I can get any game to display with fixed aspect ratio

[Lithan]

Don't know if you've noticed, but it's not the highest poly count game out there. A peasant made of 18 polygons isn't that different @ 4:3 scale than at 8:5 scale

again, if it bugs you, -window is all of seven keystrokes.

 

[Jax Omen]

No, but I've seen it running side-by-side at 1440x900 and 1600x1200, and the difference is night and day. Use the registry hack and the entire game looks terrible because everything is fat. I don't see how this is even debatable. Everything is fatter in 16:10 than 4:3 in Warcraft 3. That is a FACT. http://www.widescreengamingfor...ft_III:_Reign_of_Chaos

Regardless, the OP wanted to know how to have the aspect ratio scaling. The link I gave is how I managed to fix it for Kitty.


[EDIT] I suppose there's no need for me to take some screenshots, WSGF did it for me. Look at those pictures. The one on the right is what yours looks like. The one on the left is what War3 is supposed to look like. End of discussion.

 

[VashHT]

Ok, I don't think you need to edit anything for this to work, it works perfectly fine on my screen without reg-editing anything. I've gotten it working two ways, setting my screen to 1:1 ratio and by setting the nvidia control panel. I can't look at it right now cause I'm at work, but two of the options are "use built-in screen scaling" and "use nvidia scaling with fixed ratio". I have mine set to use nvidia scaling with fixed ratio and it scales 1280x1024 to my 1920x1080 screen without stretching (there are black bars on the sides). Oh yeah I'm using 168.25 on a 8800gts 512mb so its not a problem with newer drivers.

 

[Jax Omen]

VashHT, the point of this topic is that the OP can't get any of those scaling options to work in War3.

 

[Lithan]

He should just use monitors aspect scaling, that bypassed drivers completely and seems to work fine for me.
(accessed using the buttons on the face of your monitor)
Main menu
Image settings
scaling
aspect


Done, 1280x1024 with those black bars yall seem to love so much.

I'll stick with my higher res with overeating peons.


And Jax you're right. I did get used to the widescreen stretch. It actually looks far better to me in this game.

Incidentally, the problem is that WC3 completely ignores driver scaling and defaults to monitor scaling. Hence adjusting monitor scaling to whatever setting you want is the simplest fix. Are there any other games that do this?

 

[Jax Omen]

That's what I have to do in Vista, where the drivers are borked. In XP, War3 scales properly via drivers.

Frustratingly, the same exact driver does not scale properly on Kitty's computer. Hence why I had to use the linked "hack".


Definitely use adapter scaling if it's available on that monitor, and hope that your monitor doesn't induce massive input lag with the scaler.

 

[Lithan]

You mean display scaling. Adapter scaling is what doesnt work.

Since he's getting stretched/blurred and not boxed, I'd assume that means his monitor is stretch scaling, so it must support scaling. If it didn't scale I imagine it'd default to 1:1, which is a setting he said he can't get to work.

 

[Jax Omen]

Nvidia scaling is what doesn't work. Display adapter scaling is what does.

Just going by the names in the NCP.

 

[Lithan]

Ahh, must be driver differences. Mine just called monitor "Monitor built-in scaling"

 

[Jax Omen]

Yeah, the NCP has stupid names for the scaling options. At least they offer a description of each option as well.

 

[Lithan]

But yeah, anyhow op. Check your monitors control panel. If it's dell and digital (which google says it is) it should have the same/similar controls as mine. And forcing it to aspect scaling via monitor controls works with the 169's so ya can upgrade your drivers.

 

[Golgatha]

Originally posted by: Zap
gamepadATI just barely got it into their latest drivers.

Yes, but it works very well. I had an 8800GT and recently switched to HD 3870s in Crossfire. ATI's scaling even works with Crossfire enabled. Good stuff. Had nothing but problems with nVidia GPU based scaling.

 

[gamepad]

Originally posted by: Lithan
But yeah, anyhow op. Check your monitors control panel. If it's dell and digital (which google says it is) it should have the same/similar controls as mine. And forcing it to aspect scaling via monitor controls works with the 169's so ya can upgrade your drivers.

My monitor doesn't have scaling control; the only thing it can adjust is color, brightness, and contrast.

I'm just gonna stick with forceware 96.89 (the last driver that had this option working properly) since WC3 is the only game I play right now. It's just frustrating that I have to use a driver from years ago to get a basic function working. I really despise Nvidia for this.

 

[Auric]

Ja, it would be comical if not so pathetic. For years, Nvidia was the only option for desktop GPU scaling and now it seems to be the reverse favouring AMD. I would likewise highly recommend a display with its own scaling options to avoid this problem in the future. Simply maintaining the aspect ratio while one axis is the same as the display's maximum (i.e. 1400x1050) is probably not dependent upon the quality and performance of the display's scaler.

 

[Lithan]

"internal scaling: Yes"
http://www.widescreengamingfor...index.php/Dell_E207WFP

Maybe you should just sell your nvidia and buy an ati. I hear that they just added your "basic function" to their drivers. So it sounds like a match made in heaven to me.

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: Lithan
"internal scaling: Yes"
http://www.widescreengamingfor...index.php/Dell_E207WFP

Maybe you should just sell your nvidia and buy an ati. I hear that they just added your "basic function" to their drivers. So it sounds like a match made in heaven to me.

Alas, internal scaling does not imply expected behavior nor user control. Obviously, if the maximum resolution is 1680x1050 and when an application runs at 1400x1050 it should simply be displayed without being altered. If that is not happening -i.e. Stretch-O-Vision, then the internal scaling "feature" is actually degrading the image quality and experience. This nonsense goes back more than half a decade although it was more commonly the other way 'round as tall screens were predominant so 1.33:1 content was stretched vertically rather than horizontally as with today's short screens.

 

[Lithan]

Wow, remind me to never buy one of dell's TN screens then. That's ridiculous.

 

[Jax Omen]

A huge amount of TN screens do that. It's a big part of why I bought the Doublesight IPS-panel. I *knew* what scaling options it had.

 

[Auric]

Originally posted by: Jax Omen
A huge amount of TN screens do that. It's a big part of why I bought the Doublesight IPS-panel. I *knew* what scaling options it had.

Innit more a factor of the market segment than the panel technology per se: TN are lower-end thus less likely to be paired with more costly features?

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Lithan
I'll stick with my higher res with overeating peons.

And Jax you're right. I did get used to the widescreen stretch. It actually looks far better to me in this game.

I'm glad this got cleared up. I actually know a number of people who likes them phat on their widescreens, but I'm not one of them and I guess neither is gamepad and Jax Omen.

Originally posted by: gamepad
My monitor doesn't have scaling control; the only thing it can adjust is color, brightness, and contrast.

E207WFP is Dell's "budget" line, and are pretty much like any other budget monitor. My wife's old Dell E2005WFP was considered a higher end monitor and has those controls built in, as well as svideo and composite inputs.

Originally posted by: Lithan
"internal scaling: Yes"
http://www.widescreengamingfor...index.php/Dell_E207WFP

I believe some of their data may be wrong. For instance, I don't recall there being a 4 port USB hub built into the E207WFP. Maybe the E2007WFP. Also, no portrait or height adjustable stand, as listed under "additional features."