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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 24th Jan 2020 at 12:30 PM
Default Discolored beards - how to fix it?
Hello there! I'm having some issues with matching the default EAxis beards color to my sims hair. I've tried searching the forums but it seems like nobody commented on this issue yet, so since my english is not that great I'm gonna show you what I mean.
I've always hated how *some* of the default beards don't match the hair color assigned, so I tried to download some default replacements, just to find out that it doesn't fix the problem.

This is one of the many refault replacements that I tried adding to my game:

and this is how it appears in my bodyshop and in game:

Some beards looks lighter, discolored, desaturated, like there's a lighter layer on top of it.

I don't have many CC in my game at the moment, so checking if I accidentally added duplicates or different defaults was pretty easy (I also rename everything and put previews in the folders) so I'm sure it's not that, but... what could it be?!?
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 24th Jan 2020 at 3:06 PM
Could either be the texture settings, or the actual texture. It's a common issue with the default items in TS2, and if the default replacement only fixes the texture (TXTR) but not the texture settings (TXMT), you'd get the same issue with the replacement.

I think this could be a texture setting issue (the TXMT resources would need to be matched up with a working beard, possibly as a default replacement).

Can you put in a link to the beard replacement you downloaded?
Test Subject
Original Poster
#3 Old 24th Jan 2020 at 6:34 PM
Of course! I downloaded the files from here: https://gardenofshadows.org.uk/gard...30491#msg730491
Mind that the desaturation "bug" happens with every default replacement that I tried (but only for some beards)
Mad Poster
#4 Old 24th Jan 2020 at 10:26 PM
The default replacements only edit the textures (I checked), so I'd think the problem is with the default settings, but those particular ones seem to be fine.

The only thing I can find in the beard TXMTs (I checked the ones I could find with a couple quick searches, I think I've checked both the mustache and the beard from your pictures) is that some have the "stdMatDiffCoef" set to "1,1,1,1" while others have "1,1,1" (lacking the last 1). No idea if this could cause any issues. "stdMatSpecCoef" is at 0.099,0.099,0.099 and "stdMatSpecPower" at 2, which is normal for anything overlaying skin.

One of the beards (not one from the pictures) had some completely different settings ("umfacebeardwispy" with "stdMatDiffCoef" at 0.8,0.8,0.8,1 and "stdMatSpecCoef" at 0.5,0.5,0.5 and "stdMatSpecPower" at 20 - which could produce some strange effects similar to the ones in the pictures (would add a light purplish overlay), but all the colors had these settings, not just black. I think this is the one added in Bon Voyage, so it's a bit weird if it's affecting the others.

Just for the sake of trying, have you checked if it still happens if you take out any (non-essential) CC?
Test Subject
Original Poster
#5 Old 24th Jan 2020 at 11:47 PM
Ok so just to be sure I moved my Download folder to the desktop so I could check if it was CC's fault, but the glitch still happened (in game and bodyshop).
What's really weird is that then I moved *the entire Sims 2 folder* from documents to my desktop (forcing the game to generate a new one), and while there was still some discoloration, it's very subtle compared to the one I get in my modded game.

I'm... a bit confused and I wonder how is this possible o.o

EDIT: I just wanted to add that my copy of The Sims 2 is the Origin Ultimate collection, which I claimed while it was still possible :U... don't know if it makes any difference.
Mad Poster
#6 Old 25th Jan 2020 at 4:29 AM Last edited by simmer22 : 25th Jan 2020 at 4:39 AM.
I have the UC version too. I don't know if the problem is present, though (haven't played in a while due to a bunch of issues I need to sort out), but I think I've seen it happen in my CD-version of the game, so it could be a small bug nobody thought to fix.

Have you put any edited files into SavedSims? If something in SavedSims is causing issues, that could explain why the problem more or less goes away when you regenerate the TS2 folder.

Have you ever edited or added any files into the Install location? Bin files like recategorizers or default replacements that otherwise would give a custom star could be possible problems.

There has been at least 1 or 2 small updates to the UC, so if you've never tried updating your game that could be worth a try (but be sure to backup any mods/files in the install location you've edited or added and want to keep, because the install folder will most likely be reset - and it's probably also a good idea to also backup your saved game in Documents, just in case). I don't know if this will change or fix anything, though. There is a risk of possible bugs happening, too, so you may want to weigh the risks against the benefits here.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#7 Old 26th Jan 2020 at 5:31 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
I have the UC version too. I don't know if the problem is present, though (haven't played in a while due to a bunch of issues I need to sort out), but I think I've seen it happen in my CD-version of the game, so it could be a small bug nobody thought to fix.


I recall this glitch being present on my old pc as well (back in 2008 when I used to install the game with the dvds), but I can't recall the exact moment it would appear nor if I already started downloading CC at the time
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Have you put any edited files into SavedSims? If something in SavedSims is causing issues, that could explain why the problem more or less goes away when you regenerate the TS2 folder.


I didn't mess with the SavedSims folder, but I tried moving it on the desktop anyway. Nothing changed but then again I just only created a couple of sims in bodyshop.

Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Have you ever edited or added any files into the Install location? Bin files like recategorizers or default replacements that otherwise would give a custom star could be possible problems.

There has been at least 1 or 2 small updates to the UC, so if you've never tried updating your game that could be worth a try (but be sure to backup any mods/files in the install location you've edited or added and want to keep, because the install folder will most likely be reset - and it's probably also a good idea to also backup your saved game in Documents, just in case). I don't know if this will change or fix anything, though. There is a risk of possible bugs happening, too, so you may want to weigh the risks against the benefits here.


I recently reinstalled the game so I'm pretty sure it's up to date, but I could try doing it again if I can't think of anything else @__@ I have some default replacements in my downloads folder, but the weird thing is that even if I move the folder the issue still persist. It's like there is a light overlay, might be something that has to do with the lighting? I'm wondering if I have some corrupted files, It would be sad having to restart an entire neighborhood from scratch D: I made sure I had all the essential anti corruption mods T_T
The only change I did to the installation folders is the usual 4GB patch and fiddling with Graphicrulesmaker.

(Thank you so much for putting the time to help me with this issue, I know it's a minor graphic glitch but it's really annoying)
Test Subject
Original Poster
#8 Old 26th Jan 2020 at 9:04 PM
Ok so... I feel like a complete idiot for not thinking about this sooner, but I fixed it!!! Came back to the forums in case anyone else was experiencing the same problem, now hear me out:

Go to Graphics/performance Options > set "Lighting" to LOW (or just fiddle with it while looking at a bearded sim)

I noticed something changed when I moved my Config folder, can't believe it took that to make me think about the stupid graphic options. The Sims 2 is an old game, so it may behave in a weird way with newer hardare. The beard still appear a little bit lighter than it should but it's more bearable than before.
Mad Poster
#9 Old 26th Jan 2020 at 11:39 PM
What you did is probably not a proper fix, but more a toning down of the problem. Still there, just not as visible. I still think this could be a TXMT issue, but it's possible there's a rogue file somewhere in the install files that overwrites the basegame files or doesn't show up unless some spesific settings are turned on.

Could be a shader issue paired with a TXMT issue. Do you know if you have shaders on or off? (basically, does the fish tanks have fish, does the water have a vivid look to it, and is bump maps enabled?) If you have lighting hacks (like Gunmod's hack or versions of it), they often turn on shaders and various other settings via the "UserStartup.cheat" file, which happens to be in Config. If something is wrong somewhere in the text files the mod changes, I wouldn't be surprised if this happens. Bit weird it also happens in Bodyshop, unless it's a bug in an edited GraphicRules file (there's two sets of these - but it's more likely to be a problem if you've ever had to do changes to them to make your game run properly).
Test Subject
Original Poster
#10 Old 1st Feb 2020 at 2:07 PM
Quote: Originally posted by simmer22
Do you know if you have shaders on or off?


I tried launching the game with both shaders on and off and the problem is still there D:
I never messed with lighting hacks, but I did fiddle with Graphic Rules Maker to make the game resolution larger... I just assumed that this phenomenon was similar to the black box under my sims feet, since my graphic card is new maybe that's what's really causing the issue?
I don't know if it can help to find out the root of the problem, but these are the Lighting options in my GraphicRules.sgr file:

option LightingQuality
setting $Low
boolProp lightingEnabled true
boolProp portalLighting false
boolProp floorAndWallNormalMapping false
boolProp specHighlights false

setting $Medium
boolProp lightingEnabled true
boolProp portalLighting true
boolProp floorAndWallNormalMapping false
boolProp specHighlights true

setting $High
boolProp lightingEnabled true
boolProp portalLighting true
boolProp floorAndWallNormalMapping true
boolProp specHighlights true
Test Subject
Original Poster
#11 Old 5th Feb 2020 at 6:39 PM
So, sorry for the double post, but as a last resource I tried installing a lighting mod, because I really wanted to fix this problem, and I got rid of the weir overlay.
I used this one: https://dreadpirate.tumblr.com/mmlightingmod
Test Subject
#12 Old 6th Feb 2020 at 1:31 PM
I even didn't know that it exists.
Mad Poster
#13 Old 28th Jun 2021 at 1:09 AM
(No idea if the OP figured out the issue, but someone said they had the same issue over in another post, and I just noticed what could be wrong and think this probably is the cause of the problem, so before that post drowns in other replies, I'll co-post my reply here, in case other people have the same issue in the future)

Also can't believe I didn't think of this before, because this issue used to bug me like crazy back in the days, and still continues to be a problem...

---

I noticed while looking a bit closer at the files from the beard post at GoS, but the "Simscorner_BeardThick" file has all the TXMTs set as "StandardMaterial" instead of "SimStandardMaterial" in the cMaterialDefinition tab. Could be an idea to try changing this if the buggy ones have the "StandardMaterial" setting. CAS items can get a very annoying sheen when set as "StandardMaterial", but it may not be very apparent on beards (?).

Several EAxis items get this setting if you make recolors with them, and I'm not entirely sure if they have it by default or if there's a bug in Bodyshop causing it (some glasses have this bug, easy to fix though), but I wouldn't be surprised if some of the beards would need default replacement TXMTs to fix it if it's an overall issue with more of the beards.

The "FatherTimeBeardFix" file has the correct settings, so that one should show up correctly, in case you want to test out the difference.

Defaults that only have textures won't show up properly unless the TXMTs work fine.
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