How to use ReShade with DXVK Without File Conflicts

This guide will explain how to use Reshade and DXVK without File Conflicts

⚠️ Important Warning: Use at Your Own Risk

The environment variable affects all applications, so ReShade will use DXVK in all games.

Potential stability issues: ReShade and DXVK may have incompatibilities with certain games.

With Steam, you may need to close Steam and set the variable globally (not just in a batch), as Steam may restart the process without the reshade.me variable.

You need Vulkan 1.3 support on your GPU.
There are other additional risks you should be aware of when using ReShade + DXVK together via RESHADE_MODULE_PATH_OVERRIDE in Source Filmmaker (SFM):






1. Rendering glitches or visual glitches
Some ReShade shaders may not work correctly over Vulkan via DXVK. For example:

Blur effects (DOF), SSAO, ray tracing, etc., may:

Generate black screens.

Break model lighting.

Display visual artifacts (pixelation, flickering).

The Source (SFM) engine itself is not designed for Vulkan, and using DXVK is a hack that sometimes doesn't behave as expected.








2. ReShade may not capture correctly in render mode
In SFM, if you use Render Movie, it's common for ReShade to only be applied to the viewport, not the final file.

With DXVK, this can get worse. Many people report rendering with no effects or even a black screen.

To avoid this, you would need to capture the screen with OBS or another external tool—which reduces the final quality.
Environment Variables Affect the Entire Windows
RESHADE_MODULE_PATH_OVERRIDE is not game-specific if you set it as a system variable. Therefore:

Any other game with ReShade will try to load your DXVK d3d9.dll, even if it doesn't need to.

This can break other games that already work fine.

Or even cause ReShade to not load properly outside of SFM.
Possible Blocks by Antivirus or Windows Defender
DXVK and ReShade inject code into processes, which is typical malware behavior for antivirus programs.









4. If the DLLs are modified, signed by a third party, or misconfigured, some antivirus programs:
Can quarantine them.

Block them upon execution.

Flag SFM as suspicious (or even delete it).

Future Incompatibility
This method relies on system hacks and unofficial behavior.

ReShade 5.0+ no longer properly supports DXVK on 32-bit without modifications.

Updating Vulkan, ReShade, or DXVK may break compatibility and require you to reconfigure everything from scratch.










This is all because SFM is a 32-bit software, which means there will be problems. Use this guide at your own risk.

📖 Introduction

If this works for you, please post your GPU specs in the comments I am curious on what GPUs make it work

Running ReShade and DXVK together can be tricky because they both use similarly named files like d3d9.dll, which can cause conflicts. This guide will show you how to install both tools side by side without issues.


This guide will tell you how to:

Setting up ReShade and DXVK correctly

Avoiding file conflicts like duplicate DLLs

Making sure both tools work at the same time

Whether you're improving performance with Vulkan using DXVK or enhancing visuals with ReShade, this guide will help you do both smoothly.

❓ Why can’t we use these two .dll files at once?

The main problem is
SFM can only load one main d3d9.dll.

SFM is a 32-bit software but this guide will explain how to use both

Requirements before installing This

You need Vulkan 1.3 or higher for your GPU or else it won't work. Here's a website if it tells if your GPU is supported. (The original DXVK d3d9.dll always needed Vulkan 1.3. So just a reminder)
https://vulkan.gpuinfo.org/listdevices.php

Some GPUs below 1.2 may work just update the GPUs drivers. Just search in google how to update GPUs drivers

If this doesn't even if you have 1.3 or higher, try updating your GPU drivers

Here's a video how to update your drivers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOOtg4lVqjk


Inside the green circle is the search bar location and inside the orange circle is the API, you need 1.3 or higher for this to work

This might not work on a laptop

What Each DLL and .json File Does

REMEMBER THESE
d3d9.dll → this is ReShade's d3d9

Reshade32.dll → this is the main ReShade module

d3d9.dll (From DXVK folder) → this is DXVK's d3d9

ReShade32.json and ReShade32_XR.json → These are auto-generated by ReShade.

Zip File Downloads (Don't forget to Unzip the Files because it's very important)

You need this zip file for this

Here's the installation zip file download for this
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bf2cMDEdsMm5U-I3NsokoHWlrk0sMcpo/view




Here's another zip file you need to make effects working
Just click download and put it in the bin folder in SFM files don't forget to unzip it
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ixHozFaNKFrV5KlbyroP7enRKLsXynj7/view?usp=sharing



To download it, click the button in the picture




Once you install the Zip File, now Unzip the file.Here's a video how to unzip files (Unzipping files are very important to make VMT Edit Work)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zl-Vl9iQo0

It should look like this while unzipping it

How to install them and make them work?

Now you have the unzipped file, we can now install it into SFM
Follow these steps exactly to install the setup:




Step 1: Copy and Paste
Reshade32.dll and d3d9.dll (The reshade one, "NOT" FROM THE DXVK folder.) into
sourcefilmmaker\game and sourcefilmmaker\game\bin File location
The files that have the green ticks are the correct ones, they look like this (Press it to zoom into the picture)










Step 2: Copy the dxvk folder and paste in it in sourcefilmmaker\game

The dxvk folder looks like this (Press it to zoom into the picture)










Step 3: For the .json files paste in sourcefilmmaker\game and sourcefilmmaker\game\bin
The .json files looks like this (Press it to zoom into the picture)








Step 4: Now we need to go the windows taskbar and search for environment variables



It will look like this, just open it (Press it to zoom into the picture)










If it looks the picture on the left then its correct. But if it looks like the picture in the right, go into the "advanced" tab and press "Environment Variables" at the bottom-right corner




















Step 5: Click on New
It looks like this (Press it to zoom into the picture)


Now add to the variable name section
RESHADE_MODULE_PATH_OVERRIDE

It looks like this after you added the command I just said above

Many people got the next step wrong, so follow it carefully

In the Variable Value section you need to add the file path to the DXVK folder you put in and click on d3d9.dll
Click on Browse File then find sourcefilmmaker\game\dxvk then click on d3d9.dll (The d3d9.dll file in the DXVK folder is the one you need to choose when you press "Browse File"





(Press it to zoom into the picture)



Don't choose the DXVK folder I want you to press the d3d9.dll "IN" the DXVK folder
(Press the picture to zoom)






It should look like this now, if it does look like that press "Ok"
(Press the picture to zoom)

Now there's one more step, install ReshadeEffectShaderToggler and put it in the "bin" folder to make rendering/exporting work. This is VERY important!

Download is in this link
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xC1qP9BwViFKX4Zx2j8GPqeaSRmvsfAN/view
Once you install that put it in sourcefilmmaker\game\bin


This is used to make your session render with Reshade


Now add this command to your launch options before you render with reshade
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Add this in your launch options first

+r_hunkalloclightmaps 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



When you render don't forget to enable everything from the addons tab (Press the "Home" Key to open Reshade)
(Press the picture to zoom)









If you see a text in the Home section that says
No effect files (.fx) found in the configured effect search paths.

(Click on the picture to zoom in)
















Here's how to fix it
1. Open the Settings tab.

2. Find and click Effect Search Paths.

3. Browse to your ReShade-Shaders folder located in the bin folder, then select the Shaders folder.

4. Next, click Texture Search Paths.

5. Go back to the ReShade-Shaders folder in the bin folder and select the Textures folder.

6. Finally, return to Home and click Reload.
That should do it!
You are finished now, try opening SFM and see if it works

IMPORTANT NOTE

A person said that when he turned off his pc and booted it back on, Reshade + DXVK doesn't work

If that happens to you,
Try removing the reshade_module_path for the environmental variable thing and turn it back on to see if it works

Bug Solutions

(Click on the pictures to zoom)

To fix Reshade appearing in your viewport screen,
Click on the Home button on your keyboard
If that doesn't work click on "Window" on the top left corner and go to "Engine Window" and press "Auto Hide Engine Window"



If you see a text in the Home section that says
No effect files (.fx) found in the configured effect search paths.

(Click on the picture to zoom in)















Here's how to fix it
1. Open the Settings tab.

2. Find and click Effect Search Paths.

3. Browse to your ReShade-Shaders folder located in the bin folder, then select the Shaders folder.

4. Next, click Texture Search Paths.

5. Go back to the ReShade-Shaders folder in the bin folder and select the Textures folder.

6. Finally, return to Home and click Reload.
That should do it!

Your Finished! Here are my other interesting guides

If you like my guide, like and subscr- I mean click the favorite button on my guide. Also I put a lot of effort into this, donating steam points would make my happy :)

Faster and Easier Way To Edit VMT Files (VMT Editor)
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3521721691



What GPU Pushes SFM Graphics and Performance to Its Absolute Limits? Find out Here and Why
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3494197761

[Thrilltime]

Hey, So I tried all this and reshade works. but I dont' see the effect of dxvk. and it doesn't show up in log section of reshade.

[GLaFRe]

why 1080 rendering but 4k not with reshade

[Andi]

Worked for me on ReShade 4.9.1 with a 4060 TI 8GB.

[FilmAFrame]

On GPU's like 3070, 4070 super, 5070 TI however a 4060 didn't work

[GoofBall]

did it work for you? why not look at ur gpu specs

[FilmAFrame]

For anyone that made it work, please post your GPU specs. I am curious on what GPU's will work

[GoofBall]

i did that before and it still wont work

[FilmAFrame]

Check in the "log" section when you open reshade by using the home key and see if it says anything about DXVK

[FilmAFrame]

Try removing reshade_module_path in environmental variables and add it again

[GoofBall]

ok i finally got the effects to work, now the only problem i have now is dxvk not working,