Found something everyone might want to consider doing

[leovampire]

Originaly Panthercules was having some major stutter problems with his game and did some digging to in his game to see what might be going on and found some discrepencies in the main CFG file's that differed from what he wanted from settings and more.

I went a step further and fully checked out the main settings for graffic's and more and so far everyone who has made these changes have gotten better frame rate's and a smoother running game.

These file's can be opened and adjusted with any thing like word pad after making changes just save them and start up the game and play.

Data/CFG/Main.cfg and GFXSettings.cfg and Effects.cfg

This is my set up for the Data/CFG/Main.cfg:

[SETTINGS]
LoadingMovie=No
VoiceCommand=No
DisableMessages=No
EventCamera=No

[TIME COMPRESSION]
TimeStop=0
RealTime=1
LandProximity=4
CriticalDamage=1
CrewEfficiency=128;1
AirEnemyDetected=1
SoundEffects=2
CharacterAnim=4
EnemyDetected=8
RadioReport=8
Particles=8
PrayState=8
HunterState=32
3DRender=32
Maximum=8192

[VIDEO]
Resolution=1024,768,60,22 this one depends on what you have the video graffic's set for.
DynamicShadows=Yes this was no
FullScreen=Yes
Synchronized=Yes this was no I had it checked for a yes
TextureResolutionHigh=Yes

[SOUND]
Music=Yes
VolumeGeneral=100
VolumeMusic=100
VolumeFx=100
VolumeSpeech=100
VolumeRadio=100
VolumeGeneralMute=false
VolumeMusicMute=True this was false even though I had it checked in game
VolumeFxMute=false
VolumeSpeechMute=false
VolumeRadioMute=false
Max3DSounds=32
SoundTravel=True this was false even though I had it checked in game

[Ubi.Com]
GameName=SILENTHUNTER4
Version=SH4PC1.0
RememberCDKey=true

[DEVELOPING]
DevDebugEnable=No this was yes
DevEditEnable=No this was yes
MiniDump=No this was yes


Now for the Data/CFG/GFXSettings.cfg:

[Minimum]
DepthBufferEffects=0
Filters=0
Glare=0
UnderwaterDispMap=0
LightShafts=1 this was 0
3DShipWakes=1 this was 0
DetailedWaveRipples=1 this was 0
UnitNormalMaps=1
ShipCausticsEffects=1 this was 0
Ship3DDamage=0
CharacterDetail=1 this was 0
ParticlesDetail=5
TerrainObjectsDensity=2
TerrainObjectsLODSize=10
GammaCorrection=50
VolumetricFog=0

[Medium]
DepthBufferEffects=0
Filters=0
Glare=0
UnderwaterDispMap=1
LightShafts=1
3DShipWakes=1
DetailedWaveRipples=1
UnitNormalMaps=1
ShipCausticsEffects=1
Ship3DDamage=1
CharacterDetail=1
ParticlesDetail=8
TerrainObjectsDensity=5
TerrainObjectsLODSize=8
GammaCorrection=50
VolumetricFog=0

[Full]
DepthBufferEffects=1
Filters=1
Glare=1
UnderwaterDispMap=1
LightShafts=1
3DShipWakes=1
DetailedWaveRipples=1
UnitNormalMaps=1
ShipCausticsEffects=1
Ship3DDamage=2
CharacterDetail=1
ParticlesDetail=10
TerrainObjectsDensity=8
TerrainObjectsLODSize=5
GammaCorrection=50
VolumetricFog=1

now for the Data/CFG/effects.cfg:

[WaterDroplets]
DifractionCoef=0.03
WaterSpeed=3
MaxBlurMipMap=4

[BlurEffect]
MaxBlurMipMap=4

[Glare]
LOD0Factor=0.7 these are level of detail setting's
LOD1Factor=0.7 these are level of detail settings
LOD1=3 this is a total level of detail setting

I hope it help's people out for their own game's. Also as it has been pointed out in the main SHIV save folder in My Document's there are file's in there that can be adjusted. MyDocuments/SHIV/Data/CFG Main.cfg and GFXSettings.cfg

[leovampire]

And also gave Kriller2 an increase of 8 FPS above and beyond what he already had. You end up with better graffics as well with thr reflections and more.

[stabiz]

Nice find! I was crusading against micro-stutters in the early days of SH4, but we never came up with anything apart from the Devdebug-thingy. I dont have the stutters with my 8800 (had a 7950GT), but I will try this anyway.

Edit: No noticable difference here, but then I dont have any problems at all.

[Hartmann]

And also gave Kriller2 an increase of 8 FPS above and beyond what he already had. You end up with better graffics as well with thr reflections and more.


What mod is it ?? :hmm:

thanks

[leovampire]

And also gave Kriller2 an increase of 8 FPS above and beyond what he already had. You end up with better graffics as well with thr reflections and more.


What mod is it ?? :hmm:

thanks

This is manual changes that you have to make to these 3 file's in your own game using something like word pad then save start up the game and you are good to go.

[Gunner]

Made a nice improvement in my game, maybe cause dynamic shadows was turned off, line on horizon , transition looks much better. allaround nice improvement on my 8800 GTS card. Changed files in saved game as well as SH4 root directory just to be sure, nice find Leo. Thanks for info :up:

[AVGWarhawk]

I'll give this a try with the ATI card. Report back later:up:



Ok, I made a few minor changes as most of what was there was the same as you posted. No frame gain noticed. Anyway, I forgot about the minidump deal and change all those to no.

[Fincuan]

Are you sure it helps to alter those CFGs in the main game folder? Just asking, because main.cfg and GFXSettings.cfg also exist in My Documents/SH4, which has traditionally been the place to do it. Also, all my gfx settings are as they should be in the My Documents/SH4/Data/main.cfg, while the one located with the main game has none of them.

[Ragtag]

Are you sure it helps to alter those CFGs in the main game folder? Just asking, because main.cfg and GFXSettings.cfg also exist in My Documents/SH4, which has traditionally been the place to do it. Also, all my gfx settings are as they should be in the My Documents/SH4/Data/main.cfg, while the one located with the main game has none of them.

I'm thinking the same because the cfg files in the gamefolder is the default settings, while the cfg files in the documentsfolder is the ones being used by the player.

[capt_frank]

Made a nice improvement in my game, maybe cause dynamic shadows was turned off, line on horizon , transition looks much better. allaround nice improvement on my 8800 GTS card. Changed files in saved game as well as SH4 root directory just to be sure, nice find Leo. Thanks for info :up:

Worked great for me also, much better look, thanks!

[leovampire]

Made a nice improvement in my game, maybe cause dynamic shadows was turned off, line on horizon , transition looks much better. allaround nice improvement on my 8800 GTS card. Changed files in saved game as well as SH4 root directory just to be sure, nice find Leo. Thanks for info :up:

Worked great for me also, much better look, thanks!

I try to share what I find in the game that can help others.

[MONOLITH]

I'm thinking the same because the cfg files in the gamefolder is the default settings, while the cfg files in the documentsfolder is the ones being used by the player.

Honestly, I believe this is correct and this is how the game engine sees it to. If you were to select "default settings" in the options screen, the game would read the cfg's in the SH4 folder to make the default selections.

That's how it appears to me, anyway.

The only real visible effects actually occur when the cfg's in the C:/My documents/ folder are changed. There has to be 2 cfg's; one for the players choices, and one for the game to know what the defaults are.

[jazman]

I modified some things in my user's directory main.cfg. I have an NVIDIA 7600 GT, it seems to have improved my framerate by about 7 fps.

[capt_frank]

I made the changes this morning in the My Documents/SH4 folder as I did last nite in the main game CFG files, with the exception of "Synchronized", and I am enjoying the same great benefits.

Works for me! :up:

[simonb1612]

Does anyone know whether this kind of information is forwarded to the devs? It would be a shame if they were unaware of it with a patch due to be released. It would seem to be the kind of change that they could easily do and maybe improve on...:hmm:

[John Channing]

The developers regularly consult this forum for feedback and advise.

JCC

[Salty Longshanks]

Leo, or anyone in the know. I'm in the process of making these changes as we speak, but I've got a (foolish?) question about the following string.
[VIDEO]
Resolution=1024,768,60,22

Obviously, the 1024,768 is the resolution (which was incorrect from the way I had it setup in game) but what is the 60, and the 22. Taking a guess, I'd say the 60 is the refresh rate Hz, but I don't have a clue what the 22 is. Any help would be great! TIA guys. :hmm:

[leovampire]

Leo, or anyone in the know. I'm in the process of making these changes as we speak, but I've got a (foolish?) question about the following string.
[VIDEO]
Resolution=1024,768,60,22

Obviously, the 1024,768 is the resolution (which was incorrect from the way I had it setup in game) but what is the 60, and the 22. Taking a guess, I'd say the 60 is the refresh rate Hz, but I don't have a clue what the 22 is. Any help would be great! TIA guys. :hmm:

I have my refresh rate set the same as it is for my desk to which is 60hz but I think the last figure is actual game refresh rate as I have timed it in game and it seem's to match.

[Salty Longshanks]

Leo, or anyone in the know. I'm in the process of making these changes as we speak, but I've got a (foolish?) question about the following string.
[VIDEO]
Resolution=1024,768,60,22

Obviously, the 1024,768 is the resolution (which was incorrect from the way I had it setup in game) but what is the 60, and the 22. Taking a guess, I'd say the 60 is the refresh rate Hz, but I don't have a clue what the 22 is. Any help would be great! TIA guys. :hmm:

I have my refresh rate set the same as it is for my desk to which is 60hz but I think the last figure is actual game refresh rate as I have timed it in game and it seem's to match.

First up, thanks for the quick reply Leo. So what your saying is, I can just change the 60 to my actual refresh rate, and leave the 22 alone and I should be good?

[leovampire]

Leo, or anyone in the know. I'm in the process of making these changes as we speak, but I've got a (foolish?) question about the following string.
[VIDEO]
Resolution=1024,768,60,22

Obviously, the 1024,768 is the resolution (which was incorrect from the way I had it setup in game) but what is the 60, and the 22. Taking a guess, I'd say the 60 is the refresh rate Hz, but I don't have a clue what the 22 is. Any help would be great! TIA guys. :hmm:

I have my refresh rate set the same as it is for my desk to which is 60hz but I think the last figure is actual game refresh rate as I have timed it in game and it seem's to match.

First up, thanks for the quick reply Leo. So what your saying is, I can just change the 60 to my actual refresh rate, and leave the 22 alone and I should be good?

Seeing it is easily setable from the game menu and always seems to take I would leave that one alone and only set it in game to the resilutions you want.

I run my game at 1280x1024 @60hz and as you can see it dosn;t show the 1280 only the 1024 so maybe that should be left alone. I only included it so that no one would get screwed up in refrence line's.

[THE_MASK]

I have tried everything there is to try , to get better framerates . It is my conclusion that the only way to get better frame rates is a better graphics card LOL .

[leovampire]

I have tried everything there is to try , to get better framerates . It is my conclusion that the only way to get better frame rates is a better graphics card LOL .

Kriller2 got better frame rates with better grafic's on his older ATI card.

Solved camera movment stutter for Pantherclies

Gave me better frame rate and slightly better reflections on the ocean.

But it changes from PC to PC and graffic's card to graffic's card.

[leovampire]

The Dynamic Shadow's is not the lighting option you have can turn on and off in the game graffic's menu. If your card can run it this is the effect the Dynamic Shadow's can create.

http://static3.filefront.com/images/personal/r/reflections/112772/lpxcmwznjx.jpg
http://static3.filefront.com/images/personal/r/reflections/112772/crwtikjwkw.jpg
http://static3.filefront.com/images/personal/r/reflections/112772/tnszhvqgof.jpg

Basicly it enhances the shadow effect inbetween each high and lower object that blocks the light source. So it tend's to bring out more the ocean's detail work. Looking at the sun set you can see the shadow of each wave ripple the blocks the light.

[Galanti]

I'm kind of interested in the LOD settings in effects.cfg. Anybody have any idea what the values mean?

[Fincuan]

If you make the changes specified in the first post, remember to make them to the files in My Documents/Sh4 folder. The main.cfg and GfxSettings.cfg in the SH4 folder have absolutely no effect on how the game runs. You can actually remove the files, and the only thing you lose is the default(low/med/high) settings in the gfx options.

[Doolittle81]

...
I run my game at 1280x1024 @60hz and as you can see it dosn;t show the 1280 only the 1024 so maybe that should be left alone. I only included it so that no one would get screwed up in refrence line's.

It seems to me that if you check your main.ini config file in the Documents/SH4 folder, you will see that it contains the Correct settings reflecting what you are running SH4 at, resolution wise...and your other settings which you set in-Game. As noted above, these are the config files which are 'looked at' when you run the game.

On the other hand, the config files in the SH4/Data/Cfg folder, itself, are only the Default settings. Of course, when you make some changes in those default files, they can/will also be 'transferred' over to the player's config files in the Documents/SH4/data/cfg folder files...and you will therefore see the results in the Game.

In other words, the config files in the Documents/SH4/Data/Cfg folder over-ride the config files in the Ubisoft/Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific/SH4/Data/Cfg folder.

Or so it seems to me.


Edit: OOPS! Looks like this has already been explained...sorry i came in late.