Far Cry Shadows

[thelanx]

Just reinstalled Far Cry and tried out the HDR in the 1.30 patch. However, I noticed that the shadows cast on the gun and on the floor by plants have huge blocks on the edges. It looks really low resolution and pixelated. I don't remember the shadows being so bad with my 9700pro before, in fact I think I recall that they had nice smooth edges. Does anyone else have huge blocks forming the edges of their shadows in far cry? BTW I'm running a 6800GT right now.

Ex. the edge of a plant might as a shadow with edges that look like this:
|_
_ |__
____|_


instead of a smooth curve. Basically huge blocky edges.

Edit: Here are some pics to illustrate the point. Pay attention the the edges of the shadows on the gun and on the hand. Also look at the shadows that the plants make on the ground. Notice the major pixelation.

pic1
pic2
pic3
pic4
pic5

Two shots of the great scenery in Far Cry (With HDR enabled)

pic6
pic7

 

[dug777]

cos you can't run AA with HDR IIRC

turn off HDR and put AA back on and the aliasing will go away

 

[thelanx]

Originally posted by: dug777
cos you can't run AA with HDR IIRC

turn off HDR and put AA back on and the aliasing will go away

It's not normal aliasing, I'm talking huge blocks, not normal artifacts. The blocks aren't the size of pixels, more like a quarter of a cm on the screen.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: thelanx

Originally posted by: dug777
cos you can't run AA with HDR IIRC

turn off HDR and put AA back on and the aliasing will go away

It's not normal aliasing, I'm talking huge blocks, not normal artifacts. The blocks aren't the size of pixels, more like a quarter of a cm on the screen.

okies

have you tried a different driver?
Is the problem there without HDR?

 

[thelanx]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: thelanx

Originally posted by: dug777
cos you can't run AA with HDR IIRC

turn off HDR and put AA back on and the aliasing will go away

It's not normal aliasing, I'm talking huge blocks, not normal artifacts. The blocks aren't the size of pixels, more like a quarter of a cm on the screen.

okies

have you tried a different driver?
Is the problem there without HDR?

Still there without HDR and with aa turned on, though AA helps a bit. I'll try diff. drivers tomorrow, using 71.89 drivers right now. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: thelanx

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: thelanx

Originally posted by: dug777
cos you can't run AA with HDR IIRC

turn off HDR and put AA back on and the aliasing will go away

It's not normal aliasing, I'm talking huge blocks, not normal artifacts. The blocks aren't the size of pixels, more like a quarter of a cm on the screen.

okies

have you tried a different driver?
Is the problem there without HDR?

Still there without HDR and with aa turned on, though AA helps a bit. I'll try diff. drivers tomorrow, using 71.89 drivers right now. Thanks for the suggestions.

You might find a diff driver set helps, it does sound like a driver problem.

 

[CP5670]

I have also noticed this problem in a number of games (UT2004, Splinter Cell, Far Cry) with the same card. I have tried many different driver versions and it's always been there, although the XG drivers seem to slightly reduce the effect. My old card, a Geforce 3, didn't have this issue either. Quite annoying actually, although I guess I have just gotten used to it after seeing it for many months.

Is there any way to upload images here? I can post a screenshot of this for those of you who don't know what he is talking about.

 

[McArra]

Ok, I have taken some screenshots, tell us if it looks like this:

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
A look to the distance, shadows look OK
The picture I like

EDIT: FIXED

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: McArra
Ok, I have taken some screenshots, tell us if it looks like this:

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
http://img30.echo.cx/img30/4509/farcry20050502092030049df.jpg">A view to the distance, Shadows look ok</a>
Just a beautiful looking screenie

Does the med kit glow like that cos of HDR ?

Put your water on ultra and that last screenie will look even hotter

 

[CP5670]

I can see it in pic 3 there with the chair's shadow, although it's not as bad as I have seen it in some other places since the floor texture is already somewhat dark. The fourth link doesn't seem to work.

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: McArra
Ok, I have taken some screenshots, tell us if it looks like this:

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
http://img30.echo.cx/img30/4509/farcry20050502092030049df.jpg">A view to the distance, Shadows look ok</a>
Just a beautiful looking screenie

Does the med kit glow like that cos of HDR ?

Put your water on ultra and that last screenie will look even hotter

Yep is HDR. This are my water settings, something I should Change? I used to have it in ultra but I like how it looks now customized more.

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: McArra

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: McArra
Ok, I have taken some screenshots, tell us if it looks like this:

Pic 1
Pic 2
Pic 3
http://img30.echo.cx/img30/4509/farcry20050502092030049df.jpg">A view to the distance, Shadows look ok</a>
Just a beautiful looking screenie

Does the med kit glow like that cos of HDR ?

Put your water on ultra and that last screenie will look even hotter

Yep is HDR. This are my water settings, something I should Change? I used to have it in ultra but I like how it looks now customized more.

if you run ultra (i haven't used that menu on mine, just enabled it in in the simple menu, so i'don't know what to change) for me means you get full on reflections and i can't see through the water surface like that.

I'd post a screenshot but i only have a mates GF4 mx in as my 9800 pro is being replaced

Nice screenshots tho

 

[McArra]

It reflect even birds, so I guess it is in very very high settings. The only thing I changed is that "use global fog" and I really like the looks of it, IMO it looks more life-like.
What happened to your 9800pro?

 

[dug777]

Originally posted by: McArra
It reflect even birds, so I guess it is in very very high settings. The only thing I changed is that "use global fog" and I really like the looks of it, IMO it looks more life-like.
What happened to your 9800pro?

Stupid heat artifacting on two of them, then the third was just screwed out of the box, artifacting (not heat tho) in hl2, CS:S, 3dmark05, but not in d3 or PoP sands of time :|

i hope it isn't my rig screwing them up, but i'll find out when i get either a 9800 pro or a 6600GT back this/next week

 

[Pete]

Maybe this is unique to the GF6's hardware? I remember Digit Life or Xbit Labs noting blockier shadows in Far Cry with nV cards some time ago, but I can't remember if that was the FX or GF6 era. Maybe take a look at a 3DM05 review that compares nV's PCF- + DST-accelerated shadows to ATI's shadow rendering?

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: dug777

Originally posted by: McArra
It reflect even birds, so I guess it is in very very high settings. The only thing I changed is that "use global fog" and I really like the looks of it, IMO it looks more life-like.
What happened to your 9800pro?

Stupid heat artifacting on two of them, then the third was just screwed out of the box, artifacting (not heat tho) in hl2, CS:S, 3dmark05, but not in d3 or PoP sands of time :|

i hope it isn't my rig screwing them up, but i'll find out when i get either a 9800 pro or a 6600GT back this/next week

If you have my mobo be very carefull with ati/nv speed up setting in the BIOS. It overclocks your card automaticly. The easiest way to fix it is to use a modded bios so you have no more hidden settings

 

[CP5670]

Originally posted by: Pete
Maybe this is unique to the GF6's hardware? I remember Digit Life or Xbit Labs noting blockier shadows in Far Cry with nV cards some time ago, but I can't remember if that was the FX or GF6 era. Maybe take a look at a 3DM05 review that compares nV's PCF- + DST-accelerated shadows to ATI's shadow rendering?

I'm wondering the same thing. It's very noticeable though and I would think that something this bad would really stir up controversy if everyone with geforce 6 cards was getting it, but this is the first time I have seen anyone else talking about this problem.

3dmark05's canyon flight demo is actually another place where this effect can be easily seen; there are a couple of scenes where the ship thing projects shadows on itself and the same blocky crap occurs.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

hmm no problems here as such

i jus whacked everything on the highest setting, 8xAF and HDR, looks awesome

example1
(my favourite)

 

[thelanx]

Edit with pics to show what I mean.

 

[imported_Noob]

There was a driver version that causes messed up shadows to appear. Are you using the latest drivers?

 

[thelanx]

I'm using the 71.89 drivers, I will try different drivers when I get a chance.