CFS3 ships with DirectX8.2, but installs it surreptitiously, so I'm told.CFS3 introduces much better FSAA performance from the options menu within the sim - until now it was always preferable to use the control panel for your card to `force` FSAA outside of the sim itself.
So, thinks I, what if we combine the `DirectX8.2` with FS2002..? Ah, well DX8.2 doesn't exist...
Turns out Dx8.2 is actually only a bundle of improved DirectPlay files bolted onto Dx8.1b, and which are available here:
http://www.p3int.com/downloads_NWO.asp
It's only a 893kb self-installing .exe, and I have now been able to set 2x FSAA from within the sim, (after resetting the driver options to `Application Controlled`) with a frame rate improvement of around 20 per cent.
Yes, 20 per cent! Simply marvellous results for ten minutes work.
As usual, I should caution that I have only tried this with a current DirectX8.1b installation, running a GF 3 Ti200 on Detonator 40.72 drivers tweaked by RivaTuner. I would recommend that you at least have access to DirectX Buster and a copy of DX8.1b before you try messing with this so you can restore a regular copy of DX if required. Having said that, it was a 30 second installation and it directly replaces about 20 files within DirectX, so it's not rocket science.
Simon Evans