Unwanted interpolation at 320 x 240 (8800 GTX)

Hi everyone...

[color:#0000FF]=== The problem::[/color]
I am presently working on a game that runs at 320 x 240. When maximized, the entire screen appears to be filtered with bilinear interpolation (i.e. slight fuzzy or blurry looking). This is an interesting effect, but in this case, I would prefer hard pixels.

[color:#0000FF]=== Main configuration details::[/color]
I am using a GeForce 8800 GTX.
The game uses the “16 million colors” graphics mode.
The game uses the “standard” display mode.

[color:#0000FF]=== I have already tried the following, though to no avail::[/color]
1: Forcing the global mipmap level (for the card) to none, on the remote off chance that MMF2 was somehow involving that setting in its rendering of the frame.
2: Using the different “Display Modes” (found in the function tab of the application properties).
3: Disabling Visual Themes. (just in case)
4: Looking through the application and frame properties for anything that might effect the rendering behavior.

[color:#0000FF]=== End notes::[/color]
If anyone knows how to surmount this problem, or has any theories as to why it is occurring, any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

To my knowledge, MMF2 doesn't do any filtering to the fullscreen image - I remember someone had the same question a while ago and it turned out to be his monitor that was doing it. Do other 320x240 applications appear as expected?

This is probably because you have an LCD display.
LCD displays resize the image when the system is on lower resolution to the actual screen resolution because LCD have only one "real" resolution. They use resampling when doing it and don't have an option to disable it.
There's nothing you can do about it. :(

Yes, a while back we discovered the 8800 doesn't like showing a resolution as low as 320x240. I think that's the problem you're facing. If I remember right 320x240 didn't display at all and this might be NVidia's way of fixing it.

It strikes me that you might need new or different graphics drivers or to tweak them using Forceware.

I agree with DavidN in that I can't see MMF causing that problem in itself I think any other app switching to 320x240 would probably give you the same result.

I wonder if the nvidia drivers still have the "doublescan" option they used to.

It improved rendering of low resolutions by doubling them. 320x240 became 640x480, 640x480 would be 1280x960.

EDIT: I can't find it, but I can find an option for choosing how the scaling is done, you could try changing that...

I believe you’re correct David. I don’t think it is likely to be an artifact of MMF2. I don’t know about other 320x240 non-MMF2 apps. I haven’t tried any, and for that matter I don’t know if I have any.

Good observation LIJI, an LCD might very well produce a similar effect, however I forgot to mention that I use a CRT monitor. (my fault, sorry)

Thanks for the recommendation with regard to the drivers Crash86. I believe I have up to date drivers, but I might need to get some nonstandard driver-esque component to get everything to work.

I think there is a strong possibility that on 8800 cards 320x240 screens are rendered as rescaled “texture-like” surfaces that fill a 640x480 screen. I think this might be the same thing Dynasoft is talking about. Speaking of which, Dynasoft, I’m pretty sure you’re right about the resolution difference, because I shouldn’t see interpolation at all unless there are more than 320x240 pixels being displayed. Finally, when you say that there option for changing the scaling method, do you mean and option in MMF2, or on the graphics card control panel.

Thanks again everyone. If you have any more ideas, feel free to let me know.

In the graphics card's control panel.

I have a BFG GeForce 8800 GTX and a CRT monitor, and I get the exact same thing, it looks kinda a bit too blurry actually. Can't find anything under the control panel that looks like it could alter it though, turning texture filtering off doesn't seem to do much.

It looks a bit too much on 320x240, but I wouldn't mind an option for filtering higher resolutions.

I have an 8800GTS and also have this problem, and on my 7800gtx it was not an issue (same monitor and everything.) I never found any driver settings or a solution at all, so if anything turns up I'd be thrilled :I

Try using D-sub instead of the DIV cable.