ENB bloom problems with d3d9.dll

[geoffco 0]

Hi!

 

I have been using the enb series mod in FS9 for years now, but since reinstalling onto a windows 7 setup I have not been able to get it running! Due to some pretty awful panel flickering I moved from a NVidia to an ATI card but the bloom problem was there with both cards...

The problem is specifically a CTD with d3d9.dll as the faulting module when either; entering the menus, right clicking to change a veiw property, opening the kneeboard or dropping out to windows - whether it crashes seeme to be fairly random, but at a AI filled airport when there is plenty of 'work' for the system, I can get it to crash reliably with the kneeboard.

I have checked and I am using the dll that is available in REX forums, so it's one that is known for FS.

I have not got any MSI afterburner software (a known incompatibility)

 

Currently running without the mod enabled but I would quite like to get it back, so any advice on what to check or try would be great...

 

Geoff

[geoffco 0]

Hi!

 

I have been using the enb series mod in FS9 for years now, but since reinstalling onto a windows 7 setup I have not been able to get it running! Due to some pretty awful panel flickering I moved from a NVidia to an ATI card but the bloom problem was there with both cards...

The problem is specifically a CTD with d3d9.dll as the faulting module when either; entering the menus, right clicking to change a veiw property, opening the kneeboard or dropping out to windows - whether it crashes seeme to be fairly random, but at a AI filled airport when there is plenty of 'work' for the system, I can get it to crash reliably with the kneeboard.

I have checked and I am using the dll that is available in REX forums, so it's one that is known for FS.

I have not got any MSI afterburner software (a known incompatibility)

 

Currently running without the mod enabled but I would quite like to get it back, so any advice on what to check or try would be great...

 

Geoff

 

To answer my own question: I went and asked about this on the ENB Series forums and the response was that the mod is probably having difficulties because I am using dual screens. With my previous setup and the Matrox TH2G then that was not an issue as the system was 'seeing' only one screen... Oh well, I guess that means I can't use the bloom mod with AMD Eyefinity!

 

Luckily, I came accross SweetFX - does similar things to the ENB Series mod, although the bloom is not as good (in my opinion). Main point is that it seems to not crash with my system! Further testing to follow!

 

Geoff

[hjwalter 25]

Geoff,

 

Are you using DirectX 11, because this seems to have a compatibility issue with d3d9.dll or vica versa ? During startup of my FS9 in Windows7 64bit + DirectX 11, I keep getting an error message to this effect and because of it, it was sadly necessary to delete my d3d9.dll. No CTDs though.

 

Please keep us informed as to your experiences during your further testing with e.g. SweetFX.

 

Hans

[geoffco 0]

Hi Hans,

 

I am using DX11 on my computer but there is no problem on startup - FS9 crashes with d3d9.dll only when viewing the menus, right clicking or exiting with Alt-Tab...

 

So far it's looking good with SweetFX. I completed a short fligth this morning and there was no d3d9.dll crash... Lots of tweaking still to do with the mod though.

 

Geoff

[geoffco 0]

Hi Hans,

 

I am using DX11 on my computer but there is no problem on startup - FS9 crashes with d3d9.dll only when viewing the menus, right clicking or exiting with Alt-Tab...

 

So far it's looking good with SweetFX. I completed a short fligth this morning and there was no d3d9.dll crash... Lots of tweaking still to do with the mod though.

 

Geoff

 

Spoke too soon! Now had a couple of CTD with no module name reported... Turns out that the d3d9.dll of SweetFX does not have the proper debug info included, but that is indeed the culprit. Damn. Looks like I cannot use any of the d3d9.dll modifications with this setup.

 

Geoff

[geoffco 0]

Right folks, here is how to get bloom etc in FS9 with an AMD HD graphics card if the other 'normal' methods give CTD...

1. Get SweetFX and install it in it's own folder, not in the FS9 folder.
   
2. Get yourself a copy of Radeon Pro Beta - the latest build has the ability to integrate SweetFX! (You need to set the SweetFX directory in the RP settings)
   

So far, I have had the best results by setting the main graphics settings on the global level, and then setting the SweetFX parameters in a profile for FS9.

 

My tests so far do not indicate any advantage in using the FXAA or SMAA injectors - they just gave horrible bluring - I will test those some more though...

 

Geoff

[Jim Young 2,356]

I am using DX11 on my computer but there is no problem on startup - FS9 crashes with d3d9.dll only when viewing the menus, right clicking or exiting with Alt-Tab...

 

You are not using DX11 as FS9 or FSX does not have the capability to use DX11. The programs were written with other DX versions. Not to worry. FS9 uses DX9 and no version higher than that. FSX has the capability to run DX10 in a limited mode. Both FS9 and FSX will never be compatible with DX11 or higher.

 

Best regards,

Jim

[geoffco 0]

You are not using DX11 as FS9 or FSX does not have the capability to use DX11. The programs were written with other DX versions. Not to worry. FS9 uses DX9 and no version higher than that. FSX has the capability to run DX10 in a limited mode. Both FS9 and FSX will never be compatible with DX11 or higher.

 

Best regards,

Jim

 

Sorry, perhaps that was unclear in my post. I have DX11 on my machine but of course it also includes DX9 and DX10 within it. Of course FS9 is not using anything other than DX9 but then in that particular post I was responding to Hans who suggested that by having DX11 on the machine they had encountered issues using a DX9 application. I was simply pointing out that I didn't have that particular flavour of problem...

 

PS. Still no crashes with SweetFX injected through RadeonPro...

 

Geoff

[Jure 36]

Hey Geoff,

 

thanks for the heads up on SweetFX!

 

For what it's worth, I tried it yesterday on my nVidia GFX card and a Win XP installation. No problems whatsoever and some interesting settings and possibilities! I, too, ran dual monitors in the past (CRT), then moved to ENBSeries and one big LCD monitor. Even with the extra real estate of the 16:9 LCD, I always missed the extra monitor, but never wanted to lose ENB bloom, once I had it configured to my liking.

 

As you already wrote, no improvement using the FXAA or SMAA injectors - but no blurring either.

Bloom is definitely inferior to ENBseries and after a few hours of testing I came to the conclusion that the other settings (HDR, for example) do not merit a move to SweetFX.

 

I still need to try it with the second monitor, though.

 

Regards,

Jure

[geoffco 0]

Yup, my previous setup with nVidia on XP (x64) had no problems using ENB - I had the two screens then too but they were on a TripleHead2Go...

The problems now seem to be very much related to Windows7 and/or my AMD GFX card...

 

The FXAA and SMAA blurring I see is on the text and detail in the panels. Scenery seems fine with it turned on... Again, I suspect this might be an Nvidia vs AMD issue due to different driver implementation.

 

Geoff