Sweet tweaking guide

[IGFs TopGun 1]

http://www.3dspotlight.com/tweaks/opflashpoint/index.shtml

If you go to page 6 there is a printer version

[ALDEGA 0]

hmm, that text doesn't have much that most people don't know already.

[Mister Frag 0]

Plus, some of the information there is just plain wrong.

For example, the suggestion to run in 16-bit mode will cause more problems than it will solve; the explanation of how memory is allocated between OFP and Windows is wrong; moving the Geometry Performance slider position to the right will generally give you lower performance in the game; the explanation of Auto Drop-Down is backwards (i.e. suggesting that people with lower-end systems try lower settings); the information on the maximum number of lights is wrong; and the section on textures is a cut-and-paste job (compare the text for Cockpit textures and Special Effects textures).

[IGFs TopGun 1]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (ALDEGA @ Mar. 19 2002,22:51)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">hmm, that text doesn't have much that most people don't know already.<span id='postcolor'>

well, over at the SIMHQ forum alot of this keeps getting brought up.

Regarding the 16 bit, w/my VD5 AGP I get better frame rates if I run it in 16 bit instead of the 32.

Still haven't figured out if Glide or 3D is better though.

[Mister Frag 0]

I'm not saying that using 16-bit mode won't increase frame rates, but it will also reduce the Z-buffer depth and cause clipping errors and rendering artifacts. Whenever you hear stories about people being able to see through their character's helmet in third-person view, for example, that is the reason.

With some video cards you can work around this to some extent using a W-buffer, which OFP now supports. But W-buffer biasing may also require tuning using a program such as NVMax.

Overall, if the card is fast enough to handle 32-bit mode, 16-bit mode isn't worth the hassle.

[theavonlady 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (IGFs TopGun @ Mar. 20 2002,21:03)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">well, over at the SIMHQ forum alot of this keeps getting brought up.<span id='postcolor'>

You can always just search The FAQ for "ofp tweak".

[DodgeME 0]

I think that the entire W-buffer option should be deleted. Tried several drivers on a GF3 and it gives me troubles like overall bad rendering and things pop-up in screen.

[Mister Frag 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (DodgeME @ Mar. 21 2002,04:55)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I think that the entire W-buffer option should be deleted. Tried several drivers on a GF3 and it gives me troubles like overall bad rendering and things pop-up in screen.<span id='postcolor'>

The W-buffer is a work-around for people who are forced to run 16-bit mode, because the later doesn't have the precision for proper clipping in scenes with a lot of depth.

This is also why I said that the W-buffer requires tuning using a program such as NVMax. I don't think the Detonator drivers even expose the settings in the Control Panel, but they can be changed nevertheless.

You basically have to tell the driver how the bits in the W-buffer are allocated to increasing distances -- if you want to avoid clipping problems with complex nearby objects such as other soldiers, you will probably wind up with roads or trees in the distance that appear and disappear. If you want to fix the later problem, you'll wind up with being able to see through a soldier's head or helmet.

Again, the W-buffer is an attempt to fix a problem that is most easily avoided by using a 32-bit video mode.