Question: Graphics Anomoly

[phaetn]

Quick question for some of the folks in the know here about hardware 'n stuff.

I run AH in 1024x768, 32bit, with Z buffering and triple buffering enabled.

I have a Asus V7700 Deluxe GeForce2 GTS 32MB video card, running at default speed settings (i.e. not overclocked).

Recently, some textures in AH have started to no longer be smooth, and this is particularly so with some smoke effects from hangars.  I believe it started with the addition of storm cloud effects in v1.06p2 or perhaps a patch or two earlier (but still 1.06).

Here's an example of what I mean:  

Click [here] to get a high res, non-compressed image in TGA format (433Kb).

Note the "blocky" edges of the smoke effects in the center of the image, while the one off to the left is fine.  Neither frame rate (60FPS in that shot) nor video memory are a problem (Videomem: 53798K Free: 35420 Used: 18557 in that shot).  It also happens with some of the storm clouds, so that they look very blocky rather than smooth.

This happens even after a fresh reboot, so vid RAM or sys RAM isn't corrupt from another game's graphics.

Recent, I added another 256MB of RAM for a total of of 512MB -- but I wouldn't think that would make much of a difference.  I also installed a Celeron 800 running at 100MHz FSB in place of a Celeron 500 at 66MHz, and I wouldn't think that would make a difference either.  All of the RAM is PC 100 or PC133.  The AGP vid card is properly running at 2/3 FSB.

Any suggestions?  I can't figure what would be causing it.  Anyone else see the same sort of thing in a recent version of AH and is different from before?  Textures in other games seem fine.

What's odd, is that's it's not *all* smoke effects, but only most...

Cheers,
phaetn

[didn't notice HTML was off in messages.  Have changed for UBB code.]

[This message has been edited by phaetn (edited 04-22-2001).]

[Kieran]

I have the same video card and have seen the same thing. I believe I changed something simple in the card setup, can't remember just what. Let me look around and see, then I will post back here.

It definitely is in the card software, not the game setup as I recall- hope that helps.

<edit>
I checked the settings- I believe what I did was to uncheck all the options under D3D in the NVidia setup utility. That cleared away the blockiness for me.

[This message has been edited by Kieran (edited 04-22-2001).]

[Tac]

I had the same weird problem once. I rebooted and it fixed itself, although AH reported that I had plenty of vid mem free, I had no other programs on background, fps was at 22 or so.
  www.geocities.com/tacwraith/blackout1.jpg
 www.geocities.com/tacwraith/blackout2.jpg

weird eh?

#$!$@#$#@ moronic ubb code. Whoever invented ubb should be hung by his balls and treated like a pinhata till he falls off. dangit!


[This message has been edited by Tac (edited 04-22-2001).]

[Dinger]

I saw it when I first installed my Radeon. Try disabling triple buffering or something.

[jihad]

I saw the same problems with smoke, disable z buffering to eliminate it.

[Mitsu]

I have it too.

Disable Z-buffer and Triple Buffering and it would be fixed.

-Mitsu

[bloom25]

My guess is that z buffering is doing this.  z buffering should only be enabled for those 3d glasses that come with some video cards.  (The v7700 deluxe does.)  z-buffering tends to cause some odd graphics problems and really hurts the frame rate.



------------------
bloom25
-MAW-
(Formerly of the)
THUNDERBIRDS

[Hans]

Tac, Geocities has a weird thing about them.

If you try to post a picture, or try to go to one of their links and it doesnt work, put a "?" question mark behind the address.
 www.geocities.com/picture.jpg  = won't work? www.geocities.com/picture.jpg?  = might work better?

That will make it work.  I don't know why, I just heard that from somebody else and it has worked for me.



[This message has been edited by Hans (edited 04-24-2001).]

[janneh]

"loser111: every time I close my eyes, I see spiders"
 

 

[Gargoyle]

Hi phaetn,

I have exactly your same setup, and get the same graphic "glitches" with the field smoke.

Some others that you or others may be getting...

1.  When my plane is smoking, frequently the wing or half of the wing will "disappear" and become transparent.  I at first kept thinking my wing had been shot off but no, with the smoke the wing texture(?) was just becoming transparent.

2.  Cons down low in or _nearby_ field smoke frequently disappear.  This happens not just if they are flying through smoke, but even if they are no where nearby smoke, so long as there is smoke being displayed somewhere in my view.

3.  The carrier deck texture will often flicker transparent or disappear.  It usually only lasts a few seconds though, but does make it very difficult to land when it flicks off and on at random.

I'm kinda new to AH, so I don't know if this is a common problem or just one specific to my video card, seeing pheatn's post I thought I'd report it.

Athlon 1GHz
Asus V7700 Gef2 32Mb
Win 98
Direct X 8.0a
32bit, 1024x768, z and triple buff

[Greenhorn]

Like they said above, disable the Z- buffering.  That fixed it for me.

GH

[phaetn]

Thanks, gang!  

Disabling Z buffer did the trick.  I must have turned it on sometime and don't remember.  

Thanks again & cheers,
phaetn

[Gargoyle]

yep, turning off z-buffer worked for me too

Thanks!

[Tac]

yeah, copy the link and paste it on your browser, it will work then. CLick on the link on the bbs, it wont work. those geocities people are on drugs.