Friday, March 16, 2012

X3 Terran Conflict and Albion Prelude - 3D Nvidia Vision Fix.

X3 Terran Conflict and Albion Prelude - 3D Nvidia Vision Fix.

BEFORE
AFTER

What does it fix :
- Objects borders moved deeper;
- Cursor/Cross-hair  moved deeper;
- Menu and HUD moved a bit deeper;
- fixed stars;
- fixed some effects(planets rings);
- fixed position of some planets in X3TC.

To switch cursor depth use 'A' and 'S' keys: 'A' key - low depth used for interaction with in game menu; 'S' key - hi depth cursor for combat and interaction with objects.

Tested on Steam version with "RU" localization.
The game still can have broken effects let me know if you find one.

The game used last version of the DLL which can be downloaded here.
Fixed files.


How to install:
Place d3d9.dll, DX9Settings.ini and "ShaderOverride" folder to the game directory ("Steam\steamapps\common\x3 terran conflict").

40 comments:

  1. Awesome Helix ! Works perfect including the engine trails from X3 Rebalance mod! Thanks again !
    Used english Steam version of AP.

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  2. Hi great work, especially the hud. I do have some feedback that require screenshots, so will put this on the nvidia forum. e.g in AP in the Argon Sector M148, whenever the bright star object is rendered on screen, the fix for the stars and background 'breaks' in that it suddenly switches to a 'close' view - when the brights star is not visible, the stars go back to infinity.

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  3. IGNORE MY LAST COMMENT. I was being a dumb ass and did not install the latest DLL. Everything is perfect! Awesome stuff.

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  4. Exelent work Helix makes X3TC exelent in 3D

    Works with both Disk & Steam versions of X3TC (Disk Version 3.2 required Relese2 d3d9.dll to work for me)

    Thanks

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  5. when i start X3TC with the d3d9.dll in the program folder it crashes to desk during the game load.
    is there a log file i can post to figure out what is happening.

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    Replies
    1. Ron
      I had to use this Version of d3d9.dll https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Mainfiles/Releasev2.zip

      Delete
  6. One of my biggest disappointments when I got a 3d vision system was how bad X3TC looked on it. Thank you so much for fixing this one.

    I also use voice commands when I play, and I'd recommend that for anyone as it makes the slightly difficult menu navigation a non-issue.

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  7. Definitely better 3D insofar as distances look correct when compared with the standard nVidia stereo 3D but still far too much ghosting to be playable on my 60" Sharp at 1280x720 @60Hz. By comparison of 3D I ran the Heaven Benchmark in 3D without ghosting so I believe the hardware is working as intended. Doubtless those 120Hz monitors are less sensitive to ghosting but I prefer a much larger screen.

    Aside from the heavy ghosting, the mod installed and ran without any other issues. My personal view is that if the ghosting, as I saw it, fell by 70%-80% then your mod would very good. It's still FAR better than the stock NV 3D Stereo effort however so please keep up the good work.

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    Replies
    1. Ghosting has nothing to do with this mod. Lower your contrast till you find it manageable. This mainly due to bright objects(ships/stars/etc) conflicting with dark objects(lots of dark since your in space). DLP has 0 ghosting/crosstalk.

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    2. Wrong - other 3D apps work fine, tweaking the contrast is not a solution

      Delete
    3. I've seen this too, convergence is slightly off causing crosstalk. Just been panning around my Astreus and the far side looked perfect and the nearside was ghosted. Took the glasses off and the convergence was clearly off on the near part of the ship.

      Delete
    4. @2nd anonymous
      See if you are able to take a 3d vision screenshot of this issue.

      Delete
  8. Mines crystal clear without any ghosting but I'm on a 120hz 27" monitor. I don't think the ghosting has anything to do with the mod. Play with your convergence.

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  9. This amazing, thanks so much for creating a solution. I spent alot of time with this game on minimal deepth wishing it was possible to see it in 3d.

    I just tested it and flew around a space station, getting butterflies in my stomach as I floated past the hull downwards towards a planet. :D

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  10. Hello,

    First, I have to say Thanks for your great work...
    Second... Where is the donation button !!??
    and third is... my issue .
    I have it with the PSC01 cockpit mod wich cn be found here :
    http://forum.egosoft.de/viewtopic.php?t=254635&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

    I guess supportings mods is not a priority for you... but
    This one is really important for immersion and there is a convergence issue !
    here is some stereo pictures to show you what is happening :

    without convergence :
    https://dl.dropbox.com/u/41205606/Images/x3ap01_50.jps

    with cnvergence :
    https://dl.dropbox.com/u/41205606/Images/x3ap03_50.jps
    https://dl.dropbox.com/u/41205606/Images/x3ap05_50.jps

    Can You fix it ? or tell me how to do it ?
    or maybe it should be fixed in the cockpit mod itself ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (This is not helix, helix has been busy with work so I will be answering)
      I havent actually played X3 since Im not really into those types of games but perhaps I can help. I know helix wouldnt fix it for the mod, sorry. Lots of time goes into fixing each issue and the amount of people who would benefit are just too small. Then there are the problems with fixing a game, updates that break fixes, DLC, etc. Its just a lot of work.

      I will see if perhaps together we can find a solution. I cant gaurantee it will work but it will require effort on your part. Go to this guide.
      http://helixmod.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-guide-remove-effects-from-game.html
      We wont be removing the texture that clips (at the top) unless we have to. Cycle through vertexshaders and see if you can find it. (the part that clips).

      If its a vertexshader and its seperated from rest of the hud(by itself, it should dissapear or distort). I will take file and see if I can figure it out. Might not be able to.
      If you can only find the pixelshader I cant help you. Follow guide and remove that "dome".

      If you cant find either I cant help at all, sorry. Ive never tried to fix something thats a mod nor has helix. Thats a bit strange to me and may not even be possible. When we fix a game we change the games shader code. Which I have no idea how that works with a mod since they don't have access to that.

      Delete
    2. Also without helix's fix. Does this happen on normal, ships? Like if you delete helix's fix and you go to play the game and use a normal ship thats included with the game thats not a mod. Does this happen?

      Delete
    3. Hello, Thanks for your answer!

      it happens without helix fix and without the mod, only if the convergence is too "high" . ( which is normal : close 3D elements are splitting in 2 parts )
      and I think this is what happens with my problem, convergence is good for the cockpit but too high for the world and 3D elements that are in this world.
      If I set a good convergence for the "world" the cockpit is to flat compared to the world and looks like to be farther than the closest 3d elements !


      before the Helix's fix, the depth render of the skybox was to close compared to the others 3D elements With the mod it's the whole world who is to close compared to the cockpit.
      It seems that it's a similar issue...

      Anyway, I don't think it's a shader, it's just a 3D element, part of the "world" and part of the ship ( who is not related to the mod ) ( while the cockpit is just a 3D element bound to the camera ( like weapons in FPS ) ) .



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    4. okay , Now that I've learned a bit more about vertex shaders and pixel shaders .... I was stupid when I said "I don't think it's a shader" ...

      So I've done what you asked to me... I've found a vertex shader that make the cockpit dissapear and one that make the cockpit control screens dissapear without altering the hud and the "world" (ship and ship nose included(the "dome" as you said) )

      As I said before if I have a good convergence for the world, the cockpit is still rendering at wrong depth so, instead of fixing the "world" and the "dome", maybe it's better to try fixing the cockpit itself !?

      do you think it's possible to modify the vertex shader file to have a different depth render for it ?

      here are the files :

      cockpit VS :
      https://dl.dropbox.com/u/41205606/Documents/VertexShader_8_CRC32_C9D9C7A0.txt

      cockpit display screens VS:
      https://dl.dropbox.com/u/41205606/Documents/VertexShader_10_CRC32_D273A066.txt

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    5. I kind of tricked you, its usually next to impossible to fix a game without having it installed. I just wanted to see if you would actually put the work into it. Since I will have to. I cant guarantee I will be able to fix it but I will try. I will install it and the mod and see what I can do. Ive learned to not bother to do things if people are not willing to do anything. Because its too painful when they dont understand how much work goes into everything. They dont open those shaders and they dont realize how advanced they are. While if I show someone they may be willing to learn how to fix something later on. Because now you know at least how to remove shaders so if you ever need to remove a bad effect from a game. Now you know.

      I understand what you are saying. You cant get the world not to be flat without breaking the "ships hud". This happens in many first person shooter games with Gun Sights.I assume the hud is as close to the "camera" as possible and due to the nature of these space games pretty much everything is near max depth. I actually tried to fix this in one(gunsight) but it felt so unnatural when I locked the gun at a certain Convergence but the rest of the world was unlocked. Maybe if I cant fix it, I can do that or Ive done something else in past where I set it so so convergence effects the hud less. Again this is speaking out of turn since I am not sure I can fix it but I just want you to realize this is difficult.

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    6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    7. Btw, just to make this clear. I will try but I am not really a skilled programmer as helix. (His fixes look like a different language to everyone.) I mainly even only mentioned it because Ive wanted to see if I can figure out how he did some these fixes.

      Oh, I should of thought of this earlier. An easy solution might be to make the "sky/space" closer to the "hud". Using the debugger. I cant tell which file just from his zip.
      Just start the games with the debugger installed and alt+tab open each txt in vertex shaders and delete everything up till dcl_position o# . Then save. Do it one at a time then go into game after each one then and click F10 and it "refresh" the game and it should disapear like earlier when you found hud. If you do a wrong one just undo changes and save.
      Once you find skybox, Do edit undo. Then save and click f10 so it should appear back to normal.
      It should have a value at top like
      def c200, X, 0.1, 0.0625, 0.0
      Adjust the X to a lesser value. Save. Click F10. Should bring sky closer to HUD, repeat till you find a value you like.

      It will take me a few days before I get the chance to look at it so I recommend trying moving the sky/world closer. Otherwise I have to see about locking the hud. Though if you want to try other tricks is to increase FOV, I know it sounds strange but makes 3D Games seem less flat when you dont have access to convergence(people did this with deus ex and another game). This may be moot since I dont know if you can in X3.

      Sorry about all the emails. No edit button =

      Delete
    8. I'm not sure to understand well what you are meaning by "hud" but the things that matter for me is not really the "hud" but the 3d cockpit ( maybe you understanded it well, but I comfirm it, to be sure we are speaking about the same thing ! ).

      Anyway, I've tried many things even your suggestion about the FOV and the other thing.

      The skybox is not linked to the ship so if I move it closer, it bring back the probleme that heliox fixed without fixing my issue :/

      if I remove the "dome" ... some ships in the world dissapears !

      If you can lock the cockpit like you locked the gun at a certain convergence... even if in your case it felt unatural... I think that should work in this case.

      setting a good depth to the cockpit and a very small depth for the rest of the ship ( the "dome" ) and the world ( by world I mean: everything exept the 3d cockpit and the hud ), I think that will look nicer then now.

      but I don't really know if it's possible without creating new issues, since the cockpit's vertexshader is linked to some other ships...

      I'm a bit desperate.

      Anyway, thanks for the time you spent to help me, if you find more time and if you find a way to fix it ! that will be a miracle haha ! ( maybe you'll get a donation =p )


      Delete
    9. No donations, we'd literally get sued but thanks anyway.
      Unfortunately I need to work on darksiders 2 though so it will take longer then expected.

      Delete
    10. oh... okay...

      Take your time, if you need ! I can wait, it doesn't matter !

      Delete
    11. I gave someone else darksiders 2 and went to look at X3
      Unfortunately when testing a game, i dont buy it (you know what that means)
      When I play a game, I buy it. But the "version" of game I have I cant get to work without crashing. Sorry. I really do have it installed too but I cant really spend all the time trying to get it work since I dont really like these types of games. Sorry to get your hopes up.

      Delete
    12. I have a version that is working, maybe I can lend it to you... huhu
      By the Way, this game is unique ! so you can't say , you don't like these ""types"" of games haha !
      I don't like space shooters, but this one is far more than this ! if one day you have the time and the curiosity ( and if you get it to work... of course... ) you should read some forums about it... in my case, it really made me want to play it !
      and finally it's one of the solo game I've spent the more time playing !

      about the 3d ... Well, my hopes was really small so... it doesn't matter, I guess...

      Delete
  11. Nothing but a crash every time on both TC and Albion

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  12. Is there a way to change the depth positions of certain elements?
    The biggest problem I have is,that the BG stars and Nebulae dome is in the wrong depth.

    It should be much further into the background, instead ships and stations are intersecting with it, depending on their distance to Cam.
    The UI is also in the wrong depth,though this is somewhat more tolerable than the BG stars being in the FG.
    Effects like planetary rings are also breaking beadly in zdepth.

    I tried the helix mod (kudos btw!).
    It didn't fix this issue but disabled the UI and the mouse cursor on the latest TC/AP updates.

    Thanks for any help!

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  13. Maybe it's just me, but standard X3:AP (v3.0) looks actually quite good without the fix. There are only these two problems that I could make out so far:
    o the system map is in 3D, whereas the description "overlay" of these systems is in 2D; which looks kinda cool, but... also weird -> this is only a minor issue
    o the real problem - which unfortunately makes it rather unplayable - is, that the borders around ships/stations/etc. is 2D, but should be 3D and in the same depth as those objects

    Using your fix with the .dll "Deep ThoughtApril 8, 2012 at 6:02 AM" has posted does fix exactly that and is quite playable at last! The menus are all 2D and so one doesn't even need to switch the cursor pane :-)
    The only problem there is with the "left PiP" which looks screwed and the left sidebar which is about 1cm off from the left screen border.

    Now, when using your fix with the newest .dll (16.03.2012), all those previous problems are corrected, BUT now the menus are 3D, meaning it's actually harder to focus on the right "plane":
    o you have to switch the cursor from deep to shallow 3D (which is inconvenient, not a problem)
    o but this is a serious problem: the information right at the center of the screen, displaying your speed, the range to the object and its speed is at the wrong depth, making it impossible to use the latest .dll

    Is there some "in-between" version of the two dll's I could use? With all the fixes but with 2D HUD?
    That would be so frakin awesome^^

    Thanks, I'll keep my fingers crossed!

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  14. Yea I'm having the same problem with the speed/range being in the wrong depth write on the cross hairs, its causes major eye strain trying to look around it. Its a shame because this is so damn beautiful in 3D. I'm guessing the lack of responses means this one is done.

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  15. nice, but the depth of certain objects (stars) is wrong.

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  16. Second game i tried today and both not very nice.
    Many objects are not in depth makes you look very weird and headaches.
    Seems that new games these days are not different from the older games with 3D.
    I got the feeling this 3D is kinda worthless for games.
    Can you tell me please what games are very close to perfect to play in 3D except Portal 2? Because that game i know it's made with 3D in mind. but apparently the most fixes are not really fix things. Could be me but crosshairs and mouse, HUD things are not fixed which makes playing games a pain in the eyes.
    Sorry guys and special the person that tries to fix this but i have to say this. It's not work well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can tell you are the same person who posted on Alien Isolation.
      No offense but you did something wrong there and are a pretty damn dramatic person.

      Alien Isolation is great in 3D if you follow Instructions.
      This game has issues.

      Anywho... 3D depends on your display alot. If your using a shitty display then your experience won't be too great.

      I recorded videos. You can judge games from that and try it out. If you want. Also can ask on nvidia forums what are the best 3D vision games. Not all games are created = for 3D. But yeah... your doing somethinf wrong on Alien Isolation.
      Games that aren't here that are innately good are Batman Arkham Asylum/city, Max payne 3, Witcher 2, and a lot of others that I am mentally forgetting. My blog is a good place to go to for beginners as well.
      http://ramblingsofa3dgamer.blogspot.com/
      https://www.youtube.com/user/3DGAMINGMOVIES/videos
      http://www.3dvisionlive.com/user_videos/10525

      You should really be talking to people on 3d vision forums to get yourself set up. There are things you don't know about to get games to "pop" in 3d like convergence, etc.

      -Eqzitara

      Delete
  17. dramatic person? whoa, because it don't work? well thank you very much. last time i ever posted here aswell.
    Love you too

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, dramatic.
      "If this is how games will play in 3D then it is going nowhere. "
      Thats dramatic.

      Now calm down. Relax.
      Read my post. I am sure the person who worked on Alien Isolation will tell you what you did wrong when he gets online.
      Till then remain calm and read what I posted in detail. Since I went out of my way to help you.

      Delete
    2. There are like 100 videos you can check out before trying a game.

      Delete
  18. It's all solved, i have 3DVision ready Asus 27inch monitor and GTX 960 DCIIOC video card so i am good on that one. But please understand that when i try games and most don't work or description is not updated, i am not pleased as i spend many bucks on this hardware. So people here don't have to feel they are the one i put my finger at. These guys try to do good work. But it may have been said (how unfortunatly it may be) that most games are not work very well with 3D Vision. That is one of the reasons i don't buy Oculus and HTC Vive.
    What i do is posting on steam that developers really need to talk to these guys on Helix Mod so that they can fix the shaders better. So i hope they try to listen and work with them. But anyway, how dramatic this could sound, i guess that will never happen. But worth a try to ask the developers, but so far, no response from them whatsoever. So people that have 3D glasses kinda slammed out the field. That's why my reaction is like that. No offending to others, no. More like, DANG developers, why don't you talk with them.
    And i know darkstarsword on steam has developers as friends in his list so that gave me more the feeling, see they know eachother and still it's not fixed like we want to play it. So but for Alien Isolation game it is very impressive. That's how we would like to see it:)

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  19. Hi guys,

    Just reinstalled X3TC and the mod works and looks fantastic, especially with the cockpit mod installed. However, weirdly enough, 3DV simply won't launch at all with X3AP. Why is that ? Should work no ?

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  20. Can this work with non-steam X3TC/AP as well?

    I can use 3D Vision on X3TC, but monitor #3 does not work in 3D (using surround) :(
    I am also having problems getting it to run on steam X3 games.
    any ideas?

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