TUTORIAL: Unreal Tournament Audio & Visuals Tweaking Guide

Get some cool tips about how to tweak your UT graphic, gameplay, and much more!
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Raynor
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak your UT graphics to the maximum

Post by Raynor »

OpenGL 3.7 for Unreal Tournament has been released!
Changes in version 3.7:
- Fixed a bug with ShareLists enabled and the editor that could cause crashes.
- Editor selection no longer uses OpenGL API selection support. This avoids problems with OpenGL drivers with bugs or missing support in this area.
- A couple 227 editor related updates that were also general renderer code fixes.
- The SmoothMaskedTextures option will use alpha to coverage if AA is enabled with 4 or more samples.
- Removed support for using vertex programs without fragment programs. The UseFragmentProgram setting controls both of these and the UseVertexProgram setting is gone.
- Removed compiled vertex array support and the UseCVA option.
- Removed the UseTNT option.
- No longer using sstream for internal debug functionality.
- A few other mostly minor changes.

ZRangeHack will be enabled by default for UT if not already present in the ini file, but this one may still need to be watched a little more closely. There are a couple cases I know of where it has minor side effects. However, with most video cards these days only supporting 24-bit but not 32-bit z-buffers, or unless modified other parts of the game engine to draw decals a little further away, it is needed to avoid decal flickering in the distance in many common cases.
Download: http://www.cwdohnal.com/utglr/

I did update first post to reflect OpenGL changes from version 3.5.
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UnrealGold57
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak your UT graphics to the maximum

Post by UnrealGold57 »

does this s3tc fix also work for online? it doesnt get u banned or kicked from servers?
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Raynor
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak your UT graphics to the maximum

Post by Raynor »

It does and it will not conflict with anticheats so you're safe to go.
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Skakruk
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics To The Maximum

Post by Skakruk »

Some questions and observations:
Raynor wrote:[Galaxy.GalaxyAudioSubsystem]
UseSurround=True // Will make UT sound better even with 2.0 stereo configurations
On every system I've tried, setting this to True has resulted in sound issues, usually noticeable from the intro flyby.
Raynor wrote:[OpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice]
FrameRateLimit=62 // I highly recommand you keep this value below 100 (otherwise it will cause inconstant game speeds, for example scrolling billboards on DM-Morpheus do not animate and players wearing shieldbelt animations are too fast)
I use a 120Hz monitor, so obviously I didn't want to set this below 120. I left it at 0 (I use V-Sync, so that was already acting as my cap), and have had absolutely no issues. Gamespeed is normal, Morpheus billboards are animated and Shieldbelt looks perfectly normal.

I've been noticing hard lines/edges on these animated transparency effects:

Image

I don't remember this in my last install, is there anything I can do?

And finally there is a lot of banding in fog/smoke:

Image

How to I get rid of this?
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Raynor
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics To The Maximum

Post by Raynor »

Hi Skakruk,
On every system I've tried, setting this to True has resulted in sound issues, usually noticeable from the intro flyby.
I cannot comment that any further, because I've had opposite experience.
I use a 120Hz monitor, so obviously I didn't want to set this below 120. I left it at 0 (I use V-Sync, so that was already acting as my cap), and have had absolutely no issues. Gamespeed is normal, Morpheus billboards are animated and Shieldbelt looks perfectly normal.
That's fine if your're using VSync and/or you're playing online, BUT it will introduce annoyingly noticeable mouse imput lag. That's why I find keeping SwapInterval value 0 and cap framerates to specific value good practice. By specific I mean close or matching to your display's refresh rate so in your case 120 would be fine.
I've been noticing hard lines/edges on these animated transparency effects,
And finally there is a lot of banding in fog/smoke
I knew about fog banding, but I never noticed those hard lines on teleporters. Guess that was too small artifact to notice. I tested various graphical settings with both OpenGL v3.7 and Direct3D9 v1.3, but did not find any way to eliminate those side-effects. Guess that's renderer specific issue and you have to contact with author about this issue.
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Skakruk
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics To The Maximum

Post by Skakruk »

Raynor wrote:That's fine if your're using VSync and/or you're playing online, BUT it will introduce annoyingly noticeable mouse imput lag.
V-Sync only causes significant input lag at low refresh rates. I find it's a non-issue at 120Hz.
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Skakruk
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics To The Maximum

Post by Skakruk »

Hey what kind of AA is the OpenGL renderer applying? I set 16 samples in the ini, and solid edges seem to have 16 samples on them, however there is also some kind of transparency AA in effect too. I don't have any such AA enabled via NVIDIA CP...
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Raynor
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics To The Maximum

Post by Raynor »

Skakruk wrote: V-Sync only causes significant input lag at low refresh rates. I find it's a non-issue at 120Hz.
Again, opposite experiences... I always got imput lag when I did enable VSync (SwapInterval=1). Results were same on 60Hz, 75Hz LCDs and 85Hz CRT displays. I haven't tested it with 120Hz displays though.
Skakruk wrote:Hey what kind of AA is the OpenGL renderer applying? I set 16 samples in the ini, and solid edges seem to have 16 samples on them, however there is also some kind of transparency AA in effect too. I don't have any such AA enabled via NVIDIA CP...
Sorry I don't know about OpenGL rendering specifics and it's AA techniques, you should contact directly with Chris Dohnal regarding this issue or if you can understand code, look it up from source itself.
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics To The Maximum

Post by papercoffee »

@ Skakruk
Please avoid double posts ...thank you.
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics To The Maximum

Post by Triadx »

Just wanted to drop a line and say, thanks for the tutorial.

I quit the game for quite a long period of time, and it seemed like a ballache, trying to get the game running again with a system that's somewhat, beyond it's system requirements :P
YouTube
Twitch.tv

- `Triad-X (Stephen)
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics & Audio To The Maximum

Post by perlisle »

Will this all work on a Win 98 box? (P3 1gHz, 500 mb RAM, gForce 5200)?
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics & Audio To The Maximum

Post by Dr.Flay »

Yes, any operating system. They are UT tweaks, not Windows tweaks.
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Raynor
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics & Audio To The Maximum

Post by Raynor »

Actually not really, latest OpenGL requires Windows 2000 or later because it was built using newer compiler. You could try older Direct3D8 though.
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Re: TUTORIAL: Tweak Your UT Graphics & Audio To The Maximum

Post by Dr.Flay »

Ah, good point about OpenGL, though if that is because 98 is just missing files, you can often add them from ME or even XP.
DirectX9 is available for 98, so the D3D9 renderer should work, if the card and driver support it.

The ME298 project may well have a solution for OpenGL.
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Raynor
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Re: TUTORIAL: Unreal Tournament Audio and Visuals Tweaking G

Post by Raynor »

I have rewritten the whole guide. Removed some unnecessary stuff and added some new things. I also made it (hopefully) easier to read. Constructive feedback is welcome.
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