With new distributions being in the form of a self extracting executable, this should be a thing of the past. If you do still get this message it is because:
![]() | You extracted the files from the executable using WinZip manually, rather than just running the download. Run the download and it will work correctly |
![]() | You're a new user, but you downloaded the existing users' version of the program, instead of the new users' - this doesn’t contain the data files. You need to download the file simpose<version number>n.exe not simpose<version number>u.exe |
By default DirectX is instructed to use 16-bit colour. For accurate colour reproduction this needs to be changed to 24 or 32-bit. This ought not to affect the OpenGL version (v9.0 and later).
![]() | Set your computer to display 24 or 32-bits, using the Display option under 'Settings' |
![]() | From the SimPose File menu select Options > Advanced Graphics Options |
![]() | Select "24", "32" or "24 or 32" from the Texture bits/pixel droplist |
![]() | If you get an error message, try a different value |
![]() | Note: the selected value is saved when SimPose closes down and restored when restarted |
I've used a hardware dependent short cut to get the image data. Whilst this works with most graphics cards, it led to colour problems in the saved image with others. There is a fix, but it is fairly involved - so read the following carefully!
![]() | Check the make sure you know what colour depth (16-bit/65536 colour, 24-bit/16M colour or 32-bit) you are working at (Start menu -> Settings -> Display ->Settings) |
![]() | From the SimPose File menu select Options > Advanced Graphics Options (see above) |
![]() | Use the strategy below to select the format and order for the required colour depth |
![]() | Note: the selected value is saved when SimPose closes down and restored when restarted |
The following strategy will help you find the correct values
![]() | With a graphics editor make an image with three colour stripes - pure red (255,0,0), pure green (0,255,0) and pure blue (0,0,255). | ||
![]() | Save this as a bitmap and load into SimPose as a background. | ||
![]() | Do a screen capture and reload the saved image into the graphics editor. | ||
![]() | Are the strips still pure red, green and blue (but possibly in the
wrong order)?
| ||
![]() | If they are the correct colours but in the wrong order, you need to change Colour order. | ||
![]() | The best strategy is to change the format (if necessary) to get the strips to pure colours, then play with the order. | ||
![]() | The commonest problem with 16-bit colour is fixed by setting the format to 5-5-5 instead of 5-6-5. |
This problem ought not to occur with the OpenGL version (v9.0 and later)
Basically, SimPose-ium doesn’t generate animated GIF files directly, but generates all the files needed for a 3rd party tool to make the GIF.
The process is as follows:
![]() | Use the Screen capture command on the File menu (either full or half size - explained below) |
![]() | In the file selection dialog box, select/create the name of the first image to be created. If SimPose-ium is displaying an animation, screen capture will generate a series of bitmaps - one for each frame. If you select the name XXX.bmp, the files will be called XXX0000.bmp, XXX0001.bmp etc. If the file name already ends in a number, these are stripped of and the root used (i.e. select YY008.bmp, and SimPose-ium generates YY0000.bmp, YY0001.bmp etc). It’s a good idea to create these images in an empty directory, as it can make the next step easier |
![]() | Use the 3rd party tool to import the bitmap files and create the animated GIF |
It should be noticed that by default, SimPose-ium generates one image for each displayed frame (i.e. 30 for each second of animation). This can lead to BIG animated image files. Using 'half size', to get a smaller image, reduces the size of the resulting file. Also, if you select Speed *2, you get half the number of image files, and if you build the GIF at 15 frame a second, you get a normal speed image (but not such smooth movement)
One of two reasons:
![]() | Possibly some component of DirectX has become corrupted or you are trying to run SimPose on a machine that does not have DirectX7 (or later) installed. Check whether TheSims still runs correctly. If not, you need to reinstall DirectX. |
![]() | Alternatively, looking on the web, page faults on initialisation have been reported by the users of several programs, not just SimPose-ium, who have upgraded from DirectX7 to DirectX8. The best advice at the moment appears to be to ensure you have the latest version of DirectX and your graphics card's drivers. |
If for example you are editing a Female Head skin, then make sure you have at least two bitmap files available in the droplist before you start SimPose-ium (the one you want to edit and any other)
![]() | Start SimPose-ium and select a Female Sim and the required head skin - so the current state appear in the SimPose-ium display |
![]() | It is probably a good idea to save a backup copy of the original head bitmap before you start modifying it |
![]() | Start your editing program, open the head skin you want to modify, edit it and save it back by overwriting the original (there is no need to close the editor or unload the edited image) |
![]() | In SimPose-ium, select a different head skin, and then reselect the skin you've just modified. Because the skin is reloaded each time it is selected, the edited version is now displayed |
![]() | You can repeat this process of editing and saving, selecting a different skin and then reselecting the required skin as many times as required. |
If you add a picture (BMP only) as a background to the display window it will automatically get scaled to fit (if its too small) or shrunk to the correct size if its too big. However, if you want to make sure that the image fits the window without distortion:
![]() | Select 'show stats' from the File menu |
![]() | Resize the window (if required) to the size you want. Note the size of the window from the data at the top of the display window - [width*height*colour-depth] (or in v9.0 and later, the status is in the window title bar) |
![]() | Make the image you require the indicated width * height |
![]() | When you close and reopen SimPose it should 'remember' the size it was last set to (the central divider between the panels may need adjustment to get the display window back to precisely the correct size) |
![]() | Alternatively, if the background image is bigger than the 3D Window in both dimensions, Control-Right click will toggle between the shrunk to fit mode and a draggable, scaleable, image. (Right drag to move image, Right-Shift click to center, Right-Shift drag to scale), See the Mouse operations |
The most likely cause is that SimPose-ium is trying to be clever and filtering the options it displays for what it thinks you need - like only offering textures that are designed for the currently displayed meshes.
Try turning filtering off - clear the 'filter' check box on the Character page, to the right of the Age/Gender selection list
Furniture, walls etc. are stored in IFF files. These are not really 3D objects - they only look 3D in the game because it operates with just 4 fixed camera angles.
They are actually flat images - known technically as billboards. Whilst it would be possible to load the IFF images onto a flat plane, the problem is complicated because they have a pseudo 3D element - so a Sim can pass between the front and back of an object. This involves manipulating DirectX's Z-buffer in a complex manner - and I'm not sure I know how to do it, or whether the result would be worth the effort, so for the moment there'll be no IFF objects in SimPose-ium.
I'm hoping TheSims2 will introduce proper 3D object.
Basically, SimPose will run on any machine that can run TheSims - except that
before version 9.0 it
uses Microsofts DirectX graphics interface, so wouldn't run directly on the Mac or
Windows NT.
Basically, when I started TheSims was only available on DirectX platforms, so
SimPose used that interface as well. I assume the NT and Mac versions use an
OpenGL graphics interface.
As of version 9.0 SimPose uses openGL, so will run on Windows NT.
Mac users can use a PC/Windows emulator and DirectX to run SimPose. When v9.0 becomes available, they won't need DirectX (but will still need the PC emulator).
Mac users can use a PC/Windows emulator and DirectX to run SimPose. When v9.0 becomes available, they won't need DirectX, because it will use OpenGL for the 3D display (but will still need the PC emulator).
A native Mac version is possible, but the program depends heavily on the Microsofts MFC libraries. Replacing the MFC interface to get it running on the Mac would be a major rewrite.
I'm quite happy to discuss issuing the source code (drop me an email), particularly if you want to tackle getting the program onto the Mac platform.
There is a problem that I got some data under a non-disclosure agreement, so I cannot release all the code (otherwise it would already be on the web).
The simplest way is to use the FAQ on adding a search
path, to include the GameData folder underneath the folder containing
TheSims executable (note: not the SimPose executable).
Whilst this will work, it is a little inefficient as SimPose will find a
large number of archive files (.far) the contents of most it cannot use. If
you have a program such as FarEdit, it is more efficient to identify the
archives that contain the mesh, texture and animation files (usually these
are in separate folders) and add a search path to each of the archive
folders individually
SimPose will always look in the GameData folder under the folder containing
the SimPose executable (by default c:\SimPose), and any folders that that
contains and so on.
For v9.0, you can add additional folders to the "search path". Using the "add
search path" menu option on the File>Option menu and selecting any file in the
target folder. Subsequently, that folder and all folders it contains are also
searched for mesh/texture/animation files.
The list of folders to be searched can also be managed by removing search paths
or removing all search path except at the default GameData folder. These are
also on the File >Options menu.
SimPose looks for files with a particular extensions:
.skn / .bmf | Sim models |
.bmp | Texture files |
.cmx / .cmx.bcf | Animation description files (other uses of this sort of file are ignored) |
.cfp | Game animation data files |
.kfd | SimPose keyframe animation files |
.far | Game archive files |
Any archive files found are opened to identify the models, textures and animation files they contain. It is assumed that archive files do not themselves contain archives.
<To be added>
Use either of the load commands on the animation menu to get a Sim displaying
the required game (CFP) animation.
On the keyframe menu, the Save As option will be enabled. Select this and as
well as the destination file, you will be asked for the number of keyframes you
want in the created file. So, for example if the CFP file represents 200 frames,
and you say you want 10 in the resulting file, you will create a keyframe
animation with 10 evenly spaced frames that approximate to the original CFP
animation. The more frames you request the more faithful to the original
animation the keyframe animation will be, but the bigger the file will be as
well.
The short answer is that I don't know. I didn't think it was possible, but I'd been told that it is. I'm hoping that someone who knows how to do it will write a tutorial that I can included in this FAQ.
If you have TheSims Unleased loaded and a FAR manipulation program, like FarEdit, look for the dog-skeleton.cmx and kat-skeleton.cmx (or dog/kat-skeleton.cmx.bcf) files in the games archives. Extract them to the GameData folder under the folder containing the SimPose executable. SimPose should then recognise these and let you access the animal models - though apparently the animal animations don't currently work.