About the cylindrical panorama plugin GeForce problems

[GM-Support]

Hello,

I would like to apply what we have learned during the beta phase of the Cubic Panorama plugin to also fix the graphical problems of the cylindrical panorama plugin (I mean, the GeForce-related problems).

But before doing so, could you please confirm that you are indeed experiencing problems with the current version of the cylindrical panorama plugin?

Especially Imari, Von Knudenberg, riccicedric, Genomax, etc. (i.e. the people who were experiencing GeForce problems with the cubic panorama): could you please try out the game that is included in the Adventure Maker package called "360 degree panorama without scripting", and tell me if you experience graphical problems as well?

Thanks a lot,
GM-Support

[Imari]

Hi GM,
I tried your 360 demo that uses the cylindrical panorama with the new version of AM right after you released it, and assumed that you'd already fixed the cylindrical version too. Before, the screen broke apart and overlapped with almost any movement. Now, I can cause it to break up only if I pan very quickly.
~C

[Von Knudenberg]

Hello GM,

I seem to have same effects like Imari. Fast panning causes overlapping and it seems that it occurs mostly when turning towards the back face. Also when clicking that control panel with levers the movement becomes very sluggish for few seconds.

-Pete

[GM-Support]

Thanks a lot for the info.

Before, the screen broke apart and overlapped with almost any movement. Now, I can cause it to break up only if I pan very quickly.

It is very strange that the behavior has changed, because I did not modify the plugin. The problem is not supposed to have been fixed. mmmh...

[GM-Support]

Imari, a few months ago you posted the following screenshot from this topic:


The only technical difference I can see between the sample game included in the AM package and the game The Landing (from which the screenshot above was taken) is the resolution of the images used in the game. However, there may be some other differences that I may be missing.

By the way, in the game The Landing, the OCX of the cylindrical panorama should be located in the following folder: c:\Program Files\The Landing\CPData\cp00000x.ocx (the OCX is renamed to something like "cp000000.ocx" when the game is compiled) (the OCX is missing if it was compiled with AM 4.2 or older). The file should have the exact same size and creation date as the one included in the AM package (c:\Program Files\Adventure Maker v4.5.1\Plugins\AMPanoramaPlugin_ID7.ocx).

What do you think is the reason why a few months ago you got the problem shown in the screenshot, whereas now you don't get such problem? (Did you make any changes to your computer settings, or do you see any other differences?)

(sorry for this kind of questions: you know, I can't reproduce these problems, so the only thing I can do is to ask people for details... but don't worry if you have no idea of the answer)

Thanks a lot.

[Candle]

Maybe a windows update?

[GM-Support]

Please find attached a modified version of the cylindrical panorama plugin OCX (I have made the same changes as in the cubic panorama). You must replace the file "AMPanoramaPlugin_ID7.ocx" that is in the Plugins sub-folder of Adventure Maker (which dates back to 2005) with the one contained in the attached zip.


However, before doing so, please see if you can reproduce the problems that you were experiencing with the game The Landing, so that we can see if it fixes them.


Thanks a lot,
GM-Support

[Imari]

Well, GM, there's good news and there's bad news.

First the good. With the new version of the plug-in, I tried the AM 360 cylindrical demo project and I could not reproduce the breaking up of the screen when panning quickly.

Now the bad --- I did, however, manage to break the "game". I decided to click on the levers and got a gray error window that said "Error executing script" and something about something already being in use. For a few seconds the area of the levers' hotspot became a rectangle/view of the snowy mountains and then switched back to the view of the levers. The hotspot over the levers was deactivated as was the hotspot leading out to the glass house.

Also, I reinstalled the demo for The Landing, but the new version of the plug-in does not seem to fix the problem.
Two screenshots ---
http://rs331.rapidshare.com/files/114747700/ss1.jpg
http://rapidshare.com/files/114747836/ss2.jpg.html

As for the OCX file, I don't see it in Explorer ---
http://rapidshare.com/files/114749648/ss3.jpg.html

To the best of my recollection, other than normal automatic Windows updates, I have not changed any of the drivers, hardware, etc. on my computer. Testing tonight was done on the better one, which is the one on which I had problems (the one with the NVidia 8800 GTX video card).

Sorry not to be of more help.

P.S. - Is it my imagination, or do the screens look clearer with the new plug-in? The images seem to be a little crisper and the colors sharper as though the resolution (or color depth?) has improved

~Cleo

[GM-Support]

Thanks Imari.

First the good. With the new version of the plug-in, I tried the AM 360 cylindrical demo project and I could not reproduce the breaking up of the screen when panning quickly.

Great!

Now the bad --- I did, however, manage to break the "game". I decided to click on the levers and got a gray error window that said "Error executing script" and something about something already being in use. For a few seconds the area of the levers' hotspot became a rectangle/view of the snowy mountains and then switched back to the view of the levers. The hotspot over the levers was deactivated as was the hotspot leading out to the glass house.

Mmmh...
Does it happen every time?

Also, I reinstalled the demo for The Landing, but the new version of the plug-in does not seem to fix the problem.

Hopefully the game is still using the old version of the plugin (I wish so...).

I reinstalled the game on my computer and it seems that the file is not present in the CPData folder because it was compiled with AM 4.2 which had a bug in this regard.

If you quit the game, then you manually copy the new "AMPanoramaPlugin_ID7.ocx" file into the CPData folder, and then you start the game, it will certainly use the new version of the plugin. I hope it fixes the problems.

P.S. - Is it my imagination, or do the screens look clearer with the new plug-in? The images seem to be a little crisper and the colors sharper as though the resolution (or color depth?) has improved

It is possible that the rendering is improved on your computer, because the rendering device is now selected differently (not on my computer though).


Thanks,
GM-Support

[Imari]

Hi GM,

I can reproduce the problem. Four screen shots follow of the successive error messages.





Also, I copied the OCX file in into the CPData folder of The Landing and now panning and clicking on the control panel look great. However, I started to get a series of error messages again on the control panel --- but this time it was related to a missing "map.wav" file that indeed does not appear to be in any of the landing's folders. I checked for "map.*" with any extension.
~Cleo

[GM-Support]

I can reproduce the problem. Four screen shots follow of the successive error messages.

Thanks for the screenshots.

Do you remember if you also got those errors with the previous version of the OCX as well? Or do you get the errors only with the new version of the OCX?

Also, I copied the OCX file in into the CPData folder of The Landing and now panning and clicking on the control panel look great. However, I started to get a series of error messages again on the control panel --- but this time it was related to a missing "map.wav" file that indeed does not appear to be in any of the landing's folders. I checked for "map.*" with any extension.

Great! So the graphical problems seem to be fixed! (I guess/hope that the map error is due to a design problem of the game)

[Imari]

Hi GM,
No I do not recall ever having an error message when clicking on the puzzle. Your demo used to work fine, then on my new computer with the 8800 video card, I was getting the breaking of the screen. I think these errors new with the new plug-in. Perhaps Von Knudenberg or someone else can confirm this?

I'm in my studio now, but I'll be happy to download the old OCX file and retest tonight when I get home.
~Cleo

[GM-Support]

I could reproduce the "Automation error Unspecified error" on my other computer running Vista, so I am going to work to fix it.

I will keep you updated.

Thanks.

[GM-Support]

On my Vista computer it seems to happen only when I run the game from the compiled executable, not from the AM editor. Furthermore, it happens both with the old and the new OCX.

I thought I tested it some time ago and it worked fine. This is all so weird.

[GM-Support]

Ok, on my computer it was a problem of encrypted extensions (once again ). the problem occurred because, when I click a level, the AVI animations didn't play because their extension was encrypted. Turning off the extensions encryption solved the problem.

Could this be a solution for you as well, or do you get the problem also when you launch the game from the AM editor?

[Imari]

When testing your 360 degree demo, I was using AM --- load project > run project. The AVI files are uncompressed in the Frames folder.

[GM-Support]

When testing your 360 degree demo, I was using AM --- load project > run project. The AVI files are uncompressed in the Frames folder.

[Imari]

GM,
Just ot confirm. I tested your 36o degree demo again on the newest version of AM (4.5.2) and I still get the first two error messages when clicking on the lever puzzle. Sorry. ::hugs::
~C