@LeslieM25 You'll understand once you start creating your own meshes, but there is a color map (or whatever the technical term is) and the smaller it is the more "glitching" you see. For example, when you put on two accessories, say a ring and then a sweater, the colors from one of those objects will appear on the other because they take up the same map area on the sim. So the skirt I used yesterday was an accessory, and when I put it on it glitched with the eyeball ring. The colors for the ring, the white and green, were all over the skirt. I'm sure you've seen this at least once.
@LeslieM25 You'll understand once you start creating your own meshes, but there is a color map (or whatever the technical term is) and the smaller it is the more "glitching" you see. For example, when you put on two accessories, say a ring and then a sweater, the colors from one of those objects will appear on the other because they take up the same map area on the sim. So the skirt I used yesterday was an accessory, and when I put it on it glitched with the eyeball ring. The colors for the ring, the white and green, were all over the skirt. I'm sure you've seen this at least once.
Yeah I know what you're talking about. I think its something to do with the UV map having to be placed in the area of the original accessory or something right?
@MizoreYukii For assignment 2 can the masks be added as a decoration to an object or does it have to be it's own item? I have an idea if I can get the fingers to pose correctly.
@LeslieM25 Yes! I couldn't remember that for the life of me. xD But yeah it's the UV map causing issues. We have a tiny one for the Sims 4. :c EA likes to mess things up for us. xD
But I understand what you mean about stopping. I've been doing so much modeling I haven't even had time to finish setting up my cc tumblr. :c I think these will definitely be my last comps for a while, unless one pops up that I just haaaave to join. And of course school is starting so definitely no time for multiple comps. xD
@LeslieM25 Yes! I couldn't remember that for the life of me. xD But yeah it's the UV map causing issues. We have a tiny one for the Sims 4. :c EA likes to mess things up for us. xD
But I understand what you mean about stopping. I've been doing so much modeling I haven't even had time to finish setting up my cc tumblr. :c I think these will definitely be my last comps for a while, unless one pops up that I just haaaave to join. And of course school is starting so definitely no time for multiple comps. xD
Trying out Imgur to see if it works out better then photobucket.
Challenge 1:
Very pretty! It isn't going to the full resolution when I click it though. Which link did you post? When you click on the image, it has to be the one that says BBCode for message boards and forums.
Will update the front page in a bit and get the tutorials up in... *Looks at clock* Hmmm....I'll just work and let you know, but probably in a few hours. Eating dinner xD
Also, will be releasing 1 poll and a submission form in a bit. You'll see!
Or two polls.....Or more? Will decide later. xD *Noms soup*
@LeslieM25 I used the Linked BBC code. I did see it wasn't the full one but had to do bedime before I could try again. Will fix it here in a minute.
Edit: Should be fixed now
@LeslieM25 I used the Linked BBC code. I did see it wasn't the full one but had to do bedime before I could try again. Will fix it here in a minute.
Edit: Should be fixed now
Yep it's good now. I feel like Imgur pics look better when they're posted on here than photobucket and others.
@MizoreYukii Are we allowed to use a different model? I know that you can't in most comps, but I feel like when your first started this, the way you worded the application made me think that you would allow us to occasionally use a different model so I'm not sure. :P
Tutorial 15: Backgrounds Level: Beginner If you are still having trouble with something in this tutorial, or need more help, please post here or contact me. Click here for more tutorials
Step 1: Finding Backgrounds
Backgrounds are one of the most important parts for your image. They help tell the story that you are aiming for, and they can cost you major points if you choose the wrong one, meaning low quality, errors, or even just a bad background in general. We also never want to enlarge small backgrounds because that ruins their quality, which is why we only search for large ones.
To start, open trusty Google and type in your key words. Remember what we covered with the previous tutorials, but if you don’t remember: use keywords from your assignments to search on Google. For this tutorial we are going to do “underwater cave”.
Type in “underwater cave” into Google, then hit enter. When the page loads, click on “Images” at the top. You now have a large variety of images, but since my sim images are always so large, I am trying my best to find something that will fit her. Most backgrounds you come across will be random sizes, and mostly small ones, which isn’t a good thing. We need large ones that work well.
Go to the top again and look at the very end of the options available. There is a “search tool” button. Click on it and it will give you several options, one being size! Move your mouse over the size button, then go down to “Larger than” and choose a size. Depending on the picture taken you will need different sized backgrounds, however, we always stay at about 2 MP as our base, and move up or down depending on the models size. Hopefully your model is nice and large so we can stay at 2 mp for high quality backgrounds. (Note: As said below this section, our models from CAS are usually 700 in height. That means you can use 1024x768 sometimes. Also note that height number is on the right, meaning those images are 768 in height.)
While searching, if something interests you open it up in a new tab to check the quality and the full detail of it. If you know Google well then you should know that the first page when you open it doesn’t always load the image, so hit “view image” instead to get a fully loaded image. Keep searching even if you found something, because you never know if you need a backup.
Once you’ve gathered all you need, we go back into our editing programs.
Tips for backgrounds:
Don’t forget to use synonyms or add more or less keywords
Remember, try to never enlarge your background/sim up. Enlarging reduces quality. Scaling down to the point of being too small also reduces quality.
For some reason, typing in tumblr with other keywords brings up images that weren’t there before.
Typing in 3D, rendered, or 3D graphics, etc. will bring up results that look like they are from a game (which is good!)
If you play other games on your computer, use them to your advantage. Log in and search for a shot that fits your theme (but not bad quality ones like Minecraft, unless that was the theme/point).
Use DeviantArt or other art websites for backgrounds
Check free stock websites too, but avoid ones that make you pay as they can be super expensive (And please do NOT use images that have the watermarks on them. That means the ones with white lines and/or white words on them to keep people from using the image. If you can’t get the background from there because it’s not free, move on or buy it.)
Check wallpaper sites as well (I recently found out that selecting the larger sizes they have available doesn’t mean they are HQ, so be careful with choosing larger sizes.)
Step 2: Adding it and Compatibility
Open up your new background images. For Gimp, just “Open as layer”, and for PS, just open it, then grab your Move tool and click and hold the picture, then drag it over to the current image. If the documents open in tabs: drag the background up to the next tab (the program will switch over to the next image), then drag your mouse down to the image and release (this can be done with Gimp tabs, but instead drag the tab to the next tab, not the image). For PS, I prefer to shop for the backgrounds, then use the Scripts method I talked about before to load the backgrounds and my screenshots into the same image.
Once they are open the first thing you want to check is make sure your sim is on top of them, then you want to check for compatibility. Sometimes editing can’t solve everything, and some backgrounds are just not useful to you. You should be testing for compatibility by looking at this list:
Size – The average size for your full body CAS pictures is about 700 (in height), however, if you piece together a full body image from in game, it can be well over 2000. You never want to downsize your CAS pictures because the model is already super tiny, so you need to find a background that already fits her. If you pieced her together in game, you can downsize her but never go below 700, like your CAS images. It is important to find a background that fits your model so you don’t have to downsize her and lose quality and details in the process.
Quality - First thing to do is zoom in close and check the background quality. If your sim is still good, but the background isn’t, that means it’s not on the level you need it to be. You rarely get away with a background that is of lower quality, so it is important to find one that is HQ.
Errors or unnecessary stuff – Next you check for the little things. Are there any glitches in the images (especially if it is hand made by someone)? Anything that could be an issue? Anything that doesn’t fit? Sometimes backgrounds have issues or items in it that you can’t have in there.
Once you’ve found the perfect background, you’re done searching and can now begin combining everything.
Step 3: Last Few Tips and Tricks
When you place your sim in the background you need to determine where she is going. You must always consider where she is going to be at, whether it be to the side or the center, and then manipulate her so she works with that area. So if she is doing a “leaning on a wall” pose, but the background isn’t at the angle you took your picture at, you would rotate and adjust her, then mess with her depths, etc. Everything you do to your sim and your background can make or break your picture.
Also, your sim does not always have to be in the center. Placing her to the side so the rest of the background can be seen can help you, or it can hinder you. Always think carefully on where your model is going, because randomly placing her can ruin your image (and don't forget to use common sense!).
Trick:
Lastly, here is a trick to make your sim look like she is behind something. I know this isn't obvious to some people, but this trick is super easy and I suggest to use it when working with object riddled backgrounds (so if you want her behind a log/rock, etc., just follow this method!).
If your background looks like this, then you realize that placing her in it and making it look believable is quite hard. Placing her to the side seems odd since it's a runway, but placing her in the middle isn't working because of the photographers.
To fix this, begin by positioning your model (make sure she's cut out) exactly where you want her to be, which should be in the middle.
Next, we want to either make her invisible or transparent. For invisible, turn off the layer by clicking on the eye. For transparent, reduce her opacity. For now, I'm turning the layer off.
Make sure you are on your backgrounds layer. Now we are going to select the photographers. You can technically do this without selecting them, but that makes it harder. Use whatever method you think is easiest when selecting them. For PS I prefer to use my Quick Selection. For Gimp it's a little bit more difficult to select something like this, but I like to use my Scissors Select Tool or the lasso tool. Don't forget to zoom in when selecting so you can make sure you are getting everything. We don't want it to look odd, especially if the judges zoom in themselves.
Once you've selected them, it's now time to turn our sim layer on again (or bring up the opacity). Once the layer is back to normal, we need to erase where the selection is. Grab your eraser, turn it to the hard brush, make sure you are on your sims layer, then begin erasing where you made the selection. Remember that selections make it so only the selected area is affected, so don't worry about erasing too much.
Don't forget to deselect after erasing, and then you're done. She now looks like she was already in the background.
Thank you! I put a ton of work into that one. I even made the hair. I found a way to copy and paste the mesh of the bun in one of the EA hairs to build it up.
Thank you! I put a ton of work into that one. I even made the hair. I found a way to copy and paste the mesh of the bun in one of the EA hairs to build it up.
Well, you did an exceptional job You should be proud!
Beauty obtains attention, but personality is what captures the heart. ♥
@LeslieM25 I was wondering where you found the hair. You did a very nice job creating it. I was thinking of doing something similar to yours, then I saw yours posted, no way I could have done it justice in comparison. I really like the picture.
Thank you! I put a ton of work into that one. I even made the hair. I found a way to copy and paste the mesh of the bun in one of the EA hairs to build it up.
Well, you did an exceptional job You should be proud!
@LeslieM25 I was wondering where you found the hair. You did a very nice job creating it. I was thinking of doing something similar to yours, then I saw yours posted, no way I could have done it justice in comparison. I really like the picture.
Thanks you guys! I'm going to post the hair on my tumblr if anybody wants it.
i'm sorry ily mizzie T_T
great tutorials though! i actually resize my sims to a big background instead of finding a 2000 px one haha. i should start doing that though .
Comments
@PeaceSign101 That's pretty cool! Glad you're branching out. ^-^
@LeslieM25 You'll understand once you start creating your own meshes, but there is a color map (or whatever the technical term is) and the smaller it is the more "glitching" you see. For example, when you put on two accessories, say a ring and then a sweater, the colors from one of those objects will appear on the other because they take up the same map area on the sim. So the skirt I used yesterday was an accessory, and when I put it on it glitched with the eyeball ring. The colors for the ring, the white and green, were all over the skirt. I'm sure you've seen this at least once.
http://lesliem25.tumblr.com/
But I understand what you mean about stopping. I've been doing so much modeling I haven't even had time to finish setting up my cc tumblr. :c I think these will definitely be my last comps for a while, unless one pops up that I just haaaave to join. And of course school is starting so definitely no time for multiple comps. xD
@ayeden As long as I can see the mask, sure!
http://lesliem25.tumblr.com/
Challenge 1:
url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/140449528@N02/]Flickr ♥[/url]
Add me on steam ~ ♥
Check me out on XIV ~ ♥
Follow me on tumblr ? ♥
http://lesliem25.tumblr.com/
Will update the front page in a bit and get the tutorials up in... *Looks at clock* Hmmm....I'll just work and let you know, but probably in a few hours. Eating dinner xD
Also, will be releasing 1 poll and a submission form in a bit. You'll see!
Or two polls.....Or more? Will decide later. xD *Noms soup*
Edit: Should be fixed now
http://lesliem25.tumblr.com/
Please read the rules on the front page you guys. I've already answered the model question twice. xD
That goes for any comp. Always read the rules!
Getting ready to post the first the tutorial, but posting the rest tomorrow since it's late. Got horribly distracted. (@Eliavah did iiiit! xD :P)
@Gemmabubbles It's alright! I do that sometimes too. xD
Level: Beginner
If you are still having trouble with something in this tutorial, or need more help, please post here or contact me.
Click here for more tutorials
Step 1: Finding Backgrounds
Backgrounds are one of the most important parts for your image. They help tell the story that you are aiming for, and they can cost you major points if you choose the wrong one, meaning low quality, errors, or even just a bad background in general. We also never want to enlarge small backgrounds because that ruins their quality, which is why we only search for large ones.
To start, open trusty Google and type in your key words. Remember what we covered with the previous tutorials, but if you don’t remember: use keywords from your assignments to search on Google. For this tutorial we are going to do “underwater cave”.
Type in “underwater cave” into Google, then hit enter. When the page loads, click on “Images” at the top. You now have a large variety of images, but since my sim images are always so large, I am trying my best to find something that will fit her. Most backgrounds you come across will be random sizes, and mostly small ones, which isn’t a good thing. We need large ones that work well.
Go to the top again and look at the very end of the options available. There is a “search tool” button. Click on it and it will give you several options, one being size! Move your mouse over the size button, then go down to “Larger than” and choose a size. Depending on the picture taken you will need different sized backgrounds, however, we always stay at about 2 MP as our base, and move up or down depending on the models size. Hopefully your model is nice and large so we can stay at 2 mp for high quality backgrounds. (Note: As said below this section, our models from CAS are usually 700 in height. That means you can use 1024x768 sometimes. Also note that height number is on the right, meaning those images are 768 in height.)
While searching, if something interests you open it up in a new tab to check the quality and the full detail of it. If you know Google well then you should know that the first page when you open it doesn’t always load the image, so hit “view image” instead to get a fully loaded image. Keep searching even if you found something, because you never know if you need a backup.
Once you’ve gathered all you need, we go back into our editing programs.
Tips for backgrounds:
Step 2: Adding it and Compatibility
Open up your new background images. For Gimp, just “Open as layer”, and for PS, just open it, then grab your Move tool and click and hold the picture, then drag it over to the current image. If the documents open in tabs: drag the background up to the next tab (the program will switch over to the next image), then drag your mouse down to the image and release (this can be done with Gimp tabs, but instead drag the tab to the next tab, not the image). For PS, I prefer to shop for the backgrounds, then use the Scripts method I talked about before to load the backgrounds and my screenshots into the same image.
Once they are open the first thing you want to check is make sure your sim is on top of them, then you want to check for compatibility. Sometimes editing can’t solve everything, and some backgrounds are just not useful to you. You should be testing for compatibility by looking at this list:
Once you’ve found the perfect background, you’re done searching and can now begin combining everything.
Step 3: Last Few Tips and Tricks
When you place your sim in the background you need to determine where she is going. You must always consider where she is going to be at, whether it be to the side or the center, and then manipulate her so she works with that area. So if she is doing a “leaning on a wall” pose, but the background isn’t at the angle you took your picture at, you would rotate and adjust her, then mess with her depths, etc. Everything you do to your sim and your background can make or break your picture.
Also, your sim does not always have to be in the center. Placing her to the side so the rest of the background can be seen can help you, or it can hinder you. Always think carefully on where your model is going, because randomly placing her can ruin your image (and don't forget to use common sense!).
Trick:
Lastly, here is a trick to make your sim look like she is behind something. I know this isn't obvious to some people, but this trick is super easy and I suggest to use it when working with object riddled backgrounds (so if you want her behind a log/rock, etc., just follow this method!).
If your background looks like this, then you realize that placing her in it and making it look believable is quite hard. Placing her to the side seems odd since it's a runway, but placing her in the middle isn't working because of the photographers.
To fix this, begin by positioning your model (make sure she's cut out) exactly where you want her to be, which should be in the middle.
Next, we want to either make her invisible or transparent. For invisible, turn off the layer by clicking on the eye. For transparent, reduce her opacity. For now, I'm turning the layer off.
Make sure you are on your backgrounds layer. Now we are going to select the photographers. You can technically do this without selecting them, but that makes it harder. Use whatever method you think is easiest when selecting them. For PS I prefer to use my Quick Selection. For Gimp it's a little bit more difficult to select something like this, but I like to use my Scissors Select Tool or the lasso tool. Don't forget to zoom in when selecting so you can make sure you are getting everything. We don't want it to look odd, especially if the judges zoom in themselves.
Once you've selected them, it's now time to turn our sim layer on again (or bring up the opacity). Once the layer is back to normal, we need to erase where the selection is. Grab your eraser, turn it to the hard brush, make sure you are on your sims layer, then begin erasing where you made the selection. Remember that selections make it so only the selected area is affected, so don't worry about erasing too much.
Don't forget to deselect after erasing, and then you're done. She now looks like she was already in the background.
This is so amazing, OMG
http://lesliem25.tumblr.com/
Well, you did an exceptional job
Thanks you guys! I'm going to post the hair on my tumblr if anybody wants it.
http://lesliem25.tumblr.com/
great tutorials though!
url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/140449528@N02/]Flickr ♥[/url]
Add me on steam ~ ♥
Check me out on XIV ~ ♥
Follow me on tumblr ? ♥