The Ultimate Sims Genetics Tutorial! Chapter 5
Modifying Custom Eyes
Before we get into changing our custom eyes, let's have a refresher on the genetics of eyes. Since we'll be using SimPE sans plugins to change our eyes, it's important to understand how number values translate to our concept of dominant and recessive.
Eye dominance is determined by the genetic value in the eye file. This value can be anything between 0 and 4, including decimal numbers in between. However, using just the game eyes and the default way custom eyes are made in bodyshop, this is the value breakdown, from most dominant to least dominant:
0 - Default setting for custom eyes. Dominant over all lower values, equally dominant with other 0 value eyes.
1 - Maxis Brown and Dark Blue. Dominant over lower values, recessive to 0 value eyes, equally dominant with each other.
2 - Maxis Light Blue, Green, and Gray. Recessive to other eyes, equally dominant with each other.
While there are certain cases where you might want an eye to be more dominant than anything else, most of the time you probably don't want it to be dominant over all the Maxis values.
Changing the genetic value yourself lets you accomplish several things:
- Making a custom eye behave like a dominant Brown eye or a recessive Green eye
- Making custom eyes that are very dominant, less dominant than any of the default values
- Making levels of dominance between the original Maxis values--say you have a hazel eye that you think should be more dominant than Green or Gray, but less dominant than Brown? Give it a value of 1.5.
Keep in mind that a child will only be able to have an eyecolor that it has received an allele for. Eyes will ALWAYS be related to genes. No matter how broadly you spectrumize your eyes, they will not behave like skintones, unfortunately.
Modifying Eye Files
You will need your eye files and SimPE. Open up the eye you wish to modify in SimPE.
Brief Introduction to Package Files:
Resource Tree: This groups all the files in the package into categories. Here are the ones that you are most likely to be interested in.
- jpg/tga/png Image - The thumbnail that displays in CAS or Bodyshop
- Texture Overlay XML - Sounds really funny, but this is where the information about the eye is kept
- Texture Image - This is the actual texture(s) of the piece of CC--looking at this gives a really good idea of what it looks like
Resource List: This lists ALL the items in the package (if AllRes is selected in the Tree) or ALL the items in a category you select in the Resource Tree. So if there are multiple Texture Images, and you selected Texture Image in the tree, all the individual textures would be in this frame.
So, in short, to look at something, choose its category in the Tree, then pick the file in the Resource List. Once you've done this a few times, you'll probably be able to find all the files you need in the full list, without bothering with the Resource Tree at all.
Plugin View: When you select the resource you want to look at, it will appear down in plugin view. Depending on what it is, you will have various options.
Viewing the Texture:
Unless the file-naming is rather specific, and the look of the eye very clear in your mind, you will probably want to look at it before you decide what genetic value you want to give it. So, as explained about, choose texture image in the Resource Tree and the texture that appears in the Resource List (for eyes, there should only be one texture). It should look similar to this:
You can see, in this case, that the eye is a rather dark brown. Where would you put a dark brown eye on your genetic scale? That's for you to decide. If you think it would be dominant over everything, certainly don't change a thing. Leave it at 0.
But this is my game, and I think it should be at 1. So let's change that. Click on Texture Overlay XML in the Resource Tree. The Resource List will have a file with a name similar to this: uuface_eye_[eyecolor]. Unless the creator has changed the name manually, that [eyecolor] is just whatever eye was originally cloned in Bodyshop, and rarely is related to the actual texture.
Your SimPE should look like this after you select uuface...:
Down in Plugin View, there are several lines. The one we're currently concerned with is the "genetic" line. See how it looks? genetic = 0? This eye is custom and set at 0. We want to change it to 1 and make it behave like the Maxis Brown or Dark Blue eye. Highlight the genetic line.
On the right of the Plugin frame, the fields fill up with the information for the "genetic" line. See how the Value field says 0? This is where we change it to what we want. In this case, I chose 1. After you change this value, make sure you hit that button that says "Commit."
Are we done?
If all you wanted was an eye that is not super dominant, that you can put on CAS sims and treat like a Maxis eye, then you are finished. Choose File-->Save from the menu, or hit CTRL+S. Close the file and move on to your next eye.
If you wanted an eye that will pop up randomly when you use the dice in CAS or Bodyshop, or when townies and NPCs are spawned, we've got one more step.
Back to Plugin View.
This time we'll be looking at the value called "flags." We need to change the value from 0x00000008 to 0x00000000. You can either change that last 8 to a 0 in the value box, or just delete the line from the value box. Either way, when you hit commit, the value will be saved as 0x00000000. Make sure to save the file!
Now your eye is GENETICIZED (follows the genetic rules discussed in Chapter 2) and TOWNIFIED (behaves just like Maxis defaults and binned hair).
Small Note:
There's only one option you really need to consider when changing values with SimPE itself, whether or not you want to make a backup file. Go to Extra-->Preferences, and check out the SimPE Settings tab on the Preferences Menu. Check "Auto Backup" if you want backup files made, uncheck it if you don't.
If the only things you change are the flag and/or genetics lines, then you can change eyes already in use without affecting the sims using them, appearance-wise. If you change the genetic value and THEN that sim has a kid? The kid's displayed traits will be determined by the new genetic value. So if you're doing a legacy, you can certainly fix all this stuff NOW and reap the rewards, without waiting until you start a new hood or a new family.
Chapter 6: Modifying Custom Skintones
Before we get into changing our custom eyes, let's have a refresher on the genetics of eyes. Since we'll be using SimPE sans plugins to change our eyes, it's important to understand how number values translate to our concept of dominant and recessive.
Eye dominance is determined by the genetic value in the eye file. This value can be anything between 0 and 4, including decimal numbers in between. However, using just the game eyes and the default way custom eyes are made in bodyshop, this is the value breakdown, from most dominant to least dominant:
0 - Default setting for custom eyes. Dominant over all lower values, equally dominant with other 0 value eyes.
1 - Maxis Brown and Dark Blue. Dominant over lower values, recessive to 0 value eyes, equally dominant with each other.
2 - Maxis Light Blue, Green, and Gray. Recessive to other eyes, equally dominant with each other.
While there are certain cases where you might want an eye to be more dominant than anything else, most of the time you probably don't want it to be dominant over all the Maxis values.
Changing the genetic value yourself lets you accomplish several things:
- Making a custom eye behave like a dominant Brown eye or a recessive Green eye
- Making custom eyes that are very dominant, less dominant than any of the default values
- Making levels of dominance between the original Maxis values--say you have a hazel eye that you think should be more dominant than Green or Gray, but less dominant than Brown? Give it a value of 1.5.
Keep in mind that a child will only be able to have an eyecolor that it has received an allele for. Eyes will ALWAYS be related to genes. No matter how broadly you spectrumize your eyes, they will not behave like skintones, unfortunately.
Modifying Eye Files
You will need your eye files and SimPE. Open up the eye you wish to modify in SimPE.
Brief Introduction to Package Files:
Resource Tree: This groups all the files in the package into categories. Here are the ones that you are most likely to be interested in.
- jpg/tga/png Image - The thumbnail that displays in CAS or Bodyshop
- Texture Overlay XML - Sounds really funny, but this is where the information about the eye is kept
- Texture Image - This is the actual texture(s) of the piece of CC--looking at this gives a really good idea of what it looks like
Resource List: This lists ALL the items in the package (if AllRes is selected in the Tree) or ALL the items in a category you select in the Resource Tree. So if there are multiple Texture Images, and you selected Texture Image in the tree, all the individual textures would be in this frame.
So, in short, to look at something, choose its category in the Tree, then pick the file in the Resource List. Once you've done this a few times, you'll probably be able to find all the files you need in the full list, without bothering with the Resource Tree at all.
Plugin View: When you select the resource you want to look at, it will appear down in plugin view. Depending on what it is, you will have various options.
Viewing the Texture:
Unless the file-naming is rather specific, and the look of the eye very clear in your mind, you will probably want to look at it before you decide what genetic value you want to give it. So, as explained about, choose texture image in the Resource Tree and the texture that appears in the Resource List (for eyes, there should only be one texture). It should look similar to this:
You can see, in this case, that the eye is a rather dark brown. Where would you put a dark brown eye on your genetic scale? That's for you to decide. If you think it would be dominant over everything, certainly don't change a thing. Leave it at 0.
But this is my game, and I think it should be at 1. So let's change that. Click on Texture Overlay XML in the Resource Tree. The Resource List will have a file with a name similar to this: uuface_eye_[eyecolor]. Unless the creator has changed the name manually, that [eyecolor] is just whatever eye was originally cloned in Bodyshop, and rarely is related to the actual texture.
Your SimPE should look like this after you select uuface...:
Down in Plugin View, there are several lines. The one we're currently concerned with is the "genetic" line. See how it looks? genetic = 0? This eye is custom and set at 0. We want to change it to 1 and make it behave like the Maxis Brown or Dark Blue eye. Highlight the genetic line.
On the right of the Plugin frame, the fields fill up with the information for the "genetic" line. See how the Value field says 0? This is where we change it to what we want. In this case, I chose 1. After you change this value, make sure you hit that button that says "Commit."
Are we done?
If all you wanted was an eye that is not super dominant, that you can put on CAS sims and treat like a Maxis eye, then you are finished. Choose File-->Save from the menu, or hit CTRL+S. Close the file and move on to your next eye.
If you wanted an eye that will pop up randomly when you use the dice in CAS or Bodyshop, or when townies and NPCs are spawned, we've got one more step.
Back to Plugin View.
This time we'll be looking at the value called "flags." We need to change the value from 0x00000008 to 0x00000000. You can either change that last 8 to a 0 in the value box, or just delete the line from the value box. Either way, when you hit commit, the value will be saved as 0x00000000. Make sure to save the file!
Now your eye is GENETICIZED (follows the genetic rules discussed in Chapter 2) and TOWNIFIED (behaves just like Maxis defaults and binned hair).
Small Note:
There's only one option you really need to consider when changing values with SimPE itself, whether or not you want to make a backup file. Go to Extra-->Preferences, and check out the SimPE Settings tab on the Preferences Menu. Check "Auto Backup" if you want backup files made, uncheck it if you don't.
If the only things you change are the flag and/or genetics lines, then you can change eyes already in use without affecting the sims using them, appearance-wise. If you change the genetic value and THEN that sim has a kid? The kid's displayed traits will be determined by the new genetic value. So if you're doing a legacy, you can certainly fix all this stuff NOW and reap the rewards, without waiting until you start a new hood or a new family.
Chapter 6: Modifying Custom Skintones