Bo3b's School For Shaderhackers
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I have a strong preference for text-based tutorials, with pictures. Perhaps a couple short video clips where necessary. Mostly because it's easy to reference a text guide. If you have to seek out something specific in a 15+ minute video, that can be annoying to do.
I have a strong preference for text-based tutorials, with pictures. Perhaps a couple short video clips where necessary. Mostly because it's easy to reference a text guide. If you have to seek out something specific in a 15+ minute video, that can be annoying to do.

#16
Posted 08/10/2014 01:27 PM   
Agree with Pirateguybrush that text based with some video clips would probably be best for this type of material.
Agree with Pirateguybrush that text based with some video clips would probably be best for this type of material.

#17
Posted 08/10/2014 01:29 PM   
I'd definitely steer clear of real-time lessons/chats, we're in all different parts of the world with completely different lifestyles and any issues any of us have the others can learn from as well. A blog might work, where only you/admins can edit main posts/lessons and 'the class' can comment. There are things I don't like about blogspot, like you can't edit comments(like you can here), and even though you can delete a comment, it's still shows that you deleted the comment, but on the plus side anyone can comment. I still think the pros outweigh the cons. You could mirror the lessons, maybe post a topic for each lesson here and mirror it on a lesson specific blog. It could start with you and as more and more people begin to grasp the concept they may be able to pitch in with the teaching aspect of it all, someone knows or figures something out and they can share it with the rest of us. @Nutz - Lol, good stuff! 'The Ball' was kind of an inside thing, it was in reference to when bo3b was testing out BinarySearchEngine on it. :)
I'd definitely steer clear of real-time lessons/chats, we're in all different parts of the world with completely different lifestyles and any issues any of us have the others can learn from as well.

A blog might work, where only you/admins can edit main posts/lessons and 'the class' can comment. There are things I don't like about blogspot, like you can't edit comments(like you can here), and even though you can delete a comment, it's still shows that you deleted the comment, but on the plus side anyone can comment. I still think the pros outweigh the cons.

You could mirror the lessons, maybe post a topic for each lesson here and mirror it on a lesson specific blog. It could start with you and as more and more people begin to grasp the concept they may be able to pitch in with the teaching aspect of it all, someone knows or figures something out and they can share it with the rest of us.

@Nutz - Lol, good stuff! 'The Ball' was kind of an inside thing, it was in reference to when bo3b was testing out BinarySearchEngine on it. :)
#18
Posted 08/10/2014 02:24 PM   
[quote="baragon"]Agree with Pirateguybrush that text based with some video clips would probably be best for this type of material.[/quote]
baragon said:Agree with Pirateguybrush that text based with some video clips would probably be best for this type of material.

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#19
Posted 08/10/2014 03:58 PM   
Text based is always best because you can go through at your own pace, you can look back on information easily, and you can very quickly search through for specific stuff with Ctrl+F
Text based is always best because you can go through at your own pace, you can look back on information easily, and you can very quickly search through for specific stuff with Ctrl+F

#20
Posted 08/10/2014 04:24 PM   
I'd prefer video myself. Ideally, I like to be shown and talked through a process. Moron here though... You can also reference videos too! Aren't there already pretty comprehensive text tutorials on the helix site? I can't remember.
I'd prefer video myself. Ideally, I like to be shown and talked through a process. Moron here though... You can also reference videos too!

Aren't there already pretty comprehensive text tutorials on the helix site? I can't remember.

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.-------------------Vitals: Windows 10 64bit, Ryzen 5 2600x, GTX 1070, 16GB, 3D Vision, CV1
Handy Driver DiscussionHelix Mod - community fixes Bo3b's Shaderhacker School - How to fix 3D in games3dsolutionsgaming.com - videos, reviews and 3D fixes

#21
Posted 08/10/2014 04:41 PM   
I'm interested also. Text or video I dont mind.. What's best/easiest for you to do.
I'm interested also. Text or video I dont mind.. What's best/easiest for you to do.

#22
Posted 08/10/2014 04:42 PM   
For those learners who find text easier to follow, there is already a guide here: Helix explains dll features/fixing - PART 1 --- PART 2 --- PART 3 [url]http://helixmod.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/how-to-guides.html[/url] For fixing DirectX9 games using Helix you might want to try that before Bo3b writes the same thing in a different way...
For those learners who find text easier to follow, there is already a guide here:

Helix explains dll features/fixing - PART 1 --- PART 2 --- PART 3
http://helixmod.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/how-to-guides.html

For fixing DirectX9 games using Helix you might want to try that before Bo3b writes the same thing in a different way...

Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.-------------------Vitals: Windows 10 64bit, Ryzen 5 2600x, GTX 1070, 16GB, 3D Vision, CV1
Handy Driver DiscussionHelix Mod - community fixes Bo3b's Shaderhacker School - How to fix 3D in games3dsolutionsgaming.com - videos, reviews and 3D fixes

#23
Posted 08/10/2014 04:51 PM   
I'm gonna try, but can't promise I can keep up (time issues). If at all possible, please try to leave some kind of crumb trail behind. Live will be tough to do, but nothing is impossible. "Sessions" or "Segments" would be good, with understanding that you don't move to the next one until full comprehension on the current one. Thank you for this, the time and effort. Pretty damn cool. djb
I'm gonna try, but can't promise I can keep up (time issues). If at all possible, please try to leave some kind of crumb trail behind.

Live will be tough to do, but nothing is impossible.

"Sessions" or "Segments" would be good, with understanding that you don't move to the next one until full comprehension on the current one.

Thank you for this, the time and effort. Pretty damn cool.
djb

#24
Posted 08/10/2014 05:56 PM   
I can't seem to make head or tails out of which debug version to use. How many different versions are there? From newest to oldest https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DLLS/DllsModPack1.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DllsModPack.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/Helixfix/DllsModPack.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DLLS/Release.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Mainfiles/Releasev2.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Mainfiles/Release.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Oldversion/Release.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Oldversion/Release.upd.zip Debug From newest to oldest https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DLLS/DllsModPack1.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DllsModPack.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/Helixfix/DllsModPack.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DLLS/Debug.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Mainfiles/Debug.zip https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Oldversion/Debug.zip (is the bottom list redundant? It seems that they are the same as the ones in the top list?) What's the difference? Are there different ones for different game engines? Or are they specific to the dx9 version? • DirectX 9.0 - Shader Model 2.0 • DirectX 9.0a - Shader Model 2.0a • DirectX 9.0b - Shader Model 2.0b • DirectX 9.0c - Shader Model 3.0 It's my understanding that the Helix wrapper does not work on dx8 or 10, is this correct?
I can't seem to make head or tails out of which debug version to use.
How many different versions are there?

From newest to oldest
https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DLLS/DllsModPack1.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DllsModPack.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/Helixfix/DllsModPack.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DLLS/Release.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Mainfiles/Releasev2.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Mainfiles/Release.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Oldversion/Release.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Oldversion/Release.upd.zip


Debug
From newest to oldest
https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DLLS/DllsModPack1.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DllsModPack.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/Helixfix/DllsModPack.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/-HeliX-/DLLS/Debug.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Mainfiles/Debug.zip

https://s3.amazonaws.com/HelixMods/*Oldversion/Debug.zip



(is the bottom list redundant? It seems that they are the same as the ones in the top list?)


What's the difference? Are there different ones for different game engines? Or are they specific to the dx9 version?

• DirectX 9.0 - Shader Model 2.0
• DirectX 9.0a - Shader Model 2.0a
• DirectX 9.0b - Shader Model 2.0b
• DirectX 9.0c - Shader Model 3.0


It's my understanding that the Helix wrapper does not work on dx8 or 10, is this correct?

#25
Posted 08/10/2014 10:27 PM   
I was able to cycle thru shaders, but I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Will I see a visual change when I come across the right shader and then I save it at that time? Do you normally just look and find one shader at a time, then work on it? Or do you find all of them in that scene, then work on them as a group? The fog is borked in this game. Is that something shader related, that can be possibly be fixed? Or is it a PhysX effect that needs removed/disabled? This game makes me ill, lol. motion sickness ftl.
I was able to cycle thru shaders, but I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

Will I see a visual change when I come across the right shader and then I save it at that time? Do you normally just look and find one shader at a time, then work on it? Or do you find all of them in that scene, then work on them as a group?

The fog is borked in this game. Is that something shader related, that can be possibly be fixed? Or is it a PhysX effect that needs removed/disabled?

This game makes me ill, lol. motion sickness ftl.

#26
Posted 08/10/2014 11:57 PM   
Good deal, thanks for the feedback. I lean toward text based myself, because that's how I learn best, but I know that everybody is different. Making a video is far easier once it's setup, and there is a good chance that I'll do both. What do you think of using text based 1,2,3 type sequence, but instead of screenshots, it links to the right moment of a video? Not sure this will work with 3D video since YouTube busted it. Also I think that to start, the videos will be short, like 5 minutes, as the actual steps are not involved, and I want to keep them bite-sized. It seems like a good tack will be to make a lesson of some form that people can do on their own pace and schedule. It'll be way to slow for some people, but that's probably OK. As we go we'll have that step-by-step on how to get started for people coming in late. BTW, if anybody has formal training in teaching, please don't hesitate to tell me the best way to do things. I have never studied how teaching/education works best.
Good deal, thanks for the feedback.

I lean toward text based myself, because that's how I learn best, but I know that everybody is different. Making a video is far easier once it's setup, and there is a good chance that I'll do both. What do you think of using text based 1,2,3 type sequence, but instead of screenshots, it links to the right moment of a video? Not sure this will work with 3D video since YouTube busted it.

Also I think that to start, the videos will be short, like 5 minutes, as the actual steps are not involved, and I want to keep them bite-sized.


It seems like a good tack will be to make a lesson of some form that people can do on their own pace and schedule. It'll be way to slow for some people, but that's probably OK. As we go we'll have that step-by-step on how to get started for people coming in late.


BTW, if anybody has formal training in teaching, please don't hesitate to tell me the best way to do things. I have never studied how teaching/education works best.

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#27
Posted 08/10/2014 11:55 PM   
[quote="D-Man11"]I can't seem to make head or tails out of which debug version to use. How many different versions are there? What's the difference? Are there different ones for different game engines? Or are they specific to the dx9 version? It's my understanding that the Helix wrapper does not work on dx8 or 10, is this correct?[/quote]This is one of the weird problems with HelixMod. Helix clearly has a hacker background, because none of these dlls have version numbers, which makes everything a lot harder than necessary. Each of them are roughly the same, but the different variants were to fix things in different games, and to add new features. They aren't related to different DX9 variants. In general, we'll start with the latest, most fully featured version, but it sometimes doesn't work at all in a game, and we need to roll back to the other versions. To further complicate it, not all features work in every version, not even the newest. And, we will always move any older game shaders from SM2.0 to SM3.0 because we need a feature (stereo injection) only present in SM3.0. I don't believe that HelixMod works on DX8 or DX10 games, although for DX8 you can typically use the DX8->9 upgrader to get access. There is a sort-of released version of HelixMod that runs on DX10 and DX11 (Bioshock Infinite), and an x64 version, but those seem experimental or unfinished. Edit: [quote="D-Man11"]I was able to cycle thru shaders, but I'm not sure what I'm looking for. Will I see a visual change when I come across the right shader and then I save it at that time? Do you normally just look and find one shader at a time, then work on it? Or do you find all of them in that scene, then work on them as a group? The fog is borked in this game. Is that something shader related, that can be possibly be fixed? Or is it a PhysX effect that needs removed/disabled? This game makes me ill, lol. motion sickness ftl.[/quote]Cool. If you want to jumpstart the process, take a look at eqzitara's guide here: [url]http://helixmod.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-guide-remove-effects-from-game.html[/url] That's the basic sequence I'm going to talk about, but a bit later. There is no one 'right' way to do it, lots of different techniques. That's part of the challenge of figuring out how to present this. I'm going to lean toward simplicity instead of speed, in an effort to make it more understandable to more people. I think the best approach is to start by disabling all effects that are annoying. That gives you a list of shaders that are broken, then once the game is running and clean and actually playable, go back to that list and see which can be fixed. I'll present that more formally later. I can't quite recall, but I think that the latest version of HelixMod does not work on this game. For the Fog, yeah it's busted, and it's just a shader like the others, and can be disabled at a minimum, and I think fixed also. PhysX doesn't impact our ability to fix things like this. For the motion-sickness, that's very likely a bad (console) FOV. Look for a way to increase it.
D-Man11 said:I can't seem to make head or tails out of which debug version to use.
How many different versions are there? What's the difference? Are there different ones for different game engines? Or are they specific to the dx9 version?

It's my understanding that the Helix wrapper does not work on dx8 or 10, is this correct?
This is one of the weird problems with HelixMod. Helix clearly has a hacker background, because none of these dlls have version numbers, which makes everything a lot harder than necessary. Each of them are roughly the same, but the different variants were to fix things in different games, and to add new features. They aren't related to different DX9 variants.

In general, we'll start with the latest, most fully featured version, but it sometimes doesn't work at all in a game, and we need to roll back to the other versions. To further complicate it, not all features work in every version, not even the newest. And, we will always move any older game shaders from SM2.0 to SM3.0 because we need a feature (stereo injection) only present in SM3.0.

I don't believe that HelixMod works on DX8 or DX10 games, although for DX8 you can typically use the DX8->9 upgrader to get access. There is a sort-of released version of HelixMod that runs on DX10 and DX11 (Bioshock Infinite), and an x64 version, but those seem experimental or unfinished.

Edit:
D-Man11 said:I was able to cycle thru shaders, but I'm not sure what I'm looking for.

Will I see a visual change when I come across the right shader and then I save it at that time? Do you normally just look and find one shader at a time, then work on it? Or do you find all of them in that scene, then work on them as a group?

The fog is borked in this game. Is that something shader related, that can be possibly be fixed? Or is it a PhysX effect that needs removed/disabled?

This game makes me ill, lol. motion sickness ftl.
Cool. If you want to jumpstart the process, take a look at eqzitara's guide here: http://helixmod.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-guide-remove-effects-from-game.html

That's the basic sequence I'm going to talk about, but a bit later.

There is no one 'right' way to do it, lots of different techniques. That's part of the challenge of figuring out how to present this. I'm going to lean toward simplicity instead of speed, in an effort to make it more understandable to more people.

I think the best approach is to start by disabling all effects that are annoying. That gives you a list of shaders that are broken, then once the game is running and clean and actually playable, go back to that list and see which can be fixed. I'll present that more formally later. I can't quite recall, but I think that the latest version of HelixMod does not work on this game.

For the Fog, yeah it's busted, and it's just a shader like the others, and can be disabled at a minimum, and I think fixed also. PhysX doesn't impact our ability to fix things like this.

For the motion-sickness, that's very likely a bad (console) FOV. Look for a way to increase it.

Acer H5360 (1280x720@120Hz) - ASUS VG248QE with GSync mod - 3D Vision 1&2 - Driver 372.54
GTX 970 - i5-4670K@4.2GHz - 12GB RAM - Win7x64+evilKB2670838 - 4 Disk X25 RAID
SAGER NP9870-S - GTX 980 - i7-6700K - Win10 Pro 1607
Latest 3Dmigoto Release
Bo3b's School for ShaderHackers

#28
Posted 08/10/2014 11:56 PM   
This is awesome, I'm definitely interested. I've been wanting to learn how to fix games for a while now, and I think everyone learning together is a geat idea. Big thanks to bo3b for taking this initiative.
This is awesome, I'm definitely interested. I've been wanting to learn how to fix games for a while now, and I think everyone learning together is a geat idea.

Big thanks to bo3b for taking this initiative.

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#29
Posted 08/11/2014 12:24 AM   
[quote="bo3b"] This is one of the weird problems with HelixMod. Helix clearly has a hacker background, because none of these dlls have version numbers, which makes everything a lot harder than necessary... [/quote] Hey !!!! I also have background in hacking.... Just look at all the Surround fixes;)) But I know the feeling... Basically it is impossible to make something GENERALISTIC...That's why I really didn't want to release a public version of my OpenGL-3D Vision Wrapper... then I thought "Let's see how it goes..." I also try to add "the specifics of a game" in a general form (probability dictates that there is more than "one of the same thing" out there)... Versioning...Hmm.. How one does versioning... As a developer I tend to increment with 0.10 the version when a new feature is added and with 0.01 when bugs are fixed.... (But this is my preference and a lot of people adhere to this rule..apparently... There are other rules as well). Basically, I know where he is coming from...I've hacked more things than game engines and cryptography stuff... Thing is, is very hard to make an universal thing and version that...you either go by game/software version or your own version (which requires a generalistic approach).... Anywho, back on topic: I think the idea is very AWESOME !!!! (as I say like Forever that I will look more in-depth into DirectX and HLSL) I can't really say which approach is best, but I tend to go with the written one (old school, more theory than practice, as practice is based on theory ^_^, but different in the same time). I decided to make a video format documentation for my wrapper, although lately I get more and more requests for a written one.... Ideally would be both, but that is very time consuming... So, I vote for a written one;)
bo3b said:
This is one of the weird problems with HelixMod. Helix clearly has a hacker background, because none of these dlls have version numbers, which makes everything a lot harder than necessary...


Hey !!!! I also have background in hacking.... Just look at all the Surround fixes;))
But I know the feeling... Basically it is impossible to make something GENERALISTIC...That's why I really didn't want to release a public version of my OpenGL-3D Vision Wrapper... then I thought "Let's see how it goes..." I also try to add "the specifics of a game" in a general form (probability dictates that there is more than "one of the same thing" out there)...

Versioning...Hmm.. How one does versioning... As a developer I tend to increment with 0.10 the version when a new feature is added and with 0.01 when bugs are fixed.... (But this is my preference and a lot of people adhere to this rule..apparently... There are other rules as well).

Basically, I know where he is coming from...I've hacked more things than game engines and cryptography stuff... Thing is, is very hard to make an universal thing and version that...you either go by game/software version or your own version (which requires a generalistic approach)....


Anywho, back on topic:
I think the idea is very AWESOME !!!! (as I say like Forever that I will look more in-depth into DirectX and HLSL)
I can't really say which approach is best, but I tend to go with the written one (old school, more theory than practice, as practice is based on theory ^_^, but different in the same time).

I decided to make a video format documentation for my wrapper, although lately I get more and more requests for a written one.... Ideally would be both, but that is very time consuming...

So, I vote for a written one;)

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#30
Posted 08/11/2014 01:17 AM   
  2 / 88    
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