3danalyze and HL2

[ShmengeTravel]

Is it possible to use 3danalyze to emulate DX9 effects on older cards in HL2? I have a DX7 card that I'd like to emulate DX9 with, and I searched the interet for ways to set it up, and it seems to have worked, only once you change a setting, steam resets it.

In other words I've gotten 3danalyze to use DX9 features, only once the game launches, everything resets. Does anyone know how to emulate DX9 through the CPU? (for image purposes)

Thanks,
Shmenge

 

[lordbotulor]

I think i understand what you are talking about...
If I do, then make sure you click the checkbox "Enable hook dll". I think that makes it apply the settings every time you start up the game.

 

[ShmengeTravel]

force hook is checked, however let me explain further.

I force DX9 using 3danalyze, it starts in DX9. Then, when I go to change from the default DX7 graphics to the DX9 graphics (e.g. water reflect - all, etc.) the graphics reset, and im back in DX7 mode.

Any workarounds?

EDIT- I also have 3danalyze to force ID my graphics card as a 9800 Pro, but no success. Steam still picks it up as my DX7 card.

 

[FictiousWill]

When does steam look at the graphic card? At game load, or steam load?

 

[PvtRyan]

Errr... DX7 cards are incapable of pixelshaders, you'll never have pixelshaders with it. Not unless you'll run the software mode, which would make it a CPU issue rather than a GPU one.

 

[FictiousWill]

You're missing the point. Source won't try to perform the pixel shaders if it thinks the card can't do it. If he can fool source to think he has a dx9 card then source will happily send pixel shader data to it, which is actually the cpu-powered emulator in disguise! (muahaha)

 

[ShmengeTravel]

FictiousWill - you nailed it right on the head.

As far as I know other people with pre-DX9 cards are using 3danalyze to emulate DX9 effects, but naturally I can't figure out how to enable the effects. I'll run 3danalyze setup for DX9 software emulation, HL2 will run as DX9 but all on low detail. So I up the detail to Reflect All, and it re-initializes the game, causing it to lose the DX9 emulation and return to DX7 mode.

This is the loop im stuck in atm. Does anyone know a way around this? (And don't say, "yeah, get a DX9 video card you cheap bastard!" because I'm using a notebook.)

 

[SLH]

Try emailing one of the valve employees about it, they make have a console variable or something that'll get round the problem.


Presumably the high settings aren't selectable when steam thinks you've got a DX7 card then? Because otherwise couldn't you select them, and then go into 3danalyze to change the card.

There may be some console variables that are the settings, so you may be able to change them directly.