Need the function/ procedure name for HL2's video pathing

[Kiwi]

A couple of members suggested that even this type of question is likely to get better responses here, so a moderator can lock the thread I'd tried this with previously in the other HL2 forum.

I wanted to run a search for mentions of the automatic pathing/ scaling/ whatever it is that adjusts the game graphics to match to the relative capability of the video hardware. From there, I wanted to try to find out how big of a deal it is to include that sort of capability in animated 3D programs, such as games with engines of their own, as opposed to Source.

(If source is special in that regard, that also would be a good thing to know.)

I plucked off an eMail address from the topmost stickied thread in the General HL2 forum to see if "Rick E" was still with Valve, and could answer some part of this, but that eMail address is now a dead end.

But I don't even know (any more; I'm assuming that when I've read about it before, the authors didn't say whatchamacallit, or thingamajig, or whatsitsname, but my leaky memory allowed whatever it's called to slip away) what Valve's name for it is.
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[mindless_moder]

im not entirely sure about how hl2 does it but i think you need to just probe the machine with a few hardware specific calls and then catch any exceptions that are thrown by those calls to determine what the computer can and can not do for example trying a dx9 specific call and then catching any errors produced by it, either that or there must be a way of determining the specs from dxdiag.after you have that info you call your methods that set your game's config appropriately. well thats how i would do it , but then again i have a very limited understanding of game development and the methods they use to scan your hardware. if you want to learn more about it you should look into the Dx Sdk.

 

[Kiwi]

Their publicity back in 2005 made a lot of mention of the function back before HL2's delays began, especially as it regarded the nVidia-specific odd pixel shaders in their FX series, that caused them to run MS Dx9's SM 2 so slowly.

The end point I want to go toward is the decrease in performance capability of the average new PC, as more and more are sold with no dedicated video, only the onboard chips. A ton of the owners shackled with such crude video are out there, and many are pinch penny types, who won't spend much at all to remedy their situation, and would rather spend a bunch more on a console instead.

Laptops are the biggest contribution to the dilution, of course.

 

[mindless_moder]

maybe this is what you're looking for
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/li...rectx.direct3d.manager.checkdeviceformat.aspx
i found it on http://gamedev.net in this thread http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/topic.asp?topic_id=445350 you should try posting your question on their forums, their community is better suited for game development related questions.