Technical Notes For FST Based Simulations From Viper Software

Current as of 29/8/95 Release V1.1

This file is intended to provide technical support for those 
CompuServe Members who have downloaded one or more of our flight
simulators. It provides details on known problems, their likely 
causes, and where known the fix.

NB: Any mention of bugs in hardware in this document, does not
imply poor products from those manufacturers. 
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Simple problem fixes:

1: Program reports following message at start up
[Previously installed software is neither VCPI nor DPMI Compliant]
Fix: Remove NOEMS switch from EMM386 line, or boot from a simple
floppy. If you must use EMM386 use the RAM switch instead. Backup
config.sys and Autoexec.bat before modifying. For more information
on these files and EMM386 see your DOS documentation or help file.
NB: Our simulations do not need, and indeed run faster without
EMM386 or any other memory managers.

2: Engine sound cuts out after another FX when using SoundBlaster 16
PRO audio card.
Fix: Press button two on joystick, this activates weapon toggle
which plays a very brief switch sound, this restores the engine sound.
This is a bug in the SB hardware and not due to the software.
If you do not use a joystick press F on keyboard to drop chaff and
flares, this also restores the sound. If you SoundBlaster audio card
uses the ASP (Advanced Signal Processor) there is updated drivers
available from the SoundBlaster Forum. The file is called SB16UP.EXE
This includes updated DOS/Windows drivers for the SoundBlaster card.

3: Poor frame rate (less than 16 fps in straight flight)
You are running the SVGA version (640*480) You can obtain
the VGA (320*200) version direct from Viper Software.
See end of this document for details on how to contact us.
If the frame rate is low with VGA version, check that video
bios shadowing is enabled (See PC Docs) and that the PC is
in Turbo mode, and that any external cache is also enabled.
If all of this is correct and the game still runs too slow
it's time to buy a faster PC! Minimum recommended machine for
VGA mode is 386DX33 with a good video card.

NOTES ON FRAME RATES:
The SVGA versions do need a fast PC (486DX66*2 and up) with
Local Bus or PCI Bus graphics card. Using a standard video
card on the ISA bus just wont hack it.
The VGA versions will run smoothly on a 386/40 with standard
video card on ISA bus, if the video card is of good quality,
e.g. Orchid PROIIS

FRAME RATE TESTS ON VARIOUS PC's Two figures are quoted, the highest
is for straight and level flight in heads down mode (full cockpit view)
The lower figure is for heads up view in intense combat with lots of
polygons on the screen.

SVGA MODE
Pentium 100 PCI video (on board) 25 to 16 fps
Pentium 60L Cirrus logic PCI video between 25 to 12 fps
Pentium 60L Diamond Stealth SE 64 25 to 16 fps 
486DX66*2 S3 local bus video 20 to 10 fps
486DX33 Cirrus Logic ATI bus video 5 to 3 fps!
386DX40 Orchid PROIIS ATI bus video 7 to 3 fps
As you can see, the bottle neck in a PC is the video card.
Local or PCI bus is a must for fast SVGA graphics.
SVGA mode requires VESA compliant 1.2 card or suitable VESA
TSR such as UNIVBE (excellent Shareware VESA utility.)

VGA MODE
Pentium 100 & 60L 25 fps no matter what! They never slowed down.
486DX66*2 local bus video 25 - 20 fps
486DX33 ATI bus video (Trident) 25 - 12 fps
386DX40 ATI bus video (Orchid) 25 - 10 fps
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4:General Protection Fault With A Throw Out To DOS
We know this sounds weird, GPF's are normally associated
with Windows apps. However the 32-bit DOS extender will trap
GPF's if memory becomes corrupt, or there is an illegal address
call.

Likely causes: Low memory due to exceptionally high polygon
count. E.g. you blow up allot of objects or several aircraft
collide and break up into individual polygons.
Fix: Add more RAM to PC (8Mb recommended) (2Mb minimum)

Other GPF Causes:
Air to Air missile lock on bogus object.
Domark/Simis were informed of this bug and reported an incompatibility
problem with 32-bit protected mode software on some CPU's. We have
designed the simulations with great care to ensure this is unlikely.
Registered users can contact us for modified files that remove all
air to air missiles from the simulations if they are having this problem.
Please state your registration number, name, address, and the simulation
you want the modified files for.

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5:LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL
Simulation flies OK for a while, then aircraft becomes uncontrollable.
Cause: Not enough processing power in PC
Fix: Run VGA version or upgrade PC CPU to faster one.

Split Second Frame Freeze During Flight:
This is not a bug. The simulation has to load data from the hard disk
as new terrain boundaries are reached. It is barely noticeable on
a fast hard disk. If you have a slow hard disk try using Smartdrive
with a cache size of 1024K, this should help a great deal.

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6:
WINDOWS 95
We have had one report of problems running the simulations under
Windows 95. As this is a new operating system, and will in all
probability have a few bugs that will need sorting out, we do not
have any information of fixes. The simulations are tried and tested
under DOS and we recommend booting your PC with a DOS floppy, if
you have problems with Windows 95. Failing that contact Microsoft
and report the problem, we have found them to be more than helpful.
It could be that the DOS session PIF settings are wrong. We would
recommend that anyone considering installing Windows 95 set it up
to enable DUAL BOOT option.
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7:
Joystick Problems:

       Simulation freezes or system reboots when joystick calibration
       called.

Cause: Bug in VESA Video BIOS for page flipping.
Note:  This is quite a common problem for quite a few video cards.
       For some reason, some manufacturers disable page flipping
       support for some of the VESA modes in the video BIOS.
       Either that, or the BIOS is just plain 'buggy.'

CURE:  If you have this problem, there is a Shareware utility called
       UNIVBE which is obtainable from any good BBS, and also shipped
       with US NAVY FIGHTERS. Simply load UNIVBE before you start the
       simulation. NOTE: We cannot supply the utility UNIVBE as it is
       Copyright.

CAUSE 2:
       If you are using EMM386 try excluding the mono UMB area B000-B7FF
       Thanks to Francis Luk for solving that one.
       The simulations will run without using EMM386 at all, and will in fact
       run slightly faster without it.	

8:
BATCH FILES AND FLY.EXE:
       Some users have been trying to start the simulation by running
       the FLY.EXE file, this WILL NOT WORK. You MUST use the mission
       BATCH FILES to start the simulation, these return a line of
       command switches to FLY.EXE which then selects the correct
       World file, Player, Video mode etc. If in doubt read the
       Instructions!!!




WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO:

Viper Software can offer help and advice to registered users of the
simulations. As the simulations are compiled using a third party
product, we cannot modify or alter the code of the FLY.EXE file.
Even if we had a bug fix, this has to be left to the copyright
owner of the file. All our registration fee covers, is time spent
designing the simulations, front ends, graphics, cockpits, 
scenarios, shapes, testing. About 100 man hours per simulation!

All mentions of trade names and or products in this document belong
to the companies or respective parties who own them. This statement
replaces a list of copyrights and trademarks, which would take longer
to type and probably be less comprehensive.

HOW TO CONTACT US:

SURFACE MAIL
VIPER SOFTWARE
113 BEECH PLACE,
ELIBURN,
LIVINGSTON
SCOTLAND.
UNITED KINGDOM.
EH54-6RE

COMPUSERVE CONTACT: RAY PURVIS 100735,3430
Our Simulations are in the FSFORUM file area OTHER FLIGHT SIMULATIONS

FINAL NOTES:
Due to surface mail costs and line charges for phones, we regret
that we can only answer mailed letters from REGISTERED users.
Compuserve mail will be dealt with as follows.
REGISTERED USERS: You pay for the mail to us, we pick up the tab
for our reply (Normal CompuServe mailing.)

NON REGISTERED USERS: You pay for all mail. E.g. if you need info
on a simulation that has not been registered, we tag out mail as
receiver pays.

We welcome any comments, good or bad. We are constantly striving
to bring out better simulations with interesting missions etc.

Thank You All.

END OF FILE

