I've read on various MS dev forums that DirecDraw is depricated under Windows 8 and routed though the API differently. I wonder how DosBox behaves when run w/ XP compatibility mode set?

None too much better. In fact, I've noticed that ALL DirectDraw-reliant programs are running poorly with hardware acceleration. Better without, but not perfect.

I've tried some wrappers like DDHack, DDWrapper, and DXGL, but none of them seem to work. (Though to be fair, the only game I've tried using them with so far is Bookworm Adventures, since it was easy to install off of Steam without have to dig through all my boxes of CDs which are still packed up.)

Not that I can't just use OpenGL mode with DOSBox, but until now, DirectDraw was the better approach. I dunno Microsoft, your tactics to only include splotchy DirectDraw support in Windows 8 isn't exactly pro-money-making. :P

why DirectDraw was better for you?

Do you have DirectX 9 installed, and does it make a difference?

robertmo wrote:

why DirectDraw was better for you?

On my old XP system, OpenGL mode crashed all the time with DOSBox. :P

No problems yet with it on my new Win8 system though. :)

Stiletto wrote:

Do you have DirectX 9 installed, and does it make a difference?

I don't think DirectX 9 properly installs if DirectX 10+ is present, considering I didn't have to restart my computer after installing DX9, nor did it make a difference in anything.

Might want to consider adding a Direct3D mode to DOSBox instead (if there isn't one already I don't know about, or if it's in an upcomming release) though since OpenGL works I imagine the only people who would benefit would be those on a Win8 system who can't run the OpenGL mode for whatever reason. :P

Gemini000 wrote:

On my old XP system, OpenGL mode crashed all the time with DOSBox. :P […]
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robertmo wrote:

why DirectDraw was better for you?

On my old XP system, OpenGL mode crashed all the time with DOSBox. 😜

No problems yet with it on my new Win8 system though. 😀

Stiletto wrote:

Do you have DirectX 9 installed, and does it make a difference?

I don't think DirectX 9 properly installs if DirectX 10+ is present, considering I didn't have to restart my computer after installing DX9, nor did it make a difference in anything.

Might want to consider adding a Direct3D mode to DOSBox instead (if there isn't one already I don't know about, or if it's in an upcomming release) though since OpenGL works I imagine the only people who would benefit would be those on a Win8 system who can't run the OpenGL mode for whatever reason. 😜

There's a Direct3D patch present at least in DosBox Daum and my build.
For a number of years there has been no need (usually) to restart (Vista and 7) after installing DirectX , but it's there (look in %systemroot%/system32 for, at least, d3d9.dll).
I don't think people will have problems with OpenGL if they can run Windows 8.

I remember opengl for dosbox was slow on radeon cards. Don't know how it is now.

I think that was Gulikoza's reason for doing the D3D patch...I have a Radeon card and OpenGL wasn't all that slow, but I use D3D nowadays.

Additional Note: A combination of the following two config settings is ALSO causing OpenGL to not engage on Windows 8:

output=opengl
machine=vgaonly

With these settings, it defaults back to surface output mode.

yes it is known that opengl/openglnb/overlay doesn't work with 16bit colour (so vgaonly/16-bit games/16-bit scalers)