Gamma Setting - ATI Radeon 4870

[Drakah]

<p>I have been experiencing a weird gamma problem recently with EverQuest 1 and 2.</p><p>Recently, I purchased 2 new computers, both with ATI 4870 cards installed.I updated to the most recent drivers. Version 9.7 with Catalyst Control Center, as well as trying out older drivers several times which makes no difference. It is obviously an ATI thing as my old old computer using an Nvidia card never had these issues before.</p><p>Normally I play Everquest, and the gamma setting there is just fine, it retains the setting from login-to-game and reverts normally when quitting. Although when I Alt-Tab to windowed mode, it sometimes gets a brighter gamma setting, when I Alt-Tab back into game, sometimes the game stays at the brighter gamma setting, and sometimes it reverts back to the normal in-game setting. I have to Alt-Tab alot to get it back to normal.</p><p>Now today, I decided to give EQ2 a little try and I am having a worse time with the gamma.When I launch the program, I can tell that the "Logging in as" dialog box that pops up is noticably brighter than what it should be. When I get into game, it is confirmed that the gamma is very bright. So, I went to options and double checked my gamma setting -- its set at 0.860. I then tried turning it down a notch and got much darker very quick. I turned it up back to 0.860, and the gamma was perfect. I Alt-Tabbed out, and the gamma went bright again. Tabbed back in and I saw the gamma when brighter for a second or so, and went back to normal the way it should be.</p><p>I did try altering my "Full Screen 3D" setting in the Catalyst Control center from 1.00 to 0.75 and the gamma seemed sorta "ok" when I launched EQ2, but as soon as I touched the in-game gamma, I could tell it wasn't the same. Which means that ANY 3D application will use a 0.75 and that would be too dark across the board of the multiple games I play. So I had to turn it back to its default of 1.00.</p><p>So, what do I do to make the game STICK with the correct gamma setting, as per the options it is set at in-game?As I said, it is only with EverQuest games, mainly EQ2 that has the biggest inconsistancy.Am I forced to Alt-Tab till it is right?Is it a known "bug"?Is there a real fix that would not affect my other 3D games?</p><p>Please advise.</p>

[TSR-KenC]

<p>I am aware of that issue, and will have to research it a bit further to see if there's a fix within the game I can suggest without mussing up the visual quality too bad.</p><p>I believe the Catalyst Control Center should have a way to profile certain graphics settings for specific games. So you could leave EQ2 at that setting and play 3D Pinball (example) at another gamma/AA setting. Can you check through the options there to see if that can be set?</p><p>If not, I can give it a quick install here to see if I can pinpoint where I saw that option.</p>

[Drakah]

<p>There is no option to set an application to a certain gamma setting within the Catalyst Control Center. It is only designated to be a global factor accross all 3D programs.</p><p>Even if there was an option to set the gamma, per application, it still would not be consistant to the setting I use in-game.</p><p>It seems upon the game launching, it automatically uses the Desktop gamma regardless and does not set the value to be the setting I have in the eq_recent.ini file to be 0.860.</p><p>The only way I can get it to use the actual in-game setting is by Alt-Tabbing out and back in again, and sometimes, regardless of camping to desktop correctly, has a chance to screw up the desktop gamma too.</p><p>One way I can see as an easy fix, is if there was a method to have the game auto-launch in window'd mode 1ST, then go into full screen mode. That would probably autoset the correct gamma. I know EQ1 auto-launches the game in windowed mode for 2 seconds, and goes full screen -- and I dont have a problem with that game, unless I start Alt-Tabbing out and in again if I want to browse the internet.</p>

[TSR-KenC]

<p>Perhaps I'm thinking of a different program with the seperate game graphical profiles. Alas, your suggestion may be a good fix as well.</p><p>Changing the necessary line from true to false  in your respective eq2_recent.ini file within your EverQuest II directory should do so.</p><p>The line is 'cl_fullscreen true' - Just change true to false and save that file.</p>

[Drakah]

<p>I did not have that line in my eq_recent.ini file, so I added it and made it to false.</p><p>I loaded the game and the gamma was PERFECT as it read the correct settings in the ini file.</p><p>However, now I have the Windows taskbar showing at the bottom with my game cutoff at the bottom.</p><p>So it didnt quite fix the problem.</p><p>I hit Alt-Tab, and it went fullscreen keeping the correct gamma setting still.</p><p>I hit Alt-Tab again, and the gamma went bright again, but now I have not just the Windows taskbar, but I also have the titlewindow of the game itself at the top cutoff.</p><p>As I mentioned before, EQ1 launches the game automatically in window'd mode 1st for 2 secs, then puts it in fullscreen by the time the serverselect window comes up, and the gamma is always perfect. They probably did it this way because of the gamma setting anomolies with multiple cards users use and seems to be a global solution as no one has complained about it. But EQ2 doesn't do the same thing and goes fullscreen from launch-to-quit.</p><p>What can be done?</p>

[Drakah]

<p>Or even add in a toggle perhaps like...</p><p>"C:Program FilesSonyEverQuest IIEQ2.exe" /windowedfirst</p><p>..not that there is such a thing, but some sort of method that would force lauching the game in window'd mode 1st for 2 secs, then go fullscreen as per the ini file.</p>

[TSR-KenC]

<p>Right - the taskbar will always stay on top of other Windows - but that can be changed by right-clicking an empty area of the taskbar, clicking 'properties, and unchecking 'keep on top of other windows' - Otherwise, the EQ2 windowed mode can be resized by the normal mean of click-dragging it to the proportions you prefer.</p><p>Sorry there isn't a more concrete method of fixing this particular issue!</p>

[Drakah]

<p>Ya, that won't work for me since that is a global setting for my windows environment, and dont want the taskbar hidden for every application I run on my computer.</p><p>It is clear now that it is an issue with EQ2 specifically since I do not have this problem in EQ1, or any other game I play in fullscreen.</p><p>So the problem still remains.</p>

[TSR-KenC]

<p>If you can open EQ2_Recent.ini and add one more line to it..</p><p>cl_maximized true</p><p>That will set the game to maximize the full extent of your screen without getting cut off on the task bar, and still be Windowed.</p><p>I'll speak with a few other folks here who may know more on the issue as well.</p>

[Drakah]

<p>I made sure I had these in my ini file:</p><p>cl_fullscreen falsecl_maximized true</p><p>When game loaded, it gave me the Title Window at the top, and my Taskbar at the bottom - Gamma was correct.(unfortunately I dont favor playing in windowed mode)</p><p>When I alt-tab to full-screen - Gamma was correct.</p><p>If the game is launched in full-screen - Gamma is wrong(must Alt-Tab and Alt-Tab again to get correct Gamma)</p><p>...so either way Im Alt-Tabbing each time I want to play the game correctly. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/c30b4198e0907b23b8246bdd52aa1c3c.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Drakah]

<p>I installed an older ATI driver, this time from my manufacturer (Dell) and my gamma is now fine when it launches in fullscreen. Apparently the 9.7 does not cooperate with EQ2 for some reason. I am using 9.3 right now instead of 9.7.</p>

[TSR-KenC]

<p><cite>Drakah wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I installed an older ATI driver, this time from my manufacturer (Dell) and my gamma is now fine when it launches in fullscreen. Apparently the 9.7 does not cooperate with EQ2 for some reason. I am using 9.3 right now instead of 9.7.</p></blockquote><p>Thank you very much for that information - I'll relay it to our Knowledgebase team!</p>