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What Is FaceLift Gold?
FaceLift Gold is a standalone Maxis tool that lets you create new Sim heads by morphing, blending, and generating variations from a pool of random starting faces. It was developed by Roger E. Critchlow Jr and Steve DiPaola. You do not need any 3D modelling knowledge to use it – the tool handles everything through sliders and button clicks.
FaceLift works by showing you a grid of nine randomly generated heads. You pick the one closest to what you want, then tell the tool to generate a new batch of nine heads based on your selection. Each generation gets you closer to your goal. Once you are happy, you fine-tune the facial features with sliders and export the result directly into your game.
Getting FaceLift Gold
Where to download and how to set it up
FaceLift Gold is a free tool originally distributed by Maxis. It is no longer on the official EA site but is hosted on community archive sites.
The Interface
What each button and slider does
When FaceLift opens, you see a grid of nine randomly generated heads and a toolbar along the left side. Here is what each control does:
Face windows
The nine face windows are the main area of the screen. Left-click on a face to select it as your starting point for the next generation. Right-click on a face to see it in a 3D close-up view where you can click and drag to rotate it. Right-click again to return to the main screen.
Mutation controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mutation Rate slider | Controls how different each new generation is from the one you selected. Slide it up for dramatic changes, down for subtle tweaks. Start high to explore, then lower it as you get closer to what you want. |
| Deform | New faces vary in 3D shape only (the geometry of the head and hair). Texture stays the same. |
| Blend | New faces vary in colour and texture only (skin tone, hair colour). Shape stays the same. |
| Deform and Blend | New faces vary in both shape and colour at the same time. |
Target controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Head | Changes apply to the head (face shape and/or skin) only. Hair stays the same. |
| Hair | Changes apply to the hair (hairstyle shape and/or colour) only. Face stays the same. |
| Head and Hair | Changes apply to both the head and hair together. |
Head, Hair, and Head and Hair are also a button group – only one can be active at a time. Combine them with the mutation controls to focus on exactly the aspect you want to change.
Other controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Reset Faces | Throws away the current set and generates a completely new set of nine random faces. |
| Back / Forward | Navigate through previous sets of faces, like a browser’s back and forward buttons. Handy if you accidentally click past a face you liked. |
| Fine Tune | Opens the Fine Tune screen for the currently selected face, where you can adjust individual features with sliders. See the Fine Tune section below. |
| Save | Saves the current set of nine faces so you can return to it later. Give it a name and click OK. |
| Recall | Loads a previously saved set of nine faces. |
| Export | Exports your selected face into the game. See Exporting to the Game below. |
Step-by-Step Workflow
From launch to finished head
Launch FaceLift Gold
Open the tool. You see a grid of nine randomly generated heads. If none of them look even remotely close to what you want, click Reset Faces to get a new set.
Pick the closest face
Left-click on whichever face is closest to your goal. It does not need to be perfect – just the best of the nine. Right-click any face to see it in 3D close-up before deciding.
Set your mutation controls
Before the next generation appears, choose what you want to change:
• Want to change the head shape but keep the skin/hair colour? Click Deform.
• Want to change the colour/texture but keep the shape? Click Blend.
• Want to change both? Click Deform and Blend.
Also choose your target: Head, Hair, or Head and Hair.
Set the Mutation Rate slider: high for dramatic changes (early on), low for subtle refinements (when you are close).
Click a face to generate the next round
FaceLift generates nine new variations based on your selected face and your mutation settings. Pick the best one again. Repeat this process – each round gets you closer to what you want.
Fine-tune the result
Once you have a face that is close, click Fine Tune to open the fine-tuning screen. Adjust the eyes, nose, cheek, and jaw with sliders. See the Fine Tune section below for details.
Export to the game
Click Export to save your finished head into the game. See Exporting to the Game below.
Fine Tune
Adjusting individual facial features
Click Fine Tune from the main screen to open the fine-tuning screen for your selected face. This screen has three sets of sliders, each activated by a button at the top:
Click one of the three buttons (Eyes, Nose, or Cheek and Jaw) to show that set of sliders, then move the sliders left and right until the face looks right. The changes appear on the face in real-time.
Exporting to the Game
Getting your finished head into Create-A-Sim
Once you are happy with your head, click the Export button. FaceLift asks you to set several properties before it saves:
Type a name for your face
Enter a descriptive name in the text field (e.g. “RedheadBob” or “SquareJaw”). FaceLift uses this as part of the filename it generates – you do not need to worry about the full filename format yourself, as FaceLift constructs it based on the age, skin tone, and gender you select in the next step.
Choose age, skin tone, and gender
Select Adult or Child, then Light, Medium, or Dark skin, then Male or Female. Your head will appear in the game under whichever combination you choose – for example, selecting Dark-skinned Adult Female means the head shows up in Create-A-Sim when making a dark-skinned adult female Sim.
Click Export
FaceLift saves the head files directly into your game folder with the correct filename format. The head appears in Create-A-Sim the next time you launch the game.