Author Topic: Help needed, FF7 with 45.23 detonators and AA, please (Read 8811 times)

ragnarok13 · « **on:** 2003-10-22 16:40:57 »

I'm running FF7 v1.02 (both .exe and config) with Chocobo Patch on Windows ME, so far I used GF4 Ti4200 with 30.82 detonators and DirectX 8.1. Today, I found a really useful topic on these forums that helped me repair the screwed fonts in hardware mode (disabling 8-bit textures for DX7 applications with RivaTuner). I also wanted to try the antialiasing, which should work correctly according to
http://forums.qhimm.com/viewtopic.php?t=2477&sid=ad6bbeae1fb44be55d7ecb7e85760965
(posts by halohalo)

So I uninstalled the 30.82 detonators using uninstalation and Detonator Destroyer, and then installed the 45.23 detonators. I wanted to try the 2x2 AA. But, I cannot run the game in hardware mode at all. The 'NVIDIA' box has to be checked in both cases; 8-bit textures enabled or not, since the config always says 'fail' there, and I also tried to force 2x2 AA and to disable antialiasing completely. I even tried to choose 'RIVA128' instead of 'TNT' in the config.
In every case, the screen goes black, of course, when the game is launched, but it immediately darts back to desktop without any error message. :weep:

With previous detonators it worked in both cases: with 8-bit textures enabled ('NVIDIA' box disabled), which produced messed-up fonts, and with 8-bit textures disabled ('NVIDIA' box checked, 'TNT' selected), which worked fine in every way except AA. The RivaTuner only listed about five AA options with 30.82 detonators, 2x2 and 8xS were NOT included - that's why I decided to upgrade the detonators in the first place. Now I have those choices, but cannot run the game in hardware mode at all

...

I would really like the game to work with AA without messing up backgrounds, fonts... it would suppress my wish for a remake for a while

Also, what's the Rendition patch halohalo mentioned?

Please help. Thanks!

halohalo · « **Reply #1 on:** 2003-10-22 19:42:08 »

If you want to use FF7.exe from TNT patch, don't check the option "NVIDIA" in FF7config and enable DX7 8bit paletted textures support with Riva Tuner at the same time. The two option conflicts.

Because new Detonators have 8bit paletted textures support, you should use original FF7.exe.

Maybe you can reinstall Detonator 45.23 and see if 8bit paletted textures support works correctly

(You have to enable it with rivatuner)

(if you use old Detonator 30.82, you can disable "texture sharpening" and AF, then enable "multisample masking". FF7 should work fine with 4xS AA)

Rendition patch is a patch (alpha/beta version) for old rendition chips. It has so many bugs. However, it doesn't show ugly fonts when you use gf3 or gf4ti.

Cyrus XIII · « **Reply #2 on:** 2003-10-22 22:56:33 »

Let's make things easy, try THIS.

(Look HERE for explanations.)

ragnarok13 · « **Reply #3 on:** 2003-10-23 12:31:49 »

Cyrus XIII:
I tried your patch before I even posted this thread - it ended the same

.

halohalo:

Quote

If you want to use FF7.exe from TNT patch, don't check the option "NVIDIA" in FF7config and enable DX7 8bit paletted textures support with Riva Tuner at the same time. The two option conflicts.

I know. That's my point, as I mentioned, the game worked with 30.82 detonators and the settings you mention here, but doesn't with the newest detonators installed. Seemingly 30.82 already had 8-bit texture support, since the config said 'pass'. I only disabled the 8-bit textures and used 'NVIDIA', 'TNT' option in config to fix messed-up fonts (and it worked).
But, now that I have 45.23 detonators, the config always says 'fail' for 8-bit textures, it doesn't matter if I enable or disable them with RivaTuner. I mentioned this, it is why I wrote that the 'NVIDIA' box (sort of) has to be enabled.

Quote

Because new Detonators have 8bit paletted textures support, you should use original FF7.exe.

OK, I tried it - no difference. And I tried with 8-bit textures enabled and disabled, but as I said, the config said 'fail' in both cases. I also tried the old config. Failed, of course. It shoots back to the desktop just the same.

Quote

Maybe you can reinstall Detonator 45.23 and see if 8bit paletted textures support works correctly (You have to enable it with rivatuner)

... I'm not sure I understand... I believe I uninstalled previous detonators completely, so what could be wrong... you mean I should check if the 8-bit textures work correctly - with what? I did enable them with RivaTuner if that's what you mean.

Quote

(if you use old Detonator 30.82, you can disable "texture sharpening" and AF, then enable "multisample masking". FF7 should work fine with 4xS AA)

Wow, thanks!

I'll gladly try that - if we cannot solve the situation with 45.23 detonators. I would just like to get optimal graphics in FF7. By the way, I don't really understand what anisotropic filtering does - it smoothens the textures? Does it really improve the graphics that much? I'd like to try to solve 45.23 because as I understand I cannot get nice AF in FF7 using 30.82?
I'd also like to ask you what effect would AF have on backgrounds, fonts and movies.

Thanks!

halohalo · « **Reply #4 on:** 2003-10-23 14:02:41 »

Did you try the latest Riva Tuner v2.0 RC14 ? It supports Detonator 45.23, maybe you should try it

ragnarok13 · « **Reply #5 on:** 2003-10-23 14:24:59 »

Yes, I used RivaTuner 2.0 RC14 all along. In fact, it's my first time using a RivaTuner at all, I downloaded it yesterday

... Can't anyone figure out what could be wrong? I want AA and AF

halohalo · « **Reply #6 on:** 2003-10-23 14:48:55 »

If you can't get 8bit paletted textures support with 45.23. You can try 43.51 or old 30.82.

ragnarok13 · « **Reply #7 on:** 2003-10-23 17:50:03 »

I tried 43.51 detonators and at first thought they work - got into hardware mode and the fonts were OK. Luckily, I checked a save from world map, to find out the sea has no textures (deep water type surface was just one white plane). Didn't even try to manage AA after seeing such horrors

. Besides, when I restarted computer, it was throwing me back to the desktop just like with 45.23. I gave up and reinstalled 30.82. You won't be able to convince me to try another version for a long time

... BUT, now I must ask you about this:

Quote

(if you use old Detonator 30.82, you can disable "texture sharpening" and AF, then enable "multisample masking". FF7 should work fine with 4xS AA)

Well, the texture sharpening cannot even be enabled, and I assured AF was disabled. I tried 4xS AA then, but it was just as I remember from when I tried this last: the backgrounds (and fonts) were a horrible mess of colored-border squares. It was the same with 'multisample masking' enabled or disabled (OK, it was a bit better with enabled, but still...). Help? :weep:

Aaron · « **Reply #8 on:** 2003-10-23 19:31:02 »

nVidia put out some new drivers today. I dunno if they'll fix anything, but increasing the version number by 7 should mean that they fixed something, right?

ye-roon · « **Reply #9 on:** 2003-10-23 20:52:39 »

woohoo the renamed them

forceware <--> detonator

i liked the old name better.

halohalo · « **Reply #10 on:** 2003-10-24 15:10:42 »

Quote from: Aaron

nVidia put out some new drivers today. I dunno if they'll fix anything, but increasing the version number by 7 should mean that they fixed something, right?

I've tested 52.16 with gf4ti4600 (win98se).

52.16 does not support 2x2 AA. So I have to disable dx7 8bit paletted textures support and AA. Then use ff7.exe from TNT patch.

However, 52.16 fixed a texture problem. (it only occurs when you use gf3 or gf4ti with Detonator 4x.xx. )

ye-roon · « **Reply #11 on:** 2003-10-24 17:47:41 »

new drivers R they SUX.

evry game runs more bad now, stupid nvidia, i'm soooooo thinking of buying a ati card

ragnarok13 · « **Reply #12 on:** 2003-10-25 09:11:35 »

So do you guys know a way to get rid of those squares on the backgrounds when using AA? I'd really appreciate it