Anyone know what causes flashing blue foundations?

[Persephone]

I tried to help him, but didn't get anywhere other than he has a total crap computer.  I didn't want to lead the sheep into MATY though, so thought I'd just ask on his behalf. 

Here's the thread with all the info:  http://bbs.thesims2.ea.com/community/bbs/messages.php?&openItemID=item.2,item.43,item.61,item.104,item.41,item.23&threadID=4e3fbc84177632749ed54d7441d71e45&directoryID=2&startRow=1

[ZephyrZodiac]

I would say it's a graphics card problem, myself.

[Persephone]

That's what I think too, but he isn't really very willing to accept it since his card is "supported" and its an intermittant problem. 

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, he could try using dxdiag to see if there's a problem there.  He could also try upgrading DirectX.  Personally, since he seems to have a limited computer, I'd say forget the split-level, which I don't personally like very much anyway!  It has limitations, such as if you build one by a wall then long windows go down below it, which looks odd!  And there are better methods of building a turn in the staircase, so it's not really much help there.

[Skaven]

I experienced some strange blue flashing on some objects after upgrading to OFB - particularly above a basement pool and on some photobooth pictures.  I ended up deleting all of the photobooth pics and removing a pool light and everything has been working perfectly since.

[Myth]

Flashing blue is a sign that someone used custom items on the lot and either disabled them or deleted them prior to going into the lot again.  Her/his problem could still be graphics related but flashing blue has been very typical of that.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, if it was objects, I'd agree, and it's generally solved by changing the objects to a recolour that's still in the game, or an original Maxis one.  If it's a custom mesh, it will probably revert to a Maxis original, but won't always, in my experience, work properly, and is best sold and replaced as it probably won't look right anyway. But normally when it's walls and floors that are disabled or deleted, you just get bare walls which work fine when they're redecorated.  And since the original poster at the BBS says he's only just decorated the lot, I can't see how that can be the problem.

Maybe if he turned his graphics settings down a bit, and disabled things like neighbourhood drift and the PIP window, it might help.  Turning off reflections makes an enormous difference if you have a lot of mirrors on a lot, too.

[Persephone]

I don't think its CC either, since its happening to a bare foundation with no floor.  Foundations are not CC, and anyway it doesn't LOOK like the same flashing blue you get with CC.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, if it's just the foundations for the raised section, I'd definitely say his graphics card just can't handle it, as it probably takes a fair amount of RAM to handles those foundations.  Maybe he should try deleting them one at a time and see whether if he has less of them then they stop flashing, as it sounds a bit like the problem with the half-walls in NL and Maxis having to limit the number you could have on a lot.

[Bangelnuts]

it could also be a missing "gasp" mesh causing the flashing blue foundation

[BlueSoup]

There is no mesh for foundations.

[ZephyrZodiac]

I definitely think it's more to do with the size of these foundations, one for a split staircase, or perhaps two or three wouldn't be a problem, but if he's trying to build a stage, he might be overstretching his computer's ability to cope.  (I've made stages, but my specs are fairly good, although one day I'll have to consider another upgrade!)

[Bangelnuts]

There is no mesh for foundations.

no custom meshes for foundations but maxis does occasionally blip on some computers in build modes I have a couple of build items in my game that are totally unusable because of incomplete info or so says tech support anyway

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, if that's the case, Bangel, it presumably means they didn't install properly, in which case a reinstall would probably make them work.

[Bangelnuts]

Well, if that's the case, Bangel, it presumably means they didn't install properly, in which case a reinstall would probably make them work.

I did a reinstall and hopefully the problem will be solved.I really dont want to have to buy a replacement game like I had to do with Uni and nightlife.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, if they themselves have told you there is something wrong, you shouldn't have to BUY a replacement, they should give you one!

But I hope it's OK now.

[akatonbo]

You shouldn't have to buy a replacement copy anyway -- any reasonable computer store will allow you to exchange a defective copy for another copy of the same game. It's returning opened copies in exchange for cash, store credit, or a different game that can't be done.

(And if you've been buying from some online store that doesn't have a reasonable return policy, I'd think a history of problems like that would be a good reason to take your business to someplace with better customer service.)

[innishkea]

Well this can be something or nothing, I have just installed OFB and all my custom content turned to blue flashing foundations and I had enabled the custom content nowe after several hours and days I have reinstalled all that are compatable with OFB and most of the flashing objects are missing. Also earlier this year on one of my other PC's I was having a problem with facial graphics which ended up being the driver on my graphics card I had updated it as it was a new card and the newer driver wasn't compatable with the sims 2 I retuned the card as faulty to the shop before realising after several days of frustrating green/blue\black and illuminous yellow faces the driver was the problem not the card .... hope some of this info helps ... 

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, after I upgraded my video drivers, I had high hopes that the OFB sofas and armchair would show properly, (the recliner is fine!) but no, they are still ugly black blobs!  (And I did reinstall OFB once, when the initial install wasn't working right and sims kept getting stuck on comm lots.)  So I'm afraid sometimes Maxis content is less well made than most custom - I've never had that happen with a custom object! 

Oh, and talking about badly made, the dining chairs in that set are totally useless with the table to match!  Sims get stuck between them and stand there looking helpless!  Probably alright with a square table, but there isn't one in the set.