modifying skin tone?

hi! i did modify the Graphic Rules at one point and it helped the overall look of the game, but not the Sims themselves. everything looks quite good, it's just that weird body/head skin issue that puzzles me.

the chip must be about 3 years old, which isn't so great to begin with. and i know i changed some settings but it didn't make a difference.

so far it's been all Sim heads and skin tones, but only with certain clothes. or tops, actually, because most full body outfits seem to be OK.

i still have some more heads to try, though.

hey! augh, i'll have to check later, but... i'm thinking that it might be more than 3 years old, because i want to say it's an integrated Intel HD 4600 chip, maybe 4700. which isn't exactly ideal, if it is...

i do know that i tried both the latest driver and also rolled back to the previous one, to test them both.

oh, and now that you mention it, i do remember having to modify both Graphic Rules files. and (IIRC) the Video Cards files as well, because the card wasn't found on the database. but i'm not that sure, TBH. ;)

"Cinebar;c-16639733" wrote:
I'm adding these old instructions(Windows 7/to Windows 10) for updating Intel drivers. In case someone else needs the how to info. Before anyone updates a driver normally you are supposed to remove the older driver. Not just add a new one. However, you wouldn't do this if you don't have any VGA driver (MS) left in there until you install a new driver. (This happens if you built your pc and it didn't come from a manufacturer> they wouldn't have a VGA driver to fall back on).

I would advise before anyone updates to a new driver(since some new drivers to any card may cause more problems than it was worth) to always create a restore point so they can undo any changes to system settings and drivers etc. they installed. If you never do, then one day you may find out you wish you had. Some newer drivers really aren't worth updating to, for many diff. cards as I recently experienced with a new driver for AMD.

https://www.drivereasy.com/knowledge/solutions-to-fix-intelr-hd-graphics-driver-issues-after-windows-10-update/

ETA: @fewlines, have you ever used ipiccy to lighten the skins or the outfits in your game? This also looks like when players have used ipiccy(photo editor) to lighten a skin but forgot to lighten both the head and body or vs versa.

To add to this:

Graphics card drivers are one thing that you don't have to keep updated unless you're wanting to play the latest and greatest games.

You can put off installing new graphics card drivers until you get a new card; install a new, just recently release game; or start having problems that point to graphics issues.

All computers come with a VERY basic graphics card driver installed in the motherboard. It's how people who build their own card can install the graphics card driver in the first place. Need to be able to see in order to install it, after all.

I built my own PC and I know my motherboard has a basic graphics card in it. Found out that at some point, I accidentally plugged my monitor into that card (and then wondered why my FPS in an MMO was abysmal).

hey @Cinebar, i haven't, i didn't even know about ipiccy! LOL.

"Cinebar;c-16643446" wrote:
What last EP/SP do you have installed? I looked at your pics again, and maybe you need some patches to the individual EPs? Because I didn't see any outifts in your PJ CAS pic that showed any later EP pjs etc. (past Beyond Seasons' PJs)

The hair the female has is an Apartment Life hair. So she has at least that EP.

"Cinebar;c-16643757" wrote:

"Seera1024;c-16643731" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16643446" wrote:
What last EP/SP do you have installed? I looked at your pics again, and maybe you need some patches to the individual EPs? Because I didn't see any outifts in your PJ CAS pic that showed any later EP pjs etc. (past Beyond Seasons' PJs)

The hair the female has is an Apartment Life hair. So she has at least that EP.

I was thinking maybe she doesn't have TS2UC and needs all the EP patches, and Family Fun patch, and The base game patch.

She has the base game patch. All EP's force the base game to be patched in order to be installed.

But asking what's the last EP she has installed wouldn't get if she's got the UC or not. Those who have a selection but have Apartment Life and those with the UC all would answer that question the same.

yes, i do have UC!

thank you! i appreciate your time. :)

"Cinebar;c-16644829" wrote:

"Seera1024;c-16643789" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16643757" wrote:

"Seera1024;c-16643731" wrote:

"Cinebar;c-16643446" wrote:
What last EP/SP do you have installed? I looked at your pics again, and maybe you need some patches to the individual EPs? Because I didn't see any outifts in your PJ CAS pic that showed any later EP pjs etc. (past Beyond Seasons' PJs)

The hair the female has is an Apartment Life hair. So she has at least that EP.

I was thinking maybe she doesn't have TS2UC and needs all the EP patches, and Family Fun patch, and The base game patch.

She has the base game patch. All EP's force the base game to be patched in order to be installed.

But asking what's the last EP she has installed wouldn't get if she's got the UC or not. Those who have a selection but have Apartment Life and those with the UC all would answer that question the same.

Where did you hear that? No, not all versions on disc require the base game to be patched. If anyone installs any disc from before 2005 they won't even have the base game patch. It wasn't included until 2005. And each EP has to be patched individually and not all fixes are carried over into new EPs (later EPs.) (That's why all patches have to be installed).

But good to know she has the UC so we can try to continue to help her with her graphics issues. An Intel 4000/4500HD (released in 2015) chip should be able to play this game.

My own experiences with trying to install the first released EP on my previous Windows 7 desktop.

I'd install University and it would get to a verification step and fail out. My guess is the installer on the disc was trying to pull the patch from the now defunct Sims 2 site. Which would cause the installer to uninstall everything including the base game.

Once I got the patch for the base game installed, I was able to install University. And for every EP I installed afterward it would say that everything is up to date.

I did not mean to imply that the EP discs all came with the base game patch. Just that it had a check put into place to ensure that the base game was patched and if it wasn't that it would attempt to download and install the patch. Which of course currently fails due to the Sims 2 site not being up anymore.