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Beginner - Game Setup & Cropping
The first challenge is here! We’re going to keep this nice and simple to move things along quickly.
This first challenge is based off of my Game Setup (S4 Edition) tutorial because game setup is extremely important. If you want more info on other mods, etc. then I recommend reading the tutorial during your free time. Also, if you use Sims 3 let me know and I’ll grab the related items for you. For this challenge we have a total of 5 small parts for you to look at, with 4 being about the game and 1 is about cropping. I will explain your assignment (what you turn in) at the end.
Part 1: Recommended mods (to review during free time)
Mods are very important for editors. They make things easier and improve the game so we do less editing, like the CAS Lighting Overhaul by LumiaLoverSims. That mod removes that awful blue and green highlight from CAS so your CAS shots can look good and you don’t get marked down for lighting. The mods I list below are what I recommend for improved pictures and workflow. There are others I would recommend too, but they either are broken or have been removed. For more options and other useful mods and tools, check out the tutorial. The names should speak for themselves about what the mod does but click on the links for more info if you are confused.
Time Saving:
Lighting/Quality:
- CAS Lighting Overhaul V1 (Neutral Spotlight) OR CAS Lighting Overhaul V2 (Immersive Lighting - No Backlight)
- Indoor NoBlu
- Outdoor/World NoBlu (requires updating yourself)
- NoGlo
- Reshade (you need to find presets, like from Katverse) OR SweetFX OR Just Sharper SweetFX
Photoshoot:
- Lumia’s CAS Backgrounds (With added Blob Remover)
- Backdrop from Severinka OR Kewai Dou’s Backdrop
- Recolors for Severinka’s Backdrop
- Poseplayer
- Teleport Any Sim
Your settings should be as high as your computer can allow it, especially for photoshoots. However, if you never do in-game shots you can adjust certain settings so your sim is great quality while ignoring everything else!
Here is what your settings should look like if your computer allows it and you do in-game shots along with regular photoshoots. If your computer can’t handle the high settings, medium is your next best option, but make sure your Sim settings always take priority. Or you can turn your settings on high for photoshoots, turn them low when playing.
- Fullscreen Mode – make sure your max screen resolution is selected. Do NOT take pictures in windowed mode. It will squish your images down and lower the quality. I am unsure of the “Windowed fullscreen” though, so use that option at your own risk.
- Post Processing effects – unticked/unchecked/unselected (This is to remove the blur in the distance. Or use the mod instead.)
- Uncompressed Sim Textures – ticked/checked/selected (This will increase your quality and remove that fuzzy look from sims.)
- Laptop Mode – unticked/unchecked/unselected
- Sims – Very High
- Objects – High
- Lighting – Very High
- Reflections – High
- Visual Effects – High
- Edge Smoothing – High
- 3D Scene Resolution – High
- View Distance – High
But if you don’t do in-game shots for whatever reason and only do CAS and photoshoots, here are the settings you need to focus on. They will make your sim look good and solve most quality issues. Everything else can be set low, but you still need full screen and max resolution.
- Uncompressed Sim Textures – ticked/checked/selected (This will increase your quality and remove that fuzzy look from sims.)
- Laptop Mode – unticked/unchecked/unselected
- Sims – Very High
- Lighting – Very High
- Edge Smoothing – High
See, almost done! Told you this was quick. Next is your photoshoot building. Normally I would recommend a modeling save too, but that is best if your game takes a while to load, you need room for set building, or if you also occasionally do in-game shots. A modeling save is clear of buildings and in a versatile environment, with only your model(s) and your photoshoot building present in the beginning.
For your photoshoot building you just need a box. Make a decently sized box so your backdrop has room to sit, place a roof, etc. and you’re good to go for the building. Or you can treat your models and add a mansion, clear out a space and use that as your photoshoot room. Either works! (I use a mansion, lol.)
https://i.imgur.com/bXn24qc.png
You can also be free of a photoshoot building and take pictures outside. I only recommend that if you know what you’re doing when editing to correct the lighting and properly remove them from the background, so for beginners stick with the photoshoot building.
Part 4: Lighting
Your building is not done yet as it still needs lighting! This is the main focus of the challenge, besides cropping, because good lighting is important to minimize editing. A lot of people don’t realize that when starting out and we see all kinds of weird lighting going on.
First, keep in mind that there are different types of lighting for different situations and that lighting affects skin tones, poses, and CC differently, so you may need to adjust the lighting based on the sim. One type of lighting is neutral lighting for those who want to do their own lighting/shadows. You generally won’t need this type of lighting until you are Intermediate, or you feel like practicing before then. Then there is, what I would call at least, basic lighting that gives you enough brightness and shadows to work with majority of backgrounds. There are others, but for now we’re just going to cover these two.
The first lighting we’re going to cover is neutral. I don’t recommend using regular lights (lamps, wall lamps, etc.) in your photo studio because they cause problems in numerous ways. One is that they frequently get in the way, two is that they don’t have a large radius, etc. So, we’re going to be using debug lights for this tutorial, and later at least one ceiling lamp (I’ll explain why). I recommend getting familiar with debug lights because if you ever do in-game shots they are a life saver.
Of course, you’ll need the cheat first to get to the lights. Once in-game with a built photo studio and placed sim and backdrop, hit Ctrl + Shift + C and type in testingcheats true. Then type in bb.showhiddenobjects. You can also copy/paste the codes I listed. If you are using the cheat shortcut mod, just use the shortcuts it lists. Head to the lighting section and the debug lights will be in “Misc”. I recommend using the Debug filter so they are easier to find. I’ve marked everything in the pic below.
https://i.imgur.com/uNMjZdk.png
The lights we are mainly using are the massive 3x3 lights marked below, and the 2x2 ceiling light.
https://i.imgur.com/Vv04c5q.png
https://i.imgur.com/JIBlMTM.png
Select the wall light first and then flip it by tapping , or . twice. For some reason these wall lights come out backwards and the light source is actually facing you. Keep this in mind for all future uses of the debug wall lights. Anyways, then place the lights similar to what I did below. I show the light placements at several angles to help you. There are different ways to achieve neutral lighting, so if this is too complicated you can experiment on your own. I did mine this way to account for the brightness of the lights, and to ensure that majority of the shadows and highlights were eliminated to give me as much neutral lighting as possible. I also want her well-lit and not too dark or bright, because a brightness/contrast filter can’t fix everything (please keep that in mind for all lighting).
https://i.imgur.com/wNlJW50.png
https://i.imgur.com/UltFUTc.png
And if I need to I can also make her brighter or darker by bringing any of these lights closer or further. I generally leave the side lights alone though as they are meant to keep the side shadows at bay.
Here is another neutral lighting I did back in the day, but with an orange toned ceiling light (on lowest setting, otherwise the orange is too bright). The orange light is great for giving those pale sims a bit of color and helps eliminate the washed-out tone some sims get from just white lighting. Colored lights can also be useful for blending sims into backgrounds if you are still unfamiliar with editing and filters, such as a blue and green light for an underwater shot. There are all kinds of uses, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
https://i.imgur.com/MFehHQJ.png
Again, remember to adjust the intensity, otherwise it will be too strong. To get to the colored lights and decrease the intensity, click on the light and select “Set Color And Intensity” and then “This Light”. This will bring up a menu with different colors and a Dimmer setting. The left of the Dimmer slider is the lowest setting, right is highest. There are also a few colored debug lights that came with Jungle Adventure that you could try using, but there is no Dimmer setting.
https://i.imgur.com/yS2JPpV.png
https://i.imgur.com/kythQ5b.png
https://i.imgur.com/zAqbTbE.png
Next is basic lighting, which is easily achieved with fewer lights. Here I use only one 3x3 wall light, one 3x1 ceiling light, and a regular ceiling light with low-middle intensity to help with brightness. I placed them as such. By the way, if the ceiling lamp is too low adjust the wall height!
https://i.imgur.com/e38PsBO.png
Not only is she now slightly brighter, but she has noticeable highlights and shadows. Besides maybe adjusting the brightness to be lower, this is perfect for most well-lit backgrounds when you are a beginner. Remember, poses, CC, and skin tones can affect the way the lighting looks and may need to be adjusted.
https://i.imgur.com/qVOvGyY.png
Also, remember to experiment! An extra tip is that you can use in-game lighting to prepare your sims for dynamic light backgrounds. For example, if the light in the background is behind your sim and to the right, you can place lights in a similar spot in-game to get similar lighting. Just like the colored lights, this will help your sim blend and look more natural.
Part 5: Cropping/Body Shots
Next is cropping, aka body shot types. I’m still seeing people struggle with this, so let’s cover this in detail. The info below is from my Assignment Terms and Requirements tutorial. If you find yourself struggling with terms and requirements/brief still, I recommend giving it a read.
We are going to start with the face and make our way to full body.
Other Known Names: Close-Up; Face Portrait (Do not confuse this with the Head Shot Portrait)
Incorrect Names: Head Shot
Description:
This is a very close shot of the head to get a clear and detailed shot of the models face and skin. Usually used for skin care ads, some makeup or hair ads, and usually just a request from the host for applications or another type of assignment. Long hair is suited for this type of shot as a frame, it looks better and doesn’t leave an empty space behind the model’s head.
Do cut-off:
Most of the head and hair to get in really close, and the rest of the body.
Do not cut-off:
Try to avoid the chin and the rest of the face if possible.
https://i.imgur.com/FbKxfHy.png
Other Known Names: Portrait
Incorrect Names: Face Shot
Description:
Shot of the models head, starting under the clavicle or top of shoulders and up.
Do cut-off:
Everything under the clavicle/shoulders.
Do not cut-off:
The top of the head (including hair), the face, and tips of shoulder if you can help it. If the arms are above or around the head, do not cut them or the fingers off.
https://i.imgur.com/8nRCYxj.png
Other Known Names: Top Shot; Bust Shot
Incorrect Names: Head Shot
Description:
Shot ending directly after the chest but above the belly by quite a bit. Rarely used.
Do cut-off:
Everything under the chest.
Do not cut-off:
The head, and arms and fingers if they are above the chest.
https://i.imgur.com/AwKgmdS.png
Other Known Names: 1/2 shot; Hips shot; Belly or Waist shot if moved
Incorrect Names: Partial Shot; 3/4 Shot
Description:
Shot ends at the hips when a 1/2 shot, but can be moved up to the waist or belly depending on what the host wants. The belly/waist shot is and can be its own crop, so make sure you understand what the host is saying when reading the requirements. Also, this can sometimes be a confusing shot due to misinformation, with people cutting off at the hips instead of the waist and vice versa. I’ve included a diagram of both males and females so you can familiarize yourself with the regions and avoid mistakes.
Diagram
Spoiler
https://i.imgur.com/RQdXMQE.png
Do cut-off:
Everything under the hips.
Do not cut-off:
Arms and fingers if above the shot area, though if the fingers are only missing a few inches below the cutoff, move the camera further down to capture the rest of them. Do not cut off the head either.
https://i.imgur.com/4jq8SLW.png
Other Known Names: 3/4 Shot
Incorrect Names: Half Shot
Description:
Known to be one of most confusing shots, but the second most common compared to full body shots. Ends right above or right below the knees, never directly on the knees! Can be cropped at mid-thigh as well. Also, do not cut off the body at the ankles, low shins/calves, toes, or feet! It is an awkward way to cut/crop the image, and wouldn’t be correct if you’re past the area directly below the knee.
Do cut-off:
Everything directly under the knee.
Do not cut-off:
Head, and arms and fingers.
https://i.imgur.com/b00zBjc.png
Other Known Names: Body Shot; Full Length (Shot)
Incorrect Names: ~
Description:
The entire body is shown in one whole piece.
Do cut-off:
Nothing!
Do not cut-off:
Everything! All limbs, toes, fingers, and the head must be present to fulfill the requirement. Anything cut, whether it partially be the toes, fingers, head, heel, etc. will result in loss of points.
https://i.imgur.com/t6TKVMD.png
Other Known Names: Any Shot; Hips and Up; Partial and Up; Etc.
Incorrect Names: ~
Description:
When a host says something along the lines of “Partial and Up”, they mean that any form of shot is okay as long as it doesn’t go past the areas they mentioned. So for “Partial and Up” you can do a head shot, hips shot, partial shot, or chest shot.
Do cut-off:
The one you choose determines what you can cut-off.
Do not cut-off:
As usual the head, arms and fingers, and toes if a full body shot, etc.
https://i.imgur.com/5xdexEB.png
(Note: I made this quickly. I believe the only mishap is that the hips line should be slightly higher, but not by much.)
https://i.imgur.com/PnueE9v.png
Assignment
The assignment for this challenge is to turn in 2 well-lit crops of your choice, preferably ones you have never done before or struggle with. Full body shots are obviously the easiest ones, so I recommend avoiding that one to ensure you get enough practice with the others. Poses and styling are up to you, and no need for editing! This is just an in-game shot to show that you have correct lighting and understand body cropping.
And that’s it! I hope you all enjoyed this challenge, and if you have any feedback, questions, or concerns just post or message me. Thanks for reading!
Due Date: December 28th
