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8
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08 March 2014
Created by "Mash" Matt Wells
mashw@bigpond.net.au
Links to the latest version can be found here:
No Mutants Allowed Forum http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42386
Vault Tec Labs Wikia http://falloutmods.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout2_High_Resolution_Patch
You can also report or view the current bug list here:
High Resolution Patch bugs http://falloutmods.wikia.com/wiki/High_Resolution_Patch_bugs
About
This program modifies "fallout2.exe" in memory for the purposes of increasing the visual
resolution, playing in a window and other enhancements.
It was compiled with "Microsoft Visual C++ Toolkit 2003" using the DirectX Oct 2006 SDK . It
should work well on Windows 98 and above. And was tested using "Windows 98se", "Windows
2000 sp4", "Windows XP sp3" and "Windows 8 Pro 64bit".
Using this patch may require the installation of the DirectX9 redistributable package. Just
download the latest version from Microsoft. This goes for Windows Vista and above users as well,
as these OS's don't come with the complete DirectX9 package.
Currently Supported versions of the "Fallout2.exe" are:
US 1.02d
UK 1.02e
French 1.02d
German 1.02d
Chinese 1.02?
Russian 'Lev Corp'
Russian Fargus and 1C versions seem to also be compatible as the EXE's used appear to be
modified from the US 1.02d version.
Table Of Contents
1. Fallout2 High Resolution Patch Contents
2. Un-installation of previous versions of this patch
3. Installation
4. Known Issues
5. Troubleshooting
This Read Me
Details changes made to the patch from previous versions.
Map edge data for some of the major Fallout2 Mods.
'ScrnSet.msg' - An example MSG file containing text for the Screen Settings
Window.
Translations of 'ScrnSet.msg' for other languages.
3. Installation
Step 1. Extract to Fallout2
Copy the "Fallout2_High_Resolution_Patch_v4.1.8.exe" to your Fallout2 installation folder.
Double-click the "Fallout2_High_Resolution_Patch_v4.1.8.exe" it should extract to your
current folder.
Note: Windows Vista and above users should have Fallout2 installed somewhere other than "Program
Files" due to the restrictions these OSes put on that folder. I personally install my old games under
"C:\Games\" . This is no longer necessary for installing the hi-res patch but is stll recomended.
Note: If you have installed a previous version of this patch, you may be asked to overwrite some of the
files listed in the Contents section above. Answer YES to overwrite files.
4. Known Issues
Resizing the window in Window mode can occasionally cause some graphical glitches,
depending on what interface is visible at the time. Most of these are pretty harmless and
will reset themselves if you close and reopen the affected interface. e.g. Subtitles can be
temporally lost when resizing while playing movies.
In Direct Draw 7 Mode, switching between fullscreen and windowed via the in game
settings can occasionally result in a crash. I'm not sure what the problem is there, but for
the DDraw7 Mode it's probably best to use the "F2_res_Config.exe" to switch between
fullscreen and windowed. The DirectX 9 mode does not seem to have this issue.
When Alt-Tabbing out of Fullscreen mode the minimized button on the Taskbar can
sometimes fail to appear. You can usually return to the game using the Alt-Tab menu.
5. Troubleshooting
Error: "This application has failed to start because d3dx9_31.dll was not found".
Or: Hi-res settings have no effect after installing the hi-res patch.
This version of the Hi-res patch requires DirectX9 "October 2006 version". Grab the latest
DirectX9 redistributable package from Microsoft. Windows 98 users should grab the October
2006 version of the DirectX9 redistributable as I believe that was the last supported version for
that OS.
Fallout2 is not starting after setting the resolution via the in-game menu.
Run the "f2_res_Config.exe" to try different display settings. Display settings can also be changed
manually by editing the "f2_res.ini" with a txt editor, e.g. Notepad.
The Hi-Res Patch Graphic Mode keeps resetting to 0 "Basic Mode".
This is probably because you have one of Sfall's graphic modes enabled. To use the Hi-Res
Patch Graphic Modes you must first disable Sfall's. Open the "ddraw.ini" with a text editor and
under the [Graphics] section set Mode=0.
For users of Timeslip's Sfall Mod.
If you have the Sfall's Graphic Mode set to Window or Fullscreen. You should also set the
GraphicsWidth and GraphicsHeight greater than or equal to your Hi-res Width and Height.
Otherwise Sfall will scale down instead of up, the effect of which is a blurry screen.
Also to have movies play correctly using Sfall's Graphic Mode you need to have Sfall version 1.36
or greater.
The 'Screen Settings' button is not visible when pressing the 'Options' button.
~Re-run the"f2_res_Config.exe" as in Step 2 of the Installation section above. If the Hi-res patch
is installed correctly at the bottom of the window you should see this message "The Hi-Res Patch
is Enabled". If not click the "Enable" button to install the Hi-Res Patch.
Make sure the 'f2_res.dat' data file is in your Fallout2 installation folder. Re-install the
patch if it is not.
If using a non-English version of Fallout2 the menu text may not be installed properly.
Copy the 'ScrnSet.msg' file found in the 'Extras' folder to "< your Fallout2 install
folder>\data\text\<your language folder>\game\".
You may not have the proper DirectX version installed. See the above Troubleshoot:
"Error: "This application has failed to start because d3dx9_31.dll was not found"."
MAIN
User Account Control Compatibility (UAC_AWARE=1)
Affects Windows Vista/7/8 and above. This setting is only read from the f2_res.ini found in your
games install directory. It allows hi-res patch settings to be changed without admin privileges if
installed in the "Program Files" directory. When enabled the f2_res.ini is recreated in your user
roaming app data folder. For Vista this is usually "C:\Documents and Settings\'your user
name'\Application Data\Fallout2". For Windows 7/8 this is usually "C:\Users\'your user
name'\AppData\Roaming\Fallout2".
Under this folder your f2_res.ini will be located in another folder which is named with a hash code
based on the path of your games install directory. This was done to allow multiple installs of
fallout2 to have different settings.
To easily find and edit your ini manually, click the "Manually Edit Config" button in the Hi-res Patch
f2_res_Config.exe program.
Graphics Mode (GRAPHICS_MODE=1)
There are three graphic modes:
GRAPHICS_MODE=0 "Basic mode" Only the fullscreen resolution can be adjusted using this
mode, other display settings have no effect. Basic mode is required to use Sfall's graphic modes.
GRAPHICS_MODE=1 "Direct Draw 7 mode" Display output rendered using Direct Draw 7.
GRAPHICS_MODE=2 "DirectX 9 mode" Display output rendered using DirectX 9.
2X Scaling (SCALE_2X=0)
Set to 1 to enable scaling the game to twice the size. May come in handy for large displays. It
requires a screen resolution 1280x960 or greater. Windowed mode will require a little more space
for the window border.
Fullscreen Dimensions (SCR_WIDTH = & SCR_HEIGHT =)
Set your custom fullscreen resolution here.
Fullscreen Colours (COLOUR_BITS = 8)
Can be set to 8 for 8bit colour (default), 16 for 16bit colour or 32 for 32bit colour output.
Fullscreen Refresh Rate (REFRESH_RATE=0)
Set to 0, the refresh rate is set by the driver. Otherwise set your fullscreen refresh rate here.
Enable\Disable Window Mode (WINDOWED=1)
Set to 1 to play the game in a resizable window.
MAPS
Enable\Disable Edge Clipping (EDGE_CLIPPING_ON=1)
Set to 1 (On by default). This setting clips the area beyond scroll edges when the screen
resolution is greater than the map being viewed. Set to 0 to disable.
Ignore Map Edges (IGNORE_MAP_EDGES = 0)
Set to 0 (Off by default). If set to 1(On) this setting ignores the map edges preventing you
scrolling outside the playable area of a map.
Ignore Player Scroll Limits (IGNORE_PLAYER_SCROLL_LIMITS= 0)
Set to 0 (Off by default). If set to 1(On) this setting ignores the scroll limits from the player set
below by the variables SCROLL_DIST_X and SCROLL_DIST_Y.
Player Scroll Distance (SCROLL_DIST_X & SCROLL_DIST_Y)
By default the scroll distance from the player is set to the screen edge + 1 tile in both directions.
Setting a distance less than the screen edge can cause problems.
Path Finding Range (NumPathNodes = 1)
Extends the path finding range by increasing the number of nodes used for plotting the path. The
number of nodes equals the value of "NumPathNodes" multiplied by 2000. e.g. 1=2000(original),
2=4000, 3=6000 ..etc. up to 20=40000(max).
Each block of 2000 nodes requires an additional 160000 bytes (156.25 KB) of memory, with the
maximum of 40000 nodes requiring 3200000 bytes (3125 KB).
Enable\Disable Fog Of War (FOG_OF_WAR=0)
Set to 1 to enable the Fog Of War Mod. This option darkens scenery, walls and floor tiles on the
area of a map not yet seen by the Player Character. It completely hide all other objects until
discovery, with NPCs only visible when in line of sight of the Player Character. It also prevents the
mouse "look at" function from seeing undiscovered stuff.
This option is best enabled before entering a map for the first time as it uses the object discovery
flags already built into the game for displaying stuff on the local map viewer. Enabling this after
entering a map will look weird, as discovered objects will be visible while the floor tiles below
them will still appear darkened.
Adjust the Fog Of War light level (FOG_OF_WAR=4)
Adjust how dark the fog appears. Light level ranges between 1-10 with 1 being the darkest.
Setting this to 0 will display everything at normal light level and allow undiscovered scenery and
walls to respond to the mouse "look at" function. All other objects will remain invisible until
discovered by the Player Character.
IFACE
Height of the Viewable Map Area (IFACE_BAR_MODE = 0)
By default the Viewable Map Area will sit above the Interface-Bar. Setting to 1 will lower the
bottom of the Viewable Area to the bottom of the screen. Side bar graphics will be disabled in this
mode.
Interface-Bar Side-Bar Graphics Art (IFACE_BAR_SIDE_ART = 2)
Sets which optional art is used to fill the spaces either side of the Interface-bar.
Options are:
Set to 2 (default) for the Leather Pipboy Belt art created by me.
Set to 1 for the Corroded Metal art created by Simon Rawlins(Pixote).
Set to 0 for no side-bar art (Black).
7. Map edges
The original scroll blockers were never designed to work at higher resolutions. So my solution in
the end was to disable the original blockers and replace them with my own which I refer to here
as map edges. Map edge data files for all original Fallout2 maps have been packaged with-in the
"f2_res.dat" file for easy installation. I've also included map edge data for Killap's Restoration
Project V2.1.2b and MIB88's Mega Mod V2.43. New map edge data files can be created with the
BIS Mapper using the Mapper2 Hi-res Patch (Version 3.0+). Map edge files are attributed with the
extension ".edg" and are located in the same folder as the maps which use them. This will usually
be in the Fallout2 install folder under "data\maps".
Map edge file details
As of version 3.0 of the Hi-res Patch, map edge data is stored in a binary file the internal structure
is as follows:
Te first 8 bytes contain a simple header.
Size in Bytes
Value
0x4
0x4
This is followed by a series data blocks containing the map edge data.
Size in Bytes
Value
0x4
Level 0-2
0x4
A map hex tile position lying on the Left edge.
0x4
A map hex tile position lying on the Top edge.
0x4
A map hex tile position lying on the Right edge.
0x4
A map hex tile position lying on the Bottom edge.
Each level can have multiple edge data blocks, with all map levels having at least one.
Edge file version 2
The first block for each level of a version 2 edge file contains additional info for angled edge
clipping. Angled clipping does not effect scroll blocking and is used primarily to clean up the
fringes of original fallout maps. This block is structured as followed:
Size in Bytes
Value
0x4
Level 0-2
0x4
0-99 - x tile coordinate for the Left Angled edge.
0x4
0-99 - y tile coordinate for the Top Angled edge.
0x4
0-99 - x tile coordinate for the Right Angled edge.
0x4
0-99 - y tile coordinate for the Bottom Angled edge.
0x4
Angled Flags 1 byte for each edge. Equals 0 for lower object clipping or 1 for all
object clipping.
0x4
A map hex tile position lying on the Left edge.
0x4
A map hex tile position lying on the Top edge.
0x4
A map hex tile position lying on the Right edge.
0x4
A map hex tile position lying on the Bottom edge.
Any subsequent edge blocks for each level will equal the original layout.
8. Custom Art
In this section "data\" refers to the Fallout2 patch folder usually located in your Fallout2 Install
directory.
Splash Screen
With version 3.0 you can now load 8 Bit BMP images as splash screens. These can be of any
size or shape(within reason) and have the same naming scheme as their RIX counterparts. If a
BMP has the same name as a RIX than it will be shown instead.New splash screens should be
placed under "data\art\splash\". For non english versions this may be "data\art\<your
language>\splash\".
Main-menu
To replace the Main-menu background with a higher resolution image. Save your new FRM with
the name "HR_MAINMENU.FRM" and copy it to "data\art\intrface". This FRM can be of any size
and shape(within reason).
The "f2_res.dat" file already contains a higher resolution version of the original art at 1024x768.
Iface-bar Side Art
There are two sets of Side-bar art included in the "f2_res.dat". These are named
"HR_IFACELFT1.FRM" and "HR_IFACERHT1.FRM" for the first set and "HR_IFACELFT2.FRM"
and "HR_IFACERHT2.FRM" for the second. These can be replaced or added to by incrementing
the number used in the FRM name. Copy your new art to "data\art\intrface".
Here's a list of art used by Hi-res Patch, which is located in the "f2_res.dat"file. Mod makers feel
free to replace or modify them for your own needs.
HR_ALLTLK.FRM
~Bordered Dialog Screen art (by Continuum)
HR_IFACE_800.FRM
~Interface Bar Art 800 pixels wide (by Continuum)
HR_IFACE_CHI_800.FRM
~Interface Bar Art 800 pixels wide Chinese (by Continuum)
HR_IFACELFT1.FRM
~Interface Side Art left 1
HR_IFACELFT2.FRM
~Interface Side Art right 1
HR_IFACERHT1.FRM
~Interface Side Art left 2
HR_IFACERHT2.FRM
~Interface Side Art right 2
HR_IFACE_SELECT.FRM
~Screen Settings iface sides select
HR_MAINMENU.FRM
~Main-menu Hi-Res background
HR_MENU_BG.FRM
~Main-menu Menu background
HR_MENU_BG_CHI.FRM
~Main-menu Menu background (Chinese)
HR_OPTIONS_BG.FRM
~Options Menu background
HR_OPTIONS_DN.FRM
~Options Menu button up
HR_OPTIONS_UP.FRM~Options Menu button down
HR_SCRN_BG.FRM
~Screen Settings Win Art
9. Thanks
First I'd like to thank all the good people at "No Mutants Allowed" http://www.nma-fallout.com/ for
hosting this patch, and for keeping the mutants at bay for all these years.
I'd also like to thank Timeslip http://timeslip.users.sourceforge.net/ for being extremely prompt at
modifying his fantastic patch "Sfall" to work with mine. Sfall also made it possible to test a far
wider range of resolutions via scaling that my LCD monitor was otherwise unable to support.
I'd also like to thank the people who provided me with info and feed back for the currently
supported versions of fallout 2. Some of these include : Leephoenixtree (Chinese version), DimiZ
(Lev Corp version), Berserk and Csimbi (White Lable versions), Drobovik(1C & Fargus).
And of course to everyone in the forums who provided support and constructive criticism Thanks :)
10. Contributors
gvx (NMA forum member)
Translated "ScrnSet.msg" for Chinese users.
Drobovik (NMA forum member)
Translated "ScrnSet.msg" for Russian users.
Continuum (NMA forum member)
Created the wider Interface-bar art for both the regular and Chinese versions.