LyricLee
04-25-2008, 11:12 PM
A friend of mine was having some hang ups with Wizards of Simpe. I personally hate the automatic recolor programs and always do mine by hand. This tutorial will guide you through the very basic steps of making a recolor manually.
Please be advised this is very basic, and aditionally I use a graphics editing program that probably none of you have heard of. The steps will be the same for any program however you must know how to layer, crop and skew your images in whatever graphics program you chose.
Now onto the tutorial.
----------------------------------------------
Step 1: Open SimPe
From the Tool tab, select Object Creation and then Object Workshop
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow1.jpg
Step 2: On the right hand panel, select START. This will start SimPe loading all of the games objects. This may take a while depending on how many expansions you have installed. Just be patient and a list will pop up.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow2.jpg
Step 3: From the list, find the category you need. For this tutorial we will be recoloring a poster. This is found in Decorative- Wall
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow3.jpg
Step 4: Select a poster from the list of wall hangings that has the closest size and shape to the image you want to use for your recolor. You want to be careful not to use a square image on a rectangle poster and so forth.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow4.jpg
Step 5: Once you have found the poster you want, click on it once and select the option at the top that sats NEXT.
The next screen will have a drop down box. Make sure that it is set to recolor and not clone. (It does default to recolor the first time you use SimPe)
Once you are ready, hit the Start Button at the top.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow5.jpg
***Note the time between Step 5 and Step 6 may lag a little. This is because SimPe is loading that objects data. Again be patient**
Step 6: A pop up dialog box will appear. This is where you will name the file you are recoloring. If you plan to share this item, try to use a unique name, insert your screen name in it as well if you want this item to be tracable back to you.
I always save my items onto my desktop for easy access. So navigate your dialog box to your desktop, name your creation (In my case it was Lyric-CatPoster) and hit save.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow6.jpg
Step 7: Your screen should refresh and you will now see the texture image to the original Maxis poster.
RIGHT click on this image and select the EXPORT option.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow8.jpg
Step 8: You should export this texture image to your desktop as well (or wherever you are working from)
You may rename it if you like or just leave it as the long jumble of words it originally is.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow7.jpg
*****MINIMIZE SIMPE AND OPEN YOUR GRAPHICS PROGRAM*******
Step 9: (Ignore the funny program lol)
Open both your exported texture image, and the image you want to use for your recolor, in your art program.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9.jpg
Step 10: You will need to copy and paste your new image on top of the original texture image. This can be done via layering, or however your program handles layers.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9b.jpg
Step 11: As you see in the image above, the dimensions of the new image are slightly smaller than the original texture. Using which ever tool allows you to resize, drag the corners of your image to fit overtop of the original image.
The bits to the right are the frame, you may recolor these too if you wish but your image needs to fill the image of the original only.
You will want to play around a bit pulling and streching on each side to make it fit perfectly, Try to not distort the image too greatly.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9c.jpg
If you wish at this point, you can hit your sharpen tool if your resizing has caused some blurring. Tweek the sharpness until you feel it looks right.
When this is done just hit Save to overwrite the original image you exported.
*******CLOSE YOUR ART PROGRAM AND MAXIMIZE SIMPE AGAIN*****
Step 12: Back in SimPe, again right click on the image, but this time select the IMPORT option.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9d.jpg
***Special note, For those of you who have mastered the basics of recoloring, it is highly recommended that you install the NVIDA Utilities which enable the "Build DTX" option. This gives you a better quality image when you Import. If anyone wantsw further info on that part please let me know and I can add to this tutorial but for now its the basics. ****
Step 13: Find the image on your desktop and hit ok.
Right click AGAIN and select "UPDATE ALL SIZES"
This is vitally important. If you do not hit that option you will end up with a flashing blue recolor.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9e.jpg
Step 14: Hit the COMMIT button right above your new imported image and when the prompt comes up select ok.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9f.jpg
Step 15: From the file tab in the upper right of SimPe, select Save.
And thats it, you have created your own poster recolor.
If you look now on your desktop you will see two files.
One is your file name (In my case its Lyric-CatPoster.package
The other is a bak file.
The bak file you may delete. The package file is what you will need to share.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow-Final.jpg
I hope this helps some of you out there.
Please be advised this is very basic, and aditionally I use a graphics editing program that probably none of you have heard of. The steps will be the same for any program however you must know how to layer, crop and skew your images in whatever graphics program you chose.
Now onto the tutorial.
----------------------------------------------
Step 1: Open SimPe
From the Tool tab, select Object Creation and then Object Workshop
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow1.jpg
Step 2: On the right hand panel, select START. This will start SimPe loading all of the games objects. This may take a while depending on how many expansions you have installed. Just be patient and a list will pop up.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow2.jpg
Step 3: From the list, find the category you need. For this tutorial we will be recoloring a poster. This is found in Decorative- Wall
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow3.jpg
Step 4: Select a poster from the list of wall hangings that has the closest size and shape to the image you want to use for your recolor. You want to be careful not to use a square image on a rectangle poster and so forth.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow4.jpg
Step 5: Once you have found the poster you want, click on it once and select the option at the top that sats NEXT.
The next screen will have a drop down box. Make sure that it is set to recolor and not clone. (It does default to recolor the first time you use SimPe)
Once you are ready, hit the Start Button at the top.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow5.jpg
***Note the time between Step 5 and Step 6 may lag a little. This is because SimPe is loading that objects data. Again be patient**
Step 6: A pop up dialog box will appear. This is where you will name the file you are recoloring. If you plan to share this item, try to use a unique name, insert your screen name in it as well if you want this item to be tracable back to you.
I always save my items onto my desktop for easy access. So navigate your dialog box to your desktop, name your creation (In my case it was Lyric-CatPoster) and hit save.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow6.jpg
Step 7: Your screen should refresh and you will now see the texture image to the original Maxis poster.
RIGHT click on this image and select the EXPORT option.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow8.jpg
Step 8: You should export this texture image to your desktop as well (or wherever you are working from)
You may rename it if you like or just leave it as the long jumble of words it originally is.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow7.jpg
*****MINIMIZE SIMPE AND OPEN YOUR GRAPHICS PROGRAM*******
Step 9: (Ignore the funny program lol)
Open both your exported texture image, and the image you want to use for your recolor, in your art program.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9.jpg
Step 10: You will need to copy and paste your new image on top of the original texture image. This can be done via layering, or however your program handles layers.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9b.jpg
Step 11: As you see in the image above, the dimensions of the new image are slightly smaller than the original texture. Using which ever tool allows you to resize, drag the corners of your image to fit overtop of the original image.
The bits to the right are the frame, you may recolor these too if you wish but your image needs to fill the image of the original only.
You will want to play around a bit pulling and streching on each side to make it fit perfectly, Try to not distort the image too greatly.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9c.jpg
If you wish at this point, you can hit your sharpen tool if your resizing has caused some blurring. Tweek the sharpness until you feel it looks right.
When this is done just hit Save to overwrite the original image you exported.
*******CLOSE YOUR ART PROGRAM AND MAXIMIZE SIMPE AGAIN*****
Step 12: Back in SimPe, again right click on the image, but this time select the IMPORT option.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9d.jpg
***Special note, For those of you who have mastered the basics of recoloring, it is highly recommended that you install the NVIDA Utilities which enable the "Build DTX" option. This gives you a better quality image when you Import. If anyone wantsw further info on that part please let me know and I can add to this tutorial but for now its the basics. ****
Step 13: Find the image on your desktop and hit ok.
Right click AGAIN and select "UPDATE ALL SIZES"
This is vitally important. If you do not hit that option you will end up with a flashing blue recolor.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9e.jpg
Step 14: Hit the COMMIT button right above your new imported image and when the prompt comes up select ok.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow9f.jpg
Step 15: From the file tab in the upper right of SimPe, select Save.
And thats it, you have created your own poster recolor.
If you look now on your desktop you will see two files.
One is your file name (In my case its Lyric-CatPoster.package
The other is a bak file.
The bak file you may delete. The package file is what you will need to share.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h178/LyricLeeSV/rctute/ow-Final.jpg
I hope this helps some of you out there.