#depth buffer faq

[pictureamoebae]

ok i have followed your tutorial on installing relight but I currently use reshade 6.1.1 and cannot get any of the files that I need to compile - I am not sure if I am installing it correctly or need to use an older version of relight but I even tried to use reshade 6.3.3 and it would not work for me.

also when I have reinstalled an older version of reshade - my ADOF file always works for a split second before it completely shuts off even with it still fully activated - is there any way to fix this ?

Hi anon, sorry to hear you're having problems.

Marty's most recent update to iMMERSE shaders (version 2412) requires ReShade 6.3.3 or above for the addons to work, but I believe the regular non-addon shaders should still work in older versions. Still, I'd recommend using the most recent version just to avoid any issues.

Are you using the addon version of ReShade? You need that specific version for the depth buffer to work correctly. You want the second option below that says 'with full add-on support'

What are the compiling errors you get with ReLight? If you hover over the red error at the top it will expand with more information.

One thing to check for if you're using the most recent ReLight version (the iMMERSE version, not the qUINT version) is that you don't also have the regular iMMERSE folder. You should only have the iMMERSE Ultimate folder. That contains everything that is also in the regular iMMERSE folder, so if you have them both you'll have duplicates that could mess things up.

When you install iMMERSE Ultimate the easiest thing to do to keep everything organised is:

remove your iMMERSE folder from reshade-shaders > Shaders

create a new folder called iMMERSE Ultimate in reshade-shaders > Shaders

create a new folder called iMMERSE Ultimate in reshade-shaders > Textures

copy all the files and the MartysMods folder that are inside the Shaders folder from his download and paste them into the iMMERSE Ultimate folder you created inside reshade-shaders > Shaders - be sure to leave this folder structure in tact - you should have a bunch of iMMERSE shaders and a MartysMods folder alongside them

copy all the files that are inside the Textures folder from his download and paste them into the iMMERSE Ultimate folder you created inside reshade-shaders > Textures

copy the addon files you need from the Addons folder from his download and paste them into your TS4 Bin folder

I know Marty was working hard for a long time to maintain dx9 compatibility for ReLight, largely because so many TS4 players use it, but now the game defaults to dx11 I'm not 100% certain whether he's maintained that compatibility or dropped it. Either way, you will get superior results from a lot of his shaders if you use the dx11 version of the game, so I recommend ensuring you're running that version to rule out any issues there.

[pictureamoebae]

for reshade, i have the latest version and everything, but mxao won't show up. like at all even though the settings seem to be on and it is enabled. what is going on?

Hey anon! Can you check that you have disabled Edge Smoothing in the game's graphics options please. Sometimes it gets turned on by accident when updating. Most people generally need to turn it off to use depth effects.

[pictureamoebae]

Hey! I'm the anon that asked the question about the odd gap between the blur of my Sim + the background. I wanted to come back to let you know that it was due to the edge smoothing being turned on! In case anybody may be having the same issue, then it could be that for them as well. Thank you to you and those that replied to the ask. <3

Hi anon! Thank you so much for confirming. It's really useful to have a proper cause. I'm glad it's fixed for you now!

[pictureamoebae]

Hello! i'm new to reshade and i'm having problems with DOF, i can't focus on objects, my hole screen looks blurry. i followed all what people asked you about DOF (your answers) and nothing seem to work for me, Please Help me. i have done everything and the same problem persist

Hey. Usually the issue here is the depth buffer isn't set up correctly. The main things to check are:

turn off Edge Smoothing in the game's graphics options

open Global Preprocessor Definitions in the ReShade menu and change reshade_depth_input_is_reversed from a 1 to a 0

ensure you're using the ReShade version that has full addon support

If you've done both of those things, please check if other depth effects are working as intended. These include things like MXAO and Adaptive Fog, and other DoF shaders.

If they are working correctly, then it is likely a problem with the specific DoF shader you're using. In that case, check with the creator of it to see if there's an updated version you can download. Otherwise, perhaps try using a different DoF shader if you find one that works.

If they aren't working correctly, that suggests it's a problem with the depth buffer itself, that you don't have it set up correctly.

[pictureamoebae]

Hello! I downloaded reshade 4.9.1 for The Sims 4 but my MXAO won't work when I toggle it on and off. I have edge smoothing off and reshade_depth_input_is_reversed at 0. I tried other depth effects and they did not work either. Also, when I checked the display depth effect, my screen went to all black in game, so I think the depth buffer is causing this problem. Do you have any idea of how to fix this? Thanks for the help!

Hi anon,

I recommend updating to the latest version of ReShade, and be sure to download the version that says 'with full add-on support' - that's the version that enables the depth buffer correctly.

[pictureamoebae]

Further to the queries I’ve received recently about flickering depth effects in TS3, I explained it’s because of anti-cheat detection in online games that often think ReShade’s depth buffer integration is cheat software and can ban people for using it, so ReShade introduced a feature quite some time ago where if it detects calls to a game server it disconnects the depth buffer. 

Obviously using ReShade in any of The Sims games doesn’t result in EA banning anyone, so you don’t need to worry about that, but ReShade doesn’t understand that TS3 isn’t an online competitive game, and so disconnects the depth buffer just like it would if you were using it in any other game, because the TS3 store is always online and makes those constant calls to the server.

One solution is to disconnect from the internet while you’re playing TS3.

I mentioned there was an alternative version of ReShade 5 that disables this anti-cheat protection, but I wasn’t sure if it was still available. I’ve checked, and I believe what you want is the version that says ‘Full Add-on Support’ from the official download here. 

Of course, if you choose to use that version in an online competitive game you take full responsibility if your account gets banned. But for TS3 (or any other Sims game) you’ll be absolutely fine. Here’s a forum post by ReShade’s developer explaining the difference between the two versions.

[pictureamoebae]

ATTENTION PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES WITH MXAO/DEPTH EFFECTS POST-PATCH

I’m troubleshooting some ideas that may or may not help, so if you’re experiencing problems with depth effects since the Story Progression patch PLEASE LIMIT YOUR FPS TO 30. You can do this in 3d Applications under the nvidia control panel, or by using Riva Tuner as part of MSI Afterburner, or by editing the GraphicsRules.sgr file in your Bin folder (make a copy and place it in your ConfigOverrides folder, and make the edits to that one).

If you’re experiencing ReShade issues after the patch, and/or you’ve tried the above, please provide me with the following information so I can better narrow down what people have tried, and what might or might not work:

Did limiting your fps work?

What is your ReShade version?

Do you use a custom/edited GraphicsRules.sgr file?

Do you use any custom camera files/mods?

Have you tested with a fully vanilla/repaired game?

What exact problems are you experiencing (depth effects flickering on and off? ReShade effects disappearing completely?)

Where does the problem occur (all the time, in Live mode only, in Build mode only)?

It would also be really useful to know if you’re NOT having any problems with depth effects after the patch, and answer the questions above too so I can cross reference with those who are and see if there are any similarities or discrepancies.

Thank you.

Edit: bad news (or good news, however you want to look at it) is I’ve updated my game now and everything works just fine for me, with and without mods. Great news for me, not so good news for my ability to troubleshoot it. So any and all information everyone can give me the better.

[pictureamoebae]

theres this weird glitch when i use MXAO for the sweetpies 2.0 shaders where the shadows are all glitchy and ghost like and its really weird

Hi!

First, check you have the depth buffer set up correctly. Go to Global Preprocessor Settings and make sure reshade_depth_input_is_reversed is set to 0. If it's set to 1 change it to 0.

Next, go to the d3d9 or Addons>Depth tab (depending on your version) and mess around with the check boxes, check different variations of the options there and see if it goes away.

Also, it's a good idea to edit your graphicsrules.sgr file to turn off SSAO because that can sometimes cause weird shadows that show through things when using ReShade's depth effects. Open the file in something like Notepad++ and search for ssao and change where it says 'true' to 'false' and save. This file updates each time there's a game update so you'll need to do it again.