Ok, so we have our cleaned up graphic and we want to make it into a yard ornament. First we have to chose an object to clone. I think we should clone the shrubs. So open T-Mog and find the shrubs.
Name your object. Come up with something unique. If you plan on distributing your object on the web, I suggest some kind of code before the object name to identify your objects and to keep them all together in T-mog.
The Magic Cookie is a special number given by lushcreations, the makers of T-mog, to brand your objects. If you do not have a magic cookie enter zero, or hit the Get Magic Cookie button and sign up for your own.
In this window you will see that shrubs-rose bush is chosen. This is the file that we want to clone so Hit OK.
Our new object file is already selected for us.
Don't even have a second thought about the shrubs-rosebush object file that we cloned from. Our new object file is the only one we will be working with from now on.
Click Export File.
By default this box is always checked. Please uncheck it.
This is the export option we will be using.
This is where most object creators disagree. But, for the sake of this tutorial, Keeping it Simple. I will have you export the easiest zoom to work with. Once you are comfortable with T-mog you can try exporting the more complicated zooms. I like to start off simple.
By default, T-Mog will want to save the object file in your The Sims directory. I do not like that idea and have created a seperate work directory.
There is your unique filename with an .xml extension. Do Not change this.
Hit File, Open and locate your directory where you exported the .xml file.
Uhoh! Did you notice that the sprites are only 256 colors? What does that mean? Yep! We need to increase their colors to 16 million colors. Do you remember how to do that? Why ofcourse you do! ( but just incase you forgot)
Okay....Once all of the sprites are set to 16 million colors we are ready to begin work on our birdhouse!
Just copying our birdhouse onto the sprite you can see that it is way too big to work with! We have to find a good size for our birdhouse.
I chose a percentage of original and typed 50 in the first box.
Make sure "Pixel Resize" is chosen.
Once you have the birdhouse resized Copy and Paste it onto your first sprite(ne) as a New LAYER.
We need to make sure that our birdhouse is on a layer of its own. That is why we Paste as a NEW LAYER onto the sprite.
Open your Layer Palette (if it is not already open) Click VIEW and then TOOLBARS. Choose Layer Palette from the list to open it.
Hold your mouse over where it says Layer 1. You will see our birdhouse on a transparent background. (shown below)
Now click the Background Layer and hold your mouse over it. You will see the shrub on a yellow background. (shown below)
If you do not have these two layers then hit EDIT UNDO and paste the birdhouse as a layer again until you get the same results as above.
