Author Topic: A few topics which don't fit anywhere...... (Read 6417 times)

Joey · « **on:** 2001-10-11 07:11:00 »

I have a few requests.

1)Where can I get FFX demo?

2)Is there such thing as a hardware emulator that works in DOS?(This thing can make virtual sound and graphics cards in your computer, but takes up space).

If you know where can I get both of this, please tell me through this thread.

Sir Canealot · « **Reply #1 on:** 2001-10-11 21:38:00 »

Quote

On 2001-10-11 03:11, Joey wrote:
I have a few requests.

1)Where can I get FFX demo?

2)Is there such thing as a hardware emulator that works in DOS?(This thing can make virtual sound and graphics cards in your computer, but takes up space).

If you know where can I get both of this, please tell me through this thread.

1: That demo is not currently in existance to my knolege although they may have one in Japan.

2: No I dont think so. Try again.

vvalentine · « **Reply #2 on:** 2001-10-11 21:59:00 »

Well, hardware emulation is possible. But if there was, everyone would know. As for FFX demo, I don't know. My laptop uses a video card that shares the memory with RAM. Meaning that uses some of the RAM for Video memory. I can adjust it to use 2, 4, or 8 megs of video memory. If this is the case where the video card is using regular RAM, wouldn't it be possible to increase the video memory to more than 8 megs. Someone please prove me wrong.

-vvalentine

ficedula · « **Reply #3 on:** 2001-10-11 22:06:00 »

That isn't unusual ... AGP lets cards access main memory, plus onboard graphics cards often share memory. But you aren't EMULATING the video card, in both cases you still have a proper vid card somewhere in the system! It just saves on memory costs...

Sukaeto · « **Reply #4 on:** 2001-10-12 05:32:00 »

Emulating a video card . . . wouldn't that be kind of like . . . Software Rendering? (I don't know why you'd actually need to emulate the peice that takes bits and translates them into RGB info for the monitor.)

mirex · « **Reply #5 on:** 2001-10-12 06:51:00 »

That would be good for protected data ripping, like i think RealMedia can be restricted to only playable-not saveable. So I would just play it, and it would save it to my hd.

Joey · « **Reply #6 on:** 2001-10-22 00:37:00 »

My friend used to have the hardware emulator but the floppy disk containing the software couldn't be used anymore. He says that it's a DOS program. The company's name is called dinosoft. He also said that it was copied by his brother in 1989. Emulating a Graphics card would be like the hard disk light turning on forever. But I wanted to have a smoother game with FF8 as I do not have a graphics card because of financial problems. I only have 340 MB(What Windows says)(256+96) of RAM and a lousy 433 MHZ Celeron, with no graphics and sound card, just what is on board. So, if anyone here has that software, please send it to me.

Goku7 · « **Reply #7 on:** 2001-10-22 02:17:00 »

How in the world are you not getting playable performance from the software renderer with specs like that?!

I would think it would be fine. Ok, so maybe the sound would suck..... But seriously, unless you're running like 5,000 things in the background, the amount of RAM you have should make up for the speed decrease somewhat.

By the way, even though your video & sound cards are the cheap intergrated stuff, can you at least tell us what the brand of the sound and video chipsets that are on your motherboard?

Sukaeto · « **Reply #8 on:** 2001-10-22 03:48:00 »

I take it you mean emulating the Graphics chipset or GPU of a Graphics accelerator when you say 'emulating a graphics card.'

Why would that have your hard drive churning? It would take up a lot of your CPU's time, but it wouldn't effect the hard drive . . .

If you're not getting good performance with FF8's software renderer, a gfx accelerator emulator (if there is such a thing) would probably end up being even slower. As far as the sound, it doesn't matter if you have an old ISA Digital Research Sound Blaster 16 clone . . . DLS uses the Microsoft Software Synthesizer. Just download Sam Slight's DLS.

Joey · « **Reply #9 on:** 2001-10-22 03:55:00 »

I meant cards like 3dfx, Voodoo and stuff like that. FF8 is *still* very slow, even with the RAM. Sunmmoning would take a long time.

Joey · « **Reply #10 on:** 2001-10-22 23:31:00 »

I discovered PSX-like quality in quarter screen mode.

I want it to be bigger!!!

Goku7 · « **Reply #11 on:** 2001-10-22 23:55:00 »

Actually, even though it would work with a sound blaster 16, the fact that its using the microsoft synth means that the processor is still working overtime trying to feed the information to the non-accelerated sound card while trying to process the graphics information. Now, if you have a card like mine, that somehow hardware-accelerates the soft synth; or you have a hardware-DLS-capable sound card, then the processor can focus that much more on the graphics.

Remember, it may not seem like much, but sound can still take a huge chunk of the processor time if the playback rate is 44.1khz, at 16-bit, and you're not using card that has a hardware buffer (check the test in the DXDiag tool to find if your chipset runs on a hardware buffer. Even if it does, it'll still say its loading it from a software buffer for the lower quality tests.)

Also, try disabling the EAX option. Some chipsets do a little more geometry calcution in EAX or A3D modes than what might be necessary, causing a slight drop in framerate. Hope that helps!

[edited] 239 2001-10-23 00:57

Joey · « **Reply #12 on:** 2001-10-26 05:21:00 »

I'd really love to use EAX but I'm not allowed to.