Project D3D11Client Development

[dumbo2007]

Getting solid 77 fps on my lowly Pentium Dual core with Intel GMA 4500M

Did a reinstall of DirectX 11 June 2010 redist and its fine now. Window is kind of small when it starts up. Only issue is lack of MSAA in hardware but thats ok, all the more reason to upgrade soon , enabled all types of maps & is ok.

 

[asmi]

Is there any way to tone down the PP blooming a bit? Right now I think it is a bit on the strong side as it washes out alot of the details.

Sure there is I will try tuning it up tonight or tomorrow, but if you don't want to wait, you can try setting it up yourself. It's very easy:
open file Modules/D3D11Shaders/HDR_Includes.hlsl
There are two constants you'd want to tweak:
BRIGHT_THRESHOLD - defines minimum color intensity of the pixel that get's "bloomed" (it's caclualted on a per-component basis, i. e. red, green and blue pixel's color components are calculated separately).
BLOOM_FACTOR - multiplier with which "bloomed" color values gets added to original image.
Both constants are in the range of 0 to 1. Each change requires client restart to take effect. Simplified formula for the result pixel is result = original + (original - BRIGHT_THRESHOLD) * BLOOM_FACTOR - the actual formula is more involved, but this one will give you an idea of how value changes affect output.
Once you satisfied with the result if you wish you can post your values here so I can put them in.

---------- Post added at 08:58 ---------- Previous post was at 08:55 ----------

Getting solid 77 fps on my lowly Pentium Dual core with Intel GMA 4500M

Did a reinstall of DirectX 11 June 2010 redist and its fine now. Window is kind of small when it starts up. Only issue is lack of MSAA in hardware but thats ok, all the more reason to upgrade soon , enabled all types of maps & is ok.

As far as I understand your card corresponds to DirectX 10 feature level, which mean it's required to support at least MSAA 4x as per Microsoft's specification. Also you don't have HDR effects (currently they work only on DirectX 11-level hardware and are automatically turned off on downlevel hardware), which explains high FPS They are BIG FPS eater - on my computer FPS drops from 400+ with HDR off to ~130 with HDR on.
UPDATE: oops, wrong - MSAA 4x is required for DirectX 10.1-compliant devices, but not for DirectX 10

 

[astrosammy]

I downloaded "D3D11Client_270112.zip" posted by Glider above, and get a d3dx11_43.dll missing error. I have Windows 7 so the correct DirectX is installed (at least it should be ).

 

[asmi]

I downloaded "D3D11Client_270112.zip" posted by Glider above, and get a d3dx11_43.dll missing error. I have Windows 7 so the correct DirectX is installed (at least it should be ).

You need to install DirectX update - please read instructions here: http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?t=26147
And I'd suggest you to get latest version from source control - there are few fixes which are absent in Glider's version.

 

[astrosammy]

Ah thanks! Didn't see that thread.

 

[dumbo2007]

I directly downloaded the 95 mb DirectX redistributable instead of the web installer from here : http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/confirmation.aspx?id=8109


Worked immediately. The web installer could not update the d3dx11_43.dll file properly.

They are BIG FPS eater - on my computer FPS drops from 400+ with HDR off to ~130 with HDR on.

Yeah I am ok without HDR. I would rather spend FPS on terrain generation.

 

[asmi]

I directly downloaded the 95 mb DirectX redistributable instead of the web installer from here : http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/confirmation.aspx?id=8109

Worked immediately. The web installer could not update the d3dx11_43.dll file properly.

That's wierd, but whatever works for you is good

Yeah I am ok without HDR. I would rather spend FPS on terrain generation.

Terrain generation is there already. And my tests show that there is no significant FPS drop due to that.

 

[dumbo2007]

Terrain generation is there already

Oh, wow, how do I enable it ? I just downloaded the Jan 26th build , 0.1 version, but I see no terrain.

 

[asmi]

Oh, wow, how do I enable it ? I just downloaded the Jan 26th build , 0.1 version, but I see no terrain.

Try flying to Mercury, or just run Terrain_demo_Mercury scenario - it's only enabled for that planet at this point - so far it's just an early implementation, so refinements will follow.

 

[dumbo2007]

There are no scenario files in the zip , can you upload the scn here

 

[asmi]

There are no scenario files in the zip , can you upload the scn here

Oh, you're right. I can't upload it until evening, so for now take it from Glider's zip.

 

[dumbo2007]

ok I tried the scenario file in Glider's D3D11Client_270112.zip. First I simply copied the scn file and mercury did not show any terrain. Then I tried copying all the files in Glider's zip to the Orbiter installation, but I get a CTD during startup.

Its ok, maybe you guys will need to merge the code into a single release when ready

By the way, I loaded the DG on Brighton Beach scenario and pushed the DG under the shadow of the brighton beach tower. But it did not come under shadow. Is base-vessel shadowing implemented ?

With Mercury, the fps touched 257 !!

 

[asmi]

ok I tried the scenario file in Glider's D3D11Client_270112.zip. First I simply copied the scn file and mercury did not show any terrain. Then I tried copying all the files in Glider's zip to the Orbiter installation, but I get a CTD during startup.

Its ok, maybe you guys will need to merge the code into a single release when ready

By the way, I loaded the DG on Brighton Beach scenario and pushed the DG under the shadow of the brighton beach tower. But it did not come under shadow. Is base-vessel shadowing implemented ?

With Mercury, the fps touched 257 !!

Hmm. It works for me just fine (dll built from latest sources and this scenario file). Try copying all Glider's files and then on top of that - whatever you'll find in archive downloaded from SC.
Vessel-base shadows are not there yet.

 

[dumbo2007]

**** Orbiter.log
Build Aug 30 2010 [v.100830]
Timer precision: 5.13268e-007 sec
Found 0 joystick(s)
Module AtlantisConfig.dll .... [Build 100830, API 100830]
Module AtmConfig.dll ......... [Build 100830, API 100830]
Module DGConfigurator.dll .... [Build 100830, API 100830]
Module D3D11Client.dll ....... [Build 120126, API 111105]
Error loading module Modules\Plugin\D3D11Client.dll (code 998)

Immediate CTD. I extracted orbiter100830.zip, extracted & copied contents of face-ovp-218351f309f5.zip over it. Then extracted & copied contents of D3D11Client_270112.zip over that.

Hmm I'll try with the beta.
----------------------

ok so now I extracted the orbiter100830.zip, copied the orbiter111105-100830diff over it, and checked that the beta was running properly. Then I extracted & copied face-ovp-218351f309f5.zip over the Orbiter beta installation and tried Orbiter_ng.exe. I enabled the D3D11 client but it was not loaded(I checked in Orbiter.log)

**** Orbiter.log
Build Nov  5 2011 [v.111105]
Timer precision: 5.13268e-007 sec
Found 0 joystick(s)
Module AtlantisConfig.dll .... [Build 111105, API 111105]
Module AtmConfig.dll ......... [Build 111105, API 111105]
Module DGConfigurator.dll .... [Build 111105, API 111105]
Module D3D11Client.dll ....... [Build 120126, API 100830]
============================ ERROR: ===========================
Failed loading module Modules\Plugin\D3D11Client.dll (code 998)
[Orbiter::LoadModule | .\Orbiter.cpp | 612]
===============================================================

Then I shut the launchpad & copied the contents of Glider's D3D11Client_270112.zip over the installation. This time the client did get loaded :

**** Orbiter.log
Build Nov  5 2011 [v.111105]
Timer precision: 5.13268e-007 sec
Found 0 joystick(s)
Module AtlantisConfig.dll .... [Build 111105, API 111105]
Module AtmConfig.dll ......... [Build 111105, API 111105]
Module DGConfigurator.dll .... [Build 111105, API 111105]
Module D3D11Client.dll ....... [Build 120126, API 111105]
Module D3D11Client.dll ....... [Build 120126, API 111105]

The client started up fine, but I did not see the terrain. Does some option specifically need to be turned on ?

I got this though :



--------------

ok I tried the other order now, first Glider's zip then the stuff from SC, but no joy,

**** Orbiter.log
Build Nov  5 2011 [v.111105]
Timer precision: 5.13268e-007 sec
Found 0 joystick(s)
Module AtlantisConfig.dll .... [Build 111105, API 111105]
Module AtmConfig.dll ......... [Build 111105, API 111105]
Module DGConfigurator.dll .... [Build 111105, API 111105]
Module D3D11Client.dll ....... [Build 120126, API 100830]
============================ ERROR: ===========================
Failed loading module Modules\Plugin\D3D11Client.dll (code 998)
[Orbiter::LoadModule | .\Orbiter.cpp | 612]
===============================================================

D3D11Client.dll from SC does not seem to be accepted, but the one from Glider's zip does, so if Glider's D3D11Client.dll is copied last then the client loads.

 

[Glider]

The client started up fine, but I did not see the terrain. Does some option specifically need to be turned on ?

Do you have L8 textures ? terrain works only if you have at least L8 texture. Otherwise, maxlvl will be = max texture level found and will be no terrain, because terrain works with L8-L18 patches.

D3D11Client.dll from SC does not seem to be accepted, but the one from Glider's zip does.

Look at the version of API. dll for 100830 will not work in 111105 and dll for 111105 will not work with 100830. I uploaded dll for 111105.

 

[dumbo2007]

Ah ok I ll download and try L8.

 

[asmi]

ok so now I extracted the orbiter100830.zip, copied the orbiter111105-100830diff over it, and checked that the beta was running properly. Then I extracted & copied face-ovp-218351f309f5.zip over the Orbiter beta installation and tried Orbiter_ng.exe. I enabled the D3D11 client but it was not loaded(I checked in Orbiter.log)

Then I shut the launchpad & copied the contents of Glider's D3D11Client_270112.zip over the installation. This time the client did get loaded :

You need to do that the other way around - first - Glider's archive, then - the one from SC Just in case - by "SC" I mean from here: https://bitbucket.org/asmi/ovp/

 

[dumbo2007]

ok, and by the way, will these Mercury level 9 work : [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=5570"]Mercury Level 9 Textures[/ame] ?

 

[Glider]

ok, and by the way, will these Mercury level 9 work : Mercury Level 9 Textures ?

They will work. But why not just copy-paste moon/mars L8 texture and rename it to "Mercury.tex".

 

[asmi]

ok, and by the way, will these Mercury level 9 work : Mercury Level 9 Textures ?

I'm using the one from here: http://downloadorbitersim.com/?page_id=42 (It's L8)