DirectX Tweaker Public Beta 1

[Demirug]

Sorry for this shameless plug.

The DirectX Tweaker is a tool that acts like an interface between Direct 3D and the program that originally uses the Direct 3D interfaces. This allows to change actions of the Direct 3D application.

If you want to play with this new tool you can go to the Beta Site and download it.

Because this is only a beta version I am sure there are still many bugs. I am already know that UT2004 is not working with it. This will be fixed in the next version.

Any comments and suggestions are highly desired.

 

[AlNom]

neat

So does that mean we can get control over triple buffering?

 

[digitalwanderer]

Sorry for this shameless plug.

Its only a plug if'n you're charging or have advertising, it's a GOOD THING when you share new toys with your friends like you're doing.

Thanks.

 

[Demirug]

neat

So does that mean we can get control over triple buffering?

Yes, the "Present Changer" let you set the number of Backbuffers. You only have to set the "Count" value in the "Backbuffer" section.

 

[dan2097]

It gives me an application error when I try and run it (DXTControl.exe) :

"The application failed to initialise properly (0xc00000135). Click on OK to terminate the application."

 

[tEd]

i just tried a couple of things.

The alpha test filter on mp2 which seemd to work but makes the game extremly slow and missing environment maps and missing text in the menu.

Shader display didn't seem to work in nfsu2 and when i tried to use the alpha test filter on nfsu2 it crashed

later...

 

[Demirug]

It gives me an application error when I try and run it (DXTControl.exe) :

"The application failed to initialise properly (0xc00000135). Click on OK to terminate the application."

The application need the .net framework 1.1.

 

[Demirug]

i just tried a couple of things.

The alpha test filter on mp2 which seemd to work but makes the game extremly slow and missing environment maps and missing text in the menu.

Shader display didn't seem to work in nfsu2 and when i tried to use the alpha test filter on nfsu2 it crashed

later...

The time that the alpha test filter need depends on the amout of alpha testes objects a game use and the AA level you have selected.

Sometimes a game use close calculated alpha values that are not very conpatible with the method that is use. I am trying to make this better and add some configuration switches.

I will take a look at the nfsu2 problem.

 

[SomeBody Else]

2 Demirug

Very good tool! I didn't try it yet, but always want something like this .
Looks like I found some homework .

 

[Guden Oden]

So if Demirug can add triplebuffering via a separate application, how come ATi can't do it in their drivers?

 

[Deathlike2]

So if Demirug can add triplebuffering via a separate application, how come ATi can't do it in their drivers?

Isn't that usually determined by the app? Perhaps giving the driver control over triple buffering would violate WHQL certification...

 

[Albuquerque]

So if Demirug can add triplebuffering via a separate application, how come ATi can't do it in their drivers?

Isn't that usually determined by the app? Perhaps giving the driver control over triple buffering would violate WHQL certification...

That's what I'm thinking. But I wonder if that's really the case?

 

[karlotta]

So if Demirug can add triplebuffering via a separate application, how come ATi can't do it in their drivers?

well , lets let them put more time into Linux first. Hope a ATI fellow will chime in again on the whole tribuffer in DX.

 

[OpenGL guy]

So if Demirug can add triplebuffering via a separate application, how come ATi can't do it in their drivers?

My understanding was that Demirug's wrapper lies on top of the D3D runtime. This means that the runtime thinks the app is requesting triple buffering and will manage surfaces accordingly.

 

[Demirug]

If somebody is still interested there is a new betaversion available.

We added new Plugins (Postfilter, Supersampling AA, ...) and make some improvements on the rest.

 

[Rys]

Hey Demirug

What's the performance overhead from using DX Tweaker? I've done some quick testing but I want to be sure I'm getting results in the right area. Seems to depend on application too, is that right?

Massively useful tool for certain things I want to do

 

[Demirug]

Hey Demirug

What's the performance overhead from using DX Tweaker? I've done some quick testing but I want to be sure I'm getting results in the right area. Seems to depend on application too, is that right?

Massively useful tool for certain things I want to do

There is a small CPU overhead for each API funktion called. Dependent on the active plugins some calls can get a higher overhead.

If you use plugins that only record information there will be no overhead on the GPU side. On the other hand the supersampling plugin have a huge GPU overhead because it force the GPU to do much more work.

But some of the plugins can reduce the work on the GPU. The "Null Render" is the best example. It is usefull if you want to check how many FPS your CPU can produce if it is not limited by the driver or the GPU. Some people say it is usefull to cheat benchmarks, too.

If you tell me a little bit more about the things you want to do I can add this as requests to the allways open wishlist for new plugins.

 

[SomeBody Else]

If somebody is still interested
SomeBody Else still interested, for sure .
Good work, useful tool (it's pity, that I don't have much time for testing).

 

[fellix]

@Demirug
Excellent job here!

My wish now concerns the Shader Precision plug-in. The one found in DXTweaker now, only affects the precision of the texture op's (s23e8 -> s10e5). Can you add more options to that plug for the temporary and constant registers precision control?

 

[Demirug]

@Demirug
Excellent job here!

My wish now concerns the Shader Precision plug-in. The one found in DXTweaker now, only affects the precision of the texture op's (s23e8 -> s10e5). Can you add more options to that plug for the temporary and constant registers precision control?

DirectX only allows pp hints for instructions. The current version of the plugins adds or remove this hints to all instructions with one exception. The dcl instructions that declare the input register is not changed.

Because of this it is not possible to control the precision of register direct. I can only add an option that give you more control about the instructions that are modified.