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TUTORIAL: How to make a seamless repeating pattern ALSO: Good images for pattern making

MomSonSimFunMomSonSimFun Posts: 486 New Member
edited March 8 in Nominated Threads
How to make seamless repeating patterns

1. First of all, you'll need a good image to work with. The image below is perfect, since the pattern repeats itself exactly both horizontally and vertically.
pattern3p.jpg

However, some patterns that may look like they repeat on all sides actually don't. For example, an image may have the same character in rows and columns across the entire image, but if the colors aren't in a pattern as well then the image probably won't work.

Finally, beware of images that don't show enough of a pattern to make a seamless pattern. For example, in the image below, the pandas do repeat vertically (look at the two pandas circled in red) but not horizontally (no matching panda can be found for the panda circled in blue).
tfgsghfeg.jpg

When looking for an image to create your pattern with, a general rule is to make sure that in the top half, there is a portion identical in the bottom half, and in the left half, there is an identical portion in the right half. So long as some portion (even if it is miniscule) is identical, the image should work.

2. Once you have selected your image, you need to find where the pattern repeats itself and crop so that you have exactly one repeat of the pattern (or more, if you want your final pattern to be smaller and repeat more). With some patterns, finding the repeat may be a bit difficult. In this pattern, we can see that there are identical elephants horizontal and vertical to each other. In your image, look for an area (it can be tiny) that has a twin horizontal to it and another twin vertical to it, like the elephant circled twice, or the music note above it.
adadfgdfgadg.jpg

Next, you need to find a rectangular area so that each side of the rectangle goes through the exact same points as its opposite side, only on different sides of the image. Essentially, it must be positioned so that if the area inside the rectangle were taken away and the outside areas shoved together, the pattern would still continue seamlessly. The best way to do this is to find a small landmark that you can aim for the center of, like the music notes circled below. Otherwise, just estimate as best you can.
fgujjfjkhgfjhgf.jpg

Now, connect the dots and make your rectangle with the crop tool. An image editing tool like Gimp is perfect for this.
bvxhfgnxvngf.jpg

Crop the image and save to somewhere you can easily find it. Now, enter CAP

3. Select the "add a new sticker" tool, just below the hammer tool.

4. Find the image that you just cropped and double-click on it.

5. CAP may say "The file is larger than the..." This is alright. Just press okay.

6. Find your image in the pattern bin thing and drag it onto the display of your pattern.

7. Look in the lower right corner of CAP where it says W: and H:. Type in 256 for each. Also, as Krisque mentioned, to cneter your image, enter 128 in the X and Y boxes.

8. Postion your pattern however you want and select export. Now, you are finished! (Hopefully) :D

I imagine that my tutorial was rather confusing, so please feel free to ask questions! :wink: Now, here are some good websites for finding good repeating pattern images.

Websites with good pattern images

Many of the beautiful patterns on this website are repeating and great to make seamless patterns. Cropping is needed, but can be done easily for most.
http://www.superbuzzy.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=88

This Sherwin Williams site has a pretty good amount of wallpaper images that have useable patterns. (You might have to click "enlarge view" and then drag the image instead of right clicking.)
http://www.swdecorating.com/default.asp?fm=/wallpaper_home.asp|

Here are some more great pattern images that repeat.
http://www.fabric.com/quilting-fabric.aspx?Source=LeftNav

http://free-photoshop-patterns.com/

http://patterns.ava7.com/

http://www.fatstrawberry.com/

http://theinspirationgallery.com/

http://www.filterforge.com/filters/

Also, as Piddlesim mentioned, google searching things like "free seamless patterns", etc. is also a great way to find useable images.

Right now, the list of good pattern websites is fairly short, but with your help it can soon be a huge list! If you stumble across a good website, please tell me and I'll add it to the list. Thanks! :D
Post edited by EA_Cade on

Comments

  • Kage_GensouKage_Gensou Posts: 42 New Member
    edited June 2010
    Thank you for taking the time to write this and provide links as well. It was very helpful!





    Edit: added the word taking :)
  • elanorbretonelanorbreton Posts: 14,518 Member
    edited June 2010
    Thanks so much, that's really helpful to a novice like me. And those sites look really good too, that sort of stuff is hard to find.

    This is the only one I had come across that looks as though they are proper repeated patterns: http://patterns.ava7.com/

    I will bookmark those ones you gave and will be using them lots. Thanks again.
  • piddlesimpiddlesim Posts: 3,251 Member
    edited June 2010
    You can also google Free seamless patterns or free seamless tiles. There are a lot of great images that are already done for people.

  • ChemicalwibsChemicalwibs Posts: 6,345 Member
    edited June 2010
    Thank you for this - very helpful :wink:
    wibsandthesims.tumblr.com
  • chellemh29chellemh29 Posts: 2,492 Member
    edited June 2010
    I'm really glad you decided to do this! Now you want to do that tut on how to create seperate channels in the patterns? :lol:
    yhCWXCP.gif
  • BD5141BD5141 Posts: 3,044 Member
    edited June 2010
    This is fantastic, can't thank you enough. Sent you a little something for doing this for all of us Simmers.
  • SimGuruPopTartSimGuruPopTart Posts: 803 SimGuru (retired)
    edited June 2010
    Great tutorial! Thanks for posting this for everyone. Stickying this. :)
  • MomSonSimFunMomSonSimFun Posts: 486 New Member
    edited June 2010
    Cool! Thanks to all. I'll put all the new pattern websites on now. Thanks so much for the gift, BD5141! Chellemh29: I'll give a tutorial on separate channels a shot, as soon as I figure it out myself! :wink:
  • MomSonSimFunMomSonSimFun Posts: 486 New Member
    edited June 2010
    Just saw the gift, simgurupoptart. Thank you very much!
  • mycatmartymycatmarty Posts: 2
    edited June 2010
    How do you get to the tool in the game? Or is it not in the game? I know this sounds stupid but I have no idea where to find it.
  • Srikandi715Srikandi715 Posts: 1,753 Member
    edited June 2010
    It's a standalone tool, like Create-A-World. You download it from here and install it and run it as a separate program.

    You'll find good info about Sims pattern creation in the various forums dedicated to the two player-made pattern tools that have been around for about a year now, Delphy's Pattern Packager and TSRW. Those two tools work differently from CAP, but you'll find plenty of ideas and good sources for copyright-free seamless patterns in forums devoted to them, as well as tuts for using image editors like GIMP and Photoshop for making color separations so that you can make differently-colored areas in a source pattern independently recolorable. The Sims 3 community isn't starting from zero as far as pattern making goes.

    For instance: http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Sims_3:Custom_Patterns, http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=343264, and others at MTS.

    By the way, be aware that just because an image is on the Web doesn't mean you can use it free in any application without copyright violoation... most of what you see (unless it explicitly says otherwise) is protected by copyright. You're unlikely to be sued for using copyright images and uploading em, but I think folks should be conscious of the issue (it's pretty much the same from a legal perspective as uploading a movie clip to youtube).
  • yanti68yanti68 Posts: 19,017 Member
    edited June 2010
    Very helpful tutorial! Thanks for posting! Really appreciate it! :D
  • chellemh29chellemh29 Posts: 2,492 Member
    edited June 2010
    Srikandi715- You know I greatly respect you and many others over at mts. I have used Delphy's pattern packaging tool since it came out. (just in case you thought my above statement was serious) However most of the people here are just starting out and have a long way to go as far as pattern making goes. You do bring up a good point about uploading copyrighted images. Than again I really don't see the point in uploading every single pattern made either.
    yhCWXCP.gif
  • SunshineandrozesSunshineandrozes Posts: 799 Member
    edited June 2010
    Thanks for taking the time to make this tutorial up. Check your messages. :)

  • snuttdisnuttdi Posts: 270 Member
    edited June 2010
    MomSonSimFun

    Thank you so much!
  • MomSonSimFunMomSonSimFun Posts: 486 New Member
    edited June 2010
    MyCatMarty: Don't worry, this is not a stupid question! As Srikandi715 mentioned, CAP is a standalone tool. Once you've pressed download tool from under the CAP page under games, save the file to somewhere easy like your desktop. Then, double click the file once it downloads and you'll be taken through the install process. Finally, an icon should appear for CAP on your desktop.

    Srikandi715: Yes, I am aware that there have been ways to create custom patterns for a long time before CAP now. However, I tried them myself and found them quite difficult. Also, all the new programs they required were confusing to me and probably were for a lot of other people as well. This tutorial is for people who are looking for a simpler, but still effective, way of creating custom patterns.

    Thank you so much for the gifts Rutschgaga and Sunshineandroses! We appreciate it.

    Thanks to everyone for all of the feedback! I'm still looking into an easy way to create separate channels using CAP. :?
  • MomSonSimFunMomSonSimFun Posts: 486 New Member
    edited June 2010
    I might be on to something with channels. Wish me luck!
  • chellemh29chellemh29 Posts: 2,492 Member
    edited June 2010
    MomSonSimFun- I really think it is great that you are going out of your way to help people! I'm sure you have figured this out, but the only way I have found to make color seperations actually takes an image editor like photoshop. If you find an easier way, I'm all for hearing it! :D
    Post edited by Unknown User on
    yhCWXCP.gif
  • amchristianamchristian Posts: 1,246 Member
    edited June 2010
    Great post, thanks for sharing this information. You rock! :thumbup:
  • MomSonSimFunMomSonSimFun Posts: 486 New Member
    edited June 2010
    Chellemh29: Do you know if creating channels using an image editor will work with CAP? If so, I can try going towards that direction.
  • chellemh29chellemh29 Posts: 2,492 Member
    edited June 2010
    Yea, it will. What I have tested so far has worked. I did all my work in photoshop, then just reasembled the pattern in the tool...
    Post edited by Unknown User on
    yhCWXCP.gif
  • MomSonSimFunMomSonSimFun Posts: 486 New Member
    edited June 2010
    Okay, great. I actually haven't worked with channels myself too much, but I'll look into it some more soon. Thanks!
  • zanysazyzanysazy Posts: 2,210 New Member
    edited June 2010
    sweet
  • BarryEvansBarryEvans Posts: 92 Member
    edited June 2010
    Can someone help please? I have created a custom pattern, just using the default decals, and exported it. Now I just need to know how to use it in the game. I have gone through the forums, but it seems everyone but me knows how to do this already!

    Thanks

    Never mind, I found the paintbrush icon.
    Post edited by Unknown User on
  • QueenbloodlmpQueenbloodlmp Posts: 427 New Member
    edited June 2010

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