[Tutorial] SWTOR to Sims 4 conversions

I apologize for the lack of pictures, I have started this tutorial long ago and since then kind of abandoned SWTOR conversions so I don't really have images to illustrate the process. 

Edit: some nicer formatting

Intro: Tools

EasyMyp 

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b_lvKA2VRmVzf9gqoJ0ClOu2cCiNikzt/view 

Contains both EasyMyp and Noesis (the tools I use for extracting files from SWTOR) as well as some third program I'm not familiar with.

SWTOR hash file 

contains records of and assigns names to files and textures that will be pulled out of the game, makes navigating through the game files A LOT easier. However, the hash file is usually a few updates behind, at least the one I have been able to find so there still will be a fair amount of files with gibberish names.

• https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VmoAOY9EM12BV5qeWkiAHaef6nDR0XBT

Noesis 

• http://www.richwhitehouse.com/index.php?content=inc_projects.php&showproject=91

You will also need Blender of some version prior to 2.8 as 2.8 has completely redesigned the UI and you'll need to relearn how to do everything through it, and sims 4 studio doesn't support it. You will also need some knowledge of Sims 4 modding, and some knowledge of Blender, particularly editing meshes and UV maps.

Textures can be edited in Photoshop or any other program that can open DDS files. I personally use PS with the Nvidia DDS plug-in that allows me to edit DDS files and make normal \ bump maps.

You will also need a LOT of patience for this lol.

Part 1: pulling a mesh and textures from SWTOR

Here's likely a bit more of a comprehensive guide over here on Steam forums, that covers exactly the extraction. 


Sticklove on DeviantArt also has some SWTOR models extracted, which is where I got the mesh of Valkorion's robes and a bunch of other stuff. Altho if you're using models someone else extracted, please be respectful of their TOU. 

Part 2: editing the mesh for sims 4

When you get the mesh, it's kind of a huge mess. Depending on the type of mesh, you might want do do different operations, but most of them are common for all mesh types.

Common editing operations:

• Remove doubles
• Go to UV editing and flip the UVs along the Y axis (SWTOR UVs seem to always import upside down)
• IMPORTANT: Go to the properties tab (usually on the right) and navigate to the Data tab (the icon is a little triangle) and rename the UV map to uv_0. Also create another UV map and name it uv_1.
• This is very important because when you merge the mesh into the S4S mesh unless the UV maps have the exact same names, they will get erased \ overwritten.

For clothes:

SWTOR outfits are generally made up of many pieces that mostly have different texture maps. The textures for SWTOR models are as following: 

• Chestpiece with all its attachments (hoods, shoulder armor, etc)
• Pants or skirt
• gloves
• bracers
• shoes
• belt 
• headgear

All of this has different texture files, so you can't just merge all the files together. But you can merge meshes that are mapped to the same texture together.

Part 3: Importing the mesh into Sims 4

Common Operations:

All links lead to various tutorials that explain things better than I do, and are generally helpful in creating mods for Sims 4.

• Data transfer UV_1
• Vertex paint
• Transfer weights
• Map the texture on the sims 4 body texture (By Feyona on Sims 4 Studio forums)
• Optional: Specular (shine) maps basic tutorial
• A more in-depth explanation of how the shine map is built
• Optional, somewhat advanced: GLOWS! (Note: S4s now has an option to add the emission map right under the textures tab, at least for CAS items, but I added a link to this tutorial in case people would like some information)
• Advanced, and also optional, but I used this for my Dread Masters masks: Hide Parts Flags info (aka how to do some HEX editing to hide your sim's hair \ whole head \ etc)

Export UV map of the original SWTOR model AND the UV map adjusted for the Sims 4 texture, open the SWTOR texture, paste the UV map over it, select the pieces, copy them to the file of the adjusted UV map, scale down and move the pasted textures so they align with the new UV map. 

For clothes:

Outfit base meshes that don't explode: Lingerie underwear set for feminine frame, swimsuit for masculine frame, Ayla Secura costume for outfits with shoes (Feminine frame)

Mesh editing:

After mapping the whole texture on the TS4 body, you can merge the chestpiece, belt, and lower body armor together, and adjust the UVs so they don't overlap. Then you'll need to edit the mesh to fit over the TS4 body because SWTOR meshes have fairly exagerrated anatomy, and the T pose is different from the one TS4 uses, so you'll have to lift the arms or sleeves up, and use sculpt mode or proportional editing to adjust the mesh to sims 4 default body type.


After that  I usually do UV_1 by using the Data transfer modifies as described in this tutorial by Eliavah. 


I personally also take arms and neck parts from the TS4 body mesh. Since I'm using a pretty much nude body mesh as a base, it's easy to just delete most of the body under the outfit, and then merge the outfit into the ts4 body mesh. 

Weights: I generally use weight transfer for weight painting, because it generally results in decent looking weights, although sometimes you need to fix stuff manually.  (s4s forum weight transfer tutorial)

Vertex paint: S4s tutorial, I usually just leave the parts I imported form the Sim body alone, while the mesh from SWTOR is painted . (shameless plug: my little tutorial on vertex painting colors)

Making the other frame:

After the update that added gender options, clothes have two meshes: one for feminine frame, and one for masculine frame. Sometimes one mesh can work for all settings, but I found that the arms, neck, chest, and pelvis areas look different levels of weird (masculine sims having tiny little noodle arms, and also the Bulge of Doom that plagues so many meshes that were initially made for the feminine frame) 

What I do is get the mesh to the point where it works and I'm happy with it, then make a package for the other frame, take the arms, neck, and sometimes legs from the TS4 mesh, attach them to the SWTOR mesh in place of the old frame ones, and then sculpt the mesh to fit the body type again. 

For Hair:

This is much less pain than clothes, but follows roughly the same process.

Mesh:

The mesh needs to be scaled a bit to fit over the sims 4 head. Thankfully, SWTOR hair meshes fit really well with minimal fuss.

Texture:

Most SWTOR hair textures, unless they were ripped directly from a custom NPC model, are mapped onto a square, and the texture is the same size as the space allotted for hair on TS4 texture. So you just take the hair texture, paste it over the maxis hair texture, and move the UVs over there. The UVs generally need to first be scaled by 0.5 along Y axis, and then scaled by 0.5 again. 

The textures in SWTOR are by default brown, which is processed by the game and color is applied to the texture somehow. I'm not sure how exactly it works, and for Sims 4 usage it's probably not important. But still, you have a brown texture, and depending on what color actions you want to use, you can edit it into the base color for those actions. 

I personally also paint over the textures at times, as they tend to be pretty bland because SWTOR relies on lighting effects to make everything look good. I add deeper shadows and brighter highlights and try to make them a bit more Maxis-match. My older conversions don't have texture edits, and it shows. (edit: I think I actually went back and edited my older conversions a bit so they look nicer)

For objects:

Objects are probably the easiest thing to convert out of all the mesh items.

The only difficult thing is when an object has several texture files, then they will have to be combined into one, and the UV map adjusted.

Otherwise you can just kind of resize things to fit whatever you're converting.

Terrains, walls, floors

Fairly easy to make, you just need the textures, although walls are kind of a pain in the butt.

Facepaint, makeup:

Fairly easy to convert, the only snag is that some SWTOR facial markings have stuff mapped onto the neck, and it's mapped differently than TS4. I generally just edit such parts out because they end up looking bad.

That and stuff mapped over the scalp area. That is a pain too. But also I have pretty much converted most SWTOR facepaints, tattoos, and markings.