When I try to launch The Sims 3, I get a dialogue saying, "Unable to st

[puzzlezaddict]

@StephJ82  Right, that's the graphicscards.sgr file after you applied the edit.  Can you try putting back the original, as well as the original graphicsrules?  If you don't have them, that's okay; we can work with what you're seeing, but it's just a bit more complicated.

[StephJ82]

I don't think I have them sorry, I think I was told to delete them?

[puzzlezaddict]

@StephJ82  Usually, the idea is to copy the original files somewhere else, and then apply the edits.  That way, you can go back to the originals if you're not getting the results you wanted.  But we can still work with what you currently have.

So, leave the current graphicscards.sgr in place.  Go into graphicsrules.sgr and find this line:

elseif (match("${cardVendor}", "Intel"))

Copy the next 20 or so lines, up to where you see:

setProp $ConfigGroup RenderShadowMode 2
setProp $ConfigGroup ShadowMapAllowNullColor 1

The idea is to take the text you have already and adapt it to your card.  It might take a couple of tries to get right, but it should be doable.

Finally, just to confirm (since it's been a couple of days), do you still only have the base game installed?  If you're not sure whether Origin installed your packs as well—it sometimes likes to auto-update—check your TS3 folder in Applications.  If you see an icon for High-End Loft Stuff, let me know.

[StephJ82]

I think I might of changed that as well sorry  have I ruined everything is there anyway of getting the originals back?

[puzzlezaddict]

@StephJ82  If you added the text you downloaded from Bluebellflora's site, that's fine, we can work with it.  Just paste those lines into a post here so I can see what you currently have in place.  And if you don't have anything there, then yes, it's fixable, you can download the correct text lines and add them to your file.  But the easier approach would be to work with the file as it already exists.

And again, can you confirm (just so I know, since I can't see your computer) that you don't have any packs showing in Applications\The Sims 3?  It's just easier to address one issue at a time.

[StephJ82]

The text on there is the same as I told you, those two lines, and no I don’t have any packs in there it’s just the base game at the moment 

[puzzlezaddict]

@StephJ82  Okay, if graphicsrules (not graphicscards) has the two lines of text that you shared before, then it's no wonder your game won't launch.  (Of course, graphicscards can have just those two lines, since you only need your own card listed.)

On the page below (the same place where you found your graphicscards.sgr text), click on the link for the Intel Iris Plus Graphics 650.  Download the graphicsrules text (not the graphicscards) and add it to your own graphicsrules file.

https://bluebellflora.com/2018/07/24/sims-3-mac-players-i-need-your-help/#Filesconfirmed

Make a spare copy, in case you need it, i.e. in case my first suggested edit doesn't work, and you need to try a different one.  Then go in and find the same line I suggested before:

elseif (match("${cardVendor}", "Intel"))

Two lines down, you'll see this:

if (match("${cardName}", "*Havendale*"))

Change the word Havendale to Iris Graphics 540 but don't touch any of the punctuation, even the asterisks.  (These files are very picky about their punctuation; I learned that the hard way the first time I tried to edit graphicscards.)

Delete the deviceconfig from your game folder, and launch the game.  If you get a new deviceconfig, whether the game runs or not, please let me know what it says in the graphics card section, 30ish lines down.

[StephJ82]

Ok so the new GraphicsRules.sgr is on my desktop where I've changed that line (with no spaces) and the old file is in my folder, where is the deviceconfig?

[puzzlezaddict]

@StephJ82  The new graphicsrules needs to be in Package Contents\...\Game\Bin, where you originally found the files.  So right-click on the old one and select Move to Trash, then put the new one there instead.  (You don't have to actually delete it, but dragging it will just create an alias, not remove the original file.  You can take it out of Trash later.)

Your deviceconfig will be in Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3.  Delete the current one, and a new one will spawn if and when you're able to launch the game.  When you do have the new one, I'm interested in how the game reports on your hardware with the new graphicsrules in place.

[StephJ82]

I tried that moved the one one onto the desktop so I could delete the other things, tried to run Sims from the icon (not origin) and it still came up with a message saying Unkown error occurred