Scrambled HUD letters

[Archive1]

Back after some absence and working with newer, faster computer. Upon uploading my CFS2 files now find that all the letters of the HUD display as weird figures...not letters at all.
Have reset resolutions and played with all the display settings, no help. Working with Win 7. Copied a full CFS2 file from another computer after being sure that the HUD
was displaying correctly, uploaded it onto the new computer...save scramble. Am puzzled and do not know where to find the code for the HUD display.
Any answers?
Archive 1

[Allen]

Post screen and screen of settings. Also the graf card name may help.

[Archive1]

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=42925&stc=1
Allen:
First time I've tried to upload an image so dunno if you can enlarge this and see the figures from the scrambled HUD.
The video card is: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950
-=dcp=-

[Allen]

How about a screen of the settings page? Looks like from the sky that your graf card is on one of the lowest settings. The sky has no blend...

[Archive1]

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/attachment.php?attachmentid=42926&stc=1Her's a snip of the settings. Mostly at highest level. Resolution at 1600x900 although that shouldn't matter and I've tried them all. Native res for my monitor is 1920x1080. Archive1

[Allen]

And the Hardware side? Also where did you install CFS2? Was it the defalt C:\Programs Files (x86)? C:\Programs Files (x86) can be a prob with needing admin permission even if you are admin on the PC.

Your screen makes me think your in 16 bit mode. In the Hardware side make sure Enable Hardware Acceleration checked and in the Resolution box make sure you using a resolution that ends with x32 In your case 1920x1080x32.

Below is what 16bit looks like. I'm on XP now but I think maybe if your in 16bit on Win7 it may not display right as Win7 dosen't support 16bit so maybe CFS2 can't find 16bit font/text so all you have is symbles.

42927

[Shessi]

Hi A1,
It's possible that your Win 7 install doesn't have the correct fonts for the sim to display this HUD. Are all your other info bars displaying correctly? If they are, I can't remember if the HUD prog came with fonts, unpack a fresh version in Win7, and see.

Cheers

Shessi

[Archive1]

Thanks for the effort(s) both.

The image that you got for the HUD is somehow artifactually distorted. On my screen the sky is seamlessly blended. I should add that I fly FXS with very complex Orbx scenery and proprietary aircraft (A2A) at highest graphics/detail settings and everything works beautifully using this machine.

CFS2 - and I have about six separate versions, one for each WWII theater - is loaded into the Microsoft Program Files (86) address. (All six versions have the same HUD problem, BTW, and they have a variety of Settings selections. So in my mind the problem lies in some hand-shaking code failure between the program and some hardware/Win software - although I certainly could be wrong)

The Hardware setting identifies the card correctly and is set for 1080x1920 (32) although as I said I've used a variety of displays. I'm not at the desktop and will have to look regarding Enable Hardware Acceleration box and Resolution choices on the CFS2 Settings Hardware page...I don't recall seeing those boxes, but will review. Where are they displayed? I don't see them on the attached Display Settings screen.

Here's another interesting problem that has arisen on a different machine at a vacation house: Older machine, but not ancient; running Win 10. Since converting to Win 10, all CFS2 programs (same set I have at the main house) crash with that old message "Windows has encountered an unexpected problem and must close. Sorry for...yada, yada. These versions of CFS2 ran perfectly on Win 7, before I switched. (and the above HUD problem was not and is not present). Actually I just copied them (before I switched to Win10) and transferred them to my faster machine intact and expected they would run in similar fashion. They don't crash, but the HUD problem occurred as I mentioned above.

Shessi: Everything else is readable and displays perfectly. But that material is probably hard-coded and fixed. The HUD repaints constantly to be congruent with changing flight conditions and so its code must reside somewhere else in the program and be dependent upon the video card updating the display in real time.

Now, certainly one can fly the programs without the HUD, but it's annoying to not understand the source of the problem and be able to correct it. Am sure you understand.
Again, I appreciate the investment of time and help.

Archive1

[Allen]

In the Hardware side the Enable Hardware Acceleration is on the mid left and setting for it are below it.

42936

Try moving one of your CFS2 install from Program Files (x86). Move it to just C: and run the CFS2 from in the folder after you have moved it.

[Shessi]

Although the simappears to dsiplay correctly it still could be is the screen resolution, at least the difference between CFS2 sim settings and your screen/GPU settings. Make sure they're the same, and try some lower screen res's. If it is this, then you can always have screen res profiles for just CFS2, on your screen.

Shessi

[Archive1]

Have to quit meeting like this,guys!
Well, tried all of the above: checked the Display Setting for Hardware Acceleration, is checked (now I remember being aware of it) - set both CFS2 and screen resolution to the same (did it before, but repeated...and ran up and down resolution choices) - moved a copy of CFS2 to C:\ and ran it....No joy with any of them. Same jumble of letters.

Dunno. Am at wit's end (do 'wits' have a beginning? ...seems if 'wits' has an 'end' it must have a 'beginning', no?)
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[Allen]

I think the cfshud.gau is calling for Arial font. I see Arial repeated in a long line with in the gauge. Can you seach you PC for ARIAL.TTF ? Mine is located at C:\WINDOWS\Fonts but I'm on XP.

[Shessi]

If you transfered your CFS2 installs with the HUD already part of it, if you've not done it yet, try a fresh re-install of the HUD add-on on the Win7 machine.

Shessi


p.s You'll have to buy me drinks first, and then dinner...but I never....on the first date....:redfire::violent-smiley-031:...;)

[No Dice]

Just for fun:
Try this one, please read the install:
Hud (http://thefreeflightsite.com/Props_CFS2_HUD.zip) a nice replacement Hud for CFS2 by Raf Props ***

http://thefreeflightsite.com/Utilities2.htm

Dave

[Archive1]

Shessi:
Not sure I understand your message.
Dave:
Interesting. Have downloaded the file and will look at it and give it a try.

I have about concluded that the problem may lie in the compatibility sphere since (alas) CFS2 now belongs in the 'legacy' category - because MS has not given us a decent,modern upgrade - and Win7/
Win10 are not as forgiving of older programs.It could be that all of my problems would be solved by creating a virtual XP system that resides within the Win7 or Win10 system. I understand that this may be done without
massive intelligence on my part. Remember, CFS2 ran perfectly within the XP world. I will continue to pursue all the help that y'all are providing in the hope of not having to get
too complicated in solving the problem(s). I do appreciate all the comments.
Archive1

[Archive1]

Follow up to above:

Re: Arial - yes it is in the True Type font list
Re: new HUD replacement. There is no hud.gau bit in the CFS2 Gauges file. One cannot read the cfshud.gau file with notepad. I tried inserting the various recommended pieces of code in the Gauges portion of the panel file for one of the aircraft..no joy and no change in the screwed up HUD on screen.
Will try to check compatibility mode etc. But, leaving for a few weeks vacation in the next few days and will be away from the problem for a blessed several days.
So. I'll get back to you after a short hiatus.
Enjoy flying on my behalf...or on my wing as it were for a while until I check in again.
Archive1

[Allen]

cfshud.gau is the gauge that CFS2's hud uses. Check the mod date of it. Mine is 9/17/2000. Maybe the gauge it self is bad.

[Archive1]

Allen:
Mine's the same - 09/17/2000
And I did do some compatibility exercises - run as Administrator, did the Compatibility update, selected an XP compatibility install...nothing changed with any of them.
Duh. Very, very strange. Everything else seems to work just fine. Display is great. Some missions crash when selecting Advanced Information (but I've had that happen before since
I'm using heavily modified missions) so that's nothing new. The only thing that is new is the HUD display.
Just to let you know, I've been using CFS since it first came out way back in its very first quite crude iteration and do know my way around the program, but am now seriously stumped.
I also have updated my campaigns with RAMi's incredible work.
Dunno.
May be a period of no response from me for a bit as we get ready and then head out for a 3 week driving vacation. I will be able to be online from evening motel stops, but will not have access to my
desktop computer where the program resides. I'll try to respond in a coherent fashion but will not be able to try recommended actions.
Cheers and thank you, Archive1

[Shessi]

A1,
Just saying that if you should find a screen res/profile that works you can save that profile/setting on your monitor to activate when you use CFS2.

Shessi

[Archive1]

Shessi:
Am in Tucson with some in-laws and far, far away from the Pac NW (home)...I know that since it's 92 degrees at 22:00 hrs and little green is in sight.
Thanks for the response. Have to wait until I return to the land of rain.
Will continue when back around two weeks.
Archive1

[Archive1]

All:
Am now back home after a three week plus absence.
Fired up CFS2 to see if the scrambled letters were the same - hey, maybe something took care of it in my absence ...no such luck.

So we are back where we started. And havng tried all suggestions, plus some of my own work-arounds, all to no avail.
Not sure where to go from here.
Tried a clean install directly from the original disks. And got the same scramble. Can''t figure that one out except it may be in the display system.
The monitor is a good one and displays quite well with FSX, and did well earlier with CFS2.

(Sorry to read about Keltie's problems in Italy. (Have admired his contributions, which are many.)
Archive1