PGD Annual 2007 - Questions to Sascha Willems

[Sascha Willems]

QueryPerformanceCounter actually works on any processor since the original Pentium, so checking wether it's available or not is a waste of time.
As I said it also works perfect on AMDs dual-core CPUs as long as you install current drivers for the CPU.

[Eric]

There is also a cheap solution to avoid multi-core issues if you will never be able to test, it's not elegant, but it will effectively restrict your process to running on the first core only:

SetProcessAffinityMask(GetCurrentProcess, 1);

at the beginning of your dpr or whatever main unit. It will take care of every inconsistencies due to flipping between cores (including time ones). There is also a SetThreadAffinityMask which can be useful if you'll be running multiple threads and want them on a particular core, but if you're doing that, then you probably already knew about it in the first place :twisted:

[Sascha Willems]

After Athena posted her OpenGL-Subsystem information Will asked me to also upload the report from glInfo, and here it is.

As I'm doing OpenGL-developement myself and also use glsl-shaders and other recent techniques there shouldn't be any real troubles with even advanced OpenGL games on my system.

[pstudio]

Monitor : BenQ FP202W 20.1" Widescreen(!) TFT
Note : The native resolution is 1680x1050 at 32BPP with 60Hz. This has a ratio of 16:10 (usual monitors are 4:3), so please add a form of widescreen support to your game, cause otherwise everything will looked stretched which isn't good looking. So either detect 16:10 and make your game have black bars when running at that res or better make it also look right at that resolution (e.g. changing FOV in a 3D-game)

Do you now an easy way to detect if it's 16:10 or 4:3?

[Sascha Willems]

Switch to fullscreen, get width and height of the set resolution and divide them and check the ratio.

E.g. if it's set to 1680x1050 it's a ratio of 1,6 (16:10), whereas 1024x768 gives 1,333... (4:3) and e.g. 1600x900 is 1,77.... (16:9). Those three are the most common resolution ratios (with 16:9 being the least usual for the PC) so checking for those three should be enough.

And if your game is 3D you can use this FOV-calculator to see what your normal FOV calculates to in a widescreen resolution. Note that for 3D you don't necessarily need to support a widescreen resolution but rather the ratio. This is done in e.g. Armed Assualt which only allows 4:3 resolutions (like 1280x1024) and then let's you select your screens ratio. The game then just changes the FOV.

Note that I don't see widescreen resolution as necessary, but games look stretched in width if they are not fitted to use that resolutions, that's e.g. the cause for why I will never ever buy a commercial game that does not support WS (like the new Rainbow Six). But don't be afraid, I won't boycot your entry just cause of a lack for widescreens

[Huehnerschaender]

Just to bring more confusion into the WS topic, 1280x1024 is none of the above mentioned aspect ratios.... it's some kind of special resolution with a ratio of 1.25

[WILL]

Well on my laptop which is a widescreen I have 1280x800. Which is common for some of the newer wide laptop screens.

[Huehnerschaender]

I have a question concerning Saschas role in the competition.

Am I allowed to ask him questions concerning Newton Game Dynamics?

I mean, on one hand he is the contact person for Newton (at least the one I would ask my questions) and on the other hand he is a judge in the competition, so if he helps out with answers, I don't know if this is correct...

[3_of_8]

You said I shouldn't use GetTickCount... Well, actually I'm using SDL_GetTicks(). QueryPerformanceCounter wouldn't work as it's intended to bei platform independent.

[technomage]

I have a question concerning Saschas role in the competition.

Am I allowed to ask him questions concerning Newton Game Dynamics?

I mean, on one hand he is the contact person for Newton (at least the one I would ask my questions) and on the other hand he is a judge in the competition, so if he helps out with answers, I don't know if this is correct...

I had a similar situation regarding SDL_net in one of the competitions. I would suggest that you post your questions on the Newton Forum, that way Sascha can answer, but also other members of the forum might be able to help as well.

I guess as long as everyone has the option to ask questions (which we do ) it shouldn't be seen as helping out..