@SPARKY1922 My version of Sims 3 is all discs too. If this graphics issue is ever fixed, I'll disconnect internet and never reconnect it to this computer again! Not getting the latest Microsoft updates won't be a security issue if the computer isn't on the internet. And YES! Thank you. Filming is ruined for me right now. I tried to just play but my sims' faces are so wrecked.
@Mikezumi Your game looks great to me. The sim's face makes me cry it looks so good! I think I said (in that earlier post in tech), that it was a night issue, and that was what I originally thought. But it also was bad during the day and another update (that pushed through despite me having updates turned off) made it even worse.
@Emily4331 That blue is the worst I've seen! How are your sims faces? Are they pixilated?
@GraceyManor I see it on the headboard in the one pic but other than that it looks okay. How are your sims' faces?
@Cororon The color banding definitely going on!! Thanks for that info. There are two more issues. The sims' faces being pixilated and, I can't remember mentioning that in this thread (which I probably should have) is that wood looks green and shiny. I think they are all caused by the same problem because they all appeared in my game at the same time.
@ZeeGee when I am recording video for my YouTube I found I need to fill the room with the 'invisible' lights that are found in buydebug.
I have noticed the things you speak of in my games too but they mostly seem to vanish with sufficient lighting. Even when I tested that cheapest fridge, I found adding a light directly in front of it removed most of the issue.
I can see from your pics that there is a continuing issue. What's weird for me to read is that your sims have issues too because that's how it started for me with terrible sims graphics. I had not realised you were on disc as well (or I had forgotten-) so i think you may have 2 choices now which is to maybe try to take the internet out of the equation altogether when you are playing/filming and see if that works any better and/or maybe try the invisible lights that @Karritz mentions and see if they make any difference. I hope you manage to be able to find a solution you are happy with as quickly as possible.
I'm not sure about pixelization, but I got these weird shadow issues, too. I first noticed it on untextured walls, but yes, it's also seen on shiny surfaces like fridges.
I opened up the house from this screenshot and played around with the lighting to see if I could get the same issue. (I also have an NVIDIA GTX 1060 and recently updated Windows 10) I see pixelation on the wall, but it's nowhere near the amount in your game:
It kind of looks like your game is running in 256 color mode for some reason. These ideas probably won't amount to anything, but the only things I can think to check right now are:
* see if your game is running in reduced color mode (right-click the game's icon or exe file, enter Properties, then check under the Compatibility tab)
* sometimes color banding can happen if your brightness and contrast settings have been modified from their default settings (Brightness 50%, Contrast 50%, Gamma 1.00) in your NVIDIA Control Panel
* under "Change resolution" in NVIDIA Control Panel, scroll to the bottom and make sure "Desktop color depth" is at "Highest (32-bit)" and "Output dynamic range" is at "Full"
@Archivist Thank you for the suggestions. I'll try them. Nvidia did walk me through changing a LOT of different settings during our chat. Maybe they changed something they shouldn't have? Anyway, I'll try your settings and report back.
@GraceyManor Her cheeks and neck look pixilated to me when I zoom in, but maybe that is the lower settings.
* see if your game is running in reduced color mode (right-click the game's icon or exe file, enter Properties, then check under the Compatibility tab)
* sometimes color banding can happen if your brightness and contrast settings have been modified from their default settings (Brightness 50%, Contrast 50%, Gamma 1.00) in your NVIDIA Control Panel
* under "Change resolution" in NVIDIA Control Panel, scroll to the bottom and make sure "Desktop color depth" is at "Highest (32-bit)" and "Output dynamic range" is at "Full"
@Archivist All my settings were what you said they should be except I couldn't find 'output dynamic range' anywhere.
@ZeeGee I went ahead and checked TS4 as well and...oof. It is even worse than anything I've seen in TS3. Hopefully these pics aren't too dark, but if they are, just zoom in and the weird pixelation will be apparent.
This leads me to think I might not have noticed it on my sims because I was only looking at those with custom skintones. For the objects, the more detailed the pattern, the less you can notice the pixelation. So I assume I just don't notice it as much on CC skin since it is more detailed than EA skin. Here are some closeups I took to see:
I think we should probably check other games too, so if you guys see it in anything else you play - post pics.
I have always had this in my game, varies to the degree but yeah always there in some form. I didn't even know it was an issue until I read this post, just thought it was the graphics lol
This could be an issue that started with Windows 10's 1903 update from last year. The two links below seem to describe the same thing you're experiencing right now (color banding with an NVIDIA card after a recent Windows 10 update) and both offer the same step-by-step solution that could be worth trying:
@Archivist Thank you for the tips. I tried them all. There are a few changes. I guess Windows no longer will let right click on "allow task to be run on command" and disable it. Don't know if that's the issue but I tried them all and rebooted, booted game, color banding still there. I really do appreciate you finding this. I'm going to play around with all those settings. I can always click on 'reset to default' if I screw something up really bad, right?!
I just played through a save until night and don't think it's too bad although I could see it on the kitchen wall, particularly around the smoke alarm and near the shelf.
This is my boys at sunset and I don't think I see anything on their faces. The good thing about old age and failing eyesight is that I probably miss a lot of stuff that would annoy others
The boys watching the stars later in the evening. The outdoor light never does my sims any favours
I just zoomed in on the pics on both my laptop and iPad. It was way more obvious on the iPad and I noticed there is a little on the boys' necks at sunset but not enough to bother me.
I also tried all of the fixes @Archivist posted. But, I found a site where I could test to see if it was a problem within TS3 for me or outside of TS3. The gradients looked perfect in the test, so I assume this is just a TS3 issue. At least, for me. Color banding has always been a mild problem in TS3, but the color banding recently is noticeably worse.
@Mikezumi Oh yeah, looks like you have it too but not as bad. Are those first two pictures in Lucky Palms? So beautiful.
@Emily4331 I've always noticed some color banding in the night sky but that's the only issue I've ever had prior to this.
I guess for all of us affected the only thing we can do is wait and hope for Windows to fix it. Or maybe for those of us with Nvidia cards they will work on a fix. There was some chatter about that.
Comments
@Mikezumi Your game looks great to me. The sim's face makes me cry it looks so good! I think I said (in that earlier post in tech), that it was a night issue, and that was what I originally thought. But it also was bad during the day and another update (that pushed through despite me having updates turned off) made it even worse.
@Emily4331 That blue is the worst I've seen! How are your sims faces? Are they pixilated?
@GraceyManor I see it on the headboard in the one pic but other than that it looks okay. How are your sims' faces?
@Cororon The color banding definitely going on!! Thanks for that info. There are two more issues. The sims' faces being pixilated and, I can't remember mentioning that in this thread (which I probably should have) is that wood looks green and shiny. I think they are all caused by the same problem because they all appeared in my game at the same time.
@Nikkei_Simmer Teach me Linux please!
I have noticed the things you speak of in my games too but they mostly seem to vanish with sufficient lighting. Even when I tested that cheapest fridge, I found adding a light directly in front of it removed most of the issue.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuW44b3uCMtCSaq4gwC8EZg
I can see from your pics that there is a continuing issue. What's weird for me to read is that your sims have issues too because that's how it started for me with terrible sims graphics. I had not realised you were on disc as well (or I had forgotten-) so i think you may have 2 choices now which is to maybe try to take the internet out of the equation altogether when you are playing/filming and see if that works any better and/or maybe try the invisible lights that @Karritz mentions and see if they make any difference. I hope you manage to be able to find a solution you are happy with as quickly as possible.
Always "River McIrish" ...and maybe some Bebe Hart. ~innocent expression~
It kind of looks like your game is running in 256 color mode for some reason. These ideas probably won't amount to anything, but the only things I can think to check right now are:
* see if your game is running in reduced color mode (right-click the game's icon or exe file, enter Properties, then check under the Compatibility tab)
* sometimes color banding can happen if your brightness and contrast settings have been modified from their default settings (Brightness 50%, Contrast 50%, Gamma 1.00) in your NVIDIA Control Panel
* under "Change resolution" in NVIDIA Control Panel, scroll to the bottom and make sure "Desktop color depth" is at "Highest (32-bit)" and "Output dynamic range" is at "Full"
I don't really notice on the sims.
I paused all future updates for 7 days.
However I did recently lower my graphics to medium on most settings and low on others to reduce lag.
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
@GraceyManor Her cheeks and neck look pixilated to me when I zoom in, but maybe that is the lower settings.
@Kynan Thank you
@Archivist All my settings were what you said they should be except I couldn't find 'output dynamic range' anywhere.
https://graceymanorsims3.tumblr.com/
This leads me to think I might not have noticed it on my sims because I was only looking at those with custom skintones. For the objects, the more detailed the pattern, the less you can notice the pixelation. So I assume I just don't notice it as much on CC skin since it is more detailed than EA skin. Here are some closeups I took to see:
I think we should probably check other games too, so if you guys see it in anything else you play - post pics.
I've heard it's in Fall Out 4 too but I don't have that.
* https://windowsreport.com/nvidia-color-banding-fix/ (How to fix Nvidia color banding issues on Windows 10 PCs)
* https://www.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/c6dfkt/fixworkaround_for_windows_10_1903_color_banding/ (Fix/Workaround for Windows 10 1903 Color Banding Issues)
This other link below has a slightly different version of the fix from the above two links that might also be worth trying:
* https://www.reddit.com/r/nvidia/comments/c7c578/followup_for_workaround_on_windows_10_1903_color/ (Followup for workaround on Windows 10 1903 Color Banding Issues (Important))
This is my boys at sunset and I don't think I see anything on their faces. The good thing about old age and failing eyesight is that I probably miss a lot of stuff that would annoy others
The boys watching the stars later in the evening. The outdoor light never does my sims any favours
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
Zumi and the Winchester Brothers
The Watcher's Caretaker - A Limited ISBI
@Emily4331 I've always noticed some color banding in the night sky but that's the only issue I've ever had prior to this.
I guess for all of us affected the only thing we can do is wait and hope for Windows to fix it. Or maybe for those of us with Nvidia cards they will work on a fix. There was some chatter about that.