GPL calibration

OK, after reading all the posts about GPL I bought it today. Sorry if I missed this before, but here's my problem. I've been using a home made wheel and CH pedals and an AMC game card with GP2 for years (DOS game). In GPL, I chose"generic driver" to calibrate my wheel/pedals. I can see the axes move when I move the wheel/pedals but the mouse curser freezes. At that point, I can't do any more. Now that I'm ready to go with GPL, this is pretty frustrating. BTW, WIN95 hasn't ever recognized my wheel/pedals, but I never cared before. Any ideas? Thanks

Use direct input. I beleive that this bypasses Windows whereas Generic Driver goes straight to Windows which may hang at this point. Cheers, Paul

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> OK, after reading all the posts about GPL I bought it today. Sorry if I missed > this before, but here's my problem. I've been using a home made wheel and CH > pedals and an AMC game card with GP2 for years (DOS game). In GPL, I > chose"generic driver" to calibrate my wheel/pedals. I can see the axes move > when I move the wheel/pedals but the mouse curser freezes. At that point, I > can't do any more. Now that I'm ready to go with GPL, this is pretty > frustrating. BTW, WIN95 hasn't ever recognized my wheel/pedals, but I never > cared before. Any ideas? Thanks

I thought it was the other way around, Paul. Direct Input uses the Windows joystick set up. Generic is the Papy driver - you don't need a joystick set up at all within Windows for this to work. Cheers Tony >Use direct input. I beleive that this bypasses Windows whereas Generic Driver goes

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>straight to Windows which may hang at this point. >Cheers, >Paul >> OK, after reading all the posts about GPL I bought it today. Sorry if I

missed >> this before, but here's my problem. I've been using a home made wheel and CH >> pedals and an AMC game card with GP2 for years (DOS game). In GPL, I >> chose"generic driver" to calibrate my wheel/pedals. I can see the axes move >> when I move the wheel/pedals but the mouse curser freezes. At that point, I >> can't do any more. Now that I'm ready to go with GPL, this is pretty >> frustrating. BTW, WIN95 hasn't ever recognized my wheel/pedals, but I never >> cared before. Any ideas? Thanks

It's the other way around. "DirectInput" [(tm) Microsoft] (not "direct input") is one component of Microsoft's DirectX API set (which also includes DirectDraw, Direct3D, DirectSound, DirectSetup, and DirectPlay (all (tm) Microsoft). The "generic" driver was written entirely by Papyrus, and will read any standard analog input devices (with standard digital buttons) connected to a standard analog PC game port (it will not read "digital" devices connected to the PC game port, nor will it read USB input devices). If you're using a Voodoo II card, be sure you're using drivers that work. The latest set (I believe they're part of DirectX 6.1) do NOT work with GPL (3dfx is addressing the issue). Right click on c:\windows\system\glide2x.dll, and select Version. It should read 2.53 (2.54 is the (well, a) version that does not work; some older versions also have problems). Aside from video card driver issues, I can't think of any other reason it might hang while calibrating. Randy

Whoops, sorry! I'd always understood it that GPL went direct with Direct Input. Is the Generic Input better if I'm using an analog device off a gameport? I think I will try switching to see what difference it makes. Cheers, Paul

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> It's the other way around. "DirectInput" [(tm) Microsoft] (not "direct > input") is one component of Microsoft's DirectX API set (which also > includes DirectDraw, Direct3D, DirectSound, DirectSetup, and DirectPlay > (all (tm) Microsoft). The "generic" driver was written entirely by > Papyrus, and will read any standard analog input devices (with standard > digital buttons) connected to a standard analog PC game port (it will > not read "digital" devices connected to the PC game port, nor will it > read USB input devices). > If you're using a Voodoo II card, be sure you're using drivers that > work. The latest set (I believe they're part of DirectX 6.1) do NOT > work with GPL (3dfx is addressing the issue). Right click on > c:\windows\system\glide2x.dll, and select Version. It should read 2.53 > (2.54 is the (well, a) version that does not work; some older versions > also have problems). Aside from video card driver issues, I can't > think of any other reason it might hang while calibrating. > Randy > > Use direct input. I beleive that this bypasses Windows whereas > Generic Driver goes > > straight to Windows which may hang at this point. > ... > > > I've been using a home made wheel and CH > > > pedals and an AMC game card with GP2 for years (DOS game). In GPL, > I > > > chose"generic driver" to calibrate my wheel/pedals. I can see the > axes move > > > when I move the wheel/pedals but the mouse curser freezes. At that > point, I > > > can't do any more. Now that I'm ready to go with GPL, this is > pretty > > > frustrating. BTW, WIN95 hasn't ever recognized my wheel/pedals, > but I never > > > cared before.

I used the setting that bypasses Win95, but GPL a) doesn't see my wheel/pedals and b) the screen either locks up or becomes slow. I've since determined that Win95 in general doesn't see my wheel/pedals probably because I use the Thrustmaster game card. This wasn't ans issue with GP2.

gameport? We feel that our generic joystick reader is about as accurate and efficient as you're going to get (though we do have to go through a VxD call to get to it). Personally, I use it whenever I can. You should be aware, however, that our generic joystick reader disables interrupts while reading the device(s). This can have ramifications if you're also using any devices that require time-critical interrupt processing. A modem connected to a serial port can fall into this category. The default Windows 16550 FIFO settings are tuned for efficient CPU utilization, but they require more timely interrupt processing. If you're going to use the generic joystick driver while using your modem, you should adjust these settings. I set both sliders to the first notch from the leftmost position. (Note: It is my understanding that DirectInput will also disable interrupts when it reads analog devices if you uncheck the "Poll with interrupts enabled" checkbox in the Advanced page of your Game Controllers control panel). Randy

When I use the generic option, GPL sees my wheel and pedals as I see the calibration sliders move when I move the wheel or depress the pedals. My problem is that when I select the generic control option, the screen (ie: mouse curser) either becomes almost impossible to move or locks entirely. This problem only appears when I select the generic option. GPL doesn't see my wheel/pedals at all with the Win95 option. I have a Voodoo 1 with glide 2.1.1 and 3DFX 4.1 Will a newer glide and or DirectX6 help?

Thanks, Randy. Btw, I see you name come up on my screen several times a day - everytime I quit GPL - I think you've had way more than your allotted 15 minutes of fame. :-) But, seriously thank you ever so much for the very best pc game ever written - period. If you ever get round to GPL2, I will be in seventh heaven. How about 1957 or 1976? Cheers, Paul

% I used the setting that bypasses Win95, but GPL a) doesn't see my wheel/pedals % and b) the screen either locks up or becomes slow. I've since determined that % Win95 in general doesn't see my wheel/pedals probably because I use the % Thrustmaster game card. This wasn't ans issue with GP2. I use the ACM card in both DOS and Windows. It does require that you have totally disabled your soundcard's gameport and may require changing the I/O settings from the default for the ACM card. Check out Thrustmaster's ACM troubleshooting guide at http://www.thrustmaster.com/support/rcs_acm/index.html -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Let me say, that I wholeheartedly agree with Randy, Papyrus has one of the best gameport routines in the business! I prefer it by a large degree over the direct input. % We feel that our generic joystick reader is about as accurate and % efficient as you're going to get (though we do have to go through a VxD % call to get to it). Personally, I use it whenever I can. You should % be aware, however, that our generic joystick reader disables interrupts % while reading the device(s). This can have ramifications if you're % also using any devices that require time-critical interrupt processing. % A modem connected to a serial port can fall into this category. The % default Windows 16550 FIFO settings are tuned for efficient CPU % utilization, but they require more timely interrupt processing. If % you're going to use the generic joystick driver while using your modem, % you should adjust these settings. I set both sliders to the first % notch from the leftmost position. % (Note: It is my understanding that DirectInput will also disable % interrupts when it reads analog devices if you uncheck the "Poll with % interrupts enabled" checkbox in the Advanced page of your Game % Controllers control panel). % Randy -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

% Whoops, sorry! % I'd always understood it that GPL went direct with Direct Input. % Is the Generic Input better if I'm using an analog device off a gameport? % I think I will try switching to see what difference it makes. Your milage may vary, but I find the generic input to be more precise than using direct. This will depend on the quality of your gamecard and controlling device. There may also be some conflict when playing online with a serial modem and using generic. However, I never saw any problems. When switching between generic and direct, you may also find that you will need to play with the linear/non-linear settings. -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

entirely. The only reason that I can imagine for it locking is that there's are conflicting game controller devices in your system. If you have both a game card, and a joystick port on a sound card, be sure you've completely disabled the one you don't want to use. It's entirely possible that if there are two conflicting devices that sometimes the two will squelch each other, confusing the bejesus out of the game. When you select the generic joystick driver in GPL (toggling from DirectInput), we poll all axes with a fairly large timeout value. We figure that any axis that doesn't respond before that timeout expires just isn't there, and we no longer try to read it from then on. If we get a spurious signal from one of the game cards just before we'd timeout an axis that doesn't have a potentiometer attached to it, then we will try to read that axis every game loop. Our timeout is probably high enough that, from then on, we spend virtually all the CPU time polling the non-existent axis. In effect, this locks the system. I'm not sure about driver versions for a Voodoo 1 (maybe Eric knows and can comment on this?) Randy