TransGaming Releases Cedega 4.1

gavriels writes "Today, TransGaming released Cedega 4.1, a new update to our software that lets Windows games run on Linux systems. The new update adds support for Far Cry and Anarchy Online, and implements a completely new 3D pipeline which executes the traditional Direct3D Fixed Function rendering path using dynamically generated OpenGL vertex programs, providing great performance improvements on cards with sufficient vertex program capabilities. We also added MMX accelerated sound mixing, fixed copy protection issues in several games, and improved Pixel Shader support, among other things."

Xinerama

[Apreche]

Still doesn't support xinerama. Neither does doom 3. All they have to do is add one lousy command line argument just like mplayer has.

mplayer -xineramascreen 1 video.avi

Then make the application you are running show up only on that xinerama screen. It's rather simple, but nobody does it. Even linux native games like vegastrike don't do it. It makes gaming very difficult. Windows that are supposed to open in the middle of the screen show up in the empty space between monitors. And full screen apps engulf both screens.

I beg everyone developing linux apps to add proper support for xinerama. Please.

Re:Xinerama

[5E-0W2]

Just run it on a separate (non-xinerama) X server on a different virtual terminal, you get the added bonus of being able to switch easily between your desktop and your game without having to resort to the games windowed/full screen function.

Re:What about render to texture?

[gavriels]

We have supported render to texture in Cedega, for both Direct3D and OpenGL apps for quite some time. It isn't as efficient in OpenGL in Linux, due to the lack of a specific extension to support it, but it still works. We render to a pbuffer, then copy to the target texture. You can see this to good effect in Far Cry, with their water reflections, for example.

Take care,
-Gav

Re:Star Wars Battlefront ?

[ecliptik]

I attempted to install it the other week, but I ran into the wonderful cd-rom locking problem and was unable to switch to the second disk during the install.

Transgaming claims Cedega 4.0 supports switching cd's, but it's hit or miss. Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is an example of this, as their FAQ states you need to copy the second cd's contents to your hard drive and point the installer there when it asks.

I really wish there was a simpler way to use cd drives with a stock GNU/Linux kernel instead of hunting down supermount patches or strange hacks like Transgaming tries. It's a major issue that that's is holding back as a desktop OS.

Re:Xinerama

[Cthefuture]

Well, if you have a nVidia card you can just use TwinView with meta modes.

For example, my normal setup is 3200x1200 but I have meta-modes that disable one screen. So when Doom3 requests a 800x600 screen it automatically turns off the other monitor.

UT2004 is not quite so smart, but I just click my little gnome-xrandr applet and select a single screen resolution, then start UT2004. Changing back is just as simple.

I believe randr is actually available for any set of cards. It's the extension that lets you change resolution on the fly in X. So even without a nVidia card it should be quite painless.

Xinerama has no OpenGL support.

[reality-bytes]

Its not that Wine or Doom3 don't support Xinerama but that Xinerama doesn't yet support OpenGL.

However, you *can* run multi-head without Xinerama and run as many OpenGL in-game displays as you can fit video-cards in your system.

Re:Interesting to see how Far Cry runs

[HAKdragon]

I wouldn't be too suprised if it ran fairly well. The game does ship with an OpenGL renderer, though it isn't supported and you have to edit the config file to enable it.

Re:Interesting to see how Far Cry runs

[Quill]

The previous version of Cedega partially supported Far Cry through OpenGL. This new version fully supports the DirectX version.

ATI support

[BrookHarty]

I just wish ATI would lend more support to the linux side. I've switched to ATI when the 9700 PRO game out, and under windows its been great. Under linux, its like pulling teeth. I never had a problem with any of my nvidia cards (tnt to geforcefx).

Transgaming lists some the ATI issues in the release announcement.

I really think my next card for my dual boot system is going to be Nvidia based, tired of the problems.

Also, anyone catch the 2.6 kernel issues statement? Come on... Im not going back to 2.4.x...

Re:Star Wars Battlefront ?

[gavriels]

Cedega, when using the new -monitor-cdrom-eject option, does exactly this. If it detects a press of the drive's eject button, it simply closes the Linux handle for all files it has open, then calls the user-space eject program.

The cdrom eject button monitor is only supported on CDRW or DVD drives though, so for older systems you need to use the Point2Play 'unmount / eject' button to trigger this behaviour.

Take care,
-Gav

Re:maybe I'm an idiot

[gavriels]

Cedega is a commercial product, sold though our subscription system for $5 / month (3 month minimum). During your subscription, you have access to updates, support, and voting rights to tell us what games you want to see supported.

You can still use the product even if you let your subscription expire, but you won't receive any futher updates, etc.

You can find out more at http://www.transgaming.com

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Re:Xinerama

[YOU LIKEWISE FAIL IT]

Not exclusively a Linux oversight as well - many Mac games run on dual head setups take over all the screens and blank the unused ones out. This is super annoying - I should be able to play Battlefield on the lcd while watching mail and irc on the second monitor, instead of having it just sit there black.