Tutorial: How to change the Loading Screen Background! (No SimPE required)

[titi]

As I can't post tutes in the tutorial place I'll just put this one here...

Today I'm going to try and teach you how to change the Loading Screen Background or the blueness that my Sims are standing on in this pic.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/-Loony-Lovegood-/snapshot_4fcc4910_4fcc4911.jpg

1. Firstly open up My Computer and go My Documents=>EA GAMES=>The Sims 2=>Storytelling (If you have an EP this is just the normal storytelling NOT the seperate ones for each Neighbourhood. Now find the image called CAS_auto_bg.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/-Loony-Lovegood-/Searchie.jpg

2. As with all things that Maxis didn't think we'd edit you should backup the file, copy it and paste it somewhere.

3. Now open the file and colour. However don't go for something strong like this: http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/-Loony-Lovegood-/flower.jpg
That'll just make the background TOO strong and it'll put less emphasis on your Sims.

4. Try a pastel shade, if you want to do it quickly find the Gradient tool if you have photoshop (I'm using Photoshop Elements but you can access the
Gradient Tool on any Photoshop by right-clicking the paintbucket tool)
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/-Loony-Lovegood-/OpenPS.jpg

5: http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c124/-Loony-Lovegood-/pastelcas.jpg
Ahh... that's better. All though it's flashy and fancy the colours aren't bright.

6.Save the image, open up TS2 and create a new family, they should be standing on your new background.

Note: I haven't tried animated backgrounds so I don't know if they work. The image is originally saved as a JPEG so I don' t know if it'll work if you save it as a GIF.

What use is this tutorial if it only edits the loading screen?
When you create a new family you get an image.. now you're Sims will be standing on a fancy one instead of a boring one..

[IgnorantBliss]

Thank you, titi, I moved your post to the tutorial section :).

[that1chica]

could you show a picture of what the sims look like on your background?

[i like cheesey oranges]

could you show a picture of what the sims look like on your background?

u can show a pic of what ur sims look like by takin a snpsht of em. the backround cant change for each time u make a new family, though, unless you keep changin it
:cylon:

[i like cheesey oranges]

can i change my background to an animated gif? if i change the background to a gif and not a jpg, will it still work? can i use a tge, bmp, png, gif, jfif, tif, or pdn instead of a jpg? i need answers!

:edit:
tga, not tge
sry

[rickzoe]

i like cheesey oranges--did you try the other files? curious.

i suspect that since the original file is a jpg, it needs to be a jpg.

in photoshop, you should be able to take another file and resave in jpg format. i'll try it tonight.--zoë

[rickzoe]

hi titi--fantastic tutorial. i'm posting my results

[rickzoe]

i like cheesey oranges--i tried with the other extensions you listed and had no success (but i could be doing something incorrectly).--zoë

[silvertora]

I can't wait to use this - excellent work!

[i like cheesey oranges]

i like cheesey oranges--i tried with the other extensions you listed and had no success (but i could be doing something incorrectly).--zoë

i didn't think it would work, but we can hope!!! :)

[Troubledgirl]

This is cool. How did you figure this out? I'm going to give it a try and see if it will work for me, if it does, I will try to get a picture of it to post as a positive result. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[Troubledgirl]

Thanks, it worked, although I have no clue how to put a screen shot in this message. Thanks again.

[funney250]

i dont know if it worked i will look tomoro

[LilRebelKaty14]

I am trying this out this minute! shall post thanks if it works for me,
I have no idea how to post results so.... LOl

[lukemckeown]

Cheers Mate :D

[Reduphia]

It didn't work for me, all I get is when the screenshot of it comes up, it has the background. When the family is loading in-game, there's still the blue screen... Is this meant to happen?

[Briesetuts]

Having same problem as Reduphia, although not sure if things change with new ep's. I've Got all up to freetime. But this tute is great either way :)

[GeneralOperationsDirector]

I`m just guessing here, but does this show up only when moving in new CAS family?

[titi]

XP. This tutorial is so old, like three years now, but anyway, just a teeny bit of support for anybody who looks at this:

It DOES NOT change the loading screen. Only the image that is spawned whenever you create a new family is created. I don't know how you change the loading screen without hacking, XP.

[GeneralOperationsDirector]

I`ve noticed the same thing: It does not change the background behind the family on the first-load screen for a fresh CAS family, but it DOES change the background behind the family on the auto-snapshot that gets installed in the family`s Story Mode editor.

[titi]

Yep. That's the truth. It's ALWAYS done that too. Pretty pointless tutorial haha, now that I think about it, but if you like this sort of thing for some reason, it's still up here. I'm surprised it survived the purge :|.

[DJ.]

Thank you !! I made green simming board :D (when you play Sims, the place you check their Needs, etc.), but the blue loading screen was too... blue... :blink: :( so i read your tutorial and very, very thanks! :up: :up:

[Ambitions999]

Nice picture!

[Lila112]

Ah.... This is great for figuring out! I had never thought! Thank you so much! This is very clever! :up:
Thanks for sharing!

Happy Simming!

~Lila :bunny:

[Lila112]

Ha ha! This is very funny to mess around with! Look at this one! And you rock for doing this!
But anyway the picture :

[Lila112]

Ha ha! This is very funny to mess around with! Here's one of my pics :

[TheJessie way]

:lol: COOL Ha ha! This is very funny to mess around with! Here's one of my pics :

[wipadatr024]

Thanks for sharing!
i'm test it, is OK