[dogeddie]

Which works better with FS2 Open w/ Lighty's recommended settings (SCP)?

[Mars]

Open GL is the only API with real support ATM.

[dogeddie]

I used the SCP installation guide and it suggested using D3D8 because it said not all features worked in Open GL yet. The problem is, I don't know if that is still accurate. "If you want to use Open with its whole potential, you will have to choose D3D". Please advise

[Herra Tohtori]

I don't know what installation guide you are using and how long since it's been written, but trust the word - use OpenGL. All the features that are in D3D work in OpenGL currently, including environmental mapping, which was very long the only real advantage over OpenGL.

D3D support has been virtually unexistent for some time, and the coders doing work with source are concentrated on OpenGL. D3D is buggy and often not as pretty as OGL, so don't use it unless you're forced to.

On the other hand, while the env mapping was D3D exclusive feature I used D3D and I don't really remember getting any more problems than OGL did. Lately I've been running in OGL only, so I don't know the current situation accurately.

[Taristin]

Use OpenGL.

[Polpolion]

Use OpenGL.

second

[achtung]

Which does better performance wise?  I've always wondered that.

[CP5670]

That would squarely be OpenGL at this point, as D3D lacks many optimizations that have been made to OGL during the last year.

[ME$$ENGER]

Plus D3D is pretty horribly broken AFAIK. Specular doesn't work on ATI cards, environmental mapping is missing...et cetra et cetra. I thought it was slower than OpenGL, too (and that was back in the 3.6.7 days with a Radeon). Bottom line: don't use D3D. OpenGL FTW!

[martellato]

I tried to pull some opinions on it from some reputible sources, though some of these must be outdated.

I'd like to update the Wiki myself with the general way to go.. I'd just like to know for sure what the official "reco" is first.

Notice that the Wiki has 2 articles with opposing views OpenGL supporting/not supporting environment mapping...   

Arguments for OpenGL

• I think you'll find that most people who know the SCP well use OpenGL unless a bug forces them to use D3D. I know I certainly do. Haven't even run D3D in nearly 6 months.
  

• http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Command-Line_Reference
  
  -env
  Enables environment mapping. OpenGL only. Environment mapping intensity will be determined from the intensity of specular maps.
  

Arguments against OpenGL

• http://www.shatteredstar.org/ssx/groups/freespace/scpinstallation.html
  
  You can run Freespace 2 open in OpenGL as well, but Direct3D is recommended, since not all features work in OpenGL yet. If you want to use Freespace2open with it's whole potential, you will have to choose Direct3D.
  

• http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Installing_fs2_open
  
  Video setup
  On the "Video" tab, you can choose which API to use (OpenGL or Direct3D), what resolution to run in, and whether to use anti-aliasing (Multisampling) or not. Note that if you're using an ATI card, with Catalyst drivers above 4.3, shinemaps will not work in Direct3D. However, environment mapping will not work in OpenGL.
  

Interesting 

Stephen

[Herra Tohtori]

Both "against" comments are way out-dated.

I suppose the reason LS recommended D3D was that it was probably more supported those days; AFAIK Lightspeed has been absent from community for some time.

The other comment; well, I think it's actually the other way round these days. Environmental mapping used to be D3D exclusive; then it broke and because nonexistent coder support, no one fixed D3D env mapping (correct me if I'm wrong in this), but instead an OpenGL env mapping was introduced. And to tell the truth the OGL env mapping looks quite better than D3D env mapping ever did. D3D version was hugely exaggerated to say the least.

I haven't tried D3D in months either, frankly because I have no reason to do so. But good point noticing that the Wiki is inconsistent in its knowledge about env mapping support.

[martellato]

Thanks Herra, useful info.  I'd be happy to make the two Wiki pages I cited updated to reflect that.

Stephen

[ShivanSpS]

I making some videos and thanxs to Gamecam I forced to use D3D and is painfull :S, Icant wait to come back to OGL, that is the only what i going to say

[martellato]

...Wiki updated.  Can anyone tell me if the "Allow non standard modes" launcher option is outdated?  I cannot find this option on Launcher "pre-5.4" - which is what I use.

http://hard-light.net/wiki/index.php/Installing_fs2_open#Video_setup

Video setup
...

"Allow non standard modes" will let you choose resoltuions other than 1024x768 and 640x480. There may be some small graphics alignment errors, but these are generally small and virtually unnoticeable.

Thanks,
Stephen

[taylor]

Can anyone tell me if the "Allow non standard modes" launcher option is outdated?

Yep, it's outdated.  The non-standard modes are listed by default now, and you can't turn that off.  This is with Launcher version 5.4+ (5.5 isn't public yet) only though and is optional in Launcher 5.3 and below, but no one should be using anything older than 5.4 now anyway, and 5.5 should be what you use with 3.6.9 final.

[martellato]

Ah, so that is a recent change.  I'll note that it's on 5.3 and below on Mr. Wiki

Just curious, I'm using your pre-5.4 build from June 5th (http://icculus.org/~taylor/fso/testing/Launcher.rar).  Is that the latest (currently public) build?

Thanks.

[taylor]

Just curious, I'm using your pre-5.4 build from June 5th (http://icculus.org/~taylor/fso/testing/Launcher.rar).  Is that the latest (currently public) build?

http://fs2source.warpcore.org/exes/Launcher.rar should always point to the newest public Launcher build, whatever version it may be.

And 5.4 went final quite a while ago so it would be a good idea to upgrade from the pre- version if your still using it.  5.5 might go final this weekend, I just need to add better error checking for the new "Custom IP" networking input box.

[martellato]

That's great, thanks.  When I upgrade launchers, is it ever necessary to trash launcher6.ini or flags.lch?  Or are all launchers back-compatible?

[dogeddie]

So if I downloaded all these files from the SCP page here  -  http://scp.indiegames.us/download.php     - am I outdated? I think it was about a month ago. What, if anything do I need to update, and where can I find it? It seems everything on that page is 3.6.7., is that current? Thanks for all the help.

[martellato]

Well...  3.6.7 is the latest "official" release.  But as far as I have heard and I can tell, the work that they have done up to 3.6.9 RC 7 has had a lot of focus on tackling bugs that were in 3.6.7.   I would recommend 3.6.9 RC 7. Latest isn't always necessarily the greatest in the development world - but in this case, I think it is.

I just made a post that I think has the latest recommended files.  I hope it helps.  I'm trying to create some sort of hub where builds, launchers, mediavps, and even servers are listed with their current status.

But this is the board for Recent Builds (currently 3.6.9 RC 7 is at the top).

Stephen