The TRUTH about SSAA

[Jig McGalliger]

There is a LOT of misconception about SSAA, so here is the truth.

Speaking in terms of FHD or 1920x1080, that is 2,073,600 pixels, 2x SSAA doubles your internal rendering resolution. Meaning the total number of pixels, not double both dimensions; therefore, 2x SSAA gives 4,147,200 pixels, break that down into a 16:9 multiplicative ratio and you get 2688x1512. While 4x SSAA gives 8,294,400 pixels, 8 million pixels is not 8k resolution (so no one gets antzy here!) which is 3840x2160 internal rendering resolution. This is not additive or exponential, it is multiplicative then applied to a ratio.

This excerpt is straight from Nvidia and 4A:

"By default, Metro: Last Light utilizes 4A’s proprietary Analytical Anti-Aliasing (AAA) to lessen the impact of jagged, aliased edges on geometry, objects, characters, transparent textures, and all other screen elements. A combination of FXAA and 4A tech, AAA improves upon other post-processing anti-aliasing techniques by doubling the internal resolution of the picture using pattern and shape detection, and downsampling the post-processed result back to the user’s screen resolution, resulting in an anti-aliased image that is far smoother and clearer than traditional post-process techniques can create.

In Metro 2033, players could utilize Multisample Anti-Aliasing (MSAA) instead of Analytical Anti-Aliasing to generate an even sharper, less aliased image. Unfortunately, due to 2033’s deferred lighting, the performance impact of MSAA was tremendous, making its use unfeasible on anything other than a three or four multi-GPU system when every other setting was enabled and maxed out. For Last Light, 4A has replaced Multisample Anti-Aliasing with Supersampling Anti-Aliasing (SSAA), which creates a significantly smoother, more detailed image by internally rendering every element of the screen at a higher resolution. In other words, on a player's 1920x1080 monitor, 2X SSAA renders Last Light at 2688x1512 on the GPU before resizing the image to 1920x1080, increasing the amount of detail per pixel. At 3X SSAA the downsample resolution increases to 3264x1836, and at 4X SSAA it is 3840x2160, the resolution of next-gen “4K” monitors and screens.

To ensure maximum anti-aliasing quality, 4A continue to use AAA even when SSAA is enabled, simultaneously drawing on the strengths of both techniques. And because SSAA supersamples everything, AAA is also supersampled, doubling in quality when 4X SSAA is enabled."

http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/guides/metro-last-light-graphics-breakdown-and-performance-guide#last-light-anti-aliasing

Interesting note about development of 4A's Anti Aliasing development, the engineers are pretty smart. They opposed FXAA (which they rewrote for AAA) and TXAA (both Nvidia tech) because they think AA should be the job of the programmers and not some magic one-all by the drivers. On a fully deferred rendering system (all Metro games) 2x SSAA runs more efficient and looks better than 4x MSAA. These are some of the same engineers that made the X-ray engine for all the Stalker games, they left when GSC wouldn't give interest in their new engine ideas.

[Jig McGalliger]

Bump for rtards who dont search forums

[Daytrader]

Article says 2033 dont use SSAA but it does, or do they mean the non redux version of it.

[Jig McGalliger]

Originally posted by Daytrader:

Article says 2033 dont use SSAA but it does, or do they mean the non redux version of it.

The original 2033 uses MSAA or AAA, not SSAA.
Both versions of Redux use AAA at all times and, if enabled, SSAA, not MSAA.

[the_lone_ran9er]

What exactly is the issue here?

I love 2X SSAA and wish I could apply it on my new setup, unfortunately as expected it cuts my frame rate in half on my new 3440x1440 setup with a GTX 980 ti that brings me down to 30 fps in many areas. I wonder, how does SSAA compare to DSR, performance wise, I assume it would be close?

What I'd really love to do, but haven't gotten a good run at figuring it out, is to lower my horizonal resolution without squishing the aspect ratio.

Back when I was useing a GTX 970 I used to Letter box many of my titles to that of a regular 2560x1440p monitor, which worked as expected with most games. I would have the extra at the sides chopped off and a playable frame rate in all other titles. But Metro's 4A Engine is doing something different.

I can set my monitor to pixel by pixel and to give me the black bars and that works, and apply a 2560 x 1440 resolution in game and get the performance gain, BUT the game looks squished on the sides, as if I had forced a 21:9 ratio to squeeze into a 16:9 space. Bizzare.

Does the 4A engine force the destop ratio regardless of the chosen in game resolution or something? A simple test would tell me, but I just haven't gotten around to it.

The point being, I'd like to try reducing my in game horizontal resolution enough so that I could apply 2XSSAA at playable frame rates.

[Jig McGalliger]

Using 2x SSAA on a higher res monitor like that won't be easy, you are trying to render 9907200 pixels meanwhile 4k is only 8847360 pixels. Maybe just use DSR stepped up to 1.2x? That would be only 5944320 pixels.

3440x1440 is a 21:9 super wide monitor. Search the forums and see how others dealt with 21:9 wide monitors.

[crocodile]

What does "quality" setting control? I though it was tied to FXAA, but the option clearly changes the texture quality and potentially other things also (EDIT: Can be exactly same as in the original Last Light: http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/guides/metro-last-light-graphics-breakdown-and-performance-guide#last-light-quality).
I can't use SSAA (2x) on my system, the FPS drops below 60. I have maxed all settings with the exception of tesselation (high), motion blur and Vsync are disabled. Fortunately the default AA (I doubt it is pure FXAA) doesn't look particularly blurry in my opinion.

[Jig McGalliger]

Read the OP. There is no FXAA; however, AAA is running at all times and is better than FXAA. This game typically runs better with vsync on. SSAA will destroy lower end cards and no one here knows your build. It is almost the same as LL but there is some new graphical features like semi global illumination, physx 3.x, better tessellation, etc.

[mika]

Interesting thread Jig,

Listen-up to this guy he knows his stuff I assure you.Anyway everysince I upgraded my cpu went from a Fx 6300 @ 4ghz to a i7 4790k @ 4.6 Ghz I can now easily play on 3xSSAA everything else maxed and still maintain 35-45 fps Big improvment in Fps min,max and average.I am pretty confident if I had another Gtx 780 for sli I would be able to run it at 4x no problem at all.

[Moe]

Originally posted by Jig McGalliger:

Bump for rtards who dont search forums

Originally posted by Jig McGalliger:

Bumps for weiners.

quit bumping your posts. it's against Steam Discussion Guidelines. anyway, i am pretty sure people know to turn SSAA down if you run into fps issues. it's not like you came across some unknown setting.

read / understand forum guidelines - https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4045-USHJ-3810

[Jig McGalliger]

Originally posted by Willie Stroker:

snip

If the moderator of these forums would do what they are supposed to, the community wouldn't have to bump posts that should have been stickied years ago. This has been a long term issue among the Metro steam forums since Deep Silver took over... the assigned moderator (@pewology/professor pew) was reassigned (around spring 2015?) to a different region without Deep Silver assigning any type of replacement.

These forums will be independently managed by the steam community until the publisher and/or devs (DS/4A) will finally do as they should for the past 4-6 years and have an official presence on the steam community forums. Until that time comes, this community will continue to manage itself in accordance to the steam forum rules.

Negating the multitude of duplicate posts by those that don't search the forums for readily available information (as in accordance to the steam community forums ToS) will be subject to a referral of a prior thread (like this one) that already explains the issue they are having that the publisher/devs refuse to sticky.

If at any time DS/4A wants to finally have an employee help me manage these forums, by all means, please let me know... until then, it is only me, and the rest of the steam community (thanks to all others who help here!). If you want a better support system, go bug them about it (PLEASE). There are still people to this very day that thank me for having a simple thread that [4A/DS] refuse to sticky that still helps those first time users understand SSAA and how it differs from traditional multisampling and what AAA is and how it defeats FXAA.

Please don't bother spouting ToS terms at me when I have actually read them and been in conjuction with community enforcement of those terms. I might take a gray area at some times, but my intentions are only to get people to love this game as I have. "Some of the worst things imaginable have been done with the best intentions," blah blah blah.

I know the 4A engine isn't perfect (though it has a great history, as far as game engines go), but I have grown to have an extensive knowledgebase of the engine and how to better manage the games it supports. I give my spare time to help the community to better enjoy this game and the kinks that come with it in any manner possible, if that is against the ToS, the by all means, ban me.

[mika]

Dont listen to this guy or kid (jig) We appricate all the efforts you have put into these forums and all the diffrent topics we touch on and resolved for many members! Well you have not me but I try to help whenever I can.

I also love and support the Metro series, Hell if it wasnt for guys like Jig the game would be long dead I am sorry to say! ......You have my blessings to continue on your Metro knowlege base,Dont listen to these idiots. Nick

[Jig McGalliger]

Pretty much, sometimes you just gotta tell it like it is. You just gotta know the first rule of the internet.

[mika]

Originally posted by Jig McGalliger:

Pretty much, sometimes you just gotta tell it like it is. You just gotta know the first rule of the internet.

Dude, there is always going to be the non-believers. Leave them to there misery.I for one read the whole thread and found it very helpful.

[Moe]

Originally posted by Jig McGalliger:

Originally posted by Willie Stroker:

snip

snip snap

what point of "no back seat moderators" and "no bumping posts" do you NOT understand about the steam guidelines?.... i'd suggest you click on this link and read the rules... nice and slowly so they make sense to you.

like i stated before... anyone with half a brain who is willing to adjust SSAA (Super Sampling Anti Aliasing) will know what that setting does and how it effects performance. i understand you're trying to "Help" people... but you're not a moderator and the rules apply to you just like it does for anyone else here. i'd suggest you follow the rules or face being reported.

Steam discussion rules - https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=4045-USHJ-3810

[mika]

Wille the wistle blower heres gonna report us, Take cover guys quick! And you have nothing better to do with your time then to quote steam rules>>? Jesus christ man get some kind of life or better yet a job! Wow what happend to the men of the world, like a bunch of little girls.....Iam gonna report you or tell on you.

If you have nothing positive to add to the game fourm just stay-off, its as simple as that Willie.Gonna report me too?