[taylor]

Grab Launcher 5.5c from right here:  http://fs2source.warpcore.org/exes/Launcher55c.rar

You can basically consider this an RC build, getting ready for 5.6, which will be released with FSO 3.6.10 at some point in July.  I'm just sticking with the a, b, c, ..., numbering instead of going with RC versioning.

Other than the various bug fixes and small interface cleanups that generally acompany new Launcher releases, there are 3 main changes which deserve attention (one in the particular):

• The anisotropic filter setting in the OpenGL config has been changed to have the following values: Off, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x.  This is done per how it actually works, and how I was too lazy to have set it up previously.  The "Off" value, is obviously just going to turn anisotropic filtering off.  The 1x value is what's really different here, since in new builds it will use a standard isotropic filtering method, but NOT use the LOD bias technique, unlike before.  If you set it to "Off" then it will use the isotropic method and LOD bias.  Basically, this simply allows you to better customize the effect to your personal tastes and the performance of your hardware.  No currently public build will use the 1x value properly however (but it won't hurt anything), though my next Xt build will have full support for the changes.
  
  
• Yes, there is now an anti-alias slider in the OpenGL config.  No, it doesn't currently do anything.  Assuming that I have time to get the bugs worked out of the new init code, 3.6.10 will support it though.  I simply wanted to get it into the Launcher already, so that it's one less thing that I have to worry about next month.  Oh, and I'm going to request an official forum perma-ban on the first idiot that asks why it doesn't look any different in-game when using the slider with current/past builds.
  
  
• And the primary reason for the new launcher build: a change to how joysticks are handled.  The "Force 0" and "Force 1" options have been removed, since if I did my job right, they should no longer be needed.  So, everyone that has ever had to use one of the "Force" options, please give this a test and make sure that your joystick works as you expect when you select it in the joysticks list.  If it does then say so, if it doesn't, well, I'm sure that I'll hear about it.

[Grizzly]

Well, one problem is that all the joysticks have the same name (microsoft joystick driver)... so you can't see wich joystick is what.

But if you manage to figure that out, it works (with my Logitich MOMO Racing, my Logitech Wingman Light, and my virtual joystick combining the two)

[Herra Tohtori]

Well, one problem is that all the joysticks have the same name (microsoft joystick driver)... so you can't see wich joystick is what.

x2

[jr2]

Should Gooby fix what permissions?

[Grizzly]

Should Gooby fix what permissions?

that people can only post polls here, not actual threads.

[taylor]

Well, one problem is that all the joysticks have the same name (microsoft joystick driver)... so you can't see wich joystick is what.

Hmm, it works fine for me, giving me the proper name.  What version of Windows are you running?

[Grizzly]

Windows XP SP2 - Dutch

[Goober5000]

I'm working on Silent Threat: Reborn.

[jr2]

Err, great, now I feel just aweful.
*hugs Gooby*

We love* you, man!  Keep it up! 

*Do I really have to clarify this?

[Macfie]

Well, one problem is that all the joysticks have the same name (microsoft joystick driver)... so you can't see wich joystick is what.

I have the same problem.  I am running windows XP

[neoterran]

wait - normal maps !!!?? do these exist yet ?

[karajorma]

I'm getting the same naming error with the joysticks (XP pro SP 2). If you can get me a diff of new code I can compare the BtRL Launcher (which uses the 5.5b codebase) against your changes quite easily.

[taylor]

I'm getting the same naming error with the joysticks (XP pro SP 2). If you can get me a diff of new code I can compare the BtRL Launcher (which uses the 5.5b codebase) against your changes quite easily.

I can compare the changes pretty easily too. 

The thing is that I ripped out the DI code for joysticks and just use standard OS calls instead.  That is what the game uses, so it makes sure that the launcher is getting joysticks in the same index/order as the game will see them.  The problem is likely just how I get the extended device name from the registry.  It works fine in Win2000, but apparently not in WinXP.  I'm going to test it on another machine (with XP on it) tonight to debug the problem.  I should be able to get it fixed pretty quickly at that point and put out an updated build tomorrow.

[karajorma]

I can compare the changes pretty easily too. 

You had said that you weren't getting the error though.

[taylor]

Launcher updated and the same link in the first post.  Hopefully that will fix the WinXP issues for everyone (does for me on a test machine).

The code wanted full permissions on the registry keys that it was trying to query, and I forgot to change that just needing query permissions. 

[Nuke]

well im about to be able to torture test joystick configs in a very short while. in a couple hours i should get my ch rudder pedals, i already got my fighterstick and pro throttle. im using the control manager vista beta to combine controllers (have had no problems with it yet). though ive never had to force a joystick at all.

[chief1983]

I noticed that before, the only joystick that would work reliably was the one set as the Preferred joystick in the windows gaming controls panel.  Otherwise I had to use the Force options.  Now it seems to accept what I tell it to, so I'd consider it fixed.

[Nuke]

the whole setup worked perfectly. i set up the stick as yaw and pitch, the pedals for bank, the throttle for go, and the trimwheel for the relative throttle. i had 4 axes left over, so i set up the thumbstick as a virtual mouse and configured the brake pedals to act as mouse buttons when they were pressed (i can access theese functions through lua script and do cool stuff like add virtual lateral thrusters). other cool things i was able to do with ch manager was to add afterburner and reverse thrust zones on the throttle, which act as keypresses when the throttle gets to the front and back of its range. awesome stuff. the launcher saw the controller as "microsoft pc joystick driver" rather than "control manager device 1" as it was actually called.

[ARSPR]

I've just changed my PC. New system works with Windows Vista 32-bit and:

• In joystick section I don't see "Saitek Ciborg EVO" but just "Microsoft Joystic". Joystick works nevertheless. (It doesn't matter if I run with or without Administrator Privileges). In my former PC with XP SP2 Pro, I saw "Saitek ..."
• In Open AL box I don't see Generic Hardware (or similar) anymore. I just see "Generic Software" and "No Sound". Ingame sound works fine nevertheless.

[taylor]

In joystick section I don't see "Saitek Ciborg EVO" but just "Microsoft Joystic". Joystick works nevertheless. (It doesn't matter if I run with or without Administrator Privileges). In my former PC with XP SP2 Pro, I saw "Saitek ..."

I'll double check that the code is correct, and that the launcher build is actually at the most up-to-date version.

In Open AL box I don't see Generic Hardware (or similar) anymore. I just see "Generic Software" and "No Sound". Ingame sound works fine nevertheless.

The current version of OpenAL won't show "Generic Hardware" unless you are actually capable of using it (ie, not on Vista).  Any sort of card specific device is provided by your sound card drivers though.