Miscellaneous Q & A and Unfulfilled Requests

Thank you Aaron, both for telling me about AMD buying ATI (how on earth do we keep up with all these musical chairs???  ) and for showing me how to find the company and card ID from Device Manager. I thought I was pretty experienced with Device Manager, but always am learning something new.

Thank you Tim, for the suggestion about mapping the new card code onto another ATI high-rated card.

It was a matter of adding a line to Video Cards.SGR. I did so - and scoped out Amazon/NewEgg/TigerDirect trying to find an appropriate card. Alas, so many of the cards listed in Video Cards.sgr are becoming ancient history. I did try the generic 7000 series (my card is a 6700). Game worked fine but still no smoothing to get rid of the jaggies. I'll try using the id of another card and see what happens. But then the problem might be something else entirely!

I could have sworn there was a topic for this, but search provided nothing soooo...

One thing I hate in CAS is how close the Sims stand to the 'menu' when you go in to select clothes and what not...anyone know of any mod that pushes the 'menu' further to the right of the screen? Or push the Sims and mirror to the left?

Thank you, Aaron and Timster, for coming to Mac's aid.
I appreciate you both offering your knowledge on this subject.

Mac, I will leave this thread open a bit longer until you get back with us on using the id of the other video card and we'll go from there!

I've not heard of a mod that pushes the mirror further to the right of the screen, Tim, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Anyone?

Still not much luck. I did notice that there were two directories in which to set the video config. Haven't gotten around to playing with the second yet. And, again, it might be something entirely different!

Thank you for the update, sir, and  

Are You by chance using a widescreen monitor? I know EA never fully updated TS2 for them. There's a fix for it on MTS, Which can be found here. Also if You didn't know by now You can use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out, No matter which screen You're on.

The only way I know of to move a sim and the mirror to the left, Would be if You created a new CAS screen, You can find more about that here.

Thank you Aaron! I will check out the links! Yes I am using a wide screen, my trackball doesn't have a scroll wheel, but maybe, hopefully this edit file will work!

If You're talking about the video config files for TS2, Then there will be one for every expansion and stuff pack. But You only need to alter the one for the latest game You have installed.

I did some more digging around and might have something that could help You track down the problem. If You go to My Documents\EA Games\The Sims 2\Logs there will be file called (computer name)-config-log.txt, Open that. In side that txt file contains all the information doing with Your computer and some things doing with TS2. Somewhere in there it will tell You what the game thinks what Your video card is and the company that made it. The file will also tell You whether the game is running in Hardware or Software mode, If it's running software mode Smooth Edges will automatically be disabled(the game thinks the video card is too weak to use it). To find that information look for the line boolProp activeDeviceUseSoftwareRasterizer, True or False should be to the right of that. If false the game is running in Hardware mode, if it's true then the game is running in Software mode.

Thanks Arroneous. I took a peek at the config log and it listed activeDeviceUseSoftwareRasterizer False -  So it should be running in hardware mode. But still no smooth edges possible. I've tried the generic Radeon 7000 series and the Radeon X1800 Series for card IDs. Any idea of the highest ATI/AMD card listed among Video Cards.ATR?

I've only been changing the config files for the Apartment Life update and that seems to be the one that is picked up. I did notice that there are 2 subdirectories of Program files (x86)\EA Games\The Sims 2 Apartment Life\TSData\Res, Config and CSConfig. I've been playing with the ones in Config, not in CSConfig.

I do appreciate your help in tracking this down.

Hey Aaron, or anyone else...but I think this is something for someone with lots of understanding behind how the game works. I had an old thought again this morning, I know I posted about it before (thought I think on MTS2 long time ago) and no one seemed interested and for sure no one had an answer. But I always thought with careers I would like to see them expanded. As an example to help demonstrate what I would love to see.

Sim gets a job in the automotive field...they start off as tire changer, get a promotion or two and now they are a grease monkey, now is when it get's tricky...the next promotion might look at a Sim's type (family, knowledge, etc.), might look at traits (Intell, lazy, etc.) and either the Sim stays in the current branch or maybe it will 'change jobs' and become a manager for a tire center and work up higher, or maybe the Sim will change to a 3rd possible job...the possibilities are endless if this is possible.

I know TS3 used such ideas, But to be honest I am not 100% convinced that TS2 could support such ideas. The main problem is each job is set to have 10 different levels from 1(the lowest level) to 10(the highest level), Somehow one would have to override that to allow different job branches. That brings up anther issue, Mostly likely You would have to create a new career for each job branch. I would considered looking into it... But I am currently working on anther major project(think in game memory editing), So it's eating a lot of my modding time. After that project is finished I'll see if it's possible to branch careers.

Thanks Aaron! I was thinking each career would be it's own full career, just with 'branches' that could change the Sim to simulate sometimes how life really works in jobs. No rush or anything, just something I think of once in a while. lol

Unfortunately I am not sure what the highest ATI card TS2 has listed. 

You're editing the right file(s), The CSConfig files are for Bodyshop and possibly CAS.

While I am thinking about it. The company ID(not card ID) that is listed for Your card... Is it one of the IDs ATI originally used or is it a AMD id. If It's a AMD ID that could throw a monkey wrench into the works. TS2 only has the company ID 0x1002 for ATI, If Your card's company ID is something else then the file Video Cards.sgr needs to be updated. You'll find in that file a line something like this "vendor "ATI" 0x1002", If Your company ID is different put the ID to the right of 0x1002(with a space between the two IDs). Let me know if that helps at all.

Also just to let You know I added a brand new line to my Video Cards.sgr file last night. While the game was working fine it couldn't detect my video card, But since it knew it was a NVIDIA every thing worked fine. By Adding my video card to the list, It allowed the game to detect what my card was.

I am sure You know about that file by now, But the file Graphics Rules.sgr is where game decides what graphic setting to use. Technically You could hack that file up to always make the game run with smooth edges on.

Well I have been doing some digging through SimPE files and I found one that I think is the key for changing where the menus show up and stuff...Only problem is, my first foray into making a change didn't work. There are 377 files that deal with the UI, one I found talked about a trait window (so either CAS or game play), I extracted the file from SimPE and edited it to slightly alter where the window showed up, created a new package, loaded the file into it and saved it and placed it in a test folder in my downloads. But no joy when I went into the game either CAS or game play wise...So I don't know if those files aren't override-able or my approach to creating the package file just didn't work...thinking of trying to create a back up of it, then replace the one file with the change I made and then try again.

In the past when I tried to alter the UI the buttons would appear, But I could never get the buttons to work. It's basic XML, But there must be a piece of puzzle we're both missing. Or worse EA and their minions made that UI hard coded, I wouldn't be particularly surprise if that bunch did that. Part of the problem seems to be there are two of each UI with the exact same XML code, I can only make a few guesses on why. One they both need to be altered to effect the UI or two one is for CAS and the other is for Bodyshop.

Last year I found a crap load of undocumented cheats and debug tools when I was digging around TS2's files, I know I didn't post it here. I posted it on Simbology, But You have to have a account there to view the section where my post is. But anyways one of debug cheats allowed You to see the currently active UI elements. It displayed things like the name of the UI(if it had one), the instance of it and group number. That might help You.

Edit: There is now information on those cheats on this site, Which can be found here

Thank you Aaron! I will check this tomorrow...I'm bone tired right now. LOL

Hey Aaron,

I told Sugah I had an idea for the game, I think the game needs and at this point it is more important to me then the career thing is, what I was wondering is, can you make a mod that would put a Sim's spouse in the call window when the Sim is at a community lot, they click on Call... then Ask on Date, then add the spouse to the call list...Seems kind of silly they can't go on a date just cause they are married! And another question...you know how you made the time slower for me when the baby/toddler wakes up it goes back to normal time...can you do the same thing for when the flag goes off saying there is an hour before bus arrives or goes to work in an hour or other such events? The Date is my highest desired, then the timer...lol I know you have nothing else to do. hehe Thanks so much for all you do buddy! Hope you have a great night!

Ummm... Correct me if I am wrong. But if You're wanting Your married couple to go on a date can't they both go to the comm lot at the same time and have the one ask the other on a date(By clicking on the other sim). I know for a fact a married couple can ask the other to go on a date when they are both on their home lot.

Theatrically time could be slowed down an hour or so before work or school. Again though doesn't time slow down when the bus and carpool arrive?

Not to say I can't do these, But it seems like the game already has some form of them already implemented.

Hrmm...I've not noticed the date thing at home...will have to check and see if that option is there at home and on a comm lot. I like going to the comm lot and calling as then you don't need a nasty babysitter...LOL

I don't think time slows down when it's time to leave for work or school...I'll double check that, but if your sim needs anything before going to work, it's very hard to get done before the vehicle leaves. Thanks for the thoughts I will double check.

Has this issue been solved to your satisfaction, Mac?
Should I leave the thread open or can I lock it up now?

Hi Sugah,

I can see that you're doing cleanup   . The skin change thread can indeed be closed and I think that, although the graphics card thing isn't solved yet, the thread has been inactive for some time and might as well be locked.

  

mac

Hi, Mac!
I will leave it open for a bit longer.
Did Aaron's response (Nov 20) help at all?

Hi Sugah,

I tried (most) of the suggestions, but to no avail. Getting used to the jaggies    I have really stopped playing with the settings.

mac

Quote :

I tried (most) of the suggestions, but to no avail. Getting used to the jaggies...

That's a bummer, Mac. So sorry the issue hasn't been worked out yet.
Jaggies =