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#378640 - 12/31/00 08:02 AM Papadoc's 3dfx Graphic's fixes for Flanker 2.0  

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One thing lost with our move from Combatsim to SimHQ is the database of information we have built back there. I have decided, with all due respect to Spoons to claim this particluar board as my new home and rebuild that database little by little.

CAVEAT: APPLY THESE FIXES AT YOUR OWN RISK. THEY WORK FINE FOR ME.

For today I will write about how to fix graphics in Flanker 2.0 for those using Voodoo 3 or earlier graphics cards.

Flanker 2.0 was designed to use textures which are larger than the Voodoo 3's limit.
The problem lies in texture size. Flanker 2 uses some textures, larger than 256x256, which work great for AGP based cards such as the GeForce 256, TNT, TNT 2 or G400. Unfortunately, 3dfx cards of the Voodoo 3 generation or older can only handle textures which are 256x256 or smaller. This is true even with the AGP bus Voodoo 3 cards.

To address this problem, the development team of Flanker 2 created special textures for 3dfx cards, in the PCI folder of the Flanker 2.0 directory tree (C:\Program Files\SSI\Flanker 2.0). Unfortunately, these textures have a hazy washed-out look. The instrument panel is unreadable (even if you understand Cyrillic).

The 2.02 Patch created a new set of PCI graphics, with settings of low, medium and high. These settings three new PCI settings allow you to change the level of detail of the aircraft graphics in Flanker 2.0. Most noticeably, there has been a change in the PCI graphics of the Flanker 2.0 skin by removing details that appeared washed out before.

But all is not lost. While Flanker 2.0 on a Voodoo 3 or older card look as good as it would on a TNT2 or later Nvidia, Matrox or similar card, you can get it pretty close to its full potential.

Step 1: Force Flanker 2.0 to use the AGP graphics---

It is better to force Flanker 2.0 to use the better AGP graphics by renaming or deleting the four PCI folders: Pci, PCI_High, PCI_Medium and PCI_Low. Flanker 2.0 then uses the AGP textures with 3dfx cards tThe regular AGP textures found in the Bazar folder of the Flanker 2 directory three. Somehow textures larger than 256x256 automatically downsizes the few textures that are too large. Ironically, only nine of the regular AGP textures exceed the 256x256 limit. There seems to be no effect in frame rates.

You will notice a dramatic improvement in the appearance of Flanker 2. Some parts of the cockpit display will still not be crisp, but everything is readable (provided you know Cyrillic).

Step 2: Apply Pierre "PAPA DOC" Legrand's Textures for Voodoo 3 or older 3dfx Cards---

Luckily, for the Voodoo users, someone out the was not happy with a "dramatic improvement" and wanted something closer to perfection. This person is Pierre "PAPA DOC" Legrand. Papa Doc created AGP replacement textures all of which are smaller than 256x256. Included in this set are new exterior textures for the Su-25, Su-27, Su-30, Su-33, Su-39 and MiG-29 as well as new textures for the Su-27's and Su-33's cockpit. Not only are these textures smaller, they are much clearer and crisper that the original AGP textures.

These textures were created for Flanker 2.0 and Flanker 2.1. Luckily, they can still be used with Flanker 2.02.

Not satisfied with this, Papa Doc improved further improved the cockpit textures. All you have to do to obtain the fruits of Papa Doc's labor and generosity is to:

1. Go to Papa Doc's web site at http://papadoc.net/ and download:

a) PDs_PCITexturesVersion3.zip - Replacement textures
b) PD-V1-3dfxCockpit.zip - Improved cockpit

Pierre PAPA DOC Legrand's textures for 3dfx users on a Voodoo 3 2000. Click on thumbnail to see a larger image.

Don't worry, these are both small downloads at less than 750 Kbs each.

2. You can unzip these files to:

C:\Program Files\SSI\Flanker 2.0\Bazar\World\Textures.

Howz at the Combatsim message boards found out that even though you set Flanker 2.0 to use the "high" setting (in the otions menu) for terrain graphics, it still uses the "low" AGP graphics and suggested a fix for this. I tried Howz suggestion and he is right. The improvement is amazing.

Step: Apply Howz's fix:

Howz instructions are as follows:
1. Explore C:\Ssi\Flanker2directory\Bazar\Terrain\Surface and delete the 'Low' folder.

2. Rename the "High" folder to "Low".

3. Run Flanker.

Howz also suggested another way of doing this (which is what I did) by copying the contents of the "high" folder into the "low" folder.

1. Explore C:\Ssi\Flanker2directory\Bazar\Terrain\Surface\Low and delete the contents.

2. Explore C:\Ssi\Flanker2directory\Bazar\Terrain\Surface\High and copy the "Textures folder" and the "Land.ind" file.

3. Paste the "Textures Folder" and "Land.ind" file in the C:\Ssi\Flanker2directory\Bazar\Terrain\Surface\Low

Either way you should get the same results.

Fixing Flanker 2.0's graphics for a Voodoo 3 and older card has gotten somewhat more complicated. But believe me, this sim is worth the trouble.

Here are some before and after shoots:

A. Flanker 2.0 terrain graphics on a Voodoo 3 2000 card after forcing it to use AGP graphics with terrain graphics set at high:



Flanker 2.0 terrain graphics on a Voodoo 3 2000 card after forcing it to use AGP graphics and copying the "high" graphics into the "low" folder.







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#378641 - 01/02/01 09:16 PM Re: Papadoc's 3dfx Graphic's fixes for Flanker 2.0  
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 3,371
mbeaver Online content
Senior Member
mbeaver  Online Content
Senior Member

Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 3,371
Arizona, USA
The above tweaks might look a bit overwhelming at first glance but the improvement in graphics is well worth it for those of us with voodoo 3s.


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