Links 2003 receives improved GPU compatibility

[Guitarzan]

This wrapper works well on Links 2001, which I play as much as 2003. It looks good with aspect ratio maintained with two side black bars on my 1920X1080 laptop. My question is this: Links 2001 has a max resolution of 1280 X 1024 (setting 3) . What would be involved in getting a higher resolution like Links2003 got with the 1.07 patch? I did try Links 2001 in setting 14. It gives a close up look of the player and fills the screen unstretched but a LOT is cropped out.

[dwg]

Mode 14 is a mystery to Links 2001, it only understands what it came with, just like Links 2003 before the 1.07 update.

You are really going to have to look at the DDrawCompat settings to get a full screen display.

Out of the box Links only understands limited resolutions, and aspect ratios like 4:3 & 5:4, you are looking to do 16:9.

I would look at DisplayAspectRatio to start with perhaps also DisplayResolution. ResolutionScale is another.

The configuration guide can be found at:

https://github.com/narzoul/DDrawCompat/ ... figuration

Good luck. I'd like to hear how you go.

[Larrycleve]

Thank you for the link but quite frankly that just blew my mind. I'm not a computer programmer and none of that made the slightest sense. The tinkering I'm trying now is the upper level of my abilities.

[dwg]

My last post was in response to @guitarzan.

My last suggestion to you was to test it without the wrapper on the notebook and see what result you get.

[Guitarzan]

Mode 14 is a mystery to Links 2001, it only understands what it came with, just like Links 2003 before the 1.07 update.

You are really going to have to look at the DDrawCompat settings to get a full screen display.

Out of the box Links only understands limited resolutions, and aspect ratios like 4:3 & 5:4, you are looking to do 16:9.

I would look at DisplayAspectRatio to start with perhaps also DisplayResolution. ResolutionScale is another.

The configuration guide can be found at:

https://github.com/narzoul/DDrawCompat/ ... figuration

Good luck. I'd like to hear how you go.

Thanks for the info. I've tried a few things to no avail, but that's okay, I'm perfectly happy the way it is now.

[dwg]

@Guitarzan

I have tried it in Links 2003 and have it working, so think the following will work for Links 2001.

If you want to try it full screen edit the file DDrawCompat.ini that is in the Links program folder, just use notepad.

Leave what is in there and add:

DisplayAspectRatio = display

and

DisplayResolution = 1920x1080

I added them on the next line to the commented out line of the same parameter (which show the default).

You should get different results depending if you have Links set to 1280 x1024 or 1024 x 768 or 800 x 600 due to scaling. Try them and see, in all cases you get a full screen display.

[dwg]

@Larry the same methodology may work for you on your desktop as I did in my last post but you would set display resolution to 2560 x 1440.

I would try it with both Links modes 14 & 5

[Mailman]

To those that posted in the last few days, here is my take on resolutions etc

Monitor default resolution is 2560x1440 (i.e 2K) as per Larrycleve. I've maximised the display resolution with Links 2003 via the registry to mode 15 (i.e. 1920x1200).

Within DDrawCompat, these 2 settings for me are critical in getting a fullscreen view to my liking:

DisplayAspectRatio = display
ResolutionScale = display(1)

Setting these 2 parameters output the Links screen 1920x1200 scaled fullscreen (borderless)to fill my 2k monitor. Either can be done via in the in-game overlay mode (shift+f11) or going into the config file directly (I think )

[dwg]

Yes you can edit the config file directly.

There are actually two configuration files, the main one and the one the menu overlay creates and maintains, the wrapper reads the main config file first then any setting in the overlay config file supersede the ones in the main file.

[Larrycleve]

I am beyond astonished as I got links 2003 to work on my windows 11 desktop PC. The last time it worked was probably 4 months ago and I don't know why it stopped working. I gave up hope that I would ever play it again except on a virtual machine which was vastly inferior. I will go through the steps to get it working in detail.. It starts now no more than the third click and today it started on the first click. The graphics are gorgeous with no jaggies. Here goes.

Since I gave up ever playing Links 2003 again I bought PGA 2K2025 and EA PGA Tour from Steam. They recommended the video card GeForce RTX 2060 Super. Since I had the GTX 1080 I bought the new card from Amazon. The games from Steam played beautifully.

So I uninstalled and reinstalled Links 2003 for the umpteenth time, I added the Version 1.07 and Nvidia fixes. Then I did these things- LinksMMIII shortcut properties-
Start Maximized
Disable Full Screen optimizations
Start as administrator
Use legacy display ICC color management
Change High DPI Settings- Override High DPI Scaling behavior. Scaling performed by Application

Add video card to video.txt
Change registry setting to 14

No compatibility mode and no wrapper.

Nvidia Control Panel settings- Adjust desktop size and position- Full Screen The full Nvidia 3D settings for Links 2003 MMIII are in the enclosed file.

Nvidia Settings for links 2003.pdf

(23.61 KiB) Downloaded 2 times

Start computer after shut down, NOT from restart.

This is a lot and I may have forgotten something so please ask any questions. To say I'm ecstatic may not be an exaggeration.