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Manual PLP ini file challenges
http://www.wsgf.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=68&t=30613		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  KleitusIV [ 06 Jan 2016, 16:56 ]
Post subject:  Manual PLP ini file challenges
Hi all,

I recently upgraded my monitor setup to 20"-30"-20" Dell PLP setup (had a couple of old 2007fp I could use) and it is absolutely awesome. :-)

However as I realize spreading games in PLP is not so easy and Eyefinity is only supported by GCN 1.2 and above. Unfortunately I have a 290x, which is awesome in many aspects except PLP eyefinity support.

Now I see that it is possible to make games run in 4960x1600 by manual methods. I am playing with ShiftWindow, which works on a very few games:

Star Wars Battlefront borderless window works perfectly with shiftwindow.
GTA V works only in window, not borderless

But many games don't work at all or it streches the graphics (the content does not change resolution) and it looks horrible.


Looking through the splendid guides on this site, I come across games that are stated as working perfectly just by manually editing the ini files (Far Cry games, Crysis, Assassin's Creed etc).

However when I try these methods I can't get it to work no matter what I try. Crysis 3 for example. I edit the ini file and it powers up a window that goes across all 3 screens, looks like it will work, then quickly switches the window to only use the center screen. Then if I try ShiftWindow it will stretch the 2560x1600 to 4960x1600 window and it looks horrible.

How do you make the games disregard the resolution of the center screen? It looks like they try to boot up using the ini settings, then find out it is not a feasible resolution, and matches it to the center screen. It's like I need something to make the games "not" see Windows screen settings.

How do you make it run just by editing ini files? I can't make this work on any game (tried Assassin's Creed games too, which are supposed to work flawlessly but don't). They keep going to center screen only.
Author:  KleitusIV [ 06 Jan 2016, 17:01 ]
Post subject:  Re: Manual PLP ini file challenges
I have also tried some games where you can add the launch parameters in eg. Steam, but also without any luck. It's like Windows is forcing the game on the center screen... :(
Author:  imusrt [ 07 Jan 2016, 09:59 ]
Post subject:  Re: Manual PLP ini file challenges
Hi KleitusIV, welcome to wsgf.
I can help you, but one game at a time, with problem-details for that one game. We can then walk through it.

My first thought is that if a game spread is not sticking, you should try read-only edited file.

Manual spread can be a challenge, but very often successful & completely playable. It is an option for the gaming enthusiast. But there is learning curve.

What you must do to successfully spread a game manually (& how it reacts, fixes) depends on the game's engine basically (& its DX version).
And every game of each game engine is slightly different. So you cannot say for games in general that "this never/always works" or "this always happens". Nothing is guaranteed. Certain things work well in certain situations. (However for game engines we can summarize fairly accurately how its games will be spread).

The goal in Manual PLP is to find Something that spreads the game, no matter what it is.
I have tried in blog/wiki to document many of these solutions, but maybe instructions are unclear (or typo or shorthand? No idea, you should point to a specific one).

The solution is often ShiftWindow (+ border = borderless, unless Windows10 * then potentially bit different).
But not always ShiftWindow. It is sometimes SoftTH (eg assassins creed, UE3). It is sometimes either one (eg unity engine). It sometimes requires both, sometimes neither (eg Crysis 3). Often file edit required, not always; sometimes read-only.

ShiftWindow does not always work. But out of all the tools available for spreading, ShiftWindow-method is the most consistent spreader (though Win10 doesn't mesh as well as older OS's).

SoftTH v3+ is nearing completion (ie some months). This will allow SoftTH fullscreen on DX10+ games. Until then SoftTH only supports DX9 x86 games (which were still very common in 2014, but they are dying out).

* If you have Windows10, I would give slightly different recommendation. Depends on game too. WinShift is in my blog, with description of Win10's current issue.
http://www.wsgf.org/blog/imusrt/2015/12/28/winshift-windows-10-fix-shiftwindow-alternative

Here are instructions for some games you mentioned. For more, go to wiki. You will find grey-text entries for games that will spread but are not yet actually tested. If you can't find that game on wiki, it means spread is not known or has a problem. For example, Crysis 2 eventually abends when manual spread, so it's not listed. For Crysis 1, spread is unknown, so it's not listed.
Image
http://www.wsgf.org/blog/imusrt/2015/04/18/crysis-3-2013-manual-plp-instructions

Image
http://www.wsgf.org/blog/imusrt/2015/04/08/far-cry-3-2012-manual-plp-instructions

Image
http://www.wsgf.org/blog/imusrt/2015/08/30/far-cry-3-blood-dragon-2013-manual-plp-instructions

Image
http://www.wsgf.org/blog/imusrt/2015/05/04/assassins-creed-revelations-2011-manual-plp-instructions
Author:  KleitusIV [ 07 Jan 2016, 19:17 ]
Post subject:  Re: Manual PLP ini file challenges
Hi Imusrt!

Thank you very much for your help! I have been through your blogposts and details and they are fantastic! Thank you very much! They got me started on this thing since I had kind of given up when I found out PLP eyefinity was not supported.

I have not tried out SoftTH since I read it only works with DirectX 9 and most of my recent games are newer. ShiftWindow I first tried the original version then found the version you point to for Windows 10 (I am on Windows 10). It works quite well.

WinShift and ShiftWindow is the only solution I have gotten to work so far successfully (I know depending on game engine). The games that work will react to WinShift's resizing of the window and change the in-game resolution to fit the new window. Successful games I have gotten to work using this method are

Star Wars Battlefront (works perfect borderless window)
GTA V (will only work in non-borderless window - if I use borderless window it will not be affected by the trigger from WinShift)
Star Wars The Old Repucblic (non-borderless window)
Might and Magic Heroes VII (new game reacts perfectly in borderless window - resizes and even say in options that it runs 4960x1600)

So to the games that I have no success with, where your details of the game describes that it works perfect just by changing the ini file:

Crysis 3
When using WinShift it will resize the window, but the game engine does not change the resolution so it will stretch a 2560x1600 to the 4960x1600 window.
When I modify the ini file as per the instructions, Crysis will open a black 4960x1600 window that fills all 3 screens, then before it starts rending the intro/menu it will change the window to a 2560x1600 window that only fits the center screen. Then I am back to point 1.
I have tried read-only on the file but the result is the same. Without read-only Crysis 3 will change the ini file upon exit, when read-only it of course cant so the file will stay as I changed it, but it will still resize window.
EDIT: I just found that I can change the width resolution in-game through the console and make it work! It will still launch-switch to 2560, but once in-game I can change it back through the console. :-)

Assassin's Creed Syndicate
I haven't tried the older DirectX9 versions of AC as I am playing the latest installment.
The window will resize, but content will stretch and resolution does not change.
Changing AC.ini does not matter, same with read-only. It will detect the screen being used and adapt to it. Even changing to smaller resolutions will still auto-switch the window to a 2560x1600 window.

World of Warcraft
I have seen on the net people making it work with SoftTH, but the engine has changed to DirectX11, so I tried without
WinShift will resize the window, but engine keeps resolution and stretches
Changing config.wtf does not matter.
EDIT: I found out that putting a lower resolution (2480x800) in window will allow it to boot up the right aspect ratio, which can then later be pulled out to fill all screens. I can't see if it switches to 4960x1600 or still run the lower resolution.


I know it is different engines, but so far I have had no luck getting a game to work just by changing its config file. The game will detect the max resolution and switch to it upon launch. That was why I wrote the question because according to your blog and other posts it seems that people can get their games to spread just by changing game parameters, but I haven't had any luck trying that. The only thing I have had success with is WinShift.
Author:  imusrt [ 07 Jan 2016, 21:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Manual PLP ini file challenges
I am glad you are having considerable success & having fun with it. Over time, you will amass games that you fail to spread. Just quit & hang onto them, for when SoftTH v3+ or Eyefinity PLP. Or you learn something new that can spread the game (e.g. hex). Once you have tried PLP, it is unpleasant to play anything that won't spread full proper.

I guess I'm saying that Manual PLP is not the ideal solution. It is really a "patch" that gets ~75% of stuff working. Should plan on eventually getting Eyefinity PLP support. In the meantime, it is a good & interesting experience to take spreading into your own hands. When you do decide to upgrade card, consider also: VR.

Not many games spread proper by file-edit-only. But some.

If you plan to hang onto your current graphics card for long time, seriously consider uninstalling Win10. Win8.1 & older will spread windows to borderless more often. However, Win10's borders are minuscule so it's not completely horrid when a Win10 game refuses to "+ border = borderless" (since window-top gets hidden)

Game Responses (all have hope. But AC_S is hardest, recommend waiting for SoftTH v3+)
Crysis 3:
1. You can ignore this if you are happy enough with your console command (~) method. I am interested what command you used. I tried (r_Width 3520, etc), but was not recognized/invalid command.
2. "Inactive cfg" is probably not your problem, but should confirm. If you have done either these things, there may be a "more active" cfg which game has created elsewhere, which game prioritizes. You must find it (see instructs...). This may occur in the following cases:
A. Is this the first time you have installed this game? Or have you uninstalled & reinstalled at some point?
B. Have you ever used Cvar Configurator on the game?
3. I am finding it hard to believe the manual instructions don't work. I just played it, a month ago. We must be doing something a bit different. Like maybe:
A. Did you add cfg line?: r_FullscreenWindow = 1
B. Have you tried starting the game from exe?
C. I doubt the cause is Win10, but guess it's possible (I played in Win8.1 maybe?)
D. I use AMD...
= I should add your console command solution to game's blog post, alternate solution. Then it's bulletproof.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate:
Likely requires either hex edit or SoftTH v3+. Hex editing is a strong "manual plp" solution, & likely success here. But it has the biggest learning curve. I am not great at it. You would be looking for aspect or resolution to edit (likely its bytes reversed; which file varies). There is someone here that could help you, but it likely doesn't interest him (bribery maybe?).

World of Warcraft:
You will need to run game in DX9. It looks as good as DX11 this game. To enforce DX9, try these ideas:
- http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/1549668469
- shortcut/launcher argument -d3d9
- If both these fail for some reason, wait for SoftTH v3+
Author:  KleitusIV [ 08 Jan 2016, 09:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Manual PLP ini file challenges
Yes I am looking forward to next round of graphics to see if I should change my 290x. So far it's only a Fury card that would be an upgrade supporting PLP. The other 3xx cards would be a downgrade (and 390x is the same card with more memory so still no PLP support). I have not been hooked on the Fury as I feel it should have had more memory and is kind of an intermediate steppipng stone for the next gen... Waiting for Polaris... :-)

Yes I must say I am totally hooked on PLP gaming. Star Wars Battlefront is absolutely perfect and the menu fits perfectly too. GTA V's menu and map gets pushed somewhere between the screens so is not perfect, bot still very playable and much more enjoyable than single-screen. :-)

In Crysis 3 I have the game.cfg set with r_Width = 4960, r_Height = 1600, r_Fullscreen = 0, r_FullscreenWindow = 1. It will, as I said, start a window with black content that fits all 3 screens perfectly, then detect the Windows settings and before rendering any content it will "blink" the window down to 2560x1600 in the middle screen. WinShift will stretch without changing resolution. However I can go into the console (½-button or ~ in the US keyboard I think), and simply write "r_Width = 4960" then it will change to that again and work perfectly. Don't know if it is case sensitive, but I write it exactly as it is in the game.cfg file. Yes I would have to do that every time, but it's not too bad and with the other games I have to open WinShift every time too, so not a biggie. It was a clean install of Crysis 3 as I had completed it a long time ago, but wanted to test it with my new screen setup (and had re-installed Win10 in the meantime).

I'ts too bad that Win10 could be the cause of more trouble. I really like Win10 so don't feel like going back to older versions. It does seem like it forces screens and resolution on the games. They will try to open as told in their setting-files, then they will be forced down on main screen by Windows, and all changes have to be made after that (console or WinShift etc).

Is there any hope for SoftTH v3+? I have been browsing the site and going to his Twitter/Facebook sites, but it seems that there is nothing going on there and people have been waiting for it for years. You write as if it is sure to come out soon?

And then in half a year we will have the new GFX from AMD that hopefully will be powerful and support full PLP gaming... :-)
Author:  imusrt [ 09 Jan 2016, 12:17 ]
Post subject:  Re: Manual PLP ini file challenges
I clearly need to test bunch games in win10, see what happens. I am guessing a lot atm because not gamed too much in win10 yet.
Working on a program in spare time (MonitorMixer), so not gaming. Will get back to it after program done.

Re Win10:
- When I said consider Win8.1, I meant just regarding the ShiftWindow sometimes-not-quite-borderless window issue.
- To me it doesn't feel logical that Win10 would completely pop your spread like that. It's not how win10 worked with me so far.
- BUT you have tested win10 more than me, so I can't talk. Basically no idea but it is worrying & worthy of a close look. I love an excuse to game.

I am thinking AMD/NVidia difference maybe causes our discrepancy (?). That is also worrying. I have tested nothing on NVidia, been AMD forever.
I am seeing here that the PLP instructions are not going to age well :(. But they will remain a strong starting-point at least.

Re SoftTH v3+ release:
I was pretty excited recently when I read on facebook that programmer is getting close to a release. He is one-man-army & busy with life, but he is still actively behind SoftTH.
https://www.facebook.com/softth
December 20, 2015 at 9:24am
"
I've finally had a little time to work on SoftTH the past week or so, and last night I had my first successful test of SoftTH with D3D11 using local and non-local monitors (monitors on a secondary graphics card). Things are looking pretty good with SoftTH Tester, but I've got some testing to do with real games before I release an alpha/beta. I have, however, already pushed my latest code to GitHub.
"

Hmmmmm wonder if that code on GitHub can be compiled & tested? You could check it out of interest, try to use it ^^. I've not looked at it yet (first thing after MonitorMixer is done). I look forward to testing SoftTH DX11. Would play current ass-creeds & some other great games crying for it.
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