Birthday thread: Software

[Ross Scott]

This relates to the video https://youtu.be/oITBRgSQBd8. This thread is for specific software Ross is looking for (as mentioned in the video).

[ISGC]

I was waiting for you to ask for someone to help you on a videogame or something! I could do that, but the graphics pipeline stuff is a lot lower level so you'll probably have a tough time finding someone who knows much about it. Sorry! If you have any idea of where to start with this, I'd gladly take a look, though.

[Ryuluce]

Hm. That's a tough one.

I hope I might be able to help.

I'm an amateur JAVA programmer, but I do have some experience with graphics coding slightly (I'm programming my own game, I have to know some stuff).

I don't know if it's possible or practical to make a JAVA graphics wrap-around. But I can give it my best when I have the time.

If you want me to try, then just toss me a link to an old game that would be a good test-subject.

If JAVA is not a good choice, well I do plan on taking up C++ when I can. But that would be a long ways away.

[Thomasbelcar]

Hey Ross, I might have a solution to your problem.

There is a totally free software avaliable called Sizer (http://www.brianapps.net/sizer/) and was the solution to this problem for me.

Undertale without Sizer:

NOTE: there's no option to change resolution in-game

Undertale with Sizer:

As you can see, this program can change all selected windows in your pc to a proper size without blurring the image.

I'm also using the Sizer 3.4 Dev Build 482 that you can find here: http://www.brianapps.net/sizer/sizer34.html

You click once to open sizer.exe and it stays in the windows' task bar, as you can see here:

Now the first thing you are going to do after open sizer is go to "configure sizer" and set some resolution entries for different types of games/windows like mine:

i STRONGLY RECOMMEND, the ones that i'm using for windows (recomended to only 1080p monitors):

4:3 aspect ratio games: 1387x1040

16:9 aspect ratio games: 1849x1040

Full monitor: 1920x1040

4:3 (Bordeless Window): 1420x1065

16:9 (Bordeless Window): 1894x1065

Full monitor (Bordeless Window): 1920x1065

 

Now, I suppose you are good Ross!

Sorry for my bad english btw.

 

EDIT 1 08:50 (Brazilian DST Time) - 12/29/2015:

 

I made a video to show sizer running on Undertale:

 

Lnh2PR3bgi4

 

EDIT 2 09:08 (Brazilian DST Time) - 12/29/2015

 

Yes, If you tweak it in "configure sizer", you can make it run games in fullscreen. Note: I read somewhere that most of fullscreen games today are running in a bordeless window.

 

EDIT 3 09:13 (Brazilian DST Time) - 12/29/2015

 

Remember when i said: "I read somewhere that most of fullscreen games today are running in a bordeless window"? i found a source to it:

 

EDIT 4 12:32 (Brazilian DST Time) - 12/29/2015: I want to apologize to Spewkies. Sizer will not help with AA in emulated games.

 

Proof:

 

Z76qHiJQj9U

 

I did this video to compare ZDoom and Sizer and this shows that besides of helping with the blurry problem, sizer don't mess with AA.

 

EDIT 5 13:40 (Brazilian DST Time) - 01/02/2015

 

BTW Ross, ALL my videos (like this) are in Creative Commons Attribution license 3.0, so you can use all my videos in your Birthday Follow-Up video (if you make a Birthday Follow Up video).

Edited January 2, 2016 by Guest (see edit history)

[64fanatic]

Pretty sweet Thomasbelcar! I think i'll be using that one myself.

 

It made me think though. I know of this program here: http://sourceforge.net/projects/dxwnd/

 

Its a Windows hooker - intercepts system calls to make fullscreen programs running in a window, to support a better compatibility, to enhance video modes and to stretch timing. It is typically very useful to run old windows games.

 

Now, since it forces old games to window... how about combining it with Thomasbelcar's idea with http://www.brianapps.net/sizer/ ?????

You'd want to use Sizer to make the game (assuming your desktop is in 1920x1080 resolution here) also be in a resized 1920x1080 window. Why? Well now.

 

This is getting complicated jesus but, we don't want a stupid game window right? WE WANT FULLSCREEN!

 

Now, I've done some funky hacky shite to get Turok 2 to work in 1080p "fullscreen" with the correct FOV and such. I had problems getting a few hacks to work on Windows 10 specifically getting the game fullscreen. I made a pack here awhile ago for people to play Turok 2's PC Port on modern windows. Kinda pointless now since the announcement of a remastered version that'll be on steam eventually, the 1st game is already. That is beside the point though.

 

http://theisozone.com/downloads/pc/windows-games/turok-2-pc-for-modern-windows-oss/

 

So I used a program called AutoHotKey https://autohotkey.com/

I use a script that removes the window border and title bar of any active window, and moves the

window so that it fills the screen. I'll make a separate link here for ou Ross, for just that part of my pack. The autohotkey program and the script I made.

https://mega.nz/#!Ql0n0Kwb!f7WuEXTlGPPqDOMGBGeuuESspa-es5-OfK_rDf8MNo8

 

Script is:

^!f::
WinGetTitle, currentWindow, A
IfWinExist %currentWindow%
{
   WinSet, Style, ^0xC00000 ; toggle title bar
   WinMove, , , 0, 0, 1920, 1080
}
return

 

 

 

Looking at Thomasbelcar's screenshots though it seems the Sizer program can do this anyways (borderless and move the window) so the autohotkey script might not be needed at all!

 

 

 

What would happen if we combined all 3 programs together? A horrible migraine? Probably. But it might just work.

Edited December 29, 2015 by Guest (see edit history)

[Thomasbelcar]

ON TOP of that, this is getting complicated jesus but, we don't want a stupid game window right? WE WANT FULLSCREEN!

 

i really don't get it. What's the problem with windows? Most of the old games are in 4:3 aspect ratio. I prefer to play it on a window rather in fullscreen.

[64fanatic]

ON TOP of that, this is getting complicated jesus but, we don't want a stupid game window right? WE WANT FULLSCREEN!

 

i really don't get it. What's the problem with windows? Most of the old games are in 4:3 aspect ratio. I prefer to play it on a window rather in fullscreen.

 

Well yea, its personal preference. I prefer games to run fullscreen.

 

Also, does the program you posted resize fullscreen old games? Like Diablo 2? Diablo 2 doesn't have a windowed mode without using the other program I posted, dxwnd. Diablo 2 among many other old games don't run in a window at all officially. If it can then nothing I posted is needed at all really.

[Thomasbelcar]

Also, does the program you posted resize fullscreen old games? Like Diablo 2? Diablo 2 doesn't have a windowed mode without using the other program I posted, dxwnd. Diablo 2 among many other old games don't run in a window at all officially.

 

I don't think so but I think it can resize programs to look like fullscreen. Take a look at this video that I made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnh2PR3bgi4

 

Edit 1: I was wrong. Yes it can make games run in a fullscreen. Just tweak it on it's options.

[Spewkies]

Could you not use the Anti-Aliasing from sweetfx for older games running emulated windows? It's a direct x 9 wrapper but you can use a custom dx8 dll so that any dx8 games will still use it. As for dx7 I assume you can still do it.

[Thomasbelcar]

Could you not use the Anti-Aliasing from sweetfx for older games running emulated windows? It's a direct x 9 wrapper but you can use a custom dx8 dll so that any dx8 games will still use it. As for dx7 I assume you can still do it.

 

Why would he do that? My solution to this problem seems more effective.

[64fanatic]

Also, does the program you posted resize fullscreen old games? Like Diablo 2? Diablo 2 doesn't have a windowed mode without using the other program I posted, dxwnd. Diablo 2 among many other old games don't run in a window at all officially.

 

I don't think so but I think it can resize programs to look like fullscreen. Take a look at this video that I made:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnh2PR3bgi4

 

Edit 1: I was wrong. Yes it can make games run in a fullscreen. Just tweak it on it's options.

 

Could you show how please? I'm tinkering with sizer but haven't found a way to make games run in a fullscreen using it alone. Thanks man.

[Spewkies]

Could you not use the Anti-Aliasing from sweetfx for older games running emulated windows? It's a direct x 9 wrapper but you can use a custom dx8 dll so that any dx8 games will still use it. As for dx7 I assume you can still do it.

 

Why would he do that? My solution to this problem seems more effective.

 

This is a solution for running AA on an emulated machine, not resizing the window.

[Thomasbelcar]

Could you show how please? I'm tinkering with sizer but haven't found a way to make games run in a fullscreen using it alone. Thanks man.

 

Yes. This should work to bordeless windows:

 

 

And this for common windows:

 

[Thomasbelcar]

This is a solution for running AA on an emulated machine, not resizing the window.

 

Did you read my post? Ross's problem isn't running AA, is that his old games are blurry in higher resolutions. These games are made in a specific resolution, and sizer fix the blurry problem to higher resolutions.

[Spewkies]

This is a solution for running AA on an emulated machine, not resizing the window.

 

Did you read my post? Ross's problem isn't running AA, is that his old games are blurry in higher resolutions. These games are made in a specific resolution, and sizer fix the blurry problem to higher resolutions.

 

Watch the video beyond 16:34

[titos2k]

Anyone tried up- and downsampling?

[64fanatic]

I did a few tests with old games with no windowed mode support built in.

 

Test 1: Using Diablo 1 - dxwnd method with autohotkey

- using dxwnd with 1920x1080 resolution window with correct aspect ratio, once the game opens I use the autohotkey script to go into "fullscreen"

- Didn't stay in 4:3...shit.

- Did actually run in 1920x1080

- Menu graphics got a little messed up, ingame was fine.

 

3dkl3ZuUyF8

 

-----------

 

Test 2: Using Diablo 1 - Sizer only method

- setup as Thomasbelcar showed to see if it'd make the game resize instead of running in 640x480, run in 1920x1080.

- Game crashes when I try to activate sizer

 

6XegHSiqWDE

 

Might be a way around the crash, I'll have to try tomorrow I gotta sleep.

Edited December 29, 2015 by Guest (see edit history)

[Thomasbelcar]

Watch the video beyond 16:34

 

I get it, missed that part. But my solution also applies to this. I used Sizer in Scuumvm and to some old games it can fix the AA problem

 

EDIT 1: I want to apologize to Spewkies. Sizer will not help with AA in emulated games.

 

Proof:

 

Z76qHiJQj9U

 

I did this video to compare ZDoom and Sizer and this shows that besides of helping with the blurry problem, sizer don't mess with AA..

Edited December 29, 2015 by Guest (see edit history)

[Thomasbelcar]

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dkl3ZuUyF8

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XegHSiqWDE

 

Might be a way around the crash, I'll have to try tomorrow I gotta sleep.

 

BBCode for youtube in this forum isn't working btw. You should use it as a URL link

[Thomasbelcar]

- setup as Thomasbelcar showed to see if it'd make the game resize instead of running in 640x480, run in 1920x1080.

- Game crashes when I try to activate sizer

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XegHSiqWDE

 

Might be a way around the crash, I'll have to try tomorrow I gotta sleep.

 

You shouldn't alt+tab the game. Use a hotkey for sizer. Also don't run it on fullscreen