FSAA Questions

[LaoTzuTao]

Well I finally got my drivers installed properly and working...Now I'd like to turn on FSAA and Anisoptric filtering. I assumed it would just be another Option you add to the config, but from the instructions I've seen, I have no idea what to do. 'Setting the environment variable'? I'm still too new to understand how to do that or what that even means. Thanks for all your help!

[Anthaus]

You set up the environment variable with the EXPORT command. For example, with a console (you DON'T require to be su or root):

export __GL_FSAA=2
quake3

This will set 2x AA in Quake 3. You MUST launch the game from the very same console where you wrote the export command.

There's a way to set environment variables right from startup. I'll come back to that later.

(Isn't it refreshing to answer questions NOT related with RH 7.3? :D :D :D )

[Thunderbird]

Sorry to correct you but it is __GL_FSAA_MODE. Also lookup the values you can set it to in the nvidia driver docs. The meaning of the values is different on different cards. (gf4 supports more options than the gf2 ..)

[Anthaus]

Originally posted by Thunderbird
Sorry to correct you but it is __GL_FSAA_MODE. Also lookup the values you can set it to in the nvidia driver docs. The meaning of the values is different on different cards. (gf4 supports more options than the gf2 ..)

My bad. :o

Anyway, aside from the "export" command, nVidia's release notes should be enough to tweak you GeForce to your heart's content. ;)

[LaoTzuTao]

Thanks guys, I think I get it now. You said theres a way to set the variables from startup? How would I go about doing that? Thanks!

[Anthaus]

I have to return to my linux rig to "remember". There's a config file in your /home/<user>/ folder. Maybe it's the bash.something... anyway, just define which settings you'd like to have on ALL your games. In the config file you should add something like this:

alias export __GL_FSAA_MODE=2

I use three alias: one for FSAA, another for Anisotropic Filtering and the last to force VSync On. Your release notes should be pretty self-explanatory.

If I could just remember the name of THAT file...

Anyway, save the file when you're done, restart X and you're set.

Cheers, mate!

[bwkaz]

The file's ~/.bash_profile, ~/.profile, or ~/.bashrc. It'd probably be best to put it in ~/.bashrc, because that's the script that gets executed every time the shell starts (AFAIK -- you might have to put it into the other one, too, though), while .profile and .bash_profile only get executed when you first log in.

~ is a shortcut for "my home directory", or /home/<user name here>.

But I'm curious, why make an alias out of these? The line you've posted (alias export __GL_FSAA_MODE=2) isn't even really valid syntax (the alias command requires an equal sign, like alias l="ls --color=auto -F", like I have in my .bash_profile), but even with that in there, the variable-set wouldn't happen until you typed in the stuff on the left side of the equal sign, When I do an l, the output of ls comes up in color, but not every time I log in. ;)

I would think, at first, that it'd be easier to just do the export, without the alias, and let it just set that environment variable for the whole time the shell is running... but maybe not. Just wondering about the reasoning... :confused:

[Anthaus]

I agree it would be best to launch every single game with its own particular settings. But I haven't found how to do that (aside from launching a console every time and setting the environment variables by hand).

As for the alias thingie, I really got to return to my linux rig to see how I got it to work. I really did, believe me ;)

Just a couple of hours, guys. I'll post my .bashrc file today.

[Anthaus]

You're right about the alias bit. I was wrong.

The file is:
/home/<user>/.bashrc

and the setting I use (GeForce 4 Ti 4600):

export __GL_FSAA_MODE=2
export __GL_DEFAULT_LOG_ANISO=3
export __GL_SYNC_TO_VBLANK=1

That's for Quincunx, Max Anisotropic Filtering and VSync On.

Just add those lines at the end of the file, leave a blank line at the end and enjoy!!

[LaoTzuTao]

Thanks for the help guys!

[bwkaz]

I was thinking, you could use aliases if you wanted separate settings for different games. Alias "aa1" to one setting (for all 3 variables), "aa2" to another setting, and so on, then to run the game, just do a aa1 ; wolfsp or aa2 ; ut or whatnot. It'd save a little typing anyway. But then, you'd have to remember which settings you liked for which games...

Maybe a wrapper script for each game? Now I think it's just getting complicated though...

[Anthaus]

Interesting!

So, maybe I could set an alias at the .bashrc file (set1, for example) and call the game from a launcher with the command:

set1;quake3

Is that right? How could I program that alias?

[LaoTzuTao]

I was just thinking...if I set up these variables in .bashrc, will I have to start the apps from console? Or will it still work if I just click a link I already have to the app on my desktop?

[Anthaus]

That's the beauty of the .bashrc file.
The settings are enabled before you launch your games. Therefore ALL your OpenGL apps will take advantage of the .bashrc settings automatically.

Don't forget to restart X after modifying the .bashrc file.

[LaoTzuTao]

Well it wasn't working at first, so I tried putting a space after export :D Then of course it worked beautifully. 125 fps in TuxRacer at 1024x768x16 with FSAAx4 WOOHOO! heh, I'll have to test it one some real games one of these days...anyone know any good ones? Once again thanks for all your help!

[bwkaz]

Originally posted by Anthaus
Interesting!

So, maybe I could set an alias at the .bashrc file (set1, for example) and call the game from a launcher with the command:

set1;quake3

Is that right? How could I program that alias? Yeah, it'd look like alias set1='export __GL_FSAA_MODE=2 ; export __GL_DEFAULT_LOG_ANISO=3 ; export __GL_SYNC_TO_VBLANK=1' Then set1 ; quake3 would set the variables to these values and run Q3. Of course, they'd be set to these values until you changed them (perhaps with a set2 or something), but you'd have to figure out ways to do that.

Aliases are good for saving typing, or for nonstandard options to commands that you want to be the standard (like the "--color=auto -F" for ls). But they work well for this too.

[Anthaus]

bwkaz:
Thanks, man!
I'll try those as soon as possible.

LaoTzuTao:
Quake 3 is a fine game and it's pretty simple to make it run on linux. UT, without S3TC, is pretty simple as well. Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a bit tricky, but it runs flawless.

Don't forget about the upcoming:
Unreal Tournament 2003,
Neverwinter Nights.
Doom III.

See www.tuxgames.com for more details.