Special K - v 0.9.24 [Obsolete] - (10/30/18)

[Kaldaien]

This thread is obsolete (4/12/19)

Please refer to the 0.10.0 thread instead

Release History

For the latest version of a game-specific mod and how to install, see below:

• Sekiro™: Shadows Die Twice - [Special K] Framerate Unlock + HDR10 Goodies + Perf. Fixes
  
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey - Assassin's Creed: Odyssey Resource Management Tune-Up[github.com]
  
• DRAGON QUEST XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age - [Special K] Fixin' Stuff (9/18/18)
  
• Shenmue I & II - [Special K] Stability, Cutscene, Framepacing, Texture Fixes - (9/8/18)
  
• Monster Hunter World - [Special K] HDR10/scRGB (Actual HDR Display Output) Fix
  
• Final Fantasy XV - [Special K] FFXV Mini-Mod: Resource Mgmt. Performance

General Special K:

Branch=Testing

7/17/18	v0.9.23 [github.com]	New CPU / HDR Toys
6/4/18	v0.9.21 [github.com]	D3D11 Smart Capture for Steam Screenshots
3/29/18	v0.9.10 [github.com]	Cumulative updates for FFXV + Ni No Kuni 2

Branch=Latest

5/16/18	v0.9.20 [github.com]	Added D3D11 Shader Parameter Editing
4/30/18	v0.9.19.1 [github.com]	Compat Updates + Ys VIII Plug-In
4/14/18	v0.9.17 [github.com]	Rewrote performance critical sections of MinHook
4/13/18	v0.9.16 [github.com]	Added VRAM residency to D3D11 Texture Cache widget
4/10/18	v0.9.15 [github.com]	Optimized System Call Hooks: NtUser*
4/8/18	v0.9.14 [github.com]	June 2010 DirectX Dependencies Removed
4/6/18	v0.9.13.3 [github.com]	Added CPU thread profiling widget
4/3/18	v0.9.12 [github.com]	Ni no Stutter Built-in to Global Injector
3/30/18	v0.9.11 [github.com]	Compatibility Updates
3/7/18	v0.9.8 [github.com]	Rate-limit SteamAPI in FFXV to reduce hitching
3/6/18	v0.9.7 [github.com]	Various ReShade Fixes
3/5/18	v0.9.6 [github.com]	Final Fantasy XV Launch Tweaks
3/3/18	v0.9.5.3 [github.com]	Multimedia Class Scheduling
2/28/18	v0.9.4.2 [github.com]	Auto-Update and Startup Performance Improved.
2/21/18	v0.9.3 [github.com]	Fixed all known issues with auto-update
2/20/18	v0.9.2 [github.com]	Multi-threading performance boost
2/18/18	v0.9.1.4 [github.com]	Unordered Access Texture Caching (needed for FFXII)
2/10/18	v0.9.0 [github.com]	First official 0.9.x release

Development Plan

0.9.0 is moving the project out of its current feature building phase into feature consolidation. That is, ensuring the texture and render mod features in D3D11 and D3D9 use a common codebase and trying to extend these features to GL.

I also want to modularize the core, breaking everything into tasks -- don't need / want texture modding? Disable that task, and have fewer potential compatibility issues with third-party software.

Fleshing out the command console with a complete set of variables to control most features is also planned, since they make the macro feature introduced in 0.8.x much more powerful.

I will actually write some real documentation for stuff as well -- imagine that :P

[HolyDeath3000]

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1461824449

Actually that only applies to cutscenes. and its able to be disabled through Custom Settings. I have that as well. Put my fps to 36 considering I have 144Hz monitor.

[Kaldaien]

I wonder if SEGA realizes they left on DRM diagnostics in the game's output? :) Take a look at game_output.log. They use Denuvo, yet they spit out way more info than they ever should... why even bother?

[JBeckman]

One of the branches on SteamDB indicates some DRM or Denuvo hotfix under testing but that still wouldn't explain the release build having that sort of information since it's probably meant for internal testing and logging.

[Adam]

Something that really bothers me about Y0 is how the volume changes for the Sega logo at the start, I set games to 5% or 10% depending on the game through SK's volume management, but the Sega logo sets it to 75% and then back to whatever it was set to before

[Kaldaien]

Well, ordinarily this debug output would go nowhere. I just have a zillion different things in Special K to capture debug information :) Windows would discard all of these messages if SK weren't manipulating stuff, but even so, it's not customary to include debug output in a release build.

[JBeckman]

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

Well, ordinarily this debug output would go nowhere. I just have a zillion different things in Special K to capture debug information :) Windows would discard all of these messages if SK weren't manipulating stuff, but even so, it's not customary to include debug output in a release build.

Though it can be useful for troubleshooting purposes even if it's accidental.

I suppose in particular the inclusion of .PDB files can be really helpful such as the one that ended up leaking from Final Fantasy XV's debug build.


EDIT: That's this. (Steam://open/console and then via that window you use the parameters.)
https://www.resetera.com/threads/final-fantasy-xv-windows-edition-pc-mod-thread.28824/page-8#post-10599938

download_depot 637650 637651 7183949896094212398 9133999418852940340

Which is the diff data between these two manifests for the game and that downloads to here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\content\app_637650\depot_637651\

[😎Macula😎]

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

Well, ordinarily this debug output would go nowhere. I just have a zillion different things in Special K to capture debug information :) Windows would discard all of these messages if SK weren't manipulating stuff, but even so, it's not customary to include debug output in a release build.

Guess it's one of those WHOPS thing.

PS I just finally decided to watch that youtube video to test steam client... "step 10" LOL.

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by Adam:

Something that really bothers me about Y0 is how the volume changes for the Sega logo at the start, I set games to 5% or 10% depending on the game through SK's volume management, but the Sega logo sets it to 75% and then back to whatever it was set to before

lol, I hadn't even looked at that.

I've done something like that in the past to deal with audio APIs that have no volume control.

The crash sound that plays in SK, for example... there's only one volume for the Windows PlaySound function, so I reduce the volume of the entire application temporarily while the sound is playing to keep people from jumping out of their chair due to a loud noise :)

[Kaldaien]

Look at that... my initial attempt to diagnose the OSD problem by guessing turned out to be right :)

08/01/2018 21:18:03.398: [--(Name)--] [!] {               d3d11.dll}                            CreateDirect3D11SurfaceFromDXGISurface
08/01/2018 21:18:03.398: [--(Name)--] [!] {               d3d11.dll}                            CreateDirect3D11SurfaceFromDXGISurface
08/01/2018 21:18:03.398: [-(Source)-] [!] {          SpecialK64.dll}                                  SK_D3D11_Stateblock_Lite::apply  <c:\users\amcol\source\repos\specialk\src\render\dxgi\dxgi.cpp:1536> 
08/01/2018 21:18:03.398: [-(Source)-] [!] {          SpecialK64.dll}                                               SK_CEGUI_DrawD3D11  <c:\users\amcol\source\repos\specialk\src\render\dxgi\dxgi.cpp:2489> 

The stateblock capture/restore is not doing its job when the game goes into fullscreen mode. I probably should have asked for a crash log :)

[JBeckman]

"SK_D3D11_Stateblock_Lite::apply <c:\users\amcol\source\repos\specialk\src\render\dxgi\dxgi.cpp:1536> "

I recognize that line from the crash.log file, so that's what it was then, that's going to be good to know for future reference. :)

EDIT: So much to learn and so much that can act up but well that's one more thing narrowed down.

EDIT: Hmm although I am a borderless enthusiast or windowed overriden into borderless but eh same error in either case even if the condition differs.

[Kaldaien]

Texture caching can't be used in this game unfortunately. I will have to re-write my texture wrapper because the game is doing something wrong and causing infinite recursion whenever it frees a texture from memory :(

It's an engine bug, but I can't think of any way to work around it at the moment.

Since texture modding requires texture caching in D3D11, SK cannot be used for texture mods in that game until I figure out a solution.

[HolyDeath3000]

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

Texture caching can't be used in this game unfortunately. I will have to re-write my texture wrapper because the game is doing something wrong and causing infinite recursion whenever it frees a texture from memory :(

It's an engine bug, but I can't think of any way to work around it at the moment.

Since texture modding requires texture caching in D3D11, SK cannot be used for texture mods in that game until I figure out a solution.

That's pretty interesting. Someone here wanted to try SK and make Mods for the textures. To improve them.

[Kaldaien]

That's why I pointed it out :P I kinda wanted to get it working for Dro, but it just doesn't look like it's in the cards... I want to get this other stuff finished and released first. I've decided to try and write an Intel sensor driver and release that version probably over the weekend. No sense in releasing something that's only half-finished.

----

That said, I re-uploaded the alpha version with fixes for Yakuza:

1. Disables texture cache the first time you run a game (no SK config file exists yet)
   
2. Fixes the SteamAPI problems, you don't have to disable SteamAPI enhancements

[Erebus]

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

That's why I pointed it out :P I kinda wanted to get it working for Dro, but it just doesn't look like it's in the cards... I want to get this other stuff finished and released first. I've decided to try and write an Intel sensor driver and release that version probably over the weekend. No sense in releasing something that's only half-finished.

Could looking into Intel PCM speed that process for you? Or nah?

[Kaldaien]

Originally posted by Erebus:

Originally posted by Kaldaien:

That's why I pointed it out :P I kinda wanted to get it working for Dro, but it just doesn't look like it's in the cards... I want to get this other stuff finished and released first. I've decided to try and write an Intel sensor driver and release that version probably over the weekend. No sense in releasing something that's only half-finished.

Could looking into Intel PCM speed that process for you? Or nah?

I don't know what that is, so probably not :)

I just need to read the technical manuals for Intel Core chips and they'll explain the various hardware addresses to read data from.