#tutorials

Hello, friends!

I reworked the ol' "Schweizer Guide to Spotting Tangents" lecture from my comics-teaching days, figured I'd share it here. If you want a free, printable PDF for yourself or to share (especially if you're an educator), you can find it at the bottom of this same lesson on my website.

So @elderwisp made an amazing post with a GREAT idea, and I couldn't simple ignore it. Here's my contribution to #simblrsagainstAI!

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► Programs & Resources:

Sims4Studio is the program we use to get our resources from the game and to make our package files. Photoshop is the image editing program we use to edit our image textures and previews, with some recurring to GIMP as well. You will need a DDS Plug-in so Photoshop can work on the DDS files that Sims4Studio utilizes, you can work with png files, but it's harder work. Blender is the free and mot common 3D mesh editor sims 4 creators use to work on their meshes. You can import add-ons to it, like Behemox Hair Generator, Mesh Repair Tools (both self explanatory) and Mio3, an UV editor tool. NJob is a great free tool you can utilize to make normal maps, essential to make your CC interact with different lighting in game.

Sims4Studio

Photoshop CC 2017

Blender

NJob

Photoshop DDS plug-in (place it in: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CC 2018\Plug-ins)

Behemox Hair Generator ($)

Mesh Repair Tools

Mio3

• (To install Blender add-ons: open Bender and drag the add-on file right into it!)

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► Tutorials:

Speed meshes are perfect for observation and learning! Reduce the speed on YouTube and watch how other people work. Try to replicate using your installed programs as an exercise!

Hair:

Speed Mesh by @meghewlett

Speed Mesh by @oakiyo

Hair Making by @aler-ii

Clothes: Tutorial by @simsina

Buy Mode: Tutorial by @sieory

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► Program Beginner Tutorials:

Getting to Know Blender (donut tutorial updated 2026)

How to Weight Map by @zeussim

How to make Uv_1 and how to Make a Specular Map by @zeussim

Beginner Guide to Photoshop

How to use NJob to make Normal Maps by @teanmoon

Beginner tutorial on Sims4Studio by @myaeomi-sims

Tip 1: @teanmoon has an entire blog full of EXTREMELY helpful tutorials for CC making. Check it out!

Tip 2: Always check the Sims 4 Studio Forum for a variety of tutorials on everything. Create your account and ask your questions as well! They're very helpful.

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► Miscellaneous:

My own Resources for Hair CC making

Powluna Tutorials on YouTube

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rainbow gradient above your main figure (i usually have all my main figure folders/layers in one big folder, so i can clip gradient maps + adjustments to it!). liquify tool to push the colors around a bit. STAY WITH ME I KNOW IT LOOKS STUPID RN I'M GOING SOMEWHERE WITH THIS

THEN: set it to add/glow (or the equivalent in ur drawing program), lower the opacity a bit, and apply a layer mask. then u can edit the mask with whatever tools you like to create rainbow highlights!!

in this case i'm mostly using the lasso fill tool to chip out little facets, but i've also done some soft airbrushing to bring in larger rainbow swirls in some areas. it's pretty subtle here, but you can see it better when i remove the gradient map that's above everything, since below i'm working in greyscale:

more granular rambling beneath the cut!

Working on another poster! Here's part 1: facial structure and eyes. Nose and ears up next.