Overhaul 01 - Simp's GraphicsRules Override

First time hearing about the file? View the Original Patreon Post for more details.

Any issues with the file? Please @isimp4sims on Twitter or Instagram so I am aware of the issue and can investigate. If you become a Patron you will be able to comment directly on this post, you will also get an email from Patreon with my Discord ID. 

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⭐Update - 2021, 02 November ⭐
✅ Updated for Patch 1.81.72 (Blooming Room Kit! -- there was new code "CDSPollFrequency" in the update)

⭐Update - 2021, 16 September ⭐
✅ VSync tweak returned to default
✅ Increased RenderShadowCacheIBSize to fix shell building shadows
✅ Alt Clipping file added to download links

⭐️Update - 2021, 08 September ⭐️
✅ Compatible with Spa Day Refresh patch (PC: 1.79.93.1030 / Mac: 1.79.93.1230)
✅ Smarter file 🤓 with lots of conditionals
✅ FPS tests for every tweak to find optimal values
✅ View Distance overhaul = with/without Distance Blur (DoF)
✅ Laptop Mode overhaul = Performance Mode 📈
✅ Various fixes

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Sul Sul 👋 It is with great excitement that I present the latest update to the GraphicsRules.sgr file! I ran extensive FPS tests for all the tweaks and all values are now optimal. Performance is faster and more stable than ever! And with all the new conditionals, the file is smarter than ever too! The overhaul to View Distance replaces the "WITH DOF" version of the file. Also, the overhaul to Laptop Mode replaces the old Performance version of the file. Lastly, a whole bunch of fixes make this, by faaaar, the best version yet!

This file will always be free! It takes a lot of time and testing though, become a patron to support further updates! 

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BIG CHANGES:

1. Overhaul of View Distance setting. View Distance has been completely redone, the old settings no longer exist and this is now all about controlling Distance Blur. View Distance to Low is with blur. View Distance to High is without blur. The game needs a restart after changing this setting!
2. Overhaul of Laptop Mode setting. Laptop Mode has been completely redone. Shadows are back, Normal Mapping is gone, forces shadows to 1K or 2K depending on VRAM, forces Distance Blur OFF regardless of View Distance setting. And more!
3. Clipping tweaks. Lets items get closer to the camera before cutting away. Fixes broken sky box when zoomed out. Stops flickering in the distance (unless tilted upwards (same as default)). Makes MXAO from ReShade behave more like default. An alternate file is available to download for those who prefer the old clipping values - most noticeable with MXAO.
4. Lighting Quality setting. Set this to High to have up to 4K shadows depending on VRAM. Or set to Very High to have up to 5K shadows depending on VRAM.
5. Mac shadow cut off fix for older Macs with Nvidia GPUs. This is now conditional as well, if using a pre 2015 Macs the file will limit shadows to 3K.
6. Conditionals (IF Statements). The file is now smarter than ever and will throttle the values your game loads. Limits depend on adjustedTextureMemory (which is the GPU's available VRAM). These are only for settings that have a significant FPS toll. The 4 tiers that categorise GPU capacity are:
   🔴 Low = less than 2GB VRAM
   🟠 Med = less than 3GB VRAM
   🟢 High = less than 4GB VRAM
   🟣 Uber = more than 4GB VRAM

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DOWNLOAD LINKS

⚠️Choose only one of the GraphicsRules.sgr files below!
The Alt Clipping file restores the clipping values from the previous version. See point 3 in the Big Changes list above for more details.
ℹ️ If you use Shadows for Days by @pictureamoebae then grab the Alt Clipping version.

👉 [    ⟩⟩GraphicsRules.sgr⟨⟨    ] 👈
👉 [    ⟩⟩GraphicsRules.sgr ALT CLIPPING⟨⟨    ] 👈

Previous versions of the file available in the Original Patreon Post.

⭐️ SUGGESTED DOWNLOAD!
👉 MizoreYukii’s No Fade On Everything mod 👈 

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS:

⭐️ The GraphicsRules.sgr file:
Once you download this file from the link above, put it in the Config Override folder.

ℹ️ Find the Config Override folder here:
📁 Windows - Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Config Override
📁 Mac - Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4 > Config Override

⚠️ The file MUST be called "GraphicsRules" EXACTLY for the game to the recognise it. If it is called GraphicsRules(1) or similar because it was renamed during download then it will not work. If you rename it for any other reason it will not work. Knowing this, you can keep previous versions of the file in your Config Override folder by just renaming them.

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⭐️ The VideoCamera.ini file:
This will help with the clipping tweaks in the SGR file but are not required. I do HIGHLY recommend making the changes though! Double click the VideoCamera.ini file to open it and edit the following 2 values:
» TargetPointDist = 2.0 needs to change to TargetPointDist = 0.18
» TargetPointLimit = 150.0 needs to change to TargetPointLimit = 60.0

⚠️ If you would prefer to just download a file ⟩click here⟨ then replace the default file with this.
» If you are given a warning about a harmful file it can safely be ignored!

ℹ️ Find the res folder here:
📁 Windows - …\Program Files (x86)\Origin Games\The Sims 4\Game\Bin\res
📁 Mac - right click Sims 4 in the Applications folder, choose Show Package Contents, then go into Contents > res

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⭐️ Capping your FPS:
While this is not needed for the SGR file to work I recommend making the change. Double click the Options.ini file to open it and find the frameratelimit setting. Change this from 200 to 60. If you do recording at 60FPS then set this value to 66 to allow some overhead for the recording software.

ℹ️ Find the Option.ini file here:
📁 Windows - Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\
📁 Mac - Documents > Electronic Arts > The Sims 4

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⭐️ MizoreYukii’s No Fade On Everything mod
You do not need this mod for the file to work it is suggested for a reason though. Stop items from fading/disappearing when close to the camera. Without objects fading in and out, the frame time graphs are more stable! And it increases minimum FPS! Visual improvement and performance improvement, why wouldn't you use this?!

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LIST OF EVERYTHING THAT CHANGED:

LightingQuality - Extras
• RenderShadowCacheVBSize - conditionals and increase
• RenderShadowCacheIBSize - decrease
• RenderInstancingVBSize - conditionals and increase

LightingQuality
• ShadowMapSize - conditionals and increase
• ShadowDecalEnabled - true
• SsaoEnabled - move to View Distance setting
• DofEnabled - move to View Distance setting

GeneralReflections
• WaterReflectionAreaThresholds - conditionals and decrease
• MirrorFadeRadiusThreshold - conditionals and increase
• MirrorFarPlanes - conditionals and increase

ObjectQuality
• DropTexMipsOnLoad - disable for Low/Med
• MipDiscardHints - 0 for Low/Med/High
• TextureSizeThreshold - set to 4K for High
• TrilinearEnabled - disable
• AnisoEnabled - disable
• ObjectLODBias - tweaks for Low/Me/High and conditionals for High

ObjectQuality - Extras
• ObjectLODInterestBias - increase
• WallCutoutAtlasSize - conditionals and increase

TerrainQuality
• TerrainLODBoost - increase for Low/Med/Hig
• SeasonalBlendTolerance - decrease for Low/Med/High

EdgeSmoothing
• FSAALevel - conditionals and increase

SimQuality
• RenderSimLODDistances - increase
• RenderSimTextureSizes - all set to same value (disable Sim LOD)

ViewDistance - Extras
• ClipPlaneExponent - set to 1 (back to default value)
• ClipPlaneZoomClose - decrease
• ClipPlaneZoomDistant - decrease
• ObjectSizeCullFactor - increase

ViewDistance
• ClipPlaneDistances - tweaks and conditionals
• SkyboxClipDistances - tweaks and conditionals
• SsaoEnabled - Low is with distance blur. High is without distance blur.
• DofEnabled - Low is with distance blur. High is without distance blur.

AdvancedRendering (Laptop Mode)
• SsaoEnabled - forces off regardless of View Distance setting
• DofEnabled - forces off regardless of View Distance setting
• NormalMappingEnabled - false
• RenderShadowsEnabled - true
• RenderFadeTuning - minspec
• RenderForceMinspecShaders - disable
• RenderPretransformEnabled - true
• TerrainSpecScale - disable

Other
• MemCacheBudgetValue - increase
• DeformerMapsCacheBudgetValue - increase
• EdgeScrollingWarning - forces off regardless of setting in Game Options
• EnableTelemetry - forces off regardless of setting in Game Options
• TutorialEnabled - forces off regardless of setting in Game Options
• HideReportedContent - forces off regardless of setting in Game Options
• SurveysEnabled - forces off regardless of setting in Game Options
• MuteTutorialNarration - forces off regardless of setting in Game Options
• EnableFTUETutorialStart - forces off regardless of setting in Game Options
• logSystemInfo - added some lines to the Config.log to help with troubleshooting

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This file will always be free! It takes a lot of time and testing though, become a patron to support further updates!

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CREDITS

♥ A huge thank you and shoutout to all my patrons! Your support helps me to keep working on updates!
♥ A huge thank you to the Beta testers for all the valuable feedback!
♥ A huge thank you to @BluebellFlora for all the Mac testing and feedback
♥ A huge thank you to @FantaSims, @MalinDesigns, @Iron_Cgull, and everyone else that retweeted and helped spread the word!
♥ A special thank you to @Schnuck for all the initial testing, feedback and encouraging me to release the file to the public. Go follow her on YouTube if you don't already!
♥ A special thank you to fellow Sims After Dark member @Moxie for all the continued testing. Go check out their Tumblr and download Percival the Snail!
♥ Thanks to @BoringBonesTV on Twitter for the Mac shadow fix
♥ Thanks to @montyranch on Twitter for the skin details fix

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FPS TESTING SPREADSHEET

NOTE: the values in the below screenshot may differ. The spreadsheet was used to track the initial tweaks but various fixes and further tweaking changed some values.

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CHANGE LOG

⭐Update - 2021, 19 August ⭐
✅ up to 7% faster than the previous version!
✅ redone from the ground up
✅ lots of new edits - details below
✅ made performance version redundant
✅ included Mac shadow fix in the same file - details below

⭐Update - 2021, 07 August ⭐
✅ shadows to 5K (5120) resolution
✅ fix for skin details
✅ performance version of the file

⭐Update - 2021, 04 August ⭐
✅ fixed pixelated bread shop in Henford
✅ disabled Shadow Decals
✅ Pre 2015 Mac Fix
✅ Version with DoF (depth of field / distance blur)
✅ Added big bold links for the download

⭐Update - 2021, 23 July ⭐
✅ included new values regarding deformer maps and animal ageing from Cottage Living