Sims 3:Delphy's CAS Texture Unitool
This page is under construction :) - daluved1
Contents |
Delphy's CAS Texture Unitool v1.7
Overview
The following is simply a guide/handbook/manual (however you want to look at it) for the CAS Texture Unitool (CTU). This is not a creation tutorial, so do not expect to specifically learn how to edit, modify or design textures from reading this.
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Refer to CTU Tutorials for a list of tutorials. Or, poke around the MTS Sims 3 Creation Forum.
CAS Parts
A .caspart file itself can be thought of as a "placeholder" in Create-A-Sim. By linking meshes, textures and other details to the .caspart, you create what is commonly know as a CAS Part. CAS Parts are what a the game actually displays on the sim (i.e. shirts, shoes, watches, etc); this includes the mesh, shape, color, lighting, transparency or anything else that affects the look of the design.
DDS Files
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A DDS file is a type of raster image, commonly used by many games, including both Sims 2 and Sims 3. DDS files can be saved in a variety of formats, both compressed and uncompressed. You will need to save your images in DDS format for use in the CTU. |
Image Editor
Your everyday run of the mill image editor like MS Paint or Paintbrush will not suffice for TS3 skinning. Instead you'll need a program that at least has these basic features:
- RGB Mode
- Channel View
- Layers
- Image Adjusters (i.e. desaturate, colorize, etc.)
Most people use Adobe Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro. However, there are free alternatives like GIMP or Paint.NET.
Plugin
Many imaging programs do not initially know how to save/handle DDS files, so you'll have to install a plugin for them. Here are two of the most common ones.
DXT Compression Chart
When working with CAS Part textures the compression type most commonly used is DXT. There are several different DXT compressions available so refer to the chart below to see which one to use for each specific part.
| Texture/File | Acceptable Compression(s) | Alpha Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Base Texture | DXT5 | Yes |
| Clothing Specular | DXT1 | No |
| Clothing Ambient | DXT1 | No |
| Mask | DXT1 | No* |
| Overlay | DXT1, DXT3, DXT5 | Yes |
| Part Mask | DXT1 | No* |
| Stencil | DXT1, DXT3, DXT5 | Yes |
| Skin Specular | DXT1 | No |
| Skin Ambient | DXT1 | No |
* If the mask has 4 pattern regions, then you'll need to include the alpha channel.
Packages
The CTU saves your finished creations as .packages, similar to what was used with The Sims 2.
- For help with installing .packages, see Installing Sims 3 Package Files
