VMware and SWBF?

[Kit Fisto]

Theoretically, would SWBF1 work better with less offline lag while running SWBF PC version using VMware software? Or would it run just as bad as my Mac version?

[Black Water]

Um, am i the only one that this happens to? When i click swbf it says that the grapichs are to advanced and if i wana go on, i click yes , it takes like a minute or 2 to load to the first image, then when i click to join a server it takes like a minute and 10 sec to get in, then after map it takes a minute or so again, is it really that slow or is it just me?

[Kit Fisto]

Are you saying you have a Mac and play SWBF using vmware?

[Black Water]

Lol no sorry , i just wanted to know if this would make my swbf normal

[Led]

Kit, does VMware allow you to run PC programs?  Such as the munge tools? ... 

[Kit Fisto]

As far as I know yes. Now I know what you are going to say but here is the problem: it currently isn't installed on my user account and my Dad doesn't have time to install it. But VMware is basically a  PC inside a windows and it can do anything a PC can do. 

[Led]

It sounds like the solution to your desire to munge.

[Kit Fisto]

It sounds like the solution to your desire to munge.

I know but I haven't had time to mod stuff and

it currently isn't installed on my user account and my Dad doesn't have time to install it.

[tirpider]

I think you could get the munging to work fine in VMware.

I think it will give you a black screen anytime you try to do any actual 3d work in it though.
(Like play a game, run xsi, ect..)

If I remember correctly, VMware doesent do to well with direct 3d or opengl stuff. (I may be wrong.)

[Kit Fisto]

Well, if I can ever get my Dad to re-install it we will have to see. My little brother has a PC game he plays using VMware, although I haven't actually seen the gameplay. ( it was just one of those $10 ones you find at Target )
P.S.  Hi Tirpider!

[tirpider]

Howdy

I'm still digging for specifics, but I found a clue...
http://www.vmware.com/products/desktop_virtualization/fusion/competition.html
That's a comparison of VMWare Fusion and Parallels Desktop.
The 4th entry claims to have 'Faster 3D graphics'.

I'm not about to qualify what they define as faster, but it tells me that there is, in fact, some 3d happening there.

With that, it might be worth a try if you ever get it installed.

I have tried running some modeling software in VMWare with xp pro as both host and guest. (XSI and Milkshape 3D) It works, but much slower than I would like it to.

As for games, I've only been able to get simple 2d stuff to even display.
But that isn't a deal killer. So much of VMWare's virtualization actually operates at a machine level (virtualization has grown so much in the last 5 years,) so different machines will have different capabilities.

Also, I'm on a PC, an old OEM Sony, with stock parts, so I'm kinda at the low end of the preformance curve.

....edit

On the features page they say:

Faster 3D Graphics
With faster 3D graphics and support for OpenGL 2.1 and DirectX 9.0c Shader Model 3 graphics, VMware Fusion 5 will make running highly demanding 3D applications like AutoCAD 2012 a breeze.

That sounds like it should handle SWBF1 to me.

[Kit Fisto]

Thanks for the research tirpider! Now I just have to find a way to get it installed on my macbook, get a copy of SWBF1 at Target and try it out! and I think I might know how to get it installed... 

EDIT: Would SWBF run any better using VMware than my Mac copy? I mean will it have less offline lag? I would be installing VMware on the same computer that doesn't run SWBF to well...

[Led]

I don't see how running another application could make your SWBF experience better.  The main benefit, in my opinion, is that you will be able to finally munge your own mods.

[{PLA}gdh92]

If this is similar to windows virtual machines it normally has quite a low limit set on RAM/CPU so it will probably be worse, although the one I used (running windows XP on 7) could still run swbf.

[tirpider]

I agree with both Buckler and {PLA}gdh92.
You will be adding an extra level of translation to the program and should expect decreased preformance.
VMware tries to do everything with native hardware, but some of it still uses software emulation of hardware. What that means is that some things will run with no delay, while others will take more than twice as long.

I'd scale every setting to mimnimal and always run it full screen to squeeze every possible fps out of it.

As for the offline lag itself, .... I am going to guess that it will be about the same if not worse because of the extra software layer.

But munging. This is good.
If you can stay organized with the creation of virtual machines, they are fantastic for maintaining stable and consistant development environments. You never have to worry that that new program or os update might break a setting somewhere on the desktop, because the VM is it's own little world.