Antialiasing vs. HDR

[AurianaValoria1]

Which is better, Antialiasing or HDR? Are there any side-by-side comparisons out there?

[Telyn]

You don't actually have to choose. You cannot enable anti-aliasing within Oblivion if HDR is turned on, but all that means is you go enable it in Catalyst or whatever other software your card uses as an interface. It will work fine. Bethesda just didn't allow it when the game came out because very few people had the systems to handle it. Just uncheck the box that lets the application handle it, and then enable antialiasing.

[AurianaValoria1]

Thank you! I didn't know that.

[topeira]

i didnt know i could do that either but i am using the OBGEv2 mod so this mod fixed it.

u might want to check the OBGEv2 mod yourself. it enables a LOT of wonderful graphical enhancements. if your computer is tough enough to handle it (i have a 4870HD 512mb and my GPU is good enough) than u should check it out. the way this mod works it allows some nice AA, blur effects and SSAO and many more effects.

took me a little while to figure out how to use this mod so just in case u DO want to use it, PM me.

[TheSwedishPancake]

Personally, I would have to say that, while HDR is a good thing, it can only be so in very strict moderation. That being said, I would have to recommend turning up the anti-aliasing far before I would recommend using HDR. Oblivion's HDR is, for me, far too bright and shiny and makes everything hurt my eyes. Anti-aliasing will make your game look much smoother and more realistic. Much more so than HDR.

[AurianaValoria1]

I have both AA and HDR right now. It looks great! I have to admit, though, that HDR does get a little too bright sometimes. Is Bloom lighting a good compromise?

 

Thanks for the advice, SwedishPancake and topeira. :)

Edited March 15, 2011 by AurianaValoria1

[Striker879]

Which is better, Antialiasing or HDR? Are there any side-by-side comparisons out there?

Koroush Ghazi's Oblivion Tweak Guide has some normal vs bloom vs HDR comparison shots on this page. HDR and antialiasing are two different aspects of ways to improve image quality. Each comes at a cost to frames per second, which may limit using both at the same time.

Edited March 15, 2011 by Striker879

[Telyn]

In my game, in practice it hasn't caused me a drop in fps but I also didn't go wild with the settings. There is such a thing as too much anti-aliasing. It can end up losing too much sharpness. Ideally for games you generally want to start with minimal antialiasing and adjust it upward until you don't see jags on building corners, the edges of your character, etc. . Anything beyond that is personal taste. I only know Catalyst, but Catalyst can suggest settings. The settings I ended up with were not very different. If your interface for the card has a wizard, you would probably be fairly safe just using the wizard. I love Tweak Guides but the images linked there are HDR without any ini adjustments as far as I can tell. There are no ini settings that will be perfect for everyone no matter whether you choose HDR or Bloom. Hardware is different, cards are not all the same and people's settings differ. Personal tastes vary. Mods can overrule the settings. It's something you have to play with if you are detail oriented, either way.

 

Here is one person's ini adjustments for HDR

http://www.yacoby.ne...1217339640.html

 

Some very good info here on HDR settings

http://cs.elderscrol...hp/HDR_Settings

 

More settings that work for some people:

http://tamrielchroni...hp?topic=1636.0

 

Some info on Catalyst, and some recommendations for both HDR with AA and for bloom:

http://www.overclock...-working-3.html

 

Note that weather mods can change things drastically and some of them have their own inis.

Tweakguides is really wonderful but what I think that picture is is HDR with settings intended for bloom or no adjustments. If you want to know why I have concluded this, check the section on bloom and hdr ini tweaks at the end. It doesn't really cover HDR settings at all. I have actually written the site about that, asking for an update. Have not heard back but hopefully it will be addressed.

IMPORTANT: Do not change the default ini. Instead, make a backup of the ini which is in the directory where your save folder is. Then adjust that one.

[ziitch]

Not that I can promise anything, but there's a possibility that a HDR shader might be coming to OBGEv2 - At least, one that's better than what came with the game! :biggrin:

[Telyn]

Not that I can promise anything, but there's a possibility that a HDR shader might be coming to OBGEv2 - At least, one that's better than what came with the game! :biggrin:

 

 

Now that would be nice! *crossing fingers hopefully*