UPDATE 2: uliando figured out the correct shaders. Their shader fixes are at http://cpy.zapto.org/ed/Shaders/ShaderFixes.zip
UPDATE: ED Beyond Chapter 4 (3.3) has broken this mod. Still working on a solution....
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I have long wanted an option to remove the space dust in normal flight and supercruise. The Dust Buster mod allows space dust removal from normal, supercruise or both flight modes (the default set-up). This has been achieved by discarding the calculations done on the pixel shaders used to create these effects. Hopefully, Frontier Developments are okay with this minor graphical mod. It doesn't convey any advantage to the player (not even a slight performance improvement), but may make people's experience of ED more enjoyable.
I fully understand arguments for and against the space dust. I thought I'd make this mod available because so many people (especially in gamma) were keen to have control over the amount of space dust. I never wanted more or less space dust. I've never wanted any space dust. (I remember, when I was very young, playing the original Elite and not understanding how I could be flying past stars when I was on the way to a star so close by. I didn't realise it was a graphical embellishment to assist in the feeling of motion). The main reasons I don't want space dust is to reduce the graphical noise, to be able to see and admire the stars in the distance and the beauty of the game and to add a little bit more "realism" to the experience. I think that people making videos of ED or using the debug camera will find this mod useful. People who fly with flight assist off will probably not like this mod.
The two pixel shaders that have been modded are:
I still hope for an option from FDev to alter the space dust from within the game. However, so long as they're okay with this mod and it continues to work, I'll be just as happy flying around. Thanks goes to Bo3b for his excellent suggestions over at ED page on Helix Mod. See ShaderHackers for info about changing pixel shaders (can be used on any DirectX game).
You can download the Dust Buster mod here. It has been tested with ED Horizons 2.1. It only works with NVIDIA cards. I don't think it'll work with the 32-bit version of ED. Please comment on this thread if you have any issues and I'll try to resolve them for you.
See you in the black (not the plankton!)
Cmdr Led Pup
UPDATE: ED Beyond Chapter 4 (3.3) has broken this mod. Still working on a solution....
-----
I have long wanted an option to remove the space dust in normal flight and supercruise. The Dust Buster mod allows space dust removal from normal, supercruise or both flight modes (the default set-up). This has been achieved by discarding the calculations done on the pixel shaders used to create these effects. Hopefully, Frontier Developments are okay with this minor graphical mod. It doesn't convey any advantage to the player (not even a slight performance improvement), but may make people's experience of ED more enjoyable.
I fully understand arguments for and against the space dust. I thought I'd make this mod available because so many people (especially in gamma) were keen to have control over the amount of space dust. I never wanted more or less space dust. I've never wanted any space dust. (I remember, when I was very young, playing the original Elite and not understanding how I could be flying past stars when I was on the way to a star so close by. I didn't realise it was a graphical embellishment to assist in the feeling of motion). The main reasons I don't want space dust is to reduce the graphical noise, to be able to see and admire the stars in the distance and the beauty of the game and to add a little bit more "realism" to the experience. I think that people making videos of ED or using the debug camera will find this mod useful. People who fly with flight assist off will probably not like this mod.
The two pixel shaders that have been modded are:
- 5f5a888d3052e017 - the file with this name in the ShaderFixes folder removes space dust from normal flight
- df74efeafa5dc752 - the file with this name in the ShaderFixes folder removes space dust from supercruise
I still hope for an option from FDev to alter the space dust from within the game. However, so long as they're okay with this mod and it continues to work, I'll be just as happy flying around. Thanks goes to Bo3b for his excellent suggestions over at ED page on Helix Mod. See ShaderHackers for info about changing pixel shaders (can be used on any DirectX game).
You can download the Dust Buster mod here. It has been tested with ED Horizons 2.1. It only works with NVIDIA cards. I don't think it'll work with the 32-bit version of ED. Please comment on this thread if you have any issues and I'll try to resolve them for you.
See you in the black (not the plankton!)
Cmdr Led Pup
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