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Author Topic:   PLEASE HELP! Video problems

Begbie posted 02-17-99 08:42 PM ET
My main game screen is half black (bottom half) and the top half is the actual game. The startup screen only shows about top/left quarter of the screen...
I ran the demo and had no problems. The full version doesn't run right.
I had to add DirectDemo=0 to the .ini file to get it to run. I tried to add the Video Mode=800 line, but it didn't have any noticable effect.
I have a Banshee card and it has caused problems before. I am afraid that it is causing problems with this software again, but it ran the demo fine.
All new drivers, patch, etc.
Can anyone help me out with this??
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS posted 02-18-99 11:38 AM ET
Run DXDiag.exe from the c:\program files\directx\setup folder. Look for "!" on the various pages and let me know where. Probably worth testing the directdraw modes as well.
jkm
firaxis games
andyr91 posted 03-14-99 06:09 PM ET
i have the exact same problem, except i have a STB Nitro 3d card. i only see portions of the screen and i can't get it to fit right. There are a bunch of "!"s, but the only one that i think could be causing the problem is "supervga.drv". I'm not sure if this is the problem, but i am getting very frustrated with this, and i would really appreciate any help anyone could offer. Another note: In my settings tab on the display properties, i can't change the resolution to anything other than 640x480. I'm sure my adapter could support this, and i believe that my monitor has run at higher levels before. Anyone who could help any of my problems, please post a reply, or email me. Thanks.
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS posted 03-14-99 07:25 PM ET
Sounds like you don't have a monitor set. Most modern video/monitors can do 800x600x8bit at least, so verify that your monitor isn't set to standard VGA. Right-click on the desktop, select properties, then settings. It might be behind the advanced button.
jkm
firaxis games
andyr91 posted 03-15-99 12:02 AM ET
Thanks for your quick reply, but i still have a problem. I wasn't able to find where to correct what you said to, and I still can't tell my monitor to change from 640x480 to something else. I'm running at 16 bit true color, so i doubt that the monitor can't handle a higher resolution. If there is some way to force a higher resolution, please tell me. Thanks again,
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS posted 03-15-99 10:17 AM ET
You're right, it most likely can. But you don't have it configured correctly. In Win98 you change your monitor by right-clicking on the desktop, select properties, then settings, then advanced, then the monitor menu tab, then change. OS's may vary..
jkm
firaxis games
andyr91 posted 03-16-99 04:53 PM ET
Thanks again for your quick response, but i once again have a question. it tells me that i have the best driver loaded. I don't really know what to do, so please help. thanks again.
Brian Reynolds FIRAXIS posted 03-17-99 08:52 PM ET
Sometimes you have to lower your color depth in order to get a higher screen resolution.
In other words, change from 16-bit-color down to "256 colors". -Then- try to set to 800x600 resolution.
BR
Dick Knisely posted 03-18-99 04:41 PM ET
At the risk of confusing things, here's my $.02. In my experience, the issue probably isn't the driver, its probably the system configuration -- you can get to this via control panel or as Jeff/Brian said via right click on the desktop, then properties, then the 'settings' tab. You _should_ have a display area or resolution selection (typically its a slider) & a color palette selection. Change the color palette to 256 colors, then change the resolution/screen area to 1024x768. If that works you, can then see if you're allowed to run at greater color depths.
If however there's no way to select a screen resolution above 640X480, then the Windows doesn't _believe_ your video card and/or monitor will support it. In this case you need to change the hardware and software configuration that Windows sees so that it will recognize the real capabilities you have.
(Side note: Many video cards load their own software to manage resolution and color depth as well as select the specific monitor and refresh rates and they often also alter how the Display Properties control will look and that's one reason other folks can't really tell you _exactly_ what to do, they can't know exactly what it looks like on your system. If available try using that software also to see what it lets you do.)
Video card, video drivers and monitor configuration changes are typically done via the 'advanced properties' button right on that same 'settings' tab on the video properites setup already mentioned. (Control panel "Display" icon should get you the same thing.) There you can ensure that Windows is actually using the right driver, the right video card is shown and that the whole thing is actually configured for the right monitor.
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Author	Topic: PLEASE HELP! Video problems
Begbie	posted 02-17-99 08:42 PM ET My main game screen is half black (bottom half) and the top half is the actual game. The startup screen only shows about top/left quarter of the screen... I ran the demo and had no problems. The full version doesn't run right. I had to add DirectDemo=0 to the .ini file to get it to run. I tried to add the Video Mode=800 line, but it didn't have any noticable effect. I have a Banshee card and it has caused problems before. I am afraid that it is causing problems with this software again, but it ran the demo fine. All new drivers, patch, etc. Can anyone help me out with this??
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS	posted 02-18-99 11:38 AM ET Run DXDiag.exe from the c:\program files\directx\setup folder. Look for "!" on the various pages and let me know where. Probably worth testing the directdraw modes as well. jkm firaxis games
andyr91	posted 03-14-99 06:09 PM ET i have the exact same problem, except i have a STB Nitro 3d card. i only see portions of the screen and i can't get it to fit right. There are a bunch of "!"s, but the only one that i think could be causing the problem is "supervga.drv". I'm not sure if this is the problem, but i am getting very frustrated with this, and i would really appreciate any help anyone could offer. Another note: In my settings tab on the display properties, i can't change the resolution to anything other than 640x480. I'm sure my adapter could support this, and i believe that my monitor has run at higher levels before. Anyone who could help any of my problems, please post a reply, or email me. Thanks.
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS	posted 03-14-99 07:25 PM ET Sounds like you don't have a monitor set. Most modern video/monitors can do 800x600x8bit at least, so verify that your monitor isn't set to standard VGA. Right-click on the desktop, select properties, then settings. It might be behind the advanced button. jkm firaxis games
andyr91	posted 03-15-99 12:02 AM ET Thanks for your quick reply, but i still have a problem. I wasn't able to find where to correct what you said to, and I still can't tell my monitor to change from 640x480 to something else. I'm running at 16 bit true color, so i doubt that the monitor can't handle a higher resolution. If there is some way to force a higher resolution, please tell me. Thanks again,
Jeffrey Morris FIRAXIS	posted 03-15-99 10:17 AM ET You're right, it most likely can. But you don't have it configured correctly. In Win98 you change your monitor by right-clicking on the desktop, select properties, then settings, then advanced, then the monitor menu tab, then change. OS's may vary.. jkm firaxis games
andyr91	posted 03-16-99 04:53 PM ET Thanks again for your quick response, but i once again have a question. it tells me that i have the best driver loaded. I don't really know what to do, so please help. thanks again.
Brian Reynolds FIRAXIS	posted 03-17-99 08:52 PM ET Sometimes you have to lower your color depth in order to get a higher screen resolution. In other words, change from 16-bit-color down to "256 colors". -Then- try to set to 800x600 resolution. BR
Dick Knisely	posted 03-18-99 04:41 PM ET At the risk of confusing things, here's my $.02. In my experience, the issue probably isn't the driver, its probably the system configuration -- you can get to this via control panel or as Jeff/Brian said via right click on the desktop, then properties, then the 'settings' tab. You _should_ have a display area or resolution selection (typically its a slider) & a color palette selection. Change the color palette to 256 colors, then change the resolution/screen area to 1024x768. If that works you, can then see if you're allowed to run at greater color depths. If however there's no way to select a screen resolution above 640X480, then the Windows doesn't _believe_ your video card and/or monitor will support it. In this case you need to change the hardware and software configuration that Windows sees so that it will recognize the real capabilities you have. (Side note: Many video cards load their own software to manage resolution and color depth as well as select the specific monitor and refresh rates and they often also alter how the Display Properties control will look and that's one reason other folks can't really tell you _exactly_ what to do, they can't know exactly what it looks like on your system. If available try using that software also to see what it lets you do.) Video card, video drivers and monitor configuration changes are typically done via the 'advanced properties' button right on that same 'settings' tab on the video properites setup already mentioned. (Control panel "Display" icon should get you the same thing.) There you can ensure that Windows is actually using the right driver, the right video card is shown and that the whole thing is actually configured for the right monitor.