Depth buffer detection modifications

BOTLester wrote: Hey, I have problem with depth buffer in several dx9 games (STALKER, Fallout New Vegas). As far as I remember it didn't work in Fallout 4 too so probably it is also problem with dx11. I tried thalixte custom dlls for dx9, but it still doesn't work, the only thing I could find in logs about depth buffer was this : "Failed to retrieve texture from depth surface! HRESULT is '0x80004002'."
Depth buffer is just empty.

ENB does have an access to depth buffer in those games, so i guess it's a problem with ReShade

Found a little time to test Reshade with Stalker (Shadow Of Tchernobyl). There is an AA setting to disable in the advanced graphic settings menu. The display (MSAA is inactive) is not right for this game in the DX9 tab.

With the official Reshade version, as well as with my own versions, Stalker depth buffer is accessible, when the ingame AA is disabled:

HELP! I'm having a hard time understanding the process of getting the depth buffer to work, specifically in Batman: Arkham Asylum. I'm not familiar with the file modification process for this. If anyone could give me a walk-through (that's easy to understand) of getting the MXAO to work I'd really appreciate it! I don't know what to copy, replace, modify specifically!

Virtuous. wrote: HELP! I'm having a hard time understanding the process of getting the depth buffer to work, specifically in Batman: Arkham Asylum. I'm not familiar with the file modification process for this. If anyone could give me a walk-through (that's easy to understand) of getting the MXAO to work I'd really appreciate it! I don't know what to copy, replace, modify specifically!

First of all, you have to use my own dll:
mega.nz/#!alAXwAzT!WItkhs5WeJr6P0nP4ggl1brW0HBKswACpe9faCoY5Fo

or this one:
mega.nz/#!r5Q2iABJ!KGjxuW45lO_CcklOQ4UXz4sl_gzukZuHWaB6ES4itZU

Secondly, you have to ensure the game is offline, and that the ingame MSAA is not enabled.

Thirdly, in the first Reshade's tab you have to change the preprocessor options (the RESHADE_DEPTH_INPUT_IS_REVERSED option, generally). Take a look at this thread: reshade.me/forum/troubleshooting/4810-ab...s-in-displaydepth-fx .
Then, you have to go to the DX9 tab, and play wit it. I will send you the settings that i use when i have some time...

I suggest you to use the last version of the displaydepth shader, as it show you both the normal and the depth map.

So I made some progress with getting MXAO to work in Batman Arkham Asylum, but the MXAO is still not working properly. I'm using the latest Reshade and I replaced the standard d3d9.dll with yours, selected the correct depth buffer and the MXAO isn't functioning properly.

Since I was finally able to find that d3d9.dll (thanks to your recent post), I was able to get the depth detection to work.


However, when applying MXAO, the shadow placement is only determined by the roundness of a 3d object, rather than placing shadows inbetween ojects that are close to each other. This is what happens

Glad to see you access the depth buffer.
Maybe you should ask @MartyMcFly for this MXAO stuff.

Wow, I thought the whole point of getting the Depth Buffer to work was to make MXAO work. Guess I wasted 2 hours trying to figure it out lol. So it seems like no matter what MXAO won't work with it. Maybe because it's dx9? I dunno.

Virtuous. wrote: Wow, I thought the whole point of getting the Depth Buffer to work was to make MXAO work. Guess I wasted 2 hours trying to figure it out lol. So it seems like no matter what MXAO won't work with it. Maybe because it's dx9? I dunno.

Nope, looks just like it does when the depth buffer had the wrong direction, so probably no wasted time. Try changing the preprocessor definition "Depth Buffer Reversed" and change it from 1 to 0 or vice versa and see if it helps.

Yes, Uncle Crassius is totally right. I did not think about that. If you can change the RESHADE_DEPTH_INPUT_IS_REVERSED value directly with the DisplayDepth shader, it is not necessary the case with the MXAO shader. So, you have to set the RESHADE_DEPTH_INPUT_IS_REVERSED in the preprocessor options according to the value you have set for the display depth shader. Also, MXAO works only in performance mode in some game (like in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.). I do not know why.

I should have mentioned I tried everything you two just pointed out. Changing any of the "Display Depth" options doesn't change the MXAO at all and I tried many combinations. The only thing that changed the MXAO whatsoever (and by change I mean just turning off and on) was by switching between the depthstencil boxes on the dx9 Reshade tab. Neither the "Disable depth buffer size restriction" or the "multiple depthstencil replacement buffer" options changed anything. Also, putting on performance mode made no changes. If anyone can get MXAO functioning properly on Batman: Arkham Asylum please let me know, because the in-game Ambient Occlusion is awful. For now I'm just using Nvidia Inspector Ambient Occlusion compatibility as a replacement, but it's still not that great.

Installing now. I'll let you know how it goes later if you don't beat me to it with a solution.

Best of luck to ya man! If you find a solution hit me up on steam steamcommunity.com/id/Virtuous-/

Replying here in case others have problems but it worked really straightforward.
- Installed ReShade 4.1 and only chose MXAO for testing purposes (I would refrain from using Display Depth altogether, I rather rely on MXAO's debug view option)
- Replaced the dll with thalixte's 32 bit dll he provided above.
- Used these settings (and proof it works): imgur.com/a/T63yfUr
That did the "trick". Works in the game as well, not only the main menu screen.

Uncle Crassius wrote: Replying here in case others have problems but it worked really straightforward.
- Installed ReShade 4.1 and only chose MXAO for testing purposes (I would refrain from using Display Depth altogether, I rather rely on MXAO's debug view option)
- Replaced the dll with thalixte's 32 bit dll he provided above.
- Used these settings (and proof it works): imgur.com/a/T63yfUr
That did the "trick". Works in the game as well, not only the main menu screen.

Thks a lot !

Thank you, too. Forgot to mention that I only own the GOTY version of Arkham Asylum. They only added a few maps so technically there shouldn't be any differences to the standalone version but you never really know.

Thanks for the help guys. After all the the hardcore setting tinkering I realized it was the in-game MSAA messing up the MXAO haha, I need more coffee! At least I learned a lot in the process.
However, I soon became frustrated by one of the annoyances of MXAO i've seen before - rendering through smoke/fog!

Because this is soo immersion breaking I'm just going to revert to the Nvidia Inspector Ambient Occlusion Compatibility setting since it does not show through smoke/fog.

Maybe one day MXAO will be advanced enough to detect when not to render through sprite effects like fog, smoke, and god rays. Until then, MXAO is only really good for games that have none of that; and that's rare lol!

Haha, yeah, fog's always an issue. I haven't tried it myself but GeDoSaTo manages to inject SSAO earlier in the render pipeline than ReShade.
[ blog.metaclassofnil.com/?p=821 ]

Hmmm interesting, I'll check into it...

I can't even get that gedosato thing installed. Last post on the website was from 2017. I'm guessing the thing doesn't even work anymore. Hmphh

I actually managed to get it running, sort of. To stop AO from bleeding will require further work, though, and it seems that the shadows get messed up occasionally flickering heavily with AO on. Maybe it's for the better so this thread won't derail even further.

I found an Issue with a DX1132 Bit game called Secret of Mana. Got it on sale on steam right now, tried to relive my childhood.

Anyways The issue is selecting depth buffers options that work don't really change anything and the ones that do change anything pick the same depth buffer.

Secret of Mana current screen

Secret of Mana Only Depth Buffer available.

Secret of Mana ReShade Log
pastebin.com/aZjWahhm