New Version 99H Released - BANDING BUG - Page 3

03-19-2001, 07:36 PM

Okay, did a bit more playing around. Apparantly in wireframe mode, sometimes the framerate is the same, and sometimes it isn't, about 50/50..."And the plot thickens"

03-19-2001, 07:37 PM

Win 2k sound loop bug is still as bad as ever. Any chance of getting this fixed? I have to resort to editing my registry to change fish. And you know it has to be a pretty serious glitch to lock win 2k up.

Jim Sachs · 03-19-2001, 08:42 PM

The DX8 version fixes this.

feldon34 · 03-19-2001, 09:07 PM

Swiftmon,

If your win2k locks up when you go to Settings, this is a sign of bad video drivers.

Check ReactorCritical.com. If you have nVidia drivers, try the 6.47 driver (6.50 is crap).

Shinsa · 03-19-2001, 09:36 PM

Hmmm... the only banding or artifacts I can see are on the puprle tang. Only they look more like slpotches than banding. There are small areas where the color is "normal" in the middle of this "artifact".

As for my PBT, he is VERY SMOOTH ^_^. I have looked VERY hard, and can not find another artifact or color band at all.

Excellent work! I especially like the fact that the program is not installed (or is it?) And can be executed from any location. Good on ya!

By the way, here's my system specs....

Athlon 600
FIC SD-11 motherboard
256 MB RAM
Voodoo3 3500
DX 8
Soundbalster Live Xgamer
17" Sony Trinitron monitor (oh so nice!)

Soon to upgrade to a Voodoo5 5500, which I found for $120!!!! Who needs nVidia?!??!!! (for now anyway

)

Jim Sachs · 03-19-2001, 10:45 PM

You are right - the Aquarium is all contained in one file which can be executed from anywhere. You would be surprised at how many people are confused by this. I get a lot of email from customer who are angry because they can't find an "Install" or "Uninstall" file for the Aquarium.

Digital Lungfish · 03-19-2001, 11:16 PM

"Soon to upgrade to a Voodoo5 5500, which I found for $120!!!! Who needs nVidia?!??!!!"

Well since nVidia now owns 3dfx, looks like you do!

- DL

Shinsa · 03-19-2001, 11:38 PM

Of course nVidia is OK with me. They had the smarts to buy a quality company like 3DFX didn't they?

I would have liked to have seen 3DFX stay alive though. Yes, they were too slow getting the products out, a little behind what people wanted, but the technology was rock solid. I have never heard of a 3DFX problem that wasn't due to the user, well, at least not from 3DFX without a quick fix for it

I can't wait to see the new Gforce 3 in use. I've seen the demos, wow....

Shinsa · 03-19-2001, 11:43 PM

Speaking of future 3D cards. It would be great to have the Aquarium include some of the special features that these new cards will give.

Imagine the coral looking like it is really alive! With the small (forgive me, I have no idea what they are calles)tentacle waving in the water, collecting food. Even animals like sea urchins, jelly fish,
(et. al.)

If someone wants to have extra features, they just need to get a better computer/graphics card. Change with the times...

Digital Lungfish · 03-20-2001, 01:19 AM

Yeah, 3dfx was a quality company. They kicked the industry in it's butt and got everyone to realize that quality 3D gaming was not only possible on the PC, but very desirable on top it. Shame to see them go...

- DL

Digital Lungfish · 03-20-2001, 01:29 AM

"Speaking of future 3D cards. It would be great to have the Aquarium include some of the special features that these new cards will give."

Jim is trying to keep it so that the widest possible audience can appreciate the aquarium regardless of what PC hardware they have. This screensaver is unlike anything else ever seen on the PC, so even if it's not making use of any of the advanced features seen on these new graphics cards, it's still breaking new ground and will continue to do so with future versions.

"Imagine the coral looking like it is really alive! With the small (forgive me, I have no idea what they are calles)tentacle waving in the water, collecting food. Even animals like sea urchins, jelly fish,
(et. al.)"

Well actually, Jim has already stated that the current flat background images are going to be transformed into true 3D objects and the corals are going to take on a life all their own. In fact, the Percula Clown will have a nice place to hide in a living anemone once Jim brings it to life.

- DL

feldon34 · 03-20-2001, 06:59 AM

Shinsa,

The Octopus, Coral Shrimp, and moving anemone and coral heads will not require a faster 3D card.

03-20-2001, 07:34 AM

wow!
@ 1280x1024 im now getting 170-180fps! with 7 fish!
and i get 200-210 fps in wireframe mode!
DAMN
love the new fish!

FishyBusiness · 03-20-2001, 01:38 PM

Well, I just noticed that a new version was out so I never had the opportunity to see the artifact that everone is talking about.

I have a GeForce 2 GTS 32MB DDR with a KDS AV-195TF monitor. Since driver version 6.31, I have been running this aquarium. I have used all of the beta driver versions to run the aquarium. I am currently running 10.80s. They are DX8 beta drivers.

The only banding I have ever seen is with the blue-green background or when I turn on FSAA. I just closely looked at all of the fish. I see no banding on my particular computer. The fish themselves look fine. It's just that background.

I truely love the new version. As always, the fish look very good. IT's just that the sound is so bad now. I don't mean to be mean but the broadning of the sound made it intolerable to me. The sound before was fine. It just sounded like running water. Now, I hear a bubble sound. For whatever reason, all I can seem to hear is that bubble sound. It probably is nothing more than my ears and brain.

Good luck with the DX8 version. Spring is here so take a walk and look at the last of the snow!

Frank

"We have been so anxious to give our
children what we didn't have that we have
neglected to give them what we did have."

03-20-2001, 02:10 PM

I noticed that if you dont have the exit on mouse movement checked and press the ESC key that it will not ask for the screensaver password.

Jim Sachs · 03-20-2001, 02:11 PM

Maybe it's time for a new poll regarding whether I should keep the new sound or go back to the old sound.

feldon34 · 03-20-2001, 02:37 PM

Crazzzy,

The password protection has several problems which will be resolved in a future version.

03-20-2001, 05:02 PM

I haven't installed .99H yet, but one suggestion might be to include a pull down menu in Settings to allow the user to select from 2 or 3 sounds, similar to the selection of different fish.

An MD recorder at a quiet tropical fish store could do wonders in collecting real world aquarium sounds ;-).
(Of course, you'd have to turn off all the tanks except the one you're recording..)

03-20-2001, 06:09 PM

It most certainly isn't bad video drivers. I have a V5 5500 and nothing else locks up using my current drivers, It only happens when I enter the setup for the screensaver and the sound starts to loop. In fact that is the only time my system ever locks up. It doesn't lock immediately, but does lock after about 20 seconds.

ajlaban · 03-21-2001, 03:09 AM

Dear Jim,

Put me down as also preferring the old sound. I also preferred the old Queen Angel -- it seemed more adult and, IMO as a former and possibly future owner of a salt water tank, adult angels are more attractive (I do realize that this size tank prohibits them).

The Purple Tang is great and its color is far better than I had hoped.

03-19-2001, 07:36 PM	#41
Guest Posts: n/a	Re: New Version 99H Released Okay, did a bit more playing around. Apparantly in wireframe mode, sometimes the framerate is the same, and sometimes it isn't, about 50/50..."And the plot thickens"

03-19-2001, 07:37 PM	#42
Guest Posts: n/a	Win 2k sound loop bug Win 2k sound loop bug is still as bad as ever. Any chance of getting this fixed? I have to resort to editing my registry to change fish. And you know it has to be a pretty serious glitch to lock win 2k up.

03-19-2001, 08:42 PM	#43
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	Re: Win 2k sound loop bug The DX8 version fixes this. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

03-19-2001, 09:07 PM	#44
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Re: Win 2k sound loop bug Swiftmon, If your win2k locks up when you go to Settings, this is a sign of bad video drivers. Check ReactorCritical.com. If you have nVidia drivers, try the 6.47 driver (6.50 is crap). "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

03-19-2001, 09:36 PM	#45
Shinsa Registered Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Fayetteville, NC Posts: 407	banding Hmmm... the only banding or artifacts I can see are on the puprle tang. Only they look more like slpotches than banding. There are small areas where the color is "normal" in the middle of this "artifact". As for my PBT, he is VERY SMOOTH ^_^. I have looked VERY hard, and can not find another artifact or color band at all. Excellent work! I especially like the fact that the program is not installed (or is it?) And can be executed from any location. Good on ya! By the way, here's my system specs.... Athlon 600 FIC SD-11 motherboard 256 MB RAM Voodoo3 3500 DX 8 Soundbalster Live Xgamer 17" Sony Trinitron monitor (oh so nice!) Soon to upgrade to a Voodoo5 5500, which I found for $120!!!! Who needs nVidia?!??!!! (for now anyway ) Bob "When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." _______________________________________________

03-19-2001, 10:45 PM	#46
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	Re: banding You are right - the Aquarium is all contained in one file which can be executed from anywhere. You would be surprised at how many people are confused by this. I get a lot of email from customer who are angry because they can't find an "Install" or "Uninstall" file for the Aquarium. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

03-19-2001, 11:16 PM	#47
Digital Lungfish Obey the toad! Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 2,557	Re: banding "Soon to upgrade to a Voodoo5 5500, which I found for $120!!!! Who needs nVidia?!??!!!" Well since nVidia now owns 3dfx, looks like you do! - DL Steve www.tron-sector.com - www.badcartridge.com - www.classicgaming.com - www.dinofish.com Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday...

03-19-2001, 11:38 PM	#48
Shinsa Registered Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Fayetteville, NC Posts: 407	nVidia Of course nVidia is OK with me. They had the smarts to buy a quality company like 3DFX didn't they? I would have liked to have seen 3DFX stay alive though. Yes, they were too slow getting the products out, a little behind what people wanted, but the technology was rock solid. I have never heard of a 3DFX problem that wasn't due to the user, well, at least not from 3DFX without a quick fix for it I can't wait to see the new Gforce 3 in use. I've seen the demos, wow.... Bob "When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." _______________________________________________

03-19-2001, 11:43 PM	#49
Shinsa Registered Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Fayetteville, NC Posts: 407	nVidia and future upgrades to Aquarium Speaking of future 3D cards. It would be great to have the Aquarium include some of the special features that these new cards will give. Imagine the coral looking like it is really alive! With the small (forgive me, I have no idea what they are calles)tentacle waving in the water, collecting food. Even animals like sea urchins, jelly fish, (et. al.) If someone wants to have extra features, they just need to get a better computer/graphics card. Change with the times... Bob "When you have excluded the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." _______________________________________________

03-20-2001, 01:19 AM	#50
Digital Lungfish Obey the toad! Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 2,557	Re: nVidia Yeah, 3dfx was a quality company. They kicked the industry in it's butt and got everyone to realize that quality 3D gaming was not only possible on the PC, but very desirable on top it. Shame to see them go... - DL Steve www.tron-sector.com - www.badcartridge.com - www.classicgaming.com - www.dinofish.com Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday...

03-20-2001, 01:29 AM	#51
Digital Lungfish Obey the toad! Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Diego, California Posts: 2,557	Re: nVidia and future upgrades to Aquarium "Speaking of future 3D cards. It would be great to have the Aquarium include some of the special features that these new cards will give." Jim is trying to keep it so that the widest possible audience can appreciate the aquarium regardless of what PC hardware they have. This screensaver is unlike anything else ever seen on the PC, so even if it's not making use of any of the advanced features seen on these new graphics cards, it's still breaking new ground and will continue to do so with future versions. "Imagine the coral looking like it is really alive! With the small (forgive me, I have no idea what they are calles)tentacle waving in the water, collecting food. Even animals like sea urchins, jelly fish, (et. al.)" Well actually, Jim has already stated that the current flat background images are going to be transformed into true 3D objects and the corals are going to take on a life all their own. In fact, the Percula Clown will have a nice place to hide in a living anemone once Jim brings it to life. - DL Steve www.tron-sector.com - www.badcartridge.com - www.classicgaming.com - www.dinofish.com Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday...

03-20-2001, 06:59 AM	#52
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Re: nVidia and future upgrades to Aquarium Shinsa, The Octopus, Coral Shrimp, and moving anemone and coral heads will not require a faster 3D card. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

03-20-2001, 07:34 AM	#53
Guest Posts: n/a	FRAMERATES ROSE! wow! @ 1280x1024 im now getting 170-180fps! with 7 fish! and i get 200-210 fps in wireframe mode! DAMN love the new fish!

03-20-2001, 01:38 PM	#54
FishyBusiness Registered Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 2,206	Re: Artifact + Banding Well, I just noticed that a new version was out so I never had the opportunity to see the artifact that everone is talking about. I have a GeForce 2 GTS 32MB DDR with a KDS AV-195TF monitor. Since driver version 6.31, I have been running this aquarium. I have used all of the beta driver versions to run the aquarium. I am currently running 10.80s. They are DX8 beta drivers. The only banding I have ever seen is with the blue-green background or when I turn on FSAA. I just closely looked at all of the fish. I see no banding on my particular computer. The fish themselves look fine. It's just that background. I truely love the new version. As always, the fish look very good. IT's just that the sound is so bad now. I don't mean to be mean but the broadning of the sound made it intolerable to me. The sound before was fine. It just sounded like running water. Now, I hear a bubble sound. For whatever reason, all I can seem to hear is that bubble sound. It probably is nothing more than my ears and brain. Good luck with the DX8 version. Spring is here so take a walk and look at the last of the snow! Frank "We have been so anxious to give our children what we didn't have that we have neglected to give them what we did have." Frank

03-20-2001, 02:10 PM	#55
Guest Posts: n/a	Password bypass I noticed that if you dont have the exit on mouse movement checked and press the ESC key that it will not ask for the screensaver password.

03-20-2001, 02:11 PM	#56
Jim Sachs Developer Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 9,791	Re: Artifact + Banding Maybe it's time for a new poll regarding whether I should keep the new sound or go back to the old sound. Jim Sachs Creator of SereneScreen Aquarium

03-20-2001, 02:37 PM	#57
feldon34 Forum Administrator Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 10,939	Re: Password bypass Crazzzy, The password protection has several problems which will be resolved in a future version. "Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations." - George Orwell "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." - Emma Goldman

03-20-2001, 05:02 PM	#58
Guest Posts: n/a	New sound... I haven't installed .99H yet, but one suggestion might be to include a pull down menu in Settings to allow the user to select from 2 or 3 sounds, similar to the selection of different fish. An MD recorder at a quiet tropical fish store could do wonders in collecting real world aquarium sounds ;-). (Of course, you'd have to turn off all the tanks except the one you're recording..)

03-20-2001, 06:09 PM	#59
Guest Posts: n/a	Regarding Win 2k lockup.... It most certainly isn't bad video drivers. I have a V5 5500 and nothing else locks up using my current drivers, It only happens when I enter the setup for the screensaver and the sound starts to loop. In fact that is the only time my system ever locks up. It doesn't lock immediately, but does lock after about 20 seconds.

03-21-2001, 03:09 AM	#60
ajlaban Registered Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Monroeville, PA. USA Posts: 77	Re: New Sound Dear Jim, Put me down as also preferring the old sound. I also preferred the old Queen Angel -- it seemed more adult and, IMO as a former and possibly future owner of a salt water tank, adult angels are more attractive (I do realize that this size tank prohibits them). The Purple Tang is great and its color is far better than I had hoped. Passed away August 27, 2008.