Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Attached is a zip file containing the following 2 updated files for BETA testing.
- GameOptions.exe
- WinSPMBT.exe (version 5.02x)

1) Should you wish to ensure that you can revert to the normal Version 5.0 without having to reinstall from scratch then first copy the existing 2 files BEFORE applying the zip!

2) Now, unzip the files to your game root folder (\Program files\Shrapnel
Games\The Camo Workshop\WinSPMBT), and allow the overwriting of the 2 original files.

3) On launching the game options programme, you will now have the following extra screen option added to your CD owner's additional resolutions in GameOptions.exe : Desktop

Desktop mode works in full screen or windowed mode.
In both modes, it uses the current desktop resolution you have set up currently in windows as the desired screen resolution
Windowed mode - leaves the task bar visible at the bottom of the screen.
Full screen mode - uses the full screen in 256 colour palletised mode

This has already been alpha tested on Windows 98, XP and vista machines with both normal 4:3 aspect ratios and also wide screen (1920x1080) monitors.

The purpose of the beta test is to see if the new Microsoft Windows 7 causes any issues. In especial, it (and possibly Vista) apparently have problems with 256 colour full screen palette games, since these new operating systems use the 256 colour palette for their own purposes. It may well be that Vista/Windows 7 will mandate the use of windowed mode because of this.

Q) I want (insert one of my monitors modes) desktop. How do I do that?.
A) Clear any running applications down, then use the normal windows change desktop features to select the desired new screen resolution. Now launch the game in desktop mode and it will use the newly set windows desktop resolution.

Q) My icons are stretched!.
A) Some of the resolutions that Windows allows (especially on wide screen monitors) produce non-square icons, even for Windows' own desktop icons. If the Windows shortcut icons on your desktop are elongated then it is highly likely that the game will also be stretched. Solution - select a monitor
mode that produces reasonably square icons.

Q) I get a DirectX error message
A) That means that your video card cannot drive the screen at that resolution. (Probably in full screen mode). One of our playtesters also received this at one particular resolution - higher and lower modes worked fine. Conclusion was that the video card in question was probably broken (otherwise higher resolutions would not have worked).

Q) I cannot set higher resolutions than 800 despite installing these files
A) This beta is for the CD version only. It will not work with the free version which only supports 640 and 800 4:3 mode.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Looks spectacular in full screen! My widescreen res set too high (1600x900)for windowed mode. 1280x1024 is as high as it can go without stretching and doubling. Still, the resolution in full screen alone is worth the upgrade. Super work guys!

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Is this going to affect on going PBEM games?

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

One thing, lately I like to play in windowed mode while watching tv on the side of the screen. My desktop resolution is 1920x1200. So I set the game resolution to 1280x1024 so that I have enough room on the right side.
How can I change the resolution so that I both have desktop resolution 1920x1200 and play in windowed mode at a smaller than desktop, widescreen resolution? For example 1280x800 (16:10)


Other than that, it looks great on Vista 64 Home Premium, 8GB RAM, Q9550, Radeon 4870X2.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

It shouldn't.

Andy

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

You don't - it is called desktop mode, since it takes the entire screen real estate.

I tried a version with customisable widths and heights. Unfortunately the old WinVFX graphics library will make total hash out of some width and height combinations - e.g. by displaying the GFX skewed diagonally and wrapped around the window. Or simply producing a smeared line in the middle of the window. (In windowed mode, WinVFX allows a flag to resize the window, but due to an internal code error, though the window area happily resizes on dragging with the mouse - the actual window contents do not.)

By using the current windows desktop resolution we are sure that the windows implementation is set to a supported mode, at least for windowed mode. There remains the odd case of some video cards not being able to do full-screen mode at the current desktop resolution though.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

I understand. It's a huge step for this game based on such old code.
No complaints.
I can see using it if I run in fullscreen. It's just that I will have to use a non widescreen resolution when I want to play the game in windowed mode.

My guess is it is probably going to be part of the next patch too? Good move.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Problem.
I loaded a PBEM campaign game and I got a security error about change in the obat. Since the only change I did was replace the two files, I thought it couldn't be me since I know I didn't do anything else, even though the warning was that player 1 did it, which I guess I am player 1 as the one who set up the campaign.

Later I tried another save game from a different PBEM campaign, same thing.
Now, either both of my opponents decided to cheat after few years of playing with me, I started cheated but in a sub molecular level (ie the Force!) or the change with the two files is enough to cause the error message.
I notified my opponents and I will play my turns as soon as I post this, but I thought to let you know.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Ace works a treat now have a choice at game start of filling the whole screen or leaving a strip down the side if keeping an eye on stuff, exellent.
As suspected does not seem to fix Vistas pallette problem if use Full Screen mode however I would say this is now a redundant problem as fills the screen perfectly & is not stretched.
Therefore the 2 reasons people seemed to dislike Windowed Mode no longer apply namely seeing part of your desktop & scrolling out of the window if you are a bit ham fisted.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

A follow up turn, same issue. I hope this is easy to fix. The game looks super cool with it.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Update, third player/pbem campaign, same issue.
As far as I know they don't use this BETA.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

If this is an issue related to using a different EXE after a secure PBEM game has started the problem will fix itself when you start a new game. We have always recommended,no matter what the update was for, that any existing secure PBEM games should be completed before installing any patch or update.

If this problem persists when you start a new game using this EXE let us know and that goes for anyone else testing this

Have you tried playing the turn with the original EXE??

Don

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

I haven't tried that (going back to the old exe). I will next round.

When you say new game you mean whole new campaign, right? In that case, only one of the three campaigns is near the end (this is the last or second to last battle). If going back to the old exe solves the issue, then I will do that, or find some solution with the other players.
I will let you know.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Going back to the original (for now) seems to fix the problem.

With three different PBEM campaigns I guess I will have to not use the WS files till the inclusion of them in a patch. Unless I create a second installation of the game, but I am not crazy about the idea.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

As I recall now there were security checks put in to check the EXE to ensure players didn't try getting cute and running older EXE's to circumvent newer security changes.


Don

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

My opponent has 5.0 while I just installed the WS beta on my CD copy. Starting a new game, he got an OOB error message and was unable to load the PBEM game. I also have a DL version installed with 5.0, so we are playing with that. Kind of disappointed that I don't get to play in that awesome WS res.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

I will take security over WS any day.

The next patch will not be out for several months/next year, right? I guess when I finish the campaign that ends soon I will install the game again on another directory and have two installations.

It's so sweet with the WS solution, guys you rock!

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Did either of you try having your opponent install the WS exe to see if the messages go away if they are using it too ? It won't matter if they are using DL versions, the added res just won't work for them but that might solve the security issues and allow you to play using it

Don

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

No, but I will see if they (at least one) can try it. They all have CD versions since we play only PBEM campaigns.
I will let you know.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

I played my turn with the WS files, got the error. Then he played his turn with the WS files, he also got the error.
I then played my turn with the WS files, same error.

Do you think it is safe to continue playing with the WS files, either both or one of us?

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

I suspected that would be the case, but with PBEM I take the games as I can get them so I can't be too discriminating about what version. However, I see Wdll is having an problem with 5.02 to 5.02 PBEM so it could be an issue beyond version types.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Send me a PBEM scenario and I'll see if it runs on my 5.02. razgator15@gmail.com

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

You are mistaken. We didn't start the game on 502, but on 500.

If you want to play with me a PBEM campaign that is something we can arrange over PM.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

It looks like your going to continue to get the error becasue the game was started with a different EXE. I'd say it was "safe" to continue, It's not like the games going to explode, it just depends how you feel about getting error messages every turn.

However, it would be worthwhile for the two of you using 5.02 start a fresh PBEM as a test just to ensure everything works as it should when the games are started with this beta EXE

Don

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

We finished our campaign. I am setting up a new one, both we will use the new files.

Oh yeah, the slower map scrolling is normal?


BTW, is there a way for player 1 to see the results of the last battle without asking the opponent?

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

*********You may need to adjust the scroll speed to suit your computer. Everyone has a different requirement


******From the game guide



Don

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Tested Full-Screen and Windowed-Mode on a Dell Latitude E6500 Notebook (WinXP-32Bit) in resolution 1920x1200 (internal and external monitor), both work fine, no distortion visible and look great.
Thanks a lot for your effort.
(Will try WinXP-64Bit and Win7-64Bit on the weekend)

RAlfons

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Eh, he was player 2, he played his last turn and got the results of the battle and campaign. He exited the game and sent me the files. I loaded and got the end campaign result only, not the result from the last battle of the campaign.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

New PBEM campaign, no issue with the WS files in place in both sides.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

That is probably all you will get then, since the other player has already advanced through the last 'battle' state to 'end of campaign state' on his PC. A similar situation to how the game fuses the pre-game bombardment into before one player's turn.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Ok, thank you.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Works fine on my Dell Vista laptop at 1920x1200.

Cheers very much!

:up: Works fine on my desktop machine with WIN-XP-64bit in 1920x1200 & 1920x1080 full-screen and windowed mode and WIN7-64bit in 1920x1200 & 1920x1080 windowed mode.

:hurt: WIN7-64bit full screen mode gives the psycho colors in both resolutions (1920x1200 & 1920x1080). I also tried to switch AERO off, makes no difference. Also minimizing and maximizing window will not help.
Edit: tried one more thing: It will work when started through the Win7fixcmd shortcut. But even so I adjusted with the settings in the MISC screen for the GameOptions.exe it has some small performance issues (units will pause when moving, reaction on mouse click will be slow, start up gives a few seconds black screen before showing the in game screen.)

Any suggestions on the WIN7 full screen that I can try for you or if you need my configuration details just let me know.

Thanks for again for your efforts on these great games
Alfons

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

The answer is to run the game in Windowed mode in Vista and Win7.

Don

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Thanks for your hard work, now I'll wait patiently for the WinSPWW2 beta :)

Alfons

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

There will be no WinSPWW2 beta. The MBT group was chosen to test drive the fix since it was the larger user-base of the two.

If it proves to be ok, then the fix will be incorporated in the next winter patches for both games main executables and the extended map editors.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

desktop resolution does not work for me (both: windowed/full screen)...see attached screenshot.

The winspmbt screen occupies ~50% of the screen and you can hardly read anything.

Has anybody an idea? Have Win7 32bit and Geforce 8800.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

What is your desktop resolution?

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

1680x1050

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

If WinVFX graphics library is presented with an aspect ratio it does not like, then it squashes it up horizontally and/or vertically, and/or the display can be done at a diagonal. All sorts of weirdness, anyway as it tries to fit it on the display.

Now - as mentioned in the Game Guide, having your windows taskbar set to 'auto hide' will return the wrong window area to WinVFX, resulting in a skewed screen as well.

Have you got whatever Vista/windows 7 uses as a task bar in auto hide mode, or set along the side of the screen, or in extra-large double-high mode etc?. If so - make it static, and at the default location and size at the bottom of the screen. (And using the classic format taskbar, which is in there in your windows 7 'themes' or some such naming, may help here?).

That is my theory, on seeing your screen shot - that you have a task bar set-up (probably auto-hide) that is interfering with WinVFX (Which dates to the mid 90's when I don't think you could have anything other than the default task bar always visible at the screen bottom).

Otherwise - Perhaps trying one of the other resolutions your card supports may do the trick.

Also - does 1600x1200 mode work on your monitor in windowed mode? (There should be a small horizontal margin, but the vertical should take up all it can apart from the task bar at the bottom).

Cheers
Andy

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

Just to say its not the resolution itself thats causing the problem one of my sytems runs desktop at that res with no problems

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

auto-hide option was the problem...thanks a lot!

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

I've had no success trying to run the new desktop resolution in windowed mode on my 24" PC (native resolution 1920x1200) and my 16" laptop (1366x768). Both computers are running Win 7 and autohide has been turned off.

On the PC, the window fills the screen horizontally but only fills up about half of the screen vertically. It's almost impossible to read the WinSPMBT opening screen and I can't select anything from the menu to make the game run. On my laptop, the desktop resolution in windowed mode fills the screen but the WinSPMBT screen is curved and distorted and again I can't make any menu picks to get the game to run.

On full screen, both of my computers fill the screen ok but with serious colour distortion. The win7fix.cmd file clears the video problem but movement in the game tends to be jerky and the screen freezes up quite frequently.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

1) have you tried setting the monitors to different resolutions other than the native one?.

If that works, then something about those pixel ratios may be disliked by the graphics library.

2) Is your Windows task bar in the default location at the bottom of the screen, and set to the default size?.
(You may also want to try the windows 7 desktop theme that makes your taskbar look like a regular XP one and see if that affects things)
The taskbar may be the problem - since you apparently can run full screen mode ok. Or, perhaps - Windows 7 desktop widgets etc?.

3) As to full screen mode, that is inadvisable in Windows 7, as mentioned in posts above, due to how it mangles the 256 colour graphics mode.

I think the win7fix.cmd batch file simply removes explorer temporarily - and it does not seem to be a 100% solution to the problem.

However, a jerky display and lagginess may be sound related. Try setting all sound off and try it that way. If it does - you have some sort of sound problems (e.g. codec).
- Set mouse click to off in the misc tab of the game options menu.
- In the game main screen itself, goto the preferences screen and turn off both of BATTLE FX and SOUND FX.
- exit and restart (to be 100% sure) and see if that helps.

(however - if the game runs fine for you under one of the normal 4:3 aspect ratio screen sizes in full screen and/or windowed mode - then it is rather unlikely to be sound related, but rather a side affect of the .cmd batch file most likely)


Cheers
Andy

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

I have been able to get your program to run in Windows mode under different resolutions on both my laptop and my PC. However, I've never been particularly fond of playing in a window that only fills part of the screen. That's why I was excited to hear that you had released a beta widescreen resolution. Lately, I've been playing WinSPMBT on an older PC I have that runs under Win XP. Your program runs perfectly in full screen mode under that OS. That said, I would really love to be able to play this game in full screen on a 24" monitor.

Task bars on both of my Win 7 machines are in their default location and are set at the default size. I'll try your idea of experimenting with other desktop themes to see if that makes a difference. I'll also try your sound-related suggestions. Will let you know if anything helps.

Thanks for the feedback and the suggestions Andy.


Larry

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

I still haven't been able to get WinSPMBT to display my Samsung monitor's native 1920x1200 screen in desktop windowed mode. When I try that, I get a window that looks to be approximately 1920x600. This compresses the opening WinSPMBT screen as per my attachment. Once I get to this point, I can't run the game and I can't close WinSPMBT either unless I use Task Manager to end the process.

I've tried changing my desktop to Windows Classic with autohide turned off and it still didn't make any difference. The highest resolution I can get in windowed mode without distortion is 1280x1024. That's true for both my laptop and my PC. That resolution's ok on my laptop but it makes for a very small playable screen on my PC. For some reason, I also can't WinSPMBT's 1600x1280 mode to run in Windowed mode on my PC. It gives me the same compressed screen as desktop mode even if I change my screen resolution from 1920x1200 to 1600x1200 before running WinSPMBT. Hard to understand.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

I can recreate that effect exactly when I set the taskbar to autohide

Don


....and yes, I know you said you have autohide off. However, that is what happens when it's on.

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

As you can see from reading the posts in the threads before this - others have run monitors at this resolution under windows 7.

Thoughts - do you have a real dedicated video card, or a 'graphics accelerator' using shared system memory?. If the latter - then perhaps you may need to allocate more system RAM to it?.

Other thought - are the graphics card's drivers up to date?.

Also - my wide screen monitor refused to allow play at the full monitor resolution. It would only display at 1366 by something. I eventually found a button in the card's control panel which 'forced' 1080i mode and it then played at the full resolution happily - but at only a 30hz screen refresh rate... yech!.

Cheers
Andy

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

My apologies Andy and Don. I was certain I had turned autohide off on my PC yesterday when I was testing WinSPMBT at various resolutions. Don's email prompted me to look again however and, sure enough, it was turned on. As soon as I turned it off the program filled the screen in windows mode. WinSPMBT looks fantastic on a 24" monitor and plays very smoothly as well - what a great enhancement to the game. My thanks and, again, sorry for the misinformation.

Given my obvious mistake, I decided I'd better double check my 1366x768 laptop. It definitely does not fill the screen, even with autohide turned off. The best I can get from it is 1280x1024 but that just about fills the screen so I'm happy. I will, however, look at your system RAM and graphics suggestions Andy.

Thanks again for your support. Looking forward to seeing WinSPWW2 on the big screen.


Larry

Re: Wide screen BETA test - for CD owners only
 

It works fine with my new system, I'm pleased Thanks a million!!:D:D