Graphical troubles on clean CF/FL install

There are 154 replies in this Thread. The last Post () by Martind Forlon.

    Hello everyone,


    After a few years without playing, I decided to buy Freelancer again (Trashed the disk playing) when I stumbled on Crossfire.
    I'm having a LOT of troubles to get it running properly even if I follow (To the letter, multiple times.) most of the advices I read here.


    To sum it up (Apologies for my probable mistakes, as english is not my native language), I encounter the same problems as this player and this one
    Plus blurry skybox (I don't remember it to be THIS ugly when I played years ago on the same screen resolution. Same happens on Vanilla.) :
    blurryskybox.png



    I followed every advice/guide I could find here to install CF, again to make it "short" :
    - Complete cleanup : uninstall/delete/CCleaner/reboots (all as admin, including the part in "my documents")
    - FL Reinstall, taking care of read-only, clean install of FLMM 1.3, clean install of CF 1.9 then activation (all as admin)
    - CF tweaking : CF full, CF with Compatibilty only, CF with Advanced off only, CF with Compatibility and Advanced Off
    - PerfOptions tweaking : 3D sound off, color to 32, depth to 24
    - Game tweaking : Performances bar tests, 3D sound off
    - Computer tweaking : Adding my card to flconfigdatabse.txt, shortcut with -dx, upgrading drivers



    I probably forgot some in my list but bare with me, I spend half my week-end on this, I'm getting a bit tired =/


    About my computer now :
    - Motherboard : ASUS Rampage IV Extreme
    - CPU : Intel Core i7 3960X - 3.30GHz
    - Memory : G.Skill Ripjaw X - 10600 - CAS9 (8*4Gb, 32Gb)
    - Graphic Card : Gainward GeForce GTX 680 Phantom - 4096 Mb (With 314.22 Nvidia Drivers)
    - Operating system : Windows 7 - Ultimate 64bit
    Omitted the HD, screen and such to keep it short and don't think it can matters anyway.


    Sorry for the information overload but I really want to play online with you guys ! So... Any ideas ?


    Thanks in advance =)

    Tried every "in-game" resolution from 800*600 to 1280*960 and 1920*1080 (Experienced horrible, horrible skybox and misplaced HUD)

    I actually solved this in another thread.


    What you do is, you open up your FL Shortcut, you go Properties. When the window appears, you'll see some lines, and one line going like this


    Code
    1. D:\Freelancer\EXE\Freelancer.exe


    Or wherever you put your FL Directory (CF)


    Now, you add something like this


    Code
    1. D:\Freelancer\EXE\Freelancer.exe -dx


    This allows it to run on a higher bitrate, which would be 32 instead of 16.
    "You may run into problems, because you'll probably have "" <- these in there. So, you'll have to tap space one time, then write -dx AFTER the quoting marks"


    Then, you find another resolution which would be like 800x600x32 or 1024x768x32 instead of 800x600x16 or 1024x768x16.

    Quote from [SOC]Lonewolf

    whats your actual problem? (sorry if i cant figure it out, im tired)

    No problem =)


    Sorry if I was unclear. As linked in my first message, I end up with my game looking like this (borrow some of the screens from the messages) :
    missing clothing textures.JPGmissing textures.JPGscreen1ji.jpgblurryskybox.pngcrappyspace.pngwhitesplosions.png


    Even with everything I tried (listed in the first post too), I can't get it to work properly.

    Quote from Zhe Boss

    D:\Freelancer\EXE\Freelancer.exe -dx

    In my first message I wrote that I already tried this (Both D:\Freelancer\EXE\Freelancer.exe -dx and "D:\Freelancer\EXE\Freelancer.exe" -dx ) and it didn't work :

    Quote from Kolfrad

    Computer tweaking : Adding my card to flconfigdatabse.txt, shortcut with -dx, upgrading drivers

    After reading your message though, I think something is wrong : When you say "800x600x32 or 1024x768x32 instead of 800x600x16 or 1024x768x16"
    Do you mean in the screen resolution box ? Because I don't have this kind of choice (Maybe I'm wrong since I haven't played in a while but, isn't it supposed to be a drop-down menu ? Because I can only use the little arrows to change the resolution) sadly.
    prefscreen.png

    Here's my GPU - Z
    gpuz.gif



    using "0x1180 = "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680"" (also tried with "0x1180 = "GeForce GTX 680"")


    Quote from Zhe Boss

    If you got TeamViewer, I'll help you with it. Add me on Skype (check my profile)

    I don't, but I can add you on Skype for faster communication if you are okay with it

    Hello Kolfrad.


    Please check your settings in F1 -> Options -> Performance tab, all sliders should be put to the right. The screenshots you posted above look very similar to what I had when running CF on an integrated GPU with "Old cards compatibility mode" selected during activation and the lowest graphic settings applied.


    - Wanderer -

    that is the correct data.


    Last one I can think of is your PerfOptions.ini ( \Documents\My Games\Freelancer ) and the last info should be like this:


    [Display]
    size= 1920, 1080
    color_bpp= 32
    depth_bpp= 24

    CF RP: Probably smuggling something or exploring the universe
    EM char: Event_Manager_Silverfox

    9248-cebc88b9.png

    But if you can't get the game and Graphic Card to work properly and automatically detect your natal/main monitor resolution, forcing the game like editing the PerfOptions.ini will also require editing the fonts.ini and cameras.ini file, to make text and panels and things look properly on your screen.


    There are threads on this forum which show what code to paste on there to edit them, but I don't really know which is the oney for 1920x1080, I could copy/paste the ones in my fonts and cameras ini files as everything looks right for me at 1080p.

    Chars: [CFPD]Michael~something (x25), [CFPD]~SQMS~{[(store)]} (x3), [CFPD]xfer, Event~Manager~Michael, StarfIier~EM~Michael, Event_Team_2, [GR]Michael[SP] and a blueprint of [CFPD]Sephirothis

    Quote from Wаnderer

    Please check your settings in F1 -> Options -> Performance tab, all sliders should be put to the right.

    Hello, I made sure they are (That's what I meant by "Performances bar tests") and I have no integrated GPU on my CPU so that is very wierd



    Quote from SilverFox

    Last one I can think of is your PerfOptions.ini

    Sadly, this is already how my PerfOptions end.



    Quote from Michael

    But if you can't get the game and Graphic Card to work properly and automatically detect your natal/main monitor resolution, forcing the game like editing the PerfOptions.ini will also require editing the fonts.ini and cameras.ini file, to make text and panels and things look properly on your screen.

    You are right, I completely forgot to redo the modifications after a few reinstallations so I'll do it now ! Thank you =) But I'm not entirely sure it will fix white textures and squared particles, I'll let you know.
    Oh by the way, I think it should be noted that the interface in 1920*1080 forced with the .ini didn't make the hud pannels look misplaced or out of the screen, wich is supposed to happen, right ?




    Overall, it feels like the game is running on "Software render" (Like the choice you had on older Microsoft games like Midtown Madness 2 ou Crimson Skies), not even trying to run with my GPU (Don't know if that's really the case but it does feel/look like it). And I experienced something strange, important I think : When I try to modify the resolution in the general panel, NOTHING happens. It might be the fact I edited it from the .ini but I could do it before (I checked again and everything, Including the "my documents" one, some read-only but everthing was "unlocked").
    Thanks everyone for helping me, this is a tough one !



    EDIT :


    After I switched to 1920*1080 and edited the cameras/font etc following a guide here how my game looks like (Kept the image at real size without JPEG compression so you can see better) :
    menu.pngscreen10.pngscreen16.pngscreen19.pngscreen21.png
    You can see the interface is still off I think (Never really saw how it should look like but here it clearly look stretched) and the same troubles as before.

     LODchange.png
    Not CF related (I get this on Vanilla too), the LOD (If I'm correct, not really into 3D) is badly changing depending on the distance. Not supposed to happend if I trust the gameplay footage I saw around YT (and CF videos)


    The thing that is bothering me is the fact that, except the skybox (or spacebox, your call) and the LOD thing, everything else is working fine. I already tried to re-download and re-install CF on clean FLMM and FL, that's a no-go. I supposed my computer/game is responsible for the white/square troubles but I don't understand how...


    Can anyone show me a screenshot of their "General" panel please ?

    Edited 2 times, last by Kolfrad: Follow up + Screenshots addition ().

    Well, the menu sizes and such looks ok, not really stretched on those screenshots, on my monitor.


    Even though you say you got all settings maxed out, you, your game, uses minimal graphic settings, by what I see on how the HUD looks low def, the Planet is low def,etc, for some reason your settings are not on the right side as they should be, maxed out.


    If it's not the case that Crossfire was not started as Admin, and the change in video/graphic settings was not saved due to no rights (many games can't edit the settings on Win7-8 if they have no admin rights, not allowed, Running as Admin is not the same as clicking "Ok" on allowing the game to start), it's possible that the FLMM (FL Mod Manager) was not started as admin to edit all the needed files to activate Crossfire.


    Also, you have to keep the "Low graphic card compatibility" option Deactivated, when activating the mod, "Hight detail effects", "High Definition Background" and similar, on Activated.


    Also make sure that when you reinstall it once more, you totally delete everything related to Freelancer, including the "Freelancer" folder in "My Documents/My Games", a clean Freelancer install, then right clicking on the Freelancer folder at Program Data, the game's install folder, UNtick the box of "Read Only" (has to be empty) and click "Apply" first, and accept it to make the same change in every file inside, then "Ok" to close the window. Then starting FLMM as Administrator and doing the rest as said in our FAQ, index.php?page=FaqDetail&category=7#question12 . It should all be there.


    That about no Admin rights to FLMM or to CF itself should be the reason why it failed to add all the new textures and effects, so they are blank, same happens if there are files in the Freelancer folder that are set to "Read Only", for some reason, and don't get edited.


    Not really sure of what to think anymore, but when it works right, it has to be something like this:

    As you see, even the HUD, it doesn't have pixels/boxes, those appear on minimum settings. (image taken from moddb)



    I am not really sure what else could have went wrong, if nothing from above worked, try adding the -dx at the Shortcut to Freelancer.exe as said by others above, I never needed that or other edits on GTX 600 series though. But at least your graphic card works well, that is for sure.


    PS: Just in case, you could also Shut down the antivirus for the moments you activate/install CF, in case for some reason it blocks FLMM from changing stuff on your Freelancer install, on your PC. You never know O.o sometimes it corrupted people's installs by deleting some file, but that was in older CF versions as the encoding was not readable neither for the antiviruses.


    PS2: I uploaded 2 1920x1080 screenshots of how things and sizes should look, even though I use the Red and Blue HUD as I'm more used to the classic Hud style.
    One with fighter explosion, one with capital ship explosion(these are more complex, they explode a while, then a lot of pieces/chunks go flying around as if they were missiles):


    Chars: [CFPD]Michael~something (x25), [CFPD]~SQMS~{[(store)]} (x3), [CFPD]xfer, Event~Manager~Michael, StarfIier~EM~Michael, Event_Team_2, [GR]Michael[SP] and a blueprint of [CFPD]Sephirothis

    Edited 2 times, last by Michael: PS ().

    I'm back, took me a while (Work + Reinstallation) sorry.


    I tried everything you wrote (Shutted down Antivirus, Firewall, UAC is off since the begining, removed read-only, executed everything as admin, unblocked CF installer, -dx shorcut etc etc etc). I had some "results" :


    When I started the game, in the general pannel I could pick 1920*1080 (That's new, I had to use the .ini to do it before), still it is stuck with color/depth at 16 in the .ini
    Now using the red-blue interface (Looking much better than the gold one) the hud is nice and slick, no strange lines.


    For the rest (Crappy and white textures, square explosions), nothing changed sadly.


    main.pnggeneral.pngperfs.png


    (3D sounds are off)

    Here is my PerfOption.ini, maybe it can help...
    [expander]
    [PerfVersion]
    version=5
    SkipMachineWarnings=FALSE


    [PerfCount]
    count=36


    [PerfOptions]
    mouse_speed = 0.50
    gamma_ramp = 0.30
    DitherControl = 1.00
    MipFilterControlCallback = 0.00
    TurnSensitivity = 0.00
    generic_effect_perf = 1.00
    Nebula = 1.00
    SunEffect = 1.00
    Asteroids = 1.00
    space_dust_detail = 1.00
    star_sphere = 1.00
    AtmosphereMaterialConfig = 1.00
    HUDAnimConfig = 1.00
    level_of_detail = 1.00
    use_environment_maps = 1.00
    high_detail_textures = 1.00
    sound_max_dist_scale = 1.00
    sound_level_of_detail = 1.00
    USE_3D_SOUNDS = 0.00
    audio_music = 1.00
    audio_ambient = 1.00
    audio_sfx = 1.00
    audio_interface = 1.00
    audio_voice = 1.00
    rtc_performance = 1.00
    general_graphics = 1.00
    advanced_graphics = 1.00
    default_graphics = 1.00
    skip_transition_scripts = 1.00
    enable_tooltips = 1.00
    enable_rollover = 1.00
    cockpit = 1.00
    USE_DYNAMIC_COMM_HEAD = 1.00
    DIFFICULTY_SCALE = 1.00
    autohide_maneuver_bar = 0.00
    max_submitted_sounds = 1.00


    [Display]
    size= 1920, 1080
    color_bpp= 32
    depth_bpp= 24
    [/expander]


    I'm getting desperate, I won't be able to run the game again I fear...

    Dunno what the problem is, but your resolution in General section should be 1920 x 1080 x 32


    so i can only guess at
    - u have used msconfig to alter upstart
    - u have some dx error - use dxdiag to verify that
    - u have a disk error
    - u have activated Stereoskopic 3D in Nvidia panel
    - u have made a real bad 3D profile for Freelancer.exe (Nvidia Panel)
    - u have altered Freelancer shortcut compability from Windows XP SP3, deactivate visual themes, deactivate desktop... and Run as Administrator
    - u did put the "0x1180 = "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680"" in between the TNT cards - right
    Otherwise i dunno

    CF RP: Probably smuggling something or exploring the universe
    EM char: Event_Manager_Silverfox

    9248-cebc88b9.png

    Thank you for your reply SilverFox


    DXDiag reports no error, no Steroscopy activated, Panel is set on "Let the application handle..." (No edited profile for Freelancer either), tried with and without the compatibility options, GPU line added between/before/after (Not at the same time of course) TNT cards.


    I am running a CHKDSK and about Msconfig, it might be a clue to follow, thanks to you, as it is on "Selective Startup" with "Load system services" ticked, "Load startup items" hafl-ticked (Blue square) and "Use original boot configuration" not ticked. The only startup items unticked are Adobe update (One update a day ? Give me break Adobe !), Pando Media Booster and PivotSoftware (I don't know what it is but I'll try to re-enable it for my tests.). Services are all ticked.


    After my CHKDSK I will try to put it on Normal Startup and try everything again, I hope it will work...

    Did you delete the folder in My Games, in My Documents ?


    Anyway, you can also try using CCLeaner to clean up around (even though, to see any results you would have to reinstall, but no need for now.. until you get a better option), something is still blocking you from seeing the textures and such.

    Chars: [CFPD]Michael~something (x25), [CFPD]~SQMS~{[(store)]} (x3), [CFPD]xfer, Event~Manager~Michael, StarfIier~EM~Michael, Event_Team_2, [GR]Michael[SP] and a blueprint of [CFPD]Sephirothis