Screenshots format issue

[DzJkBi]

Hello.

I have an issue with the in-game screenshot menu.

I normally took all my screenshots with the in-game camera but for some reason, after a long hiatus, I returned to Sims 4 and started taking my screenshots with Fraps and in the Jpg format.

When I realised my mistake I thought it wouldn't be much of an issue and proceeded to convert the jpgs to png with photoshop. 

However when I place them in the screenshot folder and tried to look at them in-game, they appear to be glitched. They are un-selectable and in the panel it does not show the actual image, rather the image of the last screenshots that WERE taken with the actual sim camera.

I've tried to edit the pictures in but it seems any tampering with them causes the same result. The only thing I can think is the problem is possibly how the images are compressed and that maybe sims 4 is a bit sensitive about that.

I took a lot of pictures that I really love so i'd really like to get these screenshots in-game, for the memories and notes ect.

Any ideas?

[MarianT]

Welcome to the forum!

Actually, we prefer the .jpg format to .png as it uses less memory. So if you still have the original .jpg screenshots, you can use those.

[DzJkBi]

Thanks for the welcome! 

I think you misunderstood my problem though. I'm not trying to post images on this forum, I'm trying to get some jpgs back into the sims 4 so I can use them as memories.

Sims 4 does not accept any of my attempts to convert the images. They are there but blank and not selectable in the in-game menu.

I would understand if the game had its own image format but they are just PNGs, and a png is a png. I've cross referenced the converted images with the working ones and they are the same. I can't work out whats telling the game that these photos are 'off'. 

[MrsFlynn]

There may not be a way to get the screenshots back into the game itself to use as memories. I've been trying to search on this issue and not coming up with anything.

[DzJkBi]

Yeah unfortunately I think you may be right. It seems that any form of manipulation of the photos corrupts its for use in the game. 

For example, even slightly editing a working photo, say desaturating and re-saving makes its use in game impossible. I think the game simply has a problem with re-compression.



 

[MrsFlynn]

From what I've been able to find on this is:

With the December 2015 game patch they changed the memory/screenshot manager. Some reports that it doesn't work at all.

December 2015 Patch Notes

*Will need to scroll down the page to see the details on these patch notes. Though, It does not say much about the Screenshots/Memories Manager. It just says that it's been changed.

-----
Memories are put in the saves\scratch folder.
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\saves\scratch folder

This folder is not there by default. It will be made when players first use the screenshot manager or take a screenshot in-game. However they are in a different format than what may be read by a photo editor. As the files within the scratch folder maybe special files that could be related to specific screenshots.

All screenshots go to the screenshots folder now:
Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 4\Screenshots

-----
Here's a discussion about the Screenshot Manager from earlier this year.

I can't find memories helper in game option.
http://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=26247.msg438579#msg438579
-----

What may be happening is that players can't put back screenshots to use as memories. There may be a special code or something attach to them when the screenshot is created in-game using the C key.

When the screenshots are taken out of the screenshots folder to be edited it takes away that special code, to where the game will not recognize it if the player tries to put it back in the screenshots folder.

[DzJkBi]

Interesting. I thought this code would have to be somewhere external to the image, a document in the main files or something.

However I decided to open some pictures in notepad, one that was taken with the sim camera and one without.

I found this line of code at the bottom of the picture taken with the sim cam.

sim_ids:   1019503913937141912,1019503914027787448,534241089018789898   share
   0   type_id   -1
   like_count
   0   original_sim_ids:   1019503913937141912,1019503914027787448,534241089018789898   comment       favorite
   0   household_id   10697597496272051
   time_stamp   2015,03,06,10,57,08,898¦9:û    IEND®B`‚

[MrsFlynn]

I'm not sure what that code means. I have edited my post above.

[DzJkBi]

I think it's the code that specifies which household the screenshot is related to in order to make it a memory.

Anyway, I placed that line into the photo with a hex editor and it works!

Going to test this more before I celebrate.

 

[MrsFlynn]

Please post back what you find? As I'm still trying to troubleshoot myself.

[MrsFlynn]

You might be on to something here.

In my test, I took a screenshot. Went to edit it from a png. to a jpg. That went fine. But then tried to edit it from a .jpg to a .png and put it back into the screenshots folder. Looked at it via the screenshots manager and it was a blank photo.

So I'm thinking you're right. It's in the way it gets re-compressed. It looses something in translation.

Hopefully your test has come up with something?

In any case, thank you for letting me help troubleshoot!!

[DzJkBi]

It looses that bit of the code I posted at the end when you re-compress. So you have to put it back in.

I'm working it out, the significant part is this bit.

AprOP          sim_ids:   1019503913937141912,1019503914027787448,534241089018789898   share
   0   type_id   64
   like_count
   0   original_sim_ids:   1019503913937141912,1019503914027787448,534241089018789898   comment       favorite
   0   household_id   10697597496272051
   time_stamp   2016,11,22,06,47,32,706»ä    IEND®B`

The "Aprop" at the start seems to have variations on different photos for some reason, but with some testing i'm getting the pictures back in. (I'm using Frhed)

Anyway, with a bit of time I can continue my story!

Thanks for your time MrsFlynn!

[MrsFlynn]

Oh my that part is definitely over my head. As I only really know basic photo editing. *Snicker-Blush*