WinUAE 2.3 D3D blank screen

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by Steve

Yep. I've just tried windowed RTG mode and it worked perfectly! If I then press F12 and switch to fullscreen mode then I get the error message and a blank screen.

Reproduce above steps and attach log (winuaelog.txt only needed)

I started WinUAE this evening and discovered that it opens again a blank screen...

In my previous post I said that even with upgraded GFX drivers (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2400 XT) I was able to see only the pointer and onscreen LEDs. I observed that the screen was displayed fine when "No buffering" or "Double buffering" were set, and that it was blank when "Triple buffering" was selected. It seemed a solved problem, but today this was no longer true...

After a few tests I can report that the following happens just after boot:

(1) I start WinUAE 2.3 and set "Direct3D". "No buffering" and "Double buffering" (and "Triple buffering") only give a blank screen.
(2) I restart WinUAE and set "DirectDraw": everything is diplayed perfectly.
(3) I restart WinUAE and set "Direct3D" again. This time with "No buffering" or "Double buffering" everything is diplayed perfectly.

Further restarts of WinUAE always give state (3).

If I reboot the system, state (3) is forgot and I reobtain state (1).
I must repeat (2) in order to return to state (3).

So IMHO this seems to be just an initialization problem...

[MethodGit]

Ooops, wasn't aware of this thread!

It goes without saying that I too am having the "black screen" problem with D3D mode. I'm using Radeon drivers for my card (now considered "legacy" apparently) that were last updated in Feb 2010. I can only hope an X600 card isn't considered "old hat" now.

I'm also using the latest DirectX 9.0c version (June 2010).

[Maccara]

Sounds familiar: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=52752

Although not described exactly the same (that was some time ago I noticed that), I have similar behavior with the latest released version (D3D blank screen needing re-init) - in the meantime I have updated all drivers & dx, so that's not the issue (XP64 is the only old thing here).

It has changed slightly for me - if I switch between 16&32 bit I can usually restore the blank screen ok. Or switch to directdraw and back; that's a sure way to re-init display here.

It seems there are now more people affected by this. Didn't look any further into this (to possibly implement a workaround) myself as I wasn't going to install VS2010 just for this and I wasn't interested enough (as a workaround exists) to update the earlier VS project files.

Edit: Toni, I have the latest dxsdk installed, so I can enable debug runtime if you would make a debug build - that way I wouldn't have to bother with VS2010 yet and we might get some useful output from dx to you?

[Toni Wilen]

http://www.winuae.net/files/b/winuaed.zip (do not attempt to run anything complex, it is quite work-in-progress build..)

[Maccara]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

(do not attempt to run anything complex, it is quite work-in-progress build..)

Dl'd. Thanks. I'll give it a go a bit later and post the logs. I think I can replicate the issue just fine even on KS boot screen, so should be ok for testing purposes if it even runs. (just hoping this isn't one of those effects that can't be replicated on debug build )

[Maccara]

Sorry, got a little sidetracked as I had a system drive crash and Murphy's law kicked in and my recovery media was a coaster too.

Just to verify: this testing was on AMD X2 4400+ 4GB mem, XP x64 (fully updated), ATI HD 4850 with latest (September) drivers, DX June and DXSDK June.

Ok. One interesting bit: At first I had difficulty even reproducing the problem with d3d debug dlls enabled, only retail dlls failed - everything worked just fine initially (even with the "retail" 2.3.0 exe). I played with it some time (with debug enabled/disabled) and suddenly it started again with debug dlls too. Definitely a dx/driver issue working together here with winuae; application alone couldn't do this.

Unfortunately, even the winuaed logs don't seem to show anything interesting (to me) even with full dx debugging options enabled. However, I managed to crash the debug version when I had hq2x d3d filter enabled (log showed filter compilation error), but I didn't save that as that was not the point of this test (I just wanted to replicate it with null filter). Let me know if that would be interesting to get logs of and I'll try to replicate (I just assumed it was just because of this experimental version).

Nevertheless, attached here the logs and the host config used (otherwise I just used A500 quickstart). With this startup, only black screen with the status leds is showing. At a glance I didn't see anything interesting, but if you can reap some useful info from them, great.

I probably should run this in a debugger too, but I have practically zero experience debugging d3d so I have no idea what to look for, and I'm not very familiar with winuae sources either. (didn't even try that yet - just wanted to get this preliminary info out first)

EDIT: Once I get "the black screen" going, reboot also fixes it temporarily. So definitely a system issue - something gets "stuck". I just can't figure out how winuae happens to be the specific application to expose this. Dosbox (with d3d support hacked in), for example (or any other D3D app), doesn't - and it's probably practically the same code.

[Toni Wilen]

Can you also duplicate it without using filters? (d3d + "none" filter?)

EDIT: resizing WinUAE windowscontinuously is probably best way to duplicate it if reason is some kind of resource leak (driver problem or not) because each resize closes and opens D3D.

[AmigaSurfer]

I updated from WinUAE 2.1.0 to 2.3.0 and have strange effects with the graphics since this.
First two or three starts of WinUAE 2.3.0 and loading the config the background picture wasn't displayed at the workbench. But while doubleclicking the config-file it works fine. Later I can't reproduce this.

Yesterday while WinUAE 2.3.0 was opened, I switched to Windows, watched a short video online and calculated a route for my car at www.map24.de. Then I switched back to WinUAE and got only a black screen except the Amiga mouse pointer. The Amiga mouse pointer was still visible and I could move it. I quit WinUAE and started it again. Again black screen with visible mouse pointer. I tried WinUAE 2.1.0, but still black screen. I restarted Windows. Still the same Problem. I closed down windows. Switched the PC power supply off for 30 seconds. After this WinUAE was working again.

This evening WinUAE 2.3.0 was working fine. Until I watched TV (first SD, later HD) with GlobeTV digital. Winuae was not running while watching TV. After quiting the TV software I startet WinUAE 2.3.0 and got the black screen problem again.

If I switch Graphics API from Direct3D to DirectDraw the graphics are ok. If I switch back to Direct3D I still get the black screen.

I think, this is maybe a problem of the graphics card or driver, because I must power off my PC to solve this problem. But with WinUAE 2.1.0 I never had this problem and I didn't updated anything while updating to WinUAE 2.3.0.

My config:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+
4 GByte RAM
ATI Radeon HD3850 512MB AGP
Windows XP SP3 (32bit)
ATI Catalyst 10.8 (AGP)
DirectX was last updated some months ago

Log-files of WinUAE 2.3.0 with black screen attached.

Amendment:
WinUAE 2.1.0 with my old config file from my backup was using DirectDraw, not Direct3D. So I couldn't say if this problem is new in 2.3 or old.
My installed DirectX is the newest version available.

[Toni Wilen]

Shot in the dark... Any blank screen changes: http://www.winuae.net/files/b/winuae.zip

[AmigaSurfer]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

Shot in the dark... Any blank screen changes: http://www.winuae.net/files/b/winuae.zip

Sorry, the bug with the black screen is still there.

[Toni Wilen]

Any change if you delete F:\Amiga\ClassicWB_UAE\ClassicWB\plugins\filtershaders\direct3d\_winuae.fx ? (it will be re-created automatically)

EDIT: could you do following, load your "blank d3d configuration", remove all harddrives and floppy images (if configured), save config (do not overwrite your original config), shut down winuae, restart it, load new config, start emulation. Do you get blank screen again? If yes, attach this configuration.

[AmigaSurfer]

Hello Toni.

I can't find the path you mentioned. I deleted instead "C:\Programme\WinUAE\_winuae.fx". ;-) There is still a black screen in Direct3D Mode. But I haven't shut down and switched off the power supply since the last time the black screen error appears. I have only rebooted Windows. So maybe there is still somethink wrong in the graphics card.

If I remove all harddrive I do not get a black screen. I get the pink OS screen which prompt to insert the workbench disk.

Maybe I should mentioned, that the dark grey (native hires) screen with the onscreen LEDs at the bottom while booting seems to work ok. The black screen problem appears, at the time the workbench starts the display with "UAE: 1920x1200 32bit BGRA".

Now I saved "UAE: 800x600 32Bit BGRA" as screenmode. Booting with Direct3D enabled is then ok. But opening the workbench drive or the prefs folder are much slower than usual. With DirectDraw enabled and same screenmode the workbench drive or prefs folder are opening very much faster.

I tested some Screenmodes with Direct3D.
Resolutions of "UAE: 1920x1080 32Bit BGRA" and below are working ok first time.
"UAE: 1920x1200 32Bit BGRA" => black screen with mouse pointer
"UAE: 1920x1200 16Bit PC" => was working first try, then black screen at further tests
"UAE: 1920x1200 8Bit" => black screen with mouse pointer
Now I even can't get "UAE: 1024x768 32Bit BGRA" to work. But getting back to Workbench running at "UAE: 800x600 32Bit BGRA" are still working.
"UAE: 640x480 32Bit BGRA" ist still working, too.

Maybe the AGP 8x slot is to slow. Does Direct3D does more traffic at the AGP port than DirectDraw? But why does WinUAE run at Direct3D in "UAE: 1920x1200 32Bit BGRA" first time and accordingly after switching off the power supply for some time?

Or could this be a memory problem? Is there maybe a memory leak with Direct3D at the Radeon HD3850 AGP (512MB) or does the memory at the Radeon fragment to much for Direct3D? But mustn't the memory in the graphics card be cleared or reseted at reboot? Or does this need a power off of the PC?

[Toni Wilen]

I don't think this is same problem after all if it only happens in RTG modes when using high resolutions (chipset display is not same as RTG, always remember to mention it!)

Ok, so it is AGP card, I missed that.. I don't think they are really made for high resolution 3D modes, especially if huge texture streaming is needed (in worst case when whole display is updated us needs to transfer 1920*1200*4=9M, 60 times per second..)

3D mode and plain framebuffer (directdraw) is 2 very different things.

Better use DirectDraw mode if card is non-PCIe (at least use smaller resolutions)

Any PCIe card owners that still have same problem?

EDIT: do you get blank screen also in native mode (when "insert disk screen" is visible) if you set 1920x1200x32 native mode resolution? (or select "fullwindow" display mode) + autoscale enabled.

[AmigaSurfer]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

EDIT: do you get blank screen also in native mode (when "insert disk screen" is visible) if you set 1920x1200x32 native mode resolution? (or select "fullwindow" display mode) + autoscale enabled.

With native mode set to 1920x1200x32 I got the first time I tried this with Direct3D the visible "insert disk screen".
Then I tried it with "full-window" and got only the status LEDs at the right bottom corner, but the rest of the screen keeps black. No mouse pointer, even if I do a reset and press both mouse buttons.
Then I tried again with "fullscreen" and got this black screen too. No mouse pointer at bootmenu. Only the status LEDs are visible.

I can't find an "autoscale"-switch at misc or display.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by AmigaSurfer

I can't find an "autoscale"-switch at misc or display.

It's on the 'Filter' panel.

[AmigaSurfer]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

It's on the 'Filter' panel.

I don't use a filter ("Filter Settings" to "none").

But maybe I found an other bug.

If I start WinUAE 2.3.1 (Public Beta 2, 2010.10.14) without a config file, then "Filter Settings" are set to "none" by default, but the buttons, sliders, ... below are not ghosted. They even don't get ghosted, if I select an other filter and then back to "none".

But if I load my config, then most buttons, sliders, ... will get ghosted, when I set "Filter Settings" to "none".

[Toni Wilen]

Direct3D = adjustments are always enabled because they don't require any extra CPU usage.

[andreas]

I can confirm the "CreateDevice failed" problem with quite an ancient Nvidia AGP card (<64 MB !!) and an *OLD* config of mine on a version as recent as v2.3.1 beta 2.
Quickstart works, obviously.

Only difference is that addresses are a tad different from other users' ones, particularly in their LSBs:

8876086A S=1 F=0876 C=086A (2154)

- filters are *OFF* - nothing set! (not even null filter)
- the issue is not FS-only but I'm using windowed mode

Loading my custom config, changing Graphics API to "DirectDraw" in Host->Miscellaneous, then starting emulation --- WORKS.
Loading my custom config, leaving Graphics API at setting pre-defined in my old config (i. e. "Direct3D") and starting emulation directly will bring up the error.

Further findings:
Quickstart A500, changing from DirectDraw (default?) to Direct3D, start emulation -> error shows up.
Quickstart always works here because it seemingly has DirectDraw set by default. That's about it.

When I am in DirectDraw mode, change on the fly to Direct3D (F12->OK), WinUAE will flicker around, hide its window, show its window, but mode will not change but stay at DirectDraw.
Seems that in the WinUAE core this is correctly handled and even detected that this AGP card JUST CANNOT do Direct3D properly (hence it automagically reverts back to DirectDraw), but the GUI too appears to be in need of an appropriate modification so that it does no longer allow Direct3D to be set with a card (driver) that doesn't seem to reliably support that. If you give my card a "No go!" for Direct3D, even old configs might work again since they'd cause the graphics emulation core to revert to DD (which, due to dozens of users' reports, works very well even with these cards)

[Toni Wilen]

Wohoo (?) I finally managed to duplicate this. (by accidentally selecting wrong display size and only when switching to RTG mode)

Unfortunately it does not make any sense.

Nothing reports any errors, not even debug-mode d3d libraries with full debugging enabled.

All pixel shaders seem to stop working, I even tried to remove all shader logic and returning single plain color value, with no effect, still blank screen.

Selecting any RGB filter mask "fixes" it (which means more complex shaders, weird..)
Selecting D3D shader filters fixes or breaks it. Randomly..
Null filter results in blank screen
On screen leds always work (which are D3D sprite objects so D3D is not completely dead)
Attempts to resize window won't fix it but reallocating different sized internel texture seems to always fix it on the fly. Without changing anything else.
Only resolution that causes blank screen seems to be 1280x720.