3D-Analyze: what's it?

3DAnalyze is a powerful application that allows to play many DirectX based games using video hardware officially unsupported and theoretically unable to run these; in this guide I'will show you how to install and configure 3DAnalyze main settings, depending on the title you want to play. First let me explain link among video cards generations and supported Microsoft DirectX versions. This point is crucial for us because changing DirectX versions also hardware compatibilty requests change. DirectX 5.0 and 6.0 Compliant Cards This category contains video cards made from 1995 to 1999. For example all 3dfx cards, most video cards from Intel, SiS and S3 Graphics. DirectX 7.0 Compliant Cards This category includes video cards made from 1999 to 2001. Main features of this generation are: hardware units for Transform and Lightning (T&L) computation, and Bump Mapping support. For example you can think to Radeon 7000, GeForce, GeForce 2, and GeForce 4 MX cards. DirectX 8.0 Compliant Cards This category contains graphics controllers made from 2001 to 2003: these have hardware support for pixel and vertex shader up to version 1.3. Ex. GeForce 3, and GeForce 4. DirectX 8.1 Compliant Cards This category includes some video cards, mainly by ATI, made from 2001 to 2003 and with hardware support for pixel and vertex shader up to version 1.4. For example Radeon 8500, Radeon 9000, Radeon 9150, Radeon 9250, and XGI volari v3 belong to this set. DirectX 9 Compliant Cards This category contains video cards made since 2003. Main features of this generation are: hardware units for pixel and vertex shader up to version 2.0. For example you can think to Radeon 9x00, Radeon Xx00, Radeon X1x00, GeForce 5x00, GeForce 6x00, GeForce 7x00, and XGI Volari V5/V8.

3D-Analyze Setup After downloading 3D-Analyze in archive format - you can grab latest release here - you must unpack it in a folder and then do a double click on 3DAnalyze.exe file icon (see following image) to launch it.

Linking 3D-Analyze to your favourite games With double click on executable file named 3DAnalyze.exe this windows appears:

Now click on "SELECT" button, search and open the main executable of the game you want to play. If you don't know file path just do a right click on game shortcut icon (it's usually on desktop or in Programs folder of "Start" menu) and select "Properties", then "Search destination".

Emulating lacking hardware feature with 3D-Analyze If your video card hardware features don't match DirectX based favourite game's minimal system requirements you can look for those reading on game box and/or game readme.txt file - try to emulate those "moving" your graphics board into minimal category necessary to play it. Following main 3D-Analyze settings to check if you want emulate a DirectX version starting from previous one. From DirectX DirectX < 7.0 check emulate HW TnL caps, emulate cube maps and emulate bump map caps check emulate other DX8.1 caps,emulate pixel shader caps and skip pixel shader version 1.1 DirectX 7.0 DirectX 8.0 DirectX 8.1

DirectX 7.0

DirectX 8.0

DirectX 8.1

check skip pixel shader version 1.4

DirectX 9.0

check skip pixel shader version 2.0

To DirectX The text box VendorID and DeviceID are useful if the game won't work again and it will show error message unsupported video card.

Filling these fields with values written in group box labeled DirectX Device ID's, it will make your game to use your video card like a different one.

Running games by 3D-Analyze control At last click on "RUN" button, then the game will begin; of course correct execution isn't ensured because 3DAnalyze can't perfectly substitute hardware lacks. However, higher success probability cases are from DirectX < 7.0 to DirectX 7.0 and from DirectX 8.1 to DirectX 9.0; instead is very rare successfully emulating DirectX 9.0 starting from from DirectX 7.0. If you want post questions and/or suggestions about this guide and 3D-Analyze too, please write into this reference discussion located at 3dfxzone.it forums.