Recognising Newer Graphics Cards for Sims2
#401 04-03-2014 
OK, what I've done.

1. Fixed the Video Card so it's set up for 6800 not 6700. the 6700 was going to keep giving you troubles.

The way to check this, is once you've made a change - go into the game, then come back out again, and look at your config-log.txt that's found in your logs folder where you play your game.

Name (driver): AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series
Name (database): AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series
These two should be the same. (You had 6700 in your video card.sgr).

2. Used the 7700 Graphics Card and amended it for Windows 8.1

This includes the fix so that it bypasses the low-res settings if the card has a number *7?00* in it. Because you had the wrong number in the database, this bit of code was being activated.
It shouldn't be activated now because the video card.sgr is correct - however it would still not be activated even with the wrong name in there now.

I've changed the setting for Hi Shadows to include Sim Shadows false. This will allow you to have the other shadows, but not get the boxy thing under the sims.

Download Video and Graphics Cards for Radeon 6800

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#402 04-03-2014 
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Thank you so much. And thank you for explaining it so that I can figure it out in the future. I tend to upgrade my PC around a lot as my husband is in the IT industry and owns a business (he just didn't have any time to help me). I really appreciate it!

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#403 05-03-2014 
No worries at all - I'm in the process of writing a tutorial that will explain all the changes and what they mean. I much prefer that people understand why they are doing things, not just how to do them.

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#404 06-03-2014 
Hello lovely Kiri, tis me again Smile.

I have been reading through this thread. Now i just have a quick question. I have posted at mts2 and the sims 3 forum (i found that this was also related to my sims 2 game which you kindly fixed for me, but was wondering if it also applied to the sims 3). You mentioned that a windows update had affected the way in which ts3 was reading Radeon card memory? Sorry i may have read it wrong. Now, my sims 3 game is having the same problem as my sims 2 game (the 32MB override *sighs). We found that my sims 3 game had somehow fried out my motherboard graphics even though it was "apparently" finding and reading my 7970 Radeon card. So we turned off my on-board graphics, and the lovely 32MB override still shows up. I was playing around with the GraphicRules.sgr and found that when i changed the setb textureMemorySizeOK to true and the seti textureMemory from32MB to 1024MB, the default settings in my game had moved from the lowest setting possible to max. Now haha, sorry getting there, my question is, is it safe to change in that file the amount of memory it has to read (i'm scared it's trying to pull it from part of my system which just doesn't have the memory to support it and end up frying my PC). Are those the right lines to change? Also, if it is what should i putting there? The card's (from the dxdiag) shared memory is 1049 MB, dedicated memory is 3046MB and display memory is 4095 MB. I apologise sincerely if this is not where i should have posted this, but i had seen a fair few mentions about sims 3 Tongue, and after 2 months of trying to get this issue fixed on other sites, you are my last hope (besides not playing sims 3 anymore). Plus i know you are patient and helpful and won't send me away feeling like an absolute idiot.

If you need me to attach any files please let me know, and i will do so when i get the chance.

Also i hope things are well in Melbourne (i moved up to Canberra last year which i was going to mention, but thought not to as others were asking you for help and i didn't want to keep pestering you Smile when others needed your attention ), and that you are well Big Grin.

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#405 06-03-2014 
Yup, that's exactly correct - Microsoft stuffed up everyone's Radeon texture memory - I applied this fix to my Sims3 game as well - with no problems.

Where you'll find your Graphics card sgr :

In the most recent expansion you are playing -

\expansionpack name\Game\Bin\

It doesn't have a folder just for config anymore.

The code looks like this from the top of GraphicRules.sgr :

log "Parsing configuration script"
set ConfigGroup Config
include "GraphicsCards.sgr"
if (not $isCardFound)
set cardName $cardNameText
endif
seti textureMemory 1744 <- this is the extra bit. I'd put in probably the 3046Mb, but look to putting it down to 1049Mb if that causes problems.

That's a better place to put the setting, because it leaves the logic the same. Also it makes it a 1 line change.

Looking at my game - I have it in the Base game as well - it's probably worthwhile to put it in both. I have a 7800 and it has a texture memory of 1744Mb. Mine says the approx. total memory is 1749Mb, but it doesn't give the shared and dedicated memory - so not sure if it's measuring the same thing.

The log file for Sims 3, is in \Sims 3\ Folder in my documents, and is called DeviceConfig.log

Send that one through to me, and I check what it's doing.

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#406 06-03-2014 
You wonderful thing, you!! Smile

I just got home, and i have to get ready to go out to work tonight, so i will attach my device config now Smile. I have to install all my eps again which i will do tomorrow/this weekend. But i will add/change this in my base game GraphicRules.sgr now!! This deviceconfig.log is also before i change the GraphicRules!

Attached File(s)
.txt  DeviceConfig.txt (Size: 5.2 KB / Downloads: 556)
illawara, proud to be a member of LeeFish since Jan 2014.

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#407 06-03-2014 
Looking at your deviceConfig.log - that will definitely fix it.
Definitely pop it into base as well as the most recent expansion.

No worries Illawara. Smile

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#408 06-03-2014 
So i don't get files mixed up, i've made a separate reply. I'm rushing to do this before going to work Tongue. I installed the latest ep (ITF), added the line you told me to, and loaded sims 3 up, and it has worked! It's not picking up the pixel/ vortex programs correctly but that doesn't bother me. The settings are no longer low/0 but ultra except for tree detail/ lot detail which are high! Again this doesn't bother me as well i usually turn how many lots i can see to the low setting to help gameplay. Just in case i have made a mistake, i have attached the new deviceconfig.log and the GraphicRules.sgr that i made changes to.

Again thankyou so very, very much! You're an absolutely, wonderful gem Heart

Attached File(s)
.txt  GraphicsRules (2).txt (Size: 46.88 KB / Downloads: 667)
.txt  DeviceConfig.txt (Size: 5.19 KB / Downloads: 564)
illawara, proud to be a member of LeeFish since Jan 2014.

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#409 06-03-2014 
Just checked them - they're looking Good. Big Grin

not sure what's happening with the pixel/vortex programs. I'm looking at your graphics card now. If something jumps out at me I'll let you know. The sims3 graphics card is a bit different to the sims2 one, so it will take me a bit to work out what's what.

Back:
3.0 is the number for the max I think for the vertex/pixel. Why do you think that this is wrong?

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#410 06-03-2014 
Okay lovely one! I'll check back tomorrow/ this weekend Big Grin

Oh, my boyfriend was looking at "Can I Run It" and it said it should be 5. So he assumed it was wrong. However, if 3 is the max, then it's all good Smile
(This post was last modified: 06-03-2014 06:07 AM by illawara.)

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Sorry, that is a members only option