Changing Rez. Big monitor -> small monitor.

[Bodzilla]

can someone give us a hand with this.

Normally i run all my games on a 21 inch screen, and i play the games in 1600x1200.
however i've switched to a smaller screen (17 inch) and now the screen cant display 1600x1200.

now the problem. all my games are set to the high rez which they cant display which means i cant see the options and menu screens to lower the Rez so i can display them.
Kinda a catch 22 scenario. can someone give us a a few pointers on how to change it without going in through the game?

[ExAm]

Nvidia control panel/ATI Catalyst, depending. Change the universal game settings, if possible.

[Cortexian]

Plug in the 21 inch if you can, then change em all down.

[CN3089]

can someone give us a hand with this.

Normally i run all my games on a 21 inch screen, and i play the games in 1600x1200.
however i've switched to a smaller screen (17 inch) and now the screen cant display 1600x1200.

now the problem. all my games are set to the high rez which they cant display which means i cant see the options and menu screens to lower the Rez so i can display them.
Kinda a catch 22 scenario. can someone give us a a few pointers on how to change it without going in through the game?

It depends on the game, but usually there is a way of changing your settings outside the game, usually in a text file (e.g. userconfig.cfg/config.cfg for Source games). You can either search for that, and then change the resolution setting inside, or delete it and let the game generate new default settings. Failing that, some games have command line variables for resolution (e.g. -w and -h for Source games, if I recall correctly), so you could look those up (http://www.tweakguides.com/).

[Bodzilla]

Nvidia control panel/ATI Catalyst, depending. Change the universal game settings, if possible.
Any idea on an exact spot for the Universal game settings?
in nvidia control panel btw.

[0m3g4Muff1n987]

I'd go to the game shortcut, the shortcut tab, and after the target add the commandline parameters like CN said.

[Zeph]

Look for config files and shortcut extensions.

[Bodzilla]

so what something like this should work fine?

D:\steam\steam.exe -applaunch 400 -w

Hmm. that just crashed for me.

[Zeph]

Well, seeing how steam is your portal into the game and not the game itself, I dont see what that would do.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=53
Go there, pick a game, and tell your story. If you have registration woes (I think it took four days for my account registration to become approved) write up a quote explaining everything in detail with your old/new system specs and I'll post it as a proxy.

[Bodzilla]

well i Tried forcing the Rez to be lowered on other games (UT3) through the shortcut and compatability with no success. i think there might be something more to whats going on then i first thought. MB some driver problems with this old small screen.
works fine for the first UT tho.

i'll do some research and get my bro to take a look at it (he's good with this kinda shit) tomorrow morning. because right now i'm tired as hell.

anyway cheers for the help.

[CN3089]

so what something like this should work fine?

D:\steam\steam.exe -applaunch 400 -w

Hmm. that just crashed for me.

For Steam games, you set those parameters within Steam itself (http://support.steampowered.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=584).

[DaneO'Roo]

For UT3, you go My Docs > My Games > UT3 > UTGame> Config > Utengine.ini (notepad file) and scroll down for a spot that says System Settings, with things like dynamic lighting, bloom, static decals and all that listed. Underneath THAT you should see a thing that says Resolution, and the numbers that it has should look quite familiar. Simply change them to your 17's res, which is 1024x768.

[TheGhost]

This reminds me of one time when my roommate set up his XBox on a different TV that couldn't display the resolution he set. Somehow he managed to walk himself through the menus in his head to get to the resolution setting and he changed it. It took him 2 or 3 tries to get it, but he got it pretty easily all things considered.

[InnerGoat]

It depends on the game, but usually there is a way of changing your settings outside the game, usually in a text file (e.g. userconfig.cfg/config.cfg for Source games). You can either search for that, and then change the resolution setting inside, or delete it and let the game generate new default settings. Failing that, some games have command line variables for resolution (e.g. -w and -h for Source games, if I recall correctly), so you could look those up (http://www.tweakguides.com/).
pwner


There is an easier way though - readd 1600x1200 as a custom resolution and let the nvidia card do the scaling.

http://www.h2vista.net/innergoat/net/customresolutions2.jpg

[Bodzilla]

I just ended up suing my Bro's 21inch for a couple mins, fixed up te Rez and i'm fine now.

i tried doing what you said Innergoat but i think i fucked up somehow and yeah crashed the comp :/
and yeah, considering how little i actually know i didnt wanted to dwelve around in my configs and fuck something up so yeah.

it's all good now, but thanks for the help anyway :)

[Terin]

-autoconfig for Source games usually default the resolution to a relatively small one, btw.

[ExAm]

pwner


There is an easier way though - readd 1600x1200 as a custom resolution and let the nvidia card do the scaling.

http://www.h2vista.net/innergoat/net/customresolutions2.jpg
That's what I said, but without the pretty pictures. :P

Sorry, Zilla. I would have given you the exact location of the settings sooner, but there was a massive blackout in my area due to stormage. It lasted about 24 hours X(

[Bodzilla]

You failed me baby :P

anyway it was cool i got it all up and running anyway, to bad i spilt bourbon all through my keyboard and fucked it X(
and managed to break another keyboard, so forgive me for not having fullstops

also the 17inch screen i was using is smashed in as well, all in all it wasnt worth going up in the first place :saddowns:

[Dr Nick]

I would check the support for each game, and find a launch command(ie. -w 800) and set them low, so that you can change them after.