Posing Sims - Tips and Techniques

[Ausette]

Hey everyone! I've had some questions about how I pose my Sims, so I (well, Rhoxi ) thought it would be a good idea to start a thread to share our techniques. I've listed some of mine below as clearly as I can. If you have any more questions or have some tips of your own please don't hesitate to post to the thread yourself!

P.S. Don't forget to check this thread for tips on setting up screenshots, especially Pam's how-to guide halfway down the first page.


Moviemakercheatsenabled true: This cheat can be activated under testingcheatsneabled true, much like buydebug (see this guide if you're unfamiliar with cheats). Not many people seem to know about it but it's awesome . Once "testingcheatsenabled true" and then "moviemakercheatsenabled true" are both active (in that order) all you need to do is select the Sim you want to pose and shift-click on any object to bring up an "Animation" sub-menu. From there, you can choose any number of animations and idles for your Sim to play out. I like to use the Looping Idles and Looping Animations because your Sims will continuously repeat the action and allow you ample time to get a picture. Here's an example of Moviemakercheats enabled at work: If I recall correctly, both Sims are using Looping Trait Idles (The male is using the Nurturing - CAS idle and the woman is using the Excitable idle).



World Adventures Camera Poses: If you have World Adventures, place a camera in one of your Sims' inventories (buydebug is helpful here) and have them use the "Ask to Pose" interaction on the Sim you want to camera-pose. Once your target strikes a pose, you can use the further "Do This Pose" interaction to select your favourite option. I really like these poses because they give your Sims exactly the kind of goofy smiles you'd expect from photographs. 

Normal Interactions + Moveobjects on: This is exactly what it sounds like. Have your Sim perform some kind of interaction (e.g. talking to someone, using the virtual life goggles, talking on a mobile phone) and in the middle of it use moveobjects on to place them near your chosen background/other Sims. I'd suggest you don't do this with Sims you intend to play much; I think messing with the cheat may cause them routing issues in their future. Also, watch out that their limbs don't go all weird when you drag them away from the object they're interacting with. The annoying thing about this technique is that you may not have long to take the picture, but it's very useful if you can't find the corresponding Moviemakercheat animation. Here's an example of the two above techniques: The Sim on the left was using Mean interactions before I moved him using moveobjects on, and the Sim on the right is striking a World Adventures camera pose ("Cheesy Peace Signs").

[Schipperke]

This is just great information, Ausette!  I know about the moviemaker cheats but don't use it much because I can never remember the exact way to write it, so I really appreciate having this handy reference as well as your other tips.

Thank you so much for sharing this. 

[chetanhaobijam]

Thanks for all the information. Unluckily, I haev only base game. So, no moviemaker and photo shoot feature for me.
I have one question in 'Move-object on' method. Can I also use it in Community lots, like my sims are posing in military ground or school?

[Trip]

You would need testingcheats in order to enter build/buy on those community lots (shift-clicking the ground of those lots will let you do it), but you can then use moveobjects once you get there.

Thanks for the thread, Ausette.

[Ausette]

You're welcome guys, and thank you Trip for your explanation of testingcheatsenabled on community lots. Chetan, I wasn't aware that moviemakercheatsenabled true came with an expansion pack, Has it not worked for you? Does anyone else know the restrictions on it?

[Trip]

Movemakercheats came with the Generations patch, and Chetan plays a completely unpatched game.

[Ausette]

Ah, I see. Thanks again Trip . Looks like we'll have to find more base-game compatible posing methods!

[chetanhaobijam]

Yes, my game has no patch installed. Because my modem is on 500 mb/month plan and so, can't download those 2gb patches. I also don't have any eps. I am currently searching for some in some sites, but they are too costly for me. Instead, I am saving for sims4.

[Snufflesxx]

Great advice, Ausette! I love the moviemaker cheat, there's so many options! I used it to create the 4x4 picture:



As you can see, I placed some well-known townies in some of the most iconic places in their towns. You may notice that on the top-left and top-right pictures (Agnes & Chris and Hunter Cottoneye) the Sims don't look like they're standing on the ground. Well, that's because they're not! Using testingcheatsenabled true, I used the raised terrain tool to create a little platform and teleported the Sims up there. There may be an easier way of achieving this but I thought it was a good idea 

Sometimes a little bit of enhancement on a screenshot can make it look better. Even just a border can make an image more noticeable! These are two examples of mine from two contests (which I actually won):



I wanted to give my image a vintage look, as the Sim I was entering is supposed to be a classic film star. I achieved this using a website called Picmonkey (I believe it was in the borders section). The majority of tools on there are free and you don't have to sign up. I did also use Photoshop Elements, which is basically a stripped down version of Photoshop, so that her lips remained red while the rest of the image is black and white.



This one was done entirely with Picmonkey. To get the American flag, I saved and image and then used the 'textures' function in Picmonkey. There are a few already on there but you can upload your own, which is what I did. It's like putting another image over the original that is slightly transparent. Then I just added some text and a coloured border.

It's a great way for people to notice your entry, though it's important you don't go too overboard. Your entry still has to be clearly visible so that people know what they are downloading and voting for.

For actually taking screenshots, the Tab key is your best friend! You can get much closer than you'd normally be able to, which is especially good for taking images of toddlers or face close-ups. You can also try out interesting angles using Tab.

It can be frustrating when you're trying to take an image and one of the Sims is in the wrong place or facing the wrong direction. You can fiddle around with it, making them walk over there and then back again, but I prefer to just pick them up and move them around! Using the 'moveobjects on' cheat ('testingcheatsenabled true' must be enabled first'), you can just pick your Sims up and rotate them. Press the 'Alt' key to be more accurate.

Try to catch your Sim doing interesting things or when they have unusual expressions.  Sims themselves have cool little interactions that can show off their personality. For example, the Irresistable trait has this interaction:



It can add a little more depth to your Sim's character. 

[Schipperke]

I have to admit, I've been wondering how you got those stunning effects in your screenshots ever since I saw them in your contest entries, Snuffles!  Thank you very much for sharing that information. 

[Joria]

Moviemakercheats does not work for me.  I have no idea why.  I had testingcheatsenabled true
done, then did moviemakercheatsenabled true.  Selected my Sim and shift clicked on an object but all I got was "object" or, since it was a refrigerator, the menu for cooking something.  Has the latest updates 166 and later 167 perhaps ruined this cheat?

[Seabody]

I've had good results by shift clicking on my Sim, not an object. Try that.

[Joria]

I've had good results by shift clicking on my Sim, not an object. Try that.

Thank you, Seabody.  That did the trick.