SFFT alpha drivers - V3/4/5 - Join to Testing

[ps47]

seems like another alpha is out:
https://www.3dfxzone.it/news/reader.php?objid=824

and-again-it uses the dreaded glide2x to 3x wrapper.warning for all those who want to play old glide games (redbaron for example),get a REAL glide2x (the one from latest original win2000 driver should do),and copy it to your system32 folder (overwrite the wrapper)..

[SuperFurryFurryThing]

The glide2 file should be the one shipped with the current AmigerMerlin driver and will remain so, as I just take the non D3D files from the latest Amigermerlin driver. I am interested in whether these drivers show any performance increases on games that showed lower frame rates in certain parts of games.

SFFT

[Andrea K]

Originally posted by agrelaphon

With the koolsmoky glide2x (2.10.2604) UT don't work for me

It's working for me! (also)

I see only green, fucsia and purple dots and lines!
And the PC hang!

Perhaps any wrong settings?

Ciao, Andrea K

[benna]

hi
on my system (winxp sp2 with SFFT alpha26) need for speed underground works only in low quality mode without graphics errors;
if i switch to medium quality the game crashes and returns to desktop
any suggestions?
thanks

[FBS]

Although I have just started testing the SFFT26 drivers, I am still having problems wtih blurred textures, This is really noticeable in window mode. One thing to note is that the drivers do not like 32bit textures. I don.t know if this is the nature of the beast but my work around is to convert them to DXT format for them to display properly. The display problems with the 32bits is solid black texture and othe times they show solid grey.

[FBS]

OK Here is some more info.

Single chip: Everything is as mentioned in the above post. The performance is very good.

2 Sample AA: Here this is real bad; the game does not start in window mode. I get a window and everything in the window black. When I switch to full screen I get a display, the graphics a corrupt with buildings in the sky. The aircraft should be parked but something in the corruption has put it into motion.

Fast Performance: Everything runs as before and much like single chip except for the fact that the kneeboard comes up black.

[ggab]

Originally posted by benna

hi
on my system (winxp sp2 with SFFT alpha26) need for speed underground works only in low quality mode without graphics errors;
if i switch to medium quality the game crashes and returns to desktop
any suggestions?
thanks

it's a known problem... maybe a driver limilation, but the hardware is  in its limit too (this game is DX8 or 9...)

PS: howwever, in 800*600 with FSAA it looks really cool []

[Nightbird]

if i switch to medium quality the game crashes and returns to desktop

It would be interesting to know what's exactly the "medium quality" ;
what's the difference with the "low quality" ?
The game uses probably some features not supported by the driver or the hardware or perhaps too textures ?

[r21vo]

road reflection is the cause of that crash, any other available options in settings menu work.

[Nightbird]

thks
road reflection, hum
is it possible to disable it in a config. file (if existing) ?

[SuperFurryFurryThing]

Has Anyone tested HalfLife 2, do the levels that were very slow go any faster now?.
FBS it sounds like your problems may be related to running out of texture memory, as there is less of it available in AA Modes. Using compressed textures reduces the memory requirement. Could you save the 32 bit textures as 16 bit instead. I am not sure that the blurring may not be down to converting to DXTn.
As for NFSU, I noticed that road reflections is an option in the adavnced settings why do you think that this is the cuplrit.

SFFT

[Voodoo5]

I run NFS Underground at medium quality, 800 X 600 resolution and have no problems whatsoever, so I cant believe its a driver issue

@SFFT,

I deleted Half-Life 2 from my 5500 system's hard drive because once I reached the Canal level (lots of water ?) the FPS got so bad (low teens) that it was'nt enjoyable to play any more, I mentioned before that when you reach this area of the game you could walk up to a wall and the frame rate would not increase in the slighest ?, thats the peculiar thing as the first 1/2 hr. or so was showing great FPS (25-50).

I'll reinstall it again and see if with the alpha 26 things have improved.

I have noticed a FPS increase with the alpha 26 in Halo & Dungeon Siege though

Your efforts are greatly appreciated

[SuperFurryFurryThing]

Around about the alpha 24 I fixed what I believe to be the last pipeline stall, when using, compressed textures with an aspect ration greater than 8 > 1 (although I reserve the right to change my mind). I am trying to work out whether this was the cause of the slowdowns described. The alpha 26 should display the compressed textures correctly and at full speed or close to.

SFFT

[FBS]

Well SFFT I took one aircraft and changed all my textures to 16 bit and found that the blur is all gone. For some reason the video drivers are not processing the DXT textures properly. It would be a lot of work to change all my collection to 16 bit. Even the original models supplied in the game are DXT formats. It maybe easier to change the card then to change the texture formats. Though I must say the frame rates are real nice with your drivers.

[SuperFurryFurryThing]

I suspect that if the DXTn textures where not being displayed correctly, then it would be very evident in a large number of games. I suspect that the problem may be that changing to DXTn format may be changing some of the colours in the textures. some of the DXTn formats work out the colour value for a pixel by calculating a value between two other colour values. Any texture that is supplied as a DXTn should be ok. Perhaps changing from 32 bit to 16 bit instead of to DXTn would work. They would still take up less memory on the card and download faster.

SFFT