T2Fix: An Unofficial Comprehensive Patch for Thief 2

[SuaveSteve]

Not sure what it causing this. At one point in time, the switch in the statue for one of the secrets in Life Of The Party was a lot of more visible that it is now.

http://www.thief-thecircle.com/guide...rtystatsec.JPG

https://imgur.com/a/6BFO0MC

I've used the latest installer, only forgoing subtitles, EP and interactive candles.

[Jax64]

Thank you for the report.

This appears to only occur with the fixed missions installed. The resources included with them contain a new version of the standard elevator button model used for that secret, which corrects the direction it bumps when pressed but is otherwise identical. However, this change seems to alter the object's visible position when its dimensions are decreased to the extent of the case of that secret button, though these circumstances are not especially common. This occurs because the translation joint of the model was simply inverted. Fixing this is trivially easy and will be addressed in future releases. If you would prefer to have it now, extracting this archive to usermods or another mod directory should suffice.

Not sure if this is the place to post about it, but there have been no posts to the EP thread since 2013. Anyway, all the office doors in Shoalsgate Station (Framed) with letter slots in them have the texture mirrored on the other side of the door, so they spell 'LETTERS' backwards/mirrored. Not sure if anyone else reacts to those sort of things, but for me it's an immersion breaker.

I believe the texture of that particular door is touched only by EP2 as opposed to the older EP release included with T2Fix, though discussing this here is fine regardless. I can see how that visual inconsistency would be bothersome. Fortunately, it can be addressed fairly easily by having the rear side of the door use an alternate texture that mirrors the text to correct for this, though perhaps a more clever solution could be employed.

While the original EP thread has been quiet for a while now, the EP2 thread is still receiving posts. Mentioning this there as well may help, though I suppose I could share a small fix for this myself if desired.

[386SX]

After finishing the game with a netbook config on the famous SGX545 gpu, I still am trying to run the Dx9 renderer that seems to not run on this gpu and Win 8.1 at least starting from the menu problems.I finished the game with the Dx6 renderer in windowed mode, not the best fastest gaming experience anyway.
I can't understand why the TFix for the Thief Demo with the "same" (?) Directx9 renderer the game start and plays smooth and well. In Thief 2 (double cd version) with the T2Fix I get this result as soon the video/menu starts both in windowed or fullscreen mode I get this but the menu is running with sound and mouse interactions..



These tiled menu seems to change colors alone or with the mouse movements.
I tried most tweaks, even taking files from the Thief 1 Demo game, even Dx to GL wrappers.. no way.. the only ones that seems to works was the WineD3D wrapper but is slower than the Directx6 Windowed mode so no way.
The strange thing happens until the game start when it seems to start ok if I can get to start it randomly with the mouse and when the game start it works but after a while it also seems to freeze randomly in the rendering... it's really strange cause the TFix in Thief Demo doesn't have any problems at all. Any ideas?

Here's the thief2 log:

:
: CPU: arch=x86-64 , fam=586 , cpus=2
: SIMD: SSE=3 , 3DNow=0 , MMX=1
: OS Version: 6.2.9200
: Desktop resolution: 1024 x 768
: Virtual desktop resolution: 1024 x 768
: -----------------------------------------------------------
: Command line: "C:\Games\Thief2\Thief2.exe"
: -----------------------------------------------------------
: CWD: C:\Games\Thief2
: -----------------------------------------------------------
: App Version: Thief 2 Final 1.27
: --------------------- misc config -------------------------
: resname_base .\RES\RESPATCH+.\RES
: load_path .\
: script_module_path .\
: movie_path .\MOVIES
: install_path .\
: language english
: game_screen_size 640 480
: game_screen_depth 32
: game_screen_flags 47
: game_full_screen 1
: game_hardware 1
: vsync_mode 1
: force_windowed
: single_display_mode 2
: ui_scale_mode 0
: use_d3d_display
: d3d_disp_scaled_2d_overlay 640 480
: SlowFrame 4
: SlowFrameUI 10
: force_32bit
: force_32bit_textures
: mipmap_mode 1
: lm_mipmap_mode 0
: lm_init_texmem 2
: lm_filter_margin 1
: tex_edge_padding 2
: alpha_test_as_opaque
: multisampletype 0
: sfx_device 2
: sfx_channels 16
: sfx_vol_music 0
: sfx_vol_2d 0
: sfx_vol_3d 0
: snd_speaker_config 2
: game dark
: obj_min -8192
: obj_max 2400
: max_refs 14000
: gui_font intrface\smalfont
: use_hi_res_timer
: enhanced_sky 1
: skip_intro
: new_mantle
: z_far 128
: render_weapon_particles
: legacy_force_match_unrefs 0
: dark_zcomp_arm
: -----------------------------------------------------------
: Enumerating D3D9 adapters (1)...
: Adapter 0
: device name: \\.\DISPLAY1
: driver : igdumd32.dll
: descr : Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 3600 Series
: driver ver :
: vendor id :
: device id :
: subsys id :
: device guid:
: desktop res: 1024 x 768
: Modes
: 320 x 200 x 32
: 320 x 240 x 32
: 400 x 300 x 32
: 512 x 384 x 32
: 640 x 400 x 32
: 640 x 480 x 32
: 800 x 600 x 32
: 1024 x 768 x 32
: Device Validation
: validated ok, device added (0, E310000)
: Enumeration done
: D3DProvider: Enumerating adapter 0 modes
: 320 x 200 x 32
: 320 x 240 x 32
: 400 x 300 x 32
: 512 x 384 x 32
: 640 x 400 x 32
: 640 x 480 x 32
: 800 x 600 x 32
: 1024 x 768 x 32
: D3DProvider: Enumeration done
: D3DProvider: D3D device only supports limited non-POW2 textures
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 640x480x32 ; mode 640x480x32 (5 5 0 2D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 0
: CreateDevice: res = D3D_OK ; 640x480 fmt=22 zfmt=75 cnt=1 ms=0 swap=1 fs=0 hz=0 pres=-2147483648 flags=2


EDIT: I found later that I was launching the original thiefd.exe game file and it runs ok with ddraw.dll patch/wrapper into the directory with the origina Dx6 engine. The Tfix thief.exe Dx9 engine has the same gfx error of Thief2.

[voodoo47]

link to that demo that works?

[386SX]

link to that demo that works?

I found that the Thief Demo test wasn't done correctly; the Tfix doesn't work on Thief Demo too cause I was launching the thiefd.exe file and not the thief.exe of the patch that shows the same menu error even in Thief Demo..

But it's interesting anyway cause launching the original exe it actually start ok without errors and @ fullscreen, thanks to a ddraw.dll I found somewhere in some patches for running old games into new operating systems (the patch was called DDrawCompat found in Github I probably read about somewhere a sort of wrapper) and in fact both the two different demos that existed for the Thief game does run and the dll leaves this log before starting:

3680 13:29:28.065 Process path: C:\Games\thiefdemo\thiefd.exe
3680 13:29:28.065 Loading DDrawCompat from C:\Games\thiefdemo\ddraw.dll
3680 13:29:28.080 DDrawCompat loaded successfully
3680 13:29:28.080 Installing DirectDraw hooks
3680 13:29:28.112 Installing GDI hooks
3680 13:29:28.127 Installing registry hooks
3680 13:29:28.127 Finished installing hooks
3680 13:29:30.756 GDI used DC cache size: 1
3680 13:30:32.631 Detaching DDrawCompat
3680 13:30:32.772 DDrawCompat detached successfully

I tried the original first game demo of the 1998 and the first game second demo of the 1999; one with only the ddraw.dll, the other with also the TFix installer installed and ddraw.dl, both using the original executables not the patched exe.
Both start ok in the menu and game with same log above but the second one with the patch+ddraw (still original thiefd.exe) even seems to run at higher frame rate. Maybe just the beginning inside that sort of shop into the game.

If I try the same config in Thief2 with the original exe and no T2Fix it crash before start.

EDIT and BIG improvement!:
I tried this... Thief2 original 2CD installation plus T2Fix Lite plus DDrawCompat that incredibly was updated lately on Github after many years and with both patches unfortunately the game still doesn't run on Directx9 renderer with the same gfx problems both video intro and menu, BUT now the Directx6 old renderer in the cam_ext file can run the game @ real fullscreen with a bit better frame rate I guess even if some polygons/light errors but not a fake windowed fullscreen mode, a real one. Strange these polygons that seems to become black and go away depending on the point of view and the light into the rooms. This didn't happen before in the windowed T2Fix only Dx6 config.
Anyway still not using the GMA3600 Directx9 hw but... an improvement after all!
A photo of the problem(sorry for the camera quality); they appears and disappears depending on the movements, lights etc...

T2+T2Fix+DDrawCompat latest release + Directx6 renderer fullscreen:



Here's the log of ddraw.dll:

0c38 14:13:35.731 Process path: C:\Games\Thief2\thief2.exe
0c38 14:13:35.731 Environment variable __COMPAT_LAYER = ""
0c38 14:13:35.731 Loading DDrawCompat dynamically from C:\Games\Thief2\ddraw.dll
0c38 14:13:35.737 DDrawCompat loaded successfully
0c38 14:13:35.738 Installing display mode hooks
0c38 14:13:35.740 Installing registry hooks
0c38 14:13:35.740 Installing Direct3D driver hooks
0c38 14:13:35.741 Installing Win32 hooks
0c38 14:13:35.763 Hooking user mode display driver: igdumd32.dll
0c38 14:13:35.777 Dynamic vertex buffers are not available
0c38 14:13:35.777 Dynamic index buffers are not available
0c38 14:13:35.779 Checking source color key support: passed
0c38 14:13:35.784 Installing DirectDraw hooks
0c38 14:13:35.789 Installing Direct3D hooks
0c38 14:13:35.817 Installing GDI hooks
0c38 14:13:35.850 Warning: Failed to hook the following user32 window procedures: [buttonWndProcA,buttonWndProcW,comboBoxWndProcA,comboBoxWndProcW,editWndProcA,editWndProcW,listBoxWnd ProcA,listBoxWndProcW,mdiClientWndProcA,mdiClientWndProcW,staticWndProcA,staticWndProcW,comboListBox WndProcA,comboListBoxWndProcW,scrollBarWndProcW,menuWndProcW]
0c38 14:13:35.861 Finished installing hooks
0c38 14:13:35.917 Incorrect z-buffer bit depth capabilities detected for "Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 3600 Series" / Direct3D HAL; changed from "16, 24" to "16"
0c38 14:15:48.714 Detaching DDrawCompat due to process termination
0c38 14:15:48.714 DDrawCompat detached successfully


Interesting that line. I also tried the same config but with the Directx9 renderer in the cam_ext file and it seems the ddraw.dll wrapper isn't called here, it probably isn't needed in this configuration and I get the identical problems of the previous times.. menu unreadables both full or windowed mode also videos and IF I get to enter the game those problems go aways but and render at double the frame rate but very soon it hang in the 3D movements until it unlock itself and then again and again.. the game is running, if I press esc I get to the unreadables menu and if I come back to the game after a while it render the 3D game again but again it seems to hang after seconds depending on the scene for unknown reasons..
Here's the log:

: Enumerating D3D9 adapters (1)...
: Adapter 0
: device name: \\.\DISPLAY1
: driver : igdumd32.dll
: descr : Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 3600 Series
: driver ver : 0x0008000E-00080448
: vendor id :
: device id :
: subsys id :
: device guid:
: desktop res: 1024 x 768
: Modes
: 320 x 200 x 32
: 320 x 240 x 32
: 400 x 300 x 32
: 512 x 384 x 32
: 640 x 400 x 32
: 640 x 480 x 32
: 800 x 600 x 32
: 1024 x 768 x 32
: Device Validation
: validated ok, device added (0, E310000)
: Enumeration done
: D3DProvider: Enumerating adapter 0 modes
: 320 x 200 x 32
: 320 x 240 x 32
: 400 x 300 x 32
: 512 x 384 x 32
: 640 x 400 x 32
: 640 x 480 x 32
: 800 x 600 x 32
: 1024 x 768 x 32
: D3DProvider: Enumeration done
: D3DProvider: D3D device only supports limited non-POW2 textures
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 640x480x32 (5 9 0 2D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 0
: CreateDevice: res = D3D_OK ; 1024x768 fmt=22 zfmt=75 cnt=1 ms=0 swap=1 fs=1 hz=0 pres=1 flags=2
: Loaded script module "miss1.osm" [FileModDate=2000-Mar-27]
: Loaded script module "gen.osm" [FileModDate=2000-Mar-27]
: Loaded script module "convict.osm" [FileModDate=2000-Mar-27]
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 1024x768x32 (7 9 1 3D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 3
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 640x480x32 (5 9 1 2D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 0
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 1024x768x32 (7 9 1 3D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 3
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 640x480x32 (5 9 1 2D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 0
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 1024x768x32 (7 9 1 3D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 3
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 640x480x32 (5 9 1 2D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 0
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 1024x768x32 (7 9 1 3D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 3
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 640x480x32 (5 9 1 2D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 0
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 1024x768x32 (7 9 1 3D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 3
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 640x480x32 (5 9 1 2D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 0
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 1024x768x32 (7 9 1 3D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 3
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 640x480x32 (5 9 1 2D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 0
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 1024x768x32 (7 9 1 3D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 3
: sw framerate cap requested (10000 us)
: D3DProvider StartMode: smode 1024x768x32 ; mode 640x480x32 (5 9 1 2D) ; 2d_surf_mode: 0

[386SX]

New updates:

I'm still doing various tests on Thief2, some would probably ask himself why I just don't use any other GPU of the world..
But at this point it's interesting to see if actually can or not. I tried the legacy ddfix executables and more or less seems to act like the T2Fix legacy windowed mode and without the polygons errors and light errors above but still at much lower frame rate as always.
Directx9 renderer is still far from any improvements...
One thing interesting is that in the ddfix ini file there's a line that seems to refer to load the menu into the system memory to solve menu gfx problems but this doesn't work with Dx9 I suppose, ddfix I think works on Dx6 legacy engine. Also I can't see any line to force fullscreen on ddfix.

So at this point DDrawCompat patch seems to be the fastest way to run the game with the legacy Dx6 renderer cause probably can run it in a REAL full screen mode and the difference is quite a lot in Win 8.1 but still far from what it could be with the Dx9 one anyway. Anyway the DDrawCompat along with the T2Fix thief.exe engine gives that polygons/lights errors on the floors and walls and I tried most cam_ext options and no solutions found for now.
So to explain the situation:

Win8.1 and GMA3600 gpu latest drivers:

1) Thief2 original exe crash at exe file launch.
2) Thief2 original exe with DDrawCompat the thief exe still crash before even loading the ddraw dll
3) Thief2 with T2Fix exe only, start and works with legacy Directx6 D3D and only in windowed fake full screen mode = slow fps but no gfx errors; if fullscreen is forced in cam_ext it tries different resolutions mode before the menu and than gives a 640x480 video unsupportet window error; if I use the Directx9 renderer I've both menu and video unreadables screen (see above) and if the game get to start it works ok at fastest frame rate ever (like three times the windowed Dx6 mode) but it hangs during movements with no gfx errors into the game but still into the menu.. those hangs of the character doesn't crash the game but make it unplayable cause it stops for like some seconds depending on the scene
4) Thief2 with T2Fix exe and with DDrawCompat: this ddraw patch seems to be used only in legacy Directx6 renderer mode and it solves definetely the unsupported fullscreen problem and it's the fastest legacy renderer solution with this GPU but this combination results in few polygons becoming dark and lights bleeding in different scenes on the floors and walls (see above)
5) Thief2 with ddfix: similar to T2Fix legacy windowed solution.. not forcing fullscreen option on the ini and no video starting but similar low frame rates.

I'll update...

[henke]

Hey, question: I got Thief 2 (Steam version) and T2Fix 1.27d installed and the game keeps forgetting my bindings! Every time I start it up I gotta go into Customize Controls and load my bindings file. How do I fix this?

Haven't played Thief 2 in ages but I just reinstalled it and started playing the Death's Cold Embrace FM. It's great!

[voodoo47]

user.bnd in root read only?

[henke]

That was it! Thanks.

[386SX]

Update on the Thief2 and PowerVR SGX545 T2Fix problem:

Not any improvements done with the T2 game but I'm trying to understand if at least the DDrawCompat will be updated to solve the polygons/light bleeding problems that it seems to show with this GPU and the combination of both T2Fix patch and its ddraw.dll that seems to be at least the best Directx6 way to play the T2 game. Until I'll find a solution I bought the Thief Gold game and tried the TFix patch and also again the DDrawCompat patch. With the legacy cam_ext Directx6 renderer it run @fullscreen as well with even higher frame rate but incredibly it does NOT have any polygons or "important light bleeding" problems! The older game runs smooth and not any important gfx problems seen until now (I already am @ the fourth level). So at the end something is different in Thief2 3D engine from the Gold version cause no polygons are rendered black or appearing and disappearing.
I only noticed some light bleeding coming under closed doors that I suppose should not be rendered into dark rooms in Thief Gold, but it's indeed the fastest way with only few fps slowdowns @1024x768 4X anisotropic, no AA, legacy renderer as said.

Anyway the Directx9 d3d_display line still impossible to use and shows the usual above unreadable menus, no way. I suppose that the Thief engine render the menu using 2D DirectDraw or whatever it might not be supported by the GPU using Directx9 driver that might try to render the menu with the 3D acceleration using some techniques that is not probably supported on this driver or something like that. The legacy fullscreen problems instead was probably related to the Win 8.1 GUI and 16bit resolutions lack of this gpu drivers that at least the ddraw.dll seems to solve with a good fps boost comparing to the windowed before.

I suppose probably only a T2Fix patch update would solve this issue trying some alternative way to render the menu and also to understand those strange game hangs I was talking above.
I'm probably one of the last person in the world playing this game with this GPU.. or probably even using this GPU.

[386SX]

Update: I'm hoping and giving detail of the problem to the developer of the only ddraw patch that got to enter into a real fullscreen legacy mode solving both the speed problems of the SGX545 gpu and the old fake fullscreen windowed mode the game could run before, but for now shows some new polygons texturing/lighting problems that probably need some tweak or on the Directdraw patch side or on the cam_ext settings.
Meanwhile I'd like to ask expert here some opinion of where I can try tweaking cam_ext file for this problem...



EDIT: I edit just to say that the legacy renderer thank to the DDrawCompat ddraw now works without errors even with the GMA3600 integrated gpu cause it was debugged a problem specifically happenning with this gpu/drivers (related to some calls and how the drivers worked). Anyway even if the DX9 renderer can't still work as it could, the legacy one now works as fast as it can.. not perfect for the netbook/configs that have this gpu but at least at playable frame rates. I'd like to test and help in debugging the DX9 problems, but it'd need a sort of GitHub discussions on issue with developers of the DarkEngine for the DX9 calls, that shows quite some problems in T1 and T2 and this specific uncommon gpu.
Some opinions of more skilled people than me, might be that some of the DX9 calls pick wrong part of the video (system) memory corrupting rendering in 2D menu through 3D rendering, instead of the old ddraw, but also might be something related to how the main menu pcx format files and maybe not supported by the gpu drivers (example the 8bit textures palette).

[Arcatera]

Hello,

Do you think you can add a feature to the installer which performs a clean-up of obsolete and/or unnecessary files? I did a clean installation of Thief II: The Metal Age by using the GOG installer, but the files inside the folder are a total mess.

[Jax64]

Certainly. I can see the utility of an optional cleanup feature. Specifically, which extraneous files persist in your installation directory?

I edit just to say that the legacy renderer thank to the DDrawCompat ddraw now works without errors even with the GMA3600 integrated gpu cause it was debugged a problem specifically happenning with this gpu/drivers (related to some calls and how the drivers worked). Anyway even if the DX9 renderer can't still work as it could, the legacy one now works as fast as it can.. not perfect for the netbook/configs that have this gpu but at least at playable frame rates. I'd like to test and help in debugging the DX9 problems, but it'd need a sort of GitHub discussions on issue with developers of the DarkEngine for the DX9 calls, that shows quite some problems in T1 and T2 and this specific uncommon gpu.

Regarding this, it is fortunate that you were able to help get DDrawCompat working with the legacy renderer and your machine. While perhaps not ideal, even this seems to be a feat for that particular chipset. Unfortunately, the manner in which NewDark is developed will probably make it difficult to have a fruitful discussion with its developers regarding your issues with the new renderer.

[386SX]

Regarding this, it is fortunate that you were able to help get DDrawCompat working with the legacy renderer and your machine. While perhaps not ideal, even this seems to be a feat for that particular chipset. Unfortunately, the manner in which NewDark is developed will probably make it difficult to have a fruitful discussion with its developers regarding your issues with the new renderer.

Yes in fact I am already happy that with the legacy renderer this specific gpu can at least work in real D3D HAL legacy mode and fullscreen without the whole speed brake that windowed mode together probably with the win GUI had. I finished this game before with that config with really really low frame rates.
But now the legacy renderer in Thief 1 is perfect cause simpler geometry and frame rate seems to be around 25-50fps I'd say approximately but Thief 2 is heavier and suffer more on wide areas and I'd say from 20fps to 30fps at best more or less. While in the DX9 renderer tests the game probably'd run @ more than 60fps from the few time I got to load the real game with that enabled.

Still I could build a time correct Directx6 machine or a faster modern machine but this became a sort of quest to see a gpu that could be optimized probably more than it was running as fast as it could have. Obviously we're talking about a smartphone oriented gpu that's probably an evolution of the core used into an iphone 4/4s I suppose adapted for a x86 machine and Directx usage so it can't be expected to have who knows which modern performances, but the problem I imagine was more about its drivers than the specifications that still were not bad after all.
Could I use another gpu? Of course, the mini-itx board has a PCI old version onto it and I already tried a Geforce FX 5200 and a Geforce GT 210 and they both work with the DX9 renderer but using another case would make obvious to use a full micro atx mainboard with much better PCI-EX gpu. For old games the igpu should be more than enough and in fact it works with unexepected games like Quake2/3, Doom3, Far Cry, GTA IV, Thief Deadly Shadow (without the wrapper)... the oldest run faster, the more modern slower but the problem with the DX9 renderer feels like very simple to solve on a driver or game engine side but from the user one I just can have ideas or opinions but I can't solve it myself.

[Arcatera]

Certainly. I can see the utility of an optional cleanup feature. Specifically, which extraneous files persist in your installation directory?

Well, I don't know which files are unnecessary after a clean installation and T2Fix, so any file that the patched game does not require to run, basically.