Multi-Game Widescreen Fixer

[dopefish]

I had never considered that before.

I'll look into it, though. The biggest issue would be plugin configuration. I suppose I could make it only show games that have already been configured in the list.

However, I do feel that I need to change something with the current setup. Too many people are just downloading Widescreen Fixer, picking a game from the list, and expecting it to just work. They don't know about configuring the plugin. Something needs to be changed to make it easier and more noticeable.

[Abram]

Maybe a large-ish, yellow message Saying "Configure Plugin" in the Status area or something? Something hard to miss.

[mapoetti]

I subscribe

[mattsimis]

FYI Dopefish, the current SVN (v3.1 r398) does not launch at all on my PC (Win 7 Pro X64). I reran the .Net 4.0 and Visual C installers to be sure there were up to date.
The previous version I have (v3.0.291) launches fine.

[mattsimis]

Sadly the latest version ( 3.1 r400) is exactly the same. Double click to run, nothing seems to happen, a icon appears on taskbar, but when you mouse over it, it disappears as the executable has already crashed in the background.

[Stress]

And...I'm having the same problem also, sadly for me, I have no older version that works. I do get the Window screen notiying me that Widescreen Fixer has stopped woking and offering to check online for a solution. Anywhere to download oder versions?

[Stress]

OK - update - found old versions (Google is your friend), downloaded and ran version 3.0.307 which runs great. I too had ran the Visual C x64 and x86 installers and repaired the .Net 4.0 installation (Vista x64). But hey I'm good here now. Thanks for all your work.

[CY:G]

Quick question, how come you guys dont open source the fixer? Just want an honest answer, I think the community would benefit a lot from contributions from other coders, maybe using something like github where you guys approve certain changes to be promoted to the main trunk.

Is it already open source, if it is, how do I go about downloading the latest revision?

I have some ideas on initial configuration, maybe showing a wizard asking the user to select hotkey on first run of the program/ etc.

Thank you in advance for an honest answer.

[dopefish]

For those getting crashes on launch, can you please go to your Event Viewer and find the application crash for both Widescreen Fixer and .NET Runtime. Paste me the error under the .NET Runtime entry.

how come you guys dont open source the fixer?

There hasn't ever really been a need to. Finding and making hacks for games can be done by anyone with Cheat Engine (or any other) memory editor and debugger. Widescreen Fixer simply provides a package that allows configuration. There are constant ongoing changes to the API and it's always evolving. By having it closed source it causes people interested to get in contact with me. Once someone gets in contact with me I can help them get a plugin going and get it committed to SVN where it can be more easily maintained by me.

If you would like to get SVN access and/or help develop plugins then get something going in Cheat Engine for a game and get in contact with me.

I have some ideas on initial configuration, maybe showing a wizard asking the user to select hotkey on first run of the program/ etc.

I reject the wizard approach. I want to make configuration as transparent as possible. My goal is to eventually just have everything work with no configuration necessary. A user will simply launch Widescreen Fixer, start any supported game, and Widescreen Fixer will take care of the rest. From here, if a user is not happy with the auto-detection then they can optionally configure it.

[Stress]

My issue with crash on launch is fixed. After my last post I started having major gpu issues beginning with worsening autocad hangs, then artifacts in videos, then bsod's - thought my hd5870 was going down the toilet and started researching the warranty. Then I opened the computer case took the HD5870 out, blew out all the dust, reseated the HD5870, reseated the cpu cooler fan so it didn't ride on the ram stick below it, uninstalled catalyst 12.2, ran Driver Sweeper, installed Catalyst 12.1/12.1 cap3 and everything worked fine and has for the past couple of days. Saw Dopefish's request for Event Viewer error codes, downloaded and installed WideScreenFixer 3.1r400 and WAA LAA it runs and works great. What was the problem? I have no idea, but I suspect it was either a bad Catalyst 12.2 install or Catalyst 12.2 itself was the problem. Anyway, I'm a really happy camper now and not going back to Catalyst 12.2 no way. Thanks for your work Dopefish - hope mattsimis gets his issues fixed.

[CY:G]

Thank you for the honest answer, It makes sense, one of the main reasons for me asking for access is to debug to see how some of the existing fixes work to be able to contribute hopefully in the future, but if everything is done using Cheat engine, and WidescreenFixer is more like a management tool then it makes sense, I guess i should start there instead then, Thanks!

[helifax]

Thank you for the honest answer, It makes sense, one of the main reasons for me asking for access is to debug to see how some of the existing fixes work to be able to contribute hopefully in the future, but if everything is done using Cheat engine, and WidescreenFixer is more like a management tool then it makes sense, I guess i should start there instead then, Thanks!

Hi,

Yes understanding a memory editor tool (like CT or any other tool for that matter) is the beginning. Moreover you should grab some "lesson" in how memory works in general in a device (PC, phone etc) and at least the basics of assembly language. In CT what you do is actually manipulating the memory and the values stored in your memory in a very precise way. There is no "room" for error:)
As for WSF, is not a management tool. Its just a tool that does the same thing as CT does. In C++ /C# (or any other language) you have the ability to do whatever you want (including memory management).

Hope this casts some light on the problem.

Best Regards,
Helifax

[CY:G]

[quote]Thank you for the honest answer, It makes sense, one of the main reasons for me asking for access is to debug to see how some of the existing fixes work to be able to contribute hopefully in the future, but if everything is done using Cheat engine, and WidescreenFixer is more like a management tool then it makes sense, I guess i should start there instead then, Thanks!

Hi,

Yes understanding a memory editor tool (like CT or any other tool for that matter) is the beginning. Moreover you should grab some "lesson" in how memory works in general in a device (PC, phone etc) and at least the basics of assembly language. In CT what you do is actually manipulating the memory and the values stored in your memory in a very precise way. There is no "room" for error:)
As for WSF, is not a management tool. Its just a tool that does the same thing as CT does. In C++ /C# (or any other language) you have the ability to do whatever you want (including memory management).

Hope this casts some light on the problem.

Best Regards,
Helifax

Thanks, part of my inspiration for this is something i found with the ME3 Fix you did, being a laptop user, I cant always be online for Origin's DRM check against my save files with DLC, which means that I have to fall back on the RELOADED exe with my retail copy to play on the go, unfortunately, im sure your fix attempts to change a value that falls in a different address than Reloaded's EXE because god nows what Reloaded changed in their exe and when enabling your fix ME3 just crashes (what you mention with no room for error) All im trying to fix is the FOV, the Coalesced.bin fix doesnt really work me as I have to keep changing FOVs when cinematics come, I have became spoiled of your implementation in the retail release when I play on my desktop :).

Anyway thank you for the info and keep up the good work.

[helifax]

[quote][quote]Thank you for the honest answer, It makes sense, one of the main reasons for me asking for access is to debug to see how some of the existing fixes work to be able to contribute hopefully in the future, but if everything is done using Cheat engine, and WidescreenFixer is more like a management tool then it makes sense, I guess i should start there instead then, Thanks!

Hi,

Yes understanding a memory editor tool (like CT or any other tool for that matter) is the beginning. Moreover you should grab some "lesson" in how memory works in general in a device (PC, phone etc) and at least the basics of assembly language. In CT what you do is actually manipulating the memory and the values stored in your memory in a very precise way. There is no "room" for error:)
As for WSF, is not a management tool. Its just a tool that does the same thing as CT does. In C++ /C# (or any other language) you have the ability to do whatever you want (including memory management).

Hope this casts some light on the problem.

Best Regards,
Helifax

Thanks, part of my inspiration for this is something i found with the ME3 Fix you did, being a laptop user, I cant always be online for Origin's DRM check against my save files with DLC, which means that I have to fall back on the RELOADED exe with my retail copy to play on the go, unfortunately, im sure your fix attempts to change a value that falls in a different address than Reloaded's EXE because god nows what Reloaded changed in their exe and when enabling your fix ME3 just crashes (what you mention with no room for error) All im trying to fix is the FOV, the Coalesced.bin fix doesnt really work me as I have to keep changing FOVs when cinematics come, I have became spoiled of your implementation in the retail release when I play on my desktop :).

Anyway thank you for the info and keep up the good work.

Hi,
I completely 1000000% agree with you and understand!!! But this is an open forum. If I fix it for a c_acked version most users will probably get the fix + hacked exe version and play the game. And they will have more functionality than the ones that actually payed for the game for free...which is not OK in my book:( As my plugin offers a fix for the demo version they can try the plugin and if they like it + the game they can buy an official copy of the game). Let' not forget that if Bioware wasn't arround Mass Effect would not exist, and I like to repay their efforts (even if they are pushed from the back by their publisher and maybe are in a darker period). Updating to any other exe would take about 2-5 minutes...the problem is not the time but the Idea...

Hope you understand! I know it sux to play the game on the laptop with no Internet and thus forced to use a diff executable but I don't want to change my policy :)

Best Regards,
Helifax

[CY:G]

[quote][quote][quote]Thank you for the honest answer, It makes sense, one of the main reasons for me asking for access is to debug to see how some of the existing fixes work to be able to contribute hopefully in the future, but if everything is done using Cheat engine, and WidescreenFixer is more like a management tool then it makes sense, I guess i should start there instead then, Thanks!

Hi,

Yes understanding a memory editor tool (like CT or any other tool for that matter) is the beginning. Moreover you should grab some "lesson" in how memory works in general in a device (PC, phone etc) and at least the basics of assembly language. In CT what you do is actually manipulating the memory and the values stored in your memory in a very precise way. There is no "room" for error:)
As for WSF, is not a management tool. Its just a tool that does the same thing as CT does. In C++ /C# (or any other language) you have the ability to do whatever you want (including memory management).

Hope this casts some light on the problem.

Best Regards,
Helifax

Thanks, part of my inspiration for this is something i found with the ME3 Fix you did, being a laptop user, I cant always be online for Origin's DRM check against my save files with DLC, which means that I have to fall back on the RELOADED exe with my retail copy to play on the go, unfortunately, im sure your fix attempts to change a value that falls in a different address than Reloaded's EXE because god nows what Reloaded changed in their exe and when enabling your fix ME3 just crashes (what you mention with no room for error) All im trying to fix is the FOV, the Coalesced.bin fix doesnt really work me as I have to keep changing FOVs when cinematics come, I have became spoiled of your implementation in the retail release when I play on my desktop :).

Anyway thank you for the info and keep up the good work.

Hi,
I completely 1000000% agree with you and understand!!! But this is an open forum. If I fix it for a c_acked version most users will probably get the fix + hacked exe version and play the game. And they will have more functionality than the ones that actually payed for the game for free...which is not OK in my book:( As my plugin offers a fix for the demo version they can try the plugin and if they like it + the game they can buy an official copy of the game). Let' not forget that if Bioware wasn't arround Mass Effect would not exist, and I like to repay their efforts (even if they are pushed from the back by their publisher and maybe are in a darker period). Updating to any other exe would take about 2-5 minutes...the problem is not the time but the Idea...

Hope you understand! I know it sux to play the game on the laptop with no Internet and thus forced to use a diff executable but I don't want to change my policy :)

Best Regards,
Helifax

Completely understandable, thanks for giving a reason instead of just saying no, I appreciate your efforts for legit users, regards :)

[mattsimis]

For those getting crashes on launch, can you please go to your Event Viewer and find the application crash for both Widescreen Fixer and .NET Runtime. Paste me the error under the .NET Runtime entry.

Getting same crash on latest v 3.1 r404.

Here is the Error from .NET:

Application: Widescreen Fixer.exe
Framework Version: v4.0.30319
Description: The process was terminated due to an unhandled exception.
Exception Info: System.AccessViolationException
Stack:
at Library.DetectDisplays.DetectDisplays+DD64.Initialize(IntPtr)
at Library.DetectDisplays.DetectDisplays.Initialize()
at Widescreen_Fixer.WidescreenFixer..ctor()
at Widescreen_Fixer.Program.Main()

And the App error itself:

Faulting application name: Widescreen Fixer.exe, version: 3.1.404.0, time stamp: 0x4f688d97
Faulting module name: msvcrt.dll, version: 7.0.7601.17744, time stamp: 0x4eeb033f
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00000000000158e3
Faulting process id: 0x2f0
Faulting application start time: 0x01cd06f9b706ea24
Faulting application path: C:ToolsWidescreen FixertempWidescreen Fixer.exe
Faulting module path: C:Windowssystem32msvcrt.dll
Report Id: f648827b-72ec-11e1-9c4d-e0cb4e87e01a

[sparx1981]

Hi Dopefish,

I noticed you have a todo list on the front of this thread. Is there anyway I could request two things to be added to this?

Unreal Tournament 3 - Works ok at the moment but the FOV needs tweaking
also
Split Second Velocity - seems to have native resolution support for eyefinity but is like modern warfare though. the menus and FOV in game are wrong. Happy to buy a copy for you if you dont have this.

[Morgan]

Hi dopefish!

What appears to be Dmp File uploaded to https://files.gaemsofyesterday.com/

Apologies if it isn't... Couldn't find the way to get it with procDump.

Thank's!

[sparx1981]

A little bit of publicity for you here in the UK.

HotUKDeals

[dopefish]

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. The forums have been messed up for me for over a week now where it never changes the forum icon letting me know there's new posts. So for a few days I just thought no one was posting when they really were.

Besides that, my father passed away on Monday so I was preoccupied with that over the weekend and start of this week.

I'll look into these crashes.

The SystemAccessViolation one is due to AMD. For some reason, using the ATI GPU Services (AGS) library, users will get crashes with certain driver versions and other weird issues. I've been trying to manage the exceptions thrown by this but new ones appear.