[NeoStorm]

Can anyone explain me why that happens ?
Something is really wrong with the effect.

[Cobra]

what media vp's do you have? and your commandlines?

[Trivial Psychic]

I figured I'd post this here.  What's the status on OpenAL?  I recall that Taylor was releasing some OAL-enabled builds along with non-OAL ones in early summer, but that was discontinued due to the resulting size of the downloads, and I haven't seen one in a while.  Will OAL become command-line-enabled, default/integrated, or part of a drop-tab in the audio settings?

[taylor]

It was only put on hold since there wasn't going to be an OpenAL version of 3.6.7 and I didn't want to confuse everyone with the extra set of builds during testing.  I'm not sure exactly how OpenAL will be used but most likely the current DirectSound code will be dropped and OpenAL will just completely replace it.  If it's decided not to do that then it will be runtime selectable by a reg entry just like D3D/OGL are.  Either way, OpenAL will be a loadable library during run so that if it's not available sound will just not be available (but the game will still run), and so that we can support both 1.0 and 1.1 rather than forcing the use of one or the other.

[NeoStorm]

-spec -glow -pcx32 -jpgtga -d3dmipmap -2d_poof -rlm -dualscanlines -targetinfo -orbradar -ballistic_gauge -smart_shields -3dwarp -snd_preload -env -alpha_env -decals  -ambient_factor 75 -fov 0.39

G-20050728

mission_package.vp
mv_adveffects.vp
mv_core.vp
mv_effects.vp
mv_models.vp
mv_textures.vp

[Fury]

About OpenAL matter. Wouldn't it simplify development if Direct3D and DirectSound along with EAX would be completely dropped and OpenGL and OpenAL would be developed instead? And before people complain about dropping EAX, OpenAL also supports 3D sound. And developing OpenAL would probably also be easier to developers because it's open standard unlike EAX.

[CP5670]

It would make things unnecessarily slower though, since EAX is done in hardware when it can be used (and software sound can sometimes cause a significant framerate hit). I would like to see EAX kept in there even if it's not going to be updated.

[taylor]

There still needs to be concensus but I think that all of the current DirectSound and related code will be dropped in favor of just OpenAL.  I had started working to this point already and will get back to it when time allows me to do so later this year.  OpenGL is a slightly different story.  D3D is starting to become bug filled and more people are starting to use OpenGL but many still refuse to use anything but D3D.  It has already been seriously suggested to drop D3D but Bobboau only knows D3D.  Since he adds most of the graphics related improvements there is some hesitance to dump D3D.  Getting rid of it would make things easier though.

As far as EAX goes, OpenAL does support and will use it under Windows.  Remember that Creative is a major supporter and developer of OpenAL so they wouldn't just abandon a technology like that.  We'll just have to use the relevant extensions and that will be that.  The cool thing though is that EAX is integrated into OpenAL (but just on Windows, and in binary form) so aside from initializing it there is nothing special to do afterwards.  This allows it to still be cross-platform friendly and easy to work on, something that the DirectSound code can't match on either point.

[Fury]

It is of course a problem if Bobboau only knows D3D, but doesn't all of his new features also find their way to OGL eventually anyway? So wouldn't it really make that much difference?

[taylor]

Originally posted by Mr. Fury
It is of course a problem if Bobboau only knows D3D, but doesn't all of his new features also find their way to OGL eventually anyway? So wouldn't it really make that much difference?

He's got to implement them in something though.  If he only knows D3D then D3D is what he has to use to make those new features.  That means that we can't drop D3D and that OGL always has to play catch-up feature wise since it's takes two people to do any one thing.  That's how we get most new graphics features though so it's a necessary evil.

[Cobra]

Search is your friend.

(reminds self to start using that, too. )

[taylor]

There is a known nebula slowdown with D3D (don't know what causes the slowdown just that there is one) but as far as I know it doesn't affect OpenGL.  If you are using D3D then switch to OpenGL and that should fix it.  If you are already using OGL then, uh, say so.

[aldo_14]

Latest version of OGL should come with your graphics card drivers IIRC.

Albeit, was there not some finicky bug with one of the versions not detecting OGL versions properly?  I'm sure I remember something to do with not checking decimals correctly or similar.

[karajorma]

That bug should be fixed with the most recent builds. I'll be very surprised if you're getting it with 0728

[aldo_14]

How up to date are your drivers?  OGL comes with them;  I think with Nvidia drivers 55.xx and above, not sure from which version of the ATi drivers.

[karajorma]

You almost certainly already have OpenGL 2.1. You wouldn't be getting this error if you didn't despite what the error message is saying.

Unless of course your drivers are so old that you actually DO have OpenGL 1.1 in which case you need to go to the nvidia or ATI site and update them pretty sharpish.

If you updated your graphics card drivers any time in the last two years I doubt it though.

[aldo_14]

Ah, was the error only checking after the decimal point then?  (so 1.1 became .1, 2.1 became .1 as well, etc)

[karajorma]

Yep. Basically it was Y2K all over again

[aldo_14]

Tut-tut.

[taylor]

What driver version are you using?

Some of ATI's older drivers have the white squares and upgrading fixes it.  If you just installed what was on the CD then it's likely just too old.  Grab something newer off of the ATI website and give that a try.