Huh? WTF happened to my screenshots? And my DVD? - Page 2

Arctic Fox · 05-11-07, 04:28 AM

I have the same problem with C&C Tiberian Wars. The only way around it that I have found is after booting up my machine I load another game from the dvd drive, close it down & load C&C - no problem. I have not encountered the problem with SHIV - yet

DirtyHarry3033 · 05-11-07, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cap'n Crabs

Dude, that is one scary avatar.

Yep tell me about it

That one showed up when I made my last post, guess I'm gonna have to make 20 or 30 posts today of nothing but smilies, i.e.

Quote:

or

Quote:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

to get rid of it! But hmm, the next one they assign me may be worse...

DH

DirtyHarry3033 · 05-11-07, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiskeyBravo

Are you running 2 gfx cards in SLI mode? I'm not an SLI expert but IRC it can be set so that each card draws half a screen?

But then again I could just be talking bollocks

WB.

WB, good idea and yes I'm running 2 7900GTX in SLI. But SH4 is set to use single-gpu mode in the Nvidia drivers so I don't think that's it. However... maybe something got trashed in my drivers? I may try screenies of other games, if it does the same thing then maybe a ForceWare re-install is in order.

Thanks for making me think!

DH

DirtyHarry3033 · 05-11-07, 09:17 AM

OK, I give up. Removed all mods, no difference. Did system restore to a point last week when it was working. No difference. Totally uninstalled, re-installed and patched to 1.2 - no difference. Put mods back on, no difference. Screenshots are still totally trashed

Here's an interesting one I took after doing all the above:

This one is very interesting, if you look closely you'll see bits and pieces of other SH4 screens. The red band is obviously part of the control room, the red night lighting is on and you can make out some of the gauges. That gray-colored band is part of the main menu.

That was the 1st screenshot I took after starting the game. If I alt-tab back to desktop, go back to SH4 and take another one, from then on the bottom 1/2 of the picture is whatever is currently on my desktop, the top 1/2 is SH4.

Clearly there is a buffer that's not being drawn properly. Only the top 1/2 gets drawn, the bottom 1/2 contains junk from whatever was last displayed onscreen.

Don't think it's anything to do with Windoze, I took several screenshots in COH with no probs at all. Guess it's SH4's screenshot utility from now on, at least it still works...

DH

U-4053 · 05-11-07, 10:25 AM

I've run into the same Issue several times while using Screen Hunter to take screen shots
I just started taking more than one screen shot of the same Item, it's almost as if the program is not able to keep up with it, could be a Driver Anomoly ?
It couldn't hurt to reload your Vidio drivers.
Irfan View is a good Screen shot utility I have no Idea why it would do this unless some small file inside the program is corrupt, if the driver reload doesnt fix it, try uninstalling and reinstalling Irfan View .

Charlie

DirtyHarry3033 · 05-11-07, 11:41 AM

Well after much messing around and about 50 restarts of SH4, I've learned that what's causing the screenshot problem is the Vertical Sync option under graphic settings.

If it's checked, I get mangled screenshots.

If it's not checked, I get normal screenshots.

Don't know why it's doing this all of a sudden, I had vsync on ever since it was an option on the menu, and before that I'd forced it on in main.cfg. Not sure what happened.

I'd play w/out vsync except that I get microstutters so bad the game is unplayble. Tried turning vsync off in SH4 and forcing it on in my video card drivers and I can take good screenshots that way but I still have the microstutters.

I'll try the video driver reinstall later this afternoon. Maybe something got crapped in the driver so it's not waiting for the buffer to fill before grabbing the screen?

DH

Bane · 05-11-07, 12:53 PM

For easier screenshots I recommend using Ctrl + F11 to take them and FastStone Image Viewer (free and awesome) to simultaneously batch convert/rename them all after exiting the game. Then just delete the original bitmaps.

For your DVD issues have you tried updating your IDE/ATA drivers from your motherboard's website? If they're too old they may not work correctly with newer programs. For example, I couldn't do any burning of any sort with iTunes before I updated; iTunes would just lock up. After the update all was well.

bruschi sauro · 05-11-07, 02:06 PM

Scan for virus.. maybe.

DirtyHarry3033 · 05-11-07, 03:27 PM

Guys thanks for all your help and advice - finally came down to re-installing my ForceWare drivers (a nightmare in itself, something always goes wrong when I do it and today was no exception) Here's the proof:

That was taken with all gfx options on, including vsync. And I've restarted SH4 several times and it keeps on working

Obviously something got crapped in my gfx drivers though I never suspected it since I could take good screens in other games. Who knows :hmm:

Next time we're in port together, drinks are on me!!! All your input is much appreciated

Only question now is after 24 hours of screenshot-hell, do I even wanna play?

Quote:

Originally paraphrased by DirtyHarry3033

I know what you're thinkin' punk...

You're thinking did he fix 6 problems or only 5?

To tell you the truth, I've forgotten myself after all this work.

But being as this is SH4, the most powerful sub-sim in the world, hell the bugs will blow your head clean off...

You've gotta ask yourself a question:

"Do I feel like playing?"

Well do ya, punk????

Thanks for the support guys

DH

clayman · 05-11-07, 03:36 PM

DirtyHarry ... ever thought of running FRAPS?

Oh ... and I had the same sort of issue but only when I let FS9 run the AA ... bottom and some times sides were desktop or blank. Running an X850XT then. So it was a driver issue ... once I loaded FRAPS I forgot about it.

Cap'n Crabs · 05-11-07, 05:02 PM

Glad you got it going.

I'm still stuck in AGP land. I'm guessing those cards in SLI are operating like the old Voodoo cards. I still have a pair of voodoo 2's on an old rig, running SLI.
As I remember, each one would render every other line on the screen. I must have missed that you were running SLI.

I just hate to throw working stuff away. hehe
Oh well, it's all good now.

ccruner13 · 05-11-07, 07:20 PM

an easy solution to the SN problem as in bmp to jpg. get infranview. i just knocked down my 2 gigs worth of bmps to 58mb of bmps. but it still makes you wonder why they cant just save them as bmps. just like mtw2 they are all saved as .tgas. the cause for me to get infranview in the first place.

05-11-07, 10:25 AM	#20
U-4053 Sparky Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Elko Nevada Posts: 158 Downloads: 62 Uploads: 0	I've had this happen with Screen Hunter I've run into the same Issue several times while using Screen Hunter to take screen shots I just started taking more than one screen shot of the same Item, it's almost as if the program is not able to keep up with it, could be a Driver Anomoly ? It couldn't hurt to reload your Vidio drivers. Irfan View is a good Screen shot utility I have no Idea why it would do this unless some small file inside the program is corrupt, if the driver reload doesnt fix it, try uninstalling and reinstalling Irfan View . Charlie __________________ U-4053 Charlie Michael Elko Nevada U.S. SPD Retired silvrbak82@frontiernet.net

05-11-07, 11:41 AM	#21
DirtyHarry3033 Weps Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 351 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Solved?!?!?!! Well after much messing around and about 50 restarts of SH4, I've learned that what's causing the screenshot problem is the Vertical Sync option under graphic settings. If it's checked, I get mangled screenshots. If it's not checked, I get normal screenshots. Don't know why it's doing this all of a sudden, I had vsync on ever since it was an option on the menu, and before that I'd forced it on in main.cfg. Not sure what happened. I'd play w/out vsync except that I get microstutters so bad the game is unplayble. Tried turning vsync off in SH4 and forcing it on in my video card drivers and I can take good screenshots that way but I still have the microstutters. I'll try the video driver reinstall later this afternoon. Maybe something got crapped in the driver so it's not waiting for the buffer to fill before grabbing the screen? DH

05-11-07, 04:28 AM	#16
Arctic Fox Swabbie Join Date: May 2007 Location: Boksburg, South Africa Posts: 11 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I have the same problem with C&C Tiberian Wars. The only way around it that I have found is after booting up my machine I load another game from the dvd drive, close it down & load C&C - no problem. I have not encountered the problem with SHIV - yet

05-11-07, 09:17 AM	#19
DirtyHarry3033 Weps Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 351 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	OK, I give up. Removed all mods, no difference. Did system restore to a point last week when it was working. No difference. Totally uninstalled, re-installed and patched to 1.2 - no difference. Put mods back on, no difference. Screenshots are still totally trashed Here's an interesting one I took after doing all the above: This one is very interesting, if you look closely you'll see bits and pieces of other SH4 screens. The red band is obviously part of the control room, the red night lighting is on and you can make out some of the gauges. That gray-colored band is part of the main menu. That was the 1st screenshot I took after starting the game. If I alt-tab back to desktop, go back to SH4 and take another one, from then on the bottom 1/2 of the picture is whatever is currently on my desktop, the top 1/2 is SH4. Clearly there is a buffer that's not being drawn properly. Only the top 1/2 gets drawn, the bottom 1/2 contains junk from whatever was last displayed onscreen. Don't think it's anything to do with Windoze, I took several screenshots in COH with no probs at all. Guess it's SH4's screenshot utility from now on, at least it still works... DH

05-11-07, 12:53 PM	#22
Bane Torpedoman Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 119 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	For easier screenshots I recommend using Ctrl + F11 to take them and FastStone Image Viewer (free and awesome) to simultaneously batch convert/rename them all after exiting the game. Then just delete the original bitmaps. For your DVD issues have you tried updating your IDE/ATA drivers from your motherboard's website? If they're too old they may not work correctly with newer programs. For example, I couldn't do any burning of any sort with iTunes before I updated; iTunes would just lock up. After the update all was well.

05-11-07, 02:06 PM	#23
bruschi sauro Frogman Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Florence Italy Posts: 307 Downloads: 64 Uploads: 0	Scan for virus.. maybe.

05-11-07, 03:36 PM	#25
clayman Soundman Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Cucamonga Posts: 142 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	DirtyHarry ... ever thought of running FRAPS? Oh ... and I had the same sort of issue but only when I let FS9 run the AA ... bottom and some times sides were desktop or blank. Running an X850XT then. So it was a driver issue ... once I loaded FRAPS I forgot about it.

05-11-07, 05:02 PM	#26
Cap'n Crabs A-ganger Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Kentucky Posts: 71 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Glad you got it going. I'm still stuck in AGP land. I'm guessing those cards in SLI are operating like the old Voodoo cards. I still have a pair of voodoo 2's on an old rig, running SLI. As I remember, each one would render every other line on the screen. I must have missed that you were running SLI. I just hate to throw working stuff away. hehe Oh well, it's all good now.

05-11-07, 07:20 PM	#27
ccruner13 Navy Dude Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 175 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	an easy solution to the SN problem as in bmp to jpg. get infranview. i just knocked down my 2 gigs worth of bmps to 58mb of bmps. but it still makes you wonder why they cant just save them as bmps. just like mtw2 they are all saved as .tgas. the cause for me to get infranview in the first place.