3d model for .dds files from sims 4 help/ponder/confused

Question

Hello all, im just starting out with creating clothes etc for sims 4 and im wondering just what is possible within PS cc. I am able to change textures, layers channels etc of the .dds files but as it stands they are done on a flat surface, my friend has informed me of the amazing possibilities of ps when it comes to 3d modelling. Now what im wondering is can i use the skin mesh that i have managed to get hold of for sims 4 within photo shop as what can best be described as a tailors dummy to place the clothes upon within PS. If it is where do i place the mesh files within the ps folders and how do i get ps to see that the .dds file is tobe placed upon the dummy.
Now if considering the above is doable am i then able to alter the mesh of the clothes items but not effect the dummy as i want the dummy tobe none intractable and unchangeable and only the .dds file i am working on tobe altered. Im also wondering if this is infact possible if it is possible to create items from scratch also from within ps using the technique.
  Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

There are two ways to create clothing one is to create a mesh and animate it like Brett mentioned, the other is to use the same mesh and apply a UV Mapped texture to that mesh like poser allows. The difference is one requires a body that has no protruding parts (I'll leave it like that) as they would show through, the other can have a mesh that is away from the body and have thickness to it which can handle protruding parts.
That said creating UV mapped textures in photoshop is fairly strait forward. Where as meshes can be created in photoshop, but it is very rudimentary in how it creates the meshes. It lacks the fine details of point modeling which can help in pushing and pulling of the polygons to make sure it lays correctly. Photoshop as Brett mentioned lack the more advanced animation techniques needed to force the mesh to animate with the underlying mesh.
What I recommend is that you look at the free app called blender you can find it through google. It can do what you need, even if it is a bit weird for a user interface. For paid programs, I recommend looking at poser (Daz has a free version {called Daz studio} that is similar to poser but lacks a few features) Poser can animate a mesh give it bones, etc. But lack modeling features that are required that blender can handle.
Newtek's Lightwave or Luxology (now called the foundry I guess) has modo which is very similar to lightwave but is more modeling heavy than animation heavy, whereas lightwave is the opposite. Both companies were one at one time, I don't know about the split, but that's how modo came to be. Either of these two companies can and will exceed anything you need. Both are extremely fast compared to blender, poser, daz studio or photohshop when it comes to modeling, animating, rendering and some texturing. The textures in these apps have two flavors procedural (math based) and image based. Kind of like comparing photoshop to illustrator, that can do similar things, but each has their strengths and weaknesses.
Something else to look at is UV mapper. It now costs it use to be free years ago. it will take a UV map and help arrange the map so that it is easier to create a uv texture in an image editor like photoshop.
I decided to add a few links. Hope this helps a bit.
The Foundry Community :: About The Foundry
LightWave - Production Proven
DAZ 3D | Free 3D software and content
blender.org - Home of the Blender project - Free and Open 3D Creation Software
UVMapper - UV Mapping Software