Rift flickering & shimmering problem

[Blitzen]

This is not a SDE problem....that i can accept until the next generation of Rift or i look elsewhere for new headset.This is a more recent problem I can't seem to solve: I'm getting what i can only describe as a shimmering effect around sun highlights on aircraft and esp noticeable on horizontal white lines such as the cockpit gauges .I am also seeing a slight but noticeable break up or thin lines like the radio wires or  the cockpit of say the Bf-109 series. I'm not getting jagged edges on things like wings or gunsight ( if I do i can solve the gunsight  with LftCnrl +1,) but at the same time the overall sharpness of detail isn't there as it once was ( except in close up zoom,) nor do the trees & tree shadows flicker. I do see a bit of a flicker on clouds through the spinning prop though. Viewing targets is rough until I am quite close to them. Its as if everything has decayed about 15-20%.At one stage 4 weeks ago everything was about as good as it has ever been with Rift , but now its quite a set back.

I've tried  ' verifying game files through steam ...even re-installing the game...,simply turning off "bloom" in startup, the "cut & paste " settings for "startup", Ive tried all the sugested setting recommended to do "In Game", I've tried playing with Steam VR settings and without them, without Steam all together and yes I have the newest version of OTT which i have used on & off and tried different super sampling settings there as well. No matter what I just sort of end up in the same place.

Has anyone experienced this & is there a workable solution?

( Oh yes I have dropped the Digmoto Mod into the game but so far haven't really figured out how it works & I am pretty sure it wouldn't be much help in my situation anyway..)

[Guest deleted@134347]

if you have HDR - On the game will automatically over-write the bloom back to 1 in the startup.ini file during the startup and will enable it.  The only way to have HDR on and no bloom is to make startup.ini file as 'read only' via file properties.  But if no HDR and bloom is set to 0.. no idea..  I get shimmering from lack of AA.. so I have at least set it to AA=2 in game.. ..

[dburne]

Check your Steam VR settings and make sure the resolution did not get set back to automatic or whatever it is called.

I use manual at 100% and set my SS in Oculus Tray Tool for IL-2.

[Blitzen]

4 hours ago, dburne said:

Check your Steam VR settings and make sure the resolution did not get set back to automatic or whatever it is called.

I use manual at 100% and set my SS in Oculus Tray Tool for IL-2.

What settings do you use on OTT?

[dburne]

33 minutes ago, Blitzen said:

What settings do you use on OTT?

 

1.6 SS.

ASW Off.

Audio Switcher.

[Blitzen]

I'm curious: could Nvidia settings be affecting this?

[Dutch2]

6 hours ago, Blitzen said:

I'm curious: could Nvidia settings be affecting this?

 

I never did give that a try, but I set everything in the Nvidia il2.exe gameprofile to application controlled and if not have that choice, I select always to performance.  I would try to experiment at the ingame settings first, I know some do have impact on shimmering, flashing tree shadows and clouds made by Lego bricks.  

Also disable all your mods, like the cloud mod before testing, maybe some mods could have an bad behavour. 

[Blitzen]

7 hours ago, Dutch2 said:

 

I never did give that a try, but I set everything in the Nvidia il2.exe gameprofile to application controlled and if not have that choice, I select always to performance.  I would try to experiment at the ingame settings first, I know some do have impact on shimmering, flashing tree shadows and clouds made by Lego bricks.  

Also disable all your mods, like the cloud mod before testing, maybe some mods could have an bad behavour. 

I do have a lot of Mods working...I’ll back off on them and try the game without them & see if that makes a difference...so far I have tried all the recommendations but without much improvement...so fingers crossed....

[dburne]

1 minute ago, Blitzen said:

I do have a lot of Mods working...I’ll back off on them and try the game without them & see if that makes a difference...so far I have tried all the recommendations but without much improvement...so fingers crossed....

 

Yes definitely get back to a virgin install before trying to troubleshoot this.

 

[Blitzen]

Dutch 2: Forgive me for asking but explain to me how you’ve set the Nvidia exe.I think I know what you’re talking about, but want to make sure...can do?

ALSO: I have two versions installed: the non Steam that I use primarily & of course the Steam version-are you suggesting a complete un-install & re-install of one of these? I suppose I should copy all of my skins , missions, mods et al before going ahead with this risky enterprise or just using the JSGME utility to disable most of the mods installed in this way?Any  advice?

Edited February 23, 2019 by Blitzen

[dburne]

Try using JSGME to disable all mods first.

I would not rule out though a complete new install if needed.

I would only work with your non-Steam version.

[Dutch2]

In the nVidia control panal you will have an common and program tab for all the adjustments. Set the IL2.exe and not the IL2 launcher.exe to what I did explain. 

 

[Blitzen]

For the moment ...problem solved!

Here's how :

fiddled a bit with the Rift sensors...hopefully this helped a little - no way to tell....

In Game settings:

I basically turned everything up to maximum with the exception of "Mirrors" which I set at 'Medium'. I used these settings in  Peregin 7's Tips & Tricks as a base line, knowing or at least suspecting they would change after i fooled around with the "Startup cfg." settings ( see next step.)

 

       SteamVR - Video                                        Manual Override: On                                           

                   SteamVR - Video                                       Game Resolution: 52%/66%-170%       // Lower = Better spotting. 1.0x resolution @ 52% (Vive) or 66% (Rift)

                   In Game - Game                                                                        : 50km

                   In Game - Graphics                                              Resolution: 1280x720                // Only changes how it looks on the monitor, lower = marginal performance gain

                   In Game - Graphics                                     General Setting: Balanced/High

                   In Game - Graphics                                                 Shadows: Low  

                   In Game - Graphics                                                    Mirrors: Simple                     //Having them on will save your neck!

                   In Game - Graphics                    Distant Landscape Detail: X2                                     

                   In Game - Graphics                        Horizon Draw Distance: 70km                                         

                   In Game - Graphics                                   Landscape Filter: Off

                   In Game - Graphics                                       Clouds Quality: High                       // Try High first, FPS greatly improved on Medium but spotting is harder

                   In Game - Graphics                                                       SSAO: OFF

                   In Game - Graphics                                                         HDR: OFF/ON*                // ON = More contrast, better spotting, turns on bloom (boo, hiss)

            Game/data/Startup.cfg                                                     Bloom: OFF* (0)                 // Removes the bloom - save and set startup.cfg to read only

                   In Game - Graphics                                                  Sharpen: OFF

                   In Game - Graphics                                   Use 4k Textures: ON                           // Less stutter with setting ON   - nil performance impact

                   In Game - Graphics                                           Antialiasing: If SteamVR Res = 66% 2x, if >66%  Off     //Don't double up SS and AA - huge performance impact

                   In Game - Graphics                                                  Gamma:  0.9/1.0                

Next I used these settings taken from in the Startup cfg with two exceptions noted;

 

[KEY = graphics]
    3dhud = 0
    adapter = 0
    bloom_enable = 0
    desktop_center = 1
    detail_rt_res = 512
    draw_distance = 0.54500
    fps_counter = 0
    fps_limit = 0
    full_height = 1080
    full_width = 1920
    fullscreen = 0
    gamma = 0.70000
    grass_distance = 0.00000
    hdr_enable = 1 -( changed this to "0")

    land_anisotropy = 2
    land_tex_lods = 3
    max_cache_res = 1
    max_clouds_quality = 2
    mgpu_compatible = 0
    mirrors = 2
    multisampling = 2
    or_enable = 1
    or_height = 2179
    or_hud_rad = 0.80000
    or_hud_size = 1.00000
    or_ipd = 0.06763
    or_width = 1748
    post_sharpen = 1
    preset = 2
    rescale_target = 1.00000
    shadows_quality = 3   ( I changed this to "4"  want the sharpest shadows possible...)
    ssao_enable = 0
    stereo_dof = 5.00000
    vsync = 0
    win_height = 1080
    win_width = 1920
[END]

( I pledged to NEVER go back to look at 'In Game Settings" ever again, because i have been told that even looking at them would revert some or all of my new Startup setting to default putting me right back where i started from! )

 

I set most of my nvidia settings to application applied & slid the slide bar to quality over performance ( I like my eye candy) I don't have any idea if this did any good, but who knows?

I stopped using OTT ( I never found a consensus of what setting to use anyhow & found after the changes above I didn't need it...so....)

i used Steam to activate Steam VR &set the various settings to 130 in "Applications" ( I have read 160 but went with the more conservative 130..note : I wish i could weld this application in this setting as it has a weird effect of switching back to Steam VR after game play...i'm not sure why or what effect it might have...)) I set the application to the Steam version of the game Battle of Stalingrad- I think this is right although it seems to work with my copy of Battle of Moscow non-Steam version as well...) Then I turned Steam off retaining Steam VR 1.2.10 indicator icon 

 I already had the Il-2 Exe from Bin/Game shortcut on my desk top, so i used this to start... AND Miracles do happen! Not only did i get rid of the 'shimmering effect' ( this was driving me CRAZY disturbing every waking thought....honestly...) but I now had a higher FPS count hovring a bit over 50 7 going up to low 90's in non flying applications such as hanger scenes in pre-flight settings..

So there you have it- not perfect ( i still have FPE of course & will retain it until I decide on the next generation of VR headset to purchase,) but by in large have the best visual image i think I can expect after weeks of tinkering. Of course the next up date might throw all of this into confusion , but after writing it all down here ,at least i'll know where to look for advice...won't I?

Edited February 28, 2019 by Blitzen