Gamma Problems ...
NukeAJS
Join Date: 2004-05-04 Member: 28443Members
in Tech Support
<div class="IPBDescription">I can't figure this out</div> Natural Selection worked perfectly up until a few days ago. Whenever I join a game now my gamma is set really really low. I have both my in-game brightness and gamma set all the way up as well as monitor contrast/brightness. When I start up Natural Selection I see what used to be my normal gamma rating but as soon as I attempt to connect to a server it drops way down. Just to give ya all an idea of how bad it is I can barely see the aliens to the left of the screen at the main menu. This annoys me because I used to have a perfect gamma rating and then outa no where this happens ... argghhhh.
I've tried using third party programs as well as options that come with the ATI drivers and it still sets it to the same value. My gamma gets set like this whenever I am connecting to a game.
Any ideas or suggestions? I searched briefly for gamma but the first few pages had nothing quite like my problem because I can set my gamma. My problem is that HL/NS seems as though it is setting my gamma for meh.
Windows XP
ATI 7500 AGP
2.5 AMD Duron
18" Compaq monitor
NS version 3.1a
I've tried using third party programs as well as options that come with the ATI drivers and it still sets it to the same value. My gamma gets set like this whenever I am connecting to a game.
Any ideas or suggestions? I searched briefly for gamma but the first few pages had nothing quite like my problem because I can set my gamma. My problem is that HL/NS seems as though it is setting my gamma for meh.
Windows XP
ATI 7500 AGP
2.5 AMD Duron
18" Compaq monitor
NS version 3.1a
Comments
When you join a game and the gamma is really low press alt+tab out to the windows detskop or another program.
Then alt+tab back into ns.
Then press escape to get to the ingame menu.
Then press escape back into the game.
This works for me.
Ns used to work fine, then it started having gamma problems, but alt tabbing would fix it - now nothing works, not even changing the card gamma levels, or the ingame gamma levels
really frustrating, and really need some help
The only solution for me is to quit the game and restart it. Really annoying when you have saved up 40 res and have to quit.... <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
This can also be triggered by ALT-Tabbing out of the game. When I do that, my gamma is borked. Usually pressing esc a few times or using the Resetgamma.exe helped, but not since the last updates...
BTW, I have a Radeon 9800Pro.
EDIT: sorry i was think of 2.0 diectory doesn not exsist
EDIT2: C:\Valve\steam\steamapps\whateveryouputherewhenugotsteam\half-life\nsp
scroll down until you see something called Reset Gamma.exe
also it could be that NS is "allergic" to 3rd-party things
which drivers and which cards ?
me has the problem and a Radeon9800SE modded via Omegadrivers to 9800Pro
Omegas are equivalent to Cat 3.7
thx
Back on topic: I have a Radeon 9800 Pro with Catalyst 4.4 drivers.
And it is as I said: Everyting was fine until one of the past Steam updates. And even when I had borked my gamma (e.g. by switching to the desktop) it could easily be fixed by pressing ESC a few times or executing "ResetGamma.exe" while NS ran in the background.
That is no longer possible! After a few minuts of playing, the gamma drops and everything is extremely dark. The only solution I found to this, is to restart NS (which sucks).
Yesterday I played around a bit and found out the following thing: After the gamma was set to a low level in the middle of a firefight I got furious and pressed ESC 10-15 times very quickly. This had the effect that in a splitsecond those things happened ->
1) Normal InGame screen -> game has DARK gamma
*ESC*
2) NS Menu screen -> game has DARK gamma
*ESC*
3) Normal InGame screen -> game has NORMAL gamma for a splitsecond
4) Normal InGame screen -> game has DARK gamma
*ESC*
ad 2) and repeat.
So after pressing ESC to return to the game, the gamma is set back to the correct value but for some reason immediately turned down. This happens so fast that it was impossible to notice until I repeated the process by hammering the ESC-key.
So I think there must be a new bug that was introduced into NS/Steam lately. Why? Because my graphic card drivers didn't change for months.
OR
My graphics card drivers are the fault. Why? Maybe because Steam/NS changed something undocumented.
OR
Another application is conflicting with Steam/NS.
Well, thats my 2c.... Anybody interested in testing it out and trying to find a solution? I'd love to play NS the way I did 2 weeks ago...
Sorry to bump this, but its really annoying, having to restart NS every 5-10 minutes. Anyone found a solution already?
After upgrading to the newest ATI drivers for my Radeon 9800pro and installing the newest control panel software, I bound hotkeys to in-/decrease 3d-gamma. After that I played a few minutes of NS, until the gamma was set to zero. Using the hotkey kombination, I tried increasing the gamma but nothing happened. Yet, when I pressed ESC to enter the menu the screen became all washed out and too bright. It seems that changing the gamma didn't affect the ingame graphics, but only the 2D-part (even though I did NOT bind the keys to change the 2D-gamma).
Another observation: Whenever the gamma drops, it is preceded by a slight hickup in the game low. I can't explain it better than this...
* The game works fine and with smooth framerates
* For a very short amount of time (0,3-0,8 secs) the game runs with fewer frames and feels sluggish, as if a program was loading in the background.
* The game runs fine again, but the gamma went to hell.
The phenomenon of it returning to normal brightness for a splitsecond and dropping again (on pressing ESC-ESC) is still happening. After I noticed that, I try reproducing it so there is at least one constant in this mess.
My hope is fading, yet maybe someone will be able to pick up all the information and help me with getting rid of this problem. I'm getting **** off at gathering 40 res (in NS mode), only to have restart NS because I can't see a thing anymore....
im not gonna touch my gamma out of game because i simply dont want to chance damaging my monitor for just one game. if i cant find a solution soon i'll probably just stop playing. I also have a problem with NS crashing (just NS no other mods). i think this is also due to gamma related problems.
oh well, just preloaded CS:S beta, looking forward to tomorrow <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I got the same problem with the gamma..
Soetimes it's fine when I join a server, but at the latest when I alt+tab out of the game and in again, it's dark as hell. Hope someone finds a solution for this, because this is just unplayable :S
What you describe is an absolutely normal srew-up with Halflife. Try pressing ESC twice and the gamma should reset itself. Or maybe an other of the solutions I mentioned (about 5 times already <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> ) will work for you:
* ALT-Tabbing to the desktop and executing "ResetGamma.exe" fomr the main nsp folder
* Going to your video card's control panel and trying to reset the gamma there
* Restarting NS (which sucks, to be honest)
If not, then I feel sorry for you. You're in the same trouble I am in.
On a positive note: I updated my drivers to the new Catalyst 4.8 which were published yesterday and the gamma dropping vanished. So it must've been a weird driver issue, since I now often have VERY HIGH gamma when starting NS (the menu backdrop is nearly white in the middle)!! I didn't even touch any controls or change any value! The only tings that help are the aforementioned ones...
installed the 4.8 drivers and the gamma probs "appear" to be gone. lets hope it stays that way! (still got the crashing tho).
<!--emo&::skulk::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/skulk.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='skulk.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&::gorge::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/pudgy.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pudgy.gif' /><!--endemo-->
somehow they won't work though (besides restarting.. <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink-fix.gif' /><!--endemo--> )
edit: I just installed cat 4.8 and it solved the problem <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
However, now it sometimes happens that I don't have low gamma, but very high gamma after starting NS. Strange... Restarting fixes it, though.
And the really good news is: whenever my gamma should drop ingame, pressing ESC twice resets it and everything is fine! I can also ALT-Tab out of the game and do some work while some bastard spawncamps for 10 minutes (carefully avoiding to hit the hive with even a single bullet) without needing to restart NS! Yeeha! <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
So, hotkeys and special tricks aside, anyone know of a program or a fix so that gamma doesn't reset?