Howto: Windowed mode using DxWnd

[bliss]

DxWnd is a utility to hook into DirectX games and override fullscreen. As such, this hack will only work in the Windows version.

1. Launch the game as normal and change your desired resolution for windowed. As the game was designed for 16:10, I recommend choosing a 16:10 resolution like 1280x800 or 1680x1050. 4:3 resolutions will introduce unnecessary panning, and 16:9 will add unnecessary black bars.
   
2. Exit the game.
   
3. Download DxWnd[sourceforge.net] v2.03.10 or later.
   
4. In DxWnd, choose File -> Import, and import the .dxw file from inside this archive[www.dropbox.com].
   
5. If you configured the game for a resolution other than 1280x800, edit the new item in DxWnd (right click -> modify), and change the W and H on the Main tab to match. Hit OK.
   
6. With DxWnd still running, launch the game as usual from Steam.

FYI, there are 3 non-default settings in the dxw profile I provided:

• Use DirectX 9, as auto detect fails for this game
  
• Set the window size, as the game crashes on startup if it does not match the resolution configured through the game menu.
  
• Change the path to an asterisk ("*\bout.exe"). This is an undocumented feature of DxWnd which allows it to detect processes without requiring the full path. Without this, it can't detect games launched via Steam, which means no windowed mode, and Steam can't detect games launched via DxWnd, which means no stats, friends won't see you're playing etc.

Troubleshooting:

• If the game crashes on startup, close DxWnd and run the game as usual. Double check your resolution in-game matches that in the DxWnd profile.
  
• If the game doesn't run in a window, ensure the path in DxWnd is set to "*\bout.exe". The icon next to The Book of Unwritten Tales in DxWnd should turn white.

Further:

• Here is a DxWnd profile for Critter Chronicles[www.dropbox.com]. The only difference is the path was changed to "*\CritterChronicles.exe".
  
• If anyone has a 4K monitor, please let me know what other 16:10 resolutions are available in the game options.

[Boas]

Hey amok. I know this post is over a year old, but I just wanted to let you know that it helped me get DxWnd running a game called CivCity: Rome. The game was all but completely abandoned by Firefly when it was released. It crashed on startup with a dual-monitor setup, so getting it to run in a window was the most viable option. But DxWnd had no import settings for it. I didn't think to manually set it to DX9 until reading your post. At least it boots now, but it's still got problems.

Do you have experience getting other games to play well with DxWnd? This kind of thing is pretty unfamiliar to me. The issue I'm having now with CivCity: Rome is that the cursor isn't lining up with ingame objects like buttons. I've tried messing with a few of the settings, but nothing seems to do the trick so far. Kinda feels like fumbling in the dark.

Oh, also, I wondered what you meant by entering a "wildcard" in the path. Right now the path links to the game executable in my steam folder and the "launch" field is blank. Is it possible to get Steam to detect the game running under DxWnd? Would be neat if I could access the steam UI while in the game.

Thanks!

[bliss]

Boas:

There's a few things you can try to fix the mouse cursor offset. I don't remember exactly, but "No banner" can affect it, as can positioning the window at coordinates 1x1, as can "Fix Window Frame Style", as can "correct mouse position", as can "Window frame compensation". Settings which affect window resizing (e.g. Recover screen mode, Fix Parent Window) can also affect the cursor. In short, you'll have to experiment. Personally I searched the DXWnd forums and posted there for help. Also note dxwnd_manual.pdf is included in the dxwnd archive for reference.

By "wildcard" I'm refering to the asterisk in the path. See the example above. This allows DxWnd to search for and hook into processes launched by Steam. It's not going to work well if all your games launch by a generic filename like game.exe though - that's why DxWnd asks for the full path - as a kinda unique identifier to avoid accidentally hooking into the wrong process.

[DoedaMig]

There is a way to fix the exe file so it aloways starts in windowed mode instead, but it included hex editing the game file. Seems to run nicely though (no hacker protection).
https://www.gog.com/forum/the_book_of_unwritten_tales_series/windowed_mode_niarg_not_again
Or the Wiki
http://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/The_Book_of_Unwritten_Tales#Windowed
Also, your dropbox link is out of date I am afraid, but thanks for the great tips.

[bliss]

I've updated the download links after Dropbox changed their behaviour.