Widescreen + Interface Removal

[A Void]

Not sure where to post this, I found something while experimenting with various tools...

As you can see in the screenshots, the resolution now has correct aspect ratio and the 3D screen is drawn in full game screen. The menu's (interface) are not affected however and they are still stretched.

Screenshots. The first three.

There are some major drawbacks however, the cursor has bad position. And top bar was left untouched.

What do you think about this?

 

[StoPCampinGn00b]

I'm a fan of it except for the transparency in the mini-map. It makes it harder to look at it.

 

[A Void]

I'm a fan of it except for the transparency in the mini-map. It makes it harder to look at it.

It's possible to add a black layer behind the mini-map.

 

[Ardenian]

Wait, how is this possible ?
I am absolutly sure I read one cannot add transparency to the interface
to increase the visible game area, since the area 'behind' the UI is never rendered.

 

[TriggerHappy]

Is this done natively or are you using some D3D hack?

 

[PurgeandFire]

Is this done natively or are you using some D3D hack?

It is a custom D3D8.dll written by ZUKMAN.

It looks pretty cool. But since this was so commonly requested, I'm hoping that Blizzard will have native support for this (it was pretty high up on our list) by the next patch.

I still enjoy seeing people experiment, however. Were there any updates to the dll since you last posted screenshots of it?

 

[A Void]

Wait, how is this possible ?
I am absolutly sure I read one cannot add transparency to the interface
to increase the visible game area, since the area 'behind' the UI is never rendered.

It's a hack, hacks make the game do something it wasn't intended to do.

Is this done natively or are you using some D3D hack?

It's D3D hack.

It is a custom D3D8.dll written by ZUKMAN.

No it's not. It's D3D9.dll, since D3D8.dll is no longer supported and that hack was not made by ZUKMAN.

I still enjoy seeing people experiment, however. Were there any updates to the dll since you last posted screenshots of it?

This is not ZUKMAN's hack, this is entirely something new. And no, I haven't touched this .dll as it has no source code.

 

[IcemanBo]

Pretty interesting!

 

[PurgeandFire]

Oh, I guess that is why pyf had different results. Again, is it still being updated?

 

[A Void]

Oh, I guess that is why pyf had different results. Again, is it still being updated?

Pyf used latest version of ZUKMAN's hack. The one I first showed (in 1.27 patch thread) was the first version (with text problems.). The one I showed here is completely different.

No, it's no longer being updated.

 

[pyf]

What do you think about this?

Very nice.

It looks pretty cool. But since this was so commonly requested, I'm hoping that Blizzard will have native support for this (it was pretty high up on our list) by the next patch.

I still enjoy seeing people experiment, however.

Maybe it is our job to do it, in order to give Blizzard enough confidence in themselves, so they ultimately realize they can do it too

Originally Posted by A Void
this is entirely something new. And no, I haven't touched this .dll as it has no source code.

Maybe this new, d3d9.dll is related to some XGM work, maybe from RenderEdge ?
http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/2805585-post77.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtdN4741cK8

I also remember a discussion from 2015 (?) about trying to get inspiration from one of the AoE games' interface.

Oh, I guess that is why pyf had different results. Again, is it still being updated?

Regarding ZUKMAN's d3d8.dll status on GitHub, there are no new commits, and no new fork of it that I am aware of. I understand Mechanical Man already compiled the current source from there, and it builds v3 of the dll.

A Void already explained how they work in a great post.

I believe the d3d8.dll is dead, as I failed to attract attention to it in due time (patch 1.27a was already out when I joined the Hive).

As for future WC3 versions, it is my own uneducated personal belief based on no evidence at all, they will not need any d3d dll hack to render the whole game in widescreen

 

[A Void]

Maybe it is our job to do it, in order to give Blizzard enough confidence in themselves, so they ultimately realize they can do it too

This has been ranked as an important suggestion for Blizzard in the document they sent them. In the upcoming patches (July?) we might see widescreen support.

Blizzard has .cpp files, so it will be native widescreen support.

 

[pyf]

I have already read the warcraft-iii-hive-suggestions.pdf document.

I am confident native widescreen support will happen, based on pure logical deduction.
Hope my trolling joke / "inception" / psychology trick decides them it is high time to do so.