DO-IT-YOURSELF SKIN KITS!
THE CONSTRUCTION!

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IMPORTANT ADVICE!

Never work on any project without a backup. To ensure that you never loose a template and have to download it again, always work with a copy. A good suggestion would be to keep the zip file you download after you have extracted the template from it. That way you can always unzip the template again, if the template file should get damaged or accidentally saved with unwanted changes!

Step 1: Opening The Desired Template!

The Template I will use for this instruction page is "C003MAlgt_SkinUrSelf-01.spp" (which is the first Template I posted). If you are using a different template, then apply changes where necessary. Okay, let's begin.

Once you launch Serif PhotoPlus 7, you are presented with the "STARTUP WIZARD". You need to select "OPEN SAVED WORK" (see example below):

Once you have selected "OPEN SAVED WORK", you need to "BROWSE" to the directory where you saved the "C003MAlgt_SkinUrSelf-01.spp" template. If you haven't unzipped the file yet, then now is the time. Serif PhotoPlus 7 will not read the file if it is zipped. Double-click on the "C003MAlgt_SkinUrSelf-01.spp" file. You will be returned to PhotoPlus with a dialog box similar to the following:

Select the "FINISH" button to continue!

Step 2: Setting Up Your Work Space!

This is where it gets fun! The file you opened should appear as follows:

To make designing the custom skin easier, "MAXIMIZE" this window by clicking on the "MAXIMIZE" icon, as shown below:

The image should now be centered in the work space. Another step towards making things easier is enlarging the working image to see changes with greater detail. To enlarge the working image, select the "ZOOM TOOL" from the main PhotoPlus tool bar (see below).

The cursor should change to a magnifying glass, as follows:

With the left mouse button, click on the working image (face) twice to zoom in. If you accidentally click more than twice, click the "Right" mouse button to zoom out.

During the creation process, there is only one PhotoPlus window that is important. All of the custom creation steps will use "LAYER MANAGER" dialog window. Because each layer is individually named, some of the layer names are longer than the standard size of the "LAYER MANAGER" dialog window. To make things easier, it is recommended that you resize the "LAYER MANAGER" dialog window to show the full layer names, as shown below:

Now we are ready to make some custom skins!

Step 3: Making Faces! (Pun Intended)

I know! I know! Your mother told you that it is not polite to make faces,
but this is an extra special exception!

The first step is learning how to turn on layers (which is how we add and remove features to your custom skin). To turn on a layer, scroll through the "LAYER MANAGER" until a feature you want to use is displayed. With the left mouse button, click on the "Closed Eye" to the left of that layer's name to turn that layer on. To turn that same layer off, simply click on the "Open Eye". In this example, we will be turning on and off the "Stache-Bg-Black" layer (which is the Big Black Mustache layer). As this layer is turned on and off, the main working image automatically updates, as the following example demonstrates:

Notice how the main working image (face) updates automatically as you turn the "Stache-Bg-Black" layer on and off:

Now that you've learned how to work with layers, it's time to create you own unique skin. To demonstrate the rest of the process, I'll show you how I created the following head:

Starting with the basic startup image, I turned on the following layers:

        Base Layer - This is on by default when you open the template!
        Mouth-07 - Changes the mouth to own with fuller lips.
        Eyes-Dk Green - Changes the default eyes to Dark Green.
        Brows-Black. Adds Black Eyebrows.
        Sideburn-Black - Adds Black side burns
        Flavor-Black - Adds a small "Flavor-Savor" beard.
        Stache-Md-Black - Adds a Medium thickness black mustache.
        Balding-Black - joins the main hairdo with the side burns.
        Parted-Black - Adds the main hairdo - Short and Parted on the side.

These steps are sequentially demonstrated in the following animated example:

Naturally, you will want to create your own face by selecting the features you want. Once you have the look you want, it's time to save your custom skin. To finish this process, Proceed to the next step!

Step 4: Saving Face! (Sorry... ...another Pun)

Saving your creation is very simple as long as you follow the instructions exactly. In this example, we will be saving a face named "WHATEVER". The final file name will be:

C003MAlgt_Whatever.bmp

Notice that the part of the file name that is highlighted is the unique name of the skin. The remaining parts of the file name are required by the game to recognize this image.

IMPORTANT: You can only change the part that is highlighted in yellow. The rest of the file name MUST stay the same. Each template I present will have it's own naming convention. This name will be reflected in what ever the template is named. A few example names you could use are as follows:

C003MAlgt_Eddie_V.bmp
C003MAlgt_Johnny_O.bmp
C003MAlgt_Billie_01.bmp

Note: If you are going to name your custom skin something with a "blank space" in the name, you have to use an "underscore" (hold shift & press the "_" key, which is to the right of the zero (0) key. Do not use the "space bar". The game will not use the skin if you do.

Okay, now that we've explained the naming procedure, let's save your skin. Open the "FILE" menu in PhotoPlus 7, then select the "EXPORT OPTIMIZER..." menu item (as shown below):

This will open the "EXPORT OPTIMIZER" dialog window. Ensure the you have the following options selected:

          Format Field - Windows Bitmap
          Bit Depth -           8 (eight)
          Palette -           Optimized
          Dithering -           Error diffusion
          Compression -           None

The "EXPORT OPTIMIZER" dialog window should appear as follows:

Once you have all the settings correct, select the "EXPORT" button. This will display the "EXPORT" dialog window, as follows:

In the "FILE NAME:" field, enter the unique name that you have chosen to name your skin. In this example, we are calling the skin "C003MAlgt_Whatever.bmp". As stated before, only the "Whatever" part is unique. The rest of the file name stays the same for every skin you create with this template.

The next step involves saving the skin to the correct directory. This skin needs to be in your Sims "Skins" folder. If you installed the game to its default location, then the "skins" folder is located at:

C:\Program Files\Maxis\The Sims\GameData\Skins\

The location will appear in Windows Explorer as follows:

Once you have named the new skin and selected the correct folder (skins) to save it to, select the "EXPORT" button to save your new skin.

GUESS WHAT?
YOU JUST MADE YOUR OWN CUSTOM SKIN!
AREN'T YOU PROUD OF YOURSELF?
YOU SHOULD BE!

Step 5: Enjoy Your New Skin!!!

Everything up to this point has been child's play. Fortunately, so is the remaining step!

To start using your custom skin, close PhotoPlus 7, then start The Sims. At the main neighborhood screen, select the "Family Creation" icon. Ensure that the following Sim type is selected:

Male - Light Skinned

Cycle through the available heads until your custom skin is displayed, and then select the body you want to use (I'll be providing Body templates later). Finish the family creation process and you're ready to play!

NOW GO HAVE FUN...

...And don't forget to tell everyone that
you are a very talented Sim Skinner!