Post Processing setting is not working

[-TwK-Danny 0]

Hi

Just thought i´d make a thread about this here since its starting to annoy me.

Everytime you launch ArmA II, with post process set to VeryHigh, the game ignores this and the graphics look ugly, like with post process is set to low.

What you have to do, each time you start the game, is to set post process to low and then back to veryhigh to get the effects back.

This is how the game looks just after launching it:

Please notice the look on the trees for example.

Now this screen shows that it looks like this with PostProcess set to VeryHigh:

Now, to fix this, we have to set PostProcess to e.g. low and then back to VeryHigh. Only then do we get the correct look, as you can see here:

[Alex72 1]

I have noticed that post processing change its setting on start. When i have it on - close the game and start up again it can be OFF even though its set to HIGH.

[sniper pilot 36]

I wonder how many other options reset themselfs invisbly, it would explain why I only have the preformance I desire AFTER I tweak the settings...

[NeMeSiS 11]

Have you set your ArmA2.cfg or you name.ArmAprofile file set to read-only? That way the game cant save your settings.

[Alex72 1]

Mine is not read-only.

[-TwK-Danny 0]

Of course I haven´t set it to read-only.

This bug has already been reproduced by many others and was introduced when BIS "fixed" that PostProcess was enabled by default even with the settings disabled (Basicly, same as now but the other way around).

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=84227

Release notes: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?p=1330520

"* Fixed DOF always enabled on game start."

Yeah now its always disabled instead.

I had this bug both in Win7 RC, and now 7 RTM (meaning the bug is there after full reformats).

[-=seany=- 5]

I have this too. PP set very high, but has to be set to Low then very high on each launch to get it to work.

[kklownboy 43]

I can not reproduce this.

XP64

ATI 9.8, 2gbvram

3D_Performance=-4194304;

Resolution_Bpp=32;

Resolution_W=1792;

Resolution_H=1344;

refresh=90;

Render_W=1792;

Render_H=1344;

FSAA=2;

postFX=3;

HDRPrecision=32;

lastDeviceId="";

localVRAM=2136342528;

nonlocalVRAM=2136342528;

Used your UTES editor spot. Wonder if its a H/W spec + screen rez Engine choice, so it resets? Of course you do know you can just set your .cfg to Read only, with postFX=3;. Untill they reproduce it/fix it.

PS; on a side note, the trees look ugly because you have no AA. and blurring them of course helps, but less blur more AA will be IMO a better IQ.

PSS; in the CCC i now have AF on.Absolutely a better image! It works...AA of course does not. CCC+AF=FTW.

Setup your exact settings still cant reproduce.

Resolution_Bpp=32;

Resolution_W=1920;

Resolution_H=1200;

refresh=90;

Render_W=1920;

Render_H=1200;

FSAA=0;

postFX=3;

HDRPrecision=32;

lastDeviceId="";

localVRAM=2136342528;

nonlocalVRAM=2136342528;

Edited August 29, 2009 by kklownboy

[jw custom 56]

I normally play with postprocess effects off as it looks crappy with it on, objects on distance gets blurry and closer objects glows like the sun on a hot day :p

Anyways, i just tested it and ended up with same result as topic starter!

[-TwK-Danny 0]

Thanks for testing JW Custom! May I ask what OS you use?

kklownboy, thanks to you too. Setting the arma2.cfg to read-only does not help. The postFX is already at 3, and ingame always show as veryhigh.

My config:

language="English";

adapter=-1;

3D_Performance=48387;

Resolution_Bpp=32;

Resolution_W=1920;

Resolution_H=1200;

refresh=60;

Render_W=1920;

Render_H=1200;

FSAA=0;

postFX=3;

HDRPrecision=8;

lastDeviceId="";

localVRAM=1068449792;

nonlocalVRAM=1459253248;

I´m thinking its maybe OS-dependant seeing as you have XP.

[kklownboy 43]

it maybe, i also have v64 with the german version, ill test that. I also use hdr@32, you could mess around with 16,and 32.

The issue I have with xxxxx99, is that high PP, and VeryHigh PP, are the same.

Edited August 31, 2009 by kklownboy

[jw custom 56]

Danny;1424285']Thanks for testing JW Custom! May I ask what OS you use?

OS: WinXP 32Bit SP2

CPU: Intel Core i7-920

MOBO: Gigabyte EX58-UD4P

GFX: GeForce GTX 285

RAM: 8GB DDR3 Corsair Dominator

[Hunin 0]

Heya I had exactly the same problem as the OP - whatever the value was set at in config or ingame options it would allways turn PP to low once restarting the game.

Changing it ingame back and forth fixed it.

Klownboy made me realise that the definition is also a variable in the config - mine was set to 8 and I always left it that way - and changed it to 32 bit today.

Behold the problem was not only gone but I have the strange feeling that the excessive blur seems to be gone to a certain degree.

It's still there it just looks more precise - not quite sure wether that makes sense because in theory we only adjusted colour depth.

Anyway using Win 7 64bit.

4870 1gig with up to date Catalyst.

EDIT

On second thought.

Could it be that the ingame pp setting should not only change the postFX= variable but also the HDRPrecision= and it's just not working right now?

Meaning that low, high and very high would switch from 8 to 16 and 32 respectivly?

If that's the case it might be that for some reason when you switch ingame it sets the correct values for both while you're playing and the code is "hot" but due to a bug it can't save the second variable to the config.

Then when you startup the game again the postFX = 1,2,3 tries to initialize with the corresponding colour depth and conflicts with the unmatching value there, automaticaly setting PP to whatever value is defined at HDRPrecision or defaulting to low alltogether.

It's the only way I can explain to myself why it's working now with postFX=3 and HDRPrecision=32.

EDIT2

Just ran a small testing run with all the combinations and I think I can confirm it.

HDRPrecision=8 will automaticaly set the postFX to 1 ingame.

When you enter HDRPrecision=16 both postFX=2 and 3 will work ingame flawlessly without having to switch around, same for 32.

It's a possibility that infact with using 16 bit it is automaticaly reverting to postFX=2 like it does with 8 bit and postFX=1, the visual difference is simply not existant to me so I can't tell.

Seeing that that Danny is using 8 bit and Klownboy can't reproduce it with 32 chances are high that we found the sollution.

Anyway in theory just go to your config and enter one of the pairings depending on what you want.

postFX=1 , HDRPrecision=8

postFX=2 , HDRPrecision=16

postFX=3 , HDRPrecision=32

Keen to hear wether it works for you guys.

I'm a happy bunny right now

Edited August 31, 2009 by Hunin

[Nikoteen 24]

Good Job, Hunin

You've find out, it works

[-TwK-Danny 0]

Yeapp, i can confirm setting HDR to 32 fixes the problem. Basicly the devs should fix that the HDRPrecision command doesnt change with postprocess (should be simple enough).

[kklownboy 43]

nice, well for some HDR @ 32 is to big a performance hit.And on older ATI H/W aka 2900 and below, or even 36xx and below you will not have AA if its set at 32. though I will test it more.

On DX10 type cards it should be set at 16.

PS now you ATI 48xx/49xx owners try AF in the CCC it realy improves the IQ with 32HDR, but its a hit in performance but i find it to be not jerky with low frames.

[bluesteel 0]

Yep, this fixed it. HDRPrecision=16 and PostFX=2 did the trick for me. It seems to be that the HDRPrecision variable is changed when you change the option ingame. But since it is not written properly to the config file, you get no blur when you start the game again.

If this theory is correct, then a game started with HDRPrecision=8 and then manually set to Post Processing=Very High should have the same framerate as a game started with HDRPrecision=32 and PostFX=3, right? I'll quickly test this.

EDIT: Ok, I got the exact same framerate with either HDRPrecision=8 and setting PostProcess to Very High ingame as I got with setting HDRPresicion to 32 and PostFX to 3 in the config file. This makes it very likely that the only thing going wrong is that the HDRPrecision variabel in the config file does not get updated properly when you change the setting ingame.

Thanks for figuring this one out guys! Having to change that setting each time when I start the game was bothering me a lot. Now someone at BIS just has to implement the fix in one of the next beta-patches.

Edited August 31, 2009 by BlueSteel

[Hunin 0]

I don't get a decrease in performence either.

@Klownboy

Just tested it out ( PP on 3/32bit ) with 16x Catalyst AF.

You are definatly right.

Not only does the image look more crisp with the typcial AF effects on surfaces but the distant vegetation is displayed better.

In combination with the DOF and HDR it looks way more organic.

Performance impact is not noticable ( maybe a couple of frames ).

Thanks for the tip m8.

Btw

Glad we got this sorted guys.

Shouldnt be hard to fix in a beta when indeed it's just a misshap in the game / config crossfeed.

[Potatomasher 0]

Anyway in theory just go to your config and enter one of the pairings depending on what you want.

postFX=2 , HDRPrecision=16

Thanks. This worked.

Now i got PP high at start and i don't have to mess with the options everytime. It was annoying to be honest.