I think so but I can't be 100% sure, certain lights in the game do cast character shadows, some like headlights don't, I think by simply giving the lights that don't cast character shadows the same properties as the lights that do will fix the issue though, if GTA V wasn't encrypted it would probably be one of the easiest games to mod that doesn't actually support modding, almost every file that hold properties for every effect in the game is in plain text xml or meta files, animation and models are pointed to in plain text meaning we can point to new animations or models easily, or add lines pointing to additional content. On a side note, I'm using a virtual keyboard right now that freezes when I open Visual Studio, I'll go out tomorrow and get a real mouse so I can try to enable these things using scripthook, so tomorrow night I will update you guys on my progress. UPDATED: Just took a closer look and yes dynamic shadows for headlights and some lights from buildings just need a value added to make them cast character shadows, good stuff.
Yes it will be much nicer to actually get to use them though, from what I've heard from a few other modders is that a group of P2P game crackers are already modifying in game files using OpenIV, but I guess they aren't telling people how they are doing it, I've found the mod which is completely useless, but it looks like they have it working so I don't think it will be long til the public release of OpenIV can modify in game files Just do a Google search for Grand Theft Auto V - Vehicle Handling Optimized to see they've already been replacing files in the games archives I'd really like to know how they managed it so I can get my mods out faster.
im gonna take a quick guess and say the crack of V doesnt have the same barriers us retail users have
I think if that was the case many owners would have two copies installed, a legit, and a pirated (I know I would, 120 GB be damned), that way we could mod and use mods, I think because they are the same people who cracked the games 64 bit encryption, that they have also figured out the new encryption of the rpf archives and reprogrammed OpenIV, or used their own method and assumed OpenIV allowed more than just viewing of the GTA V files.
there is no way to fix this shadow/LOD box as far as I can see. This to me looks like a design method used by Rockstar, it definitely doesn't appear to be a bug or glitch as it's like this on the console versions as well. Obviously done for performance reasons, but the odd thing is, the only time I see the square is during the afternoon period when it's a perfect sunny day. There are shadows cast at night, there are shadows cast when it's overcast, yet during these times this square never appears.
Are you looking around in the games archived files? There is a file that controls lighting intensity during different times of day and during different weather conditions, looks like you could change values for daytime clear and maybe fix the issue, but from what I've found so far I think the lighting box can easily be completely removed, how well it will run after doing so is yet to be seen, but with the right values you can at least minimize the visibility of the area where the box meets the lower res shadows for now. I was playing the X1 version at a friends house and the shadows I have on PC are much better right now.
I wish we could 'delete' the square and have the shadows same outside as inside the square. Instead of having a performance hit with the higher res shadows inside being drawn all over. So I can sometimes see the grass grow in front of me when driving too fast, any way to boost the lod?
Using scripthook it can be done, there are two files grassshadowlodsettings.xml grasslodsettings.xml They control the grass LOD and have parameters for <distanceMultiplier value="1.500000" /> <densityMultiplier value="1.000000" /> <fadeNear value="20.000000" /> <fadeFar value="30.000000" /> These can be tweaked for denser and more visible distant grass, I'm going out in a bit to get a proper mouse, using a virtual one right now and it freezes when I open VS Express, will update you later on how it's going.
Lol, using AMD CHS, I tried <Shadow_Distance value="0.000001" /> And that bloody did it. No more square area better shadows. I'm surprised why I didn't think of that earlier. It seems that distance scale works backwards.
Yeh I noticed that the other morning and I think someone else posted that on PC Gamer in the comments the other day when we were looking for the best values, it's crazy to me to think R* did such a horrible job on the shadows, everything else in the game is done so nice it's hard to look at the ugly shadow box, and I never had this issue in GTA IV or MP3, hopefully in an upcoming update they fix shadows up a bit. The distance scale actually doesn't work backwards though, what you just did was move the detailed shadows so close that it keeps the slightly less detailed shadows permanently in front of you, which probably looks much better than having them split feet in front of you.
Exactly. I've already mentioned a very similar value in my first post in here,1st page...I guess some people don't read backwards,whatever.
yep, the growing grass is another thing that is pretty ugly... the LOD setting in this game are very poor... i only hope that when someone will "open" the game, i may tweak all this stuff without being banned. I waited a lot to play this game at max possibilities, so i I think I'll wait again...
Well apparently R* started bringing the ban hammer down on those using FOV mods to get an advantage, although those people may have been banned for using more than FOV mods, they are banning people who use mods in MP.
You could have spelled Shadow_Distance value="0.000001" to make my job easier, you know, I'm a moron. Do you have an update?
It was my second post(1st page),sorry for that. Hm,they won't let us use any mods,at least for some time I assume.
cool! :banana: Code: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <Settings> <version value="27" /> <configSource>SMC_AUTO</configSource> <graphics> <Tessellation value="3" /> <LodScale value="1.000000" /> <PedLodBias value="0.200000" /> <VehicleLodBias value="0.000000" /> <ShadowQuality value="3" /> <ReflectionQuality value="3" /> <ReflectionMSAA value="0" /> <SSAO value="2" /> <AnisotropicFiltering value="16" /> <MSAA value="0" /> <MSAAFragments value="0" /> <MSAAQuality value="0" /> <TextureQuality value="1" /> <ParticleQuality value="2" /> <WaterQuality value="2" /> <GrassQuality value="3" /> <ShaderQuality value="2" /> <Shadow_SoftShadows value="2" /> <UltraShadows_Enabled value="true" /> <Shadow_ParticleShadows value="true" /> <Shadow_Distance value="1.900000" /> <Shadow_LongShadows value="true" /> <Shadow_SplitZStart value="1.000000" /> <Shadow_SplitZEnd value="0.999900" /> <Shadow_aircraftExpWeight value="0.990000" /> <Shadow_DisableScreenSizeCheck value="false" /> <Reflection_MipBlur value="true" /> <FXAA_Enabled value="false" /> <TXAA_Enabled value="false" /> <Lighting_FogVolumes value="true" /> <Shader_SSA value="true" /> <DX_Version value="2" /> <CityDensity value="1.000000" /> <PedVarietyMultiplier value="1.000000" /> <VehicleVarietyMultiplier value="1.000000" /> <PostFX value="3" /> <DoF value="true" /> <HdStreamingInFlight value="true" /> <MaxLodScale value="0.400000" /> <MotionBlurStrength value="1.000000" /> </graphics> <system> <numBytesPerReplayBlock value="9000000" /> <numReplayBlocks value="36" /> <maxSizeOfStreamingReplay value="1024" /> <maxFileStoreSize value="65536" /> </system> <audio> <Audio3d value="true" /> </audio> <video> <AdapterIndex value="0" /> <OutputIndex value="0" /> <ScreenWidth value="1920" /> <ScreenHeight value="1080" /> <RefreshRate value="60" /> <Windowed value="0" /> <VSync value="1" /> <Stereo value="0" /> <Convergence value="0.100000" /> <Separation value="0.000000" /> <PauseOnFocusLoss value="1" /> <AspectRatio value="0" /> </video> <VideoCardDescription>NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680</VideoCardDescription> </Settings>
Yeah its been mentioned several times in the GTA V thread by numerous people, that "Extended Shadow Distance" at 100% is worse for this shadow "box" appearing in front of you than at 0%. As regards the other settings in general, I find PCSS to look the best, and with them you can turn off High Res shadows (as they aren't really needed) - but sadly with PCSS I see some shadows are missing or shadow pop up (particulary under vegetation) is more noticeable than with Softest shadows. So for me its Softest Shadows, High Res On, Extended shadow distance 0%.
Well I've opened the scripthook SDK project file in VS and realized there is a list of values that can be modified and none of them are the parameters I need to change, it is kind of messy so if you want to search for yourself it's at http://www.dev-c.com/nativedb/. but I couldn't find grass lod settings, or any of the settings I need really Only good news is I was able to create a realistic combat mod that will be useful when OpenIV is updated which I think will be pretty soon, made Cougar and Shark Attacks as close to real life death rates as possible using the minimum and maximum damage done by them to simulate real chances of survival as closely as possible, plus I made it so if you shove someone to the ground or melee them they will drop their gun, I also took unlimited ammo away from pedestrians and made shots deal more damage so you have to be a bit more strategic to survive shootouts. Enemy vehicles can spin out during chases as well, there was a setting stopping them from spinning out while the driver is alive. Still trying to find more settings though. I've also been playing around in the one animation file to point melee attacks to blood animations for things like shotgun blasts for a way over the top mod, as well. Good thing it's taking OpenIV so long to be updated, at least this way I can already have them finished and ready to test and release when OpenIV is updated
Do you need to make the xml file read only after making these changes? Every time I enter the game after making this change, when i go into graphic settings it pops up with a message saying that changes have been made and needs applying. When I click yes, upon exiting the game and checking the xml file, the Shadow_Distance value gets changed back to 1.000000
