8800GTX for Doom 3 best settings?

I have an Nvidia 8800GTX 768mb graphics card, 2gb system RAM and Quad CPU. I
just bought Doom 3 for $20 to pass the time until Unreal Tournament 3 comes
out in November. I already play Unreal Tournament 2004 at max settings. I'm
trying to work out the best Doom 3 graphics settings for me.

I have a 22" HD Widescreen LCD running at 1680x1050 (16:10) and already
edited the DoomConfig.cfg with but just created an AutoExec.cfg with these
settings:

seta r_customHeight "1050"
seta r_customWidth "1680"
seta r_mode "-1"
seta r_aspectRatio "2"

I've been reading about changing these default settings I started with to
something better:

seta r_multiSamples "0"
seta image_anisotropy "8"

What can you suggest for my setup for Doom 3? I'm new to these config
settings. Thanks in advance....

Steve

Steve Mavronis wrote:
I have an Nvidia 8800GTX 768mb graphics card, 2gb system RAM and Quad
CPU. I just bought Doom 3 for $20 to pass the time until Unreal
Tournament 3 comes out in November. I already play Unreal Tournament
2004 at max settings. I'm trying to work out the best Doom 3 graphics
settings for me.

I have a 22" HD Widescreen LCD running at 1680x1050 (16:10) and already
edited the DoomConfig.cfg with but just created an AutoExec.cfg with
these settings:

seta r_customHeight "1050"
seta r_customWidth "1680"
seta r_mode "-1"
seta r_aspectRatio "2"

I've been reading about changing these default settings I started with
to something better:

seta r_multiSamples "0"
seta image_anisotropy "8"

What can you suggest for my setup for Doom 3? I'm new to these config
settings. Thanks in advance....

Steve


Doom3 is run by an engine that requires special handling: you can force
max anisotropy to 16, instead of 8 for clearer oblique texturing.

You can not enhance in game FSAA, you must select the mode offered in
game, either 2x or 4x. Both are minimally effective.

Your card is eligible for Ultra Mode, this is a special mode that uses
uncompressed textures and lightmaps for the highest IQ. This requires a
fast card with 512M or VRAM, which you have.

Please follow this link for more ideas:

http://www.tweakguides.com/Doom3_1.html

Lastly, Doom3's exp Resurrection of Evil makes the game shine. It was
what D3 should have been, please let my try to convince you to install
and play the game with RoE the first time through.

"Mr.E Solved!" wrote in message
. ..
Doom3 is run by an engine that requires special handling: you can force
max anisotropy to 16, instead of 8 for clearer oblique texturing.
You can not enhance in game FSAA, you must select the mode offered in
game, either 2x or 4x. Both are minimally effective.
Your card is eligible for Ultra Mode, this is a special mode that uses
uncompressed textures and lightmaps for the highest IQ. This requires a
fast card with 512M or VRAM, which you have.
Please follow this link for more ideas:

http://www.tweakguides.com/Doom3_1.html

Lastly, Doom3's exp Resurrection of Evil makes the game shine. It was what
D3 should have been, please let my try to convince you to install and play
the game with RoE the first time through.

Thanks. I am already configured at Ultra Mode. I have been experimenting
with AA via the config files. When I tried r_multiSamples to 16 it felt
laggy. At 8 it was marginal. I have it at 4 and runs great and fast. My
Nvidia control panel (and latest drivers) is just set on let the application
decide. Here are my current related settings:

seta r_multiSamples "4" and seta image_anisotropy "8"

Thats interesting what you say about forcing anisotropy to 16 for clearer
textures. One guide I read said it only went to 8. I noticed when I look
close at a wall texture design the graphic pattern looks blocky on the
oblique painted edges. That will smooth or blurr them out? I'll try that and
check out that link too. I might have it already bookmarked as I've checked
several tweak guides.

Yes I want to get the ROE expansion too! How does adding that affect a game
in progress? Are you saying you have to start over (not far into the PC game
yet anyway and I've been 1/2 through on the Xbox) or are you saying it adds
new elements along the way? Also I have the 1.3 patch installed. I read ROE
is patched to 1.2 so do I just re-apply the 1.3 patch again after installing
ROE?

Thanks for your help!

Steve Mavronis wrote:


Thanks. I am already configured at Ultra Mode. I have been experimenting
with AA via the config files. When I tried r_multiSamples to 16 it felt
laggy. At 8 it was marginal. I have it at 4 and runs great and fast. My
Nvidia control panel (and latest drivers) is just set on let the
application decide. Here are my current related settings:

seta r_multiSamples "4" and seta image_anisotropy "8"

That indicates 4X FSAA and 8X Anisotropy, while I would drop FSAA down
to 2X, I'm sure the FPS is the same in all circumstances 2X or 4X on an
8800.

Thats interesting what you say about forcing anisotropy to 16 for
clearer textures. One guide I read said it only went to 8.

Anisotropy, as a rule, goes to 16X my this measure. Doom3 will use a 16
setting. I too have seen guides that confuse the default 8x setting as
the max allowable setting.

when I look close at a wall texture design the graphic pattern looks
blocky on the oblique painted edges. That will smooth or blurr them out?

No, different levels of Anisotropic filtering do not affect how textures
on upright surfaces appear. As you get closer to textures, you are in
effect magnifying them and the blur is the lack of detail inherent in
the original texture.

Anisotropic filtering is most useful on textures that are viewed at a
very oblique angle and approach the horizon. Since doom is very dark,
you lose most detail before you get to the horizon, so 8x and 16x are
similar in end result. However, high frequency textures, such as metal
decked walkways, suspension bridges, spinning fan blades, picket fences,
chain link fences...all of those need as much anisotropy as possible to
make the object look as it does in reality, 8x is insufficient with
those common objects.


Yes I want to get the ROE expansion too! How does adding that affect a
game in progress? Are you saying you have to start over (not far into
the PC game yet anyway and I've been 1/2 through on the Xbox) or are you
saying it adds new elements along the way? Also I have the 1.3 patch
installed. I read ROE is patched to 1.2 so do I just re-apply the 1.3
patch again after installing ROE?

Thanks for your help!


Install RoE in your current state, then install the 1.3.1 patch

http://www.fileshack.com/file.x/5392...atch+-+Windows

Also, make sure your OpenAL installation is current, for proper D3 audio
operation.

Also, pay close attention to the D3 Tweak Guide, it is full of
undocumented commands, including wide screen support. Enjoy!

Thanks for your help. I might try and get the expansion pack today. Here are
my AutoExec.cfg 8800gtx and 22" widescreen graphics related settings so far.
I think some of the bottom texture settings are redundant from the
DoomConfig.cfg:

// machine class specification
seta com_machineSpec "3"
// widescreen 16:10 custom settings 1680x1050
seta r_customHeight "1050"
seta r_customWidth "1680"
seta r_mode "-1"
seta r_aspectRatio "2"
// video card memory
seta com_videoRam "768"
// enable vsync
seta r_swapInterval "1"
// antialiasing 4xAA
seta r_multiSamples "4"
// anisotropic 16xAF
seta image_anisotropy "16"
// texture best image quality
seta image_filter "GL_LINEAR_MIPMAP_LINEAR"
seta image_downSizeBump "0"
seta image_downSizeBumpLimit "0"
seta image_downSize "0"
seta image_downSizeLimit "0"
seta image_downSizeSpecular "0"
seta image_downSizeSpecularLimit "0"
seta r_skipBump "0"

"Mr.E Solved!" wrote in message
...
Anisotropy, as a rule, goes to 16X my this measure. Doom3 will use a 16
setting. I too have seen guides that confuse the default 8x setting as the
max allowable setting.
Anisotropic filtering is most useful on textures that are viewed at a very
oblique angle and approach the horizon. Since doom is very dark, you lose
most detail before you get to the horizon, so 8x and 16x are similar in
end result. However, high frequency textures, such as metal decked
walkways, suspension bridges, spinning fan blades, picket fences, chain
link fences...all of those need as much anisotropy as possible to make the
object look as it does in reality, 8x is insufficient with those common
objects.

Steve Mavronis wrote:
I have an Nvidia 8800GTX 768mb graphics card, 2gb system RAM and Quad
CPU. I just bought Doom 3 for $20 to pass the time until Unreal
Tournament 3 comes out in November. I already play Unreal Tournament
2004 at max settings. I'm trying to work out the best Doom 3 graphics
settings for me.

I have a 22" HD Widescreen LCD running at 1680x1050 (16:10) and already
edited the DoomConfig.cfg with but just created an AutoExec.cfg with
these settings:

seta r_customHeight "1050"
seta r_customWidth "1680"
seta r_mode "-1"
seta r_aspectRatio "2"

I've been reading about changing these default settings I started with
to something better:

seta r_multiSamples "0"
seta image_anisotropy "8"

What can you suggest for my setup for Doom 3? I'm new to these config
settings. Thanks in advance....


I have a 22" also but have a 7900GT. Only difference with your settings
above is the multisamples set to 2. Not sure what effect this has but
it plays and looks great

"Shawk" wrote in message
...
I have a 22" also but have a 7900GT. Only difference with your settings
above is the multisamples set to 2. Not sure what effect this has but it
plays and looks great


I've been tweaking with my 8800GTX and now my settings a

// antialiasing 4xAA
seta r_multiSamples "4"
// anisotropic 16xAF
seta image_anisotropy "16"

the // stuff are comment lines.

Steve