Author Topic: How to use SweetFX  (Read 17553 times)

Offline Ack-Ack

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How to use SweetFX
« on: February 14, 2014, 10:45:45 PM »
There is a discussion in the Fighter Ace Q&A (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,359091.0.html) forum about using SweetFX with Aces High.  Since there has been others expressing interest in trying it out, below is the link to download the SweetFX Configurator.

SweetFX Configurator 1.3.3

Install SweetFX Configurator and follow the instructions below to add Aces High.

1. Start SweetFX Configurator
2. Click on 'Add new game'
3. Point the program to the aceshigh.exe file [C:\Hitech Creations\Aces High]
4. In the 'Game List' panel, click on aceshigh.exe and click the 'Add SweetFX' button

Now the necessary files have been automatically added to the Aces High directory and you're ready to start tweaking.  If you want to use a preset that has been already made, you can find a couple that I've made that I uploaded to the SweetFX Settings DB.  Download whichever preset you want to use and follow the below instructions to import the preset into SweetFX Configurator.  Feel free to upload your own preset to the SweetFX Settings DB to share with others.

1. Click the 'Save / load configuration' button
2. Click on the 'Import preset' button and point the program to the location you downloaded the presets to.
3. Click on Load selected preset (note: due to a bug in 1.3.3, your preset settings might not display when you loaded it.  You'll see the changes in the main settings display though)
4. Click on the 'Save new config' button.

At this point you can either close the SweetFX Configurator and start Aces High normally or you can click on the 'Launch selected game' button.  Before you go online, on the launcher click on 'Video Settings' and set AA to 'None', you'll be using SweetFX to control AA.  Now go online and when the game fully loads, press the 'Scroll' button (default key to enable effects in game) to enable SweetFX.  Just hit the 'Scroll' button again to turn it off.

ack-ack
"If Jesus came back as an airplane, he would be a P-38." - WW2 P-38 pilot
Elite Top Aces +1 Mexican Official Squadron Song

Offline ML52

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2014, 02:00:22 AM »
Ack Ack; I'm kind of slow with new software, what is SweetFx?

Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2014, 02:08:03 AM »
It's a program that allows you to apply a suite of post processing shader effects to your games, basically improve the visuals.  If you click on the link to the thread in the Fighter Ace Q&A sub-forum, there are screenshots and a link to a video I made that shows how some of us have tweaked the visuals.  It's literally the difference between night and day.

ack-ack
"If Jesus came back as an airplane, he would be a P-38." - WW2 P-38 pilot
Elite Top Aces +1 Mexican Official Squadron Song

Offline hlbly

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2014, 08:52:41 PM »
There is a discussion in the Fighter Ace Q&A (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,359091.0.html) forum about using SweetFX with Aces High.  Since there has been others expressing interest in trying it out, below is the link to download the SweetFX Configurator.

SweetFX Configurator 1.3.3

Install SweetFX Configurator and follow the instructions below to add Aces High.

1. Start SweetFX Configurator
2. Click on 'Add new game'
3. Point the program to the aceshigh.exe file [C:\Hitech Creations\Aces High]
4. In the 'Game List' panel, click on aceshigh.exe and click the 'Add SweetFX' button

Now the necessary files have been automatically added to the Aces High directory and you're ready to start tweaking.  If you want to use a preset that has been already made, you can find a couple that I've made that I uploaded to the SweetFX Settings DB.  Download whichever preset you want to use and follow the below instructions to import the preset into SweetFX Configurator.  Feel free to upload your own preset to the SweetFX Settings DB to share with others.

1. Click the 'Save / load configuration' button
2. Click on the 'Import preset' button and point the program to the location you downloaded the presets to.
3. Click on Load selected preset (note: due to a bug in 1.3.3, your preset settings might not display when you loaded it.  You'll see the changes in the main settings display though)
4. Click on the 'Save new config' button.

At this point you can either close the SweetFX Configurator and start Aces High normally or you can click on the 'Launch selected game' button.  Before you go online, on the launcher click on 'Video Settings' and set AA to 'None', you'll be using SweetFX to control AA.  Now go online and when the game fully loads, press the 'Scroll' button (default key to enable effects in game) to enable SweetFX.  Just hit the 'Scroll' button again to turn it off.

ack-ack
When I click on Aces High in the game list panel . It does nothing but cause the UI to "blink". I am unable to add your presets. I have to do them by hand. That being said WOW ! Thanks for this ack ack.

Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2014, 11:08:53 PM »
When I click on Aces High in the game list panel . It does nothing but cause the UI to "blink". I am unable to add your presets. I have to do them by hand. That being said WOW ! Thanks for this ack ack.

There is a bug in the 1.3.3 version of the configurator that causes the preset to sometimes not show when you add it but if you look at the main screen that has the settings with check boxes, you'll see the settings in the preset you've loaded checked.  You could also check to see if the preset loaded by clicking on the 'List changes from default' button.

ack-ack
"If Jesus came back as an airplane, he would be a P-38." - WW2 P-38 pilot
Elite Top Aces +1 Mexican Official Squadron Song

Offline Latrobe

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #5 on: February 16, 2014, 02:33:25 AM »
Ok so I followed these instructions and now Aces high won't open. The window pops up for a second and then closes. Something went wrong somewhere.  :headscratch:

Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #6 on: February 16, 2014, 03:12:39 AM »
Ok so I followed these instructions and now Aces high won't open. The window pops up for a second and then closes. Something went wrong somewhere.  :headscratch:

Make sure you're using version 1.3.3.  It could be that the preset you made or using has a setting that is making AH crash or it could be that your video card can't handle it, though that's usually a result of tweaking the settings beyond what your video card can handle.

ack-ack
« Last Edit: February 16, 2014, 03:34:47 AM by Ack-Ack »
"If Jesus came back as an airplane, he would be a P-38." - WW2 P-38 pilot
Elite Top Aces +1 Mexican Official Squadron Song

Offline Latrobe

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2014, 03:47:13 AM »
I am on 1.3.3

I just tried removing Aces High from SweetFX and it says that an unhandled exception has occurred and it can not find SweetFX\Preset\Black_Mesa_CeeJay.txt in my Aces High Folder. So I can't get rid of SweetFX and play on Vanilla AH2 either.


I didn't tweak any of the settings. I just installed it, tried to open Aces High to see if it works, and it just crashes.


Edit:
Ok, so I found the missing file and fixed that and now it's saying it can't find the path for SweetFX\Shaders\Bloom.h in my Aces High folder. I'm guessing somehow it screwed up, or more likely I screwed up  :o , and the SweetFX folder didn't download all the files it was suppose to. If someone can share their SweetFX folder in their Aces high folder I think that might fix it?  :headscratch:
« Last Edit: February 16, 2014, 04:22:26 AM by Latrobe »

Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2014, 04:52:06 AM »
I am on 1.3.3

I just tried removing Aces High from SweetFX and it says that an unhandled exception has occurred and it can not find SweetFX\Preset\Black_Mesa_CeeJay.txt in my Aces High Folder. So I can't get rid of SweetFX and play on Vanilla AH2 either.


I didn't tweak any of the settings. I just installed it, tried to open Aces High to see if it works, and it just crashes.


Edit:
Ok, so I found the missing file and fixed that and now it's saying it can't find the path for SweetFX\Shaders\Bloom.h in my Aces High folder. I'm guessing somehow it screwed up, or more likely I screwed up  :o , and the SweetFX folder didn't download all the files it was suppose to. If someone can share their SweetFX folder in their Aces high folder I think that might fix it?  :headscratch:

In your AH folder, delete the following files and folder:
d3d9.dll
d3d9.fx
d3d9_40.dll
dxgi.dll
dxgi.fx
injector.ini
sweetfx_preset
sweetfx_settings
sweetfx_settings.txt.orig
SweetFX folder

You may not have all of the above files if you didn't install SweetFX correctly.

Follow the instructions below again to re-install SweetFX.  Remember, it's important to click on 'Add SweetFX' to add the necessary files.

1. Start SweetFX Configurator
2. Click on 'Add new game'
3. Point the program to the aceshigh.exe file [C:\Hitech Creations\Aces High]
4. In the 'Game List' panel, click on aceshigh.exe and click the 'Add SweetFX' button

ack-ack
"If Jesus came back as an airplane, he would be a P-38." - WW2 P-38 pilot
Elite Top Aces +1 Mexican Official Squadron Song

Offline Latrobe

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2014, 04:59:42 AM »
Hey! That fixes it! Thanks AckAck!


Btw, when I go to the SweetFX Settings DB link that you provided I don't see any files to download.  :headscratch:

What am I missing in there?

Offline JimmyD3

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2014, 11:14:23 AM »
Hmmm, installed it several times with the same error when I startup AH, "file d3dx9_43.dll not  found". Been using the "SweetFX_Settings_Aces High_AH Improved 1" presets from the DB. Any suggestions? It was removing SweetFX okay and the game ran fine then.
Kenai77
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Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2014, 03:25:17 PM »
Go into your AH folder and delete the files I listed for Latrobe.  Run SweetFX again, add aceshigh.exe to the game list and then click on the 'Add SweetFX' before you try to load any presets or manually adjust the settings.  Also, make sure that you're running SweetFX as an administrator.

ack-ack
"If Jesus came back as an airplane, he would be a P-38." - WW2 P-38 pilot
Elite Top Aces +1 Mexican Official Squadron Song

Offline Latrobe

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2014, 05:08:48 PM »
Oh yes, I've done all that. I'm talking about the link you provided in the first post where you said you uploaded some presets that you've made. When I go to that link to download one the page looks empty, there's nothing to click on.  :headscratch:

Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2014, 06:12:54 PM »
Oh yes, I've done all that. I'm talking about the link you provided in the first post where you said you uploaded some presets that you've made. When I go to that link to download one the page looks empty, there's nothing to click on.  :headscratch:

Try this link. 

http://sfx.thelazy.net/games/

Click on Aces High and it should show the presets I've uploaded.

ack-ack
"If Jesus came back as an airplane, he would be a P-38." - WW2 P-38 pilot
Elite Top Aces +1 Mexican Official Squadron Song

Offline Latrobe

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Re: How to use SweetFX
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2014, 06:22:24 PM »
That link also doesn't work, but I did figure out a fix. The links don't work on Chrome. It works fine in firefox though.... very weird.  :headscratch:








Oh wow! This looks pretty!!  :O  :aok
« Last Edit: February 16, 2014, 06:42:01 PM by Latrobe »