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RE: graphics anomalies - 7/11/2017 3:50:46 PM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		Thanks for the information and hanging in there with us to figure this out. Just before you see the blanked out counters, do the animations (hits and explosions) slow down?

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 31
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/11/2017 10:29:07 PM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Thanks. I haven't noticed anything slowing down, but I can't test anything right now, because, suddenly, for some reason all I get with the steam install is an error message saying steam failed to initialise (even when steam is already up and running), and I can't go back and install through matrix because the plimus download page doesn't work at all....Tried for hours now to solve both these issues without any joy. Lol. Maybe I'll just wait for SS. TWhen is that likely to be?

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 32
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 3:19:23 AM   
zakblood


Posts: 22687
Joined: 10/4/2012
Status: offline 		you can redownload the game from your member's page login if needed or ask for a new link

ust open a tech support ticket or contact http://www.matrixgames.com/support/ with your order details (order reference number or/and email address used when placed the order) and they will provide you with new download links.

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 33
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 9:35:13 AM   
VPaulus

 

Posts: 3630
Joined: 6/23/2011
From: Portugal
Status: offline 		Check this thread for on how to download game file installers from the member's area:
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=4290024

(in reply to zakblood)
Post #: 34
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 10:11:41 AM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Found my last good download of the exec and now have it installed again without steam. The steam version I cannot get working no matter what. So, I note, about these graphics glitches, Capn Darwin, not that I see anything slowing down, but they only apear a little into the turn. So, playing the origins 16 scenario 1, for example, with a medium amount of units, it's about 4 mins into my first turn before I start to see the counters appearing momentarilly without pictures, just as blank counters (as in the pic at the head of this thread). Does that mean anything?

PLus, another point, now I don't get a warning that my turn phase is about to begin. The dialogue saying 'the american player phase is about to begin' or some such. Why would that have stopped appearing, I wonder?

(in reply to VPaulus)
Post #: 35
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 10:43:30 AM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		So. I think I've worked out what's going on. And I need help solving it. The laptop (like many) has two graphics processors - the integrated intel thing and a better Nvidia GTX850M. I believe I'm seeing crappy graphics glitches because the game refuses to use the Nvidia card. The MSI laptops have a LED to show which card your machine is using. Mine shows the game constantly uses the integrated intel card. This is despite me selecting the nvidia card as the processor in the nvidia settings. Is there any reason why the game would do this? Is there any setting for the game I can manually alter to change this behaviour? Thanks.

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Post #: 36
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 10:57:37 AM   
zakblood


Posts: 22687
Joined: 10/4/2012
Status: offline 		Open the Nvidia Control Panel and locate Manage 3D Settings. Change, in both Global and Program, the Preferred Graphics Processor to High Performance NVIDIA Processor.

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 37
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 11:02:51 AM   
zakblood


Posts: 22687
Joined: 10/4/2012
Status: offline 		you can force it if you wish, but you will or would need to manually alter this part yourself to the correct parts etc

quote:

-Go to the NVIDIA/ATI Control Panel by right clicking on your desk top and clicking on "NVIDIA or ATI Control Panel".
-In the default screen that pops up (it should be "manage 3D settings", and the "Program Settings" tab should be automatically selected), under "1. Select a program to customize:" hit the "Add" button.
- From here, navigate to the game exe. Typically located in: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Game.exe Select it, and open.
- Then, under "2. Select the preferred graphics processor for this program:" open the drop-down menu and select "High-performance NVIDIA/ATI processor".
- Finally, hit apply in the far bottom right corner, and you should be good to go! 


http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/pc-components/how-set-default-graphics-card-3612668/


< Message edited by zakblood -- 7/12/2017 11:07:29 AM >

(in reply to zakblood)
Post #: 38
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 11:50:16 AM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Thanks zak. I had already done all that. No effect. I can't alter the preferred processor directly by right-clicking the game exe (I don't have the permissions, it says) but I can do it from the Nvidia control panel, and have done. But anyway, it was already selected as the preferred processor. All indications show that the nvidia processor is the one it should be using, but it's not using it. That's the problem. It starts by using it and continues to use it (the Nvidia) through all the menus etc. But as soon as the game goes into a scenario it switches to the crappy integrated processor. This doesn't happen with any other game. I would think that some trigger in the game must do it (since it doesn't happen with other games) - it switches right where I click on a save or a scenario and it just starts loading it. Is there a setting somewhere in the game exe, i wonder?

< Message edited by phoenix -- 7/12/2017 11:56:56 AM >

(in reply to zakblood)
Post #: 39
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 12:28:04 PM   
zakblood


Posts: 22687
Joined: 10/4/2012
Status: offline 		can't say i've had it or heard of it, once you assign it, it should always use it for that given exe once saved

so step 3 didn't work for you then?

quote:

Step Three


http://www.techadvisor.co.uk/how-to/pc-components/how-set-default-graphics-card-3612668/


< Message edited by zakblood -- 7/12/2017 12:29:03 PM >

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 40
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 1:27:03 PM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Have done step 3, yes. Everywhere that it's possible to be set as the card to use the nvidia is set, but though the game opens using the nvidia, as soon as it goes into the actual scenario it switches to the intel. I think the program itself must be doing it. No idea why. But it's really bothering me now. As you might expect, it doesn't run well on the intel, hence all the little graphics anomalies.

I await Capn Darwin's response. Or someone who has done the coding, I guess, as they will likely know what's going on.

(in reply to zakblood)
Post #: 41
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 1:49:39 PM   
zakblood


Posts: 22687
Joined: 10/4/2012
Status: offline 		one last try, but and it's a big but, some onboard chips can be disabled in bios, mind you, some users don't or won't go into the bios, but what you can try is this, 

http://www.wikihow.com/Disable-the-Onboard-Graphics-and-Install-a-New-Graphics-Card-in-Your-HP-Pavilion-6630


yes it's a guide for a pc, but same rules apply to a laptop tbh, but as i have also nothing else to offer, will wait and see also what's in the code, for me (for a wild guess) it's won't be good news as most code for a API / program to be running, not a given chip or chip set etc.

you just don't need to go inside and fit a card, as it's already there etc, so as long as you make sure you use the right ext for the display on the back, it will on reboot display from the card and not onboard, which will be disabled for good and not be used.

< Message edited by zakblood -- 7/12/2017 1:51:49 PM >

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 42
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 2:02:48 PM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Thanks Zak. Full marks for trying! Much appreciated. I'm happy to mess with the bios, but I've already been there too. You can't disable the intel integrated thingy because it's used as a 'pass-through' for the NVidia, so if you disable it (either via the bios or the win 10 settings, using device manager etc) then you lose the NVidia too (black screen).

Most of my 'research' on this has turned up people who have this problem across the board - ie the machine won't pick the NVidia for ANY game. But I don't have that. The switching mechanism actually works fine for everything except FCRS. It's like the NVidia (which, as I understand it, is the device which actually does the choosing) doesn't recognize FCRS as graphically intensive enough to use the NVIDA on. And, of course, compared to games that this switch works fine with (GTMF, for example) FCRS is pretty graphically simple. BUt not that simple. I need the NVidia to run it.

(in reply to zakblood)
Post #: 43
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 2:07:54 PM   
VPaulus

 

Posts: 3630
Joined: 6/23/2011
From: Portugal
Status: offline 		It's a pain in the ass these hybrid systems.
I believe you have tried both the Global Settings and the Program Settings in the Nvidia Control Panel, right?

< Message edited by VPaulus -- 7/12/2017 2:09:08 PM >

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 44
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 2:28:15 PM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Yes, VPaulus. Everything is set to nvidia. I believe Nvidia does the selecting when programs run (and it's clear that this is a two stage process for some, including FCRS - ie; first the card runs the program using the nvidia - as instructed by me - then ONLY WHEN I go into the scenario does the card decided that this is not graphically intensive enough to merit the nvidia, and switches to the intel.

For example, the nvidia NEVER gets used to run a John Tiller game, even though the global setting is to use the nvidia. Another example - for Civil War 2 (AGEOD) the game starts on the intel (even though nvidia is selected globally) and then when I go into a scenario it switches to the nvidia. So some switch happens and some info communicated by the actual program at certain points must be what guides this, no? With FCRS when it goes into a scenario something makes the nvidia think it's about as intensive as a JTS game, which it's not, of course - it's much more intensive than such a simple game, and I really need the card to see that.

(in reply to VPaulus)
Post #: 45
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 2:38:25 PM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		Wow, is that bizarre. I will elevate this to Rob and I will do some research as well. This might explain some issues a couple other users are seeing. Again, thanks for your patience and help in getting this resolved.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 46
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 3:04:14 PM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		As a quick check, see if the approved solution in this link helps. Further down the posts are a few other solutions as well.

Link: http://www.tomsguide.com/answers/id-1988136/laptop-dedicated-gpu.html

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 47
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/12/2017 3:22:54 PM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Well, thanks for trying to resolve it. I'm out of ideas now. As far as I can see there is no way to actually force the system to choose the nvidia for all or even certain programs - all the options merely get it to 'prefer' the card, which clearly isnt enough, because something under the hood is getting it to use the crap intel option despite that preference, so hope Rob can solve it.
By the way, there are various similar issue postings regarding World of Warcraft out there (not a game I have or play, but might help that the isue occurs there in various forms) as well as many other games. For instance: https://eu.battle.net/forums/en/wow/topic/8782988576

< Message edited by phoenix -- 7/12/2017 3:37:43 PM >

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 48
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/13/2017 1:00:47 AM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		Phoenix, are you running a second monitor or using a monitor instead of the laptop's?

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 49
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/13/2017 1:16:59 AM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Answering from my phone, as this issue seems to have bricked the laptop. I rolled back the drivers for the intel and nvidia this pm to attempt to get the pc back to where it was. But, of course, that was a win 8.1 machine, and now its win 10. Result. Black screen on start up, cant get any graphics to work. Have spent 5 hours at it. No joy. Cant access safe mode log in, anything. Interesting. I think the machine is bricked.

< Message edited by phoenix -- 7/13/2017 1:21:35 AM >

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 50
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/13/2017 1:35:46 AM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		Wow, that sucks. I hope you get it all resolved with minimal pain. Sorry this has all gone pear shaped. Keep us posted. We will keep looking at what we can on our end.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 51
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/13/2017 4:50:19 AM   
zakblood


Posts: 22687
Joined: 10/4/2012
Status: offline 		does sound like a bad update to windows 10 tbh, but all is not lost, windows 10 has the best recovery tool set than any other version, but for me, i'd still back up your doc's and take off whatever you want and do a clean install of windows 10 creator's edition, no serial is needed, just download the ISO and burn to either a thumb drive or DVD and install from fresh, wiping all that's on the drive, including any recovery sections etc, as long as it's windows 10 compatible and it would have told you this on the before you update to windows 10 test etc, but to be 100% sure, just go to maker's website and double check, also sorry it's come to this, but sometimes it's not until something goes wrong that you realize you had or may have had an issue in the first place, and a clean install fixes almost everything, unless it's an hardware issue etc 


https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/software-download/windows10

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 52
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/13/2017 6:49:23 AM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Lol. It's been an 'interesting' 7 hours....Thanks Zak. I've now got it back though. And learned how to make a recovery USB and boot from that into safe mode, which I had no idea about before. So it really was interesting in the end. Took me a long while to get there, as I couldn't boot at all, it was like the laptop screen was broken - everything running beneath it, but no way to access it, because the roll back drivers didn't work and ONLY the NVidia card was working, I think, but since the intel graphics driver wouldn't work with it, nothing got to the screen. The absence of an easy way to boot win 10 into safe mode mechanically (without being able to access windows or even a log in screen at all) was a fearful frustration, and I think disgraceful. I had to make a recovery USB from the other computer, then only by chance did I discover that when you boot from it, it won't work unless you hit F11 during boot and select it. Then I was ok. Like I said, interesting...

To answer Capn Darwin's earlier question - no I was not using a second monitor.

(in reply to zakblood)
Post #: 53
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/21/2017 10:46:20 PM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Just a jot more info on this issue. The application for the matrix wrapper - the autorun program - triggers the use of the Nvidia processor, but the actual game app triggers the crappy intel processor. Should be the other way around. This is with both set to use nvidia via the nvidia control panel. We could say the nvidia control panel doesn't work, since I can target the actual game app with that and tell it to use the Nvidia processor, but it doesn't. But then again, this is the only game I have, of many, where this instruction to the nvidia control panel has no effect.

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 54
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/22/2017 12:04:47 AM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		I take it the that the game launched directly from the exe also defaults to the intel chip? We have been looking, but have not found a smoking gun yet for how to make the game trigger a 3D card over Intel. Plus we have no additional information where this is also happening to others. Or no else has noticed and raised a red flag. We will continue to keep an eye on this in hopes we can do something for Southern Storm.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 55
RE: graphics anomalies - 7/22/2017 12:32:56 AM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		I'm assuming you have done the following, but here is some info I found.

Please do try these troubleshooting steps that may help.
- First, go to Device Manager and uninstall the Nvidia graphics driver.
- Next is to open Programs and Features then uninstall anything related to Nvidia.
- Once uninstalled, download and install the latest driver.
- Here's the link: http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx
- Reboot the laptop once the latest driver has been installed and set Nvidia again as the default GPU.
- http://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2615...

I'll keep digging.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 56
RE: graphics anomalies - 9/15/2017 6:11:27 PM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Thanks Capn, for getting back about this. I have just tried the above suggestion, with no effect. The graphics card used changes after a fixed interval of around 5 secs. I open up the game and it's running on the nvidia. I get to the menu screen and after 5 secs there, whatever i do, it switches to the intel. Then it stays with the intel thereafter, no matter what I do.

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 57
RE: graphics anomalies - 9/30/2017 12:30:09 PM   
Phoenix100

 

Posts: 2826
Joined: 9/28/2010
Status: offline 		Well, I still can't play it comnfotably because of this problem. The anomalies I described (unit counters appearing blank as they move) plus a general jerkiness - all, I assume, due to it using the crappy internal intel graphics card instead of the nvidia. I've given up now. I wonder if this will be ok for southern storm, or whether I won't even bother buying that? I guess I will have to try a demo before I buy to see if the problem repeats in SS. I realise that - as someone said above - it might be a bit difficult coping with these 2 card machines, but in the world of laptops they're very common. And I have many games, and none of them replicate this issue. So, I would have to think that there's something coded that messes it up. I don't know how you get the machine to pick one card over the other, but clearly, that's where it goes wrong.

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 58
RE: graphics anomalies - 10/2/2017 12:48:11 PM   
CapnDarwin


Posts: 8467
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: Newark, OH
Status: offline 		Your problem is, unfortunately, has been seen by other dual GPU laptop users on other games. I'm not sure what the common problem is. Could be on our side with code, but the vast majority of players have not had the problem. Could be on your end with a certain combination of drivers, bios, and OS files. We won't forget the problem going forward and if we can find and test a fix we will let you know as we work on Southern Storm.

_____________________________

OTS is looking forward to Southern Storm getting released!

Cap'n Darwin aka Jim Snyder
On Target Simulations LLC

(in reply to Phoenix100)
Post #: 59
RE: graphics anomalies - 10/2/2017 2:10:31 PM   
VPaulus

 

Posts: 3630
Joined: 6/23/2011
From: Portugal
Status: offline 		Have you tried this?

Set your power plan settings to High Performance:
http://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2843-power-plan-settings-change-windows-10-a.html
And in the advanced settings for that power plan disable Link State Power Management under PCI Express.

Then open NVidia Control Panel, go into Manage 3D Settings and in Global Settings set High-performance NVIDIA processor as your 'preferred graphics processor' as per the below website:
http://acer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/32163/~/how-to-change-nvidia-optimus-graphics-settings

Also in Global Settings set Prefer Maximum Performance under "Power Management Mode".

(in reply to CapnDarwin)
Post #: 60
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