VR Shaders mod for better VR experience

Okay here's something really weird:

 

I just removed the mod via JSGME and then went to delete the metacaches (in my understanding, these would be filled with the data rebuilt after the mod was installed) and there is no DCS folder inside any of the metacache folders.

 

So in this:

 

Mods\terrains\Caucasus\misc\metacache\dcs

 

The dcs folder is AWOL

 

Just to be clear: I deleted those folders, installed the mod, started up 2.5 and flew a quick mission, which showed no improvement, but looked as per the screenshots in the previous post - so something is definitely happening, even if the performance isn't better - but when I looked now to check the metacache folder I find there is no new dcs folder, as I had expected.

 

Is that how it should be?

Sorry for multi-post, just wanted to say that my performance definitely has increased - solid 45fps and completely smooth in Normandy (Spitfire and Gazelle at tree-slalom level) and the same in Nevada (chasing prairie-dogs in the Aviojet) with a PD of 1.4 and settings as in attached screenie.

Okay here's something really weird:

 

I just removed the mod via JSGME and then went to delete the metacaches (in my understanding, these would be filled with the data rebuilt after the mod was installed) and there is no DCS folder inside any of the metacache folders.

 

So in this:

 

Mods\terrains\Caucasus\misc\metacache\dcs

 

The dcs folder is AWOL

 

Just to be clear: I deleted those folders, installed the mod, started up 2.5 and flew a quick mission, which showed no improvement, but looked as per the screenshots in the previous post - so something is definitely happening, even if the performance isn't better - but when I looked now to check the metacache folder I find there is no new dcs folder, as I had expected.

 

Is that how it should be?

Same here and for other people. Others have asked about this, but no one has offered an explanation yet. Weird.

The MSAA being only drawn at the center of the view is the genius in all this. I removed a lot of the other stuff from the mod. The glass, shadows and sun glare stuff, as I didn't want to compromise on those things.

 

 

If ED looks at ANYTHING first it should be the MSAA trick.

I just removed the mod via JSGME and then went to delete the metacaches (in my understanding, these would be filled with the data rebuilt after the mod was installed) and there is no DCS folder inside any of the metacache folders.

 

The compiled shaders go to your user home folder, under Saved Games\DCS\fxo and metashaders2.

Roger! Thanks :)

Man, i wish we could get this working for multiplayer. A busy carriier deck today on one of the servers and im like 23 frames with ASW.

Man, i wish we could get this working for multiplayer. A busy carriier deck today on one of the servers and im like 23 frames with ASW.

 

Well you can in a hacker kind of way. There are 6 files that cause you to fail the integrity check. Clicking the red shield on the MP screen will tell you which ones. If you replace those files with the originals you will now pass the IC. I did this myself and still have much better frames thank without this mod. Though I have no idea what any of these files do, at this point I dont really care because I'm happy with the FPS improvement.

I had a quick go with this mod and it gave me (8700K+1080Ti) quite a boost.

 

To quantify, here is a comparison of the FPS using the DCS vanilla (purple line) and modded (green line) shaders:

 

(click to enlarge)

 

This was a free flight with the F-86F over and near Batumi from south to north. I recorded a track (attached) and let it replay with and without the mod enabled.

 

The first ~45 seconds are over Batumi with the city in the center of the view. After passing Batumi, I briefly looked west at the open sea and then into the sky. After that, I turned east into a forestal area.

 

Over Batumi the FPS increase from 45 to 75 (+-5) so a relative increase of >60%.

In the forestal areas FPS with the vanilla shaders increase to 65-70 while the modded shaders are >80 (+20%)..

 

Over the whole track the vanilla shaders give 58 FPS on average. The average with the modded shaders is 82 so a gain of ~24 FPS or around 40%.

 

I used a pixel density of 1.5, MSAA was off, shadows high and terrain object shadows flat. These are the remaining settings:

(click to enlarge)

 

So far I only looked at the FPS and not at the graphics quality. But for pure FPS this looks really good :)

With various things disabled, can someone tell me what effect this mod has when not in VR? I still use a monitor when learning modules in order to see manuals etc.

Also, how do I change that crazy pop up grass thing on verges when really close?

With various things disabled, can someone tell me what effect this mod has when not in VR? I still use a monitor when learning modules in order to see manuals etc.

Also, how do I change that crazy pop up grass thing on verges when really close?

You can reduce the grass /clutter slider in the graphics options for the pop up. As for non VR, not sure what it does different other than change the shaders it uses. Most non VR applicants don't have issues with fps unless they are running x8 msaa and everything on high.

Unfortunately just had my first stutters with the C-101EB over Normandy, and flying at tree-top level over towns with a few AI Mustangs in the air .

 

Still far better than previously, though.

With various things disabled, can someone tell me what effect this mod has when not in VR? I still use a monitor when learning modules in order to see manuals etc.

Also, how do I change that crazy pop up grass thing on verges when really close?

 

 

On my 4k monitor, this mod drops GPU load approximatly by 20%.. the only draw backs i could notice were grass looking a bit sparse when flying really low in the Gazelle, the lack of Bloom, and requires a bit of gamma adjustment... other than that... everything looks just as good as vanilla with a substantial performance increase..

The compiled shaders go to your user home folder, under Saved Games\DCS\fxo and metashaders2.

 

So why do we have to rename the DCS folders then? I thought that whatever was in Saved Games took priority.

I can finally play DCS again :pilotfly:

 

Thank you Kegetys :thumbup:

So why do we have to rename the DCS folders then? I thought that whatever was in Saved Games took priority.

 

What is the function of the C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta\Mods\terrains\Caucasus\misc\metacache\dcs folder. If I rename it, and don't use the mod, DCS works as normal.

Wow, mod is just brilliant. Is it possible to make something similar for the Il2 BOS? Every developer should pay you for such a work. You did what they can't achieve for a long long time. I'm really impressed.

I keep getting a DX11Renderer - Error

Shader "bazar/shaders/deferred/resolvedepth.fx failed to compile

 

Nobody else gets this?

A few people did... the solution is earlier in the thread.

 

 

 

 

You need to COPY the folder that the mod gets extracted into instead of renaming it.

I tested this good mod, but I return to orignal VR setting.

 

Because, yes, it reduce about 10~15% of GPU load, but, as we know, we target steady 90fps, 45fps of GPU load 70% and 45fps of GPU load 55% is same result of 45fps but loose too much visual effects.

 

1070 & 7700k 4.8G used.

I tested this good mod, but I return to orignal VR setting.

 

Because, yes, it reduce about 10~15% of GPU load, but, as we know, we target steady 90fps, 45fps of GPU load 70% and 45fps of GPU load 55% is same result of 45fps but loose too much visual effects.

 

1070 & 7700k 4.8G used.

 

Same here went back to the good visuals and good performance at 45fps with WMR and its good ASW.

 

1080ti and 8700 oc 5ghz used

You're losing out. Do more tweaking. Apparently you can remove some of the reduction in graphics without losing the MSAA and rendering mask.

Can we take a breath here and look at what this mod is doing.

 

There is a lot of enthusiasm by some people over how wonderful this is, but I am in the not-completely-convinced camp.

 

1) I can see the benefit of the MSAA masking. There is no doubt that must reduce resources used simply by the fact the whole screen is not being processed. A definite positive. First question here is, can we have that effect without taking away some of the graphical effects that this mod seems to do?

 

2) Without the mod, what sort of performance increase would we get simply by disabling some of the effects in the main GUI settings screen?

 

3) There is something going on with grass when using this mod that I can't quite explain. I get effects that I didn't see before.

 

4) Seems to me that it's people with higher end kit that are not seeing any great benefit of this mod. In my case, I am able to put on x4 MSAA rather than x2, but I haven't tried simply turning things off in the GUI settings to see if I get the same thing without the mod.

 

5) I don't understand what is happening with the folders of type C:\Program Files\Eagle Dynamics\DCS World OpenBeta\Mods\terrains\Caucasus\misc\metacache\dcs. We are told to rename them in the mod readme file, but even when renamed and without the mod, DCS runs as normal, so I don't know why we are doing anything with these folders. I have asked here a couple of times on that, but no reply was given.

 

I have ASW switched on in auto mode, so I only tend to see 45fps or 90fps anyway. I have it switched on, otherwise it's too easy to see 'double image' type artifacts on instrument gauge readings when moving head left and right quickly.

 

I think a bit more investigation is needed here.

@imacken ...well... i went through the files in the mod and replaced some of the FX and HLSL files with the stock files from my Bazar backup folder and then recompiled the shaders again and it seems to have brought back some of the vanilla look while still maintaining much lower GPU load.. im sure it could be optimized and implemented... and likely will... im just satisfied to see that anything can be done to make the deferred engine run better over time rather than worse...

also, about the renamed folders, it seems that rather than using the \terrains\Caucasus\misc\metacache\dcs folder, the mod seems to make much more use of the fxo and metashader2 folders under C:\Users\Username\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta than when running without the mod...