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Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 4:12 PM
Default How does everyone get their games to be so... shiny?
Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but this has been something that I've been curious about for a while now!

I've noticed that with a lot of Simblrs, LJs (only using those examples in particular because I've been on a downloading spree) and the such that their Sims/neighborhoods/game play all look quite... shiny, if that makes sense? I hope that's the right word to describe it.

Think of how Sims in the Sims 3 and Sims 4 look, just converted onto Sims 2 models. (Very soft-looking skintones, features, makeup) And the neighborhoods/community lots/houses/general game play all tend to look very similar to how those games are designed as well.

I know a lot of it has to do with default replacements, lighting, sky boxes, a lot of makeup, graphic card capability, etc... but I have a good majority of that and my game still doesn't look anywhere close to theirs. (I wouldn't suppose I have an exceptional graphics card, but I can run most of everything on High settings and my game finally doesn't crash on community lots after five minutes, so I suppose that's a plus too haha.) Also, I've used most of the suggestions on the 'Making your game look/run better' thread that we had a while back and it really helped a lot, everyone had great ideas!

Ultimately, I'm pleased with how my game looks right now -- and I love my Sims regardless of how they look! I just wanted to know what everyone else's thoughts were on the subject; and if you have a "shiny" game, what's your secret? Haha.

Also, a question that I have for everyone would be, what kind of style do you play your game in? I'm not sure if there's any definite "categories," but is it straight vanilla Maxis.. Maxis Match.. semi-realistic.. photo-realistic.. softer features.. exaggerated features.. a particular aesthetic that you like (I have seen some blogs like that).. a mixture of one or more of them.. or just whatever you're feeling at the moment?
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 4:17 PM
Not sure what you mean, but I DO notice pictures of sims on MTS all look so different. It's understandable that none look quite like MINE, but some are so danged BEAUTIFUL! Facial features I can't duplicate (and I'm GOOD), resolution I can't match. Umm

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Turquoise Dragon
retired moderator
#3 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 4:32 PM
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
#4 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 4:39 PM
Pictures on Simblrs and LJ? One word answer: Photoshop

A lot of them are processed to some extent. Attached is an experiment I did a while ago following a short tutorial on making bright pictures. The first is the original picture - a shot of Little Carping, the second after processing. And that was a pretty crude experiment. It's not particularly shiney but it is bright.
Screenshots

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Mad Poster
#5 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 5:00 PM
You'll have to forgive me if I need some pictures to see what you mean as I do not go on Simblrs much, I have a hard time with how the heck these things work. lol
Though I love crisp graphics in my game. *Photoshop* can mean a lot of things. Like maxon show, it can be brightened. It can be sharpened or softened as well.
One thing I have noticed is the bump map on clothing, on many pictures. Sometimes done well, sometimes not, but mostly done well and this adds a lot to an image quality.


Quote: Originally posted by heroesandthieves
Also, a question that I have for everyone would be, what kind of style do you play your game in? I'm not sure if there's any definite "categories," but is it straight vanilla Maxis.. Maxis Match.. semi-realistic.. photo-realistic.. softer features.. exaggerated features.. a particular aesthetic that you like (I have seen some blogs like that).. a mixture of one or more of them.. or just whatever you're feeling at the moment?


And this above...would need its own thread

Je mange des girafes et je parle aussi français !...surtout :0)

Find all my old MTS Uploads, on my SFS, And all new uploads Here . :)
Scholar
#6 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 5:05 PM
One example that I can aspire to only in my dreams is Criquette. Oh, the neighborhoods are so beautiful!
http://criquette-was-here.tumblr.com/

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
Mad Poster
#7 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 5:35 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 10th Feb 2018 at 6:51 PM.
My "secret" for getting clear, crisp pictures is all settings on high (except shadows - I keep those off), big game resolution, and CC with crisp textures. I also use a little bit of photoshop (a touch of brighten/contrast and a little bit of sharpening - on a photoshop action so it's easily applied. More if I'm feeling fancy). My pictures tend to look nice and crisp as-is (but sometimes a touch too dark, hence the brightening), so I don't apply a lot of photoshop magic to them. I also use a screenshot program (same as using Printscreen, but the program saves the pictures for me in a selected format), because the ingame pictures have horrible quality.

I've used several of the "make your game look better" tricks, including the neighborhood skies/skylines and the Radiance system.

Random example pictures underneath (big picture is only cropped and saved as JPG, small picture has my regular action and a frame applied). What you see in my pictures is pretty much what my game looks like on my laptop. On my desktop computer it's pretty much the same (slightly bigger resolution, I think).
Screenshots
Scholar
#8 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 5:38 PM
There is also that postprocessing mod (I forget by whom). I tried it but it was too much for my lame graphics card.

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
Mad Poster
#9 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 5:41 PM
This is crispy, just like I love. @simmer22
Would it be this post processing here?
http://modthesims.info/t/585245

Je mange des girafes et je parle aussi français !...surtout :0)

Find all my old MTS Uploads, on my SFS, And all new uploads Here . :)
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
#10 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 5:45 PM
Quote: Originally posted by SciBirg
One example that I can aspire to only in my dreams is Criquette. Oh, the neighborhoods are so beautiful!
http://criquette-was-here.tumblr.com/

I'm not sure how those cliffs have been worked (and they do look great) but most of the background there is one of the horizons. I've forgotten just now who made those but they're really nice. They're seasonal too.

Edit: remembered: greatcheesecakepersona - http://greatcheesecakepersona.tumbl...4042017-see-the

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Mad Poster
#11 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 5:45 PM
Quote: Originally posted by SciBirg
There is also that postprocessing mod (I forget by whom). I tried it but it was too much for my lame graphics card.


I've chosen not to use that one - my computers are already close to their limits, so adding more would probably only make the pink blurb monster take over my game even faster. It's practically living in my story 'hood on the stationary...

Some of the effects can be achieved with a bit of Photoshop magic anyway.

Planning to get a new gaming laptop soon, because my current laptop is getting old and for the moment feeling a bit off (keeps randomly throwing bluescreens, sudden restarts and pixellated rainbow screens at me). I'll probably consider the postprocessing mod then.
Scholar
#12 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:21 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Rosebine
This is crispy, just like I love. @simmer22
Would it be this post processing here?
http://modthesims.info/t/585245


Yes, that is postprocessing plus I think heavy use of Photoshop.

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
Instructor
#13 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:22 PM
Whoa everyone's game here looks awesome. My PC is getting 5 years old this year and I'm still having 1600x900 monitor. That said, I like The Sims 2 the way it is, and it has more polygon counts than The Sims 4.

LGBTQ+. Fans of RAMMSTEIN, GOJIRA and Architects. Check out my favorite YouTube channels: Second Thought, Adam Something, Climate Town, and Not Just Bikes
Mad Poster
#14 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:27 PM
That's the size of my monitor..what's wrong with it?

Je mange des girafes et je parle aussi français !...surtout :0)

Find all my old MTS Uploads, on my SFS, And all new uploads Here . :)
Scholar
#15 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:28 PM
Another tumblr to drool over: http://theatticbox.tumblr.com/ I wish she would share her hood...

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
Instructor
#16 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:31 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Rosebine
That's the size of my monitor..what's wrong with it?


Nothing's wrong with it. Just wish I had the full HD one but that's gonna be useless since I already got full HD TV and PlayStation 4 :p

LGBTQ+. Fans of RAMMSTEIN, GOJIRA and Architects. Check out my favorite YouTube channels: Second Thought, Adam Something, Climate Town, and Not Just Bikes
Scholar
#17 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:33 PM
Quote: Originally posted by legacyoffailures
Nothing's wrong with it. Just wish I had the full HD one but that's gonna be useless since I already got full HD TV and PlayStation 4 :p


You should use your HD TV as your monitor. That's what I did with my desktop, it was awesome!

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
Scholar
#18 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:40 PM
how do you do that?

I May Be Life Dumb But I'm Sim Smart(mostly).
My Tumblr
Instructor
#19 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:40 PM
Quote: Originally posted by SciBirg
You should use your HD TV as your monitor. That's what I did with my desktop, it was awesome!


Unfortunately my graphics card doesn't support full HD resolution. I don't do PC games thou, except The Sims series and Stardew Valley. I'm more like a console player.

LGBTQ+. Fans of RAMMSTEIN, GOJIRA and Architects. Check out my favorite YouTube channels: Second Thought, Adam Something, Climate Town, and Not Just Bikes
Scholar
#20 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:47 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Emerald1234
how do you do that?


Your PC and your TV must support HDMI, then all you need is an HDMI cable, plug in both ends (one in computer, one in the TV), and use your TV remote to set source to HDMI.

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
Field Researcher
#21 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:52 PM
Quote: Originally posted by SciBirg
Another tumblr to drool over: http://theatticbox.tumblr.com/ I wish she would share her hood...


See now, those are sometimes blurry in a weird way. I don't say this to criticize the person whose tumblr that is, but just out of curiosity if anyone knows what is going on there. Are they making them blurry on purpose? A lot of the indoor shots you see it but a good example is the one of the woman holding a plate of cookies. Her boobs are in focus but her arms are blurry and it's a little confusing because they're not that distant from each other.
Scholar
#22 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 6:54 PM
Quote: Originally posted by SparkySays
See now, those are sometimes blurry in a weird way. I don't say this to criticize the person whose tumblr that is, but just out of curiosity if anyone knows what is going on there. Are they making them blurry on purpose? A lot of the indoor shots you see it but a good example is the one of the woman holding a plate of cookies. Her boobs are in focus but her arms are blurry and it's a little confusing because they're not that distant from each other.


Probably bokeh-filter in Photoshop

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
Mad Poster
#23 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 7:00 PM
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
#24 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 7:04 PM
Quote: Originally posted by SciBirg
Another tumblr to drool over: http://theatticbox.tumblr.com/ I wish she would share her hood...

That's an interesting one - they're using that shadow mod there. I decided against that though I might go and have a look again now I've reinstalled on Win7.

Quote: Originally posted by SparkySays
See now, those are sometimes blurry in a weird way. I don't say this to criticize the person whose tumblr that is, but just out of curiosity if anyone knows what is going on there. Are they making them blurry on purpose? A lot of the indoor shots you see it but a good example is the one of the woman holding a plate of cookies. Her boobs are in focus but her arms are blurry and it's a little confusing because they're not that distant from each other.

Yes, that's a post-processing mod I think. It might be involved with the mod I mentioned above - can't quite remember but I do remember the shadows popping out like that. Looks pretty nice.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Scholar
#25 Old 10th Feb 2018 at 7:05 PM
Link to the Posteffects mod (please be careful! Only use with a good graphics card and fast computer):
https://pineapple5050.tumblr.com/po...skyfix-pond-sea

Paladins/SimWardrobes downloads: https://simfileshare.net/folder/87849/
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