Issue with Window mode

[slybelle]

I have put the command line for Window mode on and now my screen looks like this. In full window mode, it looks fine. Any ideas?

[Erik Rutins]

Post a DxDiag please.

[slybelle]

Here is the dxDiag report.

[slybelle]

Erik,

I have narrowed this issue down. First of all before you ask, since I provided the dxDiag report I have upgraded to the latest ATI drivers (I was just one version behind). This in itself did not correct the issue. But I can now reproduce it everytime by certain actions I take. Here are the steps.

1) Open my browser and have minimized (of course had it open reading this forum).
2) Start WITP.
3) While WITP is loading, swtich to the browser.
4) Once I hear the Matrix intro sounds, I switch back to the game.
5) I then proceed to start a game and the screen shot in my first post is what I get.

If I don't switch between the windows during startup, I don't get the issue. Therefore, must be some kind of issue just when switching but I have only seen it during startup so far. If I switch after the game is loaded, haven't seen the issue.

So I guess the good news is I can get around it if I don't swtich during startup.

I hope this helps.

[slybelle]

I spoke too soon. After switching windows during the game, started to get this:

[dpazuk]

I am experiencing the same issues in windowed mode. If I attempt to resize the window, my image becomes corrupt. At one time, the game crashed outright. (DxDiag attached)

I do not have any issues when running in full screen mode.

FYI, I have set the affinity to a single core, as per the utility and sticky above, same issues still occurred in windowed mode.

P.S. As a test, I changed my desktop to 1024x768 to see if this would make a difference, but the graphical glitches also occurred when resizing the window.

[BigJ62]

If you can, set desktop resolution to a larger size and do not resize the game window and see if that works.

[dpazuk]

ORIGINAL: BigJ62

If you can, set desktop resolution to a larger size and do not resize the game window and see if that works.

No can do Big, my max resolution on my monitor is 1280X1024. Thank you though for your kind assistance.

[BigJ62]

So your desktop resolution is set to 1280x1024 then good, now try auto hiding taskbar as you can not have it drawing on top of game window when it is active.

[michaelm75au]

It is never a good idea to switch windows while the game is loading.
This can cause display issues and loss of plane images.

Resizing the window is no-no.
While this games runs in windows, it is not really a "true" window application.
Therefore using the window Size feature, while shrinking the screen, does not affect the game parameters which control its own windows.

[aztez]

Actually I have the same problem with windowed mode. It has been since Witp though.

Personally I just gave up trying to figure it out. The latest grapgical drivers etc didn't solve the problem.

[dpazuk]

ORIGINAL: michaelm

It is never a good idea to switch windows while the game is loading.
This can cause display issues and loss of plane images.

Resizing the window is no-no.
While this games runs in windows, it is not really a "true" window application.
Therefore using the window Size feature, while shrinking the screen, does not affect the game parameters which control its own windows.

Thank you for the information. From this, and given the fact that this problem also occurred in the original WITP (I never ran the original in Windowed mode) leads me to conclude that WITP-AE, simply does not support the resizing of the window in Windowed mode (unlike, for example, GGWBTS).

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: aztez

Actually I have the same problem with windowed mode. It has been since Witp though.

Personally I just gave up trying to figure it out. The latest grapgical drivers etc didn't solve the problem.

Me too from Witp which is why I never use windowed mode.

ORIGINAL: michaelm

It is never a good idea to switch windows while the game is loading.
This can cause display issues and loss of plane images.

I also found this out long time ago but not just in windowed mode, in full screen as well. Also, against the AI on quite turns I used to turn reports off, run the turn, immediately minimize the widow so it was working in the background. Some time later go back to WitP and the screen was messed up.

If you wait until the the first report was generated then minimise the problem did not exists.

This problem could also be generated when a screen saver kicked in.

[slybelle]

ORIGINAL: michaelm

It is never a good idea to switch windows while the game is loading.
This can cause display issues and loss of plane images.

Resizing the window is no-no.
While this games runs in windows, it is not really a "true" window application.
Therefore using the window Size feature, while shrinking the screen, does not affect the game parameters which control its own windows.

Although ultimately this is not a big deal to me since full window seems to work fine, if you can't switch windows or resize, I wonder what the value of having a windows mode in the first place is. Resizing and switching are usually the primary reasons for having it.

Again, not a big issue for me.

[aztez]

Yeah. "shifting" (ALT + TAB) causes the same thing even with full screen mode. It did with Witp and now with AE.

Only workaround is to wait for the game stop ie. combat report screen. Than you can switch away from full screen.

So.. I guess these games are not optimized for "switching".

[dpazuk]

ORIGINAL: slybelle

Although ultimately this is not a big deal to me since full window seems to work fine, if you can't switch windows or resize, I wonder what the value of having a windows mode in the first place is. Resizing and switching are usually the primary reasons for having it.

Again, not a big issue for me.

My thoughts exactly. It defeats the purpose of having windows mode to begin with.

Having said that, like you, this is definitely not a game breaker for me. My hat goes off to all of the designers and play testers who have made an epic even more epic! [&o]

[Erik Rutins]

Unfortunately, it sounds like Windowed mode isn't for everyone at present. If it works fine in Full Screen, play it Full Screen. If you have scaling issues your video driver should be able to adjust that.