The current film viewer and old films

[Greziz]

I have noticed that after certain patches with graphical updates not sure which one but all my old films are unable to play in my newer film veiwer I am just curious if there is a place where I can download a film veiwer that can run all my older films as I am trying to get some old clips together and make a small 3-5 minute 39 music video.
(my older films currently play about 3-15 seconds and the entire worlds objects except for the planes is solid white.)

[The film veiwer then runs into a critical error and dies]

[Skuzzy]

The film viewer depends on the game data resource folders.  Unfortunately, when we do a massive update and change things around, it makes old films impossible to play with newer game installations.

I know HiTech does what he can to preserve backward compatibility, with the film viewer, but sometimes it just cannot be done.

[Greziz]

would it be possible to maybe get older versions of the film viewers? Just so one can come back and review their older films etc? I have a film in mind I really wanted to turn into a small music video but I can't exactly edit it or anything because I can't open the viewer etc.

[wgmount]

I tried to download these films from this thread http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,276973.msg3511478.html#new. They crashed my film viewer. I then tried a couple films from training site and they also crashed my film viewer.    


Time of this report: 10/30/2009, 01:49:21
       Machine name: GLENN-PC
   Operating System: Windows Vista™ Home Premium (6.0, Build 6002) Service Pack 2 (6002.vistasp2_gdr.090803-2339)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: alienware
       System Model: Area-51 m9750
               BIOS: Default System BIOS
          Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU         T5500  @ 1.66GHz (2 CPUs), ~1.7GHz
             Memory: 3070MB RAM
          Page File: 864MB used, 5485MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\Windows
    DirectX Version: DirectX 10
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
     DxDiag Version: 6.00.6001.18000 32bit Unicode

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DxDiag Notes
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      Display Tab 1: The file nvd3dum.dll,nvwgf2um.dll is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been tested by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL).  You may be able to get a WHQL logo'd driver from the hardware manufacturer.
        Sound Tab 1: The file RTKVHDA.sys is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been tested by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL).  You may be able to get a WHQL logo'd driver from the hardware manufacturer.
        Sound Tab 2: The file RTKVHDA.sys is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been tested by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL).  You may be able to get a WHQL logo'd driver from the hardware manufacturer.
          Input Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
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Direct3D:    0/4 (retail)
DirectDraw:  0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)
DirectPlay:  0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow:  0/6 (retail)

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Display Devices
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        Card name: NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT
     Manufacturer: NVIDIA
        Chip type: GeForce 8700M GT
         DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
       Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0409&SUBSYS_2052161F&REV_A1
   Display Memory: 1776 MB
 Dedicated Memory: 497 MB
    Shared Memory: 1279 MB
     Current Mode: 1024 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
          Monitor: Generic PnP Monitor
      Driver Name: nvd3dum.dll,nvwgf2um.dll
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Driver Attributes: Final Retail
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 Default Sound Playback: Yes
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            Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0885&SUBSYS_161F2052&REV_1001
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                   Type: WDM
            Driver Name: RTKVHDA.sys
         Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5371 (English)
      Driver Attributes: Final Retail
            WHQL Logo'd: No
          Date and Size: 5/8/2007 10:07:14, 1739816 bytes
            Other Files:
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         HW Accel Level: Basic
              Cap Flags: 0xF1F
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Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
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       Voice Management: No
 EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
   I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

            Description: Realtek Digital Output (Realtek High Definition Audio)
 Default Sound Playback: No
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            Driver Name: RTKVHDA.sys
         Driver Version: 6.00.0001.5371 (English)
      Driver Attributes: Final Retail
            WHQL Logo'd: No
          Date and Size: 5/8/2007 10:07:14, 1739816 bytes
            Other Files:
        Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
         HW Accel Level: Basic
              Cap Flags: 0xF1F
    Min/Max Sample Rate: 100, 200000
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 1, 0
 Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
              HW Memory: 0
       Voice Management: No
 EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
   I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No

[Agent360]

I have set of training films that have been very popular with new players.

I have been informed by others and tested this myself that the films crash the current version of the film viewer.

Many of us have spent hours making training films. The film viewer should continue to support all films.

Is this a bug in the film viewer?

Is there a way to convert these to work with the current film viewer version?

Or could we just fix the current film viewer to play all films..not just ones that were made with the current version.

This is a major problem for teaching/training if every time the game updates all our films become unusable.

Please advise HTC.


Thanks
Agent360

[Agent360]

From this thread
http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,278253.0.html

Skuzzy Quote
"The film viewer depends on the game data resource folders.  Unfortunately, when we do a massive update and change things around, it makes old films impossible to play with newer game installations.

I know HiTech does what he can to preserve backward compatibility, with the film viewer, but sometimes it just cannot be done."


Since I started playing AH2 4 years ago I have had nothing to complain about. Even with some of the more controversial changes to plane types, game play, eny, the arean's etc.

But this is unacceptable. The film viewer is a VERY IMPORTANT tool for many, many players. For one thing every time someone makes a great game film and posts it on youtube that FREE promotion for HTC.

HTC should make a tool for converting these films or a tool that will allow them to be played.

I can NOT BELIEVE HTC can't figure out a way to make this happen.

This game has a VERY long and difficult learning curve. The films made by other players for teaching purposes help new players learn how to play the game better making their experience more fun. And that translates into keeping the new players paying subscribers instead of giving up and cancelling.

The training films we make take alot of time and effort. The ones I made were done in the MA under combat game conditions and can not be easily reproduced. And they took over 2 weeks to compile and edit. Now all that work is useless as are many of the films made by the trainers and still posted in the training section.

When and if this issue is fixed I will make more films. But I am not going to do that if I spend hours doing a film to have it made useless by the next update.

HTC, I think the film viewer is a much more important feature of the game than you realize.


Agent360

[Tigger29]

You'd need not only an old film viewer version, but also an old ACES HIGH version in its entirety.

Like Skuzzy said, the film viewer actually uses the GAME ITSELF to play these 'movies'.  The reason they fail to work is because Aces High has changed so significantly, it simply would not know what to do with the old data.

[Skuzzy]

The way around the problem you are having is to install an older version of the game, then convert your films to AVI's.

There is simply no practical way to support older formats when a massive change to the games graphic engine occurs.  The only way to do it would be to ship the older versions of the game with each successive new version.

[Flench]

Can you get any films to run ? I have a few film's that I have downloaded that will crash the viewer . Bad file's or something .
EDIT : More on it here http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,278253.0.html

[Skuzzy]

Older flms are not compatible with the current version of Aces High.  It is not a format issue.  It is due to the extensive changes to the graphics engine of the game.

This is why we offer the films in two formats on our downloads page.

The only way to view older films is to install an older version of the game.

[bbosen]

It sure would be nice to have better access to older versions of the game. I have saved a few older versions (and I know of some websites that publish a few of the older versions)  but I too have some films that I can no longer view. Is there an archive of older versions hiding somewhere on the AH website?


-Peabody-