BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

The latest information on how to install the game (All in one Installer) and mods.

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erazortt
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by erazortt »

Yes indeed this is the scaling. I must however say that the old installer v1.0.1 was working out of the box with its fullscreen setting and this was a much better user experience than having to mess with the scaling or to maually setup DxWnd.
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by thunderchero »

erazortt wrote: Mon Sep 11, 2023 5:45 pm Yes indeed this is the scaling. I must however say that the old installer v1.0.1 was working out of the box with its fullscreen setting and this was a much better user experience than having to mess with the scaling or to maually setup DxWnd.
IIRC this issue has always been present, but if you had good luck with command line running dxwnd you can still do it that way.

first remove proxy files from install path or install using last option "using dxwnd gui"
Fullscreen proxy uses these 3 files
dxwnd.dll (main proxy file, same file for fullscreen and windowed modes)
dxwnd.dxw (configuration file with settings, different file for fullscreen and windowed modes)
winmm.dll (this is the fullscreen proxy file, different file for windowed modes)

Windowed proxy uses these 3 files
dxwnd.dll (main proxy file, same file for fullscreen and windowed modes)
dxwnd.dxw (configuration file with settings, different file settings for fullscreen and windowed modes)
ddraw.dll (this is the windowed proxy file, different file for fullscreen modes)

here is example of command line you would use on desktop shortcut
adjust path and "R:1" would be vanilla "R:2" would be ECM and so on
example for vanilla (default install path)
fullscreen target
C:\botf\tools\dxwnd_Fullscreen\dxwnd.exe /R:1
windowed target
C:\botf\tools\dxwnd_windowed\dxwnd.exe /R:1
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by erazortt »

Would it be possible to have the correct installtion paths set in the dxwnd.ini, and not just the the default C:\botf? This was the case in 1.0.1.
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by thunderchero »

erazortt wrote: Mon Sep 11, 2023 6:19 pm Would it be possible to have the correct installtion paths set in the dxwnd.ini, and not just the the default C:\botf? This was the case in 1.0.1.
unfortunately not, that was the main issue some locations would not process correctly.
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by erazortt »

I don't know why you say that. The old installer was setting the paths for DxWnd correctly for me, in my case to D:\Games\botf
Which were the "some locations" where it didn't work?

Also with the old installer I never had issues with scaling. You say the scaling issue was always present but I have had it running on Windows 7, 10 and 11 on completely different machines and screen. Now it does not work anymore.

These are two things which the old installer did better for me. And I really do not think I can be the only one, since as I said I had muiltiple years with very different machines, and not only for me but also for firends of mine.

Can I please have back the old installer?
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by thunderchero »

than use 1.0.1 to install tools and mods you want
backup you dxwnd fullscreen folder
backup you desktop shortcuts
install 2.0.3 without shortcuts and install option "use dxwnd gui" so proxy will not be added.
replace dxwnd folder and move shortcuts to desktop

in theory shortcuts should work as before

it was not only in-correct location.
it was user not following direction. (installing tools first)
if dxwnd gui/ini edited would foul up command line.
editing/adding new mods was a nightmare coding and correcting all of them
even 1.0.1 had an error with UCW and galaxy mod command line entries
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by erazortt »

Yeah the trick with using the 1.0.1 first for tools and shortcuts works better.
The issue with the scale must really be somehow addressed, since nowadays more and more people are using it compared to earlier.
I wonder if perhaps the compatibility settings might help with the scale issue. Will test that and report back.
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by erazortt »

So, it does indeed work using the compatibility settings:
dpi.jpg
dpi.jpg (146.56 KiB) Viewed 2790 times
I tested this in windows 10 and 11. On windows 7 it works out of the box without the need of the compatibiliy settings, thats intersting.
Would it be possible to have this settting somehow set automatically by the installer?
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by thunderchero »

erazortt wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2023 5:34 am On windows 7 it works out of the box without the need of the compatibiliy settings, thats intersting.
Would it be possible to have this settting somehow set automatically by the installer?
not really windows 7 was a special OS, sad it got outdated

Yes it can be applied by installer, my question would be how compat setting would effect others who use windowed mode and or that don't edit windows scaling.

Just to be clear does the proxy also work with this compat setting?

second problem is, now a days we don't get enough proper testing, so if I make this change it might become problematic after full release.
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by erazortt »

thunderchero wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2023 7:14 am Just to be clear does the proxy also work with this compat setting?
Yes, I used the just proxy installation option "Add Proxy for Fullscreen display". I have not used anything else, none of the tools like dxwnd. After installion I only set the compatibiliy settings as shown in the screenshot.
thunderchero wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2023 7:14 am .. my question would be how compat setting would effect others who use windowed mode and or that don't edit windows scaling.
I have tested installing also the Windowed proxy, and tried everything on 100% scale and on 150% scale and I have seen not adverse effects.
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by thunderchero »

erazortt wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2023 2:48 pm
thunderchero wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2023 7:14 am Just to be clear does the proxy also work with this compat setting?
Yes, I used the just proxy installation option "Add Proxy for Fullscreen display". I have not used anything else, none of the tools like dxwnd. After installion I only set the compatibiliy settings as shown in the screenshot.
thunderchero wrote: Tue Sep 12, 2023 7:14 am .. my question would be how compat setting would effect others who use windowed mode and or that don't edit windows scaling.
I have tested installing also the Windowed proxy, and tried everything on 100% scale and on 150% scale and I have seen not adverse effects.
I saw not un-wanted effect also in my tests

so I went ahead and added the compat setting for next beta, but not sure when it will be released yet.
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by Flocke »

I didn't test, but there should be no negative effects by enforcing the application to choose high DPI scaling.

BOTF is too old to be high DPI aware and that's why it doesn't scale along with the enlarged render window when you have high DPI zoom active.
Activating the application override effectively disables the high DPI scaling (invented for 4k+ monitors and the like), which makes it match the BOTF rendering again.

That the issue wasn't present with some earlier installer likely is, because DxWnd integrated some high DPI awareness. There might also be some configuration setting to disable it.
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by thunderchero »

Flocke wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2023 6:10 pm because DxWnd integrated some high DPI awareness. There might also be some configuration setting to disable it.
that was the first thing I checked
The DxWnd proxy is already using the "Set DPI awareness" configuration

I suspect windows has changed something again....
note; in compatibility setting tab. not long ago disable dpi was only a check box. So it has changed lately. :roll:
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by Spocks-cuddly-tribble »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Flocke suggesting that disabling the DxWnd "Set DPI awareness" should spare the need for the compatibility setting "Override high DPI scaling behavior."?
I don't know how many bugs is too many but that point is reached somewhere before however many in BotF is.
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Re: BOTF installers 2.0.3 (released 3-31-2023)

Post by thunderchero »

Spocks-cuddly-tribble wrote: Fri Sep 15, 2023 9:22 pm Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Flocke suggesting that disabling the DxWnd "Set DPI awareness" should spare the need for the compatibility setting "Override high DPI scaling behavior."?
last change to DPI in Dxwnd was this
v2.05.39
fix: [dxhook.cpp] fixed window style settings for HD DPI scaling
installer proxy is based on v2.05.82

So proxy has the latest dxwnd changes, but yes it has never worked on botf as far as I know (that is why we have sticky post)
but setting windows compatibility should fix issue now, and it was easy enough. Plus I have backup files if I want/need to change back.
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