F-22 Total Air War

3Dvision F-22 Total Air War  Fix        April, 2019
by Rubini (aka arubinig)

(first of all, excuse me my english, isn't my native language) 

TAW is an old 1998 directx 5 game, made to run with 3Dfx Glide boards to get its best. It have one of the best compromise between Dynamic Campaigns and a sim playability until today. This is why we love it. 

Today, to run it well and with good resolution we need a Glide wrapper. This last dgvoodoo2 runs it at Dx11 and with the same good visuals as an old 3Dfx glide board. Being "now" a Dx11 game,  3Dvision and 3Dmigoto can push it to a real stereo 3D game! Just a impossible thing before.

Here more pics to you see how it most be if all is correctly installed - use Nvidia 3D Vision Photo Viewer for best result. Note that the lateral bars in game will gone pressing Ctrl+F11:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xzfcubnvngx5a78/TAW_3DVisionPics.7z?dl=0

A. What you need:

1. F-22 TAW 2.30 mod installed

https://community.combatsim.com/topic/20202-f-22-total-air-war-230-final-released/

2. dgvodoo 2  2.45 (seems that don't work well on newer versions)
http://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/dgVoodoo2_45.zip

3. These two mod files.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/w5ce1racq5w47fs/3dvision_TAWbasicfiles.7z?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ik6c5p7ql6hkt37/TAW_3Dmigoto1.3.15Fix.7z?dl=0

4. Nvidia Inspector
https://www.guru3d.com/files-get/nvidia-inspector-download,4.html

(don't use reshade or SweetFX for now. They can conflict with 3dmigoto 1.3.x (at least this happens here). You can try to enable then later after this install and have tested all this stuff a bit. Anyhow with the settings explain below will be no need to run shaders enhances like these. The visual result is already the best)

B. Install F-22 TAW 2.30 mod as explained on its own directions. Set its wrapper sections like this (at left) pic:

Note that you will not install any wrapper by the  TAW Menu (taw launcher)  - it will be replaced by the new one that you download above.  If you already have installed any by the TAW Menu (taw launcher) just set as above that it will be uninstalled automatically.

C.  Unzip dgvodoo 2 2.45 at any place on your computer (can be, but not mandatory, on the F-22 TAW install folder itself). Run dgVoodooSetup.exe once (from the folder that you unzip dgvodoo 2 2.45) and set as the pic below.  Then close  it.

D. Now unzip that two mods files (3dvision_TAWbasicfiles and TAW_3Dmigoto1.3.15Fix) on the  ...\F-22 Total Air War 2.0\MODS. Then run JSGME.exe (from the F-22 TAW install folder) and enable these two mods as this (at right) pic:

Note that both Nostalgia mod and Objects Max Draw Distance mod in this pic are totally optional (comes with the F-22 installer and are optional). BUT ALWAYS enable the two 3Dvision mods for last.

3dvision_TAWbasicfiles  will install f22 executables (already glide, widescreen and TIR), glide.dlls, some 3D fixes and help files like this one
TAW_3Dmigoto1.3.15Fix install 3Dmigoto v1.3.15,  the Vertex Shaders that fix the game and d3dx.ini that have the special key profiles among others few files.

E. Now install Nvidia Inspector i(f you yet don't have it installed).
Note:  For win 8 and below can be necessary to run TAW one first time to its profile appears on Nvidia Inspector. So, after install nVidia Profile runs the game once. Windows 8 and below probably  will ask you about  Rundll32 when enters in any mission into the game for the first time (note: just once,  for the first time):

Just allow it, enters into the game and quit. After that you probably already have a Nvidia Profile for TAW as below.

So let's continue. 

Open Nvidia Profile, locate and open  the F-22 Total Air War profile  and adds the f22.exe as its executable if it is not already ( not _f22.exe, pay attention!).  This f22.exe was installed from the 3dvision_TAWbasicfiles  mod that you did on the "D" section just above. See the pic below . Note the f22.exe at the first line (again not _f22.exe!!!). The settings on this pic  are my suggested settings for TAW profile to get the best image into the game. Dgvodoo 2  2.45 will run TAW in dx11 so AA will not work from the profile. But these sets are enough to give to the game a excellent visual. Note that dgvodoo itself will apply 8x AA to the game.

Yet on TAW profile, look below on section 7 - Stereo, you must have these settings below. Note that 3Dmigoto  (that you installed on section D above)  already setted it automatically when you run the game first time:

If you yet don't have these sets above, just run the game again and it must do it automatically.
Well that is it. Now when running the game at any time in mission (3Dvision will not kick in at menus) press Crtl+T and the stereo magic comes in. A doubled image will appears. Just put your stereo glasses and see it!

F. 3Dvision and 3Dmigoto special controls into the game:

1. Controls for 3DVision into any game (by nvidia 3Dvision driver itself):
- Ctrl+T: enable 3D
- Ctrl+F11: to adjust that sided bars in some 3D games (TAW needs it, so press  it 2 or 3 times  until the side bars disappears)

2. 3Dmigoto is a wrapper that allows us to fix the vertex and pixel shaders that are not fixed automatically by 3Dvision drivers. It also allows us to create complex profiles that automatically changes things like convergence/separation for different scenes of the game like cockpit, external views, MFDs,  etc. Also some new  special keys and functionalities can be   added to the game. So, 3Dmigoto will changes automatically TAW convergence for your eyes confort when into cockpit or external views or even for MFDs views. Also the HUD and any other Text in game will be adjusted automatically, providing always a good and comfortable 3D view. So no need to use these below keys but they are here if you need them eventually.

- key Home:              set the convergence to  cockpit standart (this is a very safe set that will not have any glitch in game)
- Key End:                  cycles  the convergence to  external view  low convergence and  the standard one
- Key Ctrl+PgUp:       allows  the holograph mode. This is a plus on this fix. The Plane on external views will seems to fly out of your monitor! Looks a model toy and seems that you can catch it with your hands. Very cool!. And the game is totally playable too.
- Key Ctrl+PgDown:  turn all text off. Good for look at the game in external views with clean screen. Also to  make pics. Note that the game already have a key that adjust the HUD on off for the same effect in cockpit views.
- Key Ctrl+0 (zero):   brings more convergence to the game. The 3D effect is yet better. Useful for external views and can be used also on holograph mode.

- Key Ctrl+F10:         resets 3Dmigoto profile if anything goes wrong. The convergence is set to cockpit standard for safety.

G. Final comments:

Well, nothing is perfect, some effects aren't find in Vertex or Pixel shaders and  can't be fixed by 3Dmigoto - or at least by me :).
- Lens flares
- Some smoke effects
- Planes and vehicles tires
- Sun glare in some views
- High G effects on screen

So these are partially or totally disabled automatically  when running in real stereo 3D and will not affect the gameplay neither you will really notice them.
(Note that in low convergence (for example in cockpit or external view keys explain above) tires, smoke and lens flare are all  correct. The problem is just when using high convergences - which  is the best 3D effect. So use them as you like.)

Running a game in a real stereo 3D make it much better in immersion and beauty.  And TAW is not an exception!
Good hunt into the sky!
Rubini.

My system for reference: win7 64bits, 16gb, i7 4790k, gtx 1070 8gb, nvidia driver 390.77, Philips Gioco 27"  passive 3D

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