Wintermute Engine Forum

Wintermute Engine => Bug reports => Not a bug => Topic started by: MadCat on October 13, 2007, 08:08:54 AM

Title: Particles problem
Post by: MadCat on October 13, 2007, 08:08:54 AM

I'v got the problem with particle emmiter:

1. The particle has alpha channel in png format.
2. All works fine on video card Radeon 9500XT (WinXP) (black smoke).
3. Radeon 9000Pro (Win2003) shows only black squares (16,32-bit, windowed mode - all the same). As a result instead of smoke I've got one big black almost square on that device.

Got any ideas?  ???

P.S. The functional difference between devices is the shaider support.

Title: Re: Particles problem
Post by: metamorphium on October 13, 2007, 08:46:18 AM

A couple of questions:

1. what version of direct X has the problem machine?
2. what version of ATI drivers are there?
3. did you install bioshock beta drivers on that machine?

Title: Re: Particles problem
Post by: MadCat on October 13, 2007, 09:12:12 AM

driver: ATI Technologies Inc. 6.14.10.6343
directx: native, ver. 8.xx

Title: Re: Particles problem
Post by: metamorphium on October 13, 2007, 09:39:21 AM

okay, you should definitely update the DirectX as this would be IMO the problem.

Title: Re: Particles problem
Post by: Mnemonic on October 13, 2007, 12:51:52 PM

Is that the latest driver?
Also, what if you use the same image elsewhere, like directly in scene, does it display ok? Now that I think of it, does the game use 3D acceleration at all on the other machine? The alpha channel is not used when WME runs in the non-3D-accelerated mode, that might well be the cause.

Title: Re: Particles problem
Post by: MadCat on October 15, 2007, 06:01:30 AM

Other entities have transparency on Alpha-channel and game is running in 3D.

It is old driver, but directx8-3D games work OK. For example, Operation Flashpoint. It is hard to believe that drivers may be so different in functions.

I'll try to upgrade directx. Donna wanna touch something on server when all goes good... but I'll try it.

Title: Re: Particles problem
Post by: metamorphium on October 15, 2007, 07:16:21 AM

Mnemonic, are you using 3D acceleration for particles? Then it would be worth checking if the texture size is again power of two.

Title: Re: Particles problem
Post by: Mnemonic on October 15, 2007, 07:39:47 AM

Quote from: MadCat on October 15, 2007, 06:01:30 AM

It is hard to believe that drivers may be so different in functions.

Hah! You'd be very, very surprised.

Quote from: metamorphium on October 15, 2007, 07:16:21 AM

Mnemonic, are you using 3D acceleration for particles? Then it would be worth checking if the texture size is again power of two.

Sprites don't need to be power of two, it's handled automatically. Only 3D character textures have to.

Title: Re: Particles problem
Post by: MadCat on October 15, 2007, 08:32:14 AM

1. The information about Flashpoint was wrong. Flashpoint really work fine on that machine, but under Win98. Under 2003 it failes with message:
-----------cut-----------
ErrorMessage: Cannot create 3D device:
  Adapter 0 (RADEON 9000 SERIES) Fullscreen
  Resolution 1024x768, format X8R8G8B8/D16, refresh 60 Hz.
  Error D3DERR_NOTAVAILABLE
-----------cut-----------

2. The drivers used currently are the native Win2003 ATI support. Here is the problem. I forgot that I tried different versions of ATI drivers and they all say "No supported videocard" even if I preinstall VGA-driver as they requried usually.

3. Directx 9 august 2007 didn't help - obviously.

So Mnemonic seems to be right. If i manage to install ATI drivers somehow, I'll post here results.

Title: Re: Particles problem
Post by: odnorf on October 15, 2007, 09:46:09 AM

Official ATI drivers doesn't always support all the graphic cards. Especially some custom ones which you can find in pcs for dell, hp etc. You could try the drivers for http://www.omegadrivers.net/

Those are customized ati drivers which support almost everything with an ati chipset.