How do I get BF2 to run in widescreen ?

[Labrador]

I have the Samsung243T LCD, and it's native res 1920x1200 widescreen. How do I get BF2 to run in widescreen mode ? I can not believe that Dice didn't include widscreen option in menu.
I play at 1280x960, any higher and the game lags

 

[ninethreeeleven]

Right click your BF2 icon, choose properties. Look at target. Add the lines you dont see.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\BF2.exe" +menu 1 +fullscreen 1 +szx 1680 +szy 1050

I copied and pasted that exactly how it is in my properties. You wont ahve (x86) unless your running Win XP 64 and those quotes do remain there. You just add the +szx 1920 and +szy 1200 for your screen. Note the " marks, they stay just where they are.

NOTE 1: I run at 1680x1050.
NOTE 2: This just stretches the screen and is not true widescreen. EA and Dice decided to not support true widescreen in this game.

 

[Eidolon]

Here's what I did, step by step...

1) Install BF2.
3) Go to video settings.
4) Look for a widescreen resolution.
5) Begin sobbing uncontrollably when you realize that they didn't bother to include it.

 

[rm19]

Right click your BF2 icon, choose properties. Look at target. Add the lines you dont see.

"C:\Program Files (x86)\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\BF2.exe" +menu 1 +fullscreen 1 +szx 1680 +szy 1050

NOTE 2: This just stretches the screen and is not true widescreen. EA and Dice decided to not support true widescreen in this game.

What he said. I'm running at 1280x768 (16:10) using this method. Actually, I think this is true widescreen as the proportions are all correct and nothing is being stretched, except the 2D overlays.

 

[Labrador]

What he said. I'm running at 1280x768 (16:10) using this method. Actually, I think this is true widescreen as the proportions are all correct and nothing is being stretched, except the 2D overlays.

thanks, I will try your res right now

 

[weebling1]

BF2 does NOT support widescreen resolutions, but can be forced to fill the screen thru user manipulation.

I dont think thats true widescreen

 

[Vulcanus]

its not true widescreen, it changes (or doesn't change rather) the FOV to fill in the sides.

 

[calibos]

I thought I heard it was 'True' widescreen, ie 16:10 without stretching but that this was achieved by cutting the top and bottom rather than adding to the sides (pretty sure I've seen screenshots somewhere demonstrating this fact too). ie rather than WS users benefiting from a wider field of view to the sides giving us an advantage we actually see less top and bottom. So we don't have an advantage over 4:3 users and they have a slight advantage of a slightly better FOV top and bottom, which tbh isn't as much of an advantage as a Wider FOV to the sides would be to us. I actually think its a reasonably fair compromise. Still confused why they didn't implement the WS res options in the actual option screen rather than by changing shortcuts. The fact that WS res' are applied in a very particular way indicates they are coded for but obviously not in the options menu...Strange.

 

[rm19]

I thought I heard it was 'True' widescreen, ie 16:10 without stretching but that this was achieved by cutting the top and bottom rather than adding to the sides

If that were true, the guy's arm would not be visible at all in the previous screen. Here's another shot. Notice the tank's cogs are all round. The wheel closest to the edge appears slightly stretched, but that's due to the FOV. Don't judge it by the 2D overlays as those will always be stretched, unless multiple sprites and code paths are created for each possible aspect ratio.

I know what a stretched screen looks like as it did in FarCry and Doom3 using 1024x768 to fill the whole screen. BF2 behaves just like Half Life 2 which supported my 1280x768 res natively. If everything is rendered in perfect proportions, save for the "fisheye lens" effect at the very edges which affects even regular 4:3 screens), then I believe that BF2 is rendering in true widescreen even if it's not officially supported.

 

[Cabezone]

If that were true, the guy's arm would not be visible at all in the previous screen. Here's another shot. Notice the tank's cogs are all round. The wheel closest to the edge appears slightly stretched, but that's due to the FOV. Don't judge it by the 2D overlays as those will always be stretched, unless multiple sprites and code paths are created for each possible aspect ratio.

I know what a stretched screen looks like as it did in FarCry and Doom3 using 1024x768 to fill the whole screen. BF2 behaves just like Half Life 2 which supported my 1280x768 res natively. If everything is rendered in perfect proportions, save for the "fisheye lens" effect at the very edges which affects even regular 4:3 screens), then I believe that BF2 is rendering in true widescreen even if it's not officially supported.

You're misunderstanding the FOV problem. It doesn't stretch the screen, it's just zoomed in a little. Try switching from a widescreen resolution and back to a 4:3, and compare screenshots. You'll see that the widescreen see's the exact same as 4:3 horizontal, but less vertical.

 

[Cabezone]

I thought I heard it was 'True' widescreen, ie 16:10 without stretching but that this was achieved by cutting the top and bottom rather than adding to the sides (pretty sure I've seen screenshots somewhere demonstrating this fact too). ie rather than WS users benefiting from a wider field of view to the sides giving us an advantage we actually see less top and bottom. So we don't have an advantage over 4:3 users and they have a slight advantage of a slightly better FOV top and bottom, which tbh isn't as much of an advantage as a Wider FOV to the sides would be to us. I actually think its a reasonably fair compromise. Still confused why they didn't implement the WS res options in the actual option screen rather than by changing shortcuts. The fact that WS res' are applied in a very particular way indicates they are coded for but obviously not in the options menu...Strange.

That's a terrible way to look at it. Should we all be locked into a lower resolution because some people can't afford the latest vid cards? Should everyone be forced to run in stereo because some people don't have surround? All of these thing give players an advantage.

No we shouldn't, tough luck for those that don't have the better gear, but that's the way it goes.

It's not even hard to program in the proper FOV for widescreen. You don't have to code specifically for a wodescreen resolution just to run, it'll just use the same FOV os the 4:3. It doesn take at least 2 minutes to have it switch the FOV for it though. Man, thats a rought 2 minutes tho.

 

[rm19]

You're misunderstanding the FOV problem. It doesn't stretch the screen, it's just zoomed in a little. Try switching from a widescreen resolution and back to a 4:3, and compare screenshots. You'll see that the widescreen see's the exact same as 4:3 horizontal, but less vertical.

Sorry, justed tested it out and you're right, less vertical view, same horizontal. The arm/gun of the guy have nothing to do with the fov. You're also right that it shouldn't be too hard to support different resolutions, especially for 3D games.

 

[calibos]

Sorry, justed tested it out and you're right, less vertical view, same horizontal. The arm/gun of the guy have nothing to do with the fov. You're also right that it shouldn't be too hard to support different resolutions, especially for 3D games.

Actually your point about the arm and the gun is semi valid. It looks like rather than cutting off an equal amount top and bottom to create the 16:10 ratio, they are cutting double off the top.