Need For Speed 4 Modern Patch - Donations?

[FranknFurter]

@Jimmy:
Well, Server's been temporarily offline, so I couldn't write earlier

I've tested the different DX7 versions, too on my Win7 environment (DirectX 11), that' the latest Windows version I can serve with ..

API107 (=default Modern Patch DX7 renderer): Works fine, all menus visible, but game is running a bit slower than it does on Glide (Zeckensack's Glide Wrapper 0.84c, my favourite renderer for NFSHS which is running real fast (.. guess I had mentioned that earlier.. )) .. subjective impression only btw. but nevertheless noticeable, I have no frame rate tool running

API113: Menus work, all of them, but when starting a race the game exits to desktop. (w/o error message btw.)

API 115: 'Intermittive' lag in the menus (for example: Car menu -> 'turntable'), but all menus work, game runs nearly as fast as it does on Glide.
Attachment: NFS running on DX7 (API115) btw.. the copcar's accident isn't the renderer's fault

Greetings
Frank

[FranknFurter]

 .. have to mention that I'm using an old NVIDIA AGP Card (Cheap and heavily outdatet as well as low-budget GeForce FX5500 (a '10bucks-on-the-bay-thing', 128-bit though, but even with my previous 64-bit card (also FX5500) it ran as smooth as a cat), that's propably why, an 'old environment for an old game?' ... I had a ATI Radeon (9550) once, too, almost nothing worked, already starting with a black screen while booting until GUI starting the Catalyst drivers also happily messed up my system and that's why I got rid of that card ASAP.

[JimDiabolo]

I friend tested on his PC (Win 7 64 bit on a Intel Xeon E3-1241 v3 with Radeon R9 380). He has the same problem with dx modes. HUD visible but no scenery. The glide modes were ok.

I could also test on a Lenovo Thinkpad L540 (Win7 64 Bit,Intel Core i5-4300M, Intel HD Graphics 4600)
dx6 -> Ok
dx7 -> Ok
dx8 -> No movie
dgvoodoo -> low fps in race, menus & video ok
nglide -> Ok
softtri -> working...

I love HS being portable, it is really easy to do tests.

[VEG]

JimDiabolo, thanks for your tests. I'll try to understand what's wrong with using D3D modes in the NFS4. If NFS3 works fine, it means that NFS4 also can work fine.

Can I ask you for another small test? Please set Type=voodoo in the ./drivers/dx7/thrash.ini and try to run the game on your PC. Voodoo type uses a bit different init code, maybe some problematic thing will not be used when the type is voodoo.

I would like to mention that any program which injects own code into other D3D7 programs may have some unwanted effects. So, if you have some problems with D3D, be sure that you don't use things like FRAPS or Steam Overlay. Probably, some kind of these programs may cause some problems. For example, Open Broadcaster Software crashes NFS3 during resolution changing (if you would like to record something, just use a hotkey to enable recording when resolution is already changed).

If you will find that some software causes some problems with these games, please tell me about it. It will be very useful information.

[JimDiabolo]

Can I ask you for another small test? Please set Type=voodoo in the ./drivers/dx7/thrash.ini and try to run the game on your PC. Voodoo type uses a bit different init code, maybe some problematic thing will not be used when the type is voodoo.

Hi VEG,
with "Type=voodoo" in "thrash.ini" of dx7 folder everything on both troubled PCs works fine. Graphics are looking good, and fps is stable at 60.
Look here : https://youtu.be/OoC9t6-VHSo

[VEG]

with "Type=voodoo" in "thrash.ini" of dx7 folder everything on both troubled PCs works fine. Graphics are looking good, and fps is stable at 60.

Interesting. I've written a note about it into my list. I'll see the difference between d3d and voodoo init codes later. BTW, you will see that text effects in the menu and effect when showing dialogs is visible when the type is voodoo. Actually, I don't know why developers are using different init code for the D3D and Voodoo, and why they disabled some menu effects for the D3D. It's a mystery. The same with NFS3, but in case of NFS3 there were more strange artificial limitations for the D3D (no fog, 16 bit modes only, 800×600 maximum).

I prefer to think that different init code is for some reason, so I'll not just treat D3D as Voodoo. I have to understand the difference before any changes.

[XJ220]

Perhaps marketing reasons? 3dfx might have paid EA to push their graphics API just like games today may show an Nvidia or AMD intro clip.

[AJ_Lethal]

I would like to mention that any program which injects own code into other D3D7 programs may have some unwanted effects. So, if you have some problems with D3D, be sure that you don't use things like FRAPS or Steam Overlay. Probably, some kind of these programs may cause some problems. For example, Open Broadcaster Software crashes NFS3 during resolution changing (if you would like to record something, just use a hotkey to enable recording when resolution is already changed).

If you will find that some software causes some problems with these games, please tell me about it. It will be very useful information.

I get a black/frozen screen after the intro movies when I attempt to use Bandicam with the DX7 renderer ("DX9" renderer works fine with Bandicam, tho). That problem does not appear with NFS3, so that means something between Bandicam and the game exe botches DX7 rendering.

[VEG]

I get a black/frozen screen after the intro movies when I attempt to use Bandicam with the DX7 renderer ("DX9" renderer works fine with Bandicam, tho).

"DX9" is just DX7api115 So, DX7api115 (DX7 with Thrash API v115) has this advantage over DX7api107. Please check if it can be easily reproduced using original renderers from the http://veg.by/files/nfs4/dx7drivers.7z

Also please try to set type=voodoo in the ./drivers/dx7/thrash.ini when DX7api107 is used, maybe it will help with the problem with the Bandicam.

[AJ_Lethal]

"DX9" is just DX7api115 So, DX7api115 (DX7 with Thrash API v115) has this advantage over DX7api107. Please check if it can be easily reproduced using original renderers from the http://veg.by/files/nfs4/dx7drivers.7z

That's why I put the quote marks around DX9

But yeah, the API115 version works fine with Bandicam, the API107 (either the original or yours) has that nasty problem with Bandicam; tried setting "type=voodoo" with no avail D:

[JimDiabolo]

I friend tested on his PC (Win 7 64 bit on a Intel Xeon E3-1241 v3 with Radeon R9 380). He has the same problem with dx modes. HUD visible but no scenery. The glide modes were ok.

Another friend of mine has the same effect, he has a Radeon card, too.

It is good the see my donations are already listed. I hope we reach the first HS goal. If yes, and we are going to collect for the 2nd, I can give some more.

[VEG]

I'll implement widescreen support at least for the D3D modes, it's not in a question now. Patching of the voodoo2a.dll for widescreen, 32bpp and huge textures support is a very huge task itself (more than 2000 lines of pieces of assembly code in the latest NFS3 version, it was weeks of work and it have to be ported carefully), so it is the only question at the moment. But it would be nice to patch voodoo2a.dll also, because nGlide or dgVoodoo work better on some machines.

[VEG]

Now I'm working on the DX8 renderer. In the next update it will be significantly improved. Texel alignment and fog support will be added. On some machines DX8 also is very fast, so it will be useful.

[Remko]

Now I'm working on the DX8 renderer. In the next update it will be significantly improved. Texel alignment and fog support will be added. On some machines DX8 also is very fast, so it will be useful.

Sounds Good.

[VEG]

The goal is reached! http://veg.by/en/donate/
All promised features will be done. And even more
Thank you for your support!