Windower 4 - Discussion and Support

[calinz]

Can we PLEASE get a setting to stop changing the on-screen maps registry value to 0? Here's your proof that there is a difference between Compressed and Uncompressed:

Spoiler: show

[NynJa]

Set your desired graphics settings, via registry hack or FFXI config tool. Go into registry and find the POL folder (HKey_Local/software/POLUS/SE/FFXI), export a registry file with all those settings. Load windower 4, enter pol/SE ID. At any point between here and pressing Play to load the FFXI screen, run that registry file.

[Jem]

Set your desired graphics settings, via registry hack or FFXI config tool. Go into registry and find the POL folder (HKey_Local/software/POLUS/SE/FFXI), export a registry file with all those settings. Load windower 4, enter pol/SE ID. At any point between here and pressing Play to load the FFXI screen, run that registry file.

Alternatively you can boot up 3.4 with the desired settings at the same point if you don't want to mess around with registry files. Then just close that instance again once it boots up POL.

I hope when they get chance to revise it that they do change it back to how 3.4 handled settings. I can see what they intended with 4's settings but it's a backwards step if you want to handle it yourself.

[calinz]

I already do the regkey double click... it's just annoying to do it on every boot of FFXI when using Windower 4. And unnecessary. Can't we just get a freakin option please? :/

[grevenilvec75]

No. It didn't use to happen when you talked to an NPC, even though your status did change. Now it does. So something changed aside from renaming that status. When you talking to NPCs, it was called "Zoning", but it still didn't trigger the event swap when changing back to idle gear. I don't see why it would just from renaming "Zoning" to "Event", which makes perfect sense. It was something else (although possibly related) that's causing this now.

Perhaps i was unclear. I wasn't implying that the gear swaps used to happen, I was just saying that the status changed then, as it does now.

I'm not saying the rule is a mistake, I'm saying switching the status is a mistake. Talking to an NPC is not a different status than being idle. It may be in memory, but the player cares little about how things work in memory.

I like software to be predictable. If my status is changing, I want my rules to trigger on those changes. I realize that it is causing problems for some people, but surely theres a way to fix it without making things inconsistent.

[orinthia]

It's very brief but the game freezes for a moment as the textures load compressed. It's most noticeable during VW or running around someplace crowded, as WS/Spell/etc graphics are constantly loading and causing stutter. This kind of stuttering does not occur with uncompressed textures whatsoever.

I'm also using a reg-merge to fix this. Just set up the game as you would with 3.4's or the normal game's config programs, go to the registry part ( [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\PlayOnline US\SquareEnix\FinalFantasyXI] for win7 x64), right click in the tree side on "FinalFantasyXI" and choose export. Save your reg file somewhere (should be a small file). Merge it whenever you're in POL but before you enter the game.

Pretty much everything else about windower4 is wonderful and ultra convenient. Thank you for making this and supporting us!

You can also give zone/status timer some settings: place these somewhere, like below your binds, in your init.txt:

Spoiler: show

//zonetimer positioning - assumes default location is always loaded
//using negative numbers reverses the direction, so this will appear at the bottom of the screen
zt setposy -17
zt setfontsize 8

//statustimer alpha channel adjustment so it doesn't completely cover whatever's underneath
st setcolora 168
st setbgcolora 96

[Sechs]

Just noticed that when I close Windower4 my Desktop's brightness goes up. Is that normal? Why does it happen?

[Julian]

Is there a way to launch windower from the command line with an option to auto-load a profile so it goes directly to pol? It would be really nice >.>

[Sechs]

Is there a way to launch windower from the command line with an option to auto-load a profile so it goes directly to pol? It would be really nice >.>

Yes there is.
"X:\path\Windower.exe" -p="profilename"

[Fake]

To anyone complaining about the launcher not having the same graphic options as 3.4, instead of wasting time posting about it here where Ihm said they are missing posts, make a new issue on their issues tracker.

Windower4 Issue Tracker

[Julian]

Yes there is.
"X:\path\Windower.exe" -p="profilename"

Awesome, ty

[arus2001]

Just noticed that when I close Windower4 my Desktop's brightness goes up. Is that normal? Why does it happen?

At least with 3.4, when the game adjusts gamma, it carries over to everything even when tabbed. Exiting just shuts that off and you probably notice the screen suddenly going lighter because it'd been darker due to the setting. Could try raising it by 5-10 to see if the effect isn't as dramatic when you close the game.

[Obsidian]

Windower devs may want to consider adding some kind of documentation/readme to future distros detailing all the valid windower commands and what arguments they take. I've crashed myself a few times now trying to figure out the //video command, and my google-fu returned nothing useful on how to structure the command.

[Arcon]

Windower devs may want to consider adding some kind of documentation/readme to future distros detailing all the valid windower commands and what arguments they take. I've crashed myself a few times now trying to figure out the //video command, and my google-fu returned nothing useful on how to structure the command.

That should not be crashing you, even if you use it incorrectly. In fact, if you use it incorrectly it should display the correct syntax for using it (which, by the way, is either //video start <xRes <yRes> <fps> <quality>). This sounds like a bug, and should be reported on the issue tracker, preferably with a crash dump.

[Obsidian]

Will make one the next time I implode.

[Vyvian]

So I decided I'd write some code to try and work around the bug of swapping gear for talking to an npc, not that it really negatively impacted me but because I don't like seeing red spam in salvage more than necessary.

I came up with this: Create a variable initialized to 0. When you call the command to autoset into idle, don't swap anything unless the variable is 1, if it is change the value back to 0 and load idle set. Autoset tripping resting or engaged will change the value to 1, as well as any action the player might execute while not engaged.

Here's some excerpts from my DNC spellcast to show you an example. I don't have a resting set which is why there's no equip command there.

<variables>
	<var name="RestEngage">0</var>
</variables>

<rules>
      <if spell="autoset"> 
	<command when="idle|engaged|resting">Trigger1</command>
      </if> 
        
     <if spell="Trigger1">
  	 <if status = "resting">
		<var cmd="set RestEngage 1" />
	 </if>
	 <if advanced='"%status"="idle" AND "$RestEngage"="1"'>
		<var cmd="set RestEngage 0" />
		<equip when="precast" set="Idle" />
	 </if>
	 <if status = "engaged">
		<equip when="precast" set="Engaged" /> 
		<var cmd="set RestEngage 1" />
         </if>
     </if>

     <if spell="Spectral Jig|Chocobo Jig">
         <equip when="precast" set="Jig" />      
  	 <var cmd="set RestEngage 1" />
     </if>

     <if notspell="Trigger1">
	  <command when="aftercast">Trigger1</command>
     </if>
</rules>

The idea being at any point I'm idle to begin with, and my status changes to something I really don't care about, as its completely meaningless from a spellcast point of view since I can't gearswap, the variable won't be changed to 1, so when I return to idle, it will block the gear swap, but any status changes that should result in gear changing will restore my gear after completion, like Jigs, or disengaging.

[Darkmagi]

I've done the 3.4 GUI method and still experienced much worse performance than 3.4. I really want to use the features of windower4, but I'm not sure what is causing the incredible lag differences.

[chichicha]

@ Vyian,
I guess Silence plugin doesn't work for you?

I have 2 PCs , win7 and XP both 64bit.

Win7 has no red spam or yellow spam at gear changed. They are not showing at all. Luv this and thanks to whoever make this happened.

XP on another hands, Silence could not be loaded.
Much appreciate if they can look into it to allow XP windower 4 works

Somehow, yes, I realised my XP has some performance issue. It get heated so fast... Not sure that is because New Pack, or windower4. Since I have to use windower4 when new pack launched.

Love windower4, don't get me wrong. Features from there are so much better and improved from 3.4

[Vyvian]

@ Vyian,
I guess Silence plugin doesn't work for you?

I have 2 PCs , win7 and XP both 64bit.

Win7 has no red spam or yellow spam at gear changed. They are not showing at all. Luv this and thanks to whoever make this happened.

XP on another hands, Silence could not be loaded.
Much appreciate if they can look into it to allow XP windower 4 works

Somehow, yes, I realised my XP has some performance issue. It get heated so fast... Not sure that is because New Pack, or windower4. Since I have to use windower4 when new pack launched.

Love windower4, don't get me wrong. Features from there are so much better and improved from 3.4

I don't use Silence, I actually like to see that gear swapped, or didn't swap as the case may be. People in my LS complain about the porter moogle trying to re-equip all the gear they took off to store on slips and such, so regardless of the player's reason for disliking the bug, it's a way to keep an automatic return to idle but ignore NPCs causing changes.

[chichicha]

As I didn't follow all the post. I guess take out IDLE rule from Spellcast. And make a fake spell rules to change to IDLE.

For example :
Bio V - trigger IDLE gear?