Thief 3 Deadly Shadows FOV patch - specify resolution?

[VanBurenPhilips]

Howdy, been reading these forums & solutions for years (great site), my first post here so I hope I'm putting it in the right place.

http://www.widescreengamingforum.com/wiki/Thief:_Deadly_Shadows

I've used the Thief 3 FOV patch a few times, I remember this one took a while to come out and was appreciated by many. It's always worked fine for me, and is still working as advertised.

However... :wink:

I recently got a 3D TV and would love to try Deadly Shadows in stereo 3D. I'm running Nvidia's "3dtv play" app which tests perfectly. What it needs for a game to run in 3D is one of two resolutions: 1920x1080 24hz or 1280x720 60hz. That refresh rate for the first option is pretty awful for playing games, so I'm going to try for the second one. Now, when I follow the instructions for enabling widescreen, I enter the resolution I want (1280x720) into the FOV patcher and it all appears to work fine. But when I run the game, it runs at 1920x1080, 60hz. This is reported by the Nvidia 3dtv app and by the TV itself (the app shows an overlay as the game launches, stating the full res & refresh and informs me this is no good for 3d, and the TV reports it as a 1080p signal). 1920x1080, 60hz is reported by Nvidia display properties as my display's native resolution.

I've tried setting the Resolution value in options.ini to -1, -2 and -3; I've tried specifying 16:9 aspect ratio or different resolutions in the FOV patch; whatever change I try to make, the game always runs in the TV's native res. While typing this, I even tried a nonsensical NUMBERxNUMBER value with the height greater than the width (vertical res was 880,000ish) and predictably the game still ran in 1080p. Changing back to 4:3 as per the instructions works fine.

So... I'm stumped. What I want to do is force the game to run in a specific resolution, but I can't get the FOV patch to make that change. Any thoughts?

[scavvenjahh]

Did you try setting your desktop to 1280x720 prior to launching the game ? I don't think the game can "detect" widescreen resolutions other than the one currently in use.

[VanBurenPhilips]

I did try that, yeah.

Sorry my original post was a little light on details, I'm running Win7 32bit. I have made some progress in the time that's passed but to answer your question, with the desktop set at 1280x720 the game still launched in 1920x1080. I tried everything I could think of to force it, tried messing around with RivaTuner & Powerstrip but it seems the existing solution sets the game to your native resolution, and that's that (I did read somewhere that setting options.ini's 'resolution' line to -1 or -3 does exactly that - I'm sure I tried -2 as well and I don't recall seeing anything other than my native res). While I wasn't able to force the resolution, I could use Rivatuner or Powerstrip to force the refresh rate - so I made it run in 1920x1080x24Hz which was deemed acceptable for 3D by Nvidia and my TV. That low refresh rate was not as bad as I expected, but still kinda rough when the camera is moving (looking around) - it was great to see the 3D effect, but this was not good enough for prolonged play.

Anyway, after that I found two more recent patches which I think might be worth adding into the Thief 3 solution here. Took me ages to find them, they didn't come up in my google searches but I eventually found them in the ttlg forums. They both essentially do the same thing - let you replace the in-game resolution options with custom resolutions - so they would replace the current "step 2" (editing options.ini) and you'd no longer get that bizarre numeric value appearing in the in-game options. To get the FOV right, you still need to use the FOV patch and start a new game.

The first is an exe that lets you edit the in-game resolution options to whatever you want, and it also includes a "crash fix" option (I think this is for a crash that occurs when saving & loading, entering level end/transition points, etc. in Win 7/Vista). I still get those crashes unfortunately, but everyone else has reported great success with this patch. The resolution changes work fine for me, I can set whatever I want.

Hadley's patch:
Author's link (.exe download)
mirror (.zip download)
discussion on ttlg

The second is a replacement T3Main.exe that already has the in-game options edited to a selection of 16:10 resolutions.

Massimiliano Goi's patch:
on ttlg forums
on eidosgames forums

Those resolutions are no good to me, but the readme contains the instructions on how to hex edit the resolution options in T3Main.exe. I tried the first patch, got the game running in 1280x720 60Hz and in 3D, but it still crashes at the same predictable moments (without Hadley's crash fix it enters an infinite loop which is what many people have been getting; with the crash fix my infinite loop becomes a crash-to-desktop, but this fix seems to work for everyone else :/ ). I went back to the original exe and used Massimiliano Goi's instructions to edit my own desired resolution into it - the resolution works fine but the crashes are exactly the same.

It only does it in 16:9 resolutions - 16:10 and 4:3 all work fine. The crashes all occur when a confirmation message is supposed to appear on screen - when ending a level/changing to a different map, loading a saved game from the menu, etc. I'm looking in the game's default.ini to see if I can find any info regarding those screens and mess with it.

I've tried all the usual suggestions - disable dual core, disable SLI, use basic visual theme, compatibility modes, etc. - none of these things have made a difference for me.

Anyway, I'm not sure this is the right forum to try to solve my crash bug - suffice to say I can get the game running in widescreen & 3D and it looks great. I know when the crashes will occur so I can avoid them by changing resolution with the in-game options, then changing back afterwards. Bit of an ugly workaround, and gets irritating in the street sections when you're changing maps quite frequently, but it'll do for now.

Are either of those patches useful for the game's solution here?

[Tanuki]

I don't have the game anymore but IIRC the crashing may be fixed by changing a value in the ini file. It has to deal with the HUD size and placement. I was working on a method but it was not worth it at the time with the unpredictability in selecting resolutions.

Basically, you can remove stretching from the HUD but it has a direct relationship on the alignment and size of the HUD. So the less stretched it is the smaller and more misaglined it is. You only have to change this value slightly for 16:9.

Post your ini file list and I may be able to remember where and what it is. Or maybe it is mentioned in the forum somewhere.

[scavvenjahh]

Here's my T3Hud.ini...

[VanBurenPhilips]

I had a scan through Default.ini, which is where most of the common tweaks take place - didn't spot a likely candidate, but it was just a quick look. I'm looking in T3UI.ini now, it might be in here - could be the [SmallPopUpWindow] or [LargePopUpWindow]. Can I post attachments? I won't paste the file contents here as they are huge.

Some more info to narrow things down: there are two types of pop-up window/message that appear in-game. 1: appears over gameplay with a translucent blue tint, some text and an 'OK' button. This is used for tutorial messages & info when you pick up an item for the first time (eg, your first health potion or special arrow). These work fine and don't cause me to crash. 2: looks the same as the first, but without the blue tint and with 'yes' or 'no' buttons. You get these when you enter a map transition zone, complete a level, exit game from main menu, load a game via the menu, or overwrite a saved game. These are the ones that coincide with my crashes.

Thanks for the help guys.

EDIT: I think there are many windows that appear similar in-game, for example in T3UI.ini there are [MetaGameItemInfoPopUpWindow], [MetaGameLoadSaveConfirmPopUpWindow] and many more. There are probably several that work, and several that coincide with my crashes. They all have similar settings with slight variations in values. A few examples:

Code: Select all

[SmallPopUpWindow]

   Type=T3PopupWindow

   Width=FULLSCREEN

   Height=FULLSCREEN

   Placement_X=CENTER

   Placement_Y=CENTER

   Pos_X=0

   Pos_Y=0

   Pos_Z=-250

   PauseGame=TRUE

   BlackScreen=FALSE

   Selectable=FALSE

   Texture_Mid=META_GRAYbackground

   Color_Normal_R=0

   Color_Normal_G=0

   Color_Normal_B=0

   Color_Normal_A=0

   InputBaseModeName=Menu

   Body_Text_Window=SmallPopUpBodyTextWindow

   Title_Text_Window=SmallPopUpTitleTextWindow

   Frame=SmallPopUpActor

   Yes_Button=SmallPopUpButton0

   No_Button=SmallPopUpButton1

   Cancel_Button=SmallPopUpButton2

   Hilight_Button=HilightButton

   ButtonXPos1Button_0=320

   ButtonXPos2Buttons_0=245

   ButtonXPos2Buttons_1=395

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_0=220

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_1=320

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_2=420

   ButtonYPos1Button_0=335

   ButtonYPos2Buttons_0=335

   ButtonYPos2Buttons_1=335

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_0=335

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_1=335

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_2=335

   ListenForMouseClicks=True

   IsModal=True

   ChildWindow_0=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_1

   ChildWindow_1=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_3

   ChildWindow_2=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_2

   ChildWindow_3=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_4

   

Code: Select all

[LargePopUpWindow]

   Type=T3PopupWindow

   Width=FULLSCREEN

   Height=FULLSCREEN

   Placement_X=CENTER

   Placement_Y=CENTER

   Pos_X=0

   Pos_Y=0

   Pos_Z=-30

   PauseGame=TRUE

   BlackScreen=FALSE

   Selectable=FALSE

   Texture_Mid=META_GRAYbackground

   Color_Normal_R=0

   Color_Normal_G=0

   Color_Normal_B=0

   Color_Normal_A=0

   InputBaseModeName=Menu

   Body_Text_Window=LargePopUpBodyTextWindow

   Title_Text_Window=LargePopUpTitleTextWindow

   Frame=LargePopUpActor

   Yes_Button=SmallPopUpButton0

   No_Button=SmallPopUpButton1

   Cancel_Button=SmallPopUpButton2

   Hilight_Button=HilightButton

   ButtonXPos1Button_0=320

   ButtonXPos2Buttons_0=250

   ButtonXPos2Buttons_1=400

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_0=200

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_1=325

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_2=450

   ButtonYPos1Button_0=400

   ButtonYPos2Buttons_0=400

   ButtonYPos2Buttons_1=400

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_0=400

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_1=400

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_2=400

   ListenForMouseClicks=True

   IsModal=True

   ChildWindow_0=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_1

   ChildWindow_1=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_3

   ChildWindow_2=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_2

   ChildWindow_3=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_4

   

Code: Select all

[MetaGameLoadSaveConfirmPopUpWindow]

   Type=T3PopupWindow

   Width=FULLSCREEN

   Height=FULLSCREEN

   Placement_X=CENTER

   Placement_Y=CENTER

   Pos_X=0

   Pos_Y=0

   Pos_Z=-120

   PauseGame=TRUE

   Selectable=FALSE

   InputBaseModeName=Menu

   Body_Text_Window=SmallPopUpBodyTextWindow

   Title_Text_Window=SmallPopUpTitleTextWindow

   Frame=SmallPopUpActor

   Yes_Button=SmallPopUpButton0

   No_Button=SmallPopUpButton1

   Cancel_Button=SmallPopUpButton2

   Hilight_Button=HilightButton

   ButtonXPos1Button_0=320

   ButtonXPos2Buttons_0=245

   ButtonXPos2Buttons_1=395

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_0=220

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_1=320

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_2=420

   ButtonYPos1Button_0=385

   ButtonYPos2Buttons_0=385

   ButtonYPos2Buttons_1=385

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_0=385

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_1=385

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_2=385

   Extra_Actor_Window=PopUpLoadSaveButtonConfirm

   ListenForMouseClicks=True

   IsModal=True

   ChildWindow_0=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_1

   ChildWindow_1=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_3

   ChildWindow_2=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_2

   ChildWindow_3=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_4

   

Code: Select all

[MetaGameItemInfoPopUpWindow]

   Type=T3PopupWindow

   Width=FULLSCREEN

   Height=FULLSCREEN

   Placement_X=CENTER

   Placement_Y=CENTER

   Pos_X=0

   Pos_Y=0

   Pos_Z=-120

   PauseGame=TRUE

   Selectable=FALSE

   InputBaseModeName=Menu

   Body_Text_Window=MetaGameItemPopUpBodyTextWindow

   Title_Text_Window=LargePopUpTitleTextWindow

   Frame=SmallPopUpActor

   Yes_Button=SmallPopUpButton0

   No_Button=SmallPopUpButton1

   Cancel_Button=SmallPopUpButton2

   Hilight_Button=HilightButton

   ButtonXPos1Button_0=320

   ButtonXPos2Buttons_0=245

   ButtonXPos2Buttons_1=395

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_0=220

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_1=320

   ButtonXPos3Buttons_2=420

   ButtonYPos1Button_0=350

   ButtonYPos2Buttons_0=350

   ButtonYPos2Buttons_1=350

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_0=350

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_1=350

   ButtonYPos3Buttons_2=350

   Extra_Actor_Window=PopUpItemObjectInfo

   ListenForMouseClicks=True

   IsModal=True

   ChildWindow_0=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_1

   ChildWindow_1=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_3

   ChildWindow_2=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_2

   ChildWindow_3=T3UILights.ini:MetaGameLight_4

   

[Tanuki]

It is not jumping out at me.

I want to say the value is 1.3 or 1.33 or something like that but I am not totally sure. IIRC using your own aspect ratio removes the stretching but scales down everything to 640x480 and throws the alignment off. The HUD file that was posted can be used to move and resize the elements but needs to be done manually for each element. I started but it was not worth the effort.

If I still had this game I would try and find the HUD fov in the executable like in the Invisible War solution. It may still be using that even though it uses a different method for the camera fov.

Maybe someone could list all the ini file names. Or take a screenshot of the directory.

[VanBurenPhilips]

Why do I have to go to work? (-_-;) Never mind, rhetorical question ;)

.ini files in [Game folder]System:

dsound.ini
DEFAULT.ini
T3UI.ini
T3PlayerAnims.ini
reverbstyles.ini
T3AutoTag.ini
T3Camera.ini
T3Hud.ini
T3InputMem.ini
T3ItemGrid.ini
T3PhysicsSound.ini
T3Rumble.ini
T3UILights.ini
T3UISoup.ini
FacialExp.ini
MotionTags.ini

There's also an Options.ini that goes in a Windows documents folder.

Default.ini is the big one that has loads of tweakable stuff - PC gamers who want to make it look less Xbox-like tend to tweak the hell out of this one.

T3Hud.ini as you say has all the HUD elements. I can change their dimensions here, but tbh I've played in 4:3, 16:10 and 16:9 and never found the distortion noticeable. Handily for stereo 3D, you can even change the Z coordinate so you can choose their perceived depth. I don't think the HUD elements are causing me problems, but if you know this crash then I'm happy to follow your lead.

T3UI.ini is full of data on menu screens and pop-up screens (confirmation dialogs and the like). I've no idea if the confirmation dialogs are causing the crashes or just coinciding with them, but this is where I've been looking. I've been trying to identify the ones that work and the ones that coincide with a crash, and then examine the differences between them. There are LOADS of entries in this file so it's a bit mind boggling.

[Tanuki]

DEFAULT.ini
T3UI.ini
T3Camera.ini
T3Hud.ini
T3ItemGrid.ini
Options.ini

If you or Scav can dump these in a folder and zip them up and give me a download link I will look through them.

[VanBurenPhilips]

Cheers skavv

[Tanuki]

Lets try the default ini first.

Search for "AssumedUIScreenWidth__t=640".

Try changing 640 to 852 for 16:9. See if you get any of the crashing. If no crashing change to 641 and check for crashing again. If it does crash increase the value by 5 or so until it doesn't crash. When you get a value that doesn't crash decrease by 1 until you have the lowest possible value that still works.

If changing to 852 still crashes search for "FullscreenViewportX=640" and make sure it is under the "[WinDrv.WindowsClient]" and not the Xbox section. Try the same as above.

IIRC narrower aspect ratios require lower values. So 16:10 will stop crashing at a lower value than 16:9. The higher the value is the more the interface is borked. You should not have to change the values that much for 16:9 however.

[VanBurenPhilips]

Brilliant!

Sorry, it took a while to get onto this. Saw first signs that you'd solved it before the weekend, but didn't get chance to really test it until yesterday. AssumedUIScreenWidth__t=852 made the problematic screens appear properly and stopped the crashes, so I narrowed it down to the lowest working value, which for me is 689. I have left it there, without altering the other fields.

I've now played all the way through the training mission and first proper mission in 1280x720 without a hitch - all of the pop up screens that previously coincided with a crash now show up as normal and the game no longer crashes at those times (very rare exception - see below). Minor side effect is that some menu elements (back button, some text) are slightly shifted to one side - all the coordinates & dimensions are in the ini files, so it should be possible to put them all back in the right place if desired. In-game, HUD elements are positioned correctly.

I know this is unrelated to the issue & not the concern of this forum, but I'm now able to play as I wanted - on my 3DTV without the interruption of a fussy workaround, and it looks fantastic! o/ - so thanks very much for solving this.

There have still been a couple of crashes (at the same old moments), but they are rare & in obscure circumstances - I think it was when I changed resolution for some reason, then changed it back to 720p and from then on the crash threat seemed to be the same as before. This prompted me to check default.ini again and make sure my change had stuck (it had). I'll see if I can repeat it, but for all practical purposes my issue is fixed - cheers! :cheers

[Tanuki]

Minor side effect is that some menu elements (back button, some text) are slightly shifted to one side - all the coordinates & dimensions are in the ini files, so it should be possible to put them all back in the right place if desired. In-game, HUD elements are positioned correctly.

If anyone is thinking of doing this I suggest changing the value to match your aspect ratio exactly to remove the stretching. This will greatly increase the misalignment and incorrect sizes but since you would be changing them anyway you might as well completely remove the stretching.