Advertising Outside The Box

How do you do this? Is it difficult?

I would love to hear more about selling on SIMS, too. As for me, I recently set up my account on FAA and am uploading my images and digital artwork. I will soon be "launching" this online store to my Facebook network. Has FAA been a good sales outlet for you? I'd love to hear everyone's experiences, and how you all improved traffic to your sites. Thanks!

Sharon, it's far less cumbersome than it used to be for TS2 and TS3. All you need is the game, a program called Sims 4 Studio - http://sims4studio.com - and a graphics editor (i.e. Photoshop, GIMP) that can handle DDS format image files. The tutorials on the Sims 4 Studio website are very easy to follow. Then when you're done, you can upload your creation to a Sims modding site. I've been with Mod the Sims since 2006 and have been very happy with them.

Heidi, I just started here in February of last year, and I've had some good success so far. The key is to focus your efforts outside the site to bring people in rather than waiting for them to find you. You'll be waiting a long time, unfortunately. We're all small fish in a very big pond here, but it's a nice place to be. No complaints from me.

April,

I was thinking of making a video. I have ten works up now. I might add one work early next week.
I will need possibly a few more. I have a truly beautiful PD piece of music I can set as
the background music in a video on YouTube. And as I plan this, I have developed a need to know how.

I think on YouTube, I read that YouTube offers the software to do this. Is
that right? Is the software good enough? What would you suggest?

As for the Sims is there a good somewhat lengthy report on how many designers etc
are using that software or those apps? Can you point us to the better literature on what
going into creating for the Sims? Not extensively, I know you are busy, but a primer?

Dave

April,

I was typing and proof reading as you posted.

Can PSD files be converted in PS into DDS? And then back again?

What are the problems with that? Does DDS support layers and transparencies?

Dave

David, DDS are very low res and lossy. You should never do your editing in DDS format; it should always be converted as a last step in the process. No, it does not support layers and transparencies. Separate alpha files are included in the game files for adjusting transparency in-game. PS can convert to DDS, though it may require a plug-in, depending on the version you are using.

Regarding the videos, that sounds like a great idea. I'm not familiar with the Youtube software. I use Camtasia and I love it. Highly recommended.

April,

Thanks for your time and help.

I am using PS CC 2015. I can get further into this from here for myself as time permits.
It may be a few months, but I will ask you for the link you just posted above.That way I will
see their format first. Or I will search out this thread.

Do you have any literature or reports on how many architects and ID are using Sims?
I'd like to have some feel for what the market looks like? And personally how much feedback over
the course of the years have you gotten? Roughly, I dont want to hog your time.

Do you post videos using Camtasia on YouTube? I have to assume you are, but I thought I would still ask.
Are you paying for Camtasia?

Dave

David, I'm not aware of any reports on the numbers of architects and designers that play the game, I only know from experience in the forums, having met a surprisingly inordinate amount of them there, and from seeing quite a few groups dedicated to architects and builders who play the game on various modding sites. It seemed worth investing the time to me, so that ought to tell you something. I can't really compare the feedback I've received from my other creations to this new upload. I've never uploaded my artwork for the game before, only 3D meshes of furniture and decor items. I have, however, sold some artwork to Simmers who saw some of my early work. I guess only time will tell if anything comes of it now or not.

Yes, I post my videos made with Camtasia on YouTube - you can see them in my Time-lapse Digital Painting Videos gallery here. I bought it for about $100 and I would pay it again in a heartbeat. Great for screen capture. However, if all you want to do is create slideshows, there are less expensive programs without the screen capture function. No use in paying for functions you won't use.

April,

thanks for all the feedback.

While Sims will have to wait, I may well get involved later.

My practices are back and forth in how I make a work. I could do time lapse, but
it is not my thing. I dont want to post on FB each move or make a long list of blog postings.

I may well change my mind later, but for now I have far too many small details to finish up, and
new art to plan.

I know I should probably have a long list of blog entries posted over the next few years. I know.

So one last question, are you finding a different way to market your videos?

Cya tomorrow...

Dave

Sounds like a great idea, but I don't have a game system, (can't decide which one to get) and the Sims game has never appealed to me...frankly I think it's a little creepy :P

I think it sounds cool! lol now if only I could get someone to do it for me :P

I'm just an ignorant old country boy - I'm with Nicole.

Very cool

now that is clever and with your talents obviously well done!
how steep is the learning curve if one never has set a foot in the simsworld?

Nice April! My initial thought was the target market doesn't buy anything - expects everything to be free and doesn't look up from their flat screens long enough to consider buying art. But you make a good point about builders/designers being part of the audience.

A bit of marketing I've been doing - we've been clearing out some clutter and selling stuff on Ebay. I had some mini fliers made from Moo. They have a coupon code on them and I've been tossing them into the boxes. Any time you find someone who buys online, they are a great prospect.

April that's brilliant! Do you create assets for other games as well? Do you sell your low poly assets separately or are they format specific for the Sims? What you're creating looks amazing, and I hope not only does the sims content sell like hotcakes for you, but that it generates some new followers and buyers for your artwork!

@David, I bought an inexpensive tablet to display my videos on a continuous loop at my gallery. People seem to be drawn to them; they like seeing the process. Plus, it saves me from having to answer 'what exactly is digital painting?' a million times.

@JL, I thought the same thing before I tried it. I found out I liked creating stuff for it much more than I like playing it. Now I hardly play it at all, but I like to see pictures of my creations in other people's games. It's amazing what some people come up with.

@Nicole, you did, remember? http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=541853 :)

@Roy, you'd be surprised at how many old country boys play the game.

@JC, thank you.

@Menega, with the tools the modding community have developed, recoloring existing game meshes is not difficult at all. If you know how to copy from one file and paste in another in your image editor, you're pretty much golden. The harder part is creating your own meshes and importing them into the game. That's what I enjoy the most, but TS4 is so new that those tools haven't been developed just yet. It's only a matter of time.

@Edward, you'd be surprised at just how broad of an audience the Sims franchise reaches, many who've been playing since the Sims 1 days. Lots of 30, 40, 50+ year olds, but also lots of teens who may not buy anything now, but who may remember me later on when they are looking for something to decorate the walls of their homes. Video games can engender strong feelings of nostalgia. I have a friend who decorates his apartment with posters of 8-bit game characters because that's what he grew up with.

Those mini-flyers are a great idea, especially for your customers that order your dog photos. What a clever tie-in! I've used them for clients to toss out at parades before. They were a big hit.

@Cynthia, I don't sell my low poly meshes. They're made in Milkshape, so they could be imported into other games, but I haven't pursued turning it into a lucrative venture. Maybe if this art thing doesn't pan out... ;)

If it's not to much to ask, what's the payment model for this? It's certainly an interesting idea, and clearly spiffs up the Sims homes, which as I recall back when I messed around with the game some were rather sparse.

ok, i see, thank you!

@Joshua, the TS4 base game will set you back about $70, but that is the only thing you would have to purchase. The Sims 4 Studio tool is free, as is GIMP or paint.net for image editing if you don't have Photoshop.

@Menega, check out the tutorials on Sims 4 Studio - http://sims4studio.com - if you're interested in learning more. They are very easy to follow.

Oh so you need to have a copy of Sims4 to produce for it?

What I was asking btw was what do you get paid.

@Joshua, selling work that uses EA/Maxis files as a basis is a violation of the EULA. This in itself is not for profit, it is for marketing purposes.

Is this something just for digital art? It sounds like fun.

To answer your other question about what are we doing to get through the upcoming slump of February, I'm hoping to have 30 new pieces of art ready to auction off on my daily paintworks site. They'll be smalls. My February is usually not bad. I seem to struggle to get sales through March or April. I'll be doing the same for those months too.

My biggest problem is not having enough product. Changing that this year.

What your doing sounds really cool, April. I hope you get the sales in return for your efforts. It sure is a creative angle and seems a bit ahead of the game. No pun intended.

I see.

@Jani, you can use any kind of art you like. You just need a digital file, but it doesn't have to be big. The in-game image files are generally no larger than 512x512 @ 72ppi.

Wow, a painting a day! I can't imagine. Good for you! I'm sure you'll find lots of interested buyers. Small boutique pieces like that seem to fly off the walls at my gallery. I'm thinking of investing in some gallery minis for my inventory, too.

I'm building up to it, haha. Paintings and drawings. Not easy to do a painting a day. So far I have three for February. Wait, two. One sold already. Painting more today and tomorrow. The goal is to have done 28 by the end of February, but things come up so we will see.

Update: I made the homepage as a "Trending Upload":



400 downloads and counting.