Making Default Replacement Rabbit-hole RecoloursSo you want a recolour a rabbit-hole, eh? Here are the things you will need:
S3PE and know how to use it
Photoshop
or GIMP and know how to use it
the .dds plugin for your image editing software
optional:
Delphy's Sims 3 Pack Multi-ExtracterStep 1Find the rabbit-hole that you want to recolour. I am going to edit the business/bistro that came with Supernatural. The files for that can be found in:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 Supernatural\GameData\Shared\Packages\FullBuild_p15.package
Open the .package (FullBuild_p15.package in my case) in S3PE.
Step 2Find the _IMG files that you want to change. Select them, right-click and chose 'export to file'. Save them to a folder where you would like to keep your work. Close S3PE.
The images that I am going to edit are:
Step 3Open each image in Photoshop and make the changes that you want. The first type of image that I have chosen always needs to be edited to reflect the changes to the other textures, otherwise when you zoom out, your changes won't show.
TIP: When you open a .dds in Photoshop it will ask you if you want to show the MIP maps. Choose 'no' or you will have to edit every different size that the image comes in for the game. MIP maps are the different sizes of each image that the game uses as you zoom in and out. As you zoom out, the image gets smaller.
Tips for editing:
- If you don't like a texture, replace it with one from another EA building or object. If you are going to use an image from a store object or world, you will need to find it in the .package file for that object (see how to find .package files for rabbit-holes from store worlds). I have replaced the brick texture with the slate texture from the Hidden Springs Day Spa.
- Play with the tools in your image program. Changing the brightness/contrast, hue/saturation or even making the image black and white to adjust the colour, and the filters to change the way it looks - blurry, sharp, bubbly, watery etc.
Step 4Flatten your image if it has more than one layer, and chose 'save'. Make sure that 'generate MIP maps' is selected.
Step 5Open S3PE again, and start a new file. Import the files that you just edited (make sure you tick 'use resource name'), and save. Exit.
Step 6Place the .package file that you have just created into your mods/overrides folder.
Congratulations! You have now made a rabbit-hole recolour.There are many tutorials out there to do things very similar, and this same process can be used to recolour just about anything that you can't change in game (wall hangings, paintings, plants, flowers, trees etc). Just keep in mind that this process creates a default replacement. Removing them is as simple as deleting them from your mods/overrides folder.
This is how my Business/Bistro turned out:
Before
After
- red bricks replaced with grey slate from Hidden Springs Day Spa
- all wood textures darkened
- donut and coffee ad removed from the side of the building
- red door at back (not visible) given wood texture
- red and blue sign spruced up
How to find .package files for rabbit-holes from store worldsStep 1: Find your sims3pack for the world that has the rabbithole you want
Step 2: Extract the .package files from it using Delphy's Sims 3 Pack Multi-Extracter
Step 3: Find which package contains the files for the rabbithole by opening each one until you find it
Step 4: Export the texture that you want from the _IMG file and save to file the same way you did for the ones that you want to change.
Adding rabbit-hole recolours to custom worldsI am still experimenting with doing this right now, but from what I have read and been told, you need to open your .world file in S3PE, import the files that you edited and save the changes. Do this right before you export your world, or CAW will remove the files.
