MMF2 Build #253

[ASD]

Build number of DLL is old when used /DIB option and displayed in titlebar.

[Yves]

Yes I know, I forgot to change it. Not important anyway.

[Rickshaw]

One thing was different in the HWA version though, and that could explain your issue. In this version, the collision routines and the collision detection events are better optimized than in the standard version.
...
Possible solutions :

1. You can force the HWA runtime to work in DirectX mode with the /DDRAW command line option. To run your application in DirectX mode from MMF2, just put /DDRAW in the Command Line box in the properties of the application. When you redistribute your application, add /DDRAW to the command line in the properties of the shortcut to your EXE.

Thanks very much for the quick reply, this explains it... Yes, my application is running in full screen mode. I'll try your suggestions.

[Rickshaw]

I tried the /DDRAW command line option, and it slowed everything to a crawl (down to single-digit FPS.) For some reason, DirectX is still the fastest display mode in which everything works.

I tried a few test things to get the subapplication working in Direct3D- I could uncheck the popup window thing, check "display as sprite" and do a few other changes to make it work in this way. I could get it to work, but my application (specifically, my subapplication) makes extensive use of displayed list objects, which do not work in Direct3D. I didn't want to go through the trouble of converting my whole application to work in Direct3D if this part would always be broken.

So, is there any way to make list objects work in Direct3D mode? Alternatively, is there a way to roll back to the HWA version I was using previously? Honestly I would love to have this running in Direct3D 9 for best performance and compatibility, but if that means redoing all of my game I don't think it's worth it.

[Yves]

Ah, yes by default /DDRAW is DirectX+VAM. Use /DDRAW /NOVR for DirectX, sorry.

So, is there any way to make list objects work in Direct3D mode?

They work in windowed Direct3D mode, they don't work in full screen Direct3D mode. If your app is in full screen, use the tip I gae you above to switch to full screen via a launcher application.

[Rickshaw]

Ah, yes by default /DDRAW is DirectX+VAM. Use /DDRAW /NOVR for DirectX, sorry.
They work in windowed Direct3D mode, they don't work in full screen Direct3D mode. If your app is in full screen, use the tip I gae you above to switch to full screen via a launcher application.

Okay, I tried the windowed launcher method as in the example you posted, and while subapps and lists do work, it now crashes to desktop on the first real level screen. I'm currently looking at four versions of my project:


1. Launcher + Direct3D 9. Works fine until you try to play an actual level, then crashes immediately.

2. No launcher, DirectX. Works, but has a noticeably lower framerate (~10 fps hit, nearly unplayable)

3. No launcher, /DDRAW /NOVR command line. Same framerate issues.

4. An older version that I built with the HWA beta I was using on 12/5- Runs full screen, full fps, no crash to desktop, no complaints


Simply put, I wouldn't have installed this latest MMF version if I'd known that it would have caused this much trouble with my project; I would have finished it up in the legacy version and then fully updated MMF. At least wait until the project was done. Is there any way I can roll back to the older version?

I can provide the .mfa files and exe if you want to look at them, but it's a huge project and the compiled version from 12/5 is 10.5 MB as is. There is a lot going on in the code and picking through it might not be totally instructive.

[Yves]

1. Yes please zip and send me your MFA (or upload it somewhere). I'll try to see why it crashes.

3. When you use /DDRAW and /NOVR, are you sure you've set the graphic mode to Direct3D? (so that MMF2 uses the HWA runtime) EDIT: sorry apparently I forgot to mention it in the posts where I was talking about the command line options, oops...

[Rickshaw]

1. Yes please zip and send me your MFA (or upload it somewhere). I'll try to see why it crashes.
3. When you use /DDRAW and /NOVR, are you sure you've set the graphic mode to Direct3D? (so that MMF2 uses the HWA runtime) EDIT: sorry apparently I forgot to mention it in the posts where I was talking about the command line options, oops...

Ah, that makes sense of course. With /DDRAW /NOVR in Direct3D 9, everything is back to normal. No FPS hit, no crashing and full functionality. I should have figured this out myself, but my brain is severely burnt out today.

I'm sending you a PM with a link to download a zip of the .mfa files anyway, in case you want to look at it, for MMF research and development purposes.

Thanks again!

[Yves]

Cool. PS: what happens if you use /DIB (standard mode) instead of /DDRAW /NOVR (DirectX mode)? Is it slower than /DDRAW /NOVR?

[Rickshaw]

Interestingly, with /DIB I get the same crash to desktop when loading up the first mission. The screens that do work seem to be slightly choppier, but it's barely noticable.