Custom graphics driver for FF7/FF8 [v0.8.1b]

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Aali

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Covarr edit: 0.8.1b Download. To be removed if Aali's server ever comes back up.

http://backup.ninjaloot.se/share/ff7_opengl-0.8.1b.zip

Installation
1. Extract the archive into your ff7 or ff8 folder
FF7:
2a. Run FF7Config.exe to configure sound settings (the graphics configuration you can do at this point is irrelevant)
3a. Apply the registry information in ff7_opengl.reg
4a. Change your settings in ff7_opengl.cfg
FF8:
2b. Make sure EAX is properly installed (run EAXUnified.exe to install it if unsure)
3b. Change your settings in ff8_opengl.cfg
5. Play!

Changelog


  • Fixed erroneous shader version that caused the shaders to require OpenGL 2.1 for no good reason
  • Hopefully fixed transparency issues where some objects would turn opaque
  • Changed default FPS for snowboard and coaster minigames to 60 and incorporated DLPB's fix for the coaster aimer
  • Fixed derp that could make FF8 crash on startup
  • Possible fix for the "couldn't lock sound buffer" error
  • Fixed missing fade-outs when using the vgmstream plugin
  • Popups are less obnoxious and should generally never repeat the same message twice
  • Removed the "zero count" message, it was quite possibly the least helpful error message of all time
  • Fixed z-sort issues in battle when using DLPB's menu overhaul (KOTR should work fine now)
  • Fixed texture cache issue that could cause menu and dialog textures to be unloaded


If you find any issues, please post screenshots, relevant information from app.log and if possible, a savegame.
If you get a crash, provide a copy of crash.dmp and app.log (preferably in a zip archive, this will make it 10x smaller)
 
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Nice work Aali, gonna start testing it now quickly, works great on my laptop now as well :) thank you, Controller still not working in FF8.
 
Nice work Aali, gonna start testing it now quickly, works great on my laptop now as well :) thank you, Controller still not working in FF8.
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Map the controller with keyboard keys.  :-P
 
Map the controller with keyboard keys.  :-P
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I am currently having to do that using a old version of Xpadder (from when it was still freeware) but i really hate having to do so (i prefer native controller support)
 
Working well here on my radeon 7900 with Catalyst 13.12.  Thanks for the update.

(Nevermind, see edit) Quick dumb question: I'm using Xpadder to remap my 360 wireless controller dpad to keyboard numpad keys so I can use both the dpad and the stick. Out of game the key mapping works, but in game the dpad input doesn't do anything.  Any advice?

Edit: Whups, figured it out. Xpadder has to be run as administrator.
Wow.  On an unrelated note, mapping numpad keys 9 and 3 to the right joystick makes running around the worldmap feel like a modern game! Now I can drive around using the two gamepad sticks.
 
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Ff8 seems to be losing controller function still, and bringing the RaW menu up with F1 has gotten a lot harder too.
 
I have one bug with the Chocobo race. The first race after you have started the game seems to run in double speed. However, it looks like that it's correct in the races after.


The last thing, which bugs me are the shadows in battle.
c90q.jpg


Well, I guess I should say that the whole transparency system for the effects doesn't look right. On PSX the transparency faded from the center to the edge, but I don't know if it is possible to create this effect on PC easiely.
 
Your game seems to be stretched quite a bit too Kal.  I'm sure you know tho.
 
Your game seems to be stretched quite a bit too Kal.  I'm sure you know tho.
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This explains why the Scorpion has become so fat lately...  :evil:
 
I was able to upgrade the driver effectively with a fresh install, and with my original mods folder and the reunion installed it works great. I cant get the game to launch though with 7thHeaven. Has anyone else tried? I'm wondering if maybe it's not compatible with the new driver. 

~played with the settings and still crashes before the first video plays. I was wondering if it was something to do with the new video location (I used Kompass63's convertor instead of running bootleg so the videos are still in ff7\data\movies) but the video location setting was added in 7H for that very reason. Has anyone else had any luck using 7H with the new driver? I'm running out of ideas.
 
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Something is different in the minigames which come with the Reunion. If you kick the minigames out of the Iro files every thing should work.
 
Ah you're right, good call Kaldarasha thanks! That's weird, I only have models for the high way and chocobo mini games, but oh well. 7H doesn't load the magic lgp files either so I'll just use the lgps.
 
My problem with the battle menu seems like it maybe related to the video driver. It's loading files from the mods\world folder for some reason and doing this.

Untitled-76.png


It works when I remove the world texture pngs.
 
This are magic and effect textures. Have you tried to disable compressed textures?
 
I'm not used to changing the settings in the ff7_opengl.cfg but I think compressed textures are off (used to use bootloader for changing settings). I don't have a back up of the original window.bin before converting the game but a lot of people use Kompass63's convertor without this issue from what I can tell. I'll try another fresh install and make a back up this time, cant hurt. DLPB is convinced it's not related to the reunion and if no one else with the new driver and png textures is having this problem than I'm running out of ideas.

~I'm not positive but the issue seems to be the driver, at least when paired with the Reunion. I can get either one to work alone, but together they screw up the battle menu. Is the new driver maybe not loading png textures correctly?
 
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Great work! Thanks a lot Aali!

Nonetheless, I think that the 'disable_popup' option was quite usefull.

For instance, when using Omzy's FFVII Field pack, we will often get a 'GLITCH: missed palette write to external texture' popup message and now have no way to prevent it anymore.

I understand that removing this option enable a better debugging but when one want to play through the game, it really is distracting.

Can we expect it back someday?

Then again, thanks a lot for your hard work. The native ogg support is juste amazing and change it all!^^
 
Great work! Thanks a lot Aali!

Nonetheless, I think that the 'disable_popup' option was quite usefull.

For instance, when using Omzy's FFVII Field pack, we will often get a 'GLITCH: missed palette write to external texture' popup message and now have no way to prevent it anymore.

I understand that removing this option enable a better debugging but when one want to play through the game, it really is distracting.

Can we expect it back someday?

Then again, thanks a lot for your hard work. The native ogg support is juste amazing and change it all!^^
Click to expand...
It will only tell you that once each time you run the game and it is a valid error message, you are missing out on a palette effect that doesn't work with your new texture (it'll make your field screens look as dull as they do with the old direct3d driver). I believe there is already a tool out there that will automatically remove the offending textures.
 
I think it's included in bootleg, so if you have a copy of the field textures after an installation that should be fine. I'm not sure what the tools called though. Since the errors don't seem as sensitive, and only show once per error they aren't as distracting, so it's not as big of a deal. 

I was wondering about the limited RAM cache issue. Is that something that can be disabled so it just works like .711b for now until a fix can be released?
 
The fmv that plays when Dyne falls seems to be out of sync. Here is some video capture: <redacted>
 
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