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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 28th Jun 2009 at 6:18 PM Last edited by shellynot : 28th Jun 2009 at 8:39 PM.
Default possible to change the user interface size?
Is it possible to change(mod?) the UI size in sims 3? On a 24-inch in 1920x1200 the UI is quit small (did search/google/bingy for UI mods but did not find any)

*edited to make it a little clearer what I was asking.
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Lab Assistant
#2 Old 28th Jun 2009 at 10:03 PM
That resolution is way to big for anything. Unless you are a graphic designer, you shouldn't even use it in the desktop! Tone it down a bit, and if you don't need the additional graphical performance, increase the antialiasing to compensate.
Theorist
#3 Old 29th Jun 2009 at 2:28 PM
I don't know of any way, and I never found a way in Sims 2 either.

I do not recommend reducing the resolution unless you like things blurry. LCDs are blurry in anything other than native (maximum) resolution so for sharpness and crispness running at 1920x1200 is essential.

It's a compromise with LCDs... either you have crisp video at max resolution with a small UI, or you have blurry fuzziness and a larger UI at lower resolution. I'd personally choose the former.

Maybe someday someone will figure out a way to change the UI size, but this is something I requested in Sims 2 a long time ago and nobody ever figured out a way to do it so I just got used to it. Well, going to a 26 or 28" monitor works too.

Resident wet blanket.
Test Subject
#4 Old 29th Jun 2009 at 3:12 PM
I don't know too much about screen resolution, but mine seems to look the most comfortable and clear at about 1600x1200.
Lab Assistant
#5 Old 29th Jun 2009 at 3:16 PM
I play at the highest setting on my desktop (I'll check when I get home what it is and edit the post, I'm at work now) and I have a 28" monitor. I just got used to the UI looking tiny and since the monitor is larger, it slightly makes up for it.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#6 Old 29th Jun 2009 at 6:37 PM
Quote: Originally posted by GnatGoSplat
I don't know of any way, and I never found a way in Sims 2 either.

I do not recommend reducing the resolution unless you like things blurry. LCDs are blurry in anything other than native (maximum) resolution so for sharpness and crispness running at 1920x1200 is essential.

It's a compromise with LCDs... either you have crisp video at max resolution with a small UI, or you have blurry fuzziness and a larger UI at lower resolution. I'd personally choose the former.

Maybe someday someone will figure out a way to change the UI size, but this is something I requested in Sims 2 a long time ago and nobody ever figured out a way to do it so I just got used to it. Well, going to a 26 or 28" monitor works too.


thanks for the replies- thats what I found as well (no UI mods) and man I'm shocked! My GF is the sims player but she asked me since I mod alot of my MMO's and the UI's. I did take a quick look at the UI package with the S3PE editor and the HUDPuck.xml file specifically. I think it could be a easy change if I could find the value for it since the UI seems to NOT scale and is a fixed #.
Lab Assistant
#7 Old 29th Jun 2009 at 7:14 PM
We're talking about the part in-game with the panels, like needs and opportunities and inventory, right? Because I'm running TS3 on my 24-inch iMac with 1920x1200 and it's fine for me..? Maybe I'm just used to it. Haha.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#8 Old 29th Jun 2009 at 8:48 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Tawny.
We're talking about the part in-game with the panels, like needs and opportunities and inventory, right? Because I'm running TS3 on my 24-inch iMac with 1920x1200 and it's fine for me..? Maybe I'm just used to it. Haha.


lol yep I am and I think you might. My GF just bought the same imac (she loves it).
Test Subject
#9 Old 22nd Feb 2014 at 2:13 PM
For anyone that uses amd graphics, you can go into the amd control center, and find scaling options, and so you can use a slightly lower resolution in game to have a bigger ui and still have have it stretch to the screen.

I hope I explained this well enough to make sense, I have absolutely no tech knowledge so...it works for me so...hope it works for any that visit...
Inventor
#10 Old 22nd Feb 2014 at 3:42 PM
Quote: Originally posted by BankBob
For anyone that uses amd graphics, you can go into the amd control center, and find scaling options, and so you can use a slightly lower resolution in game to have a bigger ui and still have have it stretch to the screen.

I hope I explained this well enough to make sense, I have absolutely no tech knowledge so...it works for me so...hope it works for any that visit...



Jeez thanks for letting us know, people have been waiting for your answer since 2009...

The Grumpy Old Gamer's Blog

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Top Secret Researcher
#11 Old 23rd Feb 2014 at 8:36 AM
Quote: Originally posted by BankBob
For anyone that uses amd graphics, you can go into the amd control center, and find scaling options, and so you can use a slightly lower resolution in game to have a bigger ui and still have have it stretch to the screen.

I hope I explained this well enough to make sense, I have absolutely no tech knowledge so...it works for me so...hope it works for any that visit...


How about just setting the game to lower resolution in Option? Save a trip to AMD controller. Well, I don't think any of us want lower resolution, it makes everything appear bigger and blurry. OP has a 24" screen, what if your iphone content displays on his screen? Giant pixelated everything that looks so much like Minecraft. But for Minecraft, it's cool. For TS3 (and everything else) it's plain ugly.

For OP, a little of personal experience, I occasionally get to work with 30" monitor (no, I didn't own one, kinda overpriced, NEC 30" Professional monitor goes for $2300, I rather buy 3 monitors). But anyway, it makes a glorified desktop at 2560x1600 native resolution. What it means to me is that I have to sit closer to the monitor. Meaning, an icon at 1920x1080 and an icon at 2560x1600 should have approximately the same size in your eyes, the monitor viewing area gets larger. So if I get to play TS3 on it (sadly I don't), everything is approximately the same size in my view, including the UI, I just see MUCH more of TS3 area or map. Which means, if your UI looks blurry, maybe you are not at native resolution (or your monitor is broken or not configured properly).

I work for a living, but I don't necessarily live for a working.
Instructor
#12 Old 23rd Feb 2014 at 8:33 PM
This is totally crazy .Today I googled User Interface problem and I find this 2009 thread just got updated yesterday! But yes, thanks for all the suggestions.

My mouse pointer disappeared running Win 8 so I made my system run the Sims in win7 mode. Then I got the dark screen problem in full screen so I went windowed. Then duh dun dah too small UI.

They call me The Seeker.
I've been searching low and high.
Mad Poster
#13 Old 5th Jul 2016 at 12:50 PM
I really wish it were possible to scale the UI like in TS4. My hardware's powerful enough to run TS3 in 4K but the UI simply makes it impossible. Well, guess it's still useful for screenshots.

insert signature here
( Join my dumb Discord server if you're into the whole procrastination thing. But like, maybe tomorrow. )
Field Researcher
#14 Old 3rd Feb 2017 at 6:47 PM
Tbh there should be a way to code sims to have a larger ui with high res, just no ones done it yet it seems, but its got to be possible
Site Helper
#15 Old 3rd Feb 2017 at 7:12 PM
IIRC it would take a core mod to change the UI, which might explain why nobody has bothered.

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Field Researcher
#16 Old 3rd Feb 2017 at 7:15 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Ghost sdoj
IIRC it would take a core mod to change the UI, which might explain why nobody has bothered.

Its ashame really as on my friends 49inch tv it looks so good in 4k, but I wouldn't be able to get a 49inch just to play as they are to big for my room, so 27-32 is all I can have. I'm just hoping I wont mind the small UI. Might play in 1440 instead of 4k if I cant see the UI at all but my eye sight is usually very good.
Test Subject
#17 Old 28th Nov 2021 at 11:37 AM
I made an account just to say: This is still a problem, in 2021, with a 1440p monitor. Funny that people thought "1920x1200" was too much, yet here we are, having problems with our 2K and 4K monitors, still wanting to play this awesome game. 12 years, maybe someone should come up with a solution already.
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