Shimmering GPU Shadows

[Tyrionn]

<p>Cheers!</p><p>I am running the game with GPU Shadows enabled.  I have a fairly beefy system and run most things either max or close to it.  With the shadows rendered by the GPU there is sort of a "shimmer" (for lack of a better word) that occurs at the edges of the shadows - mostly the edges of shadows cast by trees.  The shimmering occurs when my toon is moving, not standing still.  Also, at certain angles, it appears like there is this very light overlay over some buildings - only when my toon is moving.  If I turn off GPU shadows, and use CPU ones, none of the above occur.</p><p>Here are some Nvidia Settings:</p><p>8x AA (Multisample)</p><p>Super-transparency</p><p>8x AF</p><p>V-Sync OFF</p><p>HQ Textures</p><p>Trinlinear Mip Maps</p><p>HDR Enabled</p><p>SLI</p><p>This is with a GTX 295 in SLI and a 9800gtx assigned to PhysX</p><p>I have turned off Super-transparency, used Multi-transparency and no transparency - the "shimmer" still occurs.</p><p>Any ideas or thoughts on this?</p>

[TSR-KenC]

<p>I'd definitely like to check any issues with GPU shadows being that it's new and likely to run into a few issues.</p><p>For a test, can you check to see if the problem persists with lower quality shadows or V-Sync turned on?</p>

[Dohon]

<p>I too am seeing this issue. I have a GTX285 with 186 driver. I do not have any AA or AF on V-sync is turned off. I also would like to add that in the shade ONLY with GPU shadows on there is a very  small green outline around all objects when in a shadow.</p>

[TSR-KenC]

<p><cite>Dohon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I too am seeing this issue. I have a GTX285 with 186 driver. I do not have any AA or AF on V-sync is turned off. I also would like to add that in the shade ONLY with GPU shadows on there is a very  small green outline around all objects when in a shadow.</p></blockquote><p>Could you also attempt the same suggestions I recommended earlier and let me know if there's a difference? It's purely for testing purposes.</p>

[Dohon]

<p>Ok after testing the shadow qualities I can say that the shimmering is reduced based on the shader quality. The small ring around the model issue is there no matter what GPU shadow quality I use. Both issues go away when I revert back to CPU shadows.</p><p>On a different note it seems that lights do not give off a shadow when the night time comes with GPU shadows was that by design? This issue is also apparent when inside buildings too.</p>

[TSR-KenC]

<p>I'm unsure if that was by design but it's certainly an interesting detail. Thanks for your observations, Dohon. It's definitely something I'm keeping track of.</p>

[Dohon]

<p>One last thing I can add to this post is I have tried this on my wife's PC that has drivers in the 182 series on a 8800GTX along with my setup so it doesn't look like it is just a driver or a Nvidia 200 series issue.</p><p>If there is anything else I can do to help please let me know.</p>

[Dohon]

<p>Ok problem got worse the game locks up on my at this point if I go back to CPU shadows or turn shadows off the game runs without an issue.</p><p>Never mind looks like the crashing is only happening in some zones this is a separate event.</p>

[Tristan3000]

<p>Hi. Why did you put those GPU shadows on the live servers before fixing this plus 120 other issues? GPU shadows in their current state are kind of useless...</p><p><img src="http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9574/gpubug.jpg" width="952" height="721" /></p>

[Aera]

<p>I don't know if this is the thread we're supposed to post in but I am having this same issue.  I've mostly gotten used to it, but let me know if you need any system specs from me or anything like that.</p>

[Tallisman]

<p>Glad I'm not the only one seeing the (in my case, green) outlines around mobs, models, terrain etc. Thought I was going mad as I couldn't find a setting to turn it off! Interestingly, I'm only seeing the outline when said object is under shadow - out in the bright sunlight (Eeuuw! Sun! Nooo! Make it stop! Etc.), the effect is not there at all.</p><p>I'm using a GTX260 so I wonder if its nVidea related...</p>

[woolf2k]

<p>re: shimmering. yep. I too and many others. I ignore it. </p><p>re: outline. yep. I too and many others. i ignore it.</p><p>overall the new gpu shadows is better than not having it  and hopefully it'll be aplied to indoor enviroments as well. I prefer to have the gpu doing the work or a 2nd cpu do the work, neither of which is the case when cpu shadows are on.</p>

[Barx]

<p><cite>Tallisman wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Glad I'm not the only one seeing the (in my case, green) outlines around mobs, models, terrain etc. Thought I was going mad as I couldn't find a setting to turn it off! Interestingly, I'm only seeing the outline when said object is under shadow - out in the bright sunlight (Eeuuw! Sun! Nooo! Make it stop! Etc.), the effect is not there at all.</p><p>I'm using a GTX260 so I wonder if its nVidea related...</p></blockquote><p>There should be a fix for that coming out soonish. (I think as soon as it gets through QA and then gets hotfixed in).</p>

[TSR-KenC]

<p><cite>Lord_Ebon wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Tallisman wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Glad I'm not the only one seeing the (in my case, green) outlines around mobs, models, terrain etc. Thought I was going mad as I couldn't find a setting to turn it off! Interestingly, I'm only seeing the outline when said object is under shadow - out in the bright sunlight (Eeuuw! Sun! Nooo! Make it stop! Etc.), the effect is not there at all.</p><p>I'm using a GTX260 so I wonder if its nVidea related...</p></blockquote><p>There should be a fix for that coming out soonish. (I think as soon as it gets through QA and then gets hotfixed in).</p></blockquote><p>Correct correct. It's currently in the works.</p>