[Special K] Fixin' Stuff (9/18/18)

[Kaldaien]

Introduction

I'm going to be doing things a bit differently here

There will still be various fixes for issues with the game, but my focus here is largely exploring gimped games that have HDR support on consoles but not PC and what can be done to fix the problem.

This game has no HDR support at all, but I've been slowly working various features into Special K to take an HDR render pipeline that has been tonemapped down to SDR and recover its HDR qualities.

Topics explored will cover:

• Light / dark adaptation
• Separate luminance for UI and world
• User-tunable HDR parameters
• HDR10 Quirks (blending perceptual quantization)
• HDR screenshots (Finished)

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1511026413

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1512020339

Download and Install

• 0. The Visual C++ 2017 runtime[aka.ms] is a required pre-req.

1. Grab this archive[github.com] from GitHub.
   
2. Extract it to your game's install directory (steamapps\common\DRAGON QUEST XI\Game\Binaries\Win64)

Releases

Current Features:

• HUD Free Screenshots
• Remaps Escape Key to Backspace by default (user configurable)
• Allows arrow keys and WASD to be used interchangeably
  
  
• scRGB HDR for HDR-capable displays
• HDR screenshot support JPEG-XR
• Fixes the Steam overlay in HDR mode so it can be seen by human eyes

9/18/18 0.9.25.11 [github.com]	Fixed HDR Blend Equation issues w/ game's UI SK also no longer dumps Unreal's textures using the Typeless placeholder format.
9/17/18 0.9.25.10 [github.com]	Added support for button mods, grab this [github.com] and then start pulling your weight around here :P NOTE: Buttons go in SK_Res\inject\textures\99_buttons\ and the Unreal Engine doesn't like it if you change the texture's size or format.
9/15/18 0.9.25.9 [github.com]	Removed glitchy timing code (my own)
9/14/18 0.9.25.8 [github.com]	Added TRUE HDR Screenshot Support (JPEG-XR)
9/13/18 0.9.25.6 [github.com]	Added Temporal AA and Anisotropic Filtering Options
9/12/18 0.9.25.5 [github.com]	Added Luminance Range Control (Full-Range may clip/crush white/black)
9/12/18 0.9.25.4 [github.com]	Added HDR display info to framebuffer toolitp in control panel
9/11/18 0.9.25.3 [github.com]	Removed HDR options for SDR users. Added Colorspace override to ensure scRGB is in use.
9/7/18 0.9.25.2 [github.com]	Various performance tweaks in HDR mode
9/6/18 0.9.25.1 [github.com]	Slightly improved sRGB gamma handling
9/4/18 0.9.25.0 [github.com]	Initial Test Release

Configuration and Uninstall

Press Ctrl + Shift + Backspace to open Special K's config menu.

To uninstall, remove dxgi.dll, dxgi.ini, dxgi.pdb, the Version and logs directories.

HDR Users

Suggested Calibration Starting Point:

• Set the in-game brightness to 15-30 (down from its default of 50)
  
  
• Set the Power-Law EOTF to ~1.2
  
  This is gamma, so the greater the value, the darker stuff gets
• Set the Peak White Luminance to 100% unless full luminance range is enabled (~75% if enabled)
  
  The range of this slider is based on your display's reported local peak brightness
  Full scene brightness is typically 1/2 this value

Troubleshooting

If the mod does not work, third-party software (especially FRAPS!), anti-virus software or Windows 7 is often to blame.

If after closing third-party software the game still does not start, please paste logs/dxgi.log, logs/modules.log and logs/game_output.log to pastebin.com and provide a link in a post.

[Raikoh]

Originally posted by Wykillin:

This mod has really taught me a lot about HDR. So, the PG27UQ is an 8-bit + FRC panel but it can take a RGB 10-bit signal because of the display port. However, my OLED is a 10-bit panel, but due to HDMI, it can only do 8-bit + FRC at 4k 60hz. So, if I'm understanding this correctly, there is no reason 8-bit + FRC should be treated any differently by this mod, right?

Exactly , that's why I find it funny that some people think 8bit = non hdr/sdr even though many 8bit monitors are 6bit+FRC and most 10bit one's are actually 8bit+FRC , I have done TONS of HDR tests between 8bit,10bit,12bit in every color space and you know what? RGB 8bit+dithering is exactly the same as RGB 12bit and much better than 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 12bit.

[Kamus]

Originally posted by Raikoh:

I have done TONS of HDR tests between 8bit,10bit,12bit in every color space and you know what? RGB 8bit+dithering is exactly the same as RGB 12bit and much better than 4:2:2 and 4:2:0 12bit.

I would go even further with that statement. I think 8 bit using MadVR (which processes the video at 16 bit) has less banding than a "10 bit" display that is using 10 bit processing.

Well, I don't think, I'm sure of it. As I've done direct comparisons on the same scenes using the built in decoder (doing 10 bits) vs MadVR using only 8 bits in windows.

Some "high end" televisions, such as the Sony OLEDs use 16 bit processing for this reason. And I think Dolby Vision also does higher than 10 bit processing on their content.

[DarkantosZ]

Thanks for the mod, it looks nice. Is there any way to use this mod with reshade?

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by ParityClaws:

Is it possible to use this to get SDR 2020? I often use this mode with a projector when watching 4K video (madvr supports this) to get BT.2020 colour while in SDR mode as projectors aren't generally up to the task of full HDR without running it in torch mode and having a loud fan running.

Eh? WTF is SDR 2020? :)

I assume you mean expand the color gamut, but that's by definition, not SDR.

Also, don't you think it would suck to render colors way outside of the capabilties of your display? You'll just get a bunch of colors that look the same @ Rec. 2020 unless you get a display that has full Rec2020 support.


I can definitely expand the gamut to Rec 2020, but you won't like the results. I use scRGB for these mods because it doesn't require metadata and its primary color points are exactly sRGB, which all display devices have full coverage of :)

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by TheBananaSalmon:

The biggest feature I am waiting for is the remapping fixes, and Ultra-wide support, from what you have seen do you think proper UW is possible in DQ11? with appropriate FOV changes and all? I would love this feature and while i dont expect this alone to be a proper incentive, if you added this feature to your mod I could definitely justify making a donation for your work! not sure if you have anything set up for donations but you really should. No one else steps up for PC gamers like you do!

Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.

What do you mean by remapping fixes? If you're referring to the WASD <--> Arrow Keys and Escape -> Backspace, those things are already in the released version and you shouldn't be waiting :P

Originally posted by TheBananaSalmon:

Bonus question:
as someone who makes a point to make up for the shortcomings of the Publishers/devs, do you think the PC communities acceptance of "Oh ill still get it cause we can fix it with mods" perpetuates some of the laziness in ports? i cant imagine after debugging and localizing a game the size of DQ11 that adding a few more PC specific features could be that hard for a team of pros on salary to do it. I just wish more companies would do right by PC gamers. the fact that so many games seem to not get done justice and can STILL sell like hotcakes brings me a sense of dread for the future of PC gaming.

To some extent for some publishers, you might have a point.

However I've done enough of these fixes now to know it's down to developer inexperience. You gotta get the base game ported over before adding extra features. Even getting the base game ported usually has issues.

I'm really nothing special, I just work with 20+ games a year and know common ptifalls. If I could transfer my experience over and not have to modify things in games, I'd do it in a heartbeat :)

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by Kamus:

TL;DR- Give it a try, because the game looks identical, but you'll be saving bandwidth to get higher refresh rates, and you should also get higher frame rates because your card has more bandwidth available this way.

I really don't think that 10-bit vs. 8-bit matters that much, since this is only changing the format of the framebuffer and not intermediate render steps.

But if you're on an NVIDIA GPU, my OSD can show you your GPU's memory bandwidth usage in real-time. The default keybind is Ctrl+Shift+G

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by Kamus:

Originally posted by TrowGundam:

Ya, HDR10 spec requires 10bit Color. Most displays, especially those that use HDMI, can only do 60Hz using 4:2:2 @ 10bit. THere is more to it (like Luminance levels). 8-bit Color will not have the range of color that a true HDR output would enjoy, however if it still had the Luminance meta-data the picture would get other benefits. You should be able to use 4:2:2 in the Nvidia Control Panel as well, once that is selected you should probably be able to up the Refresh to 60Hz. You'll lose some color due to the changes, but I'm not exactly sure what is involved there. Not a real expert in this stuff.

I'm well aware that you should be able to run 10 bit using chroma subsampling. And in fact, you used to be able to do this easily.

But these days (latest windows build, latest nvidia drivers), anytime I try using 10 bit at 60 hz
by turning on chroma subsampling, windows will revert back to 8 bit no matter what I do. (which will result in the game starting in SDR, unless you do the workaround I mentioned on my earlier post)

I don't know if this is something nVidia changed in their drivers, but it looks more like it's something windows is forcing (using the latest windows 10 build)

So these days, the only way to get HDR at 60 hz is to do it on 8 bits.

Also, you seem to not have read my post entirely... I'm aware that 10 bit has a wider range of colors than 8 bit; which is why I explicitly mentioned that there is no visible banding, what so ever when using 8 bit vs 10 bit.

I suspect you've never tried to actually read a PC-scale (fonts that may have details one-pixel-wide) GUI. All of the alternative things above cause "mosquito" noise. If you look closely at any really sharp text, you see a bunch of dots circling the text, very distracting and definitely not good :P

10-bit has no intrinsic Wide Color Gamut. It can certainly accomodate a WCG with less banding, but it's also really nice to get enhanced precision within the game's normal colorspace. 10-bit isn't nearly enough precise to cover Rec2020 or DCI-P3 without visible banding, but it really makes things look better in the original sRGB gamut.

Originally posted by Kamus:

The game looks identical, which again, makes me wonder if nVidia is doing some really good dithering when using 8 bit color, or if it's something this mod is doing.

It could also be that your display isn't actually capable of processing the signal @30-bits per-color :)

[Kamus]

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

I suspect you've never tried to actually read a PC-scale (fonts that may have details one-pixel-wide) GUI. All of the alternative things above cause "mosquito" noise. If you look closely at any really sharp text, you see a bunch of dots circling the text, very distracting and definitely not good :P

Oh, I use my 40" 4K TV as a desktop. So i'm very familiar with the artifacts of color compression. And I agree, it's not suitable for desktop use (which is why I think this is very signifcant!)

Anyway, I've made comparisons between running 4K 30Hz (12 bit on nvidia color settings) and 4K 60 (using 8 bit, RGB) and the game looks identical from a PQ perspective.

You should give it a try:

Start the game like you normally would at 98Hz on your monitor; then alt+tab and switch the refresh rate to 144Hz and just maximize the game again.

I'm pretty sure you'll prefer the added FPS potential, since the game looks identical (then again, you'd probably have to lower the settings, and the resolution too much for your taste. This game would be great with a working SLI profile)

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

It could also be that your display isn't actually capable of processing the signal @30-bits per-color :)

Oh, It can. On an older windows 10 version (that didn't even support HDR on the desktop) and older nVidia drivers, I had no problem doing 4k 60, using chrome sub-sampling at 12 bits.

Not sure what the reason behind it is, since there's enough bandwidth for 10 bits using color compression. (and again, it used to work fine last year, when the first HDR games started to come out)

[Kaldaien]

My display doesn't suport 12-bit color @98 Hz in its native resolution. It's only 8- or 10-bit, unless I want to start chroma subsampling. 12-bit color only becomes useable at 4K @82 Hz.

Just by glimpsing my monitor's info section, it becomes clear that this game is requesting the highest available refresh rate, which causes the game to slip into chroma subsampling. A refresh rate override may allow proper display.

Before

3840x2160@144 Hz
10-bit
YCbCr 4:2:2

----

Yeah, that fixed it on my end..

https://imgur.com/a/VP9kGcs

First turn off NVIDIA's stupid highest refresh setting, since that is leading to these problems. Then force an override in Special K to whatever refresh rate you want that still supports 10-bit color without subsampling.

After

3840x216@82 Hz
12-bit
YCbCr 4:4:4

[Kyle Cross]

Two questions, Kaldaien. Are you still improving the tonemapper for the game? And also are these HDR mods you're developing on a game by game basis or could they work on various games?

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by Kyle Cross:

Two questions, Kaldaien. Are you still improving the tonemapper for the game? And also are these HDR mods you're developing on a game by game basis or could they work on various games?

1. Yes, but it's not just for this game
2. 1) sort of answers this :P

I've tested the stuff in various games with differing results. Ideally, when adding HDR to a game you want to keep the UI a constant brightness, and that requires a game-by-game thing. But I haven't even done that here -- the UI and scene both have brightness applied the same way.


The only reason I haven't made progress on this yet is because I was expecting important reading material on Friday. It was delivered yesterday instead :-\ I would have had plenty of time to do this over the weekend.

[Wykillin]

Here is the mod working just fine at 4K 60Hz with 8-bit + FRC

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1509912132

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by Wykillin:

Here is the mod working just fine at 4K 60Hz with 8-bit + FRC

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1509912132

Uh... no. That's not at all what it's supposed to look like :) You've basically clipped the entire upper-brightness out of existence.

Make sure your display is set to full-range and something other than 8-bit color. Because you've managed to lose image detail rather than gain any.

[Kamus]

Originally posted by Wykillin:

Here is the mod working just fine at 4K 60Hz with 8-bit + FRC

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1509912132

If you load the game in 8 bit. It won't start properly, the highlights will be blown, and banding will be abundant. Try the method I described, It works flawlessly.

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

Make sure your display is set to full-range and something other than 8-bit color. Because you've managed to lose image detail rather than gain any.

Again: If you use the method I describe and load the game in 10, or 12 bit (4k 30Hz for example) then switch to the highest refresh possible, which will be 4k 60Hz over HDMI, by alt+tabing and doing it on the nvidia, or windows control panel. You still get correct HDR, with no banding and with the benefit of no chroma sub sampling.

If there was a way for the game to start displaying HDR properly in 8 bits, my work around wouldn't be necessary.

[Vizionblind]

Originally posted by Wykillin:

Here is the mod working just fine at 4K 60Hz with 8-bit + FRC

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1509912132

looks completely blown out