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

[Kudistos Megistos]

I'll just leave this here

http://forums.qhimm.com/index.php?topic=8450.0

It's a WIP, but hopefully we'll have a working field background editor soon. It seems that a few people have smoothed the backgrounds out slightly and got them looking passable at 1024x1024

[Dko]

Is there seriously no way to run this on a no-cd cracked copy of FF7?  Now hear me out, I do own the game (or did) but I made a backup of all three disks onto a DVD.  An (ex) friend borrowed and never returned my original 3 some time ago and I don't wana pay the 200+ for new copies. >.<
I understand wanted to make sure people who don't own the game don't enjoy it. Especially with spiffy new graphics ^^ 

[Kranmer]

why do you even need the NoCd crack this game can be played many ways without the original CD (legally as well since the NoCd crack is apperently illegal) in your CD drive (like using daemon-tools or one of the other methods which dont even require daemon tools to be installed)

[DLPB_]

The only thing I don't like about it is that have to use damn image files ina  virtual environment....or an actual cd.  Would be much better if we could have someone make a proper installer, but people would be dead against that, even with this game being very old.

[Kudistos Megistos]

why do you even need the NoCd crack this game can be played many ways without the original CD (legally as well since the NoCd crack is apperently illegal) in your CD drive (like using daemon-tools or one of the other methods which dont even require daemon tools to be installed)

This.

If you still have the DVD with the copies of the three discs (and it sounds like you do), make three ISO images from the data and use daemon tools to mount them in a virtual drive.

[Kranmer]

oh Seifer Almasy it is possible to play FF7 without daemon tools or any kind of virtual image and without the original CD and without a NoCd patch. (and by this i mean a way of playing it without needing any external software at all)

[DLPB_]

?

[Kranmer]

does the ? mean you want to know or that you dont understand ?
Well if your interested here is how you do it. First open "My Computer" and open your list of HardDrives and CD Drivers,
Next select a partition and right click it and click "RENAME"
rename the partition one of your partitions to FF7DISC1 (or FF7DISC2 or FF7DISC3 depending on which disc your on)
NOTE - ONLY RENAME THE PARTITION DO NOT CHANGE DRIVE LETTER
now you should have a renamed HardDrive Partition,
Now open Regedit by clicking on run and typing "regedit"
Go to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Square Soft, Inc.\Final Fantasy VII"
and where you see "DataDrive" change the value to the drive you renamed to FF7DISC1.

For example here is what i do.
First rename C Drive to "FF7DISC3"
second change registy entry at "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Square Soft, Inc.\Final Fantasy VII" Datadrive to "C:\"
then close regedit and run FF7 and hey presto you can play it without the CD.

If anyone cant understand what i have said please feel free to ask for help and i will do what i can. Also i havent seen anyone post this method before but if anyone has posted this before i am sorry but i am not trying to rip you off i just came up with this on my own. And if no one has come up with this before there shouldnt be a problem.
I came up with this a few years ago to use it with saints patch because i really dislike daemon tools (well i did back then but now its pretty decent).

[DLPB_]

Oh I can do that

Cheers I will test right away!  


edit:  that is actually a cool trick!

[Hellbringer616]

Aali, i was looking at some settings nVidia has in their control panel to optimize FF7 graphically (i know pretty useless, But with APZ's mod it looks great)

But i ran into a few new settings with this driver.  one i can't use, the other is "conformant texture clamp" increases image quality and performance, But i don't know if i should use OpenGL, or Hardware (there is an nVidia symbol on Hardware if that matters)

I also have a question on Triple buffering and force vsync, Should i turn this options on? Or no?

[DLPB_]

You should leave Vsync as "let the 3d app decide"  because then Alis config will be the decider of vsync.  As for triple buffering, it should be left off as it is just a work around in the driver.

[Hellbringer616]

You should leave Vsync as "let the 3d app decide"  because then Alis config will be the decider of vsync.  As for triple buffering, it should be left off as it is just a work around in the driver.

Alright thanks.

@Aali: There is a magic defense fix patch for YAMP i'd like to use, if i use it can i still use your driver? Or no?
They work

EDIT: Need some help, I am running Windows 7 build 7100 64-bit, And the reg entry doesn't seem to work, the resolution is still the normal it is set to (640 X 380 full screen) with all the buggy nvidia problems.. is this because it is installed to program files (x86) instead of just program files?

I'd post and app.log, But it hasn't booted up once to create an app.log  

running v0.6.9

EDIT2: in the registry it says that the graphics driver path is "ff7_opengl.fgd" and the driver is "0x00000003 (3)" is that means anything

EDIT3: Nevermind, need to run FF7 as admin and it works perfectly. Might want to add this into the readme file.

[_Ombra_]

The driver works beautifully. Never seen FF7 so smooth. I'm running on OpenGL 2.0 @ 1680x1050 with original aspect ratio.

[Hellbringer616]

Hey Aali, just wanted to point out, your main link links you to the download for v0.6.8b not v0.6.9b

Just thought i'd let you know, And as always, perfect job, couldn't ask for more

[d33eniz]

Hey there Aali!

A bug in your latest release:

[Aali]

Hey there Aali!

A bug in your latest release:

I'm aware of it, there's also a pseudo-random glitch with Jenova Synthesia and Bizarro Sephiroth where they end up getting two models drawn on top of each other. Wont have time to look into it until next week.

[drfeelgud88]

ff7 pc is sooo complicated to fix! 

[Hellbringer616]

ff7 pc is sooo complicated to fix! 

How so? It works perfectly for everyone else

[Hellbringer616]

Where do you set the settings?

for the graphics driver? In the ff7_opengl.cfg

[DLPB_]

Ok this doesn't seem to work for me. When I start the game, I get a black screen. i can hear all the sounds but can't see nothing. Running 800 600 with the drivers on. It works if I switch back to the old one.

and you clicked the reg file? To add the settings to the registry

[Hellbringer616]

Ok this doesn't seem to work for me. When I start the game, I get a black screen. i can hear all the sounds but can't see nothing. Running 800 600 with the drivers on. It works if I switch back to the old one.

I'm not sure if it would work with 800*600, Aali said you get issues when you run it as a non multiple of 320*240/640*480

If you're using Vista you need to run FF7 as admin, Took me forever to find that out 

[DLPB_]

If you're using Vista you need to run FF7 as admin, Took me forever to find that out 

or disable UAC totally....I have something called Vista Manager and its a dream at sorting out crap in Vista

[Aali]

Ok this doesn't seem to work for me. When I start the game, I get a black screen. i can hear all the sounds but can't see nothing. Running 800 600 with the drivers on. It works if I switch back to the old one.

I'm not sure if it would work with 800*600, Aali said you get issues when you run it as a non multiple of 320*240/640*480

If you're using Vista you need to run FF7 as admin, Took me forever to find that out 

You won't get any issues if prevent_rounding_errors is on, and you certainly wont get a black screen. Something else is going on there.
Zarnik: What are your system specs?

[Prince Lex]

I disabled UAC and installed FF7 to a folder on my desktop. For me its really the only way to avoid the shittyness that is vista! When dealing with ff7, anyway.a

[Aali]

Just replace the config file with the one from the .zip archive and you'll be back to default settings.

Svenska är inget problem för mig men den där rutan visar inte det jag egentligen ville veta. Vad har du för grafikkort?

Om du kunde ladda upp en kopia av APP.LOG både innan och efter du ändrar inställningar så vore det bra. (APP.LOG skapas i samma mapp som ff7.exe när du kör FF7)