:howdy:

Direct3D returned an error: D3DERR_INVALIDCALL!
Application will now terminate

Any ideas? :argh:

Thanks

Anyone?!?!

Without knowing anything about your system, I can only offer the most generic answer. Generally that sort of error indicates that DirectX was either overloaded or received an invalid instruction from the game, probable causes were either a skin/hair mesh or an object.

Possible sources of problems can involve a bad or over-heated video card, bad RAM, system resources being run to bone-dry, anti-virus scanner kicking in during gameplay, a wonky hard drive, certain screen savers, some motherboard resources (especially powersaving features that do not take into account DirectX-controlled system activity), act of God, and a operator error -- either singularly or a combination of the listed.

Without knowing a great deal more about your computer it would be impossible to undertake a more reasonable answer.

PS: Try updating your video card driver and re-installing directX, this will at least remove those from the troubleshooting check-list

I do appreciate the response, as it gave me a couple of things to thing about as for the specs
Granted the video card is crappie one, but TS2 play literally perfect on it with all options available and no slowing down on even a crowded community lot.
I have all the latest drivers and my laptop runs a cool as a cucumber,( extra fan for video)
I checked out the anti virus and that does not appear to be it (Norton System Works 05)
If the game runs so well what would be up with Body shop?
My openGL has optimum settings, I have dun Direct X utility and it says no problems found runs smoothly.
Now what :confused:

Microprocessor
1.6GHz Intel® Centrino™ Mobile Technology featuring Intel® Pentium® M Processor 730

Microprocessor Cache
2MB L2 Cache

Memory
1024MB 333MHz DDR System Memory (2 Dimm)

Video Graphics
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900

Video Memory
128mb

Hard Drive
100GB 4200 Hard Drive


Multimedia Drive
DVD±R/RW and CD-RW Combo Drive with Double Layer Support

Display
15.4” WXGA High-Definition BrightView Widescreen (1280 x 800) Display

Fax/Modem
high speed 56k modem

Network Card
Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)

Wireless Connectivity
Intel® PRO/Wireless 2200 802.11BG WLAN

Sound
16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible audio; AC audio link; volume control button and mute button

Keyboard
101-key compatible

Pointing Device
Touch Pad with dedicated vertical and horizontal Scroll up/down pad & 2 quick launch buttons

PC Card Slots

1 Type I/II 32-bit card bus (also support 16-bit) & 1 ExpressCard/54 Slot (also supports Express Card/34


External Ports

4 Universal Serial Bus USB 2.0
1 VGA (15-pin)
1 RJ-11 (modem)
1 TV-Out (S-video)
1 RJ -45 (LAN)
1 Expansion Port 2 connector
1 headphone-out
1 microphone-in
1 IEEE 1394
1 Consumer IR (Remote Receiver)


Dimensions
14.11"(W) x 10.16"(L) x1.32"(min) / 1.67"(max)(H)

Weight
6.5lbs



Power

65W AC adapter
6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery

Well, your hardware line-up is a profile of a perfect system for playing most 3D games including the Sims 2.

Sometimes for no apparent reason to us end-users a file gets corrupt, there is hardly anyway to tell which one it is unless the operating system or the software that utilises it informs us.

Here are some questions that may help fine tune the troubleshooting:

Have you been able to run Bodyshop/CAS in the past?

Have you installed a novelty background for CAS?

Have you installed a user-made mannekin?

Have you installed any Hacks?

Did you recently install the University expansion?

Did you install the stand-alone version of Bodyshop at any point?

Does the error ever happen while playing the Sims 2?
Does the error prevent you loading Bodyshop?
Does the error happen only in Create-A-Sim?

Did you (or Windows Automatic Updates) install any updates in the recent past that you can recall before the error occurred? (e.g., did you udpate to SP2?)

Did you install any new software? (e.g., a 3d-modelling programme, or maybe a video/audio editor?)

Have you installed a new network option? (e.g., dialer for DSL, etc)

Have you recently connected your laptop to an external monitor of video display (e.g., TV)?