Published on April 7, 2005 By Yarlen In Bug Reports
Greetings all! With beta build 0.12 we've included a little applet called GCConfig (in the /GalCiv 2/GCConfig/ directory). This program will allow you to set your screen resolution, windowed mode/window size, anti-aliasing and more from outside the game. Just run the GCConfig.exe to launch the applet, make your changes, then exit.
Comments
on Apr 19, 2005
I have downloaded and installed 0.12, and tried running GCConfig, but all I get is a blank screen box. Any more detailed instructions and suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!
on Apr 19, 2005
Where did GCConfig install? Is there a media folder in the same directory as the exe? Have you tried running the GalCiv2 beta yet?
on Apr 19, 2005
I have tried the beta a couple times -- had similar CTD as others: attempting to colonize 4th habital planet in solar system. Also the screen scroll problem -- I can move left, right, and up, but not down. The only way to move down is to hold the left mouse button, but this is rather awkward. Thus I wanted to try windowing (not full screen), and different resolutions. Just trying the different currently available features.
I allowed Stardock to do the auto-install. So the path to GCConfig.exe is:
C:\ProgramFiles\Stardock\TotalGaming.net\CalCiv2\GCConfig\GCconfig.exe
Yes, the Media folder is in the same directory as the exe, and it contains the directory UI, which contains a few files.
Thanks for your prompt assistance -- there may be others who need the same!
on Apr 20, 2005

Hmmm...so you can't scroll down even in fullscreen mode?  I could only reproduce that here when it was in windowed mode the size of the desktop (which is the only way that you can use scrolling in windowed mode).  What is the color depth of your desktop set to? If it's not 32 bit, see if changing your color depth gets you something other than a black box.  Other than that, I'd need to take a look at your debug.err to get an idea of what's going on.

carielf@stardock.com

 

on Apr 20, 2005
I've sent an e-mail with the debug and SE files attached. Thanks for all your help.
on Apr 25, 2005
After a couple e-mails with Cari, I decided to risk her advise and downloaded and installed a third party video driver -- Omega -- and everything turned out fine. The GCconfig program works fine.
Yet, one more question about the "windowed" version, is there any way to change the size of the window itself? I was hoping to have just the MS Window border for being able to close down the window without exiting. However, all I get is a box window with alot of wasted screen space. Is re-sizing the window an opotion I can't find yet, or something to be added? Thanks for the great help and support. Look forward to an answer to the window size question.
on Apr 25, 2005
I've been using the Omega drivers for over a year now and they're great. I wouldn't recommend trying just any 3rd party drivers, but Omega definitely knows his stuff.
on Apr 25, 2005
is there any way to change the size of the window itself?


I am not sure I understand this question. If you have used GCConfig, then you know about changing the resolution of the game, which translates do the size of the window in the windowed mode, which is somewhat similar to re-sizing the window, but with the dissadvantage of not being dymamic. It would be nice if we could resize the game's window like we can any other windowed aplication, but with what Stardock is using for GC2 (thanks to CariElf for describing this to me), resizing the window would involve so much overhead redefining all of the objects and subwindows that you wouldn't like the results. It would not be smooth or pretty. At best, it would be a very big drain on CPU power for an intollerable length of time.
on Apr 26, 2005
Are you asking about the window size for the GCConfig program, or GalCiv2?  You can create a custom window size by using the sliders on the GCConfig program.  Also, Alt+F4 should always work to close an application.
on Apr 28, 2005
Thanks to Lucky Jack and Cari for answering the "window" question, even if I was not clear with the question. [Thanks, too, to Yarlen, for support with the choice of Omega drivers.] As for the window issue, I did mean the overall window of the game itself. I appreciate the graphics problems that would result with the ability to resize the physical window, so I can accept the static game window size. The ability to change the resolution as well as zoom in and out is great because I want to see as much of the galaxy as possible on the main screen. I was just hoping to be able to fill up as much of the physical screen as possible while maintaining the ability to reduce the game to the task bar if I need to call up another program. Full screen version, I only know how to save and exit in order to start another program. Again, as you can tell from my limited use of jargon, I am not a great computer literate. Thanks for your patience, help, and support.
on Apr 28, 2005
To go from the full screen mode of GC2 to the desktop use Alt-Tab. This also works on GC1 and many other full screen applications I have tried it on.
on Apr 28, 2005
Also, you can have a fullscreen window.  Just use GC to configure the highest possible resolution and then click windowed, and you get the best of both worlds. 
on May 06, 2005
I don't think the config program is working on my machine. I set the video, but the program doesn't appear different, and when I return to the config program, the setting are at default. Perhaps it needs an "Apply" button or some feedback to tell the user it worked.
on May 06, 2005
Hmm...if you send me an e-mail with your debug.err file from you GalCiv2 directory, I'll see if I can figure out what's going on, and maybe send you a GCConfig.exe that will print out debug messages.