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Star Wars™: TIE Fighter Special EditionReintregrating 3D-Acceleration (kind of)(97 posts)(97 posts)
(97 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted November 06, 2014
If you have one? my email is herecomethej@sbcglobal.net
Posted November 07, 2014
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Pvt_Bloody: Like I said, I'm trying to centralize all the steps required to enable 3D Hardware. Here we go:

1. Install the GOG version of the game:
- Besides the obvious, it also installs the compatibility fix that I keep mentioning. This is a small, but very important detail. Without it, your game will crash with 3D enabled, among other things. Read more about it and [url=http://davidcmoisan.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/update-tie-fighter-compatibility/]here
- If you want to use your old CD version of the game, manually install the compatibility fix. Use Compatibility Administrator to verify and check the attached screenshot.

2. Most of us are now aware that GOG disabled 3D Hardware in the exe file. I got confirmation via a support ticket, others figured it out somehow, gerwin79 found it by looking in a HEX editor etc. So this step is about removing the restriction:
- For the first method you can thank Cyphox, the author of this topic, <span class="bold">infinityBCRT</span> for the excellent project of restoring Music to the windows version and Pete Jatz for creating the initial modified EXE file for the windows version. So follow the instructions from the 1st post. I will just mention to pay attention to what zip you are downloading. You are going for the "Windows CD version Instructions (NOT FOR GOG.com version!)". You have read correctly "NOT FOR GOG". Why? Because the "GOG.com Edition Instructions" uses the same exe with 3D disabled
- For the second method thank gerwin79 and read his instructions. He found the HEX address that needs to be modified. It didn't work for me as the game was crashing when loading a level, but maybe I made a mistake while HEX editing the exe. Also this is a more clean and elegant fix since you keep the no-cd check enabled (so no need to create your TIE95.iso)

3. We got this far, but because of modern graphic cards and drivers, the game will crash when trying to load a mission if you have enabled 3D (NOTE: this is not the same crash mentioned at step 1, even if it occurs in similar circumstances).
- For this fix thank vashren from XWA forums. He discovered that compatibility was broken with any ATI Catalyst version newer than 13.11. So to avoid the crash you need to force Windows to use the old DLL files that worked before. This means extracting them from AMD Catalyst Software Suite Version 13.1 (NOTE: 1 not 11) and moving in your TIE installation folder. Read one my previous posts for instruction. I tested on Windows 7, but we still need confirmation that Windows 8 does the same.
- Something similar should be done for NVIDIA cards. Maybe someone using old drivers (around 2011) can confirm?

Bonus Step :)
- Go thank <span class="bold">Sol_HSA</span> and <span class="bold">JeremyaFr</span>:
- JeremyaFr provided a superb quick and easy fix for when X-Wing Alliance will be released by GOG. A single DLL file that solves all problems with modern systems.
- Sol_HSA is working on something similar for TIE95 and X-Wing95.

Also take a look at attached screenshots. You will see 2 databases because I manually installed the compatibility fix when I was trying to find a solution.
i dont understand this. are you saying that the campatability fix is included in the initial gog install and that i should only install it manually if using the cd version?

Nah. don't think so. is this the right procedure: Install gog version -> install comp fix -> hex edit exe ->extract "old ati" dll´s to game folder -> Play with 3d?
Post edited November 07, 2014 by Bukkehave1
Posted November 07, 2014
Wow I would love to do some of this stuff but most of this seems like a foreign language to me. Would this some how be easier if I have a tie 95 cd?
Posted November 07, 2014
@Bukkehave1
no need for the compatibility fix, i guess its already activated by gog's goglauncher.exe

@ncasolobp
kind of, what we need for my solution is the original exe-file, so you dont have to download the zip i mentioned.
or you edit the exe itself by following the instructions from posts 7/8/11

but my solution in post 1 is kind of useless if you own the original game on two discs anyhow, the only advantage you'll get from this, is that you dont have to fiddle around with cd-drives to get the inflight audio-tracks working. cause gog's version doesnt use redbook audio tracks but compressed ogg-files in the game's MUSIC folder.

if 3d still doesnt work for you (and if you're using a graphics card by AMD), you can try to put the files provided in post 12 into your game folder.
Post edited November 07, 2014 by Cyphox
Posted November 07, 2014
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Bukkehave1: i dont understand this. are you saying that the compatibility fix is included in the initial gog install and that i should only install it manually if using the cd version?

Nah. don't think so. is this the right procedure: Install gog version -> install comp fix -> hex edit exe ->extract "old ati" dll´s to game folder -> Play with 3d?
Manual install is needed if you are not using the GOG version (so if you are using the original TIE95 CD).
It should be:

Install gog version -> replace GOG exe with the original exe -> create TIE95.iso and mount it (the original exe checks for the CD) -> extract old ati dll to game folder -> play with 3d

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ncasolobp: Wow I would love to do some of this stuff but most of this seems like a foreign language to me. Would this some how be easier if I have a tie 95 cd?
In this case it will be more like:

install from cd -> install compatibility fix -> copy old ati dll to game folder -> play with 3d

The disadvantage of this method is that you are not using the Re-Orchestrated version from infinityBCRT and this is a huge loss for your game experience :)
Post edited November 07, 2014 by Pvt_Bloody
Posted November 07, 2014
So by fiddling in the hex editor I managed to get the game to run in my native resolution (only way for Tie Fighter, X-wing Alliance and Dark Forces 2 to run with 3d enabled and not freeze my computer) but now I can't see anything in pre-flight sequence (Concourse). Damn. This worked just fine on XWA. :(

Anyone interested in the possibility of running the game in higher resolution, hex value for 640x480 is 80 02 00 00 E0 01. Just search for it in your hex editor. Those four zeroes in the middle are just padding and always remain the same. You can change it by replacing the above values with those for your own resolution. If you don't have the desire to convert decimal values to hex yourself, there are plenty of converters on the internet. Be mindful that it will take some fiddling with the bits.

Here is an example: 1440x900 resolution - 1440 = 05A0 and 900 = 0384. In each case you get three bits, but because we need four bits to form a nibble, you just add 0 in front. Now you put it into hex editor like this: A0 05 00 00 84 03. You can do this with every other resolution. Just switch first two bits with the last two bits in both nibbles, like I did above.

Just backup your TIE95.exe file because this is liable to break your game. Some people have reported this worked for them on other boards. It didn't for me, as I already said. While the game runs, it's hard to get into any missions when you don't see anything before it starts.
Posted November 07, 2014
Seems to work fine on tie fighter , but how do you implement it to xwing , but to be honest I tried without the iso just to verify and it asks for the cd , but with it enabled do not really see much difference .
Posted November 08, 2014
Hi, so, Im still not clear how to activate 3d on gog version of Xwing, any step by step guide?

Thanks.
Posted November 08, 2014
Hi,

Have since installed my copy of X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter to check if hardware 3D works there (after all, the Windows versions of Tie Fighter and X-Wing are supposed to be based on the same 3D engine) and the answer is 'yes and no'. You can enable 3D but then you fly in apparently empty space (just like in the Windows versions of Tie Fighter and X-Wing the software mode works fine).

It is basically the same bug as with X-Wing Alliance - however, there you can get round the problem by using the XWAHacker inofficial patch (fixedclear.bat and 32bitmode.bat).

My system is a core i7-3770, with an Nvidia GTX 570 under Win 8.1 64bit.

Maybe it is nature's way of telling me to play the Tie Fighter total conversion for X-WIng Alliance instead ;-).


Cheers
Patrick
Post edited November 08, 2014 by patricklibuda
Posted November 08, 2014
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revanbh: Anyone interested in the possibility of running the game in higher resolution, hex value for 640x480 is 80 02 00 00 E0 01. Just search for it in your hex editor. Those four zeroes in the middle are just padding and always remain the same. You can change it by replacing the above values with those for your own resolution. If you don't have the desire to convert decimal values to hex yourself, there are plenty of converters on the internet. Be mindful that it will take some fiddling with the bits.

Here is an example: 1440x900 resolution - 1440 = 05A0 and 900 = 0384. In each case you get three bits, but because we need four bits to form a nibble, you just add 0 in front. Now you put it into hex editor like this: A0 05 00 00 84 03. You can do this with every other resolution. Just switch first two bits with the last two bits in both nibbles, like I did above.
Are you sure this is working, cause no matter what resolution i set, 3d graphics are still just as pixelated as before?
Posted November 08, 2014
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The_Paladin: Hi, so, Im still not clear how to activate 3d on gog version of Xwing, any step by step guide?

Thanks.
Install gog version -> hex edit the exe in order to remove the restriction on 3D -> use dll files if you have an ATI card

The only alternative to hex edit is to use the XWING95.exe from the original TIE95 cd

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patricklibuda: It is basically the same bug as with X-Wing Alliance - however, there you can get round the problem by using the XWAHacker inofficial patch (fixedclear.bat and 32bitmode.bat).

My system is a core i7-3770, with an Nvidia GTX 570 under Win 8.1 64bit.

Maybe it is nature's way of telling me to play the Tie Fighter total conversion for X-WIng Alliance instead ;-).

Cheers
Patrick
Mostly it's graphic driver related and Win 8.1 which brings it's own problems into the equation.
Since the ATI fix doesn't seem to work on Win 8.1, you can try to use the integrated Intel graphic card.
This is a hassle, especially if you want to play new games.
If you want to try, you need to uninstall Nvidia drivers and set the primary graphic card to Intel from BIOS/UEFI
My assumption that 3D is not working with Win 8.1 is related to DirectX 11.2
Posted November 08, 2014
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The_Paladin: Hi, so, Im still not clear how to activate 3d on gog version of Xwing, any step by step guide?

Thanks.
method 1:
hex-edit the exe file like in post 7

here's a guide how to use a hex editor
http://www.flexhex.com/docs/howtos/hex-editing.phtml

method 2:
if you have the original game cds, you can also use their exe instead of the one by gog. but you have to keep the game cd in your drive while playing. this kind of the same solution i provided for tie, but in xwing's case we have no way to get the original exe without owning the original cds, so a tutorial for creating an iso and stuff would be pointless. as you have to have the original discs anyway.
Post edited November 08, 2014 by Cyphox
Posted November 09, 2014
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Cyphox: Are you sure this is working, cause no matter what resolution i set, 3d graphics are still just as pixelated as before?
Did you enable 3d acceleration as well? There are instructions on this thread on how to do it. As for this working, some people said they got it working, some didn't, so it's on case by case basis. I got the game to run on my native resolution, but all the scenes before I actually take flight are black, so it's unplayable.
Posted November 09, 2014
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revanbh: Did you enable 3d acceleration as well? There are instructions on this thread on how to do it. As for this working, some people said they got it working, some didn't, so it's on case by case basis. I got the game to run on my native resolution, but all the scenes before I actually take flight are black, so it's unplayable.
yes.

problem is, there's more than just one position with 80 02 00 00 E0 01, there are

CD5A0
D8E60/70
DD310
DD320/30
DD350

i changed the first one. is this correct?
Posted November 09, 2014
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Cyphox: problem is, there's more than just one position with 80 02 00 00 E0 01, there are
i changed the first one. is this correct?
I tried this resolution adjustment yesterday, and it worked fairly well. But I see no benefit. The menu interface is put in the top-left corner, the ingame graphics are stretched to fullscreen but still 640x480. Suppose one should only do this when necessay for the game to run at all.

PS. I started a topic about the 3D hardware toggle at vogons.org in 'release announcements'
Post edited November 09, 2014 by gerwin79
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This is my favourite topic
Community
Star Wars™: TIE Fighter Special EditionReintregrating 3D-Acceleration (kind of)(97 posts)(97 posts)
(97 posts)