Posted By: Andromedius
Jane's F-18 and Windows 8.1 64 bits - 08/09/14 12:36 AM
Hi, fellow simmers !
So here's the thing : I currently have on my system a dual-boot Seven 64-Win 8.1 and though I can fly Jane's F18 without any issues, I wanted to try it on Win 8.1 64 bits, since a lot of people reported they couldn't do it.
Yes, I'm stubborn like that (see the previous jane's F-15/USAF episode on this board... ).
At first, I ran into the same and predictable issues, crashes, and disappointment. I toyed with the compatibility settings, the administrator mode, etc, without any success.
But things changed when I decided to use a little tool known by many of you : DXT Tweaker...
Of course, once more, I'm no genius here. This happened mostly because I stumbled upon a thread where a fellow simmer, Canadair, explained he got FA-18 working with 8.1 64 bits (the thread : http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3970514/Re:_JF-18_on_Win_7#Post3970514). If it's okay with him, I would like to credit him for this great finding.
But now to the good stuff, shall we ?
After some tests, I'm confident enough to give you some instructions on how to get Jane's F18 flying under Win 8.1.
Of course, I cannot guarantee that this will work for every windows 8.1 happy owner (are there any ? ). I do think though it's worth a try.
So, here we go.
1/ Install Jane's FA-18 on Win 8.1 (obvious enough) and DXTtweak.
I've downloaded DXT tweak here : TSH tools. I've chosen the last version of DXT Tweaker (Beta 3 K) but I'm not sure if it's relevant or not for the success of the process.
Now, the tricky part is that DXT tweak has some display issues (the infamous 'black window syndrome') that initially prevent you to configure it under 8.1. But there's a workaround for this. All you have to do is make a shortcut for DXT Tweak.exe, right-click on the icon on your desktop and choose 'reduced color mode' and select '8-bits (256) color' and when you launch DXT Tweaker you can see its options in all their glory !!!
I can't believe I've stumbled on this solution by myself...
So now, eventually you can configure DXT Tweaker accordingly to these instructions :
12. Extract the contents of the DirectXTweaker zip to a folder called DXTweaker inside your FA-18 directory. If you're in Vista, right click the DXTControl.exe executable you extracted, click properties, go to compatibility, and check "Run as an Administrator."
13. Run the DXTControl.exe executable. If you're in Vista, and the window looks all black, you may have to close it, turn off Aero. (right click on the desktop, click personalize, click classic appearance properties, click windows classic, and click apply. Don't worry, you can turn Aero back on when we're done here.)
14. Click the New button. Click on the ellipsis by the Path box, and find your F18.exe executable in your FA-18 folder.
15. On the DirectX 9 tab, all boxes should be checked and the drop-down box should say "Default". On the DirectX 8 tab, make sure the box is checked. Same for the legacy tab. On the Options tab, Forward Hook should be checked. The other two boxes should NOT be checked.
16. Click on "Modules to load." Scroll down to and click on "Present Changer." Check the box next to "Present Changer."
17. Leave Width, Height, and Count blank. Format should read A8R8G8B8. Z-Buffer should read "Application." Type should read Application. Quality should be blank, as should Refresh Rate. Set V-Sync to "Off" and Swap to "Application."
18. Go back up to Projects, and click start. Congratulations! You should be able to enjoy FA-18 with a res of up to 1600x1200 and no lag when using AA and switching to Air-to-Air master mode!
Let me know if you encounter any problems, as I easily may have missed something.
2/ Now for the important part :
- Adjust the compatibility settings for the game's .exe (F18.exe): choose win98/Me.
- Launch Jane's FA-18 with DXT tweak USING ADMINISTRATOR MODE : this is mandatory, otherwise the game will crash.
FA-18 will then launch and the Jane's logo video will appear upside down and blocky, but you'll get access to the main menu where you can disable the introductory video and all the other media.
It is also to be noted that you will get some erratic display between screen changes, nothing too problematic, but other than that everything should be fully functional : the UI menus and selections, the various options and modes are all accessible.
And most of all the game will run flawlessly!
You can then add the TSH 4.02 addon and other stuff as you see fit. The rest is up to you.
I will end this post by thanking again Canadair, for his great insight. Without him, I wouldn't have seen the light. Once again, all kudos and credit to him.
Over and Out,
Andromedius.
A picture is worth a thousand words...
Edit : in DXT Tweak mode, the campaign/mission builder will be far too difficult to use but you can still work flawlessly with it if you launch Jane's FA-18 via the F-18 short-cut. This will solve the map and tools issues. You can then easily work on your missions and save them, but remember that if you want to test your mission you'll have to exit and launch the game using DXT tweaker. Not perfect but simple enough.
So here's the thing : I currently have on my system a dual-boot Seven 64-Win 8.1 and though I can fly Jane's F18 without any issues, I wanted to try it on Win 8.1 64 bits, since a lot of people reported they couldn't do it.
Yes, I'm stubborn like that (see the previous jane's F-15/USAF episode on this board... ).
At first, I ran into the same and predictable issues, crashes, and disappointment. I toyed with the compatibility settings, the administrator mode, etc, without any success.
But things changed when I decided to use a little tool known by many of you : DXT Tweaker...
Of course, once more, I'm no genius here. This happened mostly because I stumbled upon a thread where a fellow simmer, Canadair, explained he got FA-18 working with 8.1 64 bits (the thread : http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3970514/Re:_JF-18_on_Win_7#Post3970514). If it's okay with him, I would like to credit him for this great finding.
But now to the good stuff, shall we ?
After some tests, I'm confident enough to give you some instructions on how to get Jane's F18 flying under Win 8.1.
Of course, I cannot guarantee that this will work for every windows 8.1 happy owner (are there any ? ). I do think though it's worth a try.
So, here we go.
1/ Install Jane's FA-18 on Win 8.1 (obvious enough) and DXTtweak.
I've downloaded DXT tweak here : TSH tools. I've chosen the last version of DXT Tweaker (Beta 3 K) but I'm not sure if it's relevant or not for the success of the process.
Now, the tricky part is that DXT tweak has some display issues (the infamous 'black window syndrome') that initially prevent you to configure it under 8.1. But there's a workaround for this. All you have to do is make a shortcut for DXT Tweak.exe, right-click on the icon on your desktop and choose 'reduced color mode' and select '8-bits (256) color' and when you launch DXT Tweaker you can see its options in all their glory !!!
I can't believe I've stumbled on this solution by myself...
So now, eventually you can configure DXT Tweaker accordingly to these instructions :
Originally Posted By: MikeRoz
12. Extract the contents of the DirectXTweaker zip to a folder called DXTweaker inside your FA-18 directory. If you're in Vista, right click the DXTControl.exe executable you extracted, click properties, go to compatibility, and check "Run as an Administrator."
13. Run the DXTControl.exe executable. If you're in Vista, and the window looks all black, you may have to close it, turn off Aero. (right click on the desktop, click personalize, click classic appearance properties, click windows classic, and click apply. Don't worry, you can turn Aero back on when we're done here.)
14. Click the New button. Click on the ellipsis by the Path box, and find your F18.exe executable in your FA-18 folder.
15. On the DirectX 9 tab, all boxes should be checked and the drop-down box should say "Default". On the DirectX 8 tab, make sure the box is checked. Same for the legacy tab. On the Options tab, Forward Hook should be checked. The other two boxes should NOT be checked.
16. Click on "Modules to load." Scroll down to and click on "Present Changer." Check the box next to "Present Changer."
17. Leave Width, Height, and Count blank. Format should read A8R8G8B8. Z-Buffer should read "Application." Type should read Application. Quality should be blank, as should Refresh Rate. Set V-Sync to "Off" and Swap to "Application."
18. Go back up to Projects, and click start. Congratulations! You should be able to enjoy FA-18 with a res of up to 1600x1200 and no lag when using AA and switching to Air-to-Air master mode!
Let me know if you encounter any problems, as I easily may have missed something.
2/ Now for the important part :
- Adjust the compatibility settings for the game's .exe (F18.exe): choose win98/Me.
- Launch Jane's FA-18 with DXT tweak USING ADMINISTRATOR MODE : this is mandatory, otherwise the game will crash.
FA-18 will then launch and the Jane's logo video will appear upside down and blocky, but you'll get access to the main menu where you can disable the introductory video and all the other media.
It is also to be noted that you will get some erratic display between screen changes, nothing too problematic, but other than that everything should be fully functional : the UI menus and selections, the various options and modes are all accessible.
And most of all the game will run flawlessly!
You can then add the TSH 4.02 addon and other stuff as you see fit. The rest is up to you.
I will end this post by thanking again Canadair, for his great insight. Without him, I wouldn't have seen the light. Once again, all kudos and credit to him.
Over and Out,
Andromedius.
A picture is worth a thousand words...
Edit : in DXT Tweak mode, the campaign/mission builder will be far too difficult to use but you can still work flawlessly with it if you launch Jane's FA-18 via the F-18 short-cut. This will solve the map and tools issues. You can then easily work on your missions and save them, but remember that if you want to test your mission you'll have to exit and launch the game using DXT tweaker. Not perfect but simple enough.