DDrawCompat Documentation

DDrawCompat is intended for specific scenarios. Please note the following limitations:

Unsupported Cases:

• Games requiring an internet connection.
• Windows Insider preview builds.
• Virtualized or emulated environments (e.g., Virtual Machines or Wine).
• Using DDrawCompat alongside other wrappers, hooks, overlays, or video recorders (Note: desktop screen recorders may work if using FullscreenMode=borderless).
• Applications that mix DirectX 1-7 with other APIs (e.g., DirectX 8+, OpenGL, Vulkan, or Glide).

Reporting Issues: When reporting issues, provide the application title, GPU model, Windows version, and reproduction steps. Attaching info level logs is highly recommended. You may redact personal information (like Windows usernames) from log files before sharing.

To use DDrawCompat, your system must meet the following requirements:

General Requirements:

• OS: Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10, or 11
• CPU: Must have SSE2 support
• GPU: Must have Shader Model 3 support

Specific Requirements for Windows Vista and 7:

• Drivers: Must use WDDM-compatible graphics drivers (legacy XPDM drivers are no longer supported since v0.3.0).
• Desktop Composition: Must be enabled.

To remove DDrawCompat from a game:

1. Delete the ddraw.dll file from the game's directory.
2. Delete any leftover log files (e.g., DDrawCompat-*.log or ddraw.log).

To install DDrawCompat for a specific game:

1. Download the latest binary release from the releases page (avoid files with "debug" in the name unless you are a developer).
2. Unzip the downloaded file.
3. Copy the extracted ddraw.dll to the target game's installation directory, placing it in the same folder as the game's main executable (.exe).

Note: If a ddraw.dll already exists in the directory, it is likely another wrapper. Back up the original file before replacing it with DDrawCompat's ddraw.dll.

Starting from version v0.4.0, DDrawCompat can be configured using:

• Text files: Configuration settings defined in text files.
• In-game overlay: Partial configuration support via an overlay during gameplay.

Refer to the project wiki for detailed configuration options and syntax.

After installing ddraw.dll and starting the game, check the game's directory for a log file to confirm DDrawCompat is working.

• Log filename format: DDrawCompat-*exename*.log (for versions v0.3.0 and newer) or ddraw.log (for versions prior to v0.3.0).

If no log file is created, DDrawCompat was not loaded by the game. You may need to check the project wiki for troubleshooting solutions.