Archived SOLVED Requests and Queries

They weren't default replacements when I originally had them installed in my game; it's only happened since I reinstalled on my new computer. I know exactly which files/packages they're in because I'm putting in my backed up CC very slowly. So far, it's happened on every Maxis object that didn't already have more than one color option. The Maxis rooster pot, which only has the one color, is affected this way. The cannisters and utensil holder are not affected, but they had multiple color options already.

I haven't reinstalled many Maxis recolors yet, so it's easy to find the items affected in this way. I'm just stumped on what to do about it, other than live with it or removed the recolors. I could accept those as the only choices if they hadn't worked properly in my old game, but they did.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't know if it will help. I already know which items are the problem. Unless there's something else that has caused a global override, but I can't imagine what that would be. I could try removing all my mods/hacks to see if somehow one of those could have affected the Maxis items.

Do You have CEP installed? You need it to use recolors for Maxis objects. Normally though if You try to install a recolor for a Maxis object and don't have CEP then the recolor just doesn't appear. But You never know, Heck CEP could be acting up on You if it's installed.

I do have CEP installed. Maybe I should reinstall it. That should be easy enough to check; thanks.

I uninstalled and reinstalled CEP and all is good now.   

Great news! By the way, Aaroneous is the Godfather of the inner workings of the game!   Hi Aaroneous!    

Toni wrote:

Great news! By the way, Aaroneous is the Godfather of the inner workings of the game!

  

Thank you, Aaron and Toni, for coming to Cher's aid.
I appreciate you both, as always.

Problem solved! Case closed!

Well, aren't I glad that I remembered this query was posted awhile back?
The same thing happened to me when I finally loaded up my game today!
Notice the black rectangle Sienna is standing on?
It was with her in BodyShop and follows her around wherever she may roam.   



I know my NVidia drivers are all updated, but I bet I have my shadows set too high.
So, when I load up the game again, I'll change the shadow setting to MEDIUM.
Hopefully, that'll solve the problem as Aaron suggested.

Wish me luck!  

Ubergeek strikes again!  

BTW, where did you get that bookcase? Reminds me of my (long ago) bachelor days!   

I know, right?
Can't tell you how grateful I am for Aaron, you, Toni and ANY of our members who are so willing to share your knowledge of this game we still love so much.
The help so many of you are willing to offer to those of us with game/tech issues is so appreciated, Mac.

  

Now if I could just get some help sifting through and organizing my gazillion transferred downloads...  

NEW QUESTION:

This is slightly off subject, but does anyone know why I can no longer do a PRINT SCREEN to take an in-game snapshot (now that I have Windows 7)?
When I do so and lower the game to paste the PRINT SCREEN capture into PSP7, it doesn't acknowledge the image.
What shows up is a copy of my desktop, like I never even took the snapshop using PRINT SCREEN of my game.   
This method is my preferred way of capturing in-game images, esp when wanting to showcase my creations.
If anyone knows why with Windows 7 I can not do so and how I can fix this, please share!

 

It's some sort of oddness from Windows 7. I have had similar problems when I use Print Screen, I have found that trying to take the screenshot again seems to at least temporarily fix the problem. I can't tell You what causes it to happen but I am pretty sure the source of it is Windows 7.

That's what I figured, Aaron. I never had the PRINT SCREEN issue BEFORE Windows 7.
I tried multiple times to capture an in-game snapshot using the PRINT SCREEN method earlier today, but to no avail.
There is no way to make it happen with Windows 7?   

Sugah wrote:

Now if I could just get some help sifting through and organizing my gazillion transferred downloads...  

Oh my stars, no kidding. I'm just starting with the download sites beginning with "C"! I'm trying to scan for duplicate meshes and whatnot as I go along, and have been in and out of my game and body shop a million times to make sure everything is where it should be. I've spent a lot of time putting together collections, as well. I have yet to actually PLAY the game, but everything's organized within an inch of its life.  

@ Sugah, This was answered ages ago, you need to run Fraps with Win 7, for taking Screenshots.

Download and install Fraps, when you want to take Screenshots, double click Fraps. When it opens near the top right click on Screenshots, note the Screen Capture Key, also where the Screenshots are saved, minimise Fraps and start your captures.

If you are in game hit the Windows key and you will be taken back to the desktop, then open Fraps and click on your game in the Taskbar to go back for your Screenshots.



Link: http://www.fraps.com/

I had forgotten about Fraps. Also Sugah if You don't want to download anther program You can use Snipping Tool, Which is a screenshot tool that comes with Windows 7.

Aaroneous wrote:

I had forgotten about Fraps. Also Sugah if You don't want to download anther program You can use Snipping Tool, Which is a screenshot tool that comes with Windows 7.

For Sugah, you need to explain how to get things to work. ( Not having a go, just the way it is.)

It worked, Aaron! Thank you so much!
I loaded up my game last night and switched to MEDIUM shadows and VOILA!   



Oh, and I feel ya, Cher! And congrats on organizing your downloads folder "within an inch of its life".   
It is my great hope that I will have accomplished the same before too long.   

Russ wrote:

@ Sugah, This was answered ages ago, you need to run Fraps with Win 7, for taking Screenshots.

I remember, awhile ago, this subject and Fraps coming up, since you've jogged my memory.
Because it wasn't applicable to me at the time, it leaked out of the vessel I call my memory bank, Russ.
I can barely retain the day-to-day stuff, let alone this sort of thing.   
Is Fraps a similar program to ScreenHunter?

Russ wrote:

For Sugah, you need to explain how to get things to work. ( Not having a go, just the way it is).

'Tis true & thank you, Russ, for the mini tutorial on how Fraps works.
You are right, I fear. I DO tend to need instructions on using even the simplest programs.   

I am interested in the Snipping Tool you mentioned, too, Aaron.
Need to do Google a bit about it, as I am still learning my way around Windows 7.

 

The Snipping Tool is a pretty simple program to learn. The easiest way to find it is to go to the Start menu and use the search bar to find it(search for Snipping Tool). Once it fires up a small window should appear with 4 buttons(new, cancel, options, and help), You're mostly worried about new button. The Snipping tool has 4 screenshot options that are Free-form, Rectangular, Window, and Full-screen. In Free-form the cursor will change into a pair of scissors. If You left click on the screen with it and drag it You can select the area You would like to take a picture of(a red outline will appear where You selected), Once the left click is released the screenshot will be taken. Rectangular the cursor will change to cross hairs. Left clicking and dragging will create a red square outline, Anything in the square will be apart of the screenshot. Releasing left click will take take the screenshot.  Window will create a red outline around whatever the cursor is pointing at, Left clicking on it will create a screenshot of the area that is outlined. Full-screen will take a picture of everything that is on the screen. To change which screenshot option Your using click the down arrow beside the New button.

Aaron, thank you so much for this helpful Snipping Tool tutorial.
Before I saw your post, I had found the tool and clicked on the ? (help option).
Your explanation is far more detailed and I appreciate you taking the time to share it.

  

I am going to fire up the game and give it a whirl now.
This may seem like a silly question, but how can I have the Snipping Tool open when the game is on the screen?   

You'll have to use TS2 in Windowed mode. You can enter that by pressing Alt + Enter, Press it again to go back to full-screen mode. Beware while in that mode edge scroll(moving the mouse to the edge of the screen) will not work in TS2.

Oh! This sounds familiar.
I remember our Jen (AdriannaSimmie) inquired about Sims 2 in Windowed mode when she first acquired Windows 7 a few years back, I believe.

I just tried hitting Alt + Enter while I have the game pulled up, but nothing happened.
I tried it several times.
I wonder what in the world I am doing wrong!

So you are able to use Print Screen to capture TS2 in game snapshots using Windows 7 with no problem?
Perhaps I need to change my settings?
I even tried ctrl + print screen and also alt + print screen, but nothing works.
All of the above takes a snapshot of my desktop rather than the game, as if the game is not even up and running.

Also, Aaron, do you play Sims 2 with the Run this Program in Compatiblity Mode for Windows XP boxed checked in Properties > Compatibility?

Eureka! I think I have solved the problem!

I did a bit of research and found this information (copied and pasted w/ only minor changes to wording).

I'm a Simmer, and I was getting more and more frustrated that I could not capture the screen on my Sims game so I can share my CC.
Nothing anyone on here said worked, and then I found this:

Close out of the program you are having trouble with capturing the screen (TS2).

Right click on the shortcut of TS2 on your desktop (in my case it's Sims 2 Apartment Life).

Click on Properties.

Click on the Compatibility tab.

In the middle area of that tab, there should be a bunch of check boxes under Settings. Click in the box alongside Disable desktop composition.

Apply the changes, click OK.

Launch TS2, press on your Print Screen (Prt Sc) button, open up a paint program, paste your image (Ctrl + C) and voilà!

It should work!

This worked for me!!! I can now take pics in game using the print screen method.
I hope it helps anyone else having the same problem.

Aaron, thank you, again, for all of your help, as always.

Ahhh so that's what was causing You trouble, It was Aero. Desktop composition is part of Aero, Aero put simply does a lot of the transparent effects on different windows and other things doing with graphics. I have heard It could cause problems with older applications and games, But I had never heard of it really causing trouble with TS2. But obviously it did in Your case. I'll have to remember that for future reference.

I myself never had to use compatibility mode for TS2, It worked fine as is. But that's because I use anther theme for my desktop which makes Windows 7 look and feel more like Windows XP. And from what I remember that theme doesn't use much(if any) of Aero's enhanced graphics.

But anyways it's good to hear You got Your problem sorted out.

I haven't heard the term "Aero" before, but of course, this Windows 7 biz is totally new to me.
I'm going to change the title of this thread to reflect the Print Screen/Windows 7 issue, so that others who may have similar probs, can benefit from what we've learned.   

I am not playing in Windows XP compatibility mode either and so far, so good!

 

I'm sick   of burglars. They're just a waste of time   and then having to put the sims back to bed because they get upset!   

Does anybody know of a hack which disables the whole burglar thing?

I found THIS interesting conversation on the "No Burglars!" topic at MTS2 from a few years back , Mac.
Mootilda mentioned that SimSlice has a "No Burglars" sign like the "No Strays" one (image here).
I'm assuming the "No Burglars" sign works similarly: The burglar enters the lot, sees the sign, then leaves the lot.
The link provided to SimSlice's sign @ PMBD is not working, so I researched it a bit.

I found a pic of the "No Burglars" sign HERE.
Upon further research, I found the file HERE.
You must scroll down the index of SimSlice's stuff to the simslice-ts2-noburglarssign.zip, if you are interested in downloading it.

There is also a mod which Mootilda describes in that same MTS2 conversation called "Prevent Burglar":

This is the mod from ToolRegame which globally stops burglars.
Note that it will not allow burglars on any lot, even such things as calling them on the phone.

Requires: M&G

Includes: Brief text file which explains how to use

She then provides the direct link to the "Prevent Burglar" mod in her post dated 22nd Jun 2012 at 8:49 AM in the above mentioned conversation (HERE).

I can not vouch for either of the above downloads, FYI, Mac.

Hope this helps! Will you let us know, either way?