Correcting Font Troubles in old BTR Game

Post bug reports and request technical assistance here.

Moderators: warshipbuilder, simovitch

Post Reply
User avatar
AFIntel
Posts: 156
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:26 pm
Location: Saginaw, TX

Correcting Font Troubles in old BTR Game

Post by AFIntel »

Folks,

I'm sorry to post this question. I know it's been answered dozens of times. I've tried the search function within the forums, but can't seem to find the answer. But I know I'll get my answer because this is the most active BTR site around! [:D]

How do you get the "correct" font to display with the original BTR with Windows XP? When I loaded the game several years ago, I remember a fix to get them to display. I've had to replace a dead hard drive last week and have reloaded it with all the patches. When I jumped back on to continue a PBEM game (that I've been involved in for the last 2.5 years), the fonts came up all screwy, and it reminded me that there was a fix to it.

In any case, keep on rockin' with developing the new one![8D]

-Eddie
User avatar
Hard Sarge
Posts: 22145
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2000 8:00 am
Location: garfield hts ohio usa
Contact:

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by Hard Sarge »

dang

hopefully some one will step up, I don't know the answer to that one


Image
User avatar
wernerpruckner
Posts: 4137
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 1:00 pm

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by wernerpruckner »

Hi AFIntel,

look into my AAR with Gavin ( Fochinell)
I have the same problem, but not with XP - my problem is with VISTA.
The Font difference is annoying as hell - not because I cannot play it anymore ( I know from 1000s of PBEM hours what there is anywhere on the map, and what the future sites are,andandand........) , it is because you cannot make any good pictures because the text is partly un-readable.
( have a similar problem with the beta )

only workable solution - but also annoying - is a double install on your computer, either with windows 95/98/ME/2000 here it works just great or you use LINUX with a windows emulator ( tm.asp?m=1384290 )


Werner
User avatar
AFIntel
Posts: 156
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:26 pm
Location: Saginaw, TX

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by AFIntel »

Well, I remember there was something simple to fix it. I just can't for the life of me figure out what it was. I loaded the game back up after an absence back in about '02 on an Windows ME and someone told me how to fix it. Then in '05 I got my laptop that I'm using now and installed it on here, fixed the font and was good to go. That is unitl my hard drive crashed last week and I had to buy another. But I cannot remember what the fix was!!

I want to say that it had something to do with the shortcut. Maybe add a /f or something behind the target link? Hmmmm, that sounds familiar now that I've typed it out, I'm going to try that...
User avatar
Reg
Posts: 2786
Joined: Fri May 26, 2000 8:00 am
Location: NSW, Australia

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by Reg »


Does disable 'clear fonts' sound familiar???

I wouldn't know for sure as I still run Win98 but I seem to remember something like this posted once.
Cheers,
Reg.

(One day I will learn to spell - or check before posting....)
Uh oh, Firefox has a spell checker!! What excuse can I use now!!!
User avatar
AFIntel
Posts: 156
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2002 8:26 pm
Location: Saginaw, TX

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by AFIntel »

I found it!! And, yes, "Clear Fonts" does sound familiar! Under the Display Properties - Appearance Tab - Effects - Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts; I unclicked the box (selecting Clear Fonts under the Check Box may work as well).

I found it from an '03 entry in the oolllldddd BTR forum under JC's ezboard forums (I know you remember that, HS!). Thanks for the reminder, reg.

-Eddie
User avatar
Reg
Posts: 2786
Joined: Fri May 26, 2000 8:00 am
Location: NSW, Australia

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by Reg »

Sarge,

Sounds like a topic for a sticky thread.
Cheers,
Reg.

(One day I will learn to spell - or check before posting....)
Uh oh, Firefox has a spell checker!! What excuse can I use now!!!
User avatar
wernerpruckner
Posts: 4137
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 1:00 pm

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by wernerpruckner »

thanx.....it works also for Vista !!!
User avatar
harley
Posts: 1700
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 3:21 am

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by harley »

Thanks, Reg & AFIntel...

Good to know it works for Vista, too, werner...


gigiddy gigiddy gig-i-ddy
User avatar
wernerpruckner
Posts: 4137
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 1:00 pm

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by wernerpruckner »

it looks better,
but it is still not perfect!!
User avatar
Hard Sarge
Posts: 22145
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2000 8:00 am
Location: garfield hts ohio usa
Contact:

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by Hard Sarge »

Well for now, Good is great, prefect comes later (and even then, not everyone will be happy)
Image
chrisp
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri May 31, 2002 4:45 am
Location: Wichita, KS

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by chrisp »

Hmm, exactly where do I find this elusive Display Properties - Appearance Tab of wheech we speke? Can't seem to find it anywhere

Chris P.
User avatar
wernerpruckner
Posts: 4137
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 1:00 pm

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by wernerpruckner »

xp or vista ??
chrisp
Posts: 74
Joined: Fri May 31, 2002 4:45 am
Location: Wichita, KS

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by chrisp »


Hey, there is somebody here! [;)]

Vista Home Basic
ORIGINAL: swift

xp or vista ??
User avatar
wernerpruckner
Posts: 4137
Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 1:00 pm

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by wernerpruckner »

Right-click the desktop and choose Personalize.

Click on Window Color and Appearance

Click on Open classic appearance properties for more color options

In the Appearance Settings window, click the Effects… button.

In the Effects window, either uncheck the Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts, or change the drop down menu from ClearType to Standard, and click OK.
User avatar
Khanti
Posts: 442
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 3:02 pm
Location: Poland

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by Khanti »

ClearType fonts did not work for me.

I use WIN XP.
This is what helps with those blured fonts:

Run game.
Go to game options.
Set On: set direct draw software emulation.

HTH
═══
There is no such thing as a historically accurate strategy game. Every game stops being historically accurate from the very first move player do. First unit that moves ahistorically, first battle with non-historical results, mean we ride in unknown.
TomDocHolliday
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 5:08 pm

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by TomDocHolliday »

Since this is such and old message stream and Operating Systems have advanced since then, does anyone have a solution to this problem now?

The first play after loading went fine.
The second attempt at starting generated the "Couldn't Init Font" message, but after trying a couple of different ways to start the program, it worked fine.
The third attempt worked without any issues.
the fourth attempt refuses to start, no matter what I do.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Tom
Johnmar
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2018 11:00 pm

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by Johnmar »

I've struck the same problem , both before and after the recent patch. the best response ( other than technical solutions which my computor abilities aren't up to ) was someone who suggested clicking furiously in one of the first screens that plays thru in the start up animation. but that was fairly random in effectiveness. sometimes worked, sometimes didn't. And the 'sometimes' could be days at a time of non starting.
However, completely by chance I may have stumbled on something that does work consistently.
I disconnected from the internet before start up, and shut any old pages from google searches that were open on my task bar..did the double click thing on one of the start up animations and hey presto.been going fine for about a month since with only one 'font' message, which may well have been me not following my own rules.
I don't know why this worked I'm afraid, I'm just glad it did...
User avatar
simovitch
Posts: 5757
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 7:01 pm

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by simovitch »

If you get the "can't init font" error on startup, try renaming the folder called "video" in the DAT folder to "Xvideo" or something like that. This will disable the startup video that seems to interrupt initialization on some machines.
simovitch

ranknfile
Posts: 166
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2021 1:08 am
Location: New Orleans

RE: Old BTR Question

Post by ranknfile »

ORIGINAL: simovitch

If you get the "can't init font" error on startup, try renaming the folder called "video" in the DAT folder to "Xvideo" or something like that. This will disable the startup video that seems to interrupt initialization on some machines.


Oh good! Now this game works ... wish I had seen and tried this sooner.
Many thanks!
Post Reply

Return to “Tech Support”