Glide64 Wonder ++ released

[Robert]

Video PlugIn

 

Glide64 Wonder. New update

Published tuesday 12 december 2006 by gonetz

More then a year is passed since previous official release of Glide64. The project is still alive, but I don’t have much time to work on it. I made some improvements, nice but not revolutionary. It’s just another plus to the famous ‘Wonder’ version. Main results:

 

* Improvements in hardware frame buffer emulation for Banjo Kazooie, Banjo Tooie, Mickey's Speedway USA

* Added support for highlighted objects in Perfect Dark. Added support for coronas in this game (requires software depth buffer rendering). Both features are very important for correct emulation. Now Glide64 emulates PerfectDark nearly perfect, only sky is still missing. Needless to say, that all frame buffer based effects work too (there are many of them in this game).

* Fixed combiners in several games.

* Hacktarux's glide wrapper was improved too, and its modifications can be named revolutionary. First of all, it now supports hardware frame buffer emulation! This feature was previously available for 3dfx users only, and now owners of Direct9X cards can enjoy it too. My thanks to mudlord, who helped us to solve several problems during testing of this feature. Note: OpenGL implementation of texture frame buffer is not as efficient as Glide3x one, and it requires much more video memory. Thus, at least 128mb Direct9x video card is required for hardware frame buffer emulation. Please run mudlord’s gltest.exe, placed in wrapper’s folder, to check compatibility of your video card with the wrapper. Second, Hacktarux fixed several old problems in the wrapper:

 

** fixed dithered alpha emulation on ATI cards

** fixed chromakey functions

** fixed Lens of Truth problem in Zelda MM

** added some missing combine modes

 

* You may also check mudlord’s unofficial builds of the wrapper in this thread. mudlord did some experimental speed improvements, so may be his builds will work for you better than official one.

 

* And the last thing – "How to install Glide64". This question was asked and answered hundred times already, it’s described in readme.txt, but nevertheless lazy lamers keep asking it again and again. Thus, I wrote this ultimate guide "Glide64 installation for dummies":

 

** Download Glide64 distributive

** Unpack it into temporal folder

** Go to that temporal folder

** Copy Glide64.dll and Glide64.ini from "Plugin" folder into "Plugin" folder of your emulator

** If you don't have 3dfx card, copy glide3x.dll from "Hacktarux's glide3x wrapper" into your emulator's folder, where main exe file is placed (main exe is Project64.exe or 1964.exe or mupen64.exe etc)

** Run your emulator

** In emulator's settings select Glide64 as your video plugin. Push "About" button to see information about the plugin (optional)

** Now you need to configure video plugin. Select correspondent option in emulator's settings. In Glide64 configuration dialog select desired screen resolution. If you have fast PC, select 'Depth buffer render' option. For Mupen64 emulator, select 'Get frame buffer info' option. If you don't have 3dfx card, push 'Wrapper' button and select full screen resolution for the wrapper. Press "Ok' button to close configuration dialog

Run a game

 

* If a game does not work well, check 'Glide64 compatibility list.htm' for additional options. If game's status is "Compatible', but it actually does not work - report about it on our forum

* Note: if you are using Project64 emulator with the wrapper, you must close the emulator after each game, otherwise you will get an error message.

 

* Serious warning: I’ve put a special code into Glide64. If you will ever again ask “How to install Glide64”, this code will be triggered, and then #25 frame will be rendered and command you to kill yourself up against a wall. After that your computer will explode. You been warned!

>> Get it HERE.