The FFED3D Thread

[fasnoon]

FFE D3D - Icons/Scanner Issue

Hello.

Could someone please help me out...?

I am running a HP laptop 2.4 Mhz at 1280 x 800 NVIDA GFORCE 8400 and I am having problems with the display icons. I have tried turing off the Aero etc and changing the config file as well as changing the display modes to different sizes as well as trying multiple different things with different variables. The Icons dont seem ever come. HOWEVER, there was one time when either I installed a patch or something the icons came but you had to click lower then they actually were. Somehow I kept messing with the patches, installs etc... and actuallt came to a stage where the icons were working perfectly, but the scanner was not there... it had big grey buldge (bubble) instead of the scanner... and you cant play the game without the scanner can you?

So I am back to the stage where I reinstalled the game with the non-existant icons. can anyone help me out here?

Fas

 

[Steve]

From what you describe, it may be a corrupt download that's causing the problem. If you re-download from the same site then you'll get the same problem again.

I downloaded the main file and patches from Elite Games Russia and I've never had a problem. The only drawback is that you'll have to download all the new ships and scenery one by one, as they're not included as they are in the all-encompassing downloads elsewhere.

 

[DraQ]

If everything else fails, you can always use bare JJFFE.

Also, playing without scanner is possible (not that I would recommend it), especially if you have, otherwise useless, combat computer.

 

[Geraldine]

I got FFE3D (now updated) from here
http://www.spacesimcentral.com/downloads.php?cat=37

It comes in either one big download or in 4 parts.

I had problems with getting downloads from the Russian site

 

[potsmoke66]

seems like any resolution with a lower vertical resolution than 1024 won't work
i experienced that when i set windowed res. to diff. val. while checking for possible values, so if your screen only supports nx800, sorry. the "fogged" scanner sphere could be a translucency issiue from graphic card or open GL, v2 is vital it runs on older but very slow and icons will never appear.
if evereything fails use jjffe of course or glffe"nic" (glffe needs opengl 2 too, nic's mod runs even on 1 as i remember).
glffe got original graphics only in a somewhat higher resolution try, it's nice i play it often, both works well with Wherz buffet (jjffe object & status editor).
or use dos-box and use original ffe, i like that much because you can play ffe on a bigger resolution without blur (unlike jjffe), or set a specific "mame" like "enhancement" to the output (i.e. scanlines) if you like that, or make little replay movies of your game with it.

 

[Ril]

Works in Vista too

fixed this problem in win 7 64, it is a bit long winded but was worth it in the end,

1)Go to to device manager
2) open up keyboards
3) keyboards right click on the Microsoft ehome items ( repeat for each - there were 3 in my case),
4)click 'update driver software'
5)click 'browse computer for software'
6)click 'let me pick from a list of drivers'
7)select HID compliant device, (it dosent seem to work of HID compliant keyboard for some reason)
8)click next

once i had did this this to the three entries, the right shift key started working. Seemed to fix ht eright shift key issue in dosbox as well

Hope this helps

Worked for me thanks

 

[scowie]

I dont get HUD icons if I try playing in a window. Do you still not get them in fullscreen mode? (fullscreen=1 in ffed3d.cfg)

 

[scowie]

I suspect the cause of this problem is your laptop not distinguishing between left and right Shift keys. An alternative solution may be to use a program called AutoHotKey to bind another key to Right-Shift when running FFED3D. To do this, install the program, then create and run an ahk script with the lines:

#IfWinActive ahk_class FFED3D
Ctrl::RShift
#IfWinActive

or replace Ctrl with some other key

 

[OzFalcon]

Requires Confirmation

I have noticed FFE D3D "seems" to run better when you replace the music.mp3 files with (your own custom) .midi files.

Perhaps it's my low spec PC (2.4ghz 1gb ram/onboard intel video). WinXP and klite codec package installed.

Anyone else confirm this?

 

[Steve O B Have]

I have noticed FFE D3D "seems" to run better when you replace the music.mp3 files with (your own custom) .midi files.

Perhaps it's my low spec PC (2.4ghz 1gb ram/onboard intel video). WinXP and klite codec package installed.

Anyone else confirm this?

LOL time for an upgrade my friend It really shouldn't impact a modern PC.

 

[turwhitt]

To be fair, compared to the systems that Frontier was desgined to be played on, that is a supercomputer!

 

[OneoftheLost]

I wanted to personally thank you for this. I recently tried JJFFE on a windows system. The netbook may have been the cause, but during my playtesting, I found numerous glitches. (The inability to view the map due to graphical 'tearing') So I had reverted to Oolite. It also ran choppily, and combat was unplayable.

After purchasing my macbook (White-unibody) I had given up on a decent space sim (Besides Oolite) and hadn't given it a second thought. Finding a post on the Oolite forums, I gave your newest version a try, and was pleasantly impressed.

No graphical issues, and nothing software wise that I can find issues with. In fact all of my problems have been simple operator error.

I also don't have access to a numberpad. (Macbook don't seem to have them, or an alternate keyset with them.) So manual control is impossible. Will that be an issue?

Anyway, all of these issues (as well as several others) are best left for another thread. I am very impressed with your port, and am having more fun playing this, then X3TC (Which I paid about 30 for... >.<)

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to create, and more importantly, RELEASE this to us.

*EIDT*

I take that back. There is ONE little niggle which may just be JJFFE, the game seems to crash to desktop pretty randomly when loading. Sometimes it works.. sometimes it doesn't.

 

[potsmoke66]

3 eagles in ffed3d

solution:
hack ffed3d at address 0x104298 and adress 0x104324 (val. 02EE, EE02 for the braindead machine), enter 0000. now the calling for the submodel "eagle long range" (object #23) is erased and you can put the proper eagles into their folders (24 and 25 as well as 23). this can be expandet for shure to evade other problems of multiple model use in original frontier or to program new ones too.

 

[Geraldine]

Hi Potsmoke
Thanks! I will try that , after backing up my exe beforehand

 

[potsmoke66]

yep, btw i will upload a edited "hooper fixed" exe as soon as i have one ready to use for the existing models in ffed3d (correct posl. and thruster positions and submodel issues).i think the use of ecm, scanner submodel and even label command can be fixed for each model. further it would be cool to have for most ships full manual control, but i'm not shure at this point if it can be solved.
i'm up to and will compare data of adder (limited manual control) and viper (full manual control) maybe i find a hook.
this will be a heavy hack and destroy most of the original ship models of ffe, so if you export them later through ffed3d they will look weird i think, but for ffed3d it doesn't matter, because you won't see them.

theonis if you are out here, tell me can textures be randomized?

 

[Geraldine]

further it would be cool to have for most ships full manual control, but i'm not shure at this point if it can be solved.
i'm up to and will compare data of adder (limited manual control) and viper (full manual control) maybe i find a hook.

Hi potsmoke
Yes I will look forward to your fixed exe. Great work there!
Now wait a minute, are you saying it might be possible to turn off all the flight "aids" in FFE and make the flight model the same as Elite 2? That would be simply brilliant if you could.

 

[potsmoke66]

i can't promise and might need a little help. i'm not shure what you mean by elite2 controls? only wired as i remember, explain please, manual control with numpad is new to me since ffe (but maybe i'm wrong and simply didn't know there is). anyway, yes some problems with controls for old fe2 players, no longer turn around and accelerate full to break in wired mode only manual, i'm not satisfied with it (to me it makes no sense to see my thrusters working fully in one direction without any effect). and my 8 on the numpad is allready pushed through the board. (it's not true i use my dual analog pad for ffe, second stick for manual flight)

 

[Geraldine]

Hi Potsmoke
Ah, I see the confusion. I was referring to the way FFE automatically turns off the thrusters when in combat mode. I preferred being able to do this by myself as you did in FE2. For example a bombing mission, I would fly directly over the target in "full wired" manual mode, switch off all thrusters "engines off non wired manual mode" and let the gravity of the planet pull me down toward the surface. Timed correctly, I found this a good evasive tactic. When reaching my desired altitude, I release the nuke, turn around and full burn back out the gravity well on wired manual mode. What you are referring to (I think) is the ability to control each of the thrusters via the numpad key. Is that right?
As for using a joypad for Elite? Heresy!

 

[potsmoke66]

i think i have to change it a little else cause all submodels incl. engines are gone now right?

 

[potsmoke66]

joystick becomes very handy if you face 3 or more attackers, you will be able to "switch" from one to the other not to get tracked by one of his wingmen, mouse use mostly for sharp shooting on a single enemy. additional you can setup different modes for battle or nav. & assign a toggle button, but funny since i play ffe more often than fe2 i use the mouse heavier. but it depends on the situation i'm in (mostly dangerous and tracked by all kind of assasins & pirates, reputation is important ).

btw. i can't offer a better eagle fix by now, because i can alter commands in the model easely but if i remove or add jjffe won't understand.
but there is still the possibilyty to rework the eagles like i described on ssc, doesn't needs much experience with cad progs, just remove some parts, change some skins and feel comfortable with the situation that the longrange looks afterwards like a mk2 and vice versa (due to the fact that you have to overlay the models for the "tanks" and the first model has to have the smallest tanks, which is mk2). maybe i upload my roughly altered eagles, even if i thought i don't want to post a rework of a model that is not mine (i killed them by near), i'm shure someone could do it better.

issues of the described hack:
loose of all commands and submodels related to the mesh, which means no posl., thrusters, cockpit, pilot and undercarriage (ok cockpit, pilot and UC we can forget, we don't need in ffed3d, this is something that can be fixed).
loose of extra data (what's ever in it)
keeps ships specs, so the ship is still flyable even if you see no thruster flames

issues of reworked eagles:
not much, only you will have like original ffe, just one body for the eagle, only skins and the "tanks" changes.