[FF7PC-98/Steam] FFNx - Next generation modding platform for FF7/FF8

[TrueOdin]

I see you've also added extensions such as jpg and so on...  I take it this is just cosmetic?  pnglib doesnt support these formats does it?

It's not cosmetic. Those are real supported extensions. I still need to document that on the README but feel free to try them.

[TrueOdin]

I commend you on the bug fixes and joypad support in case that isn't clear.  All i asked for when i came to you 2 years ago was that kind of thing.  Despite the fact im never going to work with you from this point on nor acknowledge your existence again after this post, i want you to know i believe in full credit and people will know exactly what additions in reunion come from you.  I'll also continue to supply bug reports as that aids my project as well.

There's no need as I'll never support Reunion. Simple as that.

[Cicciolo]

Hello, i wanted to try this driver but i think something went wrong: when i load the game, Squall is literally at the center of the map, walking on the sea.

I've used the latest Canary version, because i wanted to use it with this mod and apparently it crashes with the latest Stable version: http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=19968

[Kitsune]

Hi,

True Odin, I attempt to rune FFnx on Linux by the Wine app. I am based here on the CD Version.

So I can run the Aali Driver as well with some few bugs(transparency) about textures in battles with the dialogs inside battle.
Then I try to run your Mod based on it but I simply can make it work. I have rune Aali mod on Windows XP compatible install in Wine and for your one I try with Windows 7 compatibility but...Not work. So I asking you what are then necessary component for make this Mod work on Windows 7? I am talking about VCrun 200x 20xx? Also .NET necessary for it? Can it run with only DirectX9c installed?

I have tried OpenGL and DirectX option but don't work here. But I precise my graphic card is old but work on Aali drivers, Geforce Go 7400 128MB. (OpenGL 2.1 compatible)

Thanks for reply

[TrueOdin]

Hi,

True Odin, I attempt to rune FFnx on Linux by the Wine app. I am based here on the CD Version.

So I can run the Aali Driver as well with some few bugs(transparency) about textures in battles with the dialogs inside battle.
Then I try to run your Mod based on it but I simply can make it work. I have rune Aali mod on Windows XP compatible install in Wine and for your one I try with Windows 7 compatibility but...Not work. So I asking you what are then necessary component for make this Mod work on Windows 7? I am talking about VCrun 200x 20xx? Also .NET necessary for it? Can it run with only DirectX9c installed?

I have tried OpenGL and DirectX option but don't work here. But I precise my graphic card is old but work on Aali drivers, Geforce Go 7400 128MB. (OpenGL 2.1 compatible)

Thanks for reply

Hi Kitsune,

Deeply sorry for the delay but I didn't got a notification about this, not sure why. Either way, I knew this has pretty much good compatibility on Wine for people using AMD/Intel GPUs. Although I see your GPU is pretty much old, so I fear your drivers are old too. This unfortunately may lead to issues in your environment.

Although, what you can do is try to run it using DirectX 9 or DirectX 11 renderer, in the config. Your Wine environment should be fine to use Windows 10, and you need the Universal CRT as the code is built on top of that.

Sithlord48 is one of the users using FFNx on Wine and has been successful with it. Maybe you can try to approach him Also, worth a shot to try the latest canary to make sure the issue is just not only on the latest stable.

Let me know how it goes!

Cheers,
TO

[sithlord48]

I'm playing FF7 via wine for a very long time and have not had a problem with FFNx using openGL or Vulkan  (yeah its a bit slow) your card might need to be updated to one that supported a newer copy of openGL . im not sure what version our openGL is targeting.

you do not need any extra packages installed and i would recommend making a wine prefix just for ff7. I have not tried to run using Dx9 or 11 since wine is just going to translate them to openGL calls anyway.

For you next card i would suggest trying to avoid nVidia for linux AMD has much better drivers then nVidia does for linux, The architecture for AMDGPU should be emulated by every vendor that wants to have a proprietary driver for Linux.

@trueOdin seams bgfx supports both OGL 2.1 or OGL 3.1+ so we might need to add an option that forces the loading of the OGL 2.1 backend?

[Kitsune]

Thanks for your reply I will test it however in Windows 10 compatibility mode but I think effectively my card is too old for this mod...On Wine certainly.

I have installed Debian 10 between the time trought, in this version I can't use proprietary drivers from Nvidia on it. It's a trap.

The drivers I must use with Wine for now are the Open sources drivers named "Nouveau" for Nvidia GPU. There are some troubles about DirectX games with Wine and these drivers. Only OpenGL apps run here for now on Wine with these  "Nouveau" open sources drivers. I can run in OpenGL mode ePSXe and also Half Life (first) as example...The introduction movie of the Half Life game run and his game engine in opengl too work. Half Life in DirectX mode crash also on Wine with these drivers like FFVII from Steam.

The FF7 Opengl FFNx mod here don't run for now here correctly on Wine (mixed up screen at intro movie, freeze and crash). I thinked it was maybe due to ffmpeg codecs...I don't really know how the movies are decoded here in this pack. I have attempt to download ffmpeg library (dll) for Windows to decode it well but that not change the trouble, and I must evitate to use "a DirectX decoders"...

So I have take these informations as example, maybe that can help you for a better compatibility update (it's in french):

AVI movie Half Life (GOTY CD ed):
Res:640x480
Démultiplexeur: avi
Format: Cvid
Vid Cod:ffcvid
Aud Cod:pcm

AVI movie Final Fantasy VII Steam:
Res:1280x896
Démultiplexeur:lavfpref
Format vidéo:VP80
Vid cod:ffvp8
Aud cod:ffvorbis

I have tried to use finally Media Player Classic by Wine app for reading the Movie of Final Fantasy VII. I have an error about DirectX9 the first time I launch a movie and after nothing about the error and the movie work. I think this app use DDraw rendering but not sure...

Like you said It seem AMD are better for Linux about drivers (There are really open...) But I use a laptop, and changing the graphic card will be certainly not possible on it. Natively this card only support OpenGL2.1 and DirectX9c (in real windows environment). I don't think Vulkan is tolerate by my card (she is too old) but maybe there are something that can passthrought like an interpreter in Wine (I am not sure of it). Wine have a regedit option to force of use of an "OpenGL version Level" I can set it to 2.1 for use 2.1 or 3.1, ...but don't know really if my card can support a upper version of GL ---> natively it's 2.1 but with "Mesa",...and other "Gallium3D" used by "Nouveau" drivers don't really know how it work...and what can I do.

I think there are an Intel GPU chipset 945Gm inside this laptop, but Linux seem not recognize it as a GPU (My trouble for it) I will try again with Win10 compatibility and CRT...If I find how put it on Wine.

[sithlord48]

If your card does not support the right OpenGL version changing the compatibility mode is not going to help you at all.

[TrueOdin]

@trueOdin seams bgfx supports both OGL 2.1 or OGL 3.1+ so we might need to add an option that forces the loading of the OGL 2.1 backend?

Good catch! I wasn't aware of it. Got any example link? I'll be happy to add it to the list of renderers!

[myst6re]

https://github.com/bkaradzic/bgfx/blob/master/src/bgfx_p.h#L230

[Kitsune]

Good catch! I wasn't aware of it. Got any example link? I'll be happy to add it to the list of renderers!

So what is the actuel necessary OpenGL version for the FFNx pack to work actually?

I use this option for force OpenGL 2.1 version that's the maximum version my card can doing natively normaly but maybe there is a wrapper inside Wine that can downgrad the OpenGL version or in Mesa, I don't know about it. Also there is already something like DirectX wrapper to openGL I think in Wine. But the open-sources 'Nouveau' driver are not good for D3D softwares throught Wine here...I think I cannot use this one for it must go to Nvidia proprietary drivers...But what is the OpenGL version FFNx needed in brief?

I was be able to play with the Aali original driver and not FFNx for now but when I played with Aali drivers I have some text box trouble in  battle of the game and in same times the characters became transparents...I thinked FFNx was based on Aali drivers...

[sithlord48]

Lets try this tell me about your system so im not just guessing on what might be.

Please post the output of these commands
lshw -C VIDEO
uname -a
wine --version
glxinfo | grep "OpenGL version"

[TrueOdin]

So what is the actuel necessary OpenGL version for the FFNx pack to work actually?

I use this option for force OpenGL 2.1 version that's the maximum version my card can doing natively normaly but maybe there is a wrapper inside Wine that can downgrad the OpenGL version or in Mesa, I don't know about it. Also there is already something like DirectX wrapper to openGL I think in Wine. But the open-sources 'Nouveau' driver are not good for D3D softwares throught Wine here...I think I cannot use this one for it must go to Nvidia proprietary drivers...But what is the OpenGL version FFNx needed in brief?

I was be able to play with the Aali original driver and not FFNx for now but when I played with Aali drivers I have some text box trouble in  battle of the game and in same times the characters became transparents...I thinked FFNx was based on Aali drivers...

Sorry to disappoint you but Aali driver was borned with OpenGL 2.1 in mind, while NX is targeting modern Hardware. Because of this at least OpenGL 3.1 is required.

Regarding wrappers and such, I'd suggest to do some re-search in case and MAYBE there's a chance to get it running. I do remember about some layers being developed in the FOSS drivers like the one you use, to allow modern OpenGL versions to run on top of HW which was not officially supporting it. If you manage to reach at least a 3.x version you'll be good to go

Unfortunately on our side is not a "flag" away this feature and requires 2x the efforts to be maintained. Be it in code, in dependencies, in tests and in release artifacts. And most of all, if I downgrade to OpenGL 2.1 for everyone there's a good chance we loose Shader features and RenderDoc debugging too, which is even useful for myself sometimes to debug things not working properly. This is a high cost to pay for a FOSS project being maintained in our free time.

Although IF an easy way arises in order to allow ALSO OpenGL 2.1 support, I'm all for it. The links above unfortunately requires some Defined to be done forehead bgfx is built.

[Kitsune]

Thank for your replys,

I will try find something to make FFVII PC/Steam version work well here, maybe retry with the Aaly that seem more easily compatible (OpenGL2.1 support)
But normaly there is a way about Dx9 with my configuration I thinks and your Canary version propose it, But I don't think I have made it work one time with the Dx9 mode here throught Wine.


For answering to  sithlord48:

I have downgraded my Debian system to 9 Stretch now because the last proprietary drivers from Nvidia for my card can't be installed on the 10 Buster version...These drivers depends of the Kernel version of Linux:

This is a GeForce Go 7400 (serie 7) Last drivers compatible is 304.137.

Code: [Select]

sudo lshw -C VIDEO
  *-display                 
       description: VGA compatible controller
       produit (product): G72M [GeForce Go 7400]
       fabriquant (manufacturer): NVIDIA Corporation
       identifiant matériel (hardware ID): 0
       information bus: [email protected]:01:00.0
       version: a1
       bits: 64 bits
       horloge (clock): 33MHz
       fonctionnalités (functions): pm msi pciexpress vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom
       configuration: driver=nvidia latency=0
       ressources: irq:16 mémoire:d1000000-d1ffffff mémoire:c0000000-cfffffff mémoire:d0000000-d0ffffff mémoire:c0000-dffff


uname -a
 4.9.0-12-686-pae #1 SMP Debian 4.9.210-1+deb9u1 (2020-06-07) i686 GNU/Linux
[b]wine --version [/b](last stable)
wine-5.0.1

glx OpenGL information:
OpenGL version string: 2.1.2 NVIDIA 304.137

Details:
glxinfo | grep "version"
server glx version string: 1.4
client glx version string: 1.4
GLX version: 1.4
OpenGL version string: 2.1.2 NVIDIA 304.137
OpenGL shading language version string: 1.20 NVIDIA via Cg compiler
OpenGL ES profile version string: OpenGL ES 2.0 NVIDIA 304.137 304.137
OpenGL ES profile shading language version string: OpenGL ES GLSL ES 1.00
Very limited comparing to recent GPU yes...


---Reedit 21:40---

Just information:
I have installed again the Steam version of the game with the proprietary Linux drivers. It run into original form by Wine -->DirectX but lag sometimes into combats, I have previously had the same lag on another Linux OS installation.
But with "Nouveau" Driver, DirectX don't run at all here. I will try now the FFNx version and maybe some tweaks in Wine for accurate speed with this material. Normally my graphic card is Dx9 compatible.

[TrueOdin]

Just information:
I have installed again the Steam version of the game with the proprietary Linux drivers. It run into original form by Wine -->DirectX but lag sometimes into combats, I have previously had the same lag on another Linux OS installation.
But with "Nouveau" Driver, DirectX don't run at all here. I will try now the FFNx version and maybe some tweaks in Wine for accurate speed with this material. Normally my graphic card is Dx9 compatible.

You could either try to use the DirectX 9 configuration in the canary ( see https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Changes/Wine_to_use_mesa_Direct3D ) or you can also use this trick which I found just now Maybe it works fine for you too: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?pid=1854649#p1854649

Let me know!


//EDIT: You may also fake the reported OpenGL version to something newer and see how it goes: ( MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE -> https://docs.mesa3d.org/envvars.html )

[Kitsune]

Hi True Odin,

Thanks for the tricks I will get an eye on it and try..
I have tryied the DirectX mode and have a black screen with a message box troubles for now...Also there where a resolution trouble but I don't know if this is "from Wine" or if this is the Canary version of FFNX about windowed mode and resolution troubles with DirectX9 mode...Here it always put the game in fullscreen mode in Wine or in my native context -->Linux screen. I have tweaks the config file and the parameters in the steam launcher but same trouble...I have also overwrite with the original config file from the FFNx pack but the trouble is always here. Also the game launch with I thing 640x480 also when I specified in the config file my native resolution...Don't know why...I have try also deleted the config file from Sque Enix folder and put the default resolution but the error message of the game persist for now in Dx9 mode. If you can test it in you home with the Canary version if you have trouble about Dx9 endering mode and resolutions/windowed mode. Thanks.

About Gallium I have installed it before in my Debian 10 with the "Nouveau" drivers and it make some troubles on Wine...but maybe retrying it with more well documented about it. I will put on eye on your tricks about opengl and Mesa.

They talking about NV50 support for Nvidia and mine is just NV40 also talking about GL ARB_compatibility in GL 3.1 mode. But don't see it in the proprietary driver I have. They talking about LLVmPipe it's a software driver "GPU"-->CPU from Mesa apparently, Maybe that will work but no GPU use here the CPU will suffer certainly ^_^ go continue learning...Maybe try this way for testing.

Here a table with NV40 (serie 6 and 7 Nvidia) Mesa compatibility with the GPU driver:
https://people.freedesktop.org/~imirkin/glxinfo/#b=version&g=NVIDIA%20NV4x%20(GeForce%206%2C%207)&p=compat
The 2.1 is effectively the last OpenGL version Fully implemented. The way is a CPU drivers or something between.

Thanks

[TrueOdin]

FYI I did a quick check on the OpenGL topic as I'm working on the renderer part again and this came straight out of the driver log using "renderer_debug = yes" in the cfg file:

Code: [Select]

[00000000] TRACE: BGFX Capabilities (renderer OpenGL 2.1, vendor 0x10de, device 0x0000):

This means the driver is fully capable of using any OpenGL 2.1+ version, when using the OpenGL renderer. If you are being detected as something else, this may be a Wine issue.

Cheers

[PoolHandMan]

I'm using it along 7th heaven 2.0. It works fine but it seems any changes I make in 7H_GameDriver.cfg don't take effect in the game. For example, playing in windowed mode or hiding the fps counter. Any suggestions? I'm new to this mod stuff but I understand 7th and your driver are two separate things and it's not your obligation to make it work, so if you can't help I understand

[LordUrQuan]

I'm using it along 7th heaven 2.0. It works fine but it seems any changes I make in 7H_GameDriver.cfg don't take effect in the game. For example, playing in windowed mode or hiding the fps counter. Any suggestions? I'm new to this mod stuff but I understand 7th and your driver are two separate things and it's not your obligation to make it work, so if you can't help I understand

That's because FFNx doesn't read 7H_GameDriver.cfg, it reads FFNx.cfg.  Alternatively, upgrade to 7Hv2.2beta and get the best of both worlds

[PoolHandMan]

That's because FFNx doesn't read 7H_GameDriver.cfg, it reads FFNx.cfg.  Alternatively, upgrade to 7Hv2.2beta and get the best of both worlds

thanks, when I installed it I renamed FFNx.cfg to 7H_GameDriver.cfg as I learned here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xmNDtxKPt8

when I finish new threat I'll do that then, uninstall 2.0 and install 2.2, because I'm afraid of messing up (took me some time to configure it, specially the controls)

[LordUrQuan]

Despite being only two months old, that video's already out of date... Tsuna made it with 7H v2.0, and unab0mb has since put v2.2 into public beta, which incorporates FFNx natively

[sasukexbox]

Does it mean it will look like the PS1 original game? 'cause that would be cool

What sucks is, if you use mods on Steam. Then that wont unlock the steam achievements : (

[TrueOdin]

Does it mean it will look like the PS1 original game? 'cause that would be cool

What sucks is, if you use mods on Steam. Then that wont unlock the steam achievements : (

Load any savegame that is near the last cave using the original driver, and you'll get all of them instantly

[Topken]

*bangs head against keyboard* I have been at this since last night and things still aren't working for me. Here's a link to my log file and I have already repaired both Windows 10 and .net Framework that is built into Windows 10. Game is unable to launch for me as can been seen. Launches but crashes as soon as it becomes responsive. Anyone have any idea what else I can try to do to fix this short of a complete reinstall of Windows 10 from scratch?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xdp7q8touv62oce/FFNx.log?dl=0

[LordUrQuan]

Are you trying to run FF7 directly, or via a loader/manager like 7H?  If the latter, we need to see the mod config options you have set.

But it might not go that far... see if you have the Animations mod's 60fps option enabled. If so, turn that off. It's incompatible with FFNx (not that it was really all that great to begin with)