HTC Vive brightness can be adjusted!

[VR Dextrovix]

I've found a way to reduce the god-ray effects, certainly as it's very noticeable in ED because it is principally black!

I'm not sure if I'm the first to discover this, but I thought I'd post it anyway. I found out because I wanted to use DisplayPort rather than HDMI (as when I get my CV1 it only works with HDMI and I only have one port on my 980ti!), so having acquired a DP mini to DP male cable and it didn't at first work, I found changing out of Direct Mode suddenly made it appear.

It appears that setting the Vive up to not be in Direct Mode temporarily means the video adapter can see it as an additional monitor, and therefore you can alter the brightness / contrast etc. Once done, putting the Vive back into Direct Mode retains these settings going forward, so then when you launch ED it will use these custom settings.

So, to turn Direct Mode on you open SteamVR, then from the pulldown next to SteamVR on the top left of the windows that appears, choose Devices > Direct Mode. As a default that is ticked, so selecting it again removes the tick and then you are warned the headset needs to reboot. Once done, you can open your video adapter's settings (in my case nVidia Control Panel), and the Vive was seen as another monitor and I could change the sliders for it under Adjust Desktop Colour Settings. Once I'd clicked Apply (I just dropped Contrast and Brightness to 20% rather than 50%), I then went back into SteamVR and choose Devices > Direct Mode so it was ticked again and SteamVR restarted.

I then opened ED and the god-ray effects were lessened because the display was a little dimmer. I haven't found my optimal settings for the Vive yet, but it's a start. I've no idea if the Oculus Runtime allows this, as this might help with god-rays on that too. Views anyone?

 

[Adam Lusardi]

I have been reading some horror stories about once disabling direct not being able to get back into this mode. So wont be testing this theory.

 

[VR Dextrovix]

I have been reading some horror stories about once disabling direct not being able to get back into this mode. So wont be testing this theory.

With respect, what I've done is fact- I'm not having a guess, so it's not theory but you know, each to their own. Even SteamVR allows you to completely reset all settings, so I can't see how it would put anyone into a compromised position if things didn't work out.

I have had no trouble getting in and out of Direct Mode having tested some more. Direct Mode on (which is the recommended default) is better, because ED was a lot slower in framerate terms whilst keeping Direct Mode off. But when I found that turning it back on still retained the monitor settings as applied previously, it seemed worthy of mentioning it because the Fresnel lenses effects aren't going to go away for either headset unless Frontier allow users to change these things within the game.

 

[Adam Lusardi]

Just a quick question does it keep the settings after power down restart? (BTW theory was a badly chosen word by me)

 

[VR Dextrovix]

Just a quick question does it keep the settings after power down restart? (BTW theory was a badly chosen word by me)

Yes, that was the surprise to me that it retain those settings, provided you didn't change ports. As I said, it was only the fact that I couldn't get the Vive to use my DisplayPort cable that made me change SteamVR and go out of Direct Mode to start with.

The only thing is I need more people (probably those that know more about monitor profiling than I) to see what settings work best. Certainly I'm not suggesting this should be applied permanently because other titles will then look different depending on where the sliders have been left once Direct mode is back on.

I just feel that ultimately in order to reduce the god-ray effects, Frontier will need to dial down the contrast when using VR (so it's automatic to the VR user), or allow the user to alter settings like contrast in the game's graphics options.

 

[Adam Lusardi]

Just wondering if this is causing other people problems as the port is remembering setting made before the Vive was installed, for instance old DK2 setups.

 

[grodenglaive]

With respect, what I've done is fact- I'm not having a guess, so it's not theory but you know, each to their own. Even SteamVR allows you to completely reset all settings, so I can't see how it would put anyone into a compromised position if things didn't work out.

I have had no trouble getting in and out of Direct Mode having tested some more. Direct Mode on (which is the recommended default) is better, because ED was a lot slower in framerate terms whilst keeping Direct Mode off. But when I found that turning it back on still retained the monitor settings as applied previously, it seemed worthy of mentioning it because the Fresnel lenses effects aren't going to go away for either headset unless Frontier allow users to change these things within the game.

I noticed it was like that with the DK2 before runtime 0.8. It sure is nice to be able to adjust those settings, glad there is a way with the Vive.

 

[horizone]

What we need is a hack that makes the DK2 or CV1 appear as a monitor (even if not usable as one) just to be able to reach those adjustments.

 

[VR Dextrovix]

What we need is a hack that makes the DK2 or CV1 appear as a monitor (even if not usable as one) just to be able to reach those adjustments.

Yes I agree, certainly as older runtimes did allow that. But it seems currently that runtime 1.3 (I've tried with a DK2, my CV1 is still on pre-order) doesn't allow Direct Mode (or Extended Mode as it was called) to be enabled.

Unless someone clever comes along and as you say hacks it.

 

[grodenglaive]

I just tried this twice, when I return to direct mode it resets to stock brightness. I had turned it way down to make it easy to see the difference and it was very dim in the Steamvr home screen. When I returned to direct mode the steamvr screen was bright again. I also tested it in The Dark Mod game with vorpX but it had no effect. Too bad I couldn't just run the game in extended mode.

 

[SLeeC]

Ive been watching reading the threads with interest and a grain of salt since waiting for the vive. Now it turned up and found the fresnel smear in ED is bad as ppl make out and for me the resolution is ok and sharper than DK2. Couple of things that will help with the smear are Contrast/brightness/gamma controls in game (preferably in ship panel) and a re design of the ship lighting because any bright light on the outside of the fresnels bleeds in but its the inside ship lights that are mostly the issue.. ill goona have a go at the dextrovix's fix.. or it'll be the DK2 for ED!

 

[JonnyBigBoss]

I would be careful about modifying qualities such as this. The headset has been factory calibrated, and may be affected by such alterations.

 

[SLeeC]

Dextrovix's find works!.. MASSIVE improvement when the color adjustments are made, i will say is amazing how much this looks like the DK2 but with sharper pixels, no color abberation, perfect tracking and greatly enhanced depth perception! Plus u can adjust the color in game by fiddling with the nvidia color scheme with the headset on! awesome Put the DK2 away!

Just parked outside a station walking round the ship and this the stuff we been waiting for!
..and you can see how far away the ships are because of the better depth resolution.

My initial color setting are: Brightness 27% Contrast 0% Gamma 1.15
Ingame gamma in center..

Theres still fresnel smear but far less and far more comfortable in game cos its far to bright by default!

 

[SLeeC]

I would be careful about modifying qualities such as this. The headset has been factory calibrated, and may be affected by such alterations.

Yep affected by being happier with it! Hey were mostly all beta testers here and able to work round nearly any issue

 

[xaisis]

I used the in-game gamma slider in GFX options, seems to work fine in changing from bright to allmost black.

 

[SLeeC]

I used the in-game gamma slider in GFX options, seems to work fine in changing from bright to allmost black.

Yes but that wont change Contrast and Brightness..

After some more fiddling, i found the color matrix on the hud needs adjusting too because the stock color scheme was making me ill :-/
Its to bright.. so.. reduced the in game slider to 1 bar and i get good mileage with:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<GraphicsConfig>
<GUIColour>
<Default>
<LocalisationName>Standard</LocalisationName>
<MatrixRed> 0.50, 0, 0 </MatrixRed>
<MatrixGreen> 0, 0.40, 0 </MatrixGreen>
<MatrixBlue> 0, 0, 0.60 </MatrixBlue>
</Default>
</GUIColour>
</GraphicsConfig>

And.. the image needs desaturating.. (nvidia Digital Vibrance) im happy with.. 25%

All adds up for a better experience for me BUT i need to run in Extended (reduced perf.) since the settings dont stay set when reverting to Direct.

 

[SLeeC]

I have been reading some horror stories about once disabling direct not being able to get back into this mode. So wont be testing this theory.

It can be a bit sticky going back into Direct i have found (ie Steam VR crashing a bit (grey screen)). Rebooting the vive fixes it..

 

[VR Dextrovix]

It can be a bit sticky going back into Direct i have found (ie Steam VR crashing a bit (grey screen)). Rebooting the vive fixes it..

Hi SLeeC, I'm glad you got this working too, because as I said I though I'd discovered something useful.

However, the only thing I've found, as posted earlier, is that it doesn't always stay that way on a power-cycle, without flipping modes afterwards.

This would be solved better by Frontier dropping the contrast of the output, so then there's no need, particularly as both headsets produce god-rays with whites on black, which features heavily in ED. Also for Oculus users, Direct Mode is no longer an option so they will currently get a similar result from ED without being able to change it.

However, I'm certainly going to use your settings for the HUD and the adapter profiles, as it needed more people to do this to find something that worked (I'm not too good in actually settings those percentages) and post the results. Some rep has gone to SLeeC for doing that.

 

[SLeeC]

Gday Dextrovix (from Aus)

Yeah these boards are a great resource, many ppl finding tips & tricks. Thanks for your OP.

 

[SLeeC]

Matrix updated to..

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<GraphicsConfig>
<GUIColour>
<Default>
<LocalisationName>Standard</LocalisationName>
<MatrixRed> 0.70, 0, 0 </MatrixRed>
<MatrixGreen> 0, 0.70, 0 </MatrixGreen>
<MatrixBlue> 0, 0, 0.70 </MatrixBlue>
</Default>
</GUIColour>
</GraphicsConfig>

..i made it a bit too dark :-(

for anyone who wasnt around a whlle ago now, useful tool by Kimmo Kulovesi (aka Arkku) to get the hud colors the way you want them..

http://arkku.com/elite/hud_editor/