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.

 

[Authense]

Smart mirrors are really awesome in VR - what an advantage over the standard.

 

[GerbrandZ]

Smart mirrors are really awesome in VR - what an advantage over the standard.

I love the smart mirrors too. Especially the feature that you can see yourself and check your hair.

Along similar lines: especially in open wheel cars, it would be really nice if the orientation of your head in the game would match your real head. With VR this is possible. That way other drivers could see what way you are looking (e.g. to see if you check your mirorrs). Has this been considered?

Gerbrand

 

[Authense]

Yeah and I would to have hands and fingers visible too - especially during online games - so everyone would need to install something I guess.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

FXAA as always worked for me in VR, I can easily see the difference with the different settings.

May be Kunos don't know that.
"c:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\assettocorsa\cfg\video.ini"

[EFFECTS]
MOTION_BLUR=0
FXAA=0                ; doesn't work with OCULUS
SMOKE=3
RENDER_SMOKE_IN_MIRROR=1

 

[apex11]

This is all witch craft... INCREDIBLE,

 

[Ryno917]

I love the smart mirrors too. Especially the feature that you can see yourself and check your hair.

Along similar lines: especially in open wheel cars, it would be really nice if the orientation of your head in the game would match your real head. With VR this is possible. That way other drivers could see what way you are looking (e.g. to see if you check your mirorrs). Has this been considered?

Gerbrand

I have no idea if it translates in online play, and I'm certain it doesn't get saved with replays, but your driver's head does move around as you move your own head in VR with the Shader Patch. Next time you're playing, go into one of the external views and have a look. I still have the look left and right buttons mapped to my steering wheel for easy recentering of the VR view when I first load up the game, so I'll go into the chase cam, use one of the side look buttons so I can see the driver and the head moves with my own.

 

[Cote Dazur]

May be Kunos don't know that.
"c:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\assettocorsa\cfg\video.ini"

[EFFECTS]
MOTION_BLUR=0
FXAA=0                ; doesn't work with OCULUS
SMOKE=3
RENDER_SMOKE_IN_MIRROR=1

What happens when you try it? does it work or not? Kunos did not know either we could have night and wet driving.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

I have briefly tried SMAA activated with FXAA enabled in PP, and to be honest, can't reliably tell if anything changed, but I am running 200% SS.
I don't think deferred rendering works, same reason reshade has no effect in VR.

 

[Cote Dazur]

I have briefly tried SMAA activated with FXAA enabled in PP, and to be honest, can't reliably tell if anything changed, but I am running 200% SS.
I don't think deferred rendering works, same reason reshade has no effect in VR.

Well to me, with my CV1 at 1.5 SS, it is clearly more blurry with FXAA on.
maybe what they mean by does not work is that it does not add anything in VR, just more blurry.
All I can trust are my eyes, same with deferred rendering or reshade, if I do not see an effect I don't use it, but I always try.
Interesting to know that Ilja does not have VR and I am not sure any of his crew have one either, so they cannot test it.

 

[GerbrandZ]

I have no idea if it translates in online play, and I'm certain it doesn't get saved with replays, but your driver's head does move around as you move your own head in VR with the Shader Patch. Next time you're playing, go into one of the external views and have a look. I still have the look left and right buttons mapped to my steering wheel for easy recentering of the VR view when I first load up the game, so I'll go into the chase cam, use one of the side look buttons so I can see the driver and the head moves with my own.

Thanks. I will check next time. I agree it is not likely to be visible to other players, since they will not see the shader effects either

 

[RasmusP]

Can one gain fps by installing the custom shaders, deactivating as many features of it as possible and run the optimizations or will the custom shader pack always reduce fps and the optimizations only bring it close to default performance?

 

[Crispin Williamson]

Yes totally. I'm in VR and have activated the real mirrors only and optimization and it runs far better which is incredible .

 

[apex11]

hi can anyone explain this, i have come across a mod car the lambo gt3 that does this since i installed the shaders patch

 

[Ryno917]

Guessing an incorrectly set up windscreen which the Shader Patch isn't able to interpret properly to add the new functionality.

You might be able to modify the shader of the windscreen with CM to have values matching default content, but that will break online functionality

 

[Mascot]

hi can anyone explain this, i have come across a mod car the lambo gt3 that does this since i installed the shaders patch

View attachment 282390 View attachment 282391

I believe its something something transparency flag something something. I have the same issue with a few mod cars when the shader patch is active and the answer from the Discord flew right over my head like a fighter jet.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Speaking of performance optimization, Kunos smoke and particles were always huge performance killer.
Tried new Particles FX today on wet track with water spray, not once went into reprojection.
Unbelievable, and it looks better too.

Driving in the rain, with rain drops on windshield, working wipers, wet track mod, water spray, 90 fps, that's like living my dreams.

 

[Mascot]

Speaking of performance optimization, Kunos smoke and particles were always huge performance killer.
Tried new Particles FX today on wet track with water spray, not once went into reprojection.
Unbelievable, and it looks better too.

Driving in the rain, with rain drops on windshield, working wipers, wet track mod, water spray, 90 fps, that's like living my dreams.

Mind-blowing, isn't it? The team behind all this have done incredible work.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

After some more elaborate back and forth testing it doesn't seem like Particles FX makes any difference in VR (yet), not sure why I got jump in performance first time by just turning this on, turning it off now makes no difference, visual or in performance, still doing 90 fps though.

 

[Crispin Williamson]

Thanks. I will check next time. I agree it is not likely to be visible to other players, since they will not see the shader effects either

Has anyone been on a server together both with the shader to see if I can see each others head move?

 

[katikomer]

After some more elaborate back and forth testing it doesn't seem like Particles FX makes any difference in VR (yet), not sure why I got jump in performance first time by just turning this on, turning it off now makes no difference, visual or in performance, still doing 90 fps though.

Hey mate, can you kindly provide a screen shot of your video tab on n CM please. Interested to see how you have configured everything.