>>>A HELP FOR PIXELATED SHADOWS!!!!!! (ATI CARDS)<<< «12...Next Go

sam123

I was searching the forums on the ATI website and found something that helps the shadows but doesn't completely fix the issue, but it is a major difference.

-All Praise to Fjtorsol (ATI account name.)

"Since the release of Sim City Societies EA decided to create a low quality render mode for ATI hadware that makes shadows look worse than expected due to a supossed bug in ATI drivers that wasn't well explained and currently doesn't seem to be visually perceptible. As a result The Sims 3 use the same shadow rendering mode an all ATI hadware (even Intel graphics use the same mode as NVIDIA)."

As temporal workarround to avoid this impossed low quality you can modify the following plain text file:

32-bit Windows

%programfiles%\Electronic Arts\<<Sims 3 folder or latest EP/SP folder if installed>>\Game\Bin\GraphicsRules.sgr

64-bit Windows

%programfiles(x86)%\Electronic Arts\<<Sims 3 folder or latest EP/SP folder if installed>>\Game\Bin\GraphicsRules.sgr

Once opened replace the specified contents:

WHAT TO REPLACE:

elseif (match("${cardVendor}", "ATI"))
if (match("${cardName}", "*HD 29?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 36?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 38?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 4??0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 5??0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V77?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V87?0*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelUber
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*x18??*") or match("${cardName}", "*x19??*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 31?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V3600*") or match("${cardName}", "*V37?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5600*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5700*") or match("${cardName}", "*V7200*") or match("${cardName}", "*V73?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V7400*") or match("${cardName}", "*V7600*") or match("${cardName}", "*V86?0*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelHigh
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*x14??*") or match("${cardName}", "*x850*") or match("${cardName}", "*x15??*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 34??*") or match("${cardName}", "*x16??*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 23?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 24?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 26?0*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*9800*") or match("${cardName}", "*x600*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 32??*") or match("${cardName}", "*x7?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x8?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL X2*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL X3*") or match("${cardName}", "*V3200*") or match("${cardName}", "*V33?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V3400*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5000*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5100*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5200*") or match("${cardName}", "*V7100*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelLowmedium
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*Rage*") or match("${cardName}", "*XPress*") or match("${cardName}", "*7?00*") or match("${cardName}", "*8?00*") or match("${cardName}", "*95?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*96?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*97?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x200*") or match("${cardName}", "*x300*") or match("${cardName}", "*x5?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x10?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x11?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x12?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x13??*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL T2*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL Z1*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL X1*") or match("${cardName}", "*V3100*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelLow
seti isCardMatched true
else
seti cardLevel $cardLevelUber
seti isCardMatched false
endif
setProp $ConfigGroup RenderShadowMode 1
setProp $ConfigGroup ShadowMapForceDF16Available 0
if ($osMajorVersion >= 6 and versionLessThan("7.14.0010.0630", "${driverVersion}") and not versionLessThan("7.14.0010.0636", "${driverVersion}"))
setProp $ConfigGroup ReportOldGraphicsDriver 1
endif
if ($disableMacAA)
if (match("${cardName}", "*X16??*") or match("${cardName}", "*X19??*"))
setProp $ConfigGroup DisallowEdgeSmoothing 1
endif
endif

REPLACE IT WITH:

elseif (match("${cardVendor}", "ATI"))
if (match("${cardName}", "*HD 29?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 36?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 38?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 4??0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 5??0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V77?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V87?0*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelUber
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*x18??*") or match("${cardName}", "*x19??*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 31?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V3600*") or match("${cardName}", "*V37?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5600*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5700*") or match("${cardName}", "*V7200*") or match("${cardName}", "*V73?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V7400*") or match("${cardName}", "*V7600*") or match("${cardName}", "*V86?0*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelHigh
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*x14??*") or match("${cardName}", "*x850*") or match("${cardName}", "*x15??*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 34??*") or match("${cardName}", "*x16??*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 23?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 24?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 26?0*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelMedium
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*9800*") or match("${cardName}", "*x600*") or match("${cardName}", "*HD 32??*") or match("${cardName}", "*x7?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x8?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL X2*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL X3*") or match("${cardName}", "*V3200*") or match("${cardName}", "*V33?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*V3400*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5000*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5100*") or match("${cardName}", "*V5200*") or match("${cardName}", "*V7100*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelLowmedium
seti isCardMatched true
elseif (match("${cardName}", "*Rage*") or match("${cardName}", "*XPress*") or match("${cardName}", "*7?00*") or match("${cardName}", "*8?00*") or match("${cardName}", "*95?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*96?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*97?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x200*") or match("${cardName}", "*x300*") or match("${cardName}", "*x5?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x10?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x11?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x12?0*") or match("${cardName}", "*x13??*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL T2*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL Z1*") or match("${cardName}", "*FireGL X1*") or match("${cardName}", "*V3100*"))
seti cardLevel $cardLevelLow
seti isCardMatched true
else
seti cardLevel $cardLevelUber
seti isCardMatched false
endif
setProp $ConfigGroup RenderShadowMode 2
setProp $ConfigGroup ShadowMapAllowNullColor 1
if ($osMajorVersion >= 6 and versionLessThan("7.14.0010.0630", "${driverVersion}") and not versionLessThan("7.14.0010.0636", "${driverVersion}"))
setProp $ConfigGroup ReportOldGraphicsDriver 1
endif
if ($disableMacAA)
if (match("${cardName}", "*X16??*") or match("${cardName}", "*X19??*"))
setProp $ConfigGroup DisallowEdgeSmoothing 1
endif
endif

sam123

BUMPPPPP!!

alexspoom13

Hmm... that's really interesting; thanks for posting.

I ordered a Nvidia GTX 460 with my new pc because of this problem, I didn't want to risk going with ATI and be stuck with this problem.

I'm sure many Simmers will be grateful for this.

sam123

Thank you, I hope they read this and do something, I did it and it works, well it's better then before and the shadows under the neck look great.

sam123

Hey guys! This is how the shadows under the neck look like after the fix:

Before: (By BryonyRae)
[IMG]http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i403/egnite987/pixellatedgarbage.jpg "width=600" "height=450"[/IMG]


After:
[IMG]http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/i403/egnite987/Screenshot-47.jpg"width=600&quot; "height=450"[/IMG]

Nefje

Thanks for posting.

QuackQuackDuckie

Ahh, thank you!
This works really well, my shadows are great!

caturae

ignore lol

caturae

bump!!!

StrawberryBasket

Anyone else try this before I do? Also, I could open it with Notepad, Caturae.

caturae

Yeah, I was being stupid earlier. Just about to load my game up to see if there's a difference

StrawberryBasket

Crossing my fingers for you! If it works I'll try it next. Post pics please!

caturae

It has worked a dream! :shock:
It was hard to take pics... because now there is nothing to take a picture of! It's jut a normal, un-blocky shadow.

But here's a pic of a sim and the shadow of a tree on the ground (the tree shadows before this fix used to look like someone had been let loose with MS paint so it's a real difference for me)

[IMG]http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/sherbetcat/Screenshot-6.jpg "width=600"[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/sherbetcat/Screenshot-2-1.jpg "width=600"[/IMG]

This was what my shadows looked like before: (had to go hunting for this because I'd stopped taking screenies of my sims outside)
[IMG]http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p113/sherbetcat/Screenshot-88.jpg "width=600"[/IMG]
AND that's a mild case of what blocky-shadowing was like in my game. Sometimes it would be all over a sims face as well.


Sorry it took so long, I un-installed and re-installed S3 today, and forgot to add in my store stuff the first time I loaded it up, so had to restart it, and then had to restart it again after maxing the graphics and changing screen resolution before I could play :roll:

StrawberryBasket

Omg Wow! I'm going to do it right now.

sam123

Hey guys!

I'm glad it's worked for you!! :P:P

sam123

bump

Laracelia

I am bumping this and book marking it because this solution fixed the horrible pixelated shadows I had in my game. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Just for reference I have an ATI Radon HD 5670 running on Windows XP 32 bit.

My graphics (except outside shadows) all looked great but in Twinbrook, where there are a lot of Willow Tree casting a lot of shadows, the pixelated shadows looked SO bad.

It is much much better now.

BryonyRae

This worked wonders! I can't thank you enough for hunting down and posting this fix. I wish EA could have just told us the cause of the issue, although I understand why they probably would never have given us the instructions to edit the file. Nonetheless, we could have taken this information and run with it months ago. Oh well, better late than never! I hope they'll update the file themselves at some point, as the shadows look fine now, and I'm not noticing any change in gameplay.

DreadWizardDM

A well deserved BUMP

Hagfish07

DreadWizardDM wrote:

A well deserved BUMP

Most agreed

Jase

Thank you so much for sharing this fix with us...
It fixed the shadow issue I've been putting up with since the game originally game out. My shadows in Sims 3 have never looked so good!

Roxanne

Thank you so much for this. It has been so frustrating for a very long time!

sam123

No Worries Guys!! I'm so happy that it's helped your game look better as it's done to mine! :)
Congrats!!

BUMPING!!!

sam123

BUMP

caturae

I've been having a tiny problem with the solution since installing OLS. I edited the graphics file as usual in that SP folder, and most of the shadows are fine, but one or two are blocky (which confuses me) It's only certain types of outdoor furniture that do it, the shadows on sims are fine.

I have a Radeon HD 5470 on 64 bit. I have also switched so that the Sims programs is saved on another hard drive on my comp.
I'll try and get a picture next time I have the game up.

geminiagre

thank you for this i'll try it and report back tommorow, when i get my game back up.


Edit: Even though it perfectly fixed the blocky shadows, the total quality of the graphics became a bit blurry. Also it does not work with 3booter, and fps limiter. And these are something i can't live without since my ATI is hitting up to 400-450 fps without them. Even though "wait for vertical refresh" is reducing that to down to 75 fps, the fan is going crazy working at 84% . I'm going to inform Pescado about this fix and see if he can implement it some how and make booter and fps limiter work with it.