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Figured I'd post this in case anyone was interested in dorking around with this stuff. While searching for some ocean color palette tweaking I came across the great thread by ArturR about SweetFX and how it could be used in SF2.

 

Discussion is HERE!

 

SweetFX is sort of an ingame DirectX filter system that works like post-processing, except in real time (is generally how I understand it). I followed the instructions in that thread and had it up and working in no time. I put the files in my main SF2 directory (c:/thirdwire/strikefighters2/) and also put them in my MOD folder in the FLIGHT and MENU directories. As Stary indicates I think later in that thread - when tweaking the settings, you really only need to mess with the SweetFX_settings.txt file that is located in your MOD/FLIGHT directory to see the results. Allegedly you can even tweak the .txt file on the fly, but I've never been able to ALT-TAB out of SF2 without losing the ability to get back into the sim (I get a brown screen where the sim sounds like it is still running but I can't see anything unless I hit ESC and exit the mission - can anyone else successfully task switch when running SF2?)

 

Link to most recent version of SweetFX: LINK!

 

It is quite fun to mess around with the settings and get some image changes that suit you. I personally set mine to do some mild vignetting and slightly adjusted things like the saturation, HDR, bloom, and some other factors. These will allow me to basically (almost) just take my screens right out of the screenshot directory without having to post process them in PhotoShop for the AARs I write. Your mileage may vary of course.

 

Separately, I also changed the waternormal.bmp file a bit and dropped the levels down a bit and decreased the saturation to give a bit of a darker tint to the ocean off Vietnam. Messing with the .bmp file in PhotoShop and running the sim can give some odd effects..so it was a bit of trial and error before I decided on the following color. The left side is the modified color and the right was the original from the Green Hell 3.5 install (I think tile was part of that mod?).. The new color gives an interesting reflective band according to where the sun is hitting the water - so it may or may not look good through all time phases of the sim (I'm still evaluating it), but overall I like the sunlight on the water look (sort of dramatic)..

 

SWEETFX3.jpg

 

These two screens are with the new water tile and with SweetFX running and include all the running SweetFX effects that I have selected - this is what it looks like in game and these images are not altered:

 

SWEETFX1.jpg

 

SWEETFX2.jpg

 

They look pretty good IMO - but I might tweak SweetFX to lighten them up just a smidge...

 

I've attached my SweetFX configuration file and the water file just in case anyone wants to mess with them. Back up your originals of course before throwing that bmp in your mod folder..

 

BeachAV8R

WATERNORMAL.zip

SweetFX_settings.txt

Edited by beachav8r
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looks good Beach! Seems no need for me to repaint the water tiles eh?

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  On 11/22/2013 at 1:53 PM, Stary said:

looks good Beach! Seems no need for me to repaint the water tiles eh?

 

<wink> Maybe! I dunno. In doing some research (searching the forums) I saw several posts talking about water color - is there some relationship with water color and where ships are able to sail or something? I haven't actually tried my new water in the campaign..but if it screws up some sort of setting identifying water as water then obviously that wouldn't be good. So does just changing the color/saturation of the water cause some other undesirable consequences?

 

I'm good at fixing one thing and breaking three others.. But I'm pretty damn happy with my install right now - (that means..back that *hit up right now right..?!)

 

Regards,

BeachAV8R

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Couple more unedited screens showing the output from SweetFX - still a touch too dark for me, but I can change some settings to lighten up or desaturate the colors a bit I think..

 

SWEETFX4.jpg

 

SWEETFX5.jpg

 

SWEETFX6.jpg

 

BeachAV8R

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It can be ok for Europe or Baltic sea I think.

For Mediterranea, it should be far lighter

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  On 11/22/2013 at 3:33 PM, jeanba said:

It can be ok for Europe or Baltic sea I think.

For Mediterranea, it should be far lighter

 

Yeah - I'm not too interested in any of those (yet)..just want a more subdued color for Vietnam...

 

South China sea..

 

800px-USS_Peleliu_%28LHA_5%29_in_South_C

 

BeachAV8R

Edited by beachav8r

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Can someone confirm for me...

 

Copy the contents of the the .7z into the following?

 

- ...\ProgramFiles\Thirdwire\Strike Fighter2\

- ...\ProgramFiles\Thirdwire\Strike Fighter2\Flight

-...\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 NorthAtlantic\\Flight\

 

When I do the above, I get a CTD immediately after starting the sim.

 

Win 7 64-bit and two GTX 690's.

 

Thanks

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in linked SweetFX post there are numerous users presets posted, I strongly suggest using mine :wink:

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  On 11/22/2013 at 5:19 PM, JSF_Aggie said:

Can someone confirm for me...

 

Copy the contents of the the .7z into the following?

 

- ...\ProgramFiles\Thirdwire\Strike Fighter2\

- ...\ProgramFiles\Thirdwire\Strike Fighter2\Flight

-...\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 NorthAtlantic\\Flight\

 

When I do the above, I get a CTD immediately after starting the sim.

 

Win 7 64-bit and two GTX 690's.

 

 

I put a copy of all the zip contents in \ProgramFiles\Thirdwire\StrikeFighters2\

 

and then also copies in the MOD folders (looks like you were putting it in the game install FLIGHT folder):

 

user/savedgames/StrikeFighters2 Vietnam/Flight

 

and

 

user/savedgames/StrikeFighters2 Vietnam/Menu

 

Give that a whirl...

 

BeachAV8R

 

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Sweet! I always wondered if there was something for dx10 like ENBseries did for dx9 (IE my 2 HDR Mods I did before TK turned on the dx10 shader code). So guys do you want to see a DX10 HDR mod from me? :)

 

Falcon

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  On 11/23/2013 at 9:26 PM, FalconC45 said:

Sweet! I always wondered if there was something for dx10 like ENBseries did for dx9 (IE my 2 HDR Mods I did before TK turned on the dx10 shader code). So guys do you want to see a DX10 HDR mod from me? :)

 

Falcon

 

That would be fantastic dance2.gif.pagespeed.ce.Z0DJRSLnNq.gif 

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  On 11/23/2013 at 9:26 PM, FalconC45 said:

Sweet! I always wondered if there was something for dx10 like ENBseries did for dx9 (IE my 2 HDR Mods I did before TK turned on the dx10 shader code). So guys do you want to see a DX10 HDR mod from me? :)

 

 

That'd be cool..!

PS - all of the screen in AAR #6 I just posted are pretty much no post processing. The only thing I changed to the stock SweetFX captured images was that I'd crop them if I needed to and I added a 2% noise through PhotoShop to make them look slightly more weathered. Colors were done in-game with SweetFX. I found the setting to reduce the saturation to a bit more. It might not look as real and vivid as the real thing..but I think the images closely match the color photos of the era. And that mission was flown with overcast..so the sunny ones should be a fair bit brighter..

 

BeachAV8R

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Anyone know how to turn OFF the saving of screenshots by SweetFX in the installed folder? I use the default TW screenshots and really don't need 6MB extra for each image being saved by SweetFX.. (?)

 

BeachAV8R

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OK, I'll d/l and play with the SweetFX software this week. I'm kinda excited, I haven't really touched SF2  at all this year.

 

Falcon

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Question - Can anyone hazard a guess as to why I can't get SweetFX working with my ODS install? Just as with all the other variants of the game, I have the SweetFX files placed in my /USERS/SAVEDGAMES/THIRDWIRE/SF2-ODS/FLIGHT directory, but for some reason no effects are being seen in game. I can tweak the SweetFX all I want but the effects just don't show up in the game. I have no problems with Vietnam, Europe, or Israel..just ODS..

 

??

 

BeachAV8R

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  On 11/28/2013 at 4:59 PM, beachav8r said:

Question - Can anyone hazard a guess as to why I can't get SweetFX working with my ODS install? Just as with all the other variants of the game, I have the SweetFX files placed in my /USERS/SAVEDGAMES/THIRDWIRE/SF2-ODS/FLIGHT directory, but for some reason no effects are being seen in game. I can tweak the SweetFX all I want but the effects just don't show up in the game. I have no problems with Vietnam, Europe, or Israel..just ODS..

 

 

Alrighty..problem solved (whew!). Did a little poking around the internet(s) and came up with this post on the 1C forums:

 

"I've found that repeatedly tweaking sweet FX can eventually muff up your d3d9.dll file which it uses. Downloading SweetFX and installing it again will fix you up. You can use all your favourite settings still, just refreshing those other files will do the trick."

 

So I replaced all of the files in the USER directories, and the main c:/ThirdWire directory and then just put my custom SweetFX_settings.txt back in and everything worked like a charm! So there might be something to what Feathered posted above!

 

Yay..

 

HARRIER1.jpg

 

BeachAV8R

 

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  On 11/30/2013 at 6:18 PM, beachav8r said:

Alrighty..problem solved (whew!). Did a little poking around the internet(s) and came up with this post on the 1C forums:

 

"I've found that repeatedly tweaking sweet FX can eventually muff up your d3d9.dll file which it uses. Downloading SweetFX and installing it again will fix you up. You can use all your favourite settings still, just refreshing those other files will do the trick."

 

So I replaced all of the files in the USER directories, and the main c:/ThirdWire directory and then just put my custom SweetFX_settings.txt back in and everything worked like a charm! So there might be something to what Feathered posted above!

 

Yay..

 

HARRIER1.jpg

 

BeachAV8R

 

 

In summary......where do I put the zip contents??  :blink:

 

into:

 

1) \ProgramFiles\Thirdwire\StrikeFighters2\

 

2) User\Savedgames\StrikeFighters2 Vietnam/Flight

 

3) User\Savedgames\StrikeFighters2 Vietnam/Menu

 

Only in these three locations??  :big_boss:

 

Your screenshots, are wonderful!!!!!

 

Could you post, please your: 

 

1) Option.ini

 

and

 

2) Fligthengine.ini

 

Thank you so much!!!! 

Edited by AGOSTINO

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  On 12/1/2013 at 12:07 AM, AGOSTINO said:

1) \ProgramFiles\Thirdwire\StrikeFighters2\

 

2) User\Savedgames\StrikeFighters2 Vietnam/Flight

 

3) User\Savedgames\StrikeFighters2 Vietnam/Menu

 

That should work - and as far as I know, you probably don't even need it in your MENU folder.

 

 

 

Options.ini:

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

---------------------

 

Flightengine.ini

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

--------------------------

 

Latest SweetFX settings (this will likely be way to undersaturated for most people...mine is this way for a reason..)

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

Hope that helps..

 

BeachAV8R

 

Edited by beachav8r

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  On 12/1/2013 at 3:16 AM, beachav8r said:

 

That should work - and as far as I know, you probably don't even need it in your MENU folder.

 

Hope that helps..

 

BeachAV8R

 

You, in your MENU folder ... you have them extracted, the zip contents??   :blink:

Anyway.....thank you very much!!!!! clapping.gif.pagespeed.ce.letqCZTOMd.gif

You're very kind!!!!!!

I will try everything tomorrow ..... and I'll let you know!!!!!!  

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After we put sweetfx to the folder is that already automatic running when we start the game? or do we've to turn it on the effects manually using hotkey?

sorry out of the line, is there anyone here already tryin this method to use in SF2? it's DX9 Antilag tool
its in here :
http://ftp.uktrainsim.com/viewtopic.php?f=314&t=112447

Edited by wiki

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Just to confirm, I copy all of these files?

 

post-56847-0-95138800-1386265309.jpg

 

And paste them into these three locations.

 

1) C:\Users\User Name\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Vietnam\Flight

 
2) C:\Users\User Name\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Vietnam\Menu
 
3) C:\Program Files (x86)\ThirdWire\Strike Fighters 2
 
If so then I am missing something because when I do that I get a CTD any time I try to run SF2.
 
When I remove the SweetFX files from the "C:\Program Files (x86)\ThirdWire\Strike Fighters 2" folder the game plays again.
 
Any idea what I am doing wrong? 

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