CM/Custom Shader Patch giving better frame rates with CPU/GPU optimising

[Mascot]

I'm not sure this is common knowledge and thought it deserved its own thread.
With a recent CM/Custom Shader Patch update we were given some experimental CPU and GPU optimising options.
They can be found in Content Manager's Settings > Custom Shader Patch > General Patch Settings

...and these are the options you need to tick.

Brief descriptions from the coder are (remember - these are still in development):

CPU options:
Merge meshes and Flatten nodes: should give improvement on a few unoptimized tracks, might screw up lighting configs

GPU options:
Optimize draw order: screws up online (will be fixed in next release), currently doesn't do anything when motion blur is enabled, should be safe to use and boost fps with AI and in cockpit view.
Optimize meshes: safe to have enabled, should give some improvement generally.

I've been doing some testing and just got a whopping 20fps increase in frame rate with all four of these options activated, hot-lapping at Zandvoort in the Lotus Evora GTC '14 (Kunos track, Kunos car for best benching). That basically means the difference between ASW and native 90fps in VR for me at high settings, which is pretty bloody impressive (980Ti/6600k). YMMV of course but there are definite gains to be had.

 

[Mascot]

Took me a moment to find it, too. It's under CM's own options page, not the AC options page in CM.

View attachment 281180

The average FPS is displayed in the Assetto Corsa Video settings page after you exit the game

Oops, yeah - totally forgot about that checkbox. Thanks!
I asked Ilja to add the FPS monitor to the Drive screen so it's front-and-centre after every driving session rather than having to go to Settings to see it. He says he'll patch it in with the next update.

 

[Cote Dazur]

Some further performance improvement to be gained in build 32

**v0.1.25-preview32**

• Proper build this time, sorry I messed up the last one;
• Weather FX fixed;
• New GPU optimizations now should work;
• Neck: option for base tilt;
• Graphic adjustments: option for separate replays color grading.

 

[Mascot]

Some further performance improvement to be gained in build 32

**v0.1.25-preview32**

• Proper build this time, sorry I messed up the last one;
• Weather FX fixed;
• New GPU optimizations now should work;
• Neck: option for base tilt;
• Graphic adjustments: option for separate replays color grading.

• Neck: option for base tilt;
I wonder if that'll finally fix the sleepy drivers on the GPL '67 mod..?

 

[Cote Dazur]

• Neck: option for base tilt;
I wonder if that'll finally fix the sleepy drivers on the GPL '67 mod..?

nope, still the same, it is the driver position in that mod who is at fault.

 

[Flibbberflops]

When I update to the latest version I lose 3D Smart mirrors. I have flip flopped back to a older version and back to the new version about 3 times and each time I lose the mirrors on the latest version.

 

[Ryno917]

When I update to the latest version I lose 3D Smart mirrors. I have flip flopped back to a older version and back to the new version about 3 times and each time I lose the mirrors on the latest version.

I lost my smart mirrors for a couple days, too. They spontaneously returned, though. No idea why.

 

[rd.king]

For some reason I don't have the custom shaders patch heading in my CM settings.
I have the full version of CM latest update
shaders patch installed
But I have no access to the shaders patch setting in CM
EDIT: checked again, apparently CM was not up to date.

 

[Sim Strata]

I have noticed that with particles on, many windows and in cockpit gauges are missing or not working. Also, the glass for some some other objects such as headlights on the RSS Vortex is missing for some other reason that I cannot find with the shaders enabled.

 

[Mascot]

I have noticed that with particles on, many windows and in cockpit gauges are missing or not working. Also, the glass for some some other objects such as headlights on the RSS Vortex is missing for some other reason that I cannot find with the shaders enabled.

Have you reported this on the Discord? It'll have a good chance of being fixed if you do. Tag @x4fab when you do.

 

[Crispin Williamson]

Hi
I have a 980ti and an i7 7700 and don't feel like AC runs amazing. Asw often kicks in when gpu and cpu are around 40%. Even at 90fps I get very slight bumps in frame rate in Kunis cars and tracks offline practicing on my own.
I have tried many things including bypassing oculus home using the ott and runtime hack .

Would you guys recommend using CM and trying these optimization options? I run most settings quite low currently (no post processing etc).

Thanks

 

[Cote Dazur]

Hi
I have a 980ti and an i7 7700 and don't feel like AC runs amazing. Asw often kicks in when gpu and cpu are around 40%. Even at 90fps I get very slight bumps in frame rate in Kunis cars and tracks offline practicing on my own.
I have tried many things including bypassing oculus home using the ott and runtime hack .

Would you guys recommend using CM and trying these optimization options? I run most settings quite low currently (no post processing etc).

Thanks

In CM on the left of each video setting if you click on the 3 dots it will show you what each setting will approximatively cost you in performance (FPS) that might help you optimize your settings. With your gpu you should comfortably be at 90 FPS when alone on a track with nice settings.

 

[Crispin Williamson]

Thanks, yeah I am but still get these very slight bumps in smoothness. Need to work out if it's worth installing CM

 

[Mascot]

Thanks, yeah I am but still get these very slight bumps in smoothness. Need to work out if it's worth installing CM

I'd say it definitely is worth it for a whole shed-full of different reasons.

 

[Crispin Williamson]

I lrecprevio read about performance being worse with CM on VR .I'm not bothered about extra functionality, just want to to run smooth would love to try the real mirrors thing .Guess I can always go back if it doesn't help

 

[Mascot]

I lrecprevio read about performance being worse with CM on VR .I'm not bothered about extra functionality, just want to to run smooth would love to try the real mirrors thing .Guess I can always go back if it doesn't help

Not sure where you read that, but there are CPU and GPU optimisations options in CM/shader patch that improve performance, not detract from it.

I really don't understand why anyone would be hesitant to use Content Manager and wonder sometimes where they get their information from. In tandem with the shader patch it's a total game changer.

 

[Sascha Guenther]

I run AC with an old 970 and a i7 4770k CPU. With the new implemented optimization stuff from Ilja, now I can run AC with all settings at max without any framerate drop. Especially the reflections settings - I always had to turn them to static with one frame rendering. Now it is on 1024x1024 with 3 frames at 60 FPS @ 1080p resolution. Also shadows at 4096 px. Wonderful. Thumbs up for your work x4fab.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Performance is worse with shader mod, not CM, two different things.
And mod is getting very close to OEM performance with these new tweaks, night is actually driveable.
And if you use any apps in VR, custom font rendering helps a lot with CPU load.

 

[Crispin Williamson]

Went with CM and the shader mod and with the mirrors on and the optimization it actually runs better. Blown away, the mirrors are amazing .CM is brilliant too

 

[Ryno917]

I run AC with an old 970 and a i7 4770k CPU. With the new implemented optimization stuff from Ilja, now I can run AC with all settings at max without any framerate drop. Especially the reflections settings - I always had to turn them to static with one frame rendering. Now it is on 1024x1024 with 3 frames at 60 FPS @ 1080p resolution. Also shadows at 4096 px. Wonderful. Thumbs up for your work x4fab.

What the damn hell!? I've got a 1080 and an i74790K and I can't come close to max settings. Almost everything is turned way down and I still can't manage a steady 45FPS. :|

Is that with AI? How many?

Performance is worse with shader mod, not CM, two different things.
And mod is getting very close to OEM performance with these new tweaks, night is actually driveable.
And if you use any apps in VR, custom font rendering helps a lot with CPU load.

Thanks, I'll have a look at that; hopefully it helps a bit.

 

[Sascha Guenther]

What the damn hell!? I've got a 1080 and an i74790K and I can't come close to max settings. Almost everything is turned way down and I still can't manage a steady 45FPS. :|

Is that with AI? How many?



Thanks, I'll have a look at that; hopefully it helps a bit.

I run AI races with 10 opponents mostly. See my actual AI race vid in the Road Atlanta thread. This was done with all maxed out settings. I only leave out FXAA since I use the SMAA overwriter feature from CM. And, of course, with 4x AA and 16x AF.