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The Sims 4 Community Voted Stuff Pack: The Forbidden Sweater & Create-A-Sim Art

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SimGuruSarahSimGuruSarah Posts: 53 SimGuru
edited February 16 in Nominated Threads
Hi everyone!

We received a lot of positive feedback from you, our community, about the gameplay deep dives and developer interviews we shared throughout the development process on The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We didn’t have an opportunity previously to talk about Create-A-Sim asset creation, but obviously clothing is a huge part of what makes our favorite pixel people feel real, and we would be remiss to not discuss it at all. So I’m excited to share one last deep dive with you!

The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff is coming soon - July 28, to be exact. I’m sure by now you’ve watched the trailer:
https://youtu.be/s2r_aaVtsSY

And when you watched the trailer I’m sure you noticed the so-bad-it-is-good-sweater:
qthc9wo970u2.jpg

We call it “The Forbidden Sweater” and the ability to craft it is unlocked once a Sim completes the Lord/Lady of the Knits aspiration. Only a master knitter could craft something so delightfully diabolical...and itchy.

I’d like to share with you a little bit about the Create-A-Sim clothing development process, and what goes into making something as unique as this sweater. Inmar Salvatier, the artist responsible for this delightful abomination, will tell us more about this asset and the CAS process in general.


Sarah: Hi Inmar! Can you tell us a little about what a Create-A-Sim artist does on The Sims 4?

Inmar: We are the digital tailors, barbers, and cosmetologists of the Sims 4! We take the concept art and pull it into 3-D space with tools like Maya and ZBrush. Constructing every new piece to not only to fit right, but also move right, on all Sims, all the time! Got to have the right fabric and color too, so we’ll jump into programs like 3DCoat, Photoshop, and Marmoset to get the right feel and aesthetic. Then we watch our clothing creations come to life in the game and make the right little tweaks to, as Tim Gunn would say, “make it work!”

Sarah: Before joining the Create-A-Sim team you were an artist on The Sims Mobile. How has your time on The Sims Mobile influenced your work as a Create-A-Sim artist on The Sims 4?

Inmar: Joining the CAS (Create-A-Sim) team was a big change for me. It was my first opportunity to work on a PC/Console game and I felt very intimidated. But my skills from the mobile world helped me tremendously, and I was able to be an effective team member. Mobile gaming has a lot of constraints and you often have to get crafty with creative solutions to get the most out of the art you’re creating. You learn to adapt and, for me at least, it has instilled what some have called a “can do” spirit. My first pack on The Sims 4 was Island Living and early on I was handed a curveball asset with a bunch of question marks. It was a bikini with a sheer sash around the waist. See-through assets are super tricky, especially if it’s not directly on the body. But I love a challenge and I was able to learn a lot about our internal tools on The Sims 4, and I even got to design the different color variants for that asset. There was also the robot arm for Discover University. I was able to take that unique top from Concept all the way to finished asset. The concept art I created helped my fellow CAS artists design the full mech suit and robot. It hit me right in the feels that my team was so stoked about my work that it inspired them.

Sarah: The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff features a delightfully atrocious failure sweater. It’s so bad, it’s good! What inspired you when making this truly unique asset? What challenges did you face?

Inmar: This thing is amazing, and I was all about it from the start! The idea was as big as the sweater itself, and the over-sized ideal was the first real challenge. Sims needed to feel like they were swimming in it without sacrificing our animation fidelity. I had to offset the bones - think of these as the invisible skeleton that helps to shape our clothing and make it work on Sim’s bodies - to not only help convey the size, but also to keep the animations working correctly. Then there is the process of making something bad on purpose that still looks good. Yeah, wrap your head around that sentence. As artists we strive to achieve something visually appealing, but what do you do when you are asked to create an appealing failure? Well, you make this atrocity! It’s about knowing the rules and how to break them in just the right way. From concept to modeling, I think this beast did just that.

The first step is concept art. Our concept artist, Amy Kim, sketched several different designs, then she worked with our Art Director and other members of the team to choose which idea to move forward with. Then she further refined that final choice (how many pom-poms is too many pom-poms?!) until the concept was at a good point to hand off to the 3-D artist.
4974lewu494g.jpg
Then the Create-A-Sim artist works on the general shape and defining characteristics of the asset.
p28lia4ubjr6.jpg
Once we’re happy with the shape we can start working on textures:
qrvjehfe1y7y.jpg
Coloring the asset comes last:
cujqy50xdtg7.jpg
And, finally, the finished product in game!
n88dx9f5peoe.png

Sarah: So cool! Thanks for walking us through that, Inmar. While I’m sure this sweater ranks in the top ten, what is your absolute favorite Create-A-Sim item you have ever made?

Inmar: My absolute favorite item was on The Sim Mobile. I made a horse head mask! That was another out there, bonkers idea that had me hooked from the moment it was mentioned. It also had its share of challenges and design problems, but I love a good challenge and watching players using and loving it, well, right in the feels : )

Sarah: Thanks for sharing with us Inmar!

And thanks again Simmers for joining us on the journey to create The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We here at Maxis had a lot of fun working with you to create this pack, and it was exciting for the SP team members to get to share their passion and creative process with you via these deep dives.

The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack will be released on PC, Xbox, and PS4 on July 28.
You can learn more here: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/nifty-knitting-reveal

That’s all for now! Keep on knitting...uh, I mean Simming….
~ SimGuruSarah

Post edited by EA_Cade on

Comments

  • logionlogion Posts: 4,712 Member
    Thank you for sharing this with us SimGuruSarah.
  • catloverplayercatloverplayer Posts: 93,362 Member
    edited July 2020
    Hi everyone!

    We received a lot of positive feedback from you, our community, about the gameplay deep dives and developer interviews we shared throughout the development process on The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We didn’t have an opportunity previously to talk about Create-A-Sim asset creation, but obviously clothing is a huge part of what makes our favorite pixel people feel real, and we would be remiss to not discuss it at all. So I’m excited to share one last deep dive with you!

    The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff is coming soon - July 28, to be exact. I’m sure by now you’ve watched the trailer:
    https://youtu.be/s2r_aaVtsSY

    And when you watched the trailer I’m sure you noticed the so-bad-it-is-good-sweater:
    qthc9wo970u2.jpg

    We call it “The Forbidden Sweater” and the ability to craft it is unlocked once a Sim completes the Lord/Lady of the Knits aspiration. Only a master knitter could craft something so delightfully diabolical...and itchy.

    I’d like to share with you a little bit about the Create-A-Sim clothing development process, and what goes into making something as unique as this sweater. Inmar Salvatier, the artist responsible for this delightful abomination, will tell us more about this asset and the CAS process in general.


    Sarah: Hi Inmar! Can you tell us a little about what a Create-A-Sim artist does on The Sims 4?

    Inmar: We are the digital tailors, barbers, and cosmetologists of the Sims 4! We take the concept art and pull it into 3-D space with tools like Maya and ZBrush. Constructing every new piece to not only to fit right, but also move right, on all Sims, all the time! Got to have the right fabric and color too, so we’ll jump into programs like 3DCoat, Photoshop, and Marmoset to get the right feel and aesthetic. Then we watch our clothing creations come to life in the game and make the right little tweaks to, as Tim Gunn would say, “make it work!”

    Sarah: Before joining the Create-A-Sim team you were an artist on The Sims Mobile. How has your time on The Sims Mobile influenced your work as a Create-A-Sim artist on The Sims 4?

    Inmar: Joining the CAS (Create-A-Sim) team was a big change for me. It was my first opportunity to work on a PC/Console game and I felt very intimidated. But my skills from the mobile world helped me tremendously, and I was able to be an effective team member. Mobile gaming has a lot of constraints and you often have to get crafty with creative solutions to get the most out of the art you’re creating. You learn to adapt and, for me at least, it has instilled what some have called a “can do” spirit. My first pack on The Sims 4 was Island Living and early on I was handed a curveball asset with a bunch of question marks. It was a bikini with a sheer sash around the waist. See-through assets are super tricky, especially if it’s not directly on the body. But I love a challenge and I was able to learn a lot about our internal tools on The Sims 4, and I even got to design the different color variants for that asset. There was also the robot arm for Discover University. I was able to take that unique top from Concept all the way to finished asset. The concept art I created helped my fellow CAS artists design the full mech suit and robot. It hit me right in the feels that my team was so stoked about my work that it inspired them.

    Sarah: The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff features a delightfully atrocious failure sweater. It’s so bad, it’s good! What inspired you when making this truly unique asset? What challenges did you face?

    Inmar: This thing is amazing, and I was all about it from the start! The idea was as big as the sweater itself, and the over-sized ideal was the first real challenge. Sims needed to feel like they were swimming in it without sacrificing our animation fidelity. I had to offset the bones - think of these as the invisible skeleton that helps to shape our clothing and make it work on Sim’s bodies - to not only help convey the size, but also to keep the animations working correctly. Then there is the process of making something bad on purpose that still looks good. Yeah, wrap your head around that sentence. As artists we strive to achieve something visually appealing, but what do you do when you are asked to create an appealing failure? Well, you make this atrocity! It’s about knowing the rules and how to break them in just the right way. From concept to modeling, I think this beast did just that.

    The first step is concept art. Our concept artist, Amy Kim, sketched several different designs, then she worked with our Art Director and other members of the team to choose which idea to move forward with. Then she further refined that final choice (how many pom-poms is too many pom-poms?!) until the concept was at a good point to hand off to the 3-D artist.
    4974lewu494g.jpg
    Then the Create-A-Sim artist works on the general shape and defining characteristics of the asset.
    p28lia4ubjr6.jpg
    Once we’re happy with the shape we can start working on textures:
    qrvjehfe1y7y.jpg
    Coloring the asset comes last:
    cujqy50xdtg7.jpg
    And, finally, the finished product in game!
    n88dx9f5peoe.png

    Sarah: So cool! Thanks for walking us through that, Inmar. While I’m sure this sweater ranks in the top ten, what is your absolute favorite Create-A-Sim item you have ever made?

    Inmar: My absolute favorite item was on The Sim Mobile. I made a horse head mask! That was another out there, bonkers idea that had me hooked from the moment it was mentioned. It also had its share of challenges and design problems, but I love a good challenge and watching players using and loving it, well, right in the feels : )

    Sarah: Thanks for sharing with us Inmar!

    And thanks again Simmers for joining us on the journey to create The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We here at Maxis had a lot of fun working with you to create this pack, and it was exciting for the SP team members to get to share their passion and creative process with you via these deep dives.

    The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack will be released on PC, Xbox, and PS4 on July 28.
    You can learn more here: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/nifty-knitting-reveal

    That’s all for now! Keep on knitting...uh, I mean Simming….
    ~ SimGuruSarah

    Can that scarf be worn with any of the Seasonal Cold Wear Outfits from Seasons? I love that scarf.
  • GamingTweetyGamingTweety Posts: 851 Member
    I'd love that scarf to be separated
    Gallery id: GamingTweety

    Looking for some custom animations? Check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKrWaxowK2vCzwkz6bEZRbg

    Deviantart profile: https://gamingtweety.deviantart.com/
  • divanthesimmerdivanthesimmer Posts: 1,462 Member
    Hi everyone!

    We received a lot of positive feedback from you, our community, about the gameplay deep dives and developer interviews we shared throughout the development process on The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We didn’t have an opportunity previously to talk about Create-A-Sim asset creation, but obviously clothing is a huge part of what makes our favorite pixel people feel real, and we would be remiss to not discuss it at all. So I’m excited to share one last deep dive with you!

    The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff is coming soon - July 28, to be exact. I’m sure by now you’ve watched the trailer:
    https://youtu.be/s2r_aaVtsSY

    And when you watched the trailer I’m sure you noticed the so-bad-it-is-good-sweater:
    qthc9wo970u2.jpg

    We call it “The Forbidden Sweater” and the ability to craft it is unlocked once a Sim completes the Lord/Lady of the Knits aspiration. Only a master knitter could craft something so delightfully diabolical...and itchy.

    I’d like to share with you a little bit about the Create-A-Sim clothing development process, and what goes into making something as unique as this sweater. Inmar Salvatier, the artist responsible for this delightful abomination, will tell us more about this asset and the CAS process in general.


    Sarah: Hi Inmar! Can you tell us a little about what a Create-A-Sim artist does on The Sims 4?

    Inmar: We are the digital tailors, barbers, and cosmetologists of the Sims 4! We take the concept art and pull it into 3-D space with tools like Maya and ZBrush. Constructing every new piece to not only to fit right, but also move right, on all Sims, all the time! Got to have the right fabric and color too, so we’ll jump into programs like 3DCoat, Photoshop, and Marmoset to get the right feel and aesthetic. Then we watch our clothing creations come to life in the game and make the right little tweaks to, as Tim Gunn would say, “make it work!”

    Sarah: Before joining the Create-A-Sim team you were an artist on The Sims Mobile. How has your time on The Sims Mobile influenced your work as a Create-A-Sim artist on The Sims 4?

    Inmar: Joining the CAS (Create-A-Sim) team was a big change for me. It was my first opportunity to work on a PC/Console game and I felt very intimidated. But my skills from the mobile world helped me tremendously, and I was able to be an effective team member. Mobile gaming has a lot of constraints and you often have to get crafty with creative solutions to get the most out of the art you’re creating. You learn to adapt and, for me at least, it has instilled what some have called a “can do” spirit. My first pack on The Sims 4 was Island Living and early on I was handed a curveball asset with a bunch of question marks. It was a bikini with a sheer sash around the waist. See-through assets are super tricky, especially if it’s not directly on the body. But I love a challenge and I was able to learn a lot about our internal tools on The Sims 4, and I even got to design the different color variants for that asset. There was also the robot arm for Discover University. I was able to take that unique top from Concept all the way to finished asset. The concept art I created helped my fellow CAS artists design the full mech suit and robot. It hit me right in the feels that my team was so stoked about my work that it inspired them.

    Sarah: The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff features a delightfully atrocious failure sweater. It’s so bad, it’s good! What inspired you when making this truly unique asset? What challenges did you face?

    Inmar: This thing is amazing, and I was all about it from the start! The idea was as big as the sweater itself, and the over-sized ideal was the first real challenge. Sims needed to feel like they were swimming in it without sacrificing our animation fidelity. I had to offset the bones - think of these as the invisible skeleton that helps to shape our clothing and make it work on Sim’s bodies - to not only help convey the size, but also to keep the animations working correctly. Then there is the process of making something bad on purpose that still looks good. Yeah, wrap your head around that sentence. As artists we strive to achieve something visually appealing, but what do you do when you are asked to create an appealing failure? Well, you make this atrocity! It’s about knowing the rules and how to break them in just the right way. From concept to modeling, I think this beast did just that.

    The first step is concept art. Our concept artist, Amy Kim, sketched several different designs, then she worked with our Art Director and other members of the team to choose which idea to move forward with. Then she further refined that final choice (how many pom-poms is too many pom-poms?!) until the concept was at a good point to hand off to the 3-D artist.
    4974lewu494g.jpg
    Then the Create-A-Sim artist works on the general shape and defining characteristics of the asset.
    p28lia4ubjr6.jpg
    Once we’re happy with the shape we can start working on textures:
    qrvjehfe1y7y.jpg
    Coloring the asset comes last:
    cujqy50xdtg7.jpg
    And, finally, the finished product in game!
    n88dx9f5peoe.png

    Sarah: So cool! Thanks for walking us through that, Inmar. While I’m sure this sweater ranks in the top ten, what is your absolute favorite Create-A-Sim item you have ever made?

    Inmar: My absolute favorite item was on The Sim Mobile. I made a horse head mask! That was another out there, bonkers idea that had me hooked from the moment it was mentioned. It also had its share of challenges and design problems, but I love a good challenge and watching players using and loving it, well, right in the feels : )

    Sarah: Thanks for sharing with us Inmar!

    And thanks again Simmers for joining us on the journey to create The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We here at Maxis had a lot of fun working with you to create this pack, and it was exciting for the SP team members to get to share their passion and creative process with you via these deep dives.

    The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack will be released on PC, Xbox, and PS4 on July 28.
    You can learn more here: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/nifty-knitting-reveal

    That’s all for now! Keep on knitting...uh, I mean Simming….
    ~ SimGuruSarah

    @SimGuruSarah I loved all the deep-dives - they were so informative and fun to read! Love the ugly, itchy sweater and I'm really excited for the pack! ♥️
    phULnBI.png
    Check out my SimLit blog here: https://ageekylegacy.wordpress.com/
    Follow me on Twitter @divanthesimmer
    Follow me on Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/divanthesimmer
    Origin ID: divanthesimmer
  • midnightpearlmidnightpearl Posts: 6,578 Member
    Hi everyone!

    We received a lot of positive feedback from you, our community, about the gameplay deep dives and developer interviews we shared throughout the development process on The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We didn’t have an opportunity previously to talk about Create-A-Sim asset creation, but obviously clothing is a huge part of what makes our favorite pixel people feel real, and we would be remiss to not discuss it at all. So I’m excited to share one last deep dive with you!

    The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff is coming soon - July 28, to be exact. I’m sure by now you’ve watched the trailer:
    https://youtu.be/s2r_aaVtsSY

    And when you watched the trailer I’m sure you noticed the so-bad-it-is-good-sweater:
    qthc9wo970u2.jpg

    We call it “The Forbidden Sweater” and the ability to craft it is unlocked once a Sim completes the Lord/Lady of the Knits aspiration. Only a master knitter could craft something so delightfully diabolical...and itchy.

    I’d like to share with you a little bit about the Create-A-Sim clothing development process, and what goes into making something as unique as this sweater. Inmar Salvatier, the artist responsible for this delightful abomination, will tell us more about this asset and the CAS process in general.


    Sarah: Hi Inmar! Can you tell us a little about what a Create-A-Sim artist does on The Sims 4?

    Inmar: We are the digital tailors, barbers, and cosmetologists of the Sims 4! We take the concept art and pull it into 3-D space with tools like Maya and ZBrush. Constructing every new piece to not only to fit right, but also move right, on all Sims, all the time! Got to have the right fabric and color too, so we’ll jump into programs like 3DCoat, Photoshop, and Marmoset to get the right feel and aesthetic. Then we watch our clothing creations come to life in the game and make the right little tweaks to, as Tim Gunn would say, “make it work!”

    Sarah: Before joining the Create-A-Sim team you were an artist on The Sims Mobile. How has your time on The Sims Mobile influenced your work as a Create-A-Sim artist on The Sims 4?

    Inmar: Joining the CAS (Create-A-Sim) team was a big change for me. It was my first opportunity to work on a PC/Console game and I felt very intimidated. But my skills from the mobile world helped me tremendously, and I was able to be an effective team member. Mobile gaming has a lot of constraints and you often have to get crafty with creative solutions to get the most out of the art you’re creating. You learn to adapt and, for me at least, it has instilled what some have called a “can do” spirit. My first pack on The Sims 4 was Island Living and early on I was handed a curveball asset with a bunch of question marks. It was a bikini with a sheer sash around the waist. See-through assets are super tricky, especially if it’s not directly on the body. But I love a challenge and I was able to learn a lot about our internal tools on The Sims 4, and I even got to design the different color variants for that asset. There was also the robot arm for Discover University. I was able to take that unique top from Concept all the way to finished asset. The concept art I created helped my fellow CAS artists design the full mech suit and robot. It hit me right in the feels that my team was so stoked about my work that it inspired them.

    Sarah: The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff features a delightfully atrocious failure sweater. It’s so bad, it’s good! What inspired you when making this truly unique asset? What challenges did you face?

    Inmar: This thing is amazing, and I was all about it from the start! The idea was as big as the sweater itself, and the over-sized ideal was the first real challenge. Sims needed to feel like they were swimming in it without sacrificing our animation fidelity. I had to offset the bones - think of these as the invisible skeleton that helps to shape our clothing and make it work on Sim’s bodies - to not only help convey the size, but also to keep the animations working correctly. Then there is the process of making something bad on purpose that still looks good. Yeah, wrap your head around that sentence. As artists we strive to achieve something visually appealing, but what do you do when you are asked to create an appealing failure? Well, you make this atrocity! It’s about knowing the rules and how to break them in just the right way. From concept to modeling, I think this beast did just that.

    The first step is concept art. Our concept artist, Amy Kim, sketched several different designs, then she worked with our Art Director and other members of the team to choose which idea to move forward with. Then she further refined that final choice (how many pom-poms is too many pom-poms?!) until the concept was at a good point to hand off to the 3-D artist.
    4974lewu494g.jpg
    Then the Create-A-Sim artist works on the general shape and defining characteristics of the asset.
    p28lia4ubjr6.jpg
    Once we’re happy with the shape we can start working on textures:
    qrvjehfe1y7y.jpg
    Coloring the asset comes last:
    cujqy50xdtg7.jpg
    And, finally, the finished product in game!
    n88dx9f5peoe.png

    Sarah: So cool! Thanks for walking us through that, Inmar. While I’m sure this sweater ranks in the top ten, what is your absolute favorite Create-A-Sim item you have ever made?

    Inmar: My absolute favorite item was on The Sim Mobile. I made a horse head mask! That was another out there, bonkers idea that had me hooked from the moment it was mentioned. It also had its share of challenges and design problems, but I love a good challenge and watching players using and loving it, well, right in the feels : )

    Sarah: Thanks for sharing with us Inmar!

    And thanks again Simmers for joining us on the journey to create The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We here at Maxis had a lot of fun working with you to create this pack, and it was exciting for the SP team members to get to share their passion and creative process with you via these deep dives.

    The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack will be released on PC, Xbox, and PS4 on July 28.
    You can learn more here: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/nifty-knitting-reveal

    That’s all for now! Keep on knitting...uh, I mean Simming….
    ~ SimGuruSarah

    OMG!! Inmar!!! You're a CAS artist, congrats to you, so cool!!! I cannot wait for this pack and to put that outfit onto my simself in the game.
  • catloverplayercatloverplayer Posts: 93,362 Member
    I'd love that scarf to be separated

    I don't know maybe it can be. That's why I asked if it could be wore with other seasonal outfits.
  • RouensimsRouensims Posts: 4,858 Member
    Thank you for this deep dive! I love hearing about the process! And amazing work on this beautifully monstrous sweater!
    Ooh Be Gah!! Whipna Choba-Dog? Whipna Choba-Dog!! :smiley:
  • TheLimonArtTheLimonArt Posts: 17 Member
    I already love this sweater!
  • crocobauracrocobaura Posts: 7,342 Member
    I still think it looks like a christmas tree. It's green and the pom-poms look like baubles. :blush: The sweater looks big and comfy, it's diabolical that you gave it an itchy trait. :lol:
  • WrenryWrenry Posts: 960 Member
    So instead of being created by accident the sim can create this beautiful horror on purpose? My evil sims are smiling with glee.
  • ChadSims2ChadSims2 Posts: 5,090 Member
    Now if only you could challenge the digital tailors to make jeans that are not skinny or above the ankle now that I would want to see.
    Sims 4 went from "You Rule" to "One of the stories we want you to tell"
  • OrangeSodaSINOrangeSodaSIN Posts: 58 Member
    not the biggest fan of the sweater, but perhaps i can put them in townies i dislike as a punishment lol.
  • SERVERFRASERVERFRA Posts: 7,108 Member
    The Forbidden Sweater wins for best ugh Christmas in July sweater. 🤣
    The Afro/ Jamaican hairstyle is so beautiful.💖
    The Dashing Gentleman hairstyle is so handsome.😍
  • ScobreScobre Posts: 20,665 Member
    Thanks for sharing. Wow it looks a lot like watching the deep dives of custom creators making meshes for Sims content. That is really cool. It was fun participating in forums and coming up with ideas like oversized sweaters with the community. I enjoy the community packs.
    “Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.” –Helen Keller
  • KimmerKimmer Posts: 2,370 Member
    I can't wait to force Vlad into this sweater >:)

    Me neither. :D
  • RandomSims4AddictRandomSims4Addict Posts: 8 New Member
    > @MaggieMarley said:
    > I can't wait to force Vlad into this sweater >:)

    He's gonna "love" it sooo much! ;)
  • RandomSims4AddictRandomSims4Addict Posts: 8 New Member
    > @TheLimonArt said:
    > I already love this sweater!

    Same!
  • GalacticGalGalacticGal Posts: 28,284 Member
    Thanks for sharing this, SimGuruSarah! I am one of those who have patiently awaited the craft of knitting to be introduced into the game. I'm mega excited. What I also noticed, however, is that the Sims' hair is gradually going gray! This excites me even more. Nobody's hair (well, practically nobody) goes gray overnight. I love that his is doing so slowly, more like how it is in RL. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for that.
    You can download (free) all three volumes of my Night Whispers Star Trek Fanfiction here: http://galacticgal.deviantart.com/gallery/ You'll need to have a pdf reader. New websites: http://www.trekkiefanfiction.com/st-tos.php
    http://www.getfreeebooks.com/star-trek-original-series-fan-fiction-trilogy/
  • AsheyyyAsheyyy Posts: 3 New Member
    Woah! I absolutely LOVE this sweater! It’s kinda hilarious to look at, I’ll definitely be using it.
  • KatsKatsKatsKats Posts: 976 Member
    Hi everyone!

    We received a lot of positive feedback from you, our community, about the gameplay deep dives and developer interviews we shared throughout the development process on The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We didn’t have an opportunity previously to talk about Create-A-Sim asset creation, but obviously clothing is a huge part of what makes our favorite pixel people feel real, and we would be remiss to not discuss it at all. So I’m excited to share one last deep dive with you!

    The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff is coming soon - July 28, to be exact. I’m sure by now you’ve watched the trailer:
    https://youtu.be/s2r_aaVtsSY

    And when you watched the trailer I’m sure you noticed the so-bad-it-is-good-sweater:
    qthc9wo970u2.jpg

    We call it “The Forbidden Sweater” and the ability to craft it is unlocked once a Sim completes the Lord/Lady of the Knits aspiration. Only a master knitter could craft something so delightfully diabolical...and itchy.

    I’d like to share with you a little bit about the Create-A-Sim clothing development process, and what goes into making something as unique as this sweater. Inmar Salvatier, the artist responsible for this delightful abomination, will tell us more about this asset and the CAS process in general.


    Sarah: Hi Inmar! Can you tell us a little about what a Create-A-Sim artist does on The Sims 4?

    Inmar: We are the digital tailors, barbers, and cosmetologists of the Sims 4! We take the concept art and pull it into 3-D space with tools like Maya and ZBrush. Constructing every new piece to not only to fit right, but also move right, on all Sims, all the time! Got to have the right fabric and color too, so we’ll jump into programs like 3DCoat, Photoshop, and Marmoset to get the right feel and aesthetic. Then we watch our clothing creations come to life in the game and make the right little tweaks to, as Tim Gunn would say, “make it work!”

    Sarah: Before joining the Create-A-Sim team you were an artist on The Sims Mobile. How has your time on The Sims Mobile influenced your work as a Create-A-Sim artist on The Sims 4?

    Inmar: Joining the CAS (Create-A-Sim) team was a big change for me. It was my first opportunity to work on a PC/Console game and I felt very intimidated. But my skills from the mobile world helped me tremendously, and I was able to be an effective team member. Mobile gaming has a lot of constraints and you often have to get crafty with creative solutions to get the most out of the art you’re creating. You learn to adapt and, for me at least, it has instilled what some have called a “can do” spirit. My first pack on The Sims 4 was Island Living and early on I was handed a curveball asset with a bunch of question marks. It was a bikini with a sheer sash around the waist. See-through assets are super tricky, especially if it’s not directly on the body. But I love a challenge and I was able to learn a lot about our internal tools on The Sims 4, and I even got to design the different color variants for that asset. There was also the robot arm for Discover University. I was able to take that unique top from Concept all the way to finished asset. The concept art I created helped my fellow CAS artists design the full mech suit and robot. It hit me right in the feels that my team was so stoked about my work that it inspired them.

    Sarah: The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff features a delightfully atrocious failure sweater. It’s so bad, it’s good! What inspired you when making this truly unique asset? What challenges did you face?

    Inmar: This thing is amazing, and I was all about it from the start! The idea was as big as the sweater itself, and the over-sized ideal was the first real challenge. Sims needed to feel like they were swimming in it without sacrificing our animation fidelity. I had to offset the bones - think of these as the invisible skeleton that helps to shape our clothing and make it work on Sim’s bodies - to not only help convey the size, but also to keep the animations working correctly. Then there is the process of making something bad on purpose that still looks good. Yeah, wrap your head around that sentence. As artists we strive to achieve something visually appealing, but what do you do when you are asked to create an appealing failure? Well, you make this atrocity! It’s about knowing the rules and how to break them in just the right way. From concept to modeling, I think this beast did just that.

    The first step is concept art. Our concept artist, Amy Kim, sketched several different designs, then she worked with our Art Director and other members of the team to choose which idea to move forward with. Then she further refined that final choice (how many pom-poms is too many pom-poms?!) until the concept was at a good point to hand off to the 3-D artist.
    4974lewu494g.jpg
    Then the Create-A-Sim artist works on the general shape and defining characteristics of the asset.
    p28lia4ubjr6.jpg
    Once we’re happy with the shape we can start working on textures:
    qrvjehfe1y7y.jpg
    Coloring the asset comes last:
    cujqy50xdtg7.jpg
    And, finally, the finished product in game!
    n88dx9f5peoe.png

    Sarah: So cool! Thanks for walking us through that, Inmar. While I’m sure this sweater ranks in the top ten, what is your absolute favorite Create-A-Sim item you have ever made?

    Inmar: My absolute favorite item was on The Sim Mobile. I made a horse head mask! That was another out there, bonkers idea that had me hooked from the moment it was mentioned. It also had its share of challenges and design problems, but I love a good challenge and watching players using and loving it, well, right in the feels : )

    Sarah: Thanks for sharing with us Inmar!

    And thanks again Simmers for joining us on the journey to create The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack. We here at Maxis had a lot of fun working with you to create this pack, and it was exciting for the SP team members to get to share their passion and creative process with you via these deep dives.

    The Sims 4 Nifty Knitting Stuff Pack will be released on PC, Xbox, and PS4 on July 28.
    You can learn more here: https://www.ea.com/games/the-sims/the-sims-4/news/nifty-knitting-reveal

    That’s all for now! Keep on knitting...uh, I mean Simming….
    ~ SimGuruSarah

    Can that scarf be worn with any of the Seasonal Cold Wear Outfits from Seasons? I love that scarf.

    I like that scarf, too. I'm thinking of making it in real life.
  • SimSwim2SimSwim2 Posts: 2,481 Member
    That sweater is awesim! It's so ugly it's cute lol
    Origin ID: StripedRainbow
  • SimburianSimburian Posts: 6,906 Member
    edited July 2020
    To make it really, really awful you should add mittens to match in the accessories gloves section! Those sort of mittens that come attached to childrens clothing to make sure they don't get lost! <3>:)
    Post edited by Simburian on

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