More Awesome Than You!

Until recently I've always owned ATI video cards and with Sims 2 the AA settings were straight forward.  The Smooth Edges slider had 4 possible positions going from Low to High: Off, 2x, 4x, 8x. 

I've now switched to Nvidia and have 9 positions.  I can play at max AA perfectly fine, but I'm still curious what each of the 9 positions equates to for Nvidia AA settings.

I know there is Off, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x. I also assume the remaining 4 positions will have to do with one or more of the C,M,S,Q AA settings. I don't know what order they are in the Smooth Edges slider and that is what I'm mainly curious about.

You might try asking at an Nvidia board. I know the sims game tends to prefer to manage video itself and traditionally it's not so friendly toward Nvidia. I went to ATI Radeon for that very reason. Mostly, I set the video options to be managed by the game. I have less trouble that way.

Sorry, a bit of misunderstanding. It's not a problem of not knowing how to set AA, or what to set it at with the Nvidia or Sims 2.   With most 3d games, when you go to adjust AA in game, you are given full text of what your setting the AA at.   I'll use Left 4 Dead 2 as an example.  In the AA settings in the game, with my Nvidia it shows I have access to - None, 2x MSAA, 4x MSAA,  8x CSAA, 16x CSAA, 8x MSAA, 16xQ CSAA  In that specific order.

With Sims 2 all you are given in game is a slider with no labels or information as to what each position is.  With my Nvidia card and Sims 2, I have no way to know what each of the positions on the slider are.  Is it 2x, 8x, 16x.  Is it CSAA, MSAA.

The number of AA settings available varies from game to game as well. Left 4 Dead 2 has 7 settings, Sims 2 has 9 settings.  What are the extra AA settings Sims 2 has access too, that Left 4 Dead 2 doesn't.

Thats the information I'm hoping another Nvidia user might be able to supply.

I have no idea what any of that crap means, but I know that when you turn the AA settings up, the game gets progressively slower and blurrier. If I want my game to look blurry, I have vodka for that! Using a vodka-based anti-aliasing solution makes your game blurrier and FASTER.

Just put it on 2x or 4x. The difference beyond that is barely noticeble unless you don't play at your monitors native resolution.

Thats the problem though. And the information I've been trying to figure out.  The edge smoothing slider in the game has no markings to say "this is 2x, this is 4x etc". All it is is 9 notches/settings and no info on what each notch is.  I know the very first setting is none.  After that would be 2x and then 4x.  Thats when it gets into the unknown.  Nvidia also has 8x, 8xQ, 16x, 16xQ and possibly 4xQ.  I realize I can just leave it off, and force whatever AA I want in the Nvidia control panel. And I also realize, at the resolution I play (1440x900), anything past 4x tends gets into the realm of unnecessary/overkill.  My original interest is more just out of curiosity.

I don't see the point of AA at all. If I want my screen to look blurry, I will just drink more.

Oh ok, I tried to figure out the ones on TS3 a while ago (Low, Medium, High) but just left it.