Forcing DirectX11: 40% memory reduction!

[djnattyd]

I can't believe how much smoother KSP is under DX11, shame about the missing shaders but can't have everything is suppose.

[Van Disaster]

Been using this all day while fiddling with another mod and can report no other issues yet. The craft does go pink under atmospheric stress but goes back to normal again when it's gone. Not been to Minmas yet to see if it's wrong.

That is just the effects - if you turn them ( atmo ) to minimum you'll just get a fairly normal looking red glow.

[KrazyKrl]

I can't believe how much smoother KSP is under DX11, shame about the missing shaders but can't have everything is suppose.

I think that forcing DirectX11 breaks so many things, that it causes KSP to not load a large chunk of what should be loaded. And inadvertently causes a reduced memory footprint because of the missing files.

I really doubt DirectX11 has some magical "half memory use" algorithm. It sounds like something is breaking internally.

[Captain Sierra]

I can't believe how much smoother KSP is under DX11, shame about the missing shaders but can't have everything is suppose.

The quoted post is a testament to why we need Unity 5 STAT! Unity, get the job done, Squad needs it!

[vexx32]

It doesn't actually break a whole lot; DX11 is more efficient than DX9. A few shaders do get bit broken, but nothing else I've found seems to have any issues with it. Certainly not enough to account for any non-negligible portion of the reduced memory footprint.

[Van Disaster]

I think that forcing DirectX11 breaks so many things, that it causes KSP to not load a large chunk of what should be loaded. And inadvertently causes a reduced memory footprint because of the missing files.

I really doubt DirectX11 has some magical "half memory use" algorithm. It sounds like something is breaking internally.

The memory use is similar to OpenGL. It's DX9 that's the broken one.

[j-tk]

DX9 just needs to final be put to bed. To bad DX10 was it's version of Vista, so many developers stayed with DX9 but only used bits of DX10.

Hopefully we'll see a big leap forward next year to DX11/DX12 use with windows 10

[longbyte1]

Direct3D 11, from a technical standpoint, has a graphics pipeline that is radically different than that of D3D9. (The compatibility is a bit strange though: D3D11 provides a subset of its API for DX9-capable cards, but it appears to me that DX10 cards can also run D3D11 programs. Then again, card manufacturers are advertising new cards that can run at D3D level 11_1. And even Windows 7 doesn't support 11_1, only 11_0!)

Using D3D11 means that the new BC6H and BC7 texture compression formats are being utilized as well as DX10's ATI1/ATI2/BC4/BC5 formats, instead of DXT which has been used since D3D6...

Obviously, if you are using a (high-end) DX11 card, you will get a good performance boost from utilizing all the new "features" that D3D11 has to offer.

[djnattyd]

The quoted post is a testament to why we need Unity 5 STAT! Unity, get the job done, Squad needs it!

Best thing is, my GPU apparently only supports up to DX10 so DX11 shouldn't even be a possibility for me.

- - - Updated - - -

I think that forcing DirectX11 breaks so many things, that it causes KSP to not load a large chunk of what should be loaded. And inadvertently causes a reduced memory footprint because of the missing files.

I really doubt DirectX11 has some magical "half memory use" algorithm. It sounds like something is breaking internally.

The only thing that broke were the reentry and atmo effects. It even fixed my CTDs when switching scenes and I have a crap-ton of mods installed.

[Captain Sierra]

-snip-

The only thing that broke were the reentry and atmo effects. It even fixed my CTDs when switching scenes and I have a crap-ton of mods installed.

Unfortunately, as I have a showcase website (which is shamelessly plugged in my sig, you guys should visit it), I cannot tolerate graphical errors like that not for personal preference, but because my screenshots are published on the web and need to look good. On my desktop, when I'm running KSP on a PowerColor AXR9270 Radeon R9 270 GPU (I'm gonna grab a second one and CrossfireX those bad boys at some point) I can run a 400 part Jool mission with Astronomer's Visual Pack: Edge of Oblivion, at 60FPS, and that's purely to show off on the website. Beautiful as it is, I can live without it to save on memory (I am running the AVP install 64 bit)

[HafCoJoe]

Creating the shortcut isn't working for me. Windows 8.1. When I add "-force-d3d11" it says it cannot locate the target. Solutions anyone?

- When I hit next it says "The file C:Users/----/Desktop/KSP cannot be found". Replacing the space with an underscore did nothing either...

Edited January 8, 2015 by Avera9eJoe

[vexx32]

You need to add a space before you add the force bit.

[helaeon]

I've been running OpenGL on a GTX970 with Windows 8.1. It appears for me that DX11 uses more RAM, quite a bit more. 2.6 GB at the space center after loading my MunBase and take a Kerbal on EVA. If I do the same on OpenGL it's 1.9GB

I notice though that DX11 seems to run better and it looks better (appears anti-aliasing works), but textures seem to load differently. I don't know if I'd say better or worse, but the game does look different.

[DBT85]

The only thing that broke were the reentry and atmo effects. It even fixed my CTDs when switching scenes and I have a crap-ton of mods installed.

My exact same thoughts. On Tuesday before I tried this I think KSP just crashed to the desktop about 5 times (I was playing all day ).

I didn't notice anything like that yesterday.

I've been running OpenGL on a GTX970 with Windows 8.1. It appears for me that DX11 uses more RAM, quite a bit more. 2.6 GB at the space center after loading my MunBase and take a Kerbal on EVA. If I do the same on OpenGL it's 1.9GB

I notice though that DX11 seems to run better and it looks better (appears anti-aliasing works), but textures seem to load differently. I don't know if I'd say better or worse, but the game does look different.

How many mods are you running that its at 2.6GB in DX11 in that scenario? Having looked at all the numbers myself that looks more like its a stock version rather than correctly with the right command.

Look at my number a bit further up. In standard mode I'm at about 2.6GB after launching a ship then going back to the KSC. About 22 mods. With the command running correctly that's down to 1.6GB in the same situation.

Easiest test. Put an RT-10 SRB under a capsule and launch it. If the ship goes pink once you start getting atmospheric effects then you're in DX11.

Edited January 8, 2015 by DBT85

[HafCoJoe]

You need to add a space before you add the force bit.

I think that fixed it... but...

Has anyone else gotten this sort of thing? Happened on boot up and I'm not sure if it's because of my settings or if because of -force-d3d11.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Avera9eJoe

[eddiew]

Interesting thread... my rig is usually pretty stable, I'll give it a go later tonight and see what happens

[Captain Sierra]

I think that fixed it... but...

Has anyone else gotten this sort of thing? Happened on boot up and I'm not sure if it's because of my settings or if because of -force-d3d11.

http://i.imgur.com/7vm2th6.jpg

Thats *supposed* to happen.

I guess thats a pretty relative statement, but that is a known compatibility issue with Unity 4 (which doesn't have full DX11 support). The lines on the SPH floor, launchpad, and some on the VAB will not load correctly. That is the result.

Thats one of the few graphical glitches that comes with forcing a render API that the engine does not 100% support.

[DBT85]

I wonder if its something to do with the textures used in those instances, because they look like specific textures areas that for whatever reason it can't render but can on DX9.

Like on the Launch pad, its the scorch marks and pre baked shaded areas.

[Van Disaster]

I'm suspecting incompatible shaders for those issues, which is why I'm wondering how hard it'd be to replace Minmus with a model using a different shader.

[biohazard15]

Tried it some time ago. On my system (i7-980X, 12 Gb RAM, GTX Titan) OpenGL actually saves more RAM on my current mod setup (2.4 in DX11, and 2.1 in OpenGL - note that these numbers are measured right after launching the game and loading my career save). Also, OpenGL seems to work smoother than DX11 (also, no black stripes or other visual bugs).

[DBT85]

No AA on OpenGL though right?

[biohazard15]

No AA on OpenGL though right?

Yeah, there is no AA (although, I didn't try to force it via NV control panel - that might work).

[Van Disaster]

No shadows either. OGL had some horrible random slowdowns last time I tried it or I'd probably be using it given how much I like Minmus...

[DBT85]

Just switch to OGL for anything on Minmus. It's a pain, but I can't look at a jaggy mess constantly.

[Motokid600]

Yeah, there is no AA (although, I didn't try to force it via NV control panel - that might work).

NV Control panel will not give AA to openGL in my experience.