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The TS2 Body Shop Best Thing Ever

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CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
edited September 2017 in The Sims 2
I love building Sims who are characters from stories, TV series, and movies.

TS2's BodyShop is and will always be the best place to succed at this in my opinion. You don't even need special face skinning skins.

For those advanced users who know how to face skin (which I used to do often) it's not really necessary unless you want a very perfect look alike of a person or character.

In just two short days I was able to create the following people/Sims from the old Dark Shadows TV series. Without face skinning.

True I have a multitude of cc eyes, hair, and skins, eyebrows etc. But Nothing special, created specifically for a particular person..like face skinning.

I was thrilled to see I had successfully (good enough) created in a few days Quentin (David Selby), Victoria Winters (Alexandra Moltke)
Professor Stokes, (Thayer David) Elizabeth Stoddard (Joan Bennett)
And my best work Angelique. (Lara Parker)

Why I mention this is because I have created these characters in every game, but returning to TS2 I found it was much easier to do this right and with more flare, and with more detail and more than ever they look almost exactly as those characters. I didn't have to skin their faces.

Just think about the right sparkle in their eye, the right placement of their eyes, the right stare, the right look of the eye, eyes are the windows of the soul. So, eyes are everything. I didn't skin these Sims any specific face skin (Where you use real pictures and put them over their face once you have the molding of the different face parts correct. It wasn't necessary. But choosing the correct skin (not even made for them) the right face details with cc etc. they turned out great, even if I say so myself. :p

Of course Sims animations will not reflect how these real people moved their eyes, moved their mouth or raised an eyebrow etc. The game can't do that on an individual bases, but standing still you could swear those are those characters/people. I was so excited to see I had gotten Quentin correct etc. I was jumping up and down. This is not something I could do in TS3 or TS4 and I had tried several times only to have to settle for however these Sims turned out. BodyShop is only one of TS2's features that keep it at the heap of the pile to some of us.

I wasn't even using extra sliders etc.

I'm still not happy with my Barnabas, or Roger, or Carolyn, but most the others in TS2 Dark Shadows turned out almost perfect if I only had the perfect hairstyles. Since I'm in a creative mood for awhile, I may create their hair myself, but it's been years since I worked on any hair for Sims.

Point: TS2's bodyshop is the best thing ever in sixteen years. :D And remains the best Sim creator to date.

P.S. Meant to add (no brag just fact, jk) I finished Willie Loomis and Julie Hoffman and I'm very, very pleased with the results.

"Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.

Comments

  • Rflong7Rflong7 Posts: 36,584 Member
    I love that we are able to do so much with Bodyshop.
    I have several outfits for Outdoor wear and Formal that were just regular wear- Bright pink house coat for some crazy old Sim... some sweat outfits for some others.

  • cleo00cleo00 Posts: 1,088 Member
    edited September 2017
    I love that about sims, 1 2 3 or 4, that with the right tools you really can create anyone. My simself always has a bit more life in her eyes than I do... aha, but she always looks and acts just like me which is amazing that I can do in a game. Except when I dye my hair and forget to change my sim's hair. I think my ts4 and ts2 simselves still have red hair while my ts3 one has platinum blonde while irl I am continuously toning it to be a natural blonde and have awful roots, which my simself does not :p
  • Scribal_GoddessScribal_Goddess Posts: 748 Member
    I just recently re-learned bodyshop. (I got a much better graphics program and computer in the meantime.) I've already recolored / reshaped several things and except for a little confusion with an alpha file it went great! I made a custom dress for grown-up Daisy Greenman that's covered in grass stains.
    Patron Goddess of Newbs and Ninnyhammers.
    TS2 Graphics Fix Tutorial]
  • MidnightAuraMidnightAura Posts: 5,809 Member
    I'm ashamed that I don't really understand body shop!
  • Scribal_GoddessScribal_Goddess Posts: 748 Member
    I'm ashamed that I don't really understand body shop!

    Don't be ashamed, the longer ago this game was released the fewer good tutorials survive because the pictures went down with various hosts.

    That said, MTS is really good about keeping theirs updated: http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Body_Shop_Recolouring_Tutorials
    Patron Goddess of Newbs and Ninnyhammers.
    TS2 Graphics Fix Tutorial]
  • MidnightAuraMidnightAura Posts: 5,809 Member
    I'm ashamed that I don't really understand body shop!

    Don't be ashamed, the longer ago this game was released the fewer good tutorials survive because the pictures went down with various hosts.

    That said, MTS is really good about keeping theirs updated: http://modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Body_Shop_Recolouring_Tutorials

    Thank you I will check it out! I did download it but I just found it overwhelming. Would like to learn it though!
  • dominimpdominimp Posts: 162 Member
    >:)

    Some meshes are a pain to work with, recolors are easy as you just got to use "magic highlighter" to select a portion of it and select a color.

    Sims 3 had it easier with pattern uploads, but Body Shop was where customization gave power to all users to use even though it is more advanced.

    You never had to be a pro modder to use it either, but it did require knowledge of paint-programs. But I really enjoy it and I still go to back to it occasionally. (=

    >:)
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    dominimp wrote: »
    >:)

    Some meshes are a pain to work with, recolors are easy as you just got to use "magic highlighter" to select a portion of it and select a color.

    Sims 3 had it easier with pattern uploads, but Body Shop was where customization gave power to all users to use even though it is more advanced.

    You never had to be a pro modder to use it either, but it did require knowledge of paint-programs. But I really enjoy it and I still go to back to it occasionally. (=

    >:)

    This is all true, but one thing any average user could do is move around outfits to other categories so their Sims could wear a bathrobe as everyday wear, or anything else. Like there are some great formal suits for males in formal.

    I loved bodyshop because I could just go in start a project and bin those to everyday. Or there were many great 'coats' not binned as outerwear and any user could go into bodyshop and just bin those to outewear. That way you could wear anything as everyday just like you can in TS3 or TS4. Not too hard for anyone to learn and they didn't need to even understand any paint program. :) Just moving around clothing. :)
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • Rflong7Rflong7 Posts: 36,584 Member
    Yes, I enjoyed mixing up the same Maxis outfits to get new ones. Plus just recoloring a top or bottom... back then was Fabulous- for me. :)
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    Rflong7 wrote: »
    Yes, I enjoyed mixing up the same Maxis outfits to get new ones. Plus just recoloring a top or bottom... back then was Fabulous- for me. :)

    I wasn't all that great at clothes back then. I remember I did paint (by hand) one swim suit as a tie-dye outfit and I did create a male long sleeve shirt mesh, but others are way better than I would ever be. :)
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • JULES1111JULES1111 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    dominimp wrote: »
    >:)

    Some meshes are a pain to work with, recolors are easy as you just got to use "magic highlighter" to select a portion of it and select a color.

    Sims 3 had it easier with pattern uploads, but Body Shop was where customization gave power to all users to use even though it is more advanced.

    You never had to be a pro modder to use it either, but it did require knowledge of paint-programs. But I really enjoy it and I still go to back to it occasionally. (=

    >:)

    This is all true, but one thing any average user could do is move around outfits to other categories so their Sims could wear a bathrobe as everyday wear, or anything else. Like there are some great formal suits for males in formal.

    I loved bodyshop because I could just go in start a project and bin those to everyday. Or there were many great 'coats' not binned as outerwear and any user could go into bodyshop and just bin those to outewear. That way you could wear anything as everyday just like you can in TS3 or TS4. Not too hard for anyone to learn and they didn't need to even understand any paint program. :) Just moving around clothing. :)

    I didn't know you could move clothing around in body shop! LOL I only ever used it to make sims...man have I been missing out! *runs to look at tutorial..*
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited September 2017
    JULES1111 wrote: »
    Cinebar wrote: »
    dominimp wrote: »
    >:)

    Some meshes are a pain to work with, recolors are easy as you just got to use "magic highlighter" to select a portion of it and select a color.

    Sims 3 had it easier with pattern uploads, but Body Shop was where customization gave power to all users to use even though it is more advanced.

    You never had to be a pro modder to use it either, but it did require knowledge of paint-programs. But I really enjoy it and I still go to back to it occasionally. (=

    >:)

    This is all true, but one thing any average user could do is move around outfits to other categories so their Sims could wear a bathrobe as everyday wear, or anything else. Like there are some great formal suits for males in formal.

    I loved bodyshop because I could just go in start a project and bin those to everyday. Or there were many great 'coats' not binned as outerwear and any user could go into bodyshop and just bin those to outewear. That way you could wear anything as everyday just like you can in TS3 or TS4. Not too hard for anyone to learn and they didn't need to even understand any paint program. :) Just moving around clothing. :)

    I didn't know you could move clothing around in body shop! LOL I only ever used it to make sims...man have I been missing out! *runs to look at tutorial..*

    I've done that for years, since I want them to change into an outfit after showering and not have to click formal etc. It's real simple and may sound crazy to some, but that way they go ahead and pick the outfit I added to everyday instead of having to click wear formal or wear outerwear etc. There are a lot of great male suits to wear everyday but the best ones are under formal. (In tool tip just type what you can remember, like: convertforeveryday) and you are done, once you have binned to everyday or any other category.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • JULES1111JULES1111 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    JULES1111 wrote: »
    Cinebar wrote: »
    dominimp wrote: »
    >:)

    Some meshes are a pain to work with, recolors are easy as you just got to use "magic highlighter" to select a portion of it and select a color.

    Sims 3 had it easier with pattern uploads, but Body Shop was where customization gave power to all users to use even though it is more advanced.

    You never had to be a pro modder to use it either, but it did require knowledge of paint-programs. But I really enjoy it and I still go to back to it occasionally. (=

    >:)

    This is all true, but one thing any average user could do is move around outfits to other categories so their Sims could wear a bathrobe as everyday wear, or anything else. Like there are some great formal suits for males in formal.

    I loved bodyshop because I could just go in start a project and bin those to everyday. Or there were many great 'coats' not binned as outerwear and any user could go into bodyshop and just bin those to outewear. That way you could wear anything as everyday just like you can in TS3 or TS4. Not too hard for anyone to learn and they didn't need to even understand any paint program. :) Just moving around clothing. :)

    I didn't know you could move clothing around in body shop! LOL I only ever used it to make sims...man have I been missing out! *runs to look at tutorial..*

    I've done that for years, since I want them to change into an outfit after showering and not have to click formal etc. It's real simple and may sound crazy to some, but that way they go ahead and pick the outfit I added to everyday instead of having to click wear formal or wear outerwear etc. There are a lot of great male suits to wear everyday but the best ones are under formal. (In tool tip just type what you can remember, like: convertforeveryday) and you are done, once you have binned to everyday or any other category.

    Cool, I will have to try that eventually. I was looking at it on it's web page, but I am a bit lost at the Microsoft framework thing you need for it. I looked at it but it said it was only good for earlier versions of Windows. I have 10 now **yuck** needed new Pc. So I am not sure if it will work.
  • OldeseadoggeOldeseadogge Posts: 4,973 Member
    Great tool! What you can do is pretty much limited only by your imagination, though having a more capable art programme that MS Paint helps. Anyone know if there is a version for Ultimate Collection? It's not in the launch drop-down. At present am using the one on my XP machine.
  • Seera1024Seera1024 Posts: 3,629 Member
    Great tool! What you can do is pretty much limited only by your imagination, though having a more capable art programme that MS Paint helps. Anyone know if there is a version for Ultimate Collection? It's not in the launch drop-down. At present am using the one on my XP machine.

    They buried the .exe for Body Shop for some odd reason.

    You can find it at this location: C:\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection\Fun with Pets\SP9\CSBin\TS2BodyShop.exe

    Once you find the location, you can create a short cut on your desktop or you can pin it to your taskbar.
  • OldeseadoggeOldeseadogge Posts: 4,973 Member
    Thank you! Will check in the AM. Not surprised they buried it. More of the short shrift to things that work to promote those that don't.
  • Seera1024Seera1024 Posts: 3,629 Member
    Thank you! Will check in the AM. Not surprised they buried it. More of the short shrift to things that work to promote those that don't.

    It's actually probably just a side effect of it being launched through Origin vs how the game was originally launched. Originally, installing the games would put the base game and the expansion packs and the stuff packs into the start menu. Body Shop is coded to show up in the Start Menu.

    Since installing the Ultimate Collection doesn't create any start menu options, Body Shop doesn't show up. I doubt it was anything done intentionally. The UC was only offered as a way to push the fully patched version of the game out to players before ending official support of the game and as a positive PR stunt prior to the launch of Sims 4.

    EA didn't update Sims 2 at all besides combining all of the EP's, SP's and patches to the base game. There are some very well known and talked about problems with the game that would have likely been easy to program out (like removing a cheat code).

    So all of the mods that were fine in Apartment Life/Mansion & Garden Stuff pack should work fine the UC. Either because the code in the mod wasn't effected by the EP (like anything related specifically to business or to pets or to vacation destinations) or because it was updated to work with AL/M&G.

    Third party programs that help with installing CC or editing files that were not made by EA do have a hit or miss on working without any issues. I'm one of the lucky ones who didn't have to fight SimPE or Sims 2 Clean Installer on finding the UC version. Others had to manually point the programs to the correct location. And players shouldn't expect the creators of those programs to update for it. Especially this long after the release of the last pack for Sims 2. Many of the creators moved onto the future series or to other games, but left their popular Sims 2 programs up.
  • swillflyswillfly Posts: 54 Member
    ..this is funny.. I'm currently going to try and install all the EPs and SPs ontop of the DVD release (hot tech for the time).. all the boxes take up a huge amount of closet space.. I forgot all the mods and tools and hacks and boolprops etc that I used to get my hoods running.. could be worse.. could be trying to get some of my other vlassics to run on my Windoze7 vidiocy rig
    Would you like some breakfast?
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    @JULES1111, can you set older programs to be compatible in Windows 10. I have to do that a lot even in Windows 7 with older games, from 2000 etc. Like set it to run as Windows XP SP2 or Windows 7 etc. I had 10 but went out and replaced it again with Windows 7 lol, I hate 'apps'. If you send a short cut to your desktop for the right bodyshop and click on properties in 10 do you see the tool to use the compatible choices for any old program you install in 10? The more they improve MS OS the more they take away.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    swillfly wrote: »
    ..this is funny.. I'm currently going to try and install all the EPs and SPs ontop of the DVD release (hot tech for the time).. all the boxes take up a huge amount of closet space.. I forgot all the mods and tools and hacks and boolprops etc that I used to get my hoods running.. could be worse.. could be trying to get some of my other vlassics to run on my Windoze7 vidiocy rig

    On some sites I ran across people are still churning out cc for TS2 as late as last year. It's still going strong in a lot of corners. Tumblr is full of cc for TS2. And some new mods on MTS for TS2 as late as 2015 or 2016
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • JULES1111JULES1111 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Cinebar wrote: »
    @JULES1111, can you set older programs to be compatible in Windows 10. I have to do that a lot even in Windows 7 with older games, from 2000 etc. Like set it to run as Windows XP SP2 or Windows 7 etc. I had 10 but went out and replaced it again with Windows 7 lol, I hate 'apps'. If you send a short cut to your desktop for the right bodyshop and click on properties in 10 do you see the tool to use the compatible choices for any old program you install in 10? The more they improve MS OS the more they take away.

    Body shop will run fine as is, it is just the Microsoft framework you need to download for SimPE to work I am unsure of. It does not list 10 or even 8 for that matter as being compatible. So I don't know if it is. I do realize this was released long before 10 anyway, I just don't want to download anything (especially old Microsoft software) without knowing if it will make it explode or something.

    Ya I didn't want 10, but old pc had the hard drive die (it was on 8.1), and it was either pay a fortune (wouldn't cost much for the drive, but the labor for places around here that can be trusted to put it in is just ludicrous) for someone to put a new one in on a PC that was already upgraded as far as it could go, or just buy a new one. I elected for a new one considering I was already thinking of getting a new one in a year or two.

    If anyone has SimPE working on 10 I would love to know if that program would mess anything else up, and if the old version is what they are using.
  • cleo00cleo00 Posts: 1,088 Member
    @JULES1111 I have SimPE on 10 and I don't think it's messed anything elsewhere up. It's just the most recent/last version the 0.73.44 one and I don't have any problems with it.
  • Scribal_GoddessScribal_Goddess Posts: 748 Member
    JULES1111 wrote: »
    If anyone has SimPE working on 10 I would love to know if that program would mess anything else up, and if the old version is what they are using.

    Mine works fine on windows 10. All I did was make backups of the neighborhoods before installing it - nothing wrong with the program, it just doesn't auto-detect where the game files are stored as well as it used to, so that could be confusing when first setting it up.

    As always before changing game files with an outside program, make a backup before doing anything. ;)
    Patron Goddess of Newbs and Ninnyhammers.
    TS2 Graphics Fix Tutorial]
  • JULES1111JULES1111 Posts: 4,489 Member
    @cleo00 @Scribal_Goddess Thanks guys! I will check it out when I get everything set. I need to redo my downloads anyway. I just want to change the category's on some things.
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited September 2017
    omg, @Jules1111, I'm so happy to be home! I've spent days in bodyshop and finished some of my own custom content this weekend. I finished a really ugly shirt and it took me a few hours to copy and paste texture to my mesh, lol, it's ugly, I don't know why I picked that texture I just wanted to see if I could remember, lol. But it's mine! Yay! Ten years too late, lol. Having a Blast. :smiley:
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
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