BirdDogICT

Tranquilo, Make sure that you have the latest ATI Catalyst drivers installed (10.2 just came out). The last 4 or 5 Catalyst versions have really improved BHaH performance. In fact, I don't use any of the overrides now, with the exception of turning off shadows and dual pass render. These two seem to be two of the biggest FPS killers with ATI cards, assuming that your sliders aren't set too high (as a frame of reference, I could run my X1950XTX at 43241 with all overrides on, my 4870 at 53355 with shadows and dual pass render off, and my 5770 at 544555 with shadows and dual pass render off). The overrides were critical on older machines, but are less relevant if you have new equipment. Take a look at Sitting Duck's discussion of ATI overrides here: http://forum.combatace.com/topic/52999-ati-cfs3config/page__p__386881__hl__dual%20pass%20render__fromsearch__1&?do=findComment&comment=386881 The point of the discussion is that your mileage may vary!!! It takes some experiementation to hit the sweet spot. You want to shoot for the highest settings that allow smooth gameplay without any stutters. The additional eye candy with sliders at 4 or 5 is nice, BHaH still looks great with terrain and scenery at 2 or 3.

Padfoot, Just for clarification, CFS3 also comes in two CD versions, v3.0 and a patched v3.1. BHaH requires v3.1, so if you buy an older version, you will need to install CFS3 and patch it to 3.1 before installing BHaH. If installing with the CD versions, you will also have to have the CFS3 disk in your CD/DVD drive every time you to run BHaH. As Olham indicted, the DVD version is v3.1, and it offers the added benefit of not having to have the DVD in the drive to play. However, a DVD may be hard to find. As Luther1517 said, you won't find better forum support than here.

Tranquilo, Welcome. We have essentially the same setup, and I'm having absolutely no problems with BHaH in Windows 7 64 bit. Glad to see that Uncle Al is getting so much mileage from my post on install order. Just follow the basic installation instructions as outlined and after the Windows 7 install finishes, BHaH should be installed to C:\OBD Software. After the installion is completed, go to the C:\OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields\ directory, and check to make sure that CFS3.EXE and OFFManager.EXE are set to run in Windows XP SP3 compatibility. Then setup graphics, etc. The 4830 is an okay card, but don't be disappointed if you have to set some sliders at 3 or 4 to get decent ffps. I had decent performance with a X1950 XTX, very good performance with a 4870, and it's even better with my new 5770. BHaH depends most on a fast CPU, but a decent graphics card with 1MB memory doesn't hurt, especially with the HiTR expansion. Dual core doesn't pose any problems. Some users assign the affinity of OFFManager.exe to one core, with the OS on another, but I haven't tried that approach yet. I'm very happy with the performance as it is. BTW, the X2 550 is a very stable CPU at clock speeds up to 3.6MHz. I'm overclocking mine to 3.6 with 1.425V (which is the top limit of normal voltage range) and it's very stable with all of my applications, including BHaH. BHaH also ran nicely at the stock 3.1MHz, so whether you decide to overclock is up to you. Hope this helps.

Like I said, it's a budget build. I wanted a 5850, but the 5770 gives good bang for the buck. With the big PSU, it'll be easy to add another in Crossfire when the prices come down again. Could add more memory and move to a quad core, but the overclocked dual core is ideal for BHaH.

I hadn't responded to this thread because you offered good advice and there wasn't much I could add to the discussion, but my problem sounded SO similar. You're right...it wasn't Win7. My problem turned out to be operator error. Thought I had turned Cool & Quiet off, but it got turned back on mysteriously while testing my overclock. Slightly OT, but I had good luck with my new budget build: ASUS M4A79XTD EVO, AMD Phenom II X2 550, 4GB G.Skill Ripjaw 1600 DDR3, ATI 5770, Corsair 750W PSU, Seagate 1TB Barracuda, Antec 900 Two case, Zalman 9700 CPU cooler, Windows 7 64 bit. Was unable to unlock the additional cores, but have two running rock solid at 3.6 GHz and temp never gets over 33C. BHaH screams at 5-3-3-5-5 and 1920X1080 with all eye candy on and object density on high. Runs fine at 5-4-4-5-5 also, but have to turn down the number of objects. Pretty sweet! Have had great luck with ASUS boards the last 12...have built 8 PCs for friends and family and most are still running.

12ockockhigh, I've been following this thread for a few days...am in the process of a new build and am experiencing the same issues with an ASUS M4A79XTD EVO and Phenom II X2 550 processor. The BIOS on our machines are much the same. I just put my PC together this afternoon, and am seeing the same thing you are: if I set core speed and mulitplier to AUTO, the result is a CPU bus speed of 200MHz with a 4X multiplier, so CPU-Z shows a Core Speed of 800. But if I start a CPU-intensive program like Prime-95, the CPU speed jumps to the default Core Speed of 3100 MHz (default speed for the X2 550 is 200MHz CPU bus speed X 15.5 multiplier= 3100MHz). Fluctuating core speeds and multipliers are the result of CPU design to reduce power use when the system is idle (a long time feature of AMD and Intel chips). Now ordinarily, disabling Cool and Quiet and C1E are enough to stop the fluctuating multipliers and core speeds, but for some reason, they don't seem to work with the new AM3 CPUs (at least with my combination of CPU and motherboard). I haven't had time to research the issue, but it looks like your PC may be working as it should. It could be a Windows 7 issue...not sure yet.

Manlyman564, Check out the following in the OFF Knowledge base: http://forum.combatace.com/topic/39122-command-key-card-for-off/ Homeboy did a nice job on this before he bugged out from this forum. IMHO, the view system in CFS3 is a minor pain, but a TrackIR and programmable joystick will definitely improve your experience with OFF. If you are a CH Products user, and you can download a profile by Bonz here http://www.ch-hangar.com/forum/showthread.php?6204-Over-Flanders-Field-Phase-III_FSPTPP and modify it to your heart's content. If you're using Saitek, Microsoft, Logitech, or thrustmaster, I can't help you, but others might. Cheers

Chuck Yeager's Air Combat was a great game, as were Wings of Glory and RB3D. If you enjoyed the campaigns in RB3D, OFF wil knock your socks off. Install Order: 1. If you have older CFS3 CDs, assume that they are version 3.0. If so, install CFS3, and patch it to 3.1 (obtain patch here: http://www.microsoft.../downloads.aspx). Then run the game briefly. Note: Many newer CFS3 CDs (e.g., bargain version recently offered by Best Buy) are already 3.1. If you own one of these, you DO NOT have to install CFS3 first, but need to have the CDs ready when you install BHAH. 2. Install BHaH from DVD. Insert CFS3 CDs when asked (if using CFS3 v3.1). Note: BHaH is only available on DVD, no downloads. 3. Download and install BHaH SuperPatch v1.32, followed by MiniPatch v1.32g (found here: http://www.overfland...wnloadsBH&H.htm) 4. Download and install HiTR (purchase info here: http://www.overfland....com/Addon1.htm) Note: available only by download. 5. Download and install HiTR MiniPatch v1.47 (available here: http://www.overflandersfields.com/Downloads.htm) Good luck. New guy buys the drinks!

Have fun!!

Same here, 32-bit. I have to start TrackIR5 manually, and the camera won't turn on the first the first time I start the program. Have to close the program and restart for it to work right. Haven't taken the time to sort out the problem, so am using TrackIR4 software instead.

Rodster, You should be able to config all display and graphical settings from within Workshop and CFS3 configuration. See this http://www.overflandersfields.com/FAQ.htm#Installation_and_settings. Keep in mind that the CFS3config screen has the following bug (thanks to Microsoft, it's hard coded): To save your config settings, you MUST use File, Exit. If you exit the CFS3config screen by clicking the right upper X box, your settings will not be saved. Setup will depend on whether you have a nVidia or ATI card, what CPU, memory, etc. If you've followed the instructions in the FAQ and are still stuck, many here will be able to help you. good luck.

I enjoy contributing to this forum and learning from other members, and find that this is one of the best forums around for discussing WW1 aviation. I guess every new member here gets one free turd in the punchbowl. Looks like you've used yours. I'd appreciate it if you would try to keep your comments civil, like everyone else here.

Sitting Duck, Thanks for the heads up. After the Catalyst 9.10 drivers, I found that using the CFS3config tweaks didn't make much difference, with the exception of "shadows off" (as suggested by Von Paulus). I'm close to matching your results with a 512MB 4870, old 3.0GHz processor, 3MB DDR550 memory, and XP SP3 at 1920X1080. I also have Catalyst settings maxed out. It looks like the ATI drivers are getting better all the time. Catalyst 9.12 has been great for BHaH, but some some older OpenGL titles (IL-2) are now toast. Will have to try the Catalyst 10.1 drivers when they come out, maybe this month (beta version from MSI is already available).

The Green Slime http://www.badmovies.org/multimedia/moviesl/greenslime1.mpg Italian Sci Fi Lives!!

The best movie line of all time "Laugh while you can, monkey boy." What about Mars Attacks! or Spaced Invaders?

BHaH is single thread, using only one processor core. It also requires raw processor power. I ran BHaH with an AMD FX-57 (2.6 GHz, overclocked to 2.8) and it ran fine. I later upgraded to a dual core Opteron 185 (2.6GHz, OC'd to 3.0GHz), and it's even better. Even though your 2GHz 939 processor is a little anemic, you should be okay as long as you reduce the graphics. It will still look great on low settings. Even the fastest machines can't run terrain detail on the max setting of 5. When you start configuring the game, ask for help here. Many of us have been able to tweak our machines for optimum performance. It takes some patience.

For an extra helping of cheese, try Red Baron Arcade, available for consoles and PC. Can't believe I actually bought this POS. http://ps3.ign.com/dor/objects/951468/red-baron-arcade/videos/REDBARON_UPSELLTRAILER_1280x720_6500K.html

Try http://mission4today.com/index.php?name=Knowledge_Base Lots of downloads and help for newbies.

Not totally sure, but part of the 3.1 patch was involved in updating DirectX 8.0. If that's all it does, maybe not a problem...?

I installed mine as you described. Didn't need to do any setup/tweaking until the last patch was installed.

Jim, Just thinking out loud here, but instead of assembling the leds, would it be possible to use a TrackClip Pro? You'd have to mount it on headphones (or some type of headband), but I bet the webcam would pick up the lights just fine. It's USB powered, so no need for batteries. If you're interested, PM me and I'll be happy to ship you my TrackClip Pro.

George, Older copies of CFS3 are usually version 3.0. Newer copies of CFS3 are v3.1. If yours is version 3.0, you'll need to install CFS3 and then patch it to v3.1. The patch is located here: http://www.microsoft.com/games/combatfs3/downloads.aspx#update3.1 Why does it matter? If you have 3.0, you'll have to install CFS3 and patch it before installing BHaH. It's usually wise to start it and fly a short mission to make sure it works. If you have 3.1, you don't have to install CFS3, the BHaH installation routine will ask for the appropriate 3.1 disks during the installation. Hope this helps

Good advice, Kingkat. Definitely get both the regular flu shot and H1N1 shots. Believe me, you DO NOT want to be one of the unlucky ones that needs to be hospitalized with H1N1. In some cases, patients develop an exudative form of acute respiratory distress syndrome where their lungs turn to the consistency of liver. We can barely keep them alive on ventilators with massive amounts of pressure, and if they survive, their major organs may be severely damaged due to lack of oxygen. I've seen several dozen of these cases since October. Most cases I've seen are young adults in the prime of life. H1N1 is serious, but the regular flu is, too. Most people don't realize that the regular flu kills 30,000 in the U.S. each year.

I used Alacrity and AMD Fusion with OFF, and was able to free up additional resources, but ultimately upgraded to 3GB to get the best performance on my older PC running XP SP3. Foxconn is the largest OEM motherboard manufacturer. I've built a few PCs with their boards, and have found them to be decent quality. You'll find Foxconn boards in many Dell, Compaq & HP machines, as well as many game consoles. Shouldn't be a problem finding memory for an upgrade. Go to http://www.cpuid.com/ and download CPU-Z 1.53 and/or PC Wizard 2010. They can provide more detailed info on your system. Let us know what you find.

Yes, the joystick setup in the demo was cranky. Some users reported that it didn't save your setup, either. My joystick was sufficiently stiff without Viagra, but took me a while to get it working right. Hard to beat those CH products!!