So you use this to recolor the inside of your pool?

Partially yes in that case.

In the case of recolouring a swim-pool done by the swim-pool tool, as we all know so far, we can only recolour the pool's wallpapers but not the pool bottom yet unless modding the floor pattern script file. But, in the case of a "fake-pool", since we can make up almost everything with the more preimitive/basic tools, we can have custom pool-tiles and pool-wallpapers and hopefully sooner alternative and/or extracted original pool surface...

i was looking for something like this i was tired of the same old pool now i can give it some color

so this only for a fake pool right or for a real pool coz i think its impossible to recolor a pool flooring

The pool flooring in a swim-pool by the pool-tools can only be recoloured in Seasons or newer EP or SP.

Maxis had done quite amount of works on the Matshad files... for all these new graphical effects.

These caustic floor tile should still exhibit caustic animations as long as all the basic requirements are fulfilled as mentioned in the infos and title above.
They can be used for fake pools as well as the new Seasons swim-pools.

God I wish I could get this to work on my computer. It's really sad!! It looks so beautiful! I just get the text and the big red 'X'. Do you have any versions that aren't animated? I'd be happy with wall tiles for the pool that just had the caustic pattern on it and didn't move.

that reads like there may be 2 potential causes for that.

1.
did you download the corresponding host files?
say the simsstone set,
it needs the normal counterparts from the simstone set for textures (the characters and crosses hint that)
if you use Rainbow / Pride Tiles and Glass Blocks, you'll need the original normal set from
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=197172
for the textures to show up.
So, I didn't even redistribute his textures but just reference them for the caustic versions.

2. incompatible video card or its drivers? But, this potential cause will affect the swimpool products whether you're using the caustic versions I released here.

Please do tell more esp. when it's neither case.

Thanks

Hey Niol!

Sorry for taking so long to get back to you!

It was my graphics card, it was old as the hills. I have a new laptop that I'm playing the game on and I can get lots of stuff to work on it that didn't on my older machine, but the caustics still aren't working. I'll try downloading everything again and checking the config file. I'll let you know if you'd like!

Getting the damned caustics to work
http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/s...ic,14019.0.html




naceygirl,

So, have you tried to recolour the sphere to the graphically invisible recolour-mod recolour by eye-dropping the sphere? the object host hasn't the activating line for the caustics, but the recolour-mod has it, so it has to be recoloured to that recolour-mod to activate the caustic effect.

Simsample might actually mean a block of swim-pool by the swim-pool tool but not a fake pool, and that is the another way known to make it work.


All,

Jorganza had clarified the meanings of "caustics" neatly, and that's the term used in the swim-pool shader, and so it is kept and used.
talysman had suggestted that more commonly used meanings of a word get more attentions than the less do.
It's been so funny for me to read on this thread and realise such pleasant-boisterousness-inducing ambiguity. and, I didn't waste the chance to laugh quite a big bit.

I've modded the swim-pool shader to enable the caustics under my old video card. But indeed, there's a setting in the game config files to grade video cards accordingly.
A tweak there may "upgrade" certain video card at the peril of the user.

Can anyone please help make a link at the caustic thread to this thread, so the infos are tied? Thanks in advance...
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=179725

I'm mostly absent and lurking. lol :P
My main PC is still down while I'm broke.
Plus, moderately serious outbreaks had been intermittently disabled my hands and fingers that there have been weeks and weeks of discomfort and etiolated abilities and so that I stayed at home mostly. Yet, that's a norm once a flare-up of inflammation intitates too acutely including but not limited to the skin of joints of the mentioned body parts. And, I've speculated constantly gradual aggravation of this condition will be the trend. Nevertheless, a "new" means to control for my need is figured out due to the very same cause. I'll see if such conditioning can be well fully manipulated.

I can't access MTS2 and now even simlogical... that dashed censorship !


To whom are concerned with caustics and swim-pool in TS2,

It's interesting the caustic animation takes 2 shaders to render properly at the time of its making. Bits of the caustic codes like switches are implemented along with walls and floors in shaders of wall, wall PS, floor, floor PS while the caustic effect codes are found in the swim-pool Material shader file. One shader is for the caustic effect while one is for the caustic generator. And it takes the latter to initiate the former in the same camera scope or namely simply the monitor screen.

[sims2 wiki search "Talk ShaderPool"]

The recolour-mod is simply to add the caustic generator (by means of Material type) through a host object into a lot to activate the caustic effects already referenced by the pool floor tiles and pool wallpapers (by means of Material type). The Material type is actually a reference to conjure up the corresponding shader functions to draw on the monitor screen.

Note, both recolours of caustic effects (pool floor tiles and pool wallpapers) and caustic generator have to be together in the scope of the monitor screen to work out.

Since the swim-pool is a complex build tool consisted of many components.
1. pool floor tiles
2. pool wallpapers
3. swim-pool surface and pool depth layers
-- (the position(s) of both are recorded in a file of the lot package file, may check out sims 2 wiki or ask Mootilda if interested.)
-- [sims 2 wiki search: 0C900FDB POOL Pool Surface]
-- One can decide on the size and location of such graphical "layers" whether a swim-pool is built.
4. invisible "stages"
-- where sims swim instead of the underground -1 storey/level, it may also be the structure that hosts the caustic generator as its texture though graphically invisible
5. maybe, more

EP5 introduce a "curved" meshed wall and some cut-out "curved" floor tiles to simulate the curved pool edge. If someone can extract that curved wall segment mesh from the 3D folder, and one can make it a fake curved wall in-game object with sims-blocking flags.

Oktaplex can be a demonstration on how to use the set. If it doesn't work in a game version, and that may mean the caustics codes have been altered.

Ok, I am TOTALLY confused, here. Still, thanks for the link to this thread.

Dear,

1. you just have to go to the "download" section.
2. download "Moi_matShad_pool_caustics-no.rar"
3. decompress the package file out of the archive.
4. choose the appropriate version for the latest game version you're running in your PC. Say, if you've a game copy of EP7and 5 and 3, then you may choose a version that supports EP7 and so the "Moi_matShad_pool_caustics-no-EP5-EP8-SPMG.package"

Note, there're also other caustics references and conponents in the floor and wall shaders, so even if this fails to avoid the pain, that maens further caustic-disabling on wall and/or floor shaders may be necessary to allow shader on for whose only with some problems rather than a complete incompatibility.

For these tests, you just have to report whether which works for you.
Also, please report back the flash colour of your original problem coz that helps indicate where the problem may be at.



Thanks for your response.

Presently, I'm checking out the wall and floor shaders to what I can do.
But either of these works for your cause, I'll just wait for your report about your wall problems (like any flash? flash colour when so? graphical glitch shown by zipped or hosted screenshots? etc you've noticed...)

I`m still confused over what this thread is all about, and especially over what you think that these could do for me. I have ALL Sims 2 expansions except the Happy Holidays packs and Family Fun Stuff. Please see my profile for what I have currently installed.

As for "the flash color of your original problem", the pools in my game don`t flash; they just display weird. Please see the pictures in your other thread, the one you asked me to post them in.

GeneralOperationsDirector,






I've yet to do the no PS1 version if the no PS2 fail.
Surely, I'm working on the floor ones. floor and floor PS without PS2 first and then probably PS1. If all fail, gonna try to disable the VS as well.
Oh, anyway, I'm modding floor shaders for other causes. :P

....still confused....

Major question: WHY? What would this do for me?

These series of mods are to help identify which shader functions cause the problem you see in your game version and copy.

If a certain version of this test mod or a combination of these test mods work out a better-off graphics for your games. It hints to at least 2 things:

1. you can run the game with shaders on without the pain or any other worse compromise at least temporarily with the test mods.

2. this helps narrow down where such conflict can be at in terms of shader codes. Surely, no doubt, it's a combination of video card's capability, the shader codes, the game version, the game config, etc. But here, at least, we may try out the shader code pathway to seek for a possible better treat.

Thus, just dump in the appropriate version of the test mod (floor or wall or wallPS) whether as a stand-alone or in all possible combinations with the caustics pool test mods.

For floor shaders, only floorPS touches the PS2 and PS3, in which the latter was disabled since EP5 after made since EP4. Also, only EP4 or newer game version has PS2 or PS higher.

What is PS?
It stands for pixel shaders responsible for the graphical presentation of the game. That's why it matters to test out what are not working in your case.

My guess is that caustics may be the problem of your case.
Have you this kind of problem before EP4 or in a game copy without any EP higher than EP3?
Actually, you can also test this out by using Numenor's AnyGameStater.
http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=250555

Thank you. I now have some idea of what this is all about.

My problem started when I switched computers, and I am no longer certain what was the highest expansion when I made the switch.

I appreciate you trying to help me, but as I have no idea what is going on with this stuff, you`ll have to give me step-by-step instructions on exactly what files to try when, and what to look for when I do try them. My currently-installed expansions are listed correctly in my profile, and I am not expecting to install another for days, if not weeks, and when I do, it will be an old one [OFB].

GeneralOperationsDirector,

Alright, I'll package them in one whole download and separate different sets in different sub-folders, so you'll only need to move in a sub-folder for each test, OK?

But, please give me 1 or 2 days to prepare.



Anyway, please tell the proprietor of the computer store that you need the video card to support PS2, mostly PS3, VS2, and Dx9 and at least mostly Dx10.

This is what is essential for all those contents I posted in those 2 threads.

"...please give me 1 or 2 days to prepare." Hokay.

"...please tell the proprietor of the computer store..." As I type, I am awaiting a return call from the gentleman to discuss this very subject. I`ll get back with you when I know more.

Before the wall and pool tests, Here comes a mod to disable birds in neighbourhood view.
Moi_matShad_fishBird_Bird-No_EP0-EP8-SPMG.rar
Try this to see if the neighbourhood disappear in your game copy, so at least no more flash due to that.

Ah, I have an easier method: Delete the bird decorations from the neighborhood.

Oddly enough, I haven`t SEEN the birds AT ALL since I`ve asked about why they were flashing red. ::puzzled:: ...and I am expecting to speak to the computer store proprietor in person today on my way to work, where I will be showing him post # 18 above. Over-all, I am pleased with how my system displays The Sims 2, and very pleased with how well the program RUNS on my system. It`s just a few issues, apparently mostly with shaders, that I`m having with playing Sims 2 on this system.

I could still test that download, and tell you what happens, but it`d be inconclusive if I`m not seeing the birds at all anyway. No idea why they`ve stopped showing.

Haha, true...

but I've also made some variant mods for it.. will show you later.

sorry I've run of time for this session, I may not finish my packaing up the file to uploadd.

GeneralOperationsDirector,

may try the followings one at a time.
1. god_PS2-No.rar
2. god_PS3_no.rar

I`m ordering a video card that WILL cure my issues. If it doesn`t, I get to return it and try again. I`m also heading over to the IBM site to look for updated drivers for my motherboard video.

Meanwhile, I`m downloading those two files, and may test. What are the expected results? Please note, I still haven`t seen any neighborhood birds at all since I noticed them flashing red that day.

A potential result is that your pool walls and floor won't have the annoying error colours and show the expected pool wall pa[pers and pool floor tiles accordingly.


surely, they may not work in yet an another possibility.

So, you've ensured thge new video card you've ordered can run PS2, PS3, VS2, Dx9 and Dx 10?