Allow users to adjust power of FXAA

[Expack]

I've been reading several people not exactly satisfied with only being able to use FXAA anti-aliasing on the higher shader quality settings. From what I've read, it's because they'd rather use 'normal' anti-aliasing. Given as there's only one setting for FXAA, I can understand. Although I'd still like a choice between 'normal' anti-aliasing and FXAA, I think the FXAA complaints might be alleviated somewhat by allowing people to select the strength (power) of FXAA since I know it's possible to do so (see http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index. ... c=76145.40, reply #47). In this way, people wouldn't be stuck with whatever FXAA strength setting Nadeo has it set on.

[RIGIST]

YES! Finally someone touches this subject! I don't know if Trackmania 2 uses a deferred renderer and therefore can't use traditional AA but at least let use a stronger FXAA. The current level barely does anything to eliminate jagged edges and it's really distracting

[Expack]

I don't know if Trackmania 2 uses a deferred renderer and therefore can't use traditional AA...

Actually, you can use traditional AA on the "VeryFast" and "Fast" shader quality levels under the Advanced Configuration window. Presumably why they don't have FXAA here is because FXAA doesn't interfere with high-quality shaders or deferred rendering - whereas normal AA does without developer intervention via coding - and anything less than "Nice" shader quality doesn't exactly use high-quality shaders (and it probably doesn't use deferred rendering, either).

[RIGIST]

We shouldn't have to choose between shaders and AA, we should have both. I understand that they can't use MSAA with higher shaders but at least make the FXAA stronger

[crazy_horse]

+1, I know it is possible to have different levels of FXAA, just google Dues Ex FXAA, they have low/med/high, high barely has a performance hit and it looks so good.

The other thing is viewing distance, why do things like checkpoints and the like only get rendered properly when I'm like 20m away, they look awful and you can't see the cable that joins the two sides.

I'm on very nice with x8 AA, HD6870 should eat this up, but it struggles to produce a nice image.

[_Junky]

We shouldn't have to choose between shaders and AA

I *think* you need to use DirectX 10 or DirectX 11 to do that, and Trackmania uses DirectX 9.
I remember that a few years ago that was a problem on some games where you had to use Windows Vista in order to use AA because DX10 was not available on windows XP.

[apophis12]

this also get on my nerves i see edges everywhere

especially corners

[Expack]

We shouldn't have to choose between shaders and AA

I *think* you need to use DirectX 10 or DirectX 11 to do that, and Trackmania uses DirectX 9.
I remember that a few years ago that was a problem on some games where you had to use Windows Vista in order to use AA because DX10 was not available on windows XP.

Actually, it's possible to use FXAA under DX9, if this statement from the latest Deus Ex: Human Revolution patch changelog is evidence:

- In DX9 mode:
o Fixed error message for some users when trying to use FXAA Medium or FXAA Low anti aliasing modes.

[metoxys]

For me FXAA is the most beautiful thing ever. And it is fast enough to have my game still over 30 fps! (at almost max settings. on a laptop)

[crazy_horse]

ok, for those who want to know what FXAA looks like maxed out, read on.
Disclaimer, I it beaks it wasn't me and I wasn't here, I do not represent Nadeo nor am I affiliated in any way with them or Ubisoft.

Download these files:
They are the FXAA algorithm
http://www.mediafire.com/?367mhllh8tc7aza

Unzip and place all the contents alongside maniaplanet.exe in your installation directory.
Your going to have to trust that I have edited the files for the maximum level of FXAA, Fxaa3_11.h can be edited if you wish but be careful.

Start the game through the launcher, put the shaders to maximum and turn FXAA OFF

then save and run the game

The key to activate FXAA in game is 'Pause' which is found either above the break key (so shift+break to activate) or by itself.
It is active by default but you can turn in on and off to see the difference (open the analyser with - to see the FPS difference too)

This is a dll injection method nativity supported by the game, IT IS NOT A HACK!
To remove simply delete the files from the Maniaplanet directory.
This makes NO PERMANENT CHANGES TO GAME FILES, apart from the settings you chose in configuration.

Edit: screenshot taken with the trackmania tool (f10) appear to be unprocessed, The in-game FXAA can indeed be turned on top of the custom FXAA, this looked quite nice when I did it still running at 50-60 FPS (HD6870), all high.