Click here regarding U18 Update 2.
UPDATE (March 16th, 2024): Current iteration is v26. However, v22 has sharper close shadows on foot, at the cost of some more artifacts at very shallow illumination angles.
To reiterate, this is a modification of "GraphicsConfiguration.xml" proper, not the override. "GraphicsConfigurationOverride.xml" cannot add missing lines, it can only modify them, which makes it unsuitable for increasing the frustum counts that are critical to these modifications. This should also improve compatability with other tools and mods that rely on the override. Additionally, I have replaced the LOW preset forBOTH spot and (removed spot shadows from the file as these can be handled by the override, and the buggy smoke shader on ultra was corrected a while back) directional shadows. I have done this to make quick comparisons with the Ultra quality preset possible in game.
Installation is simple:
Uninstallation is also easy:
- Delete my GraphicsConfiguration.xml and rename your backup to the original name.
OR
- Verify the game files with the launcher.
Most of the stuff below this line is depreciated, but I'm retaining it for reference.
----------------------------------------------------
UPDATE (February 3rd, 2021): Switched back to replacing the LOW quality preset. Check my more recent posts in this thread for more up to date information.
UPDATE (August 7th, 2021): Going to put a changelog at the bottom of this post. I'm leaving the old files attached for posterity/reference. Unless there are specific issues, use the most recent GraphicsConfiguration.xml.EDOv_.txt attachment (and be sure to rename it correctly).
The other day I noticed than a recent update (something after 4.0.0.200) split the spot shadow configuration from the main shadow tables in the game's GraphicsConfiguration.xml. This change allowed me to identify, and largely did the work of isolating, variables that were preventing my custom Horizons shadow tables from working correctly.
So, I dumped my most recent profiles (from December 2019) into the newest build. A couple of quick examples, first on foot during the suit tutorial, and one while flying over the surface of a planet with the sun at a low angle (best viewed in 4k or 1440p, no matter the size of your display, because that's where YouTube uses VP9):
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tld3GfG_UX0
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhe-3cQqx80
Note the relative smoothness of transitions in the first video and distance to which detail is retained as well as the relative lack of flickering in the second video. Going to need some Odyssey specific tuning I think, but even unchanged, they are a significant improvement from the Ultra quality shadows currently in the game.
If anyone who was otherwise running Ultra shadows wants to try these tables, I've attached an updated GraphicsConfiguration.xml (remove the .txt extension and anything after .xml) that should be used to replace the one in the game's main directory (same folder as Odyssey's EliteDangerous64.exe). Selecting Ultra quality in game should use my shadow modifications after doing so. There is no risk to this as verifying the game files will replace the modified file with an original, though you can, of course, just rename or backup the original.
These changes are one of the few GraphicsConfiguration modifications that cannot be placed in the override file as they add frustums that weren't in the original, rather than simply modifying already present values.
I also recommend setting <LODDistanceScale>1.999999</LODDistanceScale> in the "%LocalAppData%\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\Options\Graphics\Custom.4.0.fxcfg" file. This appears to be depreciated in Odyssey.
There is mild performance hit to these changes. If you weren't using Ultra shadows because they were too costly, performance wise, these won't help you.
UPDATE (March 16th, 2024): Current iteration is v26. However, v22 has sharper close shadows on foot, at the cost of some more artifacts at very shallow illumination angles.
To reiterate, this is a modification of "GraphicsConfiguration.xml" proper, not the override. "GraphicsConfigurationOverride.xml" cannot add missing lines, it can only modify them, which makes it unsuitable for increasing the frustum counts that are critical to these modifications. This should also improve compatability with other tools and mods that rely on the override. Additionally, I have replaced the LOW preset for
Installation is simple:
- Rename your current GraphicsConfiguration.xml file, located in the Odyssey product directory. This is the directory that contains EliteDangerous64.exe.
- Download the file attached to the indicated post and place in the directory above.
- Start the game, set directional shadow quality to LOW. Set spot shadow quality as desired (probably ultra).
Uninstallation is also easy:
- Delete my GraphicsConfiguration.xml and rename your backup to the original name.
OR
- Verify the game files with the launcher.
Most of the stuff below this line is depreciated, but I'm retaining it for reference.
----------------------------------------------------
UPDATE (February 3rd, 2021): Switched back to replacing the LOW quality preset. Check my more recent posts in this thread for more up to date information.
UPDATE (August 7th, 2021): Going to put a changelog at the bottom of this post. I'm leaving the old files attached for posterity/reference. Unless there are specific issues, use the most recent GraphicsConfiguration.xml.EDOv_.txt attachment (and be sure to rename it correctly).
The other day I noticed than a recent update (something after 4.0.0.200) split the spot shadow configuration from the main shadow tables in the game's GraphicsConfiguration.xml. This change allowed me to identify, and largely did the work of isolating, variables that were preventing my custom Horizons shadow tables from working correctly.
So, I dumped my most recent profiles (from December 2019) into the newest build. A couple of quick examples, first on foot during the suit tutorial, and one while flying over the surface of a planet with the sun at a low angle (best viewed in 4k or 1440p, no matter the size of your display, because that's where YouTube uses VP9):
Note the relative smoothness of transitions in the first video and distance to which detail is retained as well as the relative lack of flickering in the second video. Going to need some Odyssey specific tuning I think, but even unchanged, they are a significant improvement from the Ultra quality shadows currently in the game.
If anyone who was otherwise running Ultra shadows wants to try these tables, I've attached an updated GraphicsConfiguration.xml (remove the .txt extension and anything after .xml) that should be used to replace the one in the game's main directory (same folder as Odyssey's EliteDangerous64.exe). Selecting Ultra quality in game should use my shadow modifications after doing so. There is no risk to this as verifying the game files will replace the modified file with an original, though you can, of course, just rename or backup the original.
These changes are one of the few GraphicsConfiguration modifications that cannot be placed in the override file as they add frustums that weren't in the original, rather than simply modifying already present values.
There is mild performance hit to these changes. If you weren't using Ultra shadows because they were too costly, performance wise, these won't help you.
Initial version:
- Mostly a copypasta from my old Horizons profiles here.
v2:
- Reinserted cascade cross-fade clamps into Profile_PlanetApproach to mitigate terrain shadow issue noted here.
v3:
- Mostly a copypasta from my old Horizons profiles here.
v2:
- Reinserted cascade cross-fade clamps into Profile_PlanetApproach to mitigate terrain shadow issue noted here.
v3:
- Removed redundant spot shadow entries from primary profile lists.
- Enabled full resolution EVSM cascades.
- Adjusted Profile_PlanetSurface cascades to improve close-range shadow quality and reduce pixelation at the cost of maximum cascade distance (it's still 5km, which is still further than stock 'Ultra') and slightly increased shadow softness.
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