Final Fantasy XIV: Vs Reshade - A Comparison Reborn.

Is the DOF feature resource intensive?

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Originally Posted by Keydah

It's SMAA that makes the text messed up. FXAA slightly messes with it but it's only noticeable while staring directly at the text while toggling Reshade.

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This is why I stopped applying SMAA as a post-process. At least with the build in FXAA, the UI isn't affected - FXAA is done before the UI is overlayed.

I have tried looking for the injector point for Geodasat (whatever), never found it.

While FXAA's tendency to blur textures is irritating, for most part it works and you get used to it - temporally as stable as you can be with a PPAA solution; primarily because it's so heavy handed. xD

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Originally Posted by Keydah

It's SMAA that makes the text messed up. FXAA slightly messes with it but it's only noticeable while staring directly at the text while toggling Reshade.

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Thanks to everyone who mentioned this. I will try to see if changing that option fixes anything later.

I like the Depth of Field and anti-aliasing but holy jesus that's way too much color saturation. I agree the game is a little dull in the color department and contrasts, but you went to the complete opposite end which I don't like. But do what you like since it's your rig :)

Do the DoF and AA options consume a lot of resources? I'd like to try those out and tweak the colors only slightly.

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Originally Posted by Miscreant

Just seems like the saturation/contrast has been upped, I'm pretty sure that using this is like retouching photos, there is no one setting to make all photos look better, it varies depending on different factors.

In the shots you've taken the bright areas like Costa it fits well, but in darker areas or bright lights it looks worst than the original. I can imagine it's great for taking screen shots but for constant game play it looks too inconsistent.

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It needs to be said, but the way "3D" games are lit are already an approximation.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Comparison.jpg
3D games do the left, while the right is only done with software renderers (eg POVRay, Blender)

And on top of that, there is also Caustics:
http://www.3drender.com/light/figures/compare600.jpg

Both Radiosity and Caustics requires lighting to be calculated from the light source instead of at the viewer (the camera), so in a sense, the entire "scene" has to be rendered without any shortcuts to work. Hence not even the highest-end GPU can do this in real time, because that is NOT what 3D games do. 3D games are rendered "front to back" from the camera to the distance, so light can not be calculated to bounce off objects that there are not yet any pixels for.

So anything adjusted by 3rd party shader tweaks, isn't necessarily any more accurate (compared to real life) than default. FFXIV V1.0 had a lot more of these HDR effects than V2.0 does. HDR effects just mimic the "outside is too bright, inside is too dark" effect when you initially switch areas.

The DoF effect was something that V1.0 had as well. But to be fair, the DoF effect was necessary to hide the lower-detail unreachable distance objects like the Keeper of the Lake, Ishgard, Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa 's backgrounds.

The images posted though, I have to say that only the DoF effect actually brings anything, as it's an effect that is used to mimic "camera DoF" not how your eyes work. If it was mimicing how your eyes work, it's mimicing near-sightedness. But DoF tends to be over-used in film (especially Dreamworks 3D animation), and makes it look like the forground objects are chroma-key'd over background instead of part of it. Hence I'd only use the DoF effect when the intent is to be zoomed in.

I'm currently using Sweetfx with a little tweak to Luma Sharpen and Gaussian Blur for a little bloom and crisper image, but I'm gonna try reshade as soon as I get home. I hope it isn't much more demanding than Sweetfx, so my 860M can take it.

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Originally Posted by KisaiTenshi

It needs to be said, but the way "3D" games are lit are already an approximation.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Comparison.jpg
3D games do the left, while the right is only done with software renderers (eg POVRay, Blender)

And on top of that, there is also Caustics:
http://www.3drender.com/light/figures/compare600.jpg

Both Radiosity and Caustics requires lighting to be calculated from the light source instead of at the viewer (the camera), so in a sense, the entire "scene" has to be rendered without any shortcuts to work. Hence not even the highest-end GPU can do this in real time, because that is NOT what 3D games do. 3D games are rendered "front to back" from the camera to the distance, so light can not be calculated to bounce off objects that there are not yet any pixels for.

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We are already approximating "radiosity" to a limited extent with the likes of HBAO+.

Even color bleeding can be approximated if you are willing to pay the price in shader power,

https://youtu.be/8bRkyG3R-eI

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So anything adjusted by 3rd party shader tweaks, isn't necessarily any more accurate (compared to real life) than default. FFXIV V1.0 had a lot more of these HDR effects than V2.0 does. HDR effects just mimic the "outside is too bright, inside is too dark" effect when you initially switch areas.

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It's a tad bit more complicated than that.

HDR rendering is increasing the precision of the presentation of light within the calculations allowing a larger range of lighting strength - from no light to very very bright. Part 2 of HDR rendering is tonemapping, where the HDR image is squashed down the LDR for you monitor/TV - which have a limited max brightness; there aren't any economical HDR displays at the moment.

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Originally Posted by SuzakuCMX

I like the Depth of Field and anti-aliasing but holy jesus that's way too much color saturation. I agree the game is a little dull in the color department and contrasts, but you went to the complete opposite end which I don't like. But do what you like since it's your rig :)

Do the DoF and AA options consume a lot of resources? I'd like to try those out and tweak the colors only slightly.

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Actually this specific setup is very performance friendly. HBAO is the only real performance hog that i've personally noticed. Using a GTX 680 OC with i7 2600k at 4ghz for reference. HBAO reduces my FPS from 50 to 20 at medium settings.

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Originally Posted by Onikimaru

Actually this specific setup is very performance friendly. HBAO is the only real performance hog that i've personally noticed. Using a GTX 680 OC with i7 2600k at 4ghz for reference. HBAO reduces my FPS from 50 to 20 at medium settings.

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Oh that's great news :D I think I'll try it out! Thanks!

Note to op it is against tos to post 3rd party links that alter game settings that another person could not do so by normal means with Client software this fall's under the same thing ppl were posting that in which shall not be mentioned

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Originally Posted by Onikimaru

Actually this specific setup is very performance friendly. HBAO is the only real performance hog that i've personally noticed. Using a GTX 680 OC with i7 2600k at 4ghz for reference. HBAO reduces my FPS from 50 to 20 at medium settings.

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HBAO+ (standard) is worth it IMHO. It's much more temporally stable than regular SSAO (high and low) with less artifacts (like the dark halo around certain objects).

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Originally Posted by dragorian

Note to op it is against tos to post 3rd party links that alter game settings that another person could not do so by normal means with Client software this fall's under the same thing ppl were posting that in which shall not be mentioned

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This is incorrect... here is an official opinion on graphic enhancing software. Please do some research before making such claims.

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Originally Posted by Hvinire

Utilizing such a tool would not violate any agreements customers have with Square Enix, and we don't plan on doing anything to restrict users from accessing it.

However, we advise that players use this at their own risk. Square Enix does not regulate the content of the aforementioned add-on and will not be responsible for any damage or losses resulting from its use.

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Originally Posted by Onikimaru

op

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Almost looks like an entirely different game. GG

Very nice work! Are these screenshots edited or does the program change the game itself to look like this?? Sorry for the newbie question :P

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Originally Posted by dragorian

Note to op it is against tos to post 3rd party links that alter game settings that another person could not do so by normal means with Client software this fall's under the same thing ppl were posting that in which shall not be mentioned

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Its against the ToS to link to screenshots?

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Originally Posted by Strika23

Very nice work! Are these screenshots edited or does the program change the game itself to look like this?? Sorry for the newbie question :P

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Thank you strika!. These screenshots are not edited in the slightest. All of the effects you see are coming directly from my game!.

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Originally Posted by Bishop81

HBAO+ (standard) is worth it IMHO. It's much more temporally stable than regular SSAO (high and low) with less artifacts (like the dark halo around certain objects).

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Yeah HBAO is significantly better than SSAO in my opinion. It is very accurate, but not to friendly on performance. SSAO runs at about 40-30 fps on my system on high settings while HBAO kills fps at medium settings.

I came in expecting severe oversaturation and lots of DoF blur.
I was not disappointed.

That said, while I'm not much of a fan of your Costa Del Sol or Gridania-in-general shots, there are some spots where those settings do look pretty wicked.
(The Alexander shot in the opening post is also a really nice one.)

I used Sweetfx before, but not Reshade can someone post a quick guide for installation w/ FFXIV so I can mess with it tonight after maintenance?

I've been using Reshade, and SweetFX before it, for quite a while, and I definitely agree that they can do so much for FF14.

Any chance you could share your settings? I quite like what I have setup already, but what you've got definitely looks like it's worth checking out. At the very least, you've given me an excuse to go back and play with my settings a little more.

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Originally Posted by Onikimaru

You're totally right guys!. How DARE i take hours gathering screenshots for people to reference in creating their own ideal world. I am deeply sorry, i will think twice next time before attempting something so evil.

And for someone using photo editing programs miscreant you should know that i have tweaked the bokeh bokeh refers to the visual quality of the out of focus area when depth of field is active saturation to better suit daytime environments while keeping nightime relatively dark.

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O_O how did you get offended by that? That was pretty standard feedback.... it works for some, but not on others, it's good for screen shots but I doubt it's good for constant play.

You need to grow a thicker skin, you just turned what was just a general observation into an attack on your self and got your self upset.

I saw you adjusted the depth of field, I wasn't planning on doing an extensive evaluation of your images. I've see this programme used before in a very similar fashion to how you have used it and didn't feel the need to comment on it.

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Originally Posted by Vespar

I used Sweetfx before, but not Reshade can someone post a quick guide for installation w/ FFXIV so I can mess with it tonight after maintenance?

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Basically you just download reshade+framework 18.7(19 does not work with xiv yet, at least not to my knowledge.) run it and point it toward the FFXIV.exe if it gives you the option to install dx11 or dx9 click the one you use. If not just install and go to your game folder, locate the two .dll's(this is if you did not get a specific option to install) and delete either dxgi.dll(dx11) or if you use dx9 d3d9.dll. Download a preset you want to use, follow the instructions and happy tweaking :D

It's insane how much you can pull out with Reshade. Ishgard looks so Grey rather then Dark and a Dangerous Place.

http://i.imgur.com/u3EtW9z.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/AWKa3eq.jpg

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Originally Posted by Onikimaru

Basically you just download reshade+framework 18.7(19 does not work with xiv yet, at least not to my knowledge.) run it and point it toward the FFXIV.exe if it gives you the option to install dx11 or dx9 click the one you use. If not just install and go to your game folder, locate the two .dll's(this is if you did not get a specific option to install) and delete either dxgi.dll(dx11) or if you use dx9 d3d9.dll. Download a preset you want to use, follow the instructions and happy tweaking :D

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Thank you! I'll try it out later tonight :3

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Originally Posted by Onikimaru

Yeah HBAO is significantly better than SSAO in my opinion. It is very accurate, but not to friendly on performance. SSAO runs at about 40-30 fps on my system on high settings while HBAO kills fps at medium settings.

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Well, "very accurate" is stretching it quite a lot. All existing AO techniques are pretty much hacks.

It's definitely less inaccurate than traditional SSAO but you pay for it though.

I read up on Reshade a little, apparently it attempts to grab the depth buffer, that's why it could do DoF.

To be frank, it would be better if SE just added a DoF option. The engine can already do it given that you have the option to enable DoF during cutscenes.

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Originally Posted by Onikimaru

Basically you just download reshade+framework 18.7(19 does not work with xiv yet, at least not to my knowledge.) run it and point it toward the FFXIV.exe if it gives you the option to install dx11 or dx9 click the one you use. If not just install and go to your game folder, locate the two .dll's(this is if you did not get a specific option to install) and delete either dxgi.dll(dx11) or if you use dx9 d3d9.dll. Download a preset you want to use, follow the instructions and happy tweaking :D

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So I managed to get it to work with DX9. But It refuses to work at all with DX11. Any ideas?

I'm sure depth of field can make for some really neat screenshots (especially when the focal point is a character or close-up object), but wouldn't it feel weird to actually play with that turned on constantly? In real life, I can focus my eyes to clearly see things far away and up close alike (just not both at the same time). A lot of these screenshots make it look like distant landmarks are always blurred beyond recognition.

Anyone using the Aluraine config from the topic is having flickering lights? I can't seem to get it to work properly...

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Originally Posted by Vespar

So I managed to get it to work with DX9. But It refuses to work at all with DX11. Any ideas?

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Did you delete the d3d9.dll when trying to run the client in dx11?

So pretty~ I wish I could get my game to look like that while I'm playing. The ultra vibrant colors are pretty. Right now, if I play too long, my eyes eventually glaze over b/c everything starts to look the same.

Thanks for sharing, Onikimaru.

Edit: OooOoohh.. It's a thing you download? I'll have to figure this out this weekend when I have time to read the thread fully. I just looked at the pretty pictures.

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Originally Posted by Onikimaru

Did you delete the d3d9.dll when trying to run the client in dx11?

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Double-checked just now, and yes I did delete the D3D9.dll and Reshade does not start when I launch the game.

However, If I run the game in DX9 Reshade starts up.

There are two .dll files included with the Reshade+framework package. The notes say to determine which dll you need based off whether the game is 32 or 64-bit. I have tried renaming the reshade32.dll to dxgi.dll like is says to do in the README and place it in the game folder but it still didnt change anything.

Edit: Nvm fixed. Turns out though my task manager lists FFXIV process as a 32-bit client. The DX11 must actually 64-bit. Renaming the reshade64.dll (instead of the reshade32 file) to dxgi.dll fixed the issue.

Thank you for the help. Looks stunning and that awful haziness is gone :3

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Originally Posted by Vespar

Double-checked just now, and yes I did delete the D3D9.dll and Reshade does not start when I launch the game.

However, If I run the game in DX9 Reshade starts up.

There are two .dll files included with the Reshade+framework package. The notes say to determine which dll you need based off whether the game is 32 or 64-bit. I have tried renaming the reshade32.dll to dxgi.dll like is says to do in the README and place it in the game folder but it still didnt change anything.

Edit: Nvm fixed. Turns out though my task manager lists FFXIV process as a 32-bit client. The DX11 must actually 64-bit. Renaming the reshade64.dll (instead of the reshade32 file) to dxgi.dll fixed the issue.

Thank you for the help. Looks stunning and that awful haziness is gone :3

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\o/ good stuff :P. If you have any questions about the settings let me know, also i just updated the albums :). I added a different type of bloom, SSAO, a more accurate SMAA, tweaked filmgrain, godrays, extremely slight lens flare with tweaks, and changed the DoF up, reduced saturation a bit in HDR and bokeh, thinking about adding a tonemap not sure.

Personally, I keep my tweaks simple and low-key. A filmic color pass, some added bloom, film grain, lens dirt, chromatic aberration (yes, I'm a fan), and that's about it. Combined with some downsampling, and I daresay the game looks quite nice.

http://i.imgur.com/1yX2cLr.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/B3jTfm8.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/CYfodmG.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/KegSrM0.jpg

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Originally Posted by Zyrusticae

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Hey nice screenshots :). I like the clean look you have going and the chromatic aberration is almost perfect good job!.

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Originally Posted by Zyrusticae

Personally, I keep my tweaks simple and low-key. A filmic color pass, some added bloom, film grain, lens dirt, chromatic aberration (yes, I'm a fan), and that's about it. Combined with some downsampling, and I daresay the game looks quite nice.

http://i.imgur.com/1yX2cLr.jpg

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Breath taking

@Onikimaru

Just thought I would ask, are you running HBAO+?

If I remember right you complained that it's too expensive.

How are you running Reshade if you can't even handle HBAO+? (At least the Standard version.)

I think i have the better settings ;)
http://fs2.directupload.net/images/150723/j54mtchl.jpg
http://fs1.directupload.net/images/150723/2swgfgqx.jpg

http://fs1.directupload.net/images/150723/uz6x3o4f.png
http://fs1.directupload.net/images/150723/tdri3dia.png

http://fs2.directupload.net/images/150723/ci539dzj.jpg

sorry but i had to ;):o

After tweaking with it for hours, I managed to get my game to look like this and I love it ^_^
http://i.imgur.com/ALJsIY3.png

http://i.imgur.com/Qe64sNb.png

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Originally Posted by Bishop81

@Onikimaru

Just thought I would ask, are you running HBAO+?

If I remember right you complained that it's too expensive.

How are you running Reshade if you can't even handle HBAO+? (At least the Standard version.)

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No idea to be honest. Almost everything i have does not impact performance until HBAO is activated, then i take a big hit...but when its off i get smooth sailing!.

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Originally Posted by Onikimaru

No idea to be honest. Almost everything i have does not impact performance until HBAO is activated, then i take a big hit...but when its off i get smooth sailing!.

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Even HBAO+(Standard)?

I'm even running on an AMD card. While HBAO+(High Quality) is ridiculous, HBAO+(Standard) seem OK - I don't lose all that many frames.

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Originally Posted by Raindene

After tweaking with it for hours, I managed to get my game to look like this and I love it ^_^
http://i.imgur.com/ALJsIY3.png

http://i.imgur.com/Qe64sNb.png

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Can you share your settings?