REF vs. HAL (DX 8.1) [Resolved]

[NoteMe]

If you are using a function in DX with HAL, and the graphics card don't support it, will it then use REF in stead? Or will it crash? If it uses REF in stead, why is it then a possibility to use REF at all?

[BodwadUK]

REF should simulate all HAL stuff it is just dramatically slower. If it doesnt work in ref then it will probably return a number but carry on anyway. DirectX tends to skip any failed things without returning an error message

Failing that TRY IT

[NoteMe]

Hehe.....I have never used the return values of DX....are you sure it doesn't return an error. At least my books are telling me every function has the possebility to return errors. I just never catch them...

[BodwadUK]

When DX fails it returns a long (Or at least in my experiance) DX is made to function in REF and HAL at the same level. AKA if it is setup correctly it will work.

My code is so naff i have to trap the errors!!!!

[NoteMe]

OK...thanks for the tip...I will try it out and camme back later to the topic if encounter any problems...

[CornedBee]

I think REF is by default disabled, so as to rather fail than to make a slug app.
The idea behind REF is that you can use it to try out something without hardware support, not to actually use it. DX8 allows you to provide a software implementation of a feature yourself. Since you can be sloppy there it will be much faster than REF, which is tailored to accuracy instead of speed.

[NoteMe]

So no games are actually using REF to make more PCs compatible with the game at all. So the developers thinks that if the user doesn't have a graphics card that can handle the game they won't supprt it at all in the release version? Is that what you are trying to say?

[CornedBee]

No. Games usually check in advance if the feature they want is supported. If not, they just don't use it. This results in worse graphics, but at least the game is playable.

[NoteMe]

So they use REF so most users can use the game. So I should make functions in the game for users that don't have the graphics card that I wan't them to use.

[BodwadUK]

I have seen many games that allow the use of REF

Its best to force HAL unless you cant or make options for the user to change advanced settings.

What game you working on anyway??

[CornedBee]

Originally posted by NoteMe
So they use REF so most users can use the game. So I should make functions in the game for users that don't have the graphics card that I wan't them to use.

No, actually they degrade their graphics I think. That's what the D3DX Effects files are for.

[NoteMe]

But lots of the normal functions like making a surface or a texture are also made for HAL and REF, not only the special effects. They can't leave those out in the game. So to make a game be able to play for everyone with those functions they have to be made both by REF and HAL....(I must admitt that I hate this)...

[CornedBee]

But those functions are usually supported on every computer that runs current games, so there's no need for the REF there.

[NoteMe]

OK....I think that we will make the game only using HAL, it is only the first game we are making togheter so we are not going to make any fancy **** out of it anyway. And we have 10-15 persons that are willing to test it on medium to good computers. So if we get any response that some of the functions we are using is not working on the alpha version we will implement it before the "release" version.

Thanks for all your time and answers.

ØØ

[NoteMe]

For DX7 (DDraw surfaces):

'Settin up the surface
Dim sFly1r1 As DirectDrawSurface7
Dim sdFly1r1 As DDSURFACEDESC2
 
'load the bitmap into the surface
sdFly1r1.lFlags = DDSD_CAPS
    sdFly1r1.ddsCaps.lCaps = DDSCAPS_OFFSCREENPLAIN
    Set sFly1r1 = DD.CreateSurfaceFromFile("name.bmp", sdFly1r1)

Dim key As DDCOLORKEY
Dim ddpf As DDPIXELFORMAT
 
'The primary surface    
Primary.GetPixelFormat ddpf
 
'Geting the value og Magent 
key.low = ddpf.lRBitMask + ddpf.lBBitMask
key.high = ddpf.lRBitMask + ddpf.lBBitMask
 
'Telling that the trancparent color is Magent for this surface    
sFlue.SetColorKey DDCKEY_SRCBLT, key

'Blting the surface
Call BackBuffer.BltFast(100, 100, sFly1r1, rSprite1r1n1, DDBLTFAST_SRCCOLORKEY Or DDBLTFAST_WAIT)

The Blt part has a couple of parameters you canchange, but leave the two last ones with the Or in between alone.


Hope this helps...and hope it is DX7 you are using...

[BodwadUK]

[NoteMe]

Originally posted by BodwadUK

[Edit**** WRONG THREAD....[/edit]

[BodwadUK]

FOOL

[NoteMe]

Ohhh ****....I posted the DDraw code here too...:d...ok sorry....over and out...: