Making Poses With Blender Part I - Preparation

 This is a step that you will only need to do the first time, but if for some reason something is not working while you are trying to make a pose for the first time, you might want to check that you have everything set up correctly.

 

 Menu

A - What you will need to download and install
B - Configuring Blender
C - Creating a working folder

A - What you will need to download and install

- S3PE

You can find the updates on Simlogical along with tutorials.
- Blender

Version 2.63 is stable, I have not checked 2.64 yet as it wasn't compatible until now. Make sure you download the correct version: Windows 64 can run 32 bits programs, but the other way around doesn't work. I am going to post my settings, and if some other pose makers want to give other stables settings I will add them. But I will not help anymore if you just try random settings and come ask why it's not working.

- A's Animation Plugin for Blender and rig files

I am using this animation plugin along with those sims and pets rigs.
More information about this subject in my update.
Please do not decompress both rigs in the same folder to tell me after you cannot find the child/toddler rig or that you keep opening a pet rig instead. My tutorial tells you to keep them in separate folders.
- Becks Best's rig for pregnancy
Optional - I have not tested it yet but it is in my rig folder waiting to be used.
- Buhudain's rig files for male/female adults in Blender
Optional - If you want to try using a different rig, this one shows muscles on the body

- Cmomoney's Pose Player

To be able to test and play the pose in game. I assume you already have it and know how to use it.

B - Configuring Blender

 Whenever you open Blender, the logo will appear. Just click your mouse anywhere on the logo to close it and use the logiciel. Do not worry if your window behind isn't exactly like mine, it will be different when we will be working on poses.

Now we want to install A's plugin so that we can get to make our poses. To do so, you will have to check the menu top left and go to "File > User Preferences..." Which you can also access by holding CTRL+ALT+U

The Blender User Preferences window will pop up. Make sure you are on the "Addon" tab then look at the bottom left to find "Install Addon..."

You will have to use the left side of the new window to browse through your computer to the location where you saved the animation plugin. Select the zip file then click "Install Addon..." again on the top right of the screen.
Be sure to use the .zip file, it will not work if you unzip it before, you won't be able to enable it.

You will be sent back to the previous page, with all the list of addons installed. Type "S3" in the search box on the top left, now only the animation plugin will be showing. Check the box next to it before pressing "Save As Default" so you won't have to do it again, at least not until you decide to get a new version of Blender.

C - Creating a working folder

 This will get your files more organized. 

There is no 'default' way to do it, make it so that you can find whatever you look for right away.

Here is how I did it:

I installed my folder on my desktop to access it more easily. I could have put it with my other creations folder and create a shortcut to the desktop, but I decided to keep it separate.

In it I have five other folders:

- Pose Making

--> Blank Poses

--> Items

--> Pets Rigs

--> Sims Rigs

--> Poses

---- About the blank poses

As we will see in Part II, we have to clone specific clips in two different locations of EA folder (depending if we want to work on a sim or pet pose). However Kaleeko created a file with all of the exisiting base clips in a single package. It beats having to go through it all the time. I will show you how to use it in the next part.

Kaleeko has been reuploading her file, you can find it here.

--- About the items folder

I keep in there package files of items/furniture I want to use in a pose. Mine includes various weapons, instruments and some furniture such as chair, sofa, car, ... anything you would want to use as accessory, even if it wasn't created as such but for decoration.

---- About the rigs

Along with A's animation plugin, if you followed my instructions you downloaded two other zip files. You could have them in a single folder, but it makes more sense to me to seperate them, it's easier to find the ones you are looking for.

--- About the poses folder

This is where I temporarily keep the poses or packs I am working on until they are done. In sub-folders I have all the files that have been used for the creation of the pose (from the clip to the package file), and screenshots of how it looks like in game.

When I will have made sure the pose is done, I will move it to where I keep all my creations along with preview images created and anything I will have prepared and uploaded as backup. Feel free to do it as you see fit, it is your own organisation now.

See you soon for Part II !!