HiResFix problem -time to ask the experts

[GreyBeard]

First off, let me say hi guys! Long time no see! Thought I'd dust off this old wargame and give it another go.

So I tried installing the Hi Res Fix and everything seems okay except for one problem, the F9, F10 and F11 keys cease to function. That's with or without any mods. Running Vista x64. Once uninstalled the keys function again. Wondering if anyone has any ideas why.

[GreyBeard]

Tonight I uninstalled and deleted the HiResFix files from a clean unmodded copy of SH3. Then I went into the Main.cfg file in F:\Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\data\Cfg and changed the resolution to 1400 x 1050. Then I went into C:\Users\Poog\Documents\SH3\data\cfg and deleted the Main.cfg file so that SH3 would have to rewrite it. Next I ran SH3 and went into Naval Academy/Artillery to check my F keys. All is well. The Main.cfg file that SH3 rewrote showed a resolution of 1400 x 1050. Next I did the same thing with a copy of SH3 modded with GWX and got the same result. All this makes me think that in Vista the HiResFix is not needed. Anyone else have an opinion on this?

[GreyBeard]

Am running GWX 3.0 at 1400 x 1050 without a hiccup in vista x64. As a cya precaution I went into my Nvidia control panel and created a new custom resolution in that size, but my desktop is still set at 1680 x 1050. I got the idea for the custom resolution from this (http://www.overclock.net/t/1237470/howto-downsampling-custom-res-2100-x-1314-3840-x-2400-in-dx9-dx10-dx11-with-nvidia-cards-directly-selectable-in-the-game) and this too. (http://forums.guru3d.com/showthread.php?t=346325)

[GreyBeard]

Last night I installed a program I've had for many years called PowerStrip. Naturally I d'loaded the latest. It allows me, among other things, to see on screen the actual in game resolution of SH3 with the use of a hotkey. SH3 was not running at 1400 x 1050, but was still at 1024 x 768. Installing the HiResFix changed the resolution to 1280 x 960, but I lost the use of the F9, F10 and F11 keys again.

[radcapricorn]

In regards to resolution with HiResFix, edit the d3d9.cfg file's ResX and ResY parameters to set the resolution you need.

As for F9-F11 keys, HiResFix indeed swallows them for some reason, although you can still access those stations using Alt+F9-F11 keys :salute:

PS. On my PC (Win7) in order to use HiResFix I had to create a custom 1400x1050 resolution in nVidia control panel (just as you did) and switch to it every time I launched the game. Prior to doing so, I was always getting that "Failed to initialize 3D engine" message (the infamous 59Hz issue).

[GreyBeard]

In regards to resolution with HiResFix........

Thank you so much for the help. I will check these things out tonight.

:up: :yeah:

[Andreson]

Thank you so much for the help. I will check these things out tonight.

:up: :yeah:

So, if I want to run this in 1920x1080 I need only the HiResFix and not the Widescreen mod?

[radcapricorn]

No, with HiResFix the GUI is always stretched to the set resolution. Basically, the game "thinks" that the screen is still 1024x768 when it renders the GUI.
Widescreen dll, on the other hand, allows the GUI to be rendered at specific resolution (changed via menu ini file): i.e. if you were to set it to run at 1920x1080, the original game's GUI would take up the lower left 1024x768 pixels of your screen.

In short, HiResFix is best played in 4:3 aspect ratio (1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x960, 1400x1050...) to avoid GUI stretching. For a proper widescreen, you'd need both the widescreen dll and a GUI mod.

[Andreson]

No, with HiResFix the GUI is always stretched to the set resolution. Basically, the game "thinks" that the screen is still 1024x768 when it renders the GUI.
Widescreen dll, on the other hand, allows the GUI to be rendered at specific resolution (changed via menu ini file): i.e. if you were to set it to run at 1920x1080, the original game's GUI would take up the lower left 1024x768 pixels of your screen.

In short, HiResFix is best played in 4:3 aspect ratio (1024x768, 1152x864, 1280x960, 1400x1050...) to avoid GUI stretching. For a proper widescreen, you'd need both the widescreen dll and a GUI mod.

So what do I have to do? The mod and change the file name?

[Seeadler]

So what do I have to do? The mod and change the file name?
For 1920x1080 you can use the HighResFix and life with the stretched images on widescreen monitors

or

use the widescreen dll and find a GUI mod which is which specifically created for 1920x1080. As far as I know, there has been no GUI mod created for this resolution.

[GreyBeard]

Thanks again radcapricorn, I know have true 1400 x 1050 res and all the F-keys functioning. Btw, I don't have to change my desktop res before loading SH3. Don't know if it made a difference, but I set the two main.cfg files and the d3d9.cfg to my preferred res before running the batch file to install the res fix.

:salute:

[sailor_X]

is there any good news for 1400x900 rez. yet ?

[Andreson]

For 1920x1080 you can use the HighResFix and life with the stretched images on widescreen monitors

or

use the widescreen dll and find a GUI mod which is which specifically created for 1920x1080. As far as I know, there has been no GUI mod created for this resolution.

So, basically HiResFix only.

That is sad.

[BigWalleye]

@Andreson: Sad? The game you bought runs at 1024x768, period. That is what you paid for.

Other gamers gave their own time and expertise to make a mod which allows some improvement on that. They have even made wide-screen mods which will let you use the full width of an HD monitor, albeit at less than the highest resolution your monitor (and mine) supports. They gave you this capability for free. It is not what you bought and paid for. It is an improvement.

If you really feel that this interferes with your enjoyment of the game, why not spend some time learning enough to create your own mod to give 1920x1280 resolution. Of course, it would take time and effort and might even challenge you to learn a new skill. Just as those other gamers who made the mod you are now using had to do. If you do this successfully, then you might consider whether you really want to make the product of your effort available to the community for free.

If you do not feel that you have the time, the motivation, or the talent to make a change which you seem to want, then you can use the game and mods as you have received them. But do not disparage the work of others because it does not meet your desires.

[GreyBeard]

Sad? The game you bought runs at 1024x768.........................

I think it is sad that Ubisoft, in the year 2005, failed to make the game run in a higher resolution than that, let alone widescreen, when clearly other games made at the same time did. I doubt anyone will disagree with that, particularly when so many players/modders have attempted to correct/improve it. :03:

[BigWalleye]

@Graybeard, I can't disagree with you. But my comment was not in response to your post. I have edited my post to clarify that.

[Andreson]

@Andreson: Sad? The game you bought runs at 1024x768, period. That is what you paid for.

Other gamers gave their own time and expertise to make a mod which allows some improvement on that. They have even made wide-screen mods which will let you use the full width of an HD monitor, albeit at less than the highest resolution your monitor (and mine) supports. They gave you this capability for free. It is not what you bought and paid for. It is an improvement.

If you really feel that this interferes with your enjoyment of the game, why not spend some time learning enough to create your own mod to give 1920x1280 resolution. Of course, it would take time and effort and might even challenge you to learn a new skill. Just as those other gamers who made the mod you are now using had to do. If you do this successfully, then you might consider whether you really want to make the product of your effort available to the community for free.

If you do not feel that you have the time, the motivation, or the talent to make a change which you seem to want, then you can use the game and mods as you have received them. But do not disparage the work of others because it does not meet your desires.

I respect the work done, but it is strange that no effort was done for a more common 1920x1080 widescreen resolution.

Please, don't think that I am unsympathetic for the plights and causes of this community. Naval Warfare was always something that I liked, and the mods around here are awesome.
Yet I find it odd that in 2013 nobody thought about such a relatively simple fix (compared to other complete overhauls).

[sailor_X]

When I had, standard type monitor 4:3 I realy enjoyed res fix.. Sad I can't anymore on the widescreen :(

[Seeadler]

Yet I find it odd that in 2013 nobody thought about such a relatively simple fix (compared to other complete overhauls).
If it's that relatively simple, open the menu_1024_768.ini and start to create a GUI mod for 1920x1080. And when you come to the point where you realize that not all 2D GUI elements are controlled by this ini file, that there are also hardcoded 2D screens fixed on 1024x768, you may find a solution for this problem

[radcapricorn]

I respect the work done, but it is strange that no effort was done for a more common 1920x1080 widescreen resolution.


Well, ask yourself: are you willing to go through the effort? But before answering, please consider the next part of my reply.


Yet I find it odd that in 2013 nobody thought about such a relatively simple fix (compared to other complete overhauls).

It's not simple at the slightest. Neither relatively or otherwise. Even adapting stock UI to any new resolution requires editing nearly everything in the menu ini to correspond to that resolution (with exception of items that don't have any meaningful position and size information). Stock game has 2666 (two thousand six hundred and sixty six) UI items that will require such editing. Now this editing has to be done literally by hand, because, unlike SH5, SH3 and 4 do not have a visual GUI editor. And even if it did, simple fact of the game's not being desinged for muptiple resolutions would still require to change everything.

But that is not all. To actually benefit from the new resolution, simply changing positions and sizes for the UI elements is not enough. One would also need to adapt actual image files (i.e. edit them in Photoshop or GIMP). Sometimes even editing here won't be enough: one would have to create images from scratch simply because the stock ones would either be too small in new big resolution, or look too blurry if scaled up. I won't give you the number of those images but trust me, it's big.

And there's also the issue Seeadler pointed out while I was typing this message.

So no, it's not simple at all, and I hope my explanation somewhat hints as to why there's no announced effort in that direction. But if your answer to my question posted above is positive, I wish you luck in undergoing this endeavor.

[Andreson]

Well, the HiResFix works ok for me, unless you count the reference for ships from the GWX mod and the mouse going a little down, other than that it's just fine.

But, yes I understand. As usual the plainest of things isn't as easy as it sounds.

Anyway, thanks for clearing up the questions.

[radcapricorn]

Well, the HiResFix works ok for me, unless you count the reference for ships from the GWX mod and the mouse going a little down, other than that it's just fine.


:hmmm: Well, the mouse leaving screen or jumping around when going in and out of freelook mode is a known (intended?) behavior of HiResFix. But what about that "reference for ships from the GWX mod"? You mean the recognition manual? What's wrong with it? Is that some known issue?


But, yes I understand. As usual the plainest of things isn't as easy as it sounds.


Would that it were different. Alas, it is not. Still, as you've pointed out, it's 2013 and yet this game lives on. And something tells me it will for a long time, thanks to huge effort that people here put into it. So I wouldn't count anything out :)


Anyway, thanks for clearing up the questions.

You're welcome ;)

Oh and...

Thanks again radcapricorn, I know have true 1400 x 1050 res and all the F-keys functioning.


You're welcome as well :salute:


Btw, I don't have to change my desktop res before loading SH3. Don't know if it made a difference, but I set the two main.cfg files and the d3d9.cfg to my preferred res before running the batch file to install the res fix.


Batch file? As in DX9HiResFix_REG.bat? AFAIK, you only need that on WinXP. And also, it doesn't matter when you edit the d3d9.cfg before or after you run that batch file, the config is read when the game starts.

As for having to change the resolution before running, the mileage varies from system to system :)

[fitzcarraldo]

It seems this question is not clear.:shifty:

You can run the game with the Hires fix in the resolution you like.

BUT, the actuals GUI mods are NOT designed for resolutions > 1360x768 (Widescreen).

Makman, author of MaGUI 3.4 Widescreen, made some GUI for higher resolutions, for the HAHD mod.

You can see videos of these GUIs in the HAHD thread.

Because HAHD mod is frozen for now, I don´t know if Makman will publish some of the HiRes GUIs of HAHD as standalone mods.

Best regards.

Fitzcarraldo :salute:

[Andreson]

It seems this question is not clear.:shifty:

You can run the game with the Hires fix in the resolution you like.

BUT, the actuals GUI mods are NOT designed for resolutions > 1360x768 (Widescreen).

Makman, author of MaGUI 3.4 Widescreen, made some GUI for higher resolutions, for the HAHD mod.

You can see videos of these GUIs in the HAHD thread.

Because HAHD mod is frozen for now, I don´t know if Makman will publish some of the HiRes GUIs of HAHD as standalone mods.

Best regards.

Fitzcarraldo :salute:

No, I understood everything. Thanks for the information. HiRes is the way to go for me.

"But what about that "reference for ships from the GWX mod"? You mean the recognition manual? What's wrong with it? Is that some known issue?"

Yes, the one in the top left, I can't acess it. But it's not a problem because I use more simplified realism settings for now, to get used to the game.

" Well, the mouse leaving screen or jumping around when going in and out of freelook mode is a known (intended?) behavior of HiResFix. "

There is a small black space in the bottom side of my screen in Silent Hunter 3. My mouse can get in there, which sometimes results in a confusion, of not understanding where did the mouse go. But it's not a big issue either.