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Faffster
Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 23rd Aug 2021 at 8:51 PM Last edited by Faffster : 24th Aug 2021 at 9:20 PM.

This user has the following games installed:

Sims 3, World Adventures, Ambitions, Late Night, Generations, Pets, Showtime, Supernatural, Seasons, University Life, Island Paradise
Default Mirror glitch
I'm having a weird problem where mirror and water reflections (and probably anything with reflections) is looking ...well, weird. Mirror reflections tend to show the back side of the wall they are placed on, and there are strange lines (likely lot borders) in the water reflections.

It's weird because it happens across saves/worlds, even when I delete (and the game generates a new) The Sims 3 folder in Documents (i.e, no mods and new saves). The problem has been around since installing the game as soon as I got the computer. This is just how all worlds look in my game. And I've not been able to Google my way to anyone who's had the same issue.

As I suspected it might be a graphics issue, I've gone through pretty much everything on this list, but it's still the same: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfi.../?id=1131162350
All graphics options are maximized but I've tried out lower settings too with no luck.

I'll include some photos to illustrate (yes I'm in the cursed Isla Paradiso. It's where I like to rule out all game problems. Because surely it works there, it works everywhere.). I hope I managed to include everything! Happy to clarify further if needed.

OS: Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Eight Core CPU 3.8GHz
RAM: 16GB
GPU: 16GB AMD RADEON RX 6800 (driver 21.6.1)


Edit: other glitches I'm having that may or may not be related: the sims have a blurry outline if they stand in front of water, and they have two(!) reflections on each eyeball.

Edit2: the two first photos show the mirror error. First you see a huge 3-tile floor-to-wall mirror. And in the reflection is the wallpaper that you in the second photo see is the outside wallpaper.
The last two photos show the lines in the water during the day and night (ignore the aurora borealis, it's just a lighting mod).
Screenshots
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Faffster
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 24th Aug 2021 at 7:18 PM
Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
post deviceconfig. did you get your GPU recognized?

i don't know what the 1st two photos suppose to show me, but the last 2 looks messed up.


My DeviceConfig does say [Found: 1, Matched: 1] for my GPU, though the effect persists when I've changed the GraphicsRules.ini and GraphicsCards.ini. I've never been 100% confident in how I changed the files, even though I followed these instructions.
Also, the issue persists whether it says [Found: 1, Matched: 1] or [Found: 1, Matched: 0].


Right! I should've added photo descriptions! I've updated my initial post now.
Faffster
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 24th Aug 2021 at 9:16 PM
Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
So I'm looking through the steam guide in your first post. Steps 5, 7, 14 are completely wrong or outdated. You should try to revert them back to the original. 6 is ok, but the description is wrong. It doesn't make you use more CPU, it just changes certain triggers in the setting relative to CPU power. There is a similar one in GPU, and I recently recommended another person to change both to max. This allows you to adjust the options menu without the game trying to revert it back to auto detection.

But I don't think any of this will solve your issue as I suspect you changed them in the first place trying to resolve your issue. The mirror one is especially difficult to understand, but the other one is clearly a graphical issue. Since your GPU is recognized, it means all the proper triggers are set in the graphicsrules. This means it is the GPU itself is probably the issue.

I would suggest looking up for updated GPU driver from the AMD website to see if it fixes it. If not, you can also try testing older drivers. However, please make sure you back everything up first make sure you write down your current driver version so you can revert to it. If you are using a laptop, it is likely you cannot change the driver but have to go to your laptop manufacturer's site to download a custom driver.


Thanks for taking the time to look through all that. I had some hesitation about a few of the points as well. Like, I've always heard changing the "MemoryUsageLimit" from "20000000" to "40000000" (step 5) does nothing. But the guide seemed so well regarded by many. I thought deleting the 5 cache files (step 14) was a golden rule though?

But yeah I only went through the above guide in order to solve the mirror/reflections issue, with no luck. It's interesting you mention there might be a problem with the GPU. Just between me starting this thread and your first response I learnt that my new gaming desktop is a mess. A small case with high-end heat-producing CPU and GPU, and inadequate cooling and power. I configured it, but following the ill-advice (or lack thereof) of the site and their tech support. And now I've got a hot little box with a poor fan fighting for it's life to cool it down. No idea if that's the reason, but I'm going to try and get a refund/replacement even though my warranty is over. Sorry that's more than you needed to know probably!

Because of this I probably won't get to try the GPU driver revert (it's currently up to date) any time soon, but I'll keep checking this thread for that and other suggestions for things I might try once I've got my (or a better) gaming computer back again.
Faffster
Test Subject
Original Poster
#7 Old 25th Aug 2021 at 10:08 AM
Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
No, that's a misconception and one that has been refuted many times despite it is still popular on Sims improvement sites. The cache files should not be cleaned unless you are having problems. It takes time to refill those cache files and while it is refilling, it actually lags the game. The size of the 2 large cache files can be changed, but they're static to what you change it to. So the page said they will grow really large and messy, that is untrue.

https://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=548125

In the first post itself, scroll a little down and you will see the instruction on how to modify the cache size to your liking.


Thanks for clarifying! I was wondering the same thing about the Regul Save Cleaner. I thought "doesn't the game just have to regenerate all the deleted picture again?" Then again it did reduce my 50MB save folder to 30MB.
A bit off topic, but do you know if the same thing applies to The Sims 4? I see a lot of people say the two cache files should be deleted after adding or removing mods.

I've only just returned to The Sims 3 after a decade of not being able to play it on a proper gaming computer until now. There are so many "how to play TS3 lag free in 2021" etc guides it's quite the challenge to figure out which ones are good advice and which ones a bit misguided.
The smooth patch, Nraas mods, ellacharmed's world fixes and cleaning the DCBackup folder has done wonders though. It's editing the GraphicsCards.srg, GraphicsRules.srg and Sims3.ini that seems a bit more of a minefield. And I don't even know if The GPU Add-on orthis starter pack really do much at all.

Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
It's always good to have more info. I have no idea whether overheating is the cause of your issue, to be honest, I don't think it is. Overheating usually results in sluggish performance and crashes. But if your system is new, all new systems have fail safe throttle limits to lower the processor power if it overheats. However, it is about how hot the other components get, such as the motherboard.


Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
So I didn't want to say this earlier because I don't want to say something that may not be directly related to your issue. However, the mirror one is completely new, I've never seen it before. The water one seems like a typical graphical glitch from GPU related issue. This many times can be resolved by driver update and is relative to driver coding. That being said, again this may or may not be helpful, but there is a reason I do not buy AMD stock let alone their products despite the recent hype in the past couple of years. Being in this help forum for almost a decade, pretty much graphical issues like these are always AMD. There is a reason why Nvidia is more expensive, we get what we paid for.

That being said, I'm not telling people to go and buy Nvidia, b/c boy they're expensive. But to expect these kinds of issues with AMD as normal. Sometimes a new driver could affect older games like Sims from 2009 in this way. Hence why I recommend reverting the driver to older ones if new ones are not available. The worst case scenario that I've came across, is to recommend the person to actually post an error log and request at the AMD forum, so they can fix the problem in the next driver update.


Yeah I've not been able to find anyone with this mirror issue either. I usually have a pretty high bar for starting a help thread (hence why all my questions are pouring out now I guess ), but this one I seems totally new.

I'm really glad you've implicated the AMD card to be honest, because that might be the argument I need to get the computer returned, even though I got it 2 months ago, for a totally different system configuration in a much bigger case. I bought it to finally be able to play TS3 and it's not letting me do so properly. Thanks to a recommendation in this thread (where I'm the thread starter, Ziltoidia) I'm thinking a Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti (8GB) might do the trick. So it's good to hear Nvidia is a safer bet, and that I can make a good argument for the AMD card not doing the job I got it for.
Faffster
Test Subject
Original Poster
#9 Old 25th Aug 2021 at 5:41 PM
Quote: Originally posted by nitromon
Ok, the save game cleaner is different than the cache. In this case it is true, the savegame will keep bloating if you do not clean it b/c it just keeps adding thumbnail and SNAPS each time your sims change clothing when they age or edit, lots change, season etc... so yes, save game cleaner is necessary. But cache files are different issue, they're static.



I don't play TS4 so I don't know what those caches do. The caches I'm referring to in TS3 are the simscompositorcache and the compositorcache files. However, in TS3, generally you do not delete cache unless something is not working. So if you are installing new script mods etc... you might want to delete scriptcache.



Generally speaking just try not to overbloat your mods folders. Organize them, test them, before you integrated them into your games permanently. Play around with the game first before you start modifying it with a lot of those on the list in those links. And likewise, don't just use them all at once, test a few first.

Those GPU addon things just gives you an updated graphics card list and rules setting. They seem to be working that is why your GPU was recognized. Otherwise, this can be done with manual editing.



Yes, Nvidia tend to be much more stable and compatible. Hope it all works out.

Thank you so much for all the help!
Tolkien
Test Subject
#10 Old 27th Aug 2021 at 8:15 AM
Just came across this topic/post and just so you know this affects ALL recent AMD cards (5000 & 6000) not only in the Sims 3 but the Sims 4 where it has gotten a lot more attention. It is not a mod or software issue but an issue with AMD drivers that AMD must fix.

People have posted about it across reddit to the official forums like myself, its a wide known problem with the Sims 4. As this problem is the same for both games its assumed that if AMD fix it in one game, it fixes it in the other via their driver.

My suggestion is to use the official AMD bug report tool and send them a report. Do it weekly, monthly or whenever but don't let them forget about it. Its clearly a problem that is affecting ALL their new hardware and they need to address it/become aware of it.

As of right now the only thing you can do is turn off mirrored surfaces in options menu.

If you have a new AMD card this effects you too! Please make AMD aware of it!
cch4rlottee
Test Subject
#11 Old 30th Dec 2021 at 3:01 AM
Default mirror glitch
Quote: Originally posted by Faffster

Edit2: the two first photos show the mirror error. First you see a huge 3-tile floor-to-wall mirror. And in the reflection is the wallpaper that you in the second photo see is the outside wallpaper.


hi i have recently got back into my sims and i’m having this exact same problem with the mirror glitch. i’ve tried using sims 4 studio, but this didn’t change anything. this glitch had happened before i downloaded any cc

i’m wondering if you have managed to fix this problem?

thank you x
Tolkien
Test Subject
#12 Old 5th Jan 2022 at 4:53 AM
SO for anybody reading this and have the same error - this is a major graphical mirror reflection error that effects ALL next generation AMD GPU's (prior 5000 series and current 6000 series) across multiple games in the Sims series, including Sims 3 and Sims 4 in the same way.

The problem is widely reported now across multiple forums, reddits and EA tech forum. This issue has existed for years now and EA has finally stated that it needs to be fixed by AMD on a driver level as it has to do with how the card is processing reflections. However AMD has completely ignored the issue despite how large the Sims community/sales are.

I beg people to please bug report or send messages to AMD or otherwise avoid buying a next generation AMD card if you play the Sims unless you don't want to place mirrors or look at water reflections.
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