SweetFX and XD

[Martin Wessely]

Hey everyone,

does anybody know how both of those mods can work together in GTR2? If I install the d3d9.dll and the dxgi.dll of the SweetFX Mod - the XD-Plugin isnt working anymore because both use the same dll. I know - some years ago - one chap got it working together. So does anybody know how?

Mods:

SweetFX: https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/gemfx-with-sweetfx-v108-gtr2-preset.14304/
XD: https://www.racedepartment.com/downloads/gtr2-xd-2-16-map-plugin.23763/

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jempy]

I know the basic principle just by analyzing what's already done .... but cannot do it personally.

The principle is: each d3d9.dll may be renamed so that each one may be used separately for its own actions .... but doing so needs to create .ini files to make all that work together.

In my install I have a d3d9.dll, a d3d9_XD.dll and also a D3D9_hdr.dll .... for map plugin, XD and ENBseries ..... all those 3 dll are not the same size ... and here's what's mentioned in the ini files for those dll:

In the GTRMapPlugin.ini:
[GENERAL]
OriginalD3D9Dll=d3d9_hdr.dll
#OriginalD3D9Dll=DEFAULT

In the enbseries.ini:
[PROXY]
EnableProxyLibrary=1
InitProxyFunctions=1
ProxyLibrary=d3d9_xd.dll

That's the same way it should be done in your case also but how ???? ... I don't know as I got everything ready to install and perfectly working... that's all.... I just have to copy and paste

I hope a better answer will be given .... so maybe I'll be able to understand how it works finally.

 

[Martin Wessely]

i tried that, but didnt get to work properly - but thank you very much. Still no xd.

 

[Jempy]

As long as we don't know which one need to be renamed ... under which name and in which order ... that will remain the problem.
The real solution is surely not far from that .... but find the working one is not easy !

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

You can't do this with SweetFX as that is an d3d9.dll wrapper while the ENB d3d9.dll is an injector.

Jempy setup are:
D3d9,dll = the GTRMap plugin.
Which calls d3d9_Hdr.dll which are the d3d9.dll from ENB renamed to d3d9_Hdr.dll
D3d9_hdr.dll then calls d3d9_xd.dll

You do need the chain and you can only have one wrapper and that have to be the last one. in this case the XD!
So I doubt it can be done with those XD and Sweetfx.

 

[GTR233]

Both Jempy and Bjarne are right : you can have both ENB+XD (even triple TRACKMAP+ENB+XD) but only 1 with SweetFx.
That said, both ENB and SweetFx are old softs now and not optimized for GTR2 : a friend of mine contacted ENB author few years ago and answered that his versions are not dedicated to GTR2 and had no intention to make one so he agreed that there are some issues, especially inconstant framerate with fps drops and flickering sometimes by example. That's why I don't use these graphic plugins anymore especially with latest high polygons mods from AC/RF2 which need more resources.

 

[Jempy]

Thanks for your technical explanation, @Bjarne Hansen .... for those who understand them better than I do. ( wrapper or Injector are already unknown features for me )

@GTR233 ... why I'm still using ENB on my older GTR2 installs ? ... I'm conscious that it may bring mostly flickerings ( not really fps drops ) ... but I really like the graphic result that the author of a Graphic Mod Pack known under Pack HDV5 ( originally from France I think ) achieved with it and his personal "hdr" touch on it.
This pack I found years ago is a compilation of a lot of the best known graphical GTR2 mods. ( maybe you know it ! )
But for GTR2 Steam version I also have I didn't use it but rather your own 10th Anniversary enhancements.

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

Not a big fan on ENB myself but the only one that works. I even use it just to inject reshade into a program that otherwise will not use Reshade.
And you could likely use Reshade as replacment for SweetFx and gain fps with same settings.
Reshade is developed from SweetFX and in most cases much better.

A better way to get telemetry might be to use one of the Sim Hub or Sim Dash as replacement for XD and then use SweetFx or Reshade as you like.
But is does cost money and requires extra hardware.

 

[GTR233]

From my own experience and pc with :
- ENB 0.74 and previous series, as long as I play in dry conditions I lose around -15% fps so not that bad...but in rain conditions it is a nightmare as it is -50% fps.
- ENB 0.75 and above : no more huge fps drop, more stable and low fps impact... But awful flickering especially on horizon in some tracks.
That said I agree that ENB gives the best image for minimum tweaks in INI file (contrary to SweetFx and ReShade which are a lot more harder to edit) : very sad that Boris did not want to make a GTR2 version

 

[Jempy]

A better way to get telemetry might be to use one of the Sim Hub or Sim Dash as replacement for XD and then use SweetFx or Reshade as you like.
But is does cost money and requires extra hardware.

In fact, I also have Dashmeter Pro to display informations on my smartphone .... I'm sometimes using for other sims as well.
But my rig has its 21/9 ultrawide 32" monitor a bit too low and a smartphone is a bit hiding too much of the bottom of the screen ( T300RS being rather higher than my previous G27 ) ... reason why I don't use it so much ....

Moreover, maybe a bit too used with XD for GTR2 as I used it also for years with ... Race07.
For GTR2 at the time... it was interesting online as it might be used for modifying pitstops on track

Maybe I could try to use Reshade ... when I'll have more time.
I rarely really drive GTR2 finally .... more to see my paintings and WIP modded cars in game letting the AI drive than for a real race.

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

In fact, I also have Dashmeter Pro to display informations on my smartphone .... I'm sometimes using for other sims as well.
But my rig has its 21/9 ultrawide 32" monitor a bit too low and a smartphone is a bit hiding too much of the bottom of the screen ( T300RS being rather higher than my previous G27 ) ... reason why I don't use it so much ....

Moreover, maybe a bit too used with XD for GTR2 as I used it also for years with ... Race07.
For GTR2 at the time... it was interesting online as it might be used for modifying pitstops on track

Maybe I could try to use Reshade ... when I'll have more time.
I rarely really drive GTR2 finally .... more to see my paintings and WIP modded cars in game letting the AI drive than for a real race.

Got same issue by not having a real good place for a 7" tablet as telemetry display.
And yes XD is real convenient as it doesn't require any HW can be locate anywhere on the screen and turned on and off with a key stroke.

If not using Gtr2 what sim do you use ?

 

[Jempy]

AC - ACC mainly for years for the 1st and both now ... but also R3E and Automobilista ( 1 and 2 now ) when I could.

GTR2 is mainly as a member of a modding team: skinner mostly but also learnt mapping, creating templates and some 3D little works with Blender ( more modifications in fact or little cuts ).
Busy there since 2014 and a very long Le Mans story is not ended yet.

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

Out of curiosity I tried the dll's from the HDv5 pack and it didn't work for me.
Might be Windows 10, might be Nvidia driver.

 

[Jempy]

I have Win10 but not the latest Nvidia driver .... and GTR2 is not in C drive and it is not the latest XD either... might it be a reason ?

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

Nether of my Gtr2 installs are on C drive ether
I do have XD but no Moving Map, which is fine as I do not care much for track maps.
Just curious why it doesn't work?
Also noticed that if I try the moving map + XD. The map d3d9.dll while not showing the track map does call XD

 

[Jempy]

Track map has different options and one of them is ... invisible .... but XD is showing also in this case.
Using 0 of the numpad allows to toggle those map options.

This is surely the reason for your last observation.

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

Still nothing, toggling the map on gives me a CTD!

No worries as one of the first thing I looks for in a new sim is how to turn off the moving track map.
But from the Pack HDv5 The enb and xd workes fine.
And you are right the ENB is ok without being hard on Fps.

 

[Jempy]

For track map ... I'm so used with it Online ( especially for qualifying laps finding the right time to leave pits for more free space in front and behind .... and being prudent when leaving pits in case of pitstops or rejoining the track in case of ... accident or loss of control ) that I'm feeling poor without it.

( finally it's more a question of forgetting to have it back in game when needed online of course ... although not driving GTR2 online at all nowadays )

NB: in fact, what I miss the most in GTR2 is .... Crew Chief ... this spotter and engineer is really a perfect tool when wishing to avoid too much hud ( or hud at all ) on the screen.

 

[Bjarne Hansen]

( finally it's more a question of forgetting to have it back in game when needed online of course ... although not driving GTR2 online at all nowadays )

NB: in fact, what I miss the most in GTR2 is .... Crew Chief ... this spotter and engineer is really a perfect tool when wishing to avoid too much hud ( or hud at all ) on the screen.

Apart from a few guys living close by racing on a LAN I have never raced online with Gtr2 so never had much use for the track and now I use VR for the few times I go online so still no need for a moving track map.

Do agree 100% with you about Crew chief that would be great to get in game.
Maybe the best add-on overall in sim racing?

Still trying to find a way to inject XD as I use ether Dx12 or Vulcan wrapper for Gtr2 so XD needs to be injected first.
But have had no luck until now not even with DXwrapper!

 

[Jempy]

Do agree 100% with you about Crew chief that would be great to get in game.
Maybe the best add-on overall in sim racing?

Still trying to find a way to inject XD as I use ether Dx12 or Vulcan wrapper for Gtr2 so XD needs to be injected first.
But have had no luck until now not even with DXwrapper!

I never tried Crew Chief in Rfactor, as I read it was possible and working ( enough sims already on PC and I'm not a specialist of Rfactor as I prefered GTR2 at the start ) .... but I may think that if it works for RFactor maybe it would be not too difficult to adapt it to GTR2 (they should be very similar I guess ).
The problem is find someone able to do that and moreover still very interested in GTR2 in order to spend time on such a work.

Maybe the best add-on overall in sim racing? ... I also think it's one of the best ones of course.

For XD .... I don't know why you have no luck with it ? .... I'm not at all a specialist in this kind of things .... a pure noob rather

NB I just noticed you're living in Brazil ! ... Online must not be very easy there ... not many servers accessible I suppose ?