Projects for the Swap Shop

[Joria]

Carl has asked us to hold off on submissions for the swap shop for a little while so we creative critters have lots of time to plan on what we'll make.  Most of us have areas where we really enjoy doing stuff, (like I love to remodel), and do it fairly well, others want to challenge themselves to learn new things.  Sooooo, what areas would you all consider working on as swap shop items? 

Carl says he has pretty much everything in categories that we could do, but does he really?  For instance, clothing.  How many of you HATE the elder clothing?  How many of you are really creative with toddler clothing?  (Pam is for sure!)  How about clothing specifically designed for body types?  I hate the way most of the fatter Sims look in their dunlop tops and jeans.  Surely there is clothing that could be more attractive for them?

 I read a note today by Danefaith where he talked about wall coverings and textures and such.  How about more wall coverings with or without various textures so those of us not as clever, (or perhaps a tad lazy in that area), could just download and use on our barren walls?  Recently I took some very vanilla furniture and made it look really nice just by changing the covering on it, so what have you guys done to make a standard piece of furniture look great?  Pam already has a few pieces in the exchange but I'm greedy, I want more.

I'd like to hear what you guys think you can make that we'd all enjoy, and maybe post some pics of what you've done.  I'm personally challenging myself to try to build either elder clothes or clothing for the queen/king size folks.  Not my normal forte for sure.  Share, share, that's fair you guys.

[Leto85]

Hmmm, maybe it's time for me to upload my Denis Nedry sim. I've made a very authentical looking highwy shirt, compared to the oversized evil computer whiz from Jurassic Park.

Joria, I saw the graveyard you've made and posted on the site. It looks very good. Did you made it entirely yourself?

[Joria]

Thank you, Leto.  No, it's a remake of the graveyard in Sunset Valley, the one by Goth Manor.  I remade, or am still remaking, Goth Manor as well.  I don't know about elsewhere, but for the most part graveyards here in the US are maintained and look more park like than spooky.  A place to visit loved ones who are gone in a peaceful setting.

Yesterday I fooled around with dressing a huge, black, female.  It was a challenge for me because I find it difficult to make very fat people look good, and I have no clue how to dress someone who is not light skinned.  The interesting thing for me was after I had dressed her  as a dark skinned person, I went back and moved the slider all the way toward pale skin.  The clothes that had looked really nice on her as a black looked absolutely hideous on her as a white.  What I learned was why you don't put pastels on black people and you don't put tight fitting clothes with short jackets on fat people, not if you want them to look good.  So it seems to me that most of EA's clothing is designed for slender, white folk who are young.

I think it would be a great idea for you to upload your Denis Nedry sim.  I took screenies of the gal I was fooling around with but stupidly did not upload her and really wish I had!

[Anushka]

Glad to see this topic Joria.
As for my own interest, I'm working on a world for Simstar, and that will be sent to swap shop. Also, making customized lots for this world from a scratch is available (garden is almost done, some bars, parks, gym, laundromat, graveyard and possibly museum/gallery too, all in small lots). After this world, I'm going to continue playing with CAW, it is so much better than God Mode in SimsCity!

I would like to see some new items, not just recolored, since I already play with patterns and changing colors. Specially new patterns and plants. I love plants and flowers he he. Also, some starting homes (cheap, beautiful and functional) - I will make some for this island, but it would be nice to have more options when starting new game, even if I tend to chose empty lot practically each time I start new game.

[Pam]

I would like to see some new items, not just recolored, since I already play with patterns and changing colors. Specially new patterns and plants. I love plants and flowers he he. Also, some starting homes (cheap, beautiful and functional) - I will make some for this island, but it would be nice to have more options when starting new game, even if I tend to chose empty lot practically each time I start new game.

If I'm understanding you correctly, what you're asking for is third party custom content.  Anything beyond recoloring an existing Sims 3 item means creating a whole new item.  We won't be able to do anything like that, I'm afraid. 

[Leto85]

If I'm understanding you correctly, what you're asking for is third party custom content.  Anything beyond recoloring an existing Sims 3 item means creating a whole new item.  We won't be able to do anything like that, I'm afraid.  

It's against the rules right? Otherwise I am capable of modefying objects in Blender. It would just be a clone of an already existing object with the same functions but with another look.
I've did something like that in the past, but it is a tedious thing to do.

[Anushka]

Yes, I can understand that, I wasn't shore if there is a safe way to do that, and to have sort of exclusive safe CC from our members such is Leto, but if not, there is plenty of possibilities within the rules. Thanks for clarification

[Joria]

So who is working on what?  Anyone doing clothes, wall covers, floor coverings, furnishings, elders, toddlers, what?  Rabid readers want to know.

[Leto85]

Okey, I have my hands full on my own stuff which you all will get your peach when I'm done. I think that it will be done within one month but that all depends on how busy my personal life is (and at this moment it is pretty busy).
If I'm aloud I will dig into some CC creation if I'm aloud but that will made me download some software from that website I can not name and than I have to import the cloned sims item via Milkshape (3D program) into Blender where I can modify it to my own taste. Only modifying because recolouring can be done in The Sims itself.

So I'm sorry Joria, I can only celebrate to have a Swap Shop around here. I will upload some houses, mansions, famous created sims etc to the shop ones in a while though. To get it more filled up and so.

Do one btw know when we will be able to see how many persons have downloaded someones stuff? I really like to know that for my upcoming up-loadings.

Pam, Metro, Carl (whoever decision this must be), do I have permission to create bug- and virus free CC in the far far future?

[Asleep]

If I can figure out how, I want to put Violet Churchill on the Swap Shop. She's adorable!

[Pam]

Pam, Metro, Carl (whoever decision this must be), do I have permission to create bug- and virus free CC in the far far future?

No, Leto.  I'm sorry, but we're not going to get into the creation of custom content here. 

[Lilygirl]

Thank you, Pam! I didn't want to say anything but I'm so glad you did. I think if we allow our members to make CC, even if it's trusted members only and only for the members of this forum, to me allowing the presence of CC would be very, very hypocritical! After that, where do you draw the line with new members that would like to showcase their creations? How do you prevent people from joining this forum just for the chance to present their bugged (but looks clean) CC and mess up people's games? And then, how do you go back and get rid of it all?

It's a very slippery slope to me, one that's best fenced off and bulldozed.

[Joria]

@ Pam:  thank you!  No CC is good CC and the ONLY CC we should have is what we buy at the EA store or get in EP/SP's.  There is so much stuff available that between what we can acquire, even with free items, (T-Mobile is still giving away great freebies!), and using the patterns/colors/pattern maker we should be able to modify even the most boring vanilla item into something so outstanding others will want it.

@ Simstar:  Use the "Share" option in your library and upload your Sim to your EA studio.  Copy the URL at the top of the page where that sim shows up in your studio.  Email that URL and a screenie of the Sim to Carl.  He then uploads it when he has time.  Now, I don't know if there is another way but I am so technology challenged I asked for a simple easy way to do things and that is what he told me to do.  Once the item is in our Swap Shop I go into my studio and remove it.  I almost always remember to put in that it was created for Carl and Pam's Sims3 Forum Swap Shop so others come looking here for our forum.  It's a great way to advertise our forum and Pam is really good at nixxing any folks who come here and don't follow our rules.

I'm hoping more and more of us, when we are getting tired, or burned out, or whatever, with either our legacy or challenges, will start thinking about putting things in our Swap Shop.  I admit it, I'm lazy.  I love what you guys create and I love having the opportunity to find something safe to download and borrow for one of my games.  Carl always gives us credit for what we create, that he uploads, so we always know who made our things and if we use them publicly, or change them, we can give credit back if we are "resharing" them.  I think these items help us think outside of the box and get more creative ourselves.  Recently I've gotten so creative with clothes I can barely use my CAS because it's so slow!  Time to share and delete!  When I start grumbling about something in the game, creating something for our shop is my therapy.

@Leto:  I agree with you.  It would be great to know how many times an item we uploaded was downloaded and it would be great to have a "like it" kind of button as well.  I'm sure when Carl has a bit more time it's something he'd consider tackling.

[Leto85]

Thank you, Pam! I didn't want to say anything but I'm so glad you did. I think if we allow our members to make CC, even if it's trusted members only and only for the members of this forum, to me allowing the presence of CC would be very, very hypocritical! After that, where do you draw the line with new members that would like to showcase their creations? How do you prevent people from joining this forum just for the chance to present their bugged (but looks clean) CC and mess up people's games? And then, how do you go back and get rid of it all?

It's a very slippery slope to me, one that's best fenced off and bulldozed.

Hmmm, I understand it now. Now I've read your text I see the problems you have foreseen which we could encounter. No CC it is, that saves me time to focus on more videos!

[Filly]

Do patterns from the Exchange count as CC?  I download some from the patterns section or sometimes I get new ones from houses that I download.