Heads up - Graphic Issues

[Kiri]

If your game suddenly loses resolution, or won't let you increase beyond 800x600 in screen size - don't panic.

Windows update has messed with the graphics specs.

I'm working on a fix over at Leefish, and hope to have a solution.

So let me know if you come across this. If you don't then that's fine, don't worry about it.

[Sylphide]

The PC I play my Sims with is equiped with XP.
Does the update affect every version of Windows?

[Kiri]

No I don't think so. You should be ok. If you're not - let me know cause I can fix it now.

[Sylphide]

My game looks just fine.

[Kiri]

Yay Margot!

[Lily]

I haven't played The Sims 2 in months due to University, but when I finally got some time over the game resolution is at 800X600 while my screen is at 1600X900. Smooth edges is also greyed out -- everything else is on high.

I've got an Radeon HD 6800 series card and I've updated it's drivers. PLEASE HELP ME, KIRI!

[Kiri]

Lily this is because of a change that Windows did.

If you go to your latest expansion pack folder in the Programs for these two folders -

\EA Games\<The Sims 2 - your latest expansion pack>\TSData\Res\CSConfig\
\EA Games\<The Sims 2 - your latest expansion pack>\TSData\Res\Config\

Save Graphics Rules.sgr file somewhere safe.

Then add the line

seti textureMemory 1744

into the Graphic Rules just after

seti cpuLevelHigh 2800
seti cpuLevelMedium 2200
seti cpuLevelLow 1000
seti cpuLevelUnsupported 0

# Kiri - manually setting texture memory
seti textureMemory 1744

then include them in both folders. I hope this makes sense,

If it doesn't, that ok. If you send me 'Graphics Rules.sgr' and your config-log.txt from the logs folder in your game. I'll set it up for you and send them back to you to add.

celebkiriedhel#@#yahoo.com

[Lily]

Thank you! It worked perfectly!

[Kiri]

Yay! Glad to hear Lily!

[Moon]

OH MY GOD THANK YOU. I have been scouring the internet looking for a solution to no avail. I didn't want to come straight here and ask because it has been so long since I have been here to visit. My life has just been so screwed up and I haven't played in months. I really hope this works as I need an escape, desperately. Thank you!!

ETA: Does it need to be for just the most recent expansion, or do stuff packs count? So am I using Apartment Life or Mansion and Garden?

[Kiri]

You're using Mansion and Garden. If you have a look at your config-log.txt it actually lists M&G as EP9. (Which I think tells you something about that particular stuff pack).

[Moon]

Ok that's what I figured. Does the new line go in directly under the existing text as though it is part of the set cpulevel string, or should there be a gap or a"#" or ??

I've not got it open in front of me now (at the hospital with dad) otherwise I would copy and paste my example.

Also, to access that .sgr file can I just change the file to a .txt extension and change it back? That's what I did attempting a different workaround but not sure if it works properly that way?

Finally (lots of questions, I know) can I change one file and just paste to both folders or are they slightly different and I need to put each version in its specific file?

Sorry for all the questions!

[Kiri]

you don't need to change the suffix type to be able to edit it in notepad.

Instead of open or edit, choose open with...

Then choose notepad. It saves you naming and renaming it.

Let me copy and paste my example for you...


#############################################################################
#
# Constants
#

seti Off 0
seti On 1

seti Low 1
seti Medium 2
seti High 3

seti MediumButDefaultLow 4

seti memoryLevelHigh 512
seti memoryLevelMedium 384
seti memoryLevelLow 256
seti memoryLevelUnknown 0

if ( match("${osVersion}","*NT 6.0*") or match("${osVersion}", "*NT 5.1*"))
seti cpuLevelHigh 3000
seti cpuLevelMedium 2600
seti cpuLevelLow 2000
log $logGroup $logLevelInfo "Setting cpu level for Vista."
else
seti cpuLevelHigh 2800
seti cpuLevelMedium 2200
seti cpuLevelLow 1450
log $logGroup $logLevelInfo "Setting cpu level for non-Vista."
endif

seti cpuLevelUnsupported 0

# Kiri - manually setting texture memory
seti textureMemory 2000

The bit in bold is the bit you add.
anything that has a '#' as the first thing in the line is a comment, which means that the program ignores it. It's what programmers do to make a note about what they've changed, or what they're doing.

Once you've changed it one Graphics Rules.sgr you can use that file in both the config folder and the CSConfig folder of your Mansion and Gardens Stuff. You don't have to put it anywhere else.

[Sylphide]

OMG I am so happy I have XP so I don't have to do this! It really looks like "giberish" to me! Maybe because I'm only reading it and not doing it at the same time...
However my laptop died and I don't intend on having it repaired since I have an iPad and I didn't play Sims on the laptop. But when Microsoft stops updating and supporting XP, I am going to have to change to W7 , for security. Then what? I guess I'll have to get my head cracked open to try and figure this out!

Modified for typo...

[Kiri]

No Margot. All you need to do is install your game - and you may need some help with that.

Then you go into it once, and come out of it again.

Then you send me the -config-log.txt from the log folder from your game, I work out what you need and set it up for you, send you the files you need and the location that you need to put it.

[Sylphide]

Did I tell you lately what an amazing web mistress you are? Even with Lyran's whip!

[Moon]

Kiri! I was finally able to sit down and do this. It works! My game WORKS again and is pretty! It wasn't just a case of screen resolution that it was messing with before, but I had other weird issues like houses being transparent as well as sims being partially transparent and all sorts of things, so this is amazing and I am so happy.

The bad news is that I had kind of set up my game in a way I liked before but in trying to fix the problem before I saw your solution, I screwed it all up. Guess I am off to find the tutorials on making your own townies again, LOL

[Lyran]

It's early morning here and I am very tired because the Aussies just nicked an hour. So, does this concern TS2 and Windows 7? Lovisa has this problem.

[Kiri]

Yes. This is about TS2 and Windows 7.

There is a thread at Leefish where I maintain a thread on fixing graphic problems there. That's probably the best place to go, because it has what you need to do spelt out with pictures.

Sims 2 and Graphics Cards - the fixes

[CharlieChomper]

For those running Sims2 in Windows 7--aside from having to make the above changes--is there anything else to be aware of or look out for with it? I'm currently playing on my old system, but am thinking about possibly installing it on my newer system to play. Also, given how long it's been since I last had to reinstall Sims2, I can't remember now the install order of expansion packs and stuff packs.