Shader Model 3.0 activation?

[Sebiale]

From Oblivion Tweaks:

To force the actual use of 3.0 Shaders after making the above change, you will also need to check your RenderInfo.txt file (see above), and on the last line of the file check which shader package it uses (e.g. Shader Package : 13). Then go to the \Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Oblivion\Data\Shaders\ folder and rename that particular package to something else (e.g. rename shaderpackage013.sdp to shaderpackage013._bak. Now copy shaderpackage019.sdp and paste it back into the same directory, and rename this new copy to the package name your card uses (e.g. rename it to shaderpackage013.sdp in this example). This will force Oblivion to use the Shader Model 3.0 shaders in the game, which may increase (or reduce) performance and typically shows no image quality difference.

So, I'm confused on two parts.

1) Why do we suddenly go from dealing with 13 to 19?

2) Am I supposed to keep the original shaderpackage19 in the Shaders folder, or move it into the Oblivion folder in Documents, and then rename the copy to 13 and keep that in Shaders?

[Hickory]

It's a typo. Substitute the 19 for 13. Regarding keeping the original, the guide has already answered that: "e.g. rename shaderpackage013.sdp to shaderpackage013._bak".

[Sebiale]

I'm sorry, I'm still confused on what exactly I do after renaming the shaderpackage to a bak. :confused: (Does it actually need the underscore in the file type name?)

[Hickory]

It doesn't matter what you name the shaderpackage13 (make sure this is the correct file to rename for your hardware by checking your renderinfo.txt file) to, so long as it has something other than .sdp as it's extension. This is the package that your hardware uses, and all you are doing is backing it up -- call it shaderpackage0xx.sdp.bakup, where xx is the correct number for your hardware. The reason you are backing it up is because only the shaderpackage019.sdp uses the 3.0 shaders, so you have to make a copy of shaderpackage019.sdp and rename it to the package that your hardware uses -- see your renderinfo.txt file in \Documents\My Games\Oblivion\ for the correct number. For instance, my renderinfo.txt gives me Shader Package : 17, so I would make a copy of shaderpackage019.sdp and then rename it to shaderpackage017.sdp

[Chris Woodward]

Hi Guys, Sorry to bust in on your conversation, but are you referring to shader leak problems?

[Sebiale]

It doesn't matter what you name the shaderpackage13 (make sure this is the correct file to rename for your hardware by checking your renderinfo.txt file) to, so long as it has something other than .sdp as it's extension. This is the package that your hardware uses, and all you are doing is backing it up -- call it shaderpackage0xx.sdp.bakup, where xx is the correct number for your hardware. The reason you are backing it up is because only the shaderpackage019.sdp uses the 3.0 shaders, so you have to make a copy of shaderpackage019.sdp and rename it to the package that your hardware uses -- see your renderinfo.txt file in \Documents\My Games\Oblivion\ for the correct number. For instance, my renderinfo.txt gives me Shader Package : 17, so I would make a copy of shaderpackage019.sdp and then rename it to shaderpackage017.sdp

Okay, that makes more sense.

So I'd take 13 (I checked, it is the correct number) change it into a .bak, then copy 19 and rename it to 13.

 

So then I should have:

shaderpackage13.bak

shaderpackage13.sdp (which was previously 19)

shaderpackage19.sdp

Plus all the other packages.

 

Does it matter where the original 19 goes? I ask simply because I'm not sure if there would be an effect from having duplicate files in the same directory, even if their names are different.

 

Hi Guys, Sorry to bust in on your conversation, but are you referring to shader leak problems?

I don't believe so.

[Hickory]

Okay, that makes more sense.

So I'd take 13 (I checked, it is the correct number) change it into a .bak, then copy 19 and rename it to 13.

 

So then I should have:

shaderpackage13.bak

shaderpackage13.sdp (which was previously 19)

shaderpackage19.sdp

Plus all the other packages.

 

That is correct.

 

Does it matter where the original 19 goes? I ask simply because I'm not sure if there would be an effect from having duplicate files in the same directory, even if their names are different.

 

No, it doesn't matter. Only one shader is used: the number referred to in renderinfo.txt (13 in your case). The others are there for different hardwares.

[Marie46]

Does activating SM3.0 give a performance boost at all?

[Hickory]

Does activating SM3.0 give a performance boost at all?

 

No. SM3 is a visual quality and efficiency upgrade, not a performance upgrade.