The Sims 4 boasts a vibrant modding community that has helped kept this decade-old release relevant even into 2025. And one of the top techniques for creating custom content has been a that you’ve probably heard mentioned more than a few times; but what exactly is frankenmeshing anyway?
Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds, but given how custom content from sites like The Sims Resource has kept The Sims 4 relevant, it’s still a cornerstone of modding.
What is a ‘mesh’ anyway?
To start off with what Frankenmeshing is, we need to know exactly what a mesh is. Essentially, most 3D models come in two parts, textures and meshes (yes, I know it’s more complex, but we’re doing broad strokes here). The texture is the ‘overlay’ or colour and, well, texturing of a 3D model, while the mesh is the actual shape of the object itself.
Frankenmeshing is, therefore, combining two or more meshes to create a ‘new’ object out of the sum of its parts. Fans of Bethesda’s Gamebryo releases such as The Elder Scrolls and Fallout will recognise the technique in action for easily kitbashing new content from existing pieces in-game.
Frankenmeshing in The Sims
Alright, so how is it used in The Sims, and can anyone do it? Well, yes! If you’ve got the time to spare that is. There’s a myriad of tutorials out there that show you how to perform frankenmeshing yourself in unofficial programmes such as Sims 4 Studio, guiding you through it step by step.
But why would you want to do it? Well, take a brief look at the tutorial below from Youtuber Sim Live and you’ll see why. By simply swapping around and manipulating different assets you can create something as seemingly complex as a new hairstyle with (relative) ease.
While frankenmeshing is not as easy as it may look, it’s certainly led to some great custom content over the years. But if you’re still totally new to modding as a whole, why not check out our guide to getting started modding The Sims 4 to get yourself started on exploring the world of community-created content?
A lifelong Maxis fan who grew up with SimCity 3000 and the lesser-known DS titles in the Sims catalogue, Iwan brings the obscure knowledge of things that have been and will be when it comes to The Sims.
