FarCry 1.3 OpenEXR HDR Screenshots... Post 'em here!

tranCendenZ · Oct 25, 2004

new farcry 1.3 patch w/ OpenEXR HDR lighting:
http://files.filefront.com/3673678;/pub2/FarCry/Official Patches/

HOW TO ENABLE HDR

Requirements:
Nvidia GeForce 6 card
DirectX 9.0C (included in SP2)
Nvidia 61.77 or later drivers
FarCry 1.3 patch

1. Set all Graphic settings to "Very High."
2. Anti-Aliasing must be disabled.
3. Add:"r_hdrrendering 7" "e_vegetation_sprites_distance_ratio 100.000000" "r_TexNormalMapCompressed 1" with the quotes to your farcry shortcut. For example:
"C:\Program Files\FarCry\Bin32\FarCry.exe" "r_hdrrendering 7" "e_vegetation_sprites_distance_ratio 100.000000" "r_TexNormalMapCompressed 1"
4. I recommend lowering your resolution to 1280x1024 or 1024x768 depening on CPU & GPU core speed. 1280x1024 is more appropriate for high speed athlon 64 CPUs with 6800U (or 6800GT @ 6800U) while 1024x768 works better for lower end P4 CPUs with 6800GT @ stock speeds.

HDR Variables

You can change the value of "r_hdrrendering 7" specifed above to any value between 1 and 11 to change the light rays of the HDR. "7" appears to be the optimal setting. However, if you are having performance problems, try changing the setting to "2," which disables most of the light ray effect but gives a large performance increase.

also, these are the default brightness levels, you can adjust them to make the HDR to your liking (default values shown)
r_HDRBrightOffset = "6.000000" (lower value = brighter HDR lighting)
r_HDRBrightThreshold = "3.000000" (lower value = brighter HDR eye blinding effect)
r_HDRLevel = "0.600000" (higher value = more light blooming)

If you feel the HDR is a bit oversaturated or too bright, on the main menu, go to:
Options/Video Options, and change "Render Mode" to "Cold."

HDR Movies

No hdr vs. OpenEXR HDR
http://www.reflectonreality.com/images/nv40/fchdr/fchdr.wmv
note the extreme brightness when I turn on HDR is just it initializing, if you start the game with HDR enabled you don't see that

OpenEXR HDR - Out of the Carrier
pay special attention to the lighting effects when coming out of the darker carrier into the bright sunlight
http://www.reflectonreality.com/images/nv40/fchdr/fchdr2.wmv
That quick light transition effect is supposed to simulate what happens when you come out of a really dark environment into a really bright one - at first the bright environment will overwhelm you you until your eyes can adjust, that is what the HDR is simulating.

Note the minor chopiness in these movies is from the capture software killing my hd, the game is smooth during gameplay

tranCendenZ · Oct 25, 2004

HDR Screenshots

1280x1024 0xAA/8xAF

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

more to come later

jkr266 · Oct 25, 2004

is there any way to tone down the effect, ot looks like they went too far to me. it looks a little more realisitc than the non hdr shot, but would be much better if they toned it down some. how does it affect performance?

tranCendenZ · Oct 25, 2004

jkr266 said:
is there any way to tone down the effect, ot looks like they went too far to me. it looks a little more realisitc than the non hdr shot, but would be much better if they toned it down some. how does it affect performance?

Yes, there are 11 levels of HDR,
simply use:
\r_hdrrendering 7

except the 7 can be anything between 1 and 11 with varying degrees of how potent the effect is. 7 is a good one to demonstrate what it can do, while if it is too much for you, you can tone it down to a lower level.

Impact on performance its quite large - if you could run at 1600x1200 smooth, now you can probably only run at 1024x768 or 1280x1024 depending on speeds as I noted in the first post.

the effect is incredible in motion, the light reacts very realistically in a way much different than when HDR is disabled.

tranCendenZ · Oct 25, 2004

Some more from "Carrier" & "Fort"

1280x1024 0xAA/8xAF

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

************

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

************

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

NO HDR

SAME IMAGE W/ OPENEXR HDR

**********

OPENEXR HDR

damn awesome. the game just looks washed out now without HDR, which makes it look sooo much richer. was worth the wait

Mr Mean · Oct 25, 2004

Dude take come pictures of the catacombs!....please?

tranCendenZ · Oct 25, 2004

pxc · Oct 25, 2004

whoa. sweet++

Brent_Justice · Oct 25, 2004

btw e_vegetation_sprites_distance_ratio 100.000000 doesn't have anything to do with HDR, you don't have to use that CVAR for HDR

nweibley · Oct 25, 2004

IMHO it looks oversaturated. I would like to play with it turned down a bit lower. I bet it looks pretty interesting

6800GTOwned · Oct 25, 2004

Oh man, the HDR effects are GORGEOUS! I was kinda skeptical considering ya have to ditch AA for it, but damn, is it worth it. Those screenshots don't do it justice, you really have to see it in action to get a feel for it. With HDR, in Far Cry @ 1280x1024 with my card set to "High Quality" and V-Sync on, it looks like I'm getting ~ 30fps but I don't care! It's so pretteh!

Stanley Pain · Oct 25, 2004

Hrrm, looks okay, but the colours reek too much of "digital vibrance" to me.

If it didn't blast the colours out so much it would look a lot more natural.

SystemERRor · Oct 25, 2004

Merciful Zeus....

Those pictures are... are... are.......

Oh crap.... I just crapped.... ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

If i can get PS3.0 enabled from the get-go ill be gtg

R1ckCa1n · Oct 25, 2004

I found that 4 is a much better setting that doesn't look so fake. I must say it kills your FPS.

Dunno if the eye candy is worth the low FPS.

Xxplosiv · Oct 25, 2004

OMG it is so worth it. BTW is sm3 enabled by default or do u gotta have "r_sm30path" in the shortcut?

SystemERRor · Oct 25, 2004

Xxplosiv said:
OMG it is so worth it. BTW is sm3 enabled by default or do u gotta have "r_sm30path" in the shortcut?

Yeah i got a 6800, and sm 3 helped in 1.2 (a lot).... It says 3.0 is enabled if you set to very high, which im not gonna.

6800GTOwned · Oct 25, 2004

sm3 is enabled by default

Xxplosiv · Oct 25, 2004

i am about to make a video just to show all you ATI users the HDR goodness that this brings us. its impossible not to love it when you play it, its just not possible. unless it gives you flash backs of WW2 in IWO Jima and you pull out your gun and shoot up your computer and half the neighborhood.

6800GTOwned · Oct 25, 2004

Xxplosiv said:
i am about to make a video just to show all you ATI users the HDR goodness that this brings us. its impossible not to love it when you play it, its just not possible.

Well, I dunno if I'd go that far just yet... I just booted up Far Cry again, and when I tried to use the "Cry-Vision" goggles in a night stage all the enemies (and my character's arm) were grayed out along with the foliage and what not, instead of showing up as bright orange/purple. That's kind of a buzz kill.... Is anyone else getting this error

The Batman · Oct 25, 2004

About the colors being washed out. Set your renderer to Paradise mode. That way you can get those colors without HDR.

Personally, niffy feature to fool around with but for right now I'd rather take 1600x1200 4xAA 8xAF. Jaggies are really pronounced in Far Cry, OpenEXR might have been better with Doom3, if there were any lights that is.

tranCendenZ · Oct 25, 2004

Are there any freeware utils that make good vids? I know fraps does but that costs $$ to register.

joecuddles · Oct 25, 2004

While it does look nice, and I'm sure it looks great in motion, being bumped down to 1024 with no AA is not something to consider. I've been playing CS:S in 2048 with 2xAA / 16xAF, D3 in 1600 along with Far Cry, Painkiller, etc, and am looking forward to HL2 at 1600 and such. What I'm trying to say is, you're asking me to go from those resolutions with AA down to 1024 without? No effect could be pretty enough, in my opinion.

Maybe with the R520 (or NV50, whoever wins

) they'll be fast and powerful enough to allow for higher resolutions, but until then, no thanks. I say this from an unbiased standpoint, even if I had a 6800U (which I almost did), you wouldn't find me playing at 1024 with no AA for some pretty light effects, but that's me. Without AA, I see 1280 as a minimum, with 1600 preferred obviously. Hopefully the next gen will bring us that kind of power.

joecuddles · Oct 25, 2004

tranCendenZ said:
Are there any freeware utils that make good vids? I know fraps does but that costs $$ to register.

You're shopping at the wrong place. The suprstore is the place to be

SystemERRor · Oct 25, 2004

There is the freeware fraps...but small videos.

There is somethin called "Planet Game Cam"

6800GTOwned · Oct 25, 2004

Can someone else try out Cry-Vision with HDR enabled? I'm curious about whether this is a side effect of HDR or whether my comp is just being a tard.

Xxplosiv · Oct 25, 2004

whats funny is the pretty lighting draws my attention from the jaggies, so i cannot find them anymore, its kinda crazy. hmmm i wonder if i should take a pic with 16x AA 16x af just to see how it could look

Xxplosiv · Oct 25, 2004

another rushed patch. theres no pruple for heat objects like ther used to be, there all greyed out

also, i get forklift bug sometimes

Mr Mean · Oct 25, 2004

Anybody with a high end system post a FRAPS video of HDR please.

Xxplosiv · Oct 25, 2004

i would, but somehow my hosts hosts host exeeded its bandwidth, which i didnt know ther was a host of a host, so its all very confusing to me and i cant post the vid

lithium726 · Oct 25, 2004

wow, that looks pretty awesome. downloading 1.3 now, ill post catacombs pics soon

6800GTOwned · Oct 25, 2004

Xxplosiv said:
another rushed patch. theres no pruple for heat objects like ther used to be, there all greyed out

glad it's not just me... but still... damn it

SidewinderX · Oct 25, 2004

looks nice, but the it just looks like they upped the contrast on the outdoor levels.

Xxplosiv · Oct 25, 2004

the thing is, when you look at objects emitting light, it auto exposes kinda like your eyes do when you look at something dark or bright. as in, if your looking into a dark jungle, then suddenly look up at the sun, alot of the sky will be very very bright for a few seconds, then slowly it adjusts till you can see the sun, but the dark jungle gets even darker, where you start to have trouble seeing in it. that effect alone is what i like about it

lithium726 · Oct 25, 2004

down till i can get some hotlinking action, and my images sorted through...

edit: this place will no longer let me hotlink.. what a bunch of crap. anyone got an image hoster that will allow hotlinking?

Liam · Oct 25, 2004

I've always wondered... how do you bring up the FPS with far cry?

Xxplosiv · Oct 25, 2004

photobucket kinda works, no pics bigger than 250k tho :/

lithium726 · Oct 25, 2004

\r_displayinfo 1

inglewood78 · Oct 25, 2004

I cant even play the damn game with HDR b/c my framerates are taking big hits...darnit!

Xxplosiv · Oct 25, 2004

its ye old tbred lol. try at res of 640x480 or somethin

xenogears · Oct 25, 2004

The screenshots do look nice, but I honestly don't think HDR can be considered a must have or triple A feature until it's compatible with AA. Those screenshots were so jaggy I almost lost an eye. I guess I'm more adverse to jaggies then most people, but it's something I notice right away in all games, even at 1600x1200 resolution. And for the people who say they are too busy fragging to notice jaggies, the same could be said for HDR.

FarCry 1.3 OpenEXR HDR Screenshots... Post 'em here!

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