Letterbox issue with AGS 3.3.0

[shaun9991]

Hey guys

Forgive me if this has been answered before, but I cant find any mention of it. I recently upgraded to AGS 3.3.0 and carried over two games from the previous version. I've noticed with the new version that when I try to change the 'Enable top/bottom borders' in WINSETUP, no matter which setting I have it on, nothing changes. One game is continuously locked into letterbox and the other game wont go to letterbox at all. Both are 640 x 400. Any idea whats happening here? Im using the BASS template and Parallax side scrolling module if that helps.

Any help much appreciated
Thanks
Shaun

[Crimson Wizard]

Game mode depends on combination of several settings (including chosen gfx filter) and graphics mode that your computer display supports.
This may help to understand what's going on if you run your game with log output.

Currently this is done only by manually editing acsetup.cfg file. Just add this in the "misc" section

Code: text

log=1

After game was run, the log file should appear at "C:\Users\<Your user name>\Saved Games\.ags\".

[shaun9991]

Thanks! Ill give it a try

[shaun9991]

Hi

I did the thing Crimson Wizard suggested and this is what came out in the log file:

Adventure Game Studio v3.3 Interpreter
Copyright (c) 1999-2011 Chris Jones and 2011-2014 others
ACI version 3.3.0.1162

*** ENGINE STARTUP ***
Installing exception handler
Reading config file
Initializing allegro
Setting up window
Initializing game data
Game data file: c:/Users/Shaun/DOCUME~1/parktest/Compiled/parktest.exe

Initializing TTF renderer
Initializing mouse
Checking memory
Initializing audio vox
Initializing keyboard
Install timer
Initialize sound drivers
Install exit handler
Initialize path finder library
Load game data
A Date in the Park
Checking for disk space
Initializing MOD/XM player
Init gfx driver
Built library path: d3d9.dll
Created graphics driver: Direct3D 9
Initializing screen settings
Game native resolution: 640 x 400 (16 bit), letterbox optional, side borders disabled
Initializing gfx filters
Requested gfx filter: max
Chosen gfx resolution: 640 x 480 (16 bit), game frame: 640 x 480
Applying scaling filter: None
Switching to graphics mode
Attempt to switch gfx mode to 640 x 480 (16-bit) fullscreen, game frame 640 x 480, gfx filter: None
Succeeded. Using gfx mode 640 x 480 (16-bit) fullscreen, game frame 640 x 480, gfx filter: None
Preparing graphics mode screen
Initializing colour conversion
Check for preload image
Initialize sprites
Set up screen
Initialize game settings
Prepare to start game
Audio is processed on the main thread
Checking replay status
Engine initialization complete
Starting game
Loading room 6
Room change requested to room 8
Unloading room 6
Loading room 8
Room change requested to room 9
Unloading room 8
Loading room 9
Room change requested to room 10
Unloading room 9
Loading room 10
***** ENGINE HAS SHUTDOWN

Basically, the game is running in a letterbox format, even when I try and prevent this from happening in winsetup.exe. Everything is squished across the screen with bars at the top and bottom, and it looks pretty bad. Can you see anything wrong in the log file? With the other game, the problem is reversed - it's designed to be letterboxed, but won't switch and runs in fullscreen with no top and bottom borders, no matter what I click on in winsetup.

Any help hugely appreciated

Thanks

Shaun

[Crimson Wizard]

First thing, the letterbox and sideborders options can not absolutely force or completely disable borders now. This was requested by other game developer some time ago. But even before that, older versions of AGS did not let you compltely disable horizontal (top/bottom) borders, only "force" them. That did not work very well with 16:10 and 16:9 displays anyway.

The logic behind this, is following. When the game tries to run, it first tries to find a graphics mode with options you set in setup. If that failed, it will not just quit, but perform a fallback and looks for different modes.
Basically, the options define a mode priority (which mode will it look for first).

This is done mainly because how AGS handles these borders internally makes this quite problematic to be flexible.

Therefore, for example, if you uncheck those two options, the game will first try to find a 640x400 mode (to run without borders), but if it won't find it, it will look for mode 640x480 or higher mode to run with borders.
Same applies to opposite situation.

If it does not run 640x400 fullscreen, this probably means that your display / graphic card does not support that resolution; but supports 640x480 fullscreen instead.
I see that your setting is "max scaling filter", but the game found only 640x480... how large is your computer display?


I am not sure I understand what you said about second game. What resolution it is? What do you mean by "designed to be letterboxed"? Do you mean that the game must have borders no matter what?

With the other game, the problem is reversed - it's designed to be letterboxed, but won't switch and runs in fullscreen with no top and bottom borders, no matter what I click on in winsetup.

EDIT: Uhhhh.... I realized I mistakenly disabled the "letterboxed mode" feature AGS in the last update... Didn't realize it was used for design purposes rather than display setup.
I would need to make a hotfix and restore this.

Meanwhile you may try using previous version: http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/finals/AGS-3.3.0-hotfix2.zip