I'm not sure about this but I think you should first bring up a command prompt and start NOLFB and then use VDMSound on the game (don't close the NOLFB command prompt).
But as I said, I'm not sure about this.

Originally posted by Unregistered I can get perfect sound but can only run in non-vesa resolutions. If I load VDMS, load NOLFB, and then try running Duke3d, the game crashes as soon as the "Duke Nukem" symbol appears Any idea wtf I'm doing wrong?

There is a fixPOPF bug if you are
1) running XP
2) you installed "Update 1" on top of VDMSound v2.04
3) you installed the GUI and
4) if you used the GUI (or the GUI's VLP shortcut) to launch a BUILD game (or certain other games).

Try using the right-click "Run with VDMS" shortcut that does not have the musical note on the game's executable (or batch file).

Your best bet is to create a batch file like GO.BAT with the following entries:

C:\PATHWAY\NOLFB.COM
C:\DUKE3D\DUKE3D.EXE

Replacing the drive letters and pathways as needed.

Then right-click on the batch file and choose the "Run with VDMS" shortcut that does not have the musical note. Note that this doesn't give you the GUI options for tweaking.

There is a "brute force" way of getting around the bug. On your game's .VLP shortcut, get it's properties, click "Advanced", go to the "Troubleshooting" tab, "check" the "Custom Configuration" box and paste the following into the open text area:
[VDMServicesProvider.config]
fixPOPF = 1

That should work around the bug for that particular game. Be aware that this seems to cause an additional performance penalty (at least, it does on my PC). IOW, either way audio will probably suffer.

EDIT: ...or perhaps not. I was surprised to find that the various settings you described in combination in combination with the "brute force" fix for the fixPOPF bug seems to be running smoothly. In fact, when using it in combination with my new "Acoustic Edge" card (replacing my 8738 soundchip) it *shock* seems to be running as smoothly as it does in Win9x.

EDIT: ...or perhaps not. I was surprised to find that the various settings you described in combination in combination with the "brute force" fix for the fixPOPF bug seems to be running smoothly. In fact, when using it in combination with my new "Acoustic Edge" card (replacing my 8738 soundchip) it *shock* seems to be running as smoothly as it does in Win9x.

Yes, I am a newbie genius. <3

Thanks zex, you were right: loading nolfb, THEN dosdrv, then duke makes it work perfectly. Interestingly enough, if I then quit Duke, and try running it again from the same dos window, it starts crashing with the exact same bug. Go figure.

Nicht: Yeah, what you describe in the first half of your post sounds sorta like it makes everything go through the same steps that zex recommends (loading nolfb before everything else). Onto the second half: I had already inserted the fixPOFP line into the config, but how do you configure nolfb to load through the GUI?

But you are right: I'm experiencing a HEAVY performance penalty from all these tweaks... I get barely 60FPS @ 800x600 on a 1.4 Gig athlon. I remember getting 60FPS at the same res on a 233Mhz Pentium back in the day -_-

Thanks for your help gentlemen

Aww, "only" 60FPS? 😁
Framerate is highly overrated. Aside from the fact that your monitor refresh is probably at 60Hz, which means anything over 60FPS wouldn't help improve video smoothness. In any case, video looks smooth down to 24FPS.

I'm not sure what exactly you were talking about with getting the bug if running Duke3D in the same window. I know people have had problems with NTVDM.EXE not terminating, and THAT causes problems.

To load NOLFB through VDMS Launchpad, put it in the "AUTOEXEC.NT" textbox.

Originally posted by Snover Framerate is highly overrated.

Your illness has impaired your judgement.

In any case, video looks smooth down to 24FPS.

*gah* Still have that distinct memory of when I was first looking over a rack of British TV's. I noticed they seemed to have better color depth and slightly better resolution (Yes, I know, they're PAL. Didn't know the specs at the time).

After a few minutes, my eyes were begging for mercy. Admittedly, the large number of TV's had amplified the flicker effect, but that never happened to me with American TV displays. I'll be so glad when framerate is no longer an issue. That would probably mean about 120Hz/FPS for me.

Framerate is highly overrated. Aside from the fact that your monitor refresh is probably at 60Hz, which means anything over 60FPS wouldn't help improve video smoothness. In any case, video looks smooth down to 24FPS.

Yes true, but you have to remember that "TV/movie" video and "computer output" video are very, very different. Read this:
http://www.daniele.ch/school/30vs60/30vs60_1.html

Also, keep in mind that most montiors shipped within the last 2-3 years can go up to 200 hz at a low resolution like 800x600, especially since duke uses only 8-bit color (I think... its only 256 colors, isn't it?), so most ppl could take advantage of that higher frame rate. Its not until you start getting into the four-digit resolutions that your highest possible refresh rate starts dropping like a rock.

]I'm not sure what exactly you were talking about with getting the bug if running Duke3D in the same window. I know people have had problems with NTVDM.EXE not terminating, and THAT causes problems.

Er, what I meant was is if I
1) Run nolfb
2) Run dosdrv and load vdms
3) Run duke
Everything runs swell. But, if I then
4) exit duke and
5) within the same dos enviroment try running duke AGAIN

I get the same crash as I used to get when I tried running "1" and "2" out of order. Weird ;(

Originally posted by Unregistered I had already inserted the fixPOFP line into the config, but how do you configure nolfb to load through the GUI?

Forgot to respond to this earlier.

I actually answered this in the previous post, but I guess you misunderstood me. Your best bet is to create a batch file like GO.BAT with the following entries:

C:\PATHWAY\NOLFB.COM
C:\DUKE3D\DUKE3D.EXE

Replacing the drive letters and pathways as needed

Since both are in the same batch file, it starts NOLFB and keeps it in memory until you quit completely.

To run this with the GUI, you should (temporarily) set your Duke audio to "none" for sound and music. Right-click with the musical note in order to create a VDMSound shortcut. After it starts, quit it. (You can now put your audio settings back the way they were)

You should now have the .VLP shortcut. Now edit it using the "brute force" fix like I had described in my earlier post. You might also want to switch the MIDI to the "Microsoft GS WaveTable" (especially if you use the Roland option for music).

Yes true, but you have to remember that "TV/movie" video and "computer output" video are very, very different. Read this: http://www.daniele.ch/school/30vs60/30vs60_1.html

Quite an interesting article. Especially the demonstration
at the end with the peripheral vision that everybody can try
on his monitor. Set the frequency to 60Hz look at the screen
using your peripheral vision. Then do the same at over 72 Hz.
Impressive. Thank you for this article !

Stephane

Certainly the article raises a lot of good points. In any case, though, they discuss the difference between 30fps and 60fps -- if your video is running at 60fps, it STILL doesn't matter. 😀