MarkEAW

Well I still wait for help with this 3DZ modeling doc, here is the mess I have now. I pretty much ran out of time to indulge and it got to complicated for little o-me. https://eaw.neocities.org/model-making.html EDIT: (Still in need of help, however I've heard the RS explanation and use is ridiculously hard)

What can experienced users tell me about EAW 3DZ modelling, RS and tools? I'm not trying to build anything specific and I don't have a whole lot of time to learn, But highlights would be favorable. Like I know for EAWv1.2 there are specific programs used. I think I have them all. Unfortunately some are DOS , some are WindowsOS usage. I know you plan out the model before you begin using the 3DZ Studio program (which one is best?) How would I keep the RS in check as I add to the model? etc.. Thank you in advanced for the help and tips.

I just relized something is a mist on Win10. When I first got GOGs 128 I got double the FPS at 64FPS I belive, thats at least what I noted on my web site at that time, go figure..... Now running it I only get 17-26FPS. This is Similer to other non gog eaw.exe's, just a bit higher for gog version. Weird, either something I did slowed down the new gog version of the game or Microsoft changed something in the past year.....again....IDK.??

The Gog/Steam type plays the smacker movies in modern Windows. I think its more of a DX and directdraw issue, since thats the improvements they provided with the game. Which in turn allows the intro MPS Glode and the in game films to play properly. Even the poorly programmed Object Viewer which doesn't crash the game.

I think EXTRASQUADS setting in the eaw.ini should be defaulted to the lowest value. I know that they can cause issues with campaigns. At least thats what history shows at one issue.

@CaptSopwith, I try to include and squeeze in as much facts in the information on my web site as possible. However there are places I guess based on facts, resulting in partial fullfilled info. So if you spot any errors on my web site, I'd appreciate any feedback you could provide. Such as feedback on anything you think needs to be included. If you have time to respond, that would be appreciated. :)

@VBH, just the eaw.exe in the gog version is replaced. I think I did a file compare before. So it shouldn't be an issue to dump EAWPRO into it. Of course it wouldn't be a gog install anymore after that as the exe is replaced by the FXEXE.

I don't know what could be causeing issues with the exploding planes, perhaps it wasn't designed for more than multiplay and single player missions. I remember from reading the exploding planes was an issue at one point. If your dumping the EAWPRO files into a GOG 1.2 version, it should be alright, as the eaw.exe is replaced. But you would have to configure another wrapper perhaps with the game as the GOG Wrapper seems to cause issues with the old DX in the game exe, or it won't work at all. EDIT: Oh maybe you can add just the core EAWPRO without the update 2 and see if you still have problems. This way you narrow down the issue. Beyound this, I couldn't be much help. :(

Another very old XP Glide Wrapper if anyone needs to try it. http://evoodoo.emulation64.com/us/home.html This site mentions that it supports: Intel i740, i810, i820 graphics/chipsets http://evoodoo.emulation64.com/us/evreq.html

Looks nice VBH! ......as always.

I didn't mean to sound like I was complaining. I was thankfull :) My fault for not being clearer. I just didn't know what the version of OpenGL needs to be to get error free Glide conversion. I was hoping TheRandoGuy could update that portion of his system to help out. The DirectX portion should be 9.0c I think in WinXP, and EAW uses 5/6 in its programming. DX7, I *belive* if its the GOG/Steam types. I'm just saying incase someones reading and needed to know..... Anyhow thanks for the information, I was never a Intel guy back in 2002, I got my 2nd WinXP system in the last 5 years. The first I had a Nvidia card in it too.

Thanks for the Intel history lesson. I have a Geforce FX I think its called, not the top model but somewhere on the lower end on my WinXP Intel Pentium 4 HT. It runs even WinXP SP3 like a dream. What we where trying to do is get the OpenGL by intel to accept the Glide API, in sorta a up convergense. I've seen the old Intels work well with wrappers since they use not just the intel IGP but the CPU too. In this case it seems to have failed partialy....atleast at the moment :)

If your refering to me too, thanks. If you need anything let me know.

Check what motherboard Dell used. It maybe an intel MB with drivers and bios at the intel site, which seem to be newer than what Dell brand has. I too have a Pentium 4 HT, think it might be 3.2ghz, up graded from a 2.6ghz. The upgrades I put in my WinXP system seem to run much faster even with the SP3, which is known to slow down most early 2000 machines. I also bought new old type of ddr ram 4gigs, cost me alot to get it but there the best ram with heat sinks you can by new. Unfornatly the system uses over a gig of memory.

SP4 , heh. weird stuff out there :) I know nothing about the unoffical winxp sp4.... I have a winxp system but it has a sloted Nvidia GPU and an Intel chipset and CPU. I think intel either barried or removed there old drivers now, last I looked. But it could have been just a different layout of their website. The point is I grab everything for my MB before the change. so instead of a 2002-2004 system, I updated bios and chipsets etc and upgrade cpu so its about a 2006-2007 system now. Thier stuff was newer than the HP brand computer web site had. Maybe update your intel drivers then, and check your MBs bios, see if intel still has those updates. Atleast thats what I would have done before fiddling with the game :) About the gog portable nglide...maybe thats where i seen it with gog games. IDK.

You worked alot on this, more so than most. okay, . I know I couldn't help too much, but your welcome. EDIT: I couldn't locate the portable version of nglide either. I swore I seen it before/used it before. The reason I asked you to use that as its not system wide as the installed version. and you could use other wrappers if its portable for each game or game folder. Aw well , where you using SP3 with WinXP and the last release of your intel gpu/chipset drivers? Just wondering.

Did you remove dgvoodoo first before installing nglide? You can dl a portable version of nglide too I belive, where you place the wrapper files into the game folder. A quick look at nglide web site, it seems the latest still supports WinXP.

yeah, that must be the glide failing. Could be more settings but I don't have experience in dgvoodoo. No idea how to fix it. I just know that the older versions of EAW use glide 2.43. You could try the nglide wrapper for winXP instead, I belive older versions support winxp, but not the newer versions or keep setting different settings in dgvoodoo one at a time to see if you can find the right cure. BTW The MPS globe at the begining you can skip with ESC key Also remember that everything but the flight screen uses DirectX/DD, this includes the globe and menu screens. EDIT: Try a different resolution too in the games eaw.ini, maybe 800x600. It seems your using 640x480 right now, that would provide the 2D cockpits, try to up the res and stick with the 3D Virtual Cockpits(they are less detailed), and see if that cleans up the faulty glide.

naw, not a lost cause. You would need to stick with the patched stock version 1.2, no GOG/Steam if possiable....why? well they have their own directdraw wrapper, and if the related DX dll is not present, those types of eaw.exe's won't run correctly. WinXP even Vista isn't listed as supported by the Gog/Steam type of eaw.exe. You may get a black screen and become stuck in EAW. You'll have to swapp program windows or task view the processes, or sign out of windows to close the open window down. If you had a decent GPU I would recommend the GOG/Steam versions as its easy to configure winxp for the game, but for you, you have to fool your winxp system in thinking you have a better GPU. (than the older Intel one). Off hand it maybe DxWnd that does just that. I can't recall right now. I know one of them has its own video card subsitute, or even a geforce card. The same wrapper may have a basic eaw config file already setup to load into the wrapper program. Make a new folder called EAW12 and place all the files for that version in a folder on a 2nd drive or someplace like C:/Microprose/EAW12/ You may also have some silly reg entries that winxp has created, those could be cleanned out. I have info on my site for that. or use CCleaner reg cleaner to do it. (expecially if you been moving stuff around alot) Once you have MPS EAW v1.2 working you can copy that folder and drop in EAWPRO or other unofficial versions into the new folder. I have I think about 5 installs of the game for an example. Anyhow https://eaw.neocities.org thats my site URL if you need it :) Someone does if there not logged into the forum :o)

Aw geez. You are having many issues that are not common. This T one is another new one to me. :( Does the DxWnd work with WinXP properly? I don't seem to have that in my link description for it. Maybe thats part of the problem??? IDK

Thats great! I feel better, glad you persited and didn't give up completly. Have fun.

Hmm, I don't think my instructions included DDrw primary as a checked item....odd. Anyhow...... Usually a CTD after returning from flight is returning from a Campaign and the Movies try to play. Is your MOVIES.CDF in the game folder small, like 1kb or 233 megs? Should be small or "empty" to avoid that paticulur crash. Maybe the saved missions are corrupted or read only. However I never did experience that one.

Hmmm, your on WinXP and a Intel GPU.....thinking..... You might want to try a diffent wrapper. The menu screens use DX/DD, the flight screen uses DX or Glide. Your using a good Glide Wrapper, I like it for EAW, since it restores fog and terrain shimmer is reduced. This outputs to OpenGL with your system aperently has. Anyhow its the Intel GPU causing the problems. It sucks with DX, even wrapped. Might need something like DXWND to get it to support virtual video card outputs APIs on WinXP, like openglide does to openGL. Right now I can't remeber which one it is. I'm think all or most of the wrappers up convert to either DX8 or DX9..so I'm not sure. I know some people have gotten EAW to run with Intel GPUs with Wrappers, so its not a lost case. Try the GOG version, the eaw.exe has been modified, it comes with a GOG Wrapper for DX, it wont run without but you may have more luck on WinXP/Intel chip that way. Run EAW in Glide mode with openglide(or the included nGlide) and see if the the GOG wrapper will work for the menu screens. Hopefully freeing you to use the glide wrapper.

eh. Yeah I never did try to get two foriegn wrappers to work. (Windows 10 displays the DX menu screens perfectly but your on Intel GPU so forget that)). Someone else here may have used two different wrappers. All I can say is use the English version of the D3DWrapper1.88 D3DWindower 1.88 - (menopem, NamelessVoice) - http://www.fileplanet.com/198137/190000/fileinfo/D3DWindower-English-version/ It might be on my mediafire account also. So maybe use the D3D mode (its in the EAW.INI file, open with notepad) for EAW and the wrapper normally takes care of the menu screens and the flight screen (the screen you fly in). or possiable drop the openGLide in the EAW folder (make sure to set Glide in the EAW.INI) and launch with the D3DWrapper. I've heard of the toolbar showing up, the D3DWrapper does have a setting for window mode or full screen. But with Nvidia there video drivers allow for full screen or two bars on the side of the screen. I belive I have written about that on my site. I know your using Intel though. Keep posting what happens and I'll see if I can investiage further. :)

Yup, they couldn't fix it or fit in TCP/IP after they updated to DX7 apperently with brute force. Their eaw.exe is patched. Anyway you can still use IPX online, not sure how well the IPX will handle, but connections are faster these days.