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Need help with TV static-like graphics

samemiesamemie Posts: 1,623 Member
I tried getting Sims 2 to work months ago and while I eventually managed to get it to load, I was left with these weird TV static graphics and I tried EVERYTHING and could not fix it or really find much info at all. I ended up giving up after spending a full day on it with no success, but I'm having another go. I'm actually quite sad at the thought of never playing TS2 again, it was my first Sims game and I never got to experience the Ultimate Collection despite having had it for nearly 4 years now (never got to play Freetime either and I was really excited about that when I first got the Ultimate Collection). :(

The static is... well, static, while the screen is, but it starts moving about when anything moves (whether that be the plumbob, sim, or the entire screen as I move the angle).

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Any help will be appreciated! I don't remember every single thing I tried as it was 6 months ago, but this time I followed the tutorial linked in UrbanSims's video and am having the exact same problem as earlier in the year. So I've done the 4GB patch, done the d3d9 file thing and done the graphics rules maker (though possible I have the wrong settings for that or something idk). There were definitely other things I did when I last tried it though. I spent hours on this ahaha.

Comments

  • Rflong7Rflong7 Posts: 36,585 Member
    Hi
    I'm not an expert on this at all. I've had to fix my game settings a few times and not always right. :blush:

    What does it look like before you do anything? At factory settings of the game?

    What is you video card?
    Did you do each step at a time to see how it makes your game or do you do them All?
  • dorcsyfuldorcsyful Posts: 851 Member
    Have you tried other games to see if it's specific to the sims? I'm guessing it is, but just to be sure. Also if you're not sure if you've done the graphics rules okay, I suggest redoing it by hand. You can still use the app to make the game recognize the graphics card, just not the GraphicsRules.sgr.
  • samemiesamemie Posts: 1,623 Member
    Thank you both for replies!

    @Rflong7 Before I do anything it doesn't load at all. I did the patch and the graphics rules maker, tried it, and when it still didn't load that's when I also did the d3d9 part (like I said I was partially using UrbanSims's video and I noticed she pinned a comment saying that that makes it worse for some people so I tried it without first). Video card is Radeon RX 570 Series (I think?).

    @dorcsyful Yep, I play a lot of other games (including Sims 3 and 4) and it's only Sims 2 I'm having this issue with. Oh interesting about the graphics rules thing. What would I have to do by hand? Just because the part I'm not sure of is if I've ticked the right boxes and everything (every tutorial says something different and most just say to do what you want/need but I don't know what that is.) :neutral:

    -

    Also want to mention that when I took the screenshots earlier I'd forgotten to put smooth edges onto max, and that definitely helps now I've done that. Now the neighbourhood screen looks completely fine, and CAS and live mode look a bit better. Just wanted to mention that in case it helps at all figuring out what might be going on.

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  • Rflong7Rflong7 Posts: 36,585 Member
    Here's some things

    https://pleasantsims.com/sims-2-windows-10/

    Some manual fixes to the Config file

    https://simsvip.com/2014/07/20/the-sims-2-ultimate-collection-increase-resolution-guide/
    https://simscommunity.info/2016/04/27/the-sims-2-setting-up-the-resolution-windowed-mode-smooth-edges-sim-shadows/

    I updated my graphics card to use Reshade, now my shadows are crude. Even the mod doesn't work. :sadplayer: :(

    I would make sure to start from fresh Config files with Origin repair.
  • samemiesamemie Posts: 1,623 Member
    @Rflong7 Thank you! I went through all those links carefully to make sure I didn't miss anything but sadly I'd already done all of those things. :disappointed:
  • dorcsyfuldorcsyful Posts: 851 Member
    I asked my boyfriend who works on high-end computer graphics. He knew what the possible cause of the issue could be (something with shaders), but his best guess for fixing it was updating your drivers.
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited September 2021
    Your CAS picture reminds me of how my game does that when I hit the V to video my Sims and the neighborhood. I first noticed this back in Windows 7 a few years ago with a Radeon card. When I had to move on to Windows 10 and get a new pc I got a Nvidia card. It made no difference if I try to video the game through the game controls to make my Sim movies.

    I suspect it depends on other things besides drivers for video cards and or setting up Graphics Rule Maker correctly and or anything to do with the game in that respect. I'm only guessing because this only happens to me when I use the V to record my Sims like we always did before Windows 10. But have you checked to make sure the XBOX Game Bar isn't running when you try to play your game? I know it sounds crazy but though I had disabled that annoying feature in Windows 10 it can still start recording while you play games. It interferes in some games. I know it has in mine. I know you aren't recording within the game, but Xbox Game Bar can still cause issues even if you are not.

    I also suspect some of the settings in the GRM just can't line up with what your video card can do and have to try to set things differently than they have set the memory for cards etc. I don't know if any of this would help. But I know this is very annoying as my game sometimes does crazy stuff, too and I have a feeling MS updates have a lot to do with it and or when the pc auto updates drivers, MS often installs older drivers instead of the newest one etc. You may have to run GRM several times when these things happen. (MS updates) or turn off letting MS update your drivers and or there may be some codec that is no longer compatible with TS2 (for video capturing within the game) and or the game still thinks your card is below the old, old Radeon cards back in 2001 which would mean you will have to figure out how to set GRM to have the correct info compared to a high end card and see if that all helps.

    If anyone ever figures out why my game glitches out like that when I try to video my Sims within the game features I would like an answer to that one, too. One more thought, try changing the resolution to the game, you can always change it back to what you prefer.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
  • samemiesamemie Posts: 1,623 Member
    @dorcsyful Thank you (and your boyfriend!) for the insight! I did already update my drivers but I'll have to ask my tecchie brother about the shaders thing so thanks for mentioning it!

    @Cinebar Yeah I figured it was probably something to do with my graphics card. Also I've never in my life opened the Xbox Game Bar so never even knew it existed, but I'll look into making sure that's definitely off as well. I did also notice I get an AMD popup thing when I load the game so perhaps that's an issue too? Idk but I'll take a look at it all.

    -

    Thank you everyone for your replies and for trying to help! :smile: I'll try the new suggestions when I get a moment and after that I think I'll just ask my family if anyone has an old laptop lying around and will try with that instead aha.
  • Rflong7Rflong7 Posts: 36,585 Member
    edited September 2021
    I would like to see if my setup graphic rules would work for you. I can't guarantee but it's a try.
    <snip>
    Post edited by Rflong7 on
  • samemiesamemie Posts: 1,623 Member
    @Rflong7 Thank you so much for trying, but sadly it made no difference. :disappointed:
  • dorcsyfuldorcsyful Posts: 851 Member
    Actually what my bf was talking about was internal things inside the game code, so unfortunately your brother won't be able to help with it. :( That's why his best guess was a driver update if nothing else worked.
  • samemiesamemie Posts: 1,623 Member
    @dorcsyful Ah right. Well thank you anyway for all the help! :smile:
  • Rflong7Rflong7 Posts: 36,585 Member
    Sorry. :(
  • samemiesamemie Posts: 1,623 Member
    @Rflong7 It's okay! I really appreciate you trying. :smile:
  • Henrysims234Henrysims234 Posts: 2 New Member
    Did you finally get this fixed?? My game looks like this too
  • samemiesamemie Posts: 1,623 Member
    @Henrysims234 'Fraid not. I don't know if it's possible, I tried so many things but I think my graphics card in my PC is just incompatible. I ended up getting a new laptop a little while after this thread with a different brand of graphics card and can play on that, but still not my PC. I know that's not really a reasonable option for most people, but unfortunately that's the only way I've been able to play. :disappointed:
  • CinebarCinebar Posts: 33,618 Member
    edited August 2022
    I never did see where you listed the brand of your video card in your pc. I solved my issues with radio signals/tv signals appearing while videoing the outside and neighborhood by setting the camera pics and video to high uncompressed. Never had to do that before but my problems started back in Windows 7 with the TS2UC when MS changed Visual C in an update. I assume now this is a camera issue in my case still not sure what caused you these problems in your game since I never did find out the name and brand of your card. Windows 10 doesn't have some of the files for Visual C+++ etc. and sometimes installing an older game that requires those older files for that can also help...like in The Sims original. To fix that game I had to install a different Visual C+. But at least the stuff that was appearing in my TS2 Sim 'movies' was due to the camera needed to be uncompressed. I suspect you have a Visual C problem, too and mine was only when I used the game's video camera. And sometimes when I had neighborhood grass replacements, neighborhood roads (cc) and some buildings for decorations.

    Hope you figure it out eventually, it took me years (no one understood my problem, lol) to figure out how to fix my problems when using the video camara in the game...just putting this here since it seems to be a matter of MS updates that interfere with Visual C+. In my case I had to set the camera options to high uncompressed.
    "Games Are Not The Place To Tell Stories, Games Are Meant To Let People Tell Their Own Stories"...Will Wright.
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