Since last night I've been trying to get The Simpsons Hit and Run to run in Directx9 as opposed to its native Directx8. Mainly because I want to add Sweetfx shaders to it, since this game is just begging to be cel-shaded, and I'm close to actually making that happen. I've ran into a few major hitches though.
I've tried the ENB dx8 to dx9 converter, as well as a number of converters made by AnKor. Messed around with every available parameter in the number of different .ini files these converters use, tried every compatibility mode under the sun, but no matter what I do, the game crashes immediately after the copyrights and licenses screen at startup. What's so encouraging about this at all is that before it crashes, the Sweetfx shaders I've enabled are clearly working on that screen. I'd post a screen, but I'm unable to thanks to a partially busted keyboard on my laptop. Regardless, I just can't get the game to not crash after that screen.
I assume getting it to not crash would require rewriting some stuff in the .exe file, or adding certain parameters that aren't immediately available to the .ini files? It's not the Sweetfx stuff causing it to crash. I can disable all of that or boot the game by itself, and it still crashes. It's just not wanting to play nicely with the dx9 conversion.
That's why I come to you guys. I'm at a loss. I'm pretty new to this stuff and I'm out of viable options that I personally know how to work with. Do any of you have experience forcing dx8 games to run in dx9? Help would be greatly appreciated. It has to be possible to get this working, and hopefully this community can do something with this that I'm just not seeing. I'm sure you guys have far more modding experience than I.
Thanks in advance.
Links
dx8 to dx9 converter
Sweetfx / Reshade
AnKor's dx8 to dx9 converter
Hit & Run - Cel-Shading through Sweetfx
Posted in SHAR: Mod Requests
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Milpool Since last night I've been trying to get The Simpsons Hit and Run to run in Directx9 as opposed to its native Directx8. Mainly because I want to add Sweetfx shaders to it, since this game is just
Sheen If I had experience with this, I wouldn't hesitate to try and get this to work. Good luck with this though! I've actually wanted to see SHAR with a Cel-shade instead of the plain 3d look.&nb
If I had experience with this, I wouldn't hesitate to try and get this to work. Good luck with this though! I've actually wanted to see SHAR with a Cel-shade instead of the plain 3d look.
Loren We exported the models in Unity once and they looked awesome with cel-shading. I can't be of much help with this but if you ever get anywhere with it, please post it. :)
We exported the models in Unity once and they looked awesome with cel-shading. I can't be of much help with this but if you ever get anywhere with it, please post it. :)
Milpool Will do. Haven't made any progress with it since posting this, but I'm wanting a cel-shaded Hit & Run bad enough to keep messing with it anyway.
It's probably also worth noting fo
Will do. Haven't made any progress with it since posting this, but I'm wanting a cel-shaded Hit & Run bad enough to keep messing with it anyway.
It's probably also worth noting for anyone that's interested that Reshade ships with a Directx8 compatibility mode, but it seems to do the exact same thing as the converters I posted. Exact same crash at exact same spot.
It's probably also worth noting for anyone that's interested that Reshade ships with a Directx8 compatibility mode, but it seems to do the exact same thing as the converters I posted. Exact same crash at exact same spot.
BrandNewman Hello there, from France ! I know I am years too late, but since I managed to use cel shading in this game, I thought I might leave you a message.
As you can see, the game looks stunning (picture enc
Hello there, from France ! I know I am years too late, but since I managed to use cel shading in this game, I thought I might leave you a message.
As you can see, the game looks stunning (picture enclosed) !
First of all, and as you suspected, you have to make the game run under a later version of directx : I encountered the same problems as you, but Dg Vodoo did the trick for me : you can download it here : Dg Voodoo 2
Just extract the "exe" and the "conf" files in your executable folder, as well as the 3 files contained in the "MS" folder of the zipped file (D3D8.dll, D3Dlmm.dll, and DDraw.dll).
Now, as you launch the game, you should see a "Dg Voodoo" watermark on the corner of your screen (you can disable it later through Dg Voodoo).
Download and install ReShade : ReShade
When asked for the shaders you want to download, choose (at least) :
Technicolor 2,
Levels,
UI Mask,
SMAA.
In addition, download the "Outline" shader here : Outline shader link
Finally, download the UIMask.png here : My UI Mask
Replace the one in the "textures" folder by this one
Now, when starting the game, you should get the following screen, confirming reshade is in use :
Press the "'home" key (the one with an arrow above your "end" key), and Reshade should open.
Put the shaders in the following order and check them :
Technicolor 2 (to get vivid colors, as Voodoo seems to "wash out" the colors a bit),
Levels (Emphasizes the contrast without messing the cel shading, in my opinion),
UIMask_Top (Tells Reshade not to apply "outline" to UI),
Outline (the actual cel shading effect),
UIMask_Bottom,
SMAA (to smooth up the picture, so that the cel shading will look less "PS2" like).
On the picture below are my presets : I think it's best not to push "outline" too far, as the picture gets all messed up. Usually, a look at the characters' eyes will tell you if you put it too far, as cel shading will make their eyes black.
Levels : leave default,
Outline : "normal-depth edge detection" + edge detection (1) + edge slope (1.600) + outline opacity (0.666)
Technicolor2 : Saturation (1.100), leave the rest to default,
UIMask : leave default,
SMAA : leave defaut.
Feel free to try others presets, or use another shaders for colors and AA.
As for me, I know I just COULDN'T play this game without celshading anymore.
Hope I could help after all these years.
See ya !
As you can see, the game looks stunning (picture enclosed) !
First of all, and as you suspected, you have to make the game run under a later version of directx : I encountered the same problems as you, but Dg Vodoo did the trick for me : you can download it here : Dg Voodoo 2
Just extract the "exe" and the "conf" files in your executable folder, as well as the 3 files contained in the "MS" folder of the zipped file (D3D8.dll, D3Dlmm.dll, and DDraw.dll).
Now, as you launch the game, you should see a "Dg Voodoo" watermark on the corner of your screen (you can disable it later through Dg Voodoo).
Download and install ReShade : ReShade
When asked for the shaders you want to download, choose (at least) :
Technicolor 2,
Levels,
UI Mask,
SMAA.
In addition, download the "Outline" shader here : Outline shader link
Finally, download the UIMask.png here : My UI Mask
Replace the one in the "textures" folder by this one
Now, when starting the game, you should get the following screen, confirming reshade is in use :
Press the "'home" key (the one with an arrow above your "end" key), and Reshade should open.
Put the shaders in the following order and check them :
Technicolor 2 (to get vivid colors, as Voodoo seems to "wash out" the colors a bit),
Levels (Emphasizes the contrast without messing the cel shading, in my opinion),
UIMask_Top (Tells Reshade not to apply "outline" to UI),
Outline (the actual cel shading effect),
UIMask_Bottom,
SMAA (to smooth up the picture, so that the cel shading will look less "PS2" like).
On the picture below are my presets : I think it's best not to push "outline" too far, as the picture gets all messed up. Usually, a look at the characters' eyes will tell you if you put it too far, as cel shading will make their eyes black.
Levels : leave default,
Outline : "normal-depth edge detection" + edge detection (1) + edge slope (1.600) + outline opacity (0.666)
Technicolor2 : Saturation (1.100), leave the rest to default,
UIMask : leave default,
SMAA : leave defaut.
Feel free to try others presets, or use another shaders for colors and AA.
As for me, I know I just COULDN'T play this game without celshading anymore.
Hope I could help after all these years.
See ya !
Colou I would agree that it look pretty nice, although personally I'd stick to how the game looks normally. It reminds me of something I did in a test mod back in January.
https://ams3.digitaloceans
I would agree that it look pretty nice, although personally I'd stick to how the game looks normally. It reminds me of something I did in a test mod back in January.
This was not achieved through using any external tools, but instead by utilising back faced culling to create an 'outline' on the map in a similar way to how The Simpsons: Road Rage achieves its outline effect on vehicles. However the effect can look pretty cheap in places and I think overall the method you used gives a better result.
I would like to remind anybody who wishes to attempt your method themselves to make a copy of their game's install folder first so that they don't accidentally break their game.
I might also suggest making a different post dedicated to explaining how to do this because I feel that I would interest a few people, and it might be hard to find it in this 3 year old post.
Overall, great work! I'll need to try this out when I get home.
This was not achieved through using any external tools, but instead by utilising back faced culling to create an 'outline' on the map in a similar way to how The Simpsons: Road Rage achieves its outline effect on vehicles. However the effect can look pretty cheap in places and I think overall the method you used gives a better result.
I would like to remind anybody who wishes to attempt your method themselves to make a copy of their game's install folder first so that they don't accidentally break their game.
I might also suggest making a different post dedicated to explaining how to do this because I feel that I would interest a few people, and it might be hard to find it in this 3 year old post.
Overall, great work! I'll need to try this out when I get home.
BrandNewman Hello. First I'd like to say your attempt to make the game cel shaded looked very nice too !
You're right about opening a new topic, so I'll be copy-pasting the tutorial I published ye
Hello. First I'd like to say your attempt to make the game cel shaded looked very nice too !
You're right about opening a new topic, so I'll be copy-pasting the tutorial I published yesterday on a different post.
I'm also uploading a short playthrough on Youtube, and will be providing the link to the video : so, if you want to see the game "in motion"... ;)
Thank you for your kind message, and have a nice evening.
You're right about opening a new topic, so I'll be copy-pasting the tutorial I published yesterday on a different post.
I'm also uploading a short playthrough on Youtube, and will be providing the link to the video : so, if you want to see the game "in motion"... ;)
Thank you for your kind message, and have a nice evening.
BrandNewman The new topic I created (in case people want to react, please write on this new one instead) :
Tutorial link
And the video of the game running in cel-shading :
https://youtu.be/GmDwmRGh1g4
The new topic I created (in case people want to react, please write on this new one instead) :
Tutorial link
And the video of the game running in cel-shading :
Tutorial link
And the video of the game running in cel-shading :