
<br style="clear:both" />
+
 
|}
 
|}
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
 
|-
 
! style="text-align:left" | Close Enough (*)
 
|-
 
|[[Image:Close.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.
+
==Screenshots==
<br style="clear:both" />
+
|}
+
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
 
|-
 
! style="text-align:left" | Multiple Angles (*)
 
|-
 
|[[Image:Sport03.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" />
 
|}
 
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
{| class="nicetable" style="width:100%"
 
|-
 
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Enough Light (*)
+
! style="text-align:left" | Screenshots 
 
|-
 
|-
|[[Image:Lightdark.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 roomAt 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.
+
| You will need to include certain screenshots with your creationYou must:  
  
If your screenshots are consistently coming out dark and you don't know why, then you are probably using an external screenshot program (such as FRAPS) while playing in fullscreen mode. This always causes dark pics, for no apparent reason. To get round this, either use the ingame camera (C key), or use windowed mode (Options -> Graphics options).
+
* Have '''at least one picture of each item''' you are sharing, showing the whole thing from the front, and focusing on the item you're sharing (example: for shoes, you need to zoom in on the feet, not a take a full-body pic).
<br style="clear:both" />
+
* '''For new hair or clothing meshes''', you should also show your creation from other angles - at least the back and sides - and show the morphs in your pics (where applicable).
|}
+
* '''For creations with recolourable channels,''' show how they work taking at least one picture using different colours on the parts in Create-a-Style. For items like hair, eyes, makeup, etc., it's best to show a few pics of how your creation can look with different CAST styles (dark and light hair, dark and light eyes, etc).  These pics can be collaged together if you like.
 +
* '''For CAST presets''' where all the items are variations on the same textures (like hair or eye colours), it's okay to show decent-sized swatches of each preset, rather than full-size pics of everything.
 +
* '''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.  You should show your skin's colour range, and pics of each age and gender it's for.
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
{{Guidelines-ScreenshotsBigClearEtc}}
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | Cut That Hair (*)
+
|-
+
|[[Image:Haircut.jpg|right|300x300px]]Remember to put your sim in a hairstyle that doesn't cover up the content you're uploading.  You don't want the hairstyle your sim is wearing to cover up substantial amounts of your clothing, for instance.  Choose a hairstyle that doesn't get in the way and allows you to show off what you've made without a bunch of hair covering it.
+
<br style="clear:both" />
+
|}
+
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
Please remember, for your required pictures:
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | Show the Recolorable Channels (*)
+
|-
+
|[[Image:Channels.jpg|right|300x300px]]If your upload has recolourable channels, show them in at least one of the screenshots - and preferably, label them too (or at least point them out in the post). An upload with four recolourable channels, which are all the same colour in the screenshots, looks rather like an upload with one recolourable channel; which makes your upload appear less awesome than it actually is. If you must provide screenshots with no differentiation between the channels, at least describe clearly where the channels are in your upload text.
+
<br style="clear:both" />
+
|}
+
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
* '''In-game:''' You must put a sim on a lot and take pictures of them there, not in Create-a-Sim, as the way it renders textures is different and doesn't show what you really get in-gameMorphs and channels can be shown in CAS though.
|-
+
* '''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).
! style="text-align:left" | Obscured Skintones (*)
+
|-
+
|[[Image:Blurryskintone.jpg|right|300x300px]]Because MTS is not an adult site, you need to take special care when uploading skintone filesNot only must your skintones not have too much "adult" detail on the actual skins themselves (please see the special note below under "Adult Content/Nudity" regarding skintones) but you must obscure your screenshots.  We normally don't want you to cover up your texturing, but in this case, we do...
+
  
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.
+
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:)
<br style="clear:both" />
+
|}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | 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 that matches your theme, 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.
+
|}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | In-Line/Attached Screenshots (*)
+
|-
+
|Please do not post more than 4 inline screenshots (images that appear in the text of the thread). Having a lot of images that have to load on the thread makes browsing downloads very slow and can make the thread jump around as they keep loading.
+
 
+
You may host your inline screenshots elsewhere like Photobucket.com - however, these screenshots hosted elsewhere must be additional screenshots, and you must make sure to actually attach your required screenshots to the thread itselfIf 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 can attach up to 12 screenshots to the thread itself, with the 4 additional inline screenshots hosted elsewhere (or attached) for a total of 16 possible screenshots.  This should be plenty to show what you've made, even for fairly large sets.  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 outfit, or the like.
+
|}
+
  
 
{{Guidelines-Screenshots-Tips}}
 
{{Guidelines-Screenshots-Tips}}
 
==Pay Content==
 
 
{{Guidelines-Screenshots-NoPayContent}}
 
 
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
 
|-
 
! style="text-align:left" | No TSR Featured Artist Content (*)
 
|-
 
|Prior to November 28, 2010, here at MTS, we have had policies restricting the use of content from '''The Sims Resource''' in uploads, due to items pay/free status there changing often.
 
 
However, after a lot of consideration and time to review the frequency of the changes in pay/free status, we have decided to lift this restriction. While creators at TSR do sometimes go pay after being a regular/select artist, this happens fairly rarely... and likely no more often than free creators from other sites suddenly going pay.
 
 
As a result, '''you can now use free items at TSR in MTS uploads'''. Any pay items - that is, '''ANY items by "Featured Artists" (FAs) at TSR cannot be used''' as their pay/free status does still change. Items by '''regular creators and "Select Artists" (SAs)''' CAN be used.
 
 
|}
 
|}
  
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
==Other==
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | Store Content (*)
+
|-
+
|You may use Sims 3 Store items in your screenshots, or required for your uploads. If your upload requires a Store mesh, you must state what specific Store item(s) you have used and link directly to the item on the Sims 3 Store so users may choose to buy it if they like. While we realize this may seem a contradiction to the "what you see is what you can get without having to pay for it" concept, Store content is not considered "pay" because it is official content, similar to what you get as part of expansion/stuff packs (after all, you have to pay for those, too). You may NOT include the actual Store item in your upload as this is a violation of intellectual property laws, nor can you link to where it can be downloaded elsewhere for free.
+
|}
+
 
+
==Adult Content/Nudity==
+
 
+
MTS is not an adult site.  We do have an adult site affiliated with MTS, [http://www.sexysims2.com Sexy Sims 2] where adult content may be uploaded.  But because MTS is a PG-13 site, no adult content may be uploaded to MTS itself.
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | Skintones (*)
+
|-
+
|Skintones uploaded to MTS must be completely "barbie" below the waist.  That is, you cannot include genitals or pubic hair for either gender.  Skintones uploaded to MTS 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 above under Screenshots, ("Obscured Skintones") for exact details on what you must obscure, and how to do so.
+
|}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | Other Adult Content (*)
+
|-
+
|Content with swear/curse words or sexually suggestive themes may not be uploaded to MTS.  Please upload these items to the adult site instead.
+
 
+
Items relating to illegal drugs do not belong on MTS. You -may- post items relating to prescription and over-the-counter drugs, as well as alcohol and tobacco on MTS, but items related to illegal drugs should go on our adult site.
+
 
+
"Nude clothing" uploads are not allowed on MTS, with the exception of male nude tops - 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 MTS, see: [[MTS2:Uploads_NOT_allowed_on_MTS2|Uploads Not Allowed on MTS2]].
+
|}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | What Is NOT Adult Content (*)
+
|-
+
|We do not consider transgender/crossdressing items to be adult unless they are too revealing (i.e. show the genitals or butt crack). 
+
 
+
Sexy items such as skimpy lingerie, miniskirts, low-cut tops, nighties, corsets, bustiers, etc., are also not considered adult content unless they reveal the genitals, butt crack, or female nipples.
+
|}
+
 
+
 
+
==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.
+
 
+
{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-ZipRar7z}}
+
{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-Title}}
+
{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-Packages}}
+
{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-UploadinSets}}
+
{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-Description}}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | In-Game Picture as Main Thumbnail (*)
+
|-
+
|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" />
+
|}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | Meshes Needed/Included (*)
+
|-
+
|'''Do you need a mesh?'''  If you are recolouring a hair, clothing, or accessory, downloaders may need a custom mesh for your content to work right.  If you don't know whether a custom mesh is required, it's very easy to check: cut and paste the contents of your Mods/Packages folder somewhere else temporarily.  Then put in only your creation, and load the game.  If it shows up correctly, you don't need a custom mesh.  If it doesn't show up correctly, you do need a custom mesh, and you'll need to figure out what one it is.  This can be tricky if you have a lot of meshes - best way is to make sure you know what mesh you're recolouring before you ever start!
+
 
+
'''Including Meshes:'''  If your creation does require a custom mesh, you may wish to include it in your upload so that downloaders can just get what you've uploaded and not have to go anywhere else. 
+
 
+
Once you've identified what mesh it is, you need to check back with the original creator on their site or forum and see what they say about that - look for a FAQ or policies page to see what they have to say about including their meshes.  They may not want you to include their mesh, or they may only be okay with it if you include their readme file as well. 
+
 
+
Do not include meshes that the creator says not to include, or if the creator doesn't say.  If you get special permission to include a mesh that normally cannot be included (or the creator's policies don't say anything) please say in the text of your upload post that you have permission - we can't read your mind!
+
 
+
If you do include the mesh, make sure you include a credit and link in the text of your post - and make sure you state that the mesh is included!  Also, please do not include any of the creator's other recolour files - you only need your recolour and the actual mesh itself.
+
 
+
'''Linking to Meshes:''' If you cannot include a mesh, or the mesh is hosted on MTS, link to the mesh in the appropriate spot when uploading - when you mark your upload as a New Mesh Recolour you will get a screen asking you to link to the mesh.  Please give as direct a link as possible - to the page where the mesh is, if you can.  If you cannot give a direct link, or if there are a lot of meshes on the page, please give directions in the text of your post, as clear as possible... i.e. "Look under Female, Adult, Everyday, then go to Page 4, and download the black dress with the blue belt outfit - the mesh is included with it."  Please do not hotlink the mesh - i.e. you want to link to the page it can be downloaded from, not the actual rar or zip file with the mesh in it - hotlinking is bad manners.
+
|}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | Permission/Credit (*)
+
|-
+
|If you are not starting completely from scratch or editing EA items, you MUST give credit for what you use made by other people.  This means if you use someone else's mesh, textures, specular maps, or anything else (in whole or in part) you must credit them.  You can't just edit whatever you like.  In addition, you'll need to check the original creator's policies to make sure they allow you to do so - if they say you can't, or they don't say one way or the other, you will have to ask permission and wait for a "yes" reply before you post your work.  If they say "no" or don't reply, you can't post it!
+
 
+
Make sure that you post a credit and a link back to the original creator, and if you got permission, you need to mention it! (i.e. "Thanks to Soandso from http://www.randomsimsite.com for giving me permission to edit their original textures.")  We know many creators require permission but can't know you've gotten it if you don't say so.
+
 
+
You can and will be warned for stealing content if you use someone else's work without permission/credit, so if you don't remember where you got something or can't get permission, go the safe route and make it yourself or find something you can edit.
+
|}
+
 
+
{| class="collapsible collapsed wikitable" style="width:100%"
+
|-
+
! style="text-align:left" | Basic Information (*)
+
|-
+
|Make sure your upload text contains at least the following information:
+
* The ages for which your upload is available
+
* The gender(s) for which your upload is available
+
* The category your upload appears in in CAS
+
* The recolourable channels of your creation
+
 
+
* Poly counts should be for LOD1 (or LOD0 if you're uploading a hair)
+
* If you are uploading a skintone, you should show it in a variety of colours from light to dark, as well as mentioning which colour dots your skintone uses.
+
|}
+
 
+
{{Guidelines-InfoFiles-HairCredit}}
+
 
+
==Additional Stuff==
+
  
* 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].
+
{{Guidelines-NotAllowed}}
  
* If you're not sure whether your patterns 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]]
 

Latest revision as of 14:36, 12 March 2014

Contents

[edit] Sims 3 CAS Content Upload Guidelines

When uploading a Create-a-Sim content for The Sims 3 to Mod The Sims, we have some basic requirements to ensure that your upload 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
If you have made or modified textures for your creations:
  • Clear: Textures should be clear, crisp, and not pixellated.
  • 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: For your main texture and for stencils/logos, most of the time for black or white, you should use very light grey and very dark grey, not pure black and pure white.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Additional texture types: Additional texture types should be done well also, with bump maps fitting the item and looking correct, and speculars not set too shiny, etc.
  • 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.
  • Channels and CASTability: Simple designs in one colour should always be done with channels. Non-recolourable designs should generally only be used for more complex logos, patterns, etc. that cannot be split easily into recolourable channels. Whenever possible, an item should be made versatile to recolour with the Create-a-Style tool, with multiple channels for customization.
  • 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.

RightArrow.gif Tip: You can find great info on making quality textures in the TS3 CAS Tutorials.

Meshes
These apply only if you have made a new 3D model or "mesh" for your creation:
  • 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: Morphs should work properly, generally resemble the EA morph size/shape (unless you have a good reason otherwise, like specifically creating a new body type) and look nice.
  • 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).
CAST Presets
Uploads which are purely of Create-a-Style presets (no new textures or meshes made yourself) must be done as a useful, versatile set: carefully thought out and with some sort of theme (for example, a full set of natural hair colours, or a range of basic recolours of mens' shirts). The same for textures above applies to CAST presets - not too bright or too dark, not pure black or pure white, etc.


[edit] Files

File Types
You may upload your creation(s) as sims3pack files or package files within your rar/zip/7z file(s). You may also offer downloaders both types so they can choose which they prefer.
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.
Your mesh?
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.


[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 item(s) are for (example: "This works for teen and young adult females.")
  • The category your upload appears in in CAS (example: "This outfit shows up in the everyday and formal categories.")
  • The number and description of the recolourable channels of your creation (example: "This has 3 channels: shirt, belt, and trim")
  • If you have made a new mesh, you need to include polygon counts (for LOD1, or LOD0 if you're uploading a hair). If you don't know how to check your mesh's poly count, see Tiptorial:Poly Counts for Creators.
Expansions Required
Make sure to select only the expansions needed for the content you're uploading. New meshes usually require only the base game. Retextures/CAST Presets of Expansion pack (EP) or Stuff Pack (SP) content will require that EP or SP. If you are unsure about what EPs/SPs your content requires, ask before uploading in the CAS Parts Forum on MTS.


[edit] Screenshots

Screenshots
You will need to include certain screenshots with your creation. You must:
  • Have at least one picture of each item you are sharing, showing the whole thing from the front, and focusing on the item you're sharing (example: for shoes, you need to zoom in on the feet, not a take a full-body pic).
  • For new hair or clothing meshes, you should also show your creation from other angles - at least the back and sides - and show the morphs in your pics (where applicable).
  • For creations with recolourable channels, show how they work taking at least one picture using different colours on the parts in Create-a-Style. For items like hair, eyes, makeup, etc., it's best to show a few pics of how your creation can look with different CAST styles (dark and light hair, dark and light eyes, etc). These pics can be collaged together if you like.
  • For CAST presets where all the items are variations on the same textures (like hair or eye colours), it's okay to show decent-sized swatches of each preset, rather than full-size pics of everything.
  • 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. You should show your skin's colour range, and pics of each age and gender it's for.

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 put a sim on a lot and take pictures of them there, not in Create-a-Sim, as the way it renders textures is different and doesn't show what you really get in-game. Morphs and channels can be shown in CAS though.
  • 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.
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
game select
Toolbox