Overlay Problem?

[Davman]

This one will be fun to describe!

Basically when I'm running the game fullscreen, if an overlay pops up from an external app (like MSN messenger sign-in notifications), the game stutters for a couple of seconds and then the whole screen goes... crazy. Looks like it's de-interlaced or something? The whole screen appears to be made up of lines that are all out of place. Even if you alt-tab out of the game, the problem remains until the overlay goes away.

DxDiag follows. I think it fails to mention there are 2x ATI cards in Crossfire.

Code: Select all

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 9/20/2008, 11:41:07
       Machine name: DAVE-3F3397D623
   Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp.080413-2111)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: RD580_
       System Model: AWRDACPI
               BIOS: Phoenix - Award BIOS v6.00PG
          Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 3800+,  MMX,  3DNow (2 CPUs), ~2.0GHz
             Memory: 2046MB RAM
          Page File: 1306MB used, 2631MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
    DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
     DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
  DirectX Files Tab: The file d3d9d.dll is a debug version, which will run slower than the retail version.
      Display Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 1: No problems found.
        Sound Tab 2: The file btaudio.sys is not digitally signed, which means that it has not been tested by Microsoft's Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL).  You may be able to get a WHQL logo'd driver from the hardware manufacturer.
          Music Tab: No problems found.
          Input Tab: No problems found.
        Network Tab: No problems found.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D:    0/4 (retail)
DirectDraw:  0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (retail)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (retail)
DirectPlay:  0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow:  0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
        Card name: Radeon X1950 Pro
     Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
        Chip type: ATI Radeon Graphics Processor (0x7280)
         DAC type: Internal DAC(400MHz)
       Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_7280&SUBSYS_E190174B&REV_9A
   Display Memory: 256.0 MB
     Current Mode: 2560 x 1600 (32 bit) (60Hz)
          Monitor: Apple Cinema HD Display 30-inch
  Monitor Max Res: 2560,1600
      Driver Name: ati2dvag.dll
   Driver Version: 6.14.0010.6783 (English)
      DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
 Driver Date/Size: 2/26/2008 04:10:53, 299520 bytes
      WHQL Logo'd: Yes
  WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
              VDD: n/a
         Mini VDD: ati2mtag.sys
    Mini VDD Date: 2/26/2008 06:51:43, 2863616 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71EE2-31C0-11CF-846E-9AC13BC2CB35}
        Vendor ID: 0x1002
        Device ID: 0x7280
        SubSys ID: 0xE190174B
      Revision ID: 0x009A
      Revision ID: 0x009A
      Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D ModeWMV8_B ModeWMV8_A ModeWMV9_B ModeWMV9_A
 Deinterlace Caps: {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
                   {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
                   {3C5323C1-6FB7-44F5-9081-056BF2EE449D}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
                   {552C0DAD-CCBC-420B-83C8-74943CF9F1A6}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,2) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
                   {6E8329FF-B642-418B-BCF0-BCB6591E255F}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,1) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
                   {335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
         Registry: OK
     DDraw Status: Enabled
       D3D Status: Enabled
       AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: Not run
 D3D7 Test Result: Not run
 D3D8 Test Result: Not run
 D3D9 Test Result: Not run



[Davman]

Hmmm. Strange, I don't get it on other games, Lord of the rings online, gta:sa, settlers: ROAE to name some that I've tried in the last day. When i run those the overlays tend not to appear at all (are hidden behind the game?), whereas with multiwinia they appear on-top. Also the MSN messenger overlay occasionally appears without the interlacing problem, just the slight judder.

[frenchfrog]

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: Radeon X1950 Pro
[...]
Driver Date/Size: 2/26/2008 04:10:53, 299520 bytes

Update your video drivers? (There is perhaps something wrong with ATI drivers, this wouldn't be the first time)

Try to get a screenshot?

You may also try a support ticket with ATI/AMD.


Please keep us informed

[The GoldFish]

I've suffered this a few times too, changing eg volume ingame, and I managed to get a screenshot of this.

Unfortunately, it looks perfectly fine, because the problem isn't at that level. I grabbed my camera but can't get it to do it now that I have the means to capture it -_-

My drivers are perfectly up to date, I think it's probably openGL rather than multiwinia, though.

[Davman]

Have updated my drivers, which I realised I should have done before I wrote about the problem on the forum...

Will see if the problem continues.

[The GoldFish]

HELLO GOOD DAY. I'm using the latest integrated drivers for this laptop, and sometimes when I alt tab/use my volume/brightness controls, or when I simply alt tab to look at anything else which wouldn't minimise Darwinia, I think I Get the same problem as this guy. Regardless, you can't print screen it because it seems that as far as windows is concerned, it's rendering correctly. Real life tells another tale, though;



Unfortunately, it is VERY sporadic (and I've been alt tabbing from multiwinia to edit files a lot). I'm not entirely certain it's anything Multiwinia is doing wrong; it could simply be this laptop's graphics card/driver (a Radeon Xpress 1150, driver date is 21/08/08) + openGL. I'm fairly sure I have had this occur OUTSIDE of the menu, the menu is just where I alt tab from the most.

Now, this may be technically completely different to the original problem (which may be linked to the crossfire setup and ATi's drivers/openGL support) but it seems to be caused by similar effects - maybe you're doing something that just happens to upset ATi.

[Phelanpt]

Hmm, I've had that while alt-tabbing between two instances of Multiwinia. Alt-tabbing a few times would fix it, though.

[allen]

you can't blame it on Multiwinia. either try the alt+tab trick or, ya know, just don't run MSN messenger in the background. I always disable background apps while playing games and I never have these problems.

[cheesemoo0]

I have the same problem as TGF whenever I alt-tab out on my machine.

I have a Radeon graphics card as well.

[Davman]

Congrats on actually managing to capture evidence!

But yes, that was the problem I was having, a graphics driver update seems to have resolved the problem for the most part, even though there is still stuttering when an overlay pops up, the screen doesn't de-interlace any more.