gho please is possible to make DxWnd compatible with SWAT 3? This game runs in windowed mode only if you switch your desktop to 16-bit colour and use the -windows command line. On newer system like Windows 10 16 bit mode is no more present...gho you are the last chance! Thanks for your software, very useful.
P.S. I have try all the possible settings like "Simulate 16BPP desktop" but runs only in fullscreen.
Last edit: Jack Rock 2016-01-02
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Thanks man, i greatly appreciate it! I'll suggest to use also the Last Resort mod, has many feature for make the game compatible-better visive but not the 16-32 color conversion for the windowed mode. Thanks again
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The job was harder than expected, but it's teaching a lot of things about differences between Win7 (my previous development platform) and Win10.
Hopefully, this patch will make happy many that had the mysterious ddraw GENERIC_ERROR!
In any case, let's show some progress ...
The "DDERR_GENERIC" error is caused by Swat 3's movies being encoded with a format that Windows no longer supports (Indeo video codec). Two ways of fixing this (that works for most people) is to replace the Swat 3 movies with versions that have been re-encoded with the popular XVID codec or to install a codec pack like the "CCCP: Combined Community Codec Pack".
Some people also have luck simply by running the "swat.exe" in Windows 7 compatability mode.
However if you have included another solution with DxWnd that will certainly help out too!
Last edit: Slippery Jim 2016-01-05
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The screenshot was taken after several heavy changes on the DxWnd ddraw engine, that are not finished yet, so as the problems are not finished. I'll release a DxWnd update as soon as the game will be stable enough. Be patient a little more ....
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This experimental version (to copy over latest DxWnd release) seems to make the SWAT 3 game playable. I'm not too good at this type of games, so I can judge for the first parts only. In case of further problems, please let me know.
Not knowing if you referred to the CD or GOG game release, I tried both, and the result is similar.
Please, have a try and report back how it feels ...
Thanks gho. I'll report the result of the test. Thanks again for the effort. I don't think there are many difference between CD and GOG, actually i have the CD Elite Version and last resort mod.
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First of all, thanks GHO for adding Swat 3 to your app!
One very minor thing that I noticed right away was that you already had an entry for Swat 3 CD and GOG version but the paths were default generic paths. The default GOG path you gave doesn't take into account of course that with the GOG client called Galaxy (sort of their version of Steam) it doesn't get installed to the same place compared to when you download the stand-alone installer.
Can I recommend an alternate method to locate Swat 3 in the Windows registry that applies to the CD and GOG versions.
There is a Directory key there that contains the path to Swat 3.
I tried testing the latest version of DxWnd that you posted and I am having a problem. The first time I ran it I got the dreaded "DDERR_GENERIC" error. I thought okay maybe it is a problem with the funky Swat 3 settings I have going combined with the Last Resort mod. I tried resetting everything back to vanilla Swat 3 but now I can't get DXWnd to run.
I tell DxWnd to run Swat 3 but nothing happens now. When I close DxWnd there is a dialog box that is in the background "Task list has changed - Do you want to save it?" This is always in the background and it doesn't show up until I close DxWnd. I can't get it to have focus and be the top window so I can hit YES to continue.
PS I am on a fresh install of Windows 10 - GOG version of Swat 3 downloaded via Galaxy client.
EDIT1: I also tried replacing the dxwnd.ini file with an original just-unrared version but that dialog box always appears after I shut down DxWnd and not before. Argggh.
EDIT2: I think this problem started because originally I told DxWnd to use the modified Last Resort executable called "swat_1280x1024.exe" and now that I switched back to the vanilla "swat.exe" DxWnd is confused. I was able to get rid of that dialog box by manually going up to FILE > SAVE in the menu bar of DxWnd but the program still doesn't run Swat 3 now. No dialog box shows up. Nothing happens.
Last edit: Slippery Jim 2016-01-05
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Slipper_Jim
First start from a new fresh DxWnd. When you make change to a task, like change a path, it's only in memory and not in the file. When you close the software and ask for "Task list has changed" if you click YES it save on the DXW. Strange you don't have it in focus, try with ALT+TAB. But you can also edit the "Swat 3 (GOG).dxw" in "exports" folder with a simple notepad: [target]
title0=Swat 3 (GOG)
path0=D:\Games\SWAT 3 (GOG)\game\swat.exe
You need to have a green dot on the left of the entry or it will not see the .exe path. Left click on the Swat 3 (GOG) = Run or double click on the task.
Another hint: for several games (not all) DwWnd requires administrator's privileges.I checked on my pc, and the game doesn't start unless dxwnd has them. When I pack a DxWnd release I always try to remember to put files with the privileges inside, but when you unpack them it's likely they're lost.
So, try right clicking on DxWnd.exe, go to properties / Compatibility tab and check administrator's rights (I'm not fully sure of the text, since my OS is set in italian language, but the screenshot should be clear enough)
Gho
If some game require admin privilege i'll suggest you to add a checkbox inside the proprieties of the game called like "execute with admin permission" or things like that. You can use this technique for self elevate a process: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/981778
So don't need to lauch DwWnd everytime like administrator but only if a game require it.
Good suggestions. A previous dxwnd release always checked for its prmissions and proposed to make self-elevation, but that was rather annoying and not so frequently necessary on XP, so I commented that out. I like the first solution you propose.
I wonder if there's a way to detect the need for this feature at configuration time......
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Your software is comaptible with XP? Because i have try it and the "select" window, when you choice a file, not work. When you click the button with three dots don't do nothing. If the software is not compatible with older system like XP i'll suggest you to add: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dn424965
It is supposed to be ...... AFAIK cloudstr is still using a XP computer and is not complaining.
But I will make a more accurate check: maybe something went wrong between releases.
@cloudstr: can you tell your point of view?
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Anonymous
-
2016-01-06
The problem of Jack Rock is similar with the guy that posted on another thread, not so long ago. It can be fix by edit the file dxwnd.ini and set:
[window]
updatepaths=0
Or even easier, just rename dxwnd.0.ini to dxwnd.ini
Talk about my big problem with XP Compatibility Mode, it just can't run along with Dxwnd because in Windows XP Home, you can login as built-in Administrator in Safe Mode only.
So far i have NO luck running Pre-'98's game in windowed mode.
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Just to be clear, XP is only a VM. I have identify the problem, is exepath. If i comment-out that line the selector of file work: [window]
exportpath=D:\DxWnd\v2_03_50_src\build\exports\
posx=308
posy=233
sizx=492
sizy=367
;exepath=D:\Games\SWAT 3 (GOG)\game\
debug=1
You have forgot it? That line appear in a fresh version of DxWnd.
P.S. Whatever path is inside the "exepath" inhibits the selector window to work on XP, also a simply one like
exepath=C:\
Last edit: Jack Rock 2016-01-06
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The problem was, as gho mentioned, the admin priveleges when running DxWnd. All runs well now. Fairly good framerate in 2D (which was the problem with running the game under Windows 7, 8, 10). Really good framerate in 3D (around 60fps).
DxWnd works well with vanilla Swat 3. The only strange bit of business is that if you set your window in DxWnd to run in say 1024x768 then you had to also go into Swat 3's OPTION screen and make sure your 3D setting was set to the same resolution. If you don't match the resolutions in the settings the Swat 3 COMMAND MENU text looks all funky and distorted.
With DxWnd you are also limited to a maximum window setting of 1600x900. I figured that one out by looking in the logs and seeing what windows were being tested for. 1600x900 is a good size on my 1920x1080 monitor though so no complaints. If you tried to set the window bigger then the screen is just blank (you can hear the movies playing but you can't see anything)
Is there a setting in DxWnd to play fullscreen but still in a window? I tried the "Fullscreen only" button and that didn't help.
Last edit: Slippery Jim 2016-01-06
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Anonymous
-
2016-01-06
I think you also need to uncheck "Run in Window" button to play the game in fullscreen
Uhm, no..... unckecking "Run in Window" apparently you eliminate some of the tricks that make the game playable on Win10. If you're not interested in running the game in window, I suggest to check (in the main tab) Position as "Desktop" (or "Desktop work area" if you want to keep an eye to what happens on the taskbar) and maybe "Keep aspect ratio" if you don't want a deformed rendering on 16:9 screeens.
Window size should not be limited, but the maximum resolution do is! DxWnd scales the screens and makes color conversions by software, so I may easily increment the limits, but I think there might be an heavy burden on the performances. Anyway, try to go to Video settings and select "Monitor native modes": in this mode, there should be no limits apart from those of your system.
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Anonymous
-
2016-01-06
Uhm, right... I forget that I'm still using Windows XP, and I will to the End of this decades.
BTW Slippery Jim, you may try to run GameCompanion along with Dxwnd. It works for all games and works for me, well.. at least on my damn machine :p
Last edit: Anonymous 2016-01-06
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Well to be honest I use dgVoodoo to run the game full screen.
However I know that some people have trouble with it and have to run it in window mode. I came here to give my test results/feedback since GHO was kind enough to add support for Swat 3.
Last edit: Slippery Jim 2016-01-06
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gho please is possible to make DxWnd compatible with SWAT 3? This game runs in windowed mode only if you switch your desktop to 16-bit colour and use the -windows command line. On newer system like Windows 10 16 bit mode is no more present...gho you are the last chance! Thanks for your software, very useful.
P.S. I have try all the possible settings like "Simulate 16BPP desktop" but runs only in fullscreen.
Last edit: Jack Rock 2016-01-02
I will try ....
Thanks man, i greatly appreciate it! I'll suggest to use also the Last Resort mod, has many feature for make the game compatible-better visive but not the 16-32 color conversion for the windowed mode. Thanks again
The job was harder than expected, but it's teaching a lot of things about differences between Win7 (my previous development platform) and Win10.
Hopefully, this patch will make happy many that had the mysterious ddraw GENERIC_ERROR!
In any case, let's show some progress ...
The "DDERR_GENERIC" error is caused by Swat 3's movies being encoded with a format that Windows no longer supports (Indeo video codec). Two ways of fixing this (that works for most people) is to replace the Swat 3 movies with versions that have been re-encoded with the popular XVID codec or to install a codec pack like the "CCCP: Combined Community Codec Pack".
Some people also have luck simply by running the "swat.exe" in Windows 7 compatability mode.
However if you have included another solution with DxWnd that will certainly help out too!
Last edit: Slippery Jim 2016-01-05
I'm follow it, nice to see some screenshot and that was my error! It will be always compatible with Windows 7, right? For people don't have update.
Last edit: Jack Rock 2016-01-03
The screenshot was taken after several heavy changes on the DxWnd ddraw engine, that are not finished yet, so as the problems are not finished. I'll release a DxWnd update as soon as the game will be stable enough. Be patient a little more ....
This experimental version (to copy over latest DxWnd release) seems to make the SWAT 3 game playable. I'm not too good at this type of games, so I can judge for the first parts only. In case of further problems, please let me know.
Not knowing if you referred to the CD or GOG game release, I tried both, and the result is similar.
Please, have a try and report back how it feels ...
Thanks gho. I'll report the result of the test. Thanks again for the effort. I don't think there are many difference between CD and GOG, actually i have the CD Elite Version and last resort mod.
Latest changes for SWAT3 are now available for download in last dxWnd release, v2.03.50
First of all, thanks GHO for adding Swat 3 to your app!
One very minor thing that I noticed right away was that you already had an entry for Swat 3 CD and GOG version but the paths were default generic paths. The default GOG path you gave doesn't take into account of course that with the GOG client called Galaxy (sort of their version of Steam) it doesn't get installed to the same place compared to when you download the stand-alone installer.
Can I recommend an alternate method to locate Swat 3 in the Windows registry that applies to the CD and GOG versions.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Sierra OnLine\Setup\SWAT3
There is a Directory key there that contains the path to Swat 3.
I tried testing the latest version of DxWnd that you posted and I am having a problem. The first time I ran it I got the dreaded "DDERR_GENERIC" error. I thought okay maybe it is a problem with the funky Swat 3 settings I have going combined with the Last Resort mod. I tried resetting everything back to vanilla Swat 3 but now I can't get DXWnd to run.
I tell DxWnd to run Swat 3 but nothing happens now. When I close DxWnd there is a dialog box that is in the background "Task list has changed - Do you want to save it?" This is always in the background and it doesn't show up until I close DxWnd. I can't get it to have focus and be the top window so I can hit YES to continue.
PS I am on a fresh install of Windows 10 - GOG version of Swat 3 downloaded via Galaxy client.
EDIT1: I also tried replacing the dxwnd.ini file with an original just-unrared version but that dialog box always appears after I shut down DxWnd and not before. Argggh.
EDIT2: I think this problem started because originally I told DxWnd to use the modified Last Resort executable called "swat_1280x1024.exe" and now that I switched back to the vanilla "swat.exe" DxWnd is confused. I was able to get rid of that dialog box by manually going up to FILE > SAVE in the menu bar of DxWnd but the program still doesn't run Swat 3 now. No dialog box shows up. Nothing happens.
Last edit: Slippery Jim 2016-01-05
Slipper_Jim
First start from a new fresh DxWnd. When you make change to a task, like change a path, it's only in memory and not in the file. When you close the software and ask for "Task list has changed" if you click YES it save on the DXW. Strange you don't have it in focus, try with ALT+TAB. But you can also edit the "Swat 3 (GOG).dxw" in "exports" folder with a simple notepad:
[target]
title0=Swat 3 (GOG)
path0=D:\Games\SWAT 3 (GOG)\game\swat.exe
You need to have a green dot on the left of the entry or it will not see the .exe path. Left click on the Swat 3 (GOG) = Run or double click on the task.
Another hint: for several games (not all) DwWnd requires administrator's privileges.I checked on my pc, and the game doesn't start unless dxwnd has them. When I pack a DxWnd release I always try to remember to put files with the privileges inside, but when you unpack them it's likely they're lost.
So, try right clicking on DxWnd.exe, go to properties / Compatibility tab and check administrator's rights (I'm not fully sure of the text, since my OS is set in italian language, but the screenshot should be clear enough)
Gho
If some game require admin privilege i'll suggest you to add a checkbox inside the proprieties of the game called like "execute with admin permission" or things like that. You can use this technique for self elevate a process:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/981778
So don't need to lauch DwWnd everytime like administrator but only if a game require it.
Or if you want to have everytime the software like admin change the manifest of the exe with "requireAdministrator" like described here:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb756929.aspx
For me both solution are the same but the first is more "clean" as you prefer
Last edit: Jack Rock 2016-01-06
Good suggestions. A previous dxwnd release always checked for its prmissions and proposed to make self-elevation, but that was rather annoying and not so frequently necessary on XP, so I commented that out. I like the first solution you propose.
I wonder if there's a way to detect the need for this feature at configuration time......
Your software is comaptible with XP? Because i have try it and the "select" window, when you choice a file, not work. When you click the button with three dots don't do nothing. If the software is not compatible with older system like XP i'll suggest you to add:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/dn424965
Last edit: Jack Rock 2016-01-06
It is supposed to be ...... AFAIK cloudstr is still using a XP computer and is not complaining.
But I will make a more accurate check: maybe something went wrong between releases.
@cloudstr: can you tell your point of view?
The problem of Jack Rock is similar with the guy that posted on another thread, not so long ago. It can be fix by edit the file dxwnd.ini and set:
[window]
updatepaths=0
Or even easier, just rename dxwnd.0.ini to dxwnd.ini
Talk about my big problem with XP Compatibility Mode, it just can't run along with Dxwnd because in Windows XP Home, you can login as built-in Administrator in Safe Mode only.
So far i have NO luck running Pre-'98's game in windowed mode.
Just to be clear, XP is only a VM. I have identify the problem, is exepath. If i comment-out that line the selector of file work:
[window]
exportpath=D:\DxWnd\v2_03_50_src\build\exports\ posx=308
posy=233
sizx=492
sizy=367
;exepath=D:\Games\SWAT 3 (GOG)\game\ debug=1
You have forgot it? That line appear in a fresh version of DxWnd.
P.S. Whatever path is inside the "exepath" inhibits the selector window to work on XP, also a simply one like
exepath=C:\
Last edit: Jack Rock 2016-01-06
Yes, my memory is no longer what is used to be ....
The problem was, as gho mentioned, the admin priveleges when running DxWnd. All runs well now. Fairly good framerate in 2D (which was the problem with running the game under Windows 7, 8, 10). Really good framerate in 3D (around 60fps).
DxWnd works well with vanilla Swat 3. The only strange bit of business is that if you set your window in DxWnd to run in say 1024x768 then you had to also go into Swat 3's OPTION screen and make sure your 3D setting was set to the same resolution. If you don't match the resolutions in the settings the Swat 3 COMMAND MENU text looks all funky and distorted.
With DxWnd you are also limited to a maximum window setting of 1600x900. I figured that one out by looking in the logs and seeing what windows were being tested for. 1600x900 is a good size on my 1920x1080 monitor though so no complaints. If you tried to set the window bigger then the screen is just blank (you can hear the movies playing but you can't see anything)
Is there a setting in DxWnd to play fullscreen but still in a window? I tried the "Fullscreen only" button and that didn't help.
Last edit: Slippery Jim 2016-01-06
I think you also need to uncheck "Run in Window" button to play the game in fullscreen
Another tool can do the same thing is GameCompanion, include the Downsample option for better visual quality:
http://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/42956/
Last edit: Anonymous 2016-01-06
Uhm, no..... unckecking "Run in Window" apparently you eliminate some of the tricks that make the game playable on Win10. If you're not interested in running the game in window, I suggest to check (in the main tab) Position as "Desktop" (or "Desktop work area" if you want to keep an eye to what happens on the taskbar) and maybe "Keep aspect ratio" if you don't want a deformed rendering on 16:9 screeens.
Window size should not be limited, but the maximum resolution do is! DxWnd scales the screens and makes color conversions by software, so I may easily increment the limits, but I think there might be an heavy burden on the performances. Anyway, try to go to Video settings and select "Monitor native modes": in this mode, there should be no limits apart from those of your system.
Uhm, right... I forget that I'm still using Windows XP, and I will to the End of this decades.
BTW Slippery Jim, you may try to run GameCompanion along with Dxwnd. It works for all games and works for me, well.. at least on my damn machine :p
Last edit: Anonymous 2016-01-06
Well to be honest I use dgVoodoo to run the game full screen.
However I know that some people have trouble with it and have to run it in window mode. I came here to give my test results/feedback since GHO was kind enough to add support for Swat 3.
Last edit: Slippery Jim 2016-01-06