Windowed mode?

[SalsaDoom]

Is there an option to run the game in windowed mode? I'm sitting working, but I'd rather be playing SE.

Actually, rather amusingly, I'm running the binary threw linux (wine 20021125) over a (tight)VNC connection. Works pretty good actually. But it takes up the whole screen and I don't want to either play OR work, you know?

-SD

[dogscoff]

I know what you mean=-)

Unfortunately SE4 doesn't have a windowed mode.

I don't know if you could get some bit of 3rd party software to force it into a window (I would have thought this would be possible under emulation, but apparently not). Anyone got any ideas?

[SalsaDoom]

Its a good thing I'm a linux guru then.

Ok, here is the solution to my own question http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Start up a second vncserver, with the desired resolution (say, 800x600) and connect to that. Vnc viewers will default to being in a window, with an option to fullscreen.

Sadly, I beleve this will only work in linux where you can have multiple desktop screens ;( I was hoping for a more elegent solution but.. oh well! ;D

[zen.]

Yes, I know, unburying an old thread, but I haven't been around. Has anyone figured out a way to do this in Windows XP? should I even bother asking any programmers I know if this feat can be done? or is this a 'don't even bother' issue?

Thanks.

zen

[Aiken]

The only thing comes to my mind is to run SE4 within virtual machine (VMWare, VirtualPC).

[Starcrusade]

I am not sure if this is a native feature in XP Pro or not but I found a file on Techtv's Call for Help that allows you to have multiple desktop screens on your computer. I haven't tried it but supposedly it works. It's call Enhanced Virtual Desktop and is free to download.

http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/freefile/story/0,24330,3589557,00.html

Hope it works for ya.
Starcrusade

[Puke]

dual head display. throw up a full screen game of se4 on one monitor, have the rest of your desktop on the other.

or run it full screen in a windowed emulator. does not need to be on *nix, could be on 'doze. vmware runs on anything. or use your emu of choice.

happy multitasking

[AMF]

That's exactly what I do. I have XP, with 4 monitors, and I run SE4 on one of them.

Furthermore, maybe not many know this, but you can minimize SE4 bu clicking the top-rightmost little dohickey on the main screen. It minimizes the window.

So, concievably, you could have it going on at work and minimize it when you're boss came by. I don;t reccomend anyone doing that becuase you will be forced to admit you have an addiction, but, well, hey, maybe it's better that way... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

thanks,

Alarik

Originally posted by Puke:
dual head display. throw up a full screen game of se4 on one monitor, have the rest of your desktop on the other.

or run it full screen in a windowed emulator. does not need to be on *nix, could be on 'doze. vmware runs on anything. or use your emu of choice.

happy multitasking <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">

[Kamog]

You can also use ALT-TAB to switch between SEIV and another program, say, a spreadsheet.

But it would be nice to be able to run SEIV in a little window in the corner of the screen...

Maybe we can mod it so that the SEIV window looks like a spread sheet. The map would have a grid of cells, like a table, and all the planets and ships would look like numbers and ascii characters.

[geoschmo]

Originally posted by Kamog:
Maybe we can mod it so that the SEIV window looks like a spread sheet. The map would have a grid of cells, like a table, and all the planets and ships would look like numbers and ascii characters. <font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I did something like that for the intro screen. Took a screen shot of the normal program I use all day long. So while teh game is loading up if someone sneaks up behind me... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Unfortunatly there is a limit to how much of the game can be "skinned". A lot of screen elements are hard-coded and unchangeable.

[zen.]

Well thanks much for the responses! In my naivete I kinda was hoping for a way for Windows to 'force' windowed mode. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/blush.gif Ah well maybe in SEV. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

I like the screenshot idea...very nice. I remember a game or two I played back in DOS days that you could hit a button and actually bring up a Lotus spreadsheet screen you could even type in!

Maybe we can mod it so that the SEIV window looks like a spread sheet. The map would have a grid of cells, like a table, and all the planets and ships would look like numbers and ascii characters.<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I think they made that game already and called it 'MOO3'. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

zen