73 replies to this topic

[destruk]

With VP9 - it looks like the Hardware Render box is only acted on when the table is loaded into the editor. You have a couple of options if you load a table and the graphics are missing, or faded, or look strange.

You can check or uncheck the hardware render box on the properties pane of the table view - then save the table, then close the table and reopen it.
You can add a key to the windows registry to change and set the default preference of the checkbox for any table you load on the pc. To do this, run regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Visual Pinball\Player and add a "New DWORD VALUE", name it "HardwareRender". Then right click it, modify the value to 1 for On, or 0 for off. With that key present, vp9.x will select or unselect the hardware render box by default every time you load any table with it.

With or without the key in the registry, the status of the checkbox is saved with any table you save, and that saved value is used on a table by table basis if the registry key isn't available.

If you don't want to add the key manually, you can use the attached file to do it for you - this will ONLY add that one key, with that one setting without changing anything else, and will have absolutely no impact on any other VP versions on your system except for the 9.x ones.

Hardware Rendering does look much better than software rendering IMO - it gets rid of the gray box around the ball image, allows you to use transparency on ramps, smooths and refines side wall images, and a bunch of other nifty stuff. It was always on for me, so I didn't notice any issues before.

I would like to thank Noah for his help getting this tracked down last night.

[rossicomputers]

Destruk, How came after run your registry
i was be able to run Vp8 tables like twilightzone , GNR, etc...

Wasn't able before..

What you did with this registry....?

Edited by rossicomputers, 25 February 2009 - 01:19 AM.

[destruk]

Destruk, How came after run your registry
i was be able to run Vp8 tables like twilightzone , GNR, etc...

Wasn't able before..

What you did with this registry....?

You must mean with VP9? All this does is enables VP9.x to use your video card itself rather than doing it all through software.

[rossicomputers]

Very nice done Destruk..


You are the Best...!!!

Really thankfull for all your job...

[Bob5453]

Thanks, I ran the file and that got rid of the shadow box around my ball in VP9. I noticed the ball roll decals were missing on the table I tried in VP 9, is that a bug?

[destruk]

Thanks, I ran the file and that got rid of the shadow box around my ball in VP9. I noticed the ball roll decals were missing on the table I tried in VP 9, is that a bug?

Yeah Bob, all vp9 exe's available don't have ball roll decals rendered. They work in the one I'm working on.

[FDSystems]

Destuk, i have used your fix http://vpforums.org/...a...post&id=360 but now my tables look like this:

Beside this it seems that I cannot uncheck the "hardware rendering box" in the editor (VP9)

What do I do now??

Sorry if this is a dummie question.

Edited by 1234fd, 25 February 2009 - 08:35 PM.

[Mr. Pacman]

WOW!!! Thank you Destruk! From a quick try, it seems that it works! No black surfaces for me with Hardware rendering on saved in the table. THANKS!!!

[SunWizard]

Destuk, i have used your fix http://vpforums.org/...a...post&id=360 but now my tables look like this:

Beside this it seems that I cannot uncheck the "hardware rendering box" in the editor (VP9)

What do I do now??

His file turns hardware rendering always on. This is why you can't uncheck the box anymore. Thats the wrong thing to do on a PC that can't handle hardware rendering, which from your pics it appears is your problem. Here is the same file with a version to make it always on or off , which you can try.
 VP9_Hardware_Render_Key.zip   601bytes   685 downloads

Note that destruk's hardware rendering always on fix above should only be run after you have tried many tables with VP9, and enabled the hardware rendering box, saved the table, close the table and re-load and play, and confirmed that it works, and you really want hardware rendering to be always on. This might be a good warning to put into the initial post.

Also, hardware rendering isn't the only thing that causes Missing graphics/textures/white images, I have run into a whole list of things that cause it, and a list of fixes in this thread:
VP9, You get error: Could not create offscreen Surface? or missing parts? here is the fix

Hardware Rendering does look much better than software rendering IMO - it gets rid of the gray box around the ball image, allows you to use transparency on ramps, smooths and refines side wall images, and a bunch of other nifty stuff.

I can't use hardware rendering on any of my 3 PCs, and none of them have any of the problems you listed, I have dozens of tables all working great in VP9. I like the transparency on ramps and have used it on many. Strange?

Edited by SunWizard, 25 February 2009 - 09:34 PM.

[lonnie]

With VP9 - it looks like the Hardware Render box is only acted on when the table is loaded into the editor. You have a couple of options if you load a table and the graphics are missing, or faded, or look strange.

You can check or uncheck the hardware render box on the properties pane of the table view - then save the table, then close the table and reopen it.
You can add a key to the windows registry to change and set the default preference of the checkbox for any table you load on the pc. To do this, run regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Visual Pinball\Player and add a "New DWORD VALUE", name it "HardwareRender". Then right click it, modify the value to 1 for On, or 0 for off. With that key present, vp9.x will select or unselect the hardware render box by default every time you load any table with it.

With or without the key in the registry, the status of the checkbox is saved with any table you save, and that saved value is used on a table by table basis if the registry key isn't available.

If you don't want to add the key manually, you can use the attached file to do it for you - this will ONLY add that one key, with that one setting without changing anything else, and will have absolutely no impact on any other VP versions on your system except for the 9.x ones.

Hardware Rendering does look much better than software rendering IMO - it gets rid of the gray box around the ball image, allows you to use transparency on ramps, smooths and refines side wall images, and a bunch of other nifty stuff. It was always on for me, so I didn't notice any issues before.

I would like to thank Noah for his help getting this tracked down last night.

I have problems with vp9 missing or dotted graphics on flippers. Example 16:9 Agent 777 if I turn on hardware render table looks fine including the flippers however back glass is washed out looks like white plastic sheet over back glass with graphics shows lightly behind this white sheet. If I turn off arcade render table flippers are dotted except when I push flipper button in up position they render correctly in resting position is where problem is and the back glass show great in second monitor. Any idea why this might happen? I have intell duo core 2 gb ram and ATI Radeon 3600 series. Some other tables have this effect also but not all. I have tried many diffent settings but not luck. Could resolution of backglass cause this problem? Do I need to chnge to 1024 x1024 ?

Thanks

[destruk]

That's weird SunWizard, yes. Guess it comes down to the drivers or video card as to which effects will work and which won't.

[bha19]

Alien poker did not work before and now it does. Thanks Destruk.

bha19

[xzotic]

I have problems with vp9 missing or dotted graphics on flippers. Example 16:9 Agent 777 if I turn on hardware render table looks fine including the flippers however back glass is washed out looks like white plastic sheet over back glass with graphics shows lightly behind this white sheet. If I turn off arcade render table flippers are dotted except when I push flipper button in up position they render correctly in resting position is where problem is and the back glass show great in second monitor. Any idea why this might happen? I have intell duo core 2 gb ram and ATI Radeon 3600 series. Some other tables have this effect also but not all. I have tried many diffent settings but not luck. Could resolution of backglass cause this problem? Do I need to chnge to 1024 x1024 ?

Thanks

Its a problem with vp 9.x compatibility with the ATI drivers. I have the same problem (Dots across flippers)...but shows fine on my non ATI card pc.

[seeker]

Hi,

I use an ATI Radeon 1950pro and have installed the latest DirextX 9c on WinXP.
After activating the Hardware Rendering I get the two attached errors.
After that VP9 exits.

Without the activation, there are not any problems.

Does anybody know how to solve this issue?

It is really a pain with these ATI cards... *grrr*
But on the other hand there are good features, too (beside VP).

cu
seeker

Attached Files

•  vperror1.png   3.32KB   91 downloads
•  vperror2.png   3.19KB   57 downloads

[FDSystems]

His file turns hardware rendering always on. This is why you can't uncheck the box anymore. Thats the wrong thing to do on a PC that can't handle hardware rendering, which from your pics it appears is your problem. Here is the same file with a version to make it always on or off , which you can try.
 VP9_Hardware_Render_Key.zip   601bytes   685 downloads

Note that destruk's hardware rendering always on fix above should only be run after you have tried many tables with VP9, and enabled the hardware rendering box, saved the table, close the table and re-load and play, and confirmed that it works, and you really want hardware rendering to be always on. This might be a good warning to put into the initial post.

I can't use hardware rendering on any of my 3 PCs, and none of them have any of the problems you listed, I have dozens of tables all working great in VP9. I like the transparency on ramps and have used it on many. Strange?

I used your fix & now hardware rendering is always of.This has fixed the problem.
Cactus Canyon, The Who´s Tommy, Jungle Lord & Pinbot are playing perfectly & the problem with the grafics disapeared.
I´m using an ATI Radeon express 200 with XP/SP3.
One question though:
Is there a way I can go back to the original situation so that I would be again able to check/ uncheck "hardware rendering" manually in the VP9 editor?

THank you very much for your help.

[seeker]

Hi,

I have solved my problem.
I started up dxdiag.exe and found out that 3D-hardware-acceleration was deactivated.
This was because of problems with black boxes around of transparent bitmaps in VP with ATI-cards.

After turning on the accelleration again hardware rendering worked.
But unfortunately the graphics get very choppy and slow!
Thus, it is unplayable with hardware rendering on my ATI-card.
turning off ==> the game works fine (but without the advantages of hardware rendering)

Especially I tried this on JPSalas Medieval Madness (5.11 and 1.12SE)

I use ATI Radeon 1950pro (think, it is really fast enough), Pentium 4 3.06 GHz, 1.5 GB RAM and WinXP.

I did not think that this would be a problem.

Are there any solutions for this?

cu
seeker

Edited by seeker, 26 February 2009 - 02:16 PM.

[SunWizard]

Is there a way I can go back to the original situation so that I would be again able to check/ uncheck "hardware rendering" manually in the VP9 editor?

Yes I made another file that has an option to remove that key, get it here:
 VP9_Hardware_Render_Key.zip   887bytes   462 downloads

The trouble with that is you will need to go through all your VP9 tables and turn off hardware rendering and then save them.

Edited by SunWizard, 26 February 2009 - 03:14 PM.

[FDSystems]

Thank you very much.All Tables fine!
Only four for thetime being, so no great deal to make the adjustment manually when I get a new table.

[destruk]

Thanks SunWizard. I didn't know how to remove the key with a reg file - I just open regedit and delete it. The reg file you posted is easier.

[Liteuser]

Hardware Render Key On , works great here. Thanks for the reg file SunWizard.