DirectX 8 : caution

[Dr Mordrid]

I know a lot of folks have been anticipating DirectX 8 for the new DV codec, but I have run into a problem with one of my most commonly used programs: Cool3D 3.0.

When C3D3 gets new effects added to it (Ulead publishes monthly freebies) or a new Plugin Madness effect is added it has to render the animated preview for later use. With DX7 this was not a problem, but it causes a crash in DX8. Dr. Watson reports a MFC42.dll page fault/null variable error.

You might want to Ghost your installation before installing DirectX8 so you can go back if necessary.

Dr. Mordrid



[This message has been edited by Dr Mordrid (edited 15 November 2000).]

[Cpt_KiRK]

There are programs that can remove dx8. If someone wants to i can post link here.

[A_BIT]

Doc,

I'm curious about something... Can you post the MFC42.DLL file version and date from your DX8 setup, and also the MFC42.DLL file version and date from another PC with DX7 installed?

Thanks,

-Anthony

[Dr Mordrid]

Same version: 6.00.8447.0

Dr. Mordrid

[fluggo99]

How absolutely curious... I know DX8 replaces a few system components, but surely not MFC42.DLL. Since you say it's the same version, I'll bet that file isn't the problem-- it just receives the error.

But even more curious is the fact that DirectX is based on COM; and that, as such, an upgrade should not break any existing programs that use DirectX, all the way back to DirectX 1.0. I suppose this means that the error lies hidden in yet another system DLL that DX8 replaces. Curious, curious, curious....

[wkulecz]

If you believe COM is upward compatible without breaking anything, I've got some prime Florida swamp land with uncounted votes to sell you!

--wally.

[fluggo99]

Why say ye that, pray tell? Surely thou must be a programmer to make such a bold statement, knave!!

Actually, COM itself does not guarantee that Microsoft won't go back and tinker with old DirectX code. But if they're gonna do that, they're gonna take the extra precautions to make sure the the interfaces are upheld. So what are you talking about, exactly?

[A_BIT]

If DX8 does not ship with a new version of MFC42.DLL then I suspect what happened here is DX 8 setup updated one or more other .dll files that either use MFC42.DLL or step on it's memory space, and it is this/these .dll file(s) that are the source of the problem. If the file(s) could be identified the Cool 3D problem might be solved by doing this....

If you are running Windows 98 SE you can do this.

Put the DLL that the application needs in the folder that the EXE file is
in. Create an empty file called (application name).EXE.local and place it
in the same folder. This will force Windows to load the DLL as a separate,
local instance, regardless of whether a different version is already loaded
(or is loaded later).

-Anthony

[This message has been edited by A_BIT (edited 17 November 2000).]

[wkulecz]

Both programmer and knave!

This has been the "holy grail" of "resuable code" since the first clever fellow came up with the idea of a linker library and the problems started with the second version of that library. Nothing much has changed since. They've just made it much harder to isolate the change that caused the problem.

With 80GB hard drives hitting the main stream, I'm starting to think a return to statically linked binaries might not be such a bad idea -- at least I could be sure my code would always run with the components I tested it with.

Linux has this right as I can force using glibc5 for my code even on a glibc6 system (or vice-versa). W2k has a made a real attempt to let me attempt some control over the DLL loading sequence for my code, but I've not figured it all out enough to see if it really solves the problems or not.

--wally.

[Technoid]

DX8 effectivly killed my RRG!
Had to reinstall to get it working ok again.

It defaulted to 704*576 whatever resolution I shosed and that made a lot of clips full with funky colors!

[hippie91]

hmmmmmm, i had that problem not in win98 se, but in win2k when trying to install the video tools (for some reason, win98 will not install the matrox codec correctly, either pre or post dx8 installation, and i've tried all versions of videotools)

[hippie91]

nm, i got it figured out, stupid mistake on my part...

one of the ribbon cables managed to disconnect itself slightly

[Technoid]

Thats why I fasten them with tape!

[Dr Mordrid]

I use the wifes crafters hot glue gun

Dr. Mordrid