MoroseTroll

I wonder how many DX9-cards are really in use by TDM-fans... It seems to me that almost everyone of them has at least DX10-cards, and many - even DX11-cards. I must agree with you that the maintaining DX9-compatibility of TDM is still important, but I hope after one year it won't. I wish I would see some kind of an automatic hardware survey like the Steam's one...As for the next update of TDM: of course, there is no doubt that you, guys, have a lots of work. Maybe in the next one?

STiFU: Of course, I know about the artefacts of DXT-compressed normals, but please look at this phrase from the article I've mentioned above: Does it mean that DXT5nm format is more-less suitable for many today's games? I think, yes. So why not try to use it in TDM? Yes, I know that DXT5-compressed normals are not accepted by the engine's "addnormals" instruction, but how much of these instructions are in use? I've counted two, maybe three dozens of them in TDM, so I think there won't be so big problem to replace all the normals used in "addnormals" instructions to their final results using Blender or whatever. BTW, do you know that another Doom 3 mod, named Ruiner, is doing that way (I mean it doesn't use "addnormals" at all)?Moreover, Ignacio Castaño, nVidia, states that he have drastically improved a quality of his offline DXT-compressor, including DXT5nm. So I hope that modern DXT5nm-compression is little better than you say - just look the charts with PSNR. 7upMan: Why are you thinking that somebody here, at TDM Forum, or at DarkFate forum, is using GeForce 4MX? That's ridiculous! Most of the DarkFate members I know are using DX10-hardware and even newer. Well, somebody is using DX9-hardware - Radeon 9800 & X1950, but even these GPUs are way too faster than GeForce 4MX. Yes, someone is using notebooks and even netbooks with shitty Intel integrated video, but, AFAIK, as a second or even third PC. Playing Doom 3 on such a crap is a big problem, not alone TDM.

Noisycricket: STALKER and Metro 2033 have been developed in Ukraine, Operation Flashpoint - in Czech Republic.

Well, I'm working in Assembler, but I'm definitely not a graphics guru. Really! The changes I've made in Doom3.exe are very simple - in fact, they are way too simpler than WideScreenMod for Dark Engine or DDFix. So, does some want to experiment with my hacked Doom3 executables? Or should I visit Doom3World.org?

7upMan: AFAIK, 3Dc "ATI2" format has the same memory footprint as DXT5, 128 bits (16 bytes) for 4x4 block of texels. The only benefit of ATI2 comparing with DXT5_nm is much higher quality compression. ATI2 contains two components: X, Y. 3Dc+ "ATI1" format has the same memory footprint as DXT1, 64 bits (8 bytes) for 4x4 texels. This format is perfect for shadowmaps, HDR maps and any other one-component textures. nbohr1more: Yes, 3Dc is supported by hardware but only by DX10-compatible one and higher, i.e. pre-DX10 graphics cards don't support it, at least in OpenGL . So, in order to use 3Dc, the user must have a DX10- or DX11-compatible hardware. Otherwise, normals should be converted in DXT5_nm (ideal case) or even stored uncompressed (worst case). Tels: Like I said, I've changed just 364 bytes in Doom3.exe. What exactly have I done? I've patched every routine I can find which operates DXT1/DXT3/DXT5/RxGB textures in order to introduce ATI1&ATI2 with them. Of course, this work has been done in assembler, so if you want to know what exactly I have changed, just view the patched fragments in some disassembler or debugger. Can this patch be performed without modifying the exe-file, i.e. on the fly, by modifying exe's image in RAM? I don't know, because I haven't done something like this before. But is it a real problem? I think that the end user would agree to patch the exe-file in order to run TDM if this patch would give him/her a better game experience by faster loading, quicker and smoother fps.

Guys, I've changed just 364 bytes in Doom3.exe (you can use "fc /b Doom3.exe Doom3_LATC.exe" to find the difference), so there is absolutely no difficulties for me to create some sort of tiny patcher. But before this, I must be assured that I've made the right thing and that 3Dc really works in Doom 3. If I've made some shit in my hack, then TDM Team can ask id Software to release an unofficial Doom 3 patch (with 3Dc support) just for the Doom 3 mod community or even especially for TDM. But this is just a some kind of little dream. All I want to know is whether my hack does work or does not, and I beg you please, anybody who is interested in this matter, to test it.

Well, I've made some hacks on Doom3.exe in order to "convince" it to support 3Dc format (ATI1/BC4 and ATI2/BC5). Of course, all other texture formats still should work as well. I must admit that I haven't try these hacked Doom 3 executables with 3Dc normals, but I've ran both Doom 3 and TDM with these hacked executables, and everything seems was ok. Does anyone want to try? If yes, please notice that my archive consists of two executables: Doom3_LATC.exe and Doom3_RGTC.exe. Jean Michiel Paul van Waveren, id Software, and Ignacio Castaño, nVidia, think that LATC is more convenient than RGTC in some cases, so I provide both versions: LATC and RGTC. I must warn you: there is no warranty that my executables will work as it should, so use it on your own risk.

7upMan: That's right, "CAIS 0" switches Catalyst AI off. I must admit that there is a flaw on my side - the utility itself does work as it should, but bat-file doesn't . I think I should try to incorporate the CAIS code directly into the TDM Launcher. Until then, I think CAIS is nearly as worthless.

Tels: I'm glad to read that ! BTW, what do you think about my workaround for Catalyst AI? Can it be implemented into TDM as well? It's just a dozen of lines .

Ok . So, TDM Team, what would say about the official CC implementation?

So, how do you think, have ndk made his work the agreeable way? You see, my point is: the sooner TDM will support the CC feature, the sooner I can translate some best TDM FMs into Russian. The sooner I can translate some best TDM FMs, the sooner the Russian-speaking community may change its mind . Of course, some of them can play English versions of FM, but the Russian ones are preferable, I guess.

Extract CAIS.exe into your TDM's folder and create this simple TDM.bat file: CAIS 1 tdmlauncher CAIS 2The first line is switching Catalyst AI to Low (in my case it's well enough to run TDM). The third line is switching Catalyst AI to High, thus allowing all other games to work at full speed. Then all you need is to create a shortcut to this bat-file and use it to run TDM.

AFAIK, it is difficult enough to implement Unicode/UTF8 in Doom 3 without its source. So, in case of Cyrillic characters, I think we just will try to adapt some Cyrillic fonts from Russian version of Doom 3. But firstly we'd like to see the CC support in the official TDM release .

I'd like to test my utility on every available Windows version, because I'm not sure that it will work on them. After this, you guys can just implement my code into TDM as an option for Radeon users, if you wish. I think it would be nice to help them get rid of switching Catalyst AI from High to Low or even Off every time they want to play TDM. Of course, some Radeon users have just set it to Off, but in this case all other games suffer in performance.

ungoliant: I'm here, and talking with you, guys. ndk is here too. We are both interested in TDM, especially in the CC support.

Double posting. Sorry .

Well, here is my Catalyst AI Switcher (including source). As you can see from its name, this pretty simple utility switches Catalyst AI with three values: 0 (Off), 1 (Low), 2 (High). I've tested it with my Radeon HD 4770 + Catalyst 10.11 + Windows XP SP2. So, if you want, you can use the utility itself or its source to implement a workaround in TDM for Radeon users.

C'mon guys, please relax. Yes, I must admit that some of the DarkFate members are, say, old-fashioned, but this is because they very do love Thief 1&2&3, not because they hate TDM. So please don't treat them as TDM-haters, they're just Thief 1&2&3 fans .

Well, I've joined the DarkFate.ru forum at 2006, and practically at that moment I've known about TDM project.

So, why not to use it? Of course I understand that, first of all, this feature should be integrated into TDM officially, otherwise there will be no reason to use it at all...

Nice news! I'm waiting for this mod.

Fidcal: Games are very complicated these days. Do you remember that Assassin's Creed 2 had a team of 450 people? Call of Duty: Black Ops has about 300 people in its team. So Thief 4's "95 to 150" team is just a medium one.

ndk: What about another file hosting service, like www.sendspace.com or something else?

Well, it seems that Thief 4 won't use Crystal Dynamics Engine (thanks to clearing for this URL). Unreal Engine 3, I suppose? If so, then there will be a weak hope that Eidos will someday release an editor for Thief 4.

Chiron: I'm glad to read that . LEGION: Just look at the first post of this thread - there you will find the URL.