82 replies to this topic

[TSpeirs]

GameEx display libraries have now moved from DirectDraw to Direct3D and I am releasing a Beta so it can be tested on varying configurations.

The benefits of moving to Direct3D are quite significant.

- Should run significantly better and faster on any vaguely modern hardware.
- Alpha Blending
- PNG with transparancy support
- Fewer driver incompatibalities
- Proper anti aliased fonts
- No more reliance on DirectDraw which Microsoft depreciated some time ago
- Improved and smoother transition effects
- Fast rotated display support

However, it may need a little testing . Although I have it working fine on four configurations.

This is an open Beta test, and the release "should" be complete. Its actually more of a release candidate if anything.

Download: http://www.gameex.co...GameExSetup.exe

Please report findings and post comments in this thread. If reporting bugs, please ensure they are not in the normal public release.

Thank you for your help.

I hope you agree, this is a big leap forward for GameEx.

[fRequEnCy]

Wow! Very nice. Thanks Tom. A huge leap forward.

[mariozeferino]

great news! did this one(10.90) overwrite the other? (10.80)

[TSpeirs]

Its a Beta version. Despite what Microsoft, Google and Yahoo would have you believe that does not mean latest full release

[mariozeferino]

it looks it runs faster, nice job. just a little request, is there any way we can attach picture to those folders (capture 04) in the video section?

Attached Files

•  Capture 04.PNG   389.37K   25 downloads

[Adultery]

OMG!!!! This is a HUGE deal in my opinion! First my CycloDS gets a makeover, and now GameEx moves to D3D! Fierce!!!

Thanks Tom! Downloading now!!!

[TSpeirs]

mariozeferino, on 28 May 2010 - 12:34 PM, said:

it looks it runs faster, nice job. just a little request, is there any way we can attach picture to those folders (capture 04) in the video section?

Just put a folder.jpg in the folder.

[TSpeirs]

Adultery, on 28 May 2010 - 01:25 PM, said:

OMG!!!! This is a HUGE deal in my opinion! First my CycloDS gets a makeover, and now GameEx moves to D3D! Fierce!!!

Thanks Tom! Downloading now!!!

Thanks for sticking around to see it happen

[Tempest]

I crossed it off of the features request. Tom, If you could take a few minutes, and delete (or stike) the requests that have already been completed, I would appreciate it.

[bkenobi]

Nice!

[T. Goodchild]

Sounds great! Downloading and testing now.

edit

Ok few observations. The fade in effect is nice but it would be nice to be optional.



1. The transparency works great with the menus and thumbnails.

2. The text looks a little weird and stringy with or without AA.

3. I use PowerResizer to drag windows to the edge and split them and while in window mode I got a JIT error.

Other than that it's pretty smooth.

[MooSe]

Just updated to new beta and now I cant view either preview window (Image 1 & Image 2) just black, but my video thumbs
work fine. I think it maybe a tranparency problem because if goto change view in gamEx menus but not in a rom/emu list as it switches I see my images for 1 second as it fades away too black, if I do the same in an rom/emu menu it fixes the problem until I go back out of menu.

Running Maximus Arcade theme and Windows 7 x64.

All was good on v10.80.

Love GameEx, I applaud your effort.

[absolutelogic]

Adultery, on 28 May 2010 - 01:25 PM, said:

OMG!!!! This is a HUGE deal in my opinion! First my CycloDS gets a makeover, and now GameEx moves to D3D! Fierce!!!

If Nolo was still here (and thank God he's not) there'd be one less thing for him to bitch about!

All kidding aside...

Thanks Tom! Downloading now!!!

Tom -

Still puzzled why you don't have macro's setup in VS to grab the latest Mame DAT's when building an installer.

24bit PNG's are still not fully supported as Drop Shadows still fail to display correctly.

Startup "Please Wait" screen fails to resize properly.

Weather application can crash GX if no City has been inputted.

Weather application is very unresponsive.

Anyways awaiting worthless account ban.

Edited by Brian Hoffman, 29 May 2010 - 02:28 AM.
Edited for content, and for olds times sake. BH

[fRequEnCy]

[Brian Hoffman]

Wow, nice update. I notice a user absolutelogic reading this... hmmm


Great work Tom.

[Krakerman]

Hey Brian looks like your back man haven't seen you around in awhile

[Brian Hoffman]

Krakerman, on 29 May 2010 - 02:28 AM, said:

Hey Brian looks like your back man haven't seen you around in awhile

I haven't left, just been lurking without signing in. I have been super busy.. However it is very hard to get rid of me.


Its nice to be around.

[Krakerman]

[Draco1962]

I think that the "animation" (background growing and shrinking back) when making selections should be optional. ***WARNING*** PROBABLE NOOB ISSUE & QUESTIONS FOLLOW - I have noticed that my view has been changed (was set to show my background with lists, but now comes up with animated snap in background with snaps selections (not lists) showing in the list field. I have to click change view 3-4 times to get back to what was a my default setting. How can I get it back the way I had it?

Another issue is right next to the list number appears "By Artist," By Album" or The Artist's name. The information is already showing in the select 1 and 2 areas.

Attached Files

•  10_90 List number display issue.png   1.62MB   10 downloads

[headkaze]

Draco1962, on 29 May 2010 - 02:48 AM, said:

I think that the "animation" (background growing and shrinking back) when making selections should be optional. ***WARNING*** PROBABLE NOOB ISSUE & QUESTIONS FOLLOW - I have noticed that my view has been changed (was set to show my background with lists, but now comes up with animated snap in background with snaps selections (not lists) showing in the list field. I have to click change view 3-4 times to get back to what was a my default setting. How can I get it back the way I had it?

As mentioned it is a beta so there are bound to be problems, so really no such thing as a "noob" question. It's quite a big update to change rendering systems which is why this is a beta which is actually quite rare to see in a GameEx update. So it's just a matter of reporting any issues you have here so that Tom can go over them.