Custom graphics driver for FF7/FF8 [v.1-.7.6]

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I've just installed the newest version for FF7 and it works/looks great @ 1152x864.  I'm having a wierd issue though where my mouse pointer is still visable ingame as a semi-transparent square that will not go away.  I'm not sure what's going on since i couldn't find anyone else with this problem, and the game doesn't crash so there is no log to send.  The game is still playable, but that damned pointer is so distracting.
All settings are left to their defaults except for the resolution fields.

SPECS:
A7N8X-E Deluxe
2G RAM
2.4GHz AMD XP-M
ATI 3850 HD AGP version

lee
 
Seems like the geforce patch was not causing the problems with AA after all. It does cause the 1 pixel fade issue though.

But now that I know whats going on I can compensate for that so both versions will look the same.

I may be able to solve the AA problem with a nice and easy hack aswell, but it does point to a more serious problem with FF8's sprite engine. (Due to a miscalculation somewhere it ends up positioning sprites 1/3rd of a pixel off)
Click to expand...
The original PSX GTE has a rounding error that programmer commonly compensated for. Maybe some the the compensation code creeped into the PC version?
 
Could this fault be anything to do with the way the World Map looks?
 
Well it doesn't matter what caused it, it's gone now. Both geforce and non-geforce versions work fine with 16xAA, no fade glitch, no texel alignment issues. :-)

Completely unrelated to the low-res worldmap issue. The game doesn't even load the high-res textures for the driver to use, they're just loaded into memory and never used. They probably disabled them at the last minute to counteract the awful worldmap performance on cards without 8-bit palette textures.
 
So you fixed all the problem
:D

yay.. then i will be able to play it with your next release.
^.^

:D 40 pages! And my 80th post!
xD
 
So is there a way to re-enable them Aali? Or are they just going to sit there for every unable to be used?

now that i think about it, With what you've done with FF7, you'll end up fixing it sooner or later haha
 
Even if I can't reenable them per se, it would be fairly trivial to make the driver sidestep FF8 and just load the textures directly.

The blending issues in battle is priority #1 right now though.

I'm also taking requests for other translations of FF8, you provide the .exe and I'll make it work for the next version.
 
# set the window size (and fullscreen resolution) of FF7
# 0 means use original resolution (whatever ff7.exe provides)
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Minor issue. I'm not sure it's even big enough to qualify as a bug. But FF7 != FF8.
 
Yeah i figured the new textures is kinda low on the list.

But i have faith you will get this as amazing as your FF7 driver is!
 
# set the window size (and fullscreen resolution) of FF7
# 0 means use original resolution (whatever ff7.exe provides)
Click to expand...
Minor issue. I'm not sure it's even big enough to qualify as a bug. But FF7 != FF8.
Click to expand...
I know, it also mentions FF7 and wants to write an emergency save when it crashes (which will cause it to crash again :-P)
Already fixed for the next version.
 
I've just installed the newest version for FF7 and it works/looks great @ 1152x864.  I'm having a wierd issue though where my mouse pointer is still visable ingame as a semi-transparent square that will not go away.  I'm not sure what's going on since i couldn't find anyone else with this problem, and the game doesn't crash so there is no log to send.  The game is still playable, but that damned pointer is so distracting.
All settings are left to their defaults except for the resolution fields.

SPECS:
A7N8X-E Deluxe
2G RAM
2.4GHz AMD XP-M
ATI 3850 HD AGP version

lee
Click to expand...
here's a screenshot of what's happening:
ff7.jpg


the box in the middle of the screen is the location of my mouse, and i can move it around as i please. 
I've tried many different resolutions but it always appears.  It appears in every area of the game(world map, battle, menu, ect...)

lee
 
the box in the middle of the screen is the location of my mouse, and i can move it around as i please. 
I've tried many different resolutions but it always appears.  It appears in every area of the game(world map, battle, menu, ect...)

lee
Click to expand...
It's obviously a problem with your graphics drivers, the mouse pointer is always supposed to be hidden in fullscreen mode and no mouse pointer is ever being drawn by the game.
 
hmmm, strange.  This is the only game where it has ever appeared, and it only appeared after switching to your driver from the saints version.  I can move it off screen and it's not noticable, just wanted to give you a heads-up if it was something larger than just me.

lee
 
after switching to your driver from the saints version
Click to expand...
This raises red flags for me. Are you using an unpatched exe with the driver, or do you still have the saint's patch applied? You may want to fresh install FFVII and then install Aali's driver over it.
 
it's an unpatched version, i backed up all my original files before doing anything this time around. JUST to be sure, what is the filesize of your FF7.exe?

mine is 5.61MB

lee
 
It's certainly possible that the OpenGL implementation is broken while Direct3D does not have this issue.
Either way it's *very* unlikely that I could do something about it.
 
Now I don't have FF8 for the PC, but by God if you're making a driver for it I might as well find a copy.
As for the hi-res textures, I'm guessing someone have to edit the .exe to make FF8 use them?  If you can pull them from memory to see which one should be put where, I imagine someone would be able to hex edit them into the game.  Someone with knowledge of hex editing.  Someone who is not me
 
Hey there Aali :D

I said to my friend that he has to use your custom driver- and he's using the OpenGL 1.1 backend on his fucked off laptop^^
The last part of the APP.LOG:

Code: [Select]
Code: 
Field QuitEntering MAINMIDI play: 7reading midi file: BAT.midcurrent volume: 127MIDI is playing SUCCESSFULLY!!!Exiting MAINEntering FRAME_INITIALIZE SWIRLExitting FRAME_INITIALIZE SWIRLSwirl sound_effect1stop_soundEnd of Swirl sound_effect1Entering FRAME_QUIT SWIRLExitting FRAME_QUIT SWIRLEntering MAINExiting MAIN[BATTLE] Entering FRAME_INITIALIZE[BATTLE] Scene# 380[BATTLE] Exitting FRAME_INITIALIZEGLITCH: QPC is unstable[BATTLE] Begin main battle loop[BATTLE] End of current battle[BATTLE] Begin end battle stuffMIDI play: 46reading midi file: FAN2.midcurrent volume: 127MIDI is playing SUCCESSFULLY!!!SET VOLUME 1: 127stop_sound[BATTLE] Begin end battle stuff[BATTLE] Entering FRAME_QUIT[BATTLE] endof battle.ERROR: unhandled exception
He says that this happens after every fight when the EXP things come up- then the game closes and the should come a message box saying:
"Error
Oops! SOmething very bad happened. Wrote crash.dmp to FF7instal dir.
Please provide a copy of it along with APP:LOG when reporting this error.
write emergency save to save/crash.ff7? "
Click to expand...
He uploaded the appl.log, savegame and the crash.dmp here:
http://rs652.rapidshare.com/files/261711824/ff7.rar

Thanks for help & support ;)
 
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