The Sims 2 Tutorial - Clothing Recoloring with Photoshop

Software needed:

Bodyshop (and obviously The Sims 2 Game)
Photoshop ( cs2 or cs3 if possible)

Some info before we start:.
When we make a dress, we have to know that it's composed by a mesh, this one (the body, the structure of the dress.) and by a texture, like this one.

For best results, the quality of the used image is the most important thing!

Now choose a dress, like this , download than a mesh where we're going to work, this one. Open bodyshop, and go on Crea parti/Inizia nuovo progetto/Crea dell'abbigliamento and choose the first icon of the dress, select the mesh you want:



Click on export the texture, select and insert a name





Now with Photoshop, File/Open, usually the directory is in documents/EA Games/The sims 2/Projects. Open the directory with the project's name you give before





Let me explain the file you have in this directory.

body~stdMatBaseTextureName: is the texture of the dress, if you put here a color, pattern or a different picture, you'll find it directly on the dress

body~stdMatBaseTextureName_alpha: is the"alpha". It's a b\w image used to give an apparent different shape at the dress or to create some trasparencies. The white part is what you'll see, the black part is what you'll not see, the grey part will be a trasparency. An example:



IF I modify the alpha, here another example:



body~stdMatNormalMapTextureName: it's like a filter, although is not, beacause it permits to give a lift up effect to the dress, but it's not always adapt.

Let's go creating our dress
To work better, click on F3, close up on to the dress, go forward and backward with the right key of the mouse.
Go back to Photoshop with the image of the dress. The background must be transparent and let's go to cut all the surplus with the "Magic Wand" tool.







Now we have to modify the body~stdMatBaseTextureName_alpha file, but first make a perfect selection and copy the dress, than with the copy go on Modifica/Regolazioni/Tonalità /Saturazione, and set the luminosity to the maximum value, the dress will be all white.





Copy this white image and paste on the body~stdMatBaseTextureName_alpha file, make it smaller if it's needed. Fill the rest with white color more or less like the image below.





in this case I have to extend the shoulders because they aren't long to arrive on to the top:





Now it's ok



now the shoulder pad must coincide with the back side:



Extend it if they are small, and here finally the body~stdMatBaseTextureName_alpha file is finished



Now it's the moment to see some results, working on the body~stdMatBaseTextureName_alpha file, copy the texture (the dress on the file), make it the right size to permit it to go down perfectly. And here attention, save on the body~stdMatBaseTextureName file



Ci sono degli spazi bianchi, riempiteli tutti. Per farlo potete usare vari metodi (che magari spiegherò in altri tutorial), con un semplice copia incolla timbro clone, cerotto.

Do the same for the back

There isnìt the shoes, let's color those parts you see down:



Apply a filter to contrast the image, Filter/Contrasta and if needed add more lights.



Now you can choose to stop or to apply another effect on the dress using the third file, body~stdMatNormalMapTextureName
You can use it, desaturating and brighting the image. Go on Modifica/Regolazioni/Togli Saturazione, than click on Immagine/Regolazioni/Livelli and modify more or less like below:



Save on body~stdMatNormalMapTextureName file and the final results is this:



Export the image