WIP: Pop-A-Capsule

We are ON A ROLL with making mods for The Sims 4! To be honest, we have wanted to create mods since way back in 2023, but we were intimidated by scripting and coding —mind you, we are a graphic designer and an interior designer who had never touched a codebase before. However, after our first-ever recipe mod in Asobi Part 4, we’ve stepped up with another project: a Gachapon (toy dispenser) machine!

⚠️Warning: Lengthy post ahead! 📜

A lot of you on Tumblr have asked about our texturing process, so we wanted to take the opportunity to show it off in this WIP, plus a little bit of the modding logic.

The Concept

We always start with reference images. Our concept is a "Japanese retro gamecore" collection, so we wanted something with an arcade/convenience store/kawaii vibe 🎀. We browsed through photos to capture that energy and went from there.

Modeling

Once we locked in our favorite gacha machine design, we worked nonstop from the block-out to the high-poly model. If you notice, the high-poly models are 600,000 triangles, while the game-ready version is only 700 triangles! We still need those high-detail models to "bake" all those yummy details into the textures.

The Texturing Process

We usually bake these maps in Substance Painter:

• Normal Map: This holds all the bumpy details, cracks, and crevices that the low-poly version doesn't have. (We also bake a World Space Normal, which has more lighting info but is similar to the standard Normal).

• Color ID Map: Used for quickly masking while texturing; occasionally we still hand-paint these.

• Ambient Occlusion (AO): This has all the shadow and highlight info packed in, giving the model realistic depth instead of looking flat.

• Curvature Map: This is the "secret ingredient" for our Maxis Match look—it creates those white edge lines you see on official in-game models!

The real work starts after the baking phase. This is where we add colors, materials, and the "spice" that makes the object come alive.

Labeling & Graphics

For this Gachapon, the labels are the star of the show. Our process is flexible: we jump between Substance Painter and Photoshop. In Substance, we keep graphic elements simple and easy to modify (like Simlish text or basic shapes), while complex illustrations—like the toys and capsules—are done in Photoshop since it has more specialized tools. All these elements are either handmade by us or downloaded from royalty-free resources.

Finalizing the Mod

After texturing, we combine everything in Sims 4 Studio: the maps, the models, and the script. We’ll spare you the tedious scripting talk, but to simplify: to give this machine functions like interaction animations, sims reactions, and inventory mechanics, we had to "borrow" logic from existing objects. We used the vending machine and looting mechanics from the game and modified them to work for a Gachapon (gacha price might change in final release lol).

For now, the rewards we are using for this machine are toys from base game, but we have big plans to create our own custom collectibles to add in the future! 🧸

Bonus Features

We also added object slot on top of machine so they can be stacked! This is perfect for creating a convenience store vibe for you grocery-loving Simmers. Or, if your Sim is more of an introvert, you can put one in their room and add clutter on top to make it feel homey.

We love sharing our journey as we continue to learn new things. This is the first time we’ve made a functional object mod, which is a huge milestone for us! Thank you all for the kind support and keeping us going❤️.

Release Details

Time: 22/04 at 11:11 PM ICT

We’re so excited to see these in your game! 🖥️

— Chang & Yena