Graphics fixed in new versions ?

**Yankee66** · 26 Apr 04, 08:07

Hi,

just wanted to ask if the graphics engine will be overhauled in the new versions of ATF (Raging Tiger, etc.), so that i do not have to reconfigure DirectX and color-depth in order to play ATF with undistorted graphics. I love ATF and i surely will reconfigure whatever is needed to play, but it will seriously enhance the "playing comfort" if i could just doubleclick the Icon

TIA for the answer.

**Stardog** · 26 Apr 04, 08:43

What kind of reconfiguring are you having to do? Im just curious because I am not doing any and sometimes see some graphic problems so if there is something I should be doing I would like to see if it changes anything.

**CPangracs** · 26 Apr 04, 11:03

Originally Posted by Stardog

What kind of reconfiguring are you having to do? Im just curious because I am not doing any and sometimes see some graphic problems so if there is something I should be doing I would like to see if it changes anything.

I think he means switching from 32bit to 24bit or lower.

**Yankee66** · 26 Apr 04, 13:42

Originally Posted by Stardog

What kind of reconfiguring are you having to do? Im just curious because I am not doing any and sometimes see some graphic problems so if there is something I should be doing I would like to see if it changes anything.

I run an ATI 9600 Pro graphics adapter. In order to display the maps in ATF correctly on all zoom levels, i have to set the color depth of my screen to 24-bit (like everybody has to) PLUS i have to reduce the hardware-graphics acceleration to a minimum. If i leave the acceleration on full, the ATF-Maps are distorted on the zoom levels. As far as i get the point this has to do with the handling of the DirecX Acceleration Routines or something like that. Setting the compatibility mode of WinXP to Win98 or lower does nothing. I have to fiddle with the acceleration controls to fix the distortions.

The bottom line is: The reconfiguring is nagging, but not such a big deal. I just wanted to know if these "issues" were "fixed" in the coming releases.

**Pat Proctor** · 26 Apr 04, 18:14

This is one of the many upgrades we are working on for Air Assault Task Force. But the four interim releases will be less radical upgrades to the graphics engine.

I wish there was something more I could do.

**Redwolf** · 27 Apr 04, 13:42

I bit the bullet and got a NVidia card for my wargaming machine. Besides ATF, Combat Mission was also having trouble.

Not to speak of the better Linux drivers. Much happier now and did only cost $80.

You can also get a PCI NVidia card and use it besides an ATI AGP card.

**Yankee66** · 28 Apr 04, 04:19

Originally Posted by Redwolf

Not to speak of the better Linux drivers. Much happier now and did only cost $80.

Hi redwolf,

does that mean you use ATF on a Linux Box ? If yes, then please give me a hint how

I am just starting using Linux and running ATF on it sounds interesting

**Redwolf** · 28 Apr 04, 12:26

Originally Posted by Yankee66

Hi redwolf,

does that mean you use ATF on a Linux Box ? If yes, then please give me a hint how

I am just starting using Linux and running ATF on it sounds interesting

No. I was just expressing my much greater satisfaction with NVidia's support for everything than ATI offers. They are just far more concerned about user's needs and provide much more long-term stability for their products, in addition to short-term advantages like no messing with drivers in ATF and having fog in CM.

Regarding Linux, I once tried BCT in Wine and VMware and IIRC neither worked (actually I used FreeBSD but that shouldn't matter here).

I recently tried ATF in a recent version of Wine and it didn't work. I believe Wine won't be any good option for "random" games for another decade. ATF with its use of every awful DirectX interface there is will be a particular hard case, TacOps for example works with a few bits left out.

I plan to revisit vmware now that I have much more powerful machines but overall I think it is a pretty big hassle and that I'll stay with a real Windoze box and possible VNC.

I expect ATF to work in vmware, the only thing keeping some games from working in vmware is if they have a safedisk copy protection. Thankfully ATF doesn't harras us with that. Obviously, since vmware doesn't offer 3D hardware acceleration it isn't an option for 3D games.

**Yankee66** · 28 Apr 04, 17:28

Originally Posted by Redwolf

I plan to revisit vmware now that I have much more powerful machines but overall I think it is a pretty big hassle and that I'll stay with a real Windoze box and possible VNC.

Thanks for the reply.
Even if it does not run on Linux you inspired an idea.
I put an old HD into my Linux-Server, restarted the box with a windows bootdisk and did a minimum Win98 install = ATF with no more tweaking. Multiboot saved the day.

Well... that was too easy. It seems that i sometimes need someone who points me in the right direction

Thanks again

**Redwolf** · 28 Apr 04, 18:44

Originally Posted by Yankee66

Thanks for the reply.
Even if it does not run on Linux you inspired an idea.
I put an old HD into my Linux-Server, restarted the box with a windows bootdisk and did a minimum Win98 install = ATF with no more tweaking. Multiboot saved the day.

Well... that was too easy. It seems that i sometimes need someone who points me in the right direction

Thanks again

Good for you.

But really the most hassle about Windoze is that everybody uses it "because it is compatible with my applications/runs my games" - and then spends days doing mutli-boot Win98/Win2K machines, fiddling with drivers whole weekends, build two graphics cards into one machine because none does all games fast (purely for driver reasons), fights crashes, non-settablity of MTU (without registry hacking) and hence network nightmares and whatnot.

If it wasn't for the modern wargames I would have kicked gaming to the curb just to avoid the Windows hassle.