AMS2 QVFR 0.6.0-alpha

AMS2 QVFR 0.6.0-alpha: quad views foveated rendering for Automobilista 2 in VR.

Alpha pre-release for testing DLSS 5 and DLSS Super Resolution.

What's new in 0.6.0-alpha

• NVIDIA DLSS 5 (neural rendering, NVIDIA RTX only). NVIDIA's model reworks the light and materials of the finished image, in the sharp area and in the periphery. It works on the NVIDIA DLAA image, so turning it on also turns DLAA on. Turn it on in qvfr_config.exe → Settings → Rendering → NVIDIA DLSS 5. Off by default.
  • The mod does not include NVIDIA's DLSS 5 model. The settings app shows a Download button to make downloading them easier. when x64\qvfr\nvngx_dlssnr.dll is missing; put the file in x64\qvfr, or you can download the DDL manually here: https://github.com/RankFTW/rhi-repo/releases/tag/dlssnr-310.9.16
  • Foveated DLSS 5: the model follows the quad views. The sharp area where you look goes through it at full resolution, the periphery at half resolution (only the model’s change is enlarged back), and all four images go through the model together, once per frame. On an RTX 5090 this costs about 4 ms of GPU time per frame, about half of the 8 ms for the four full-size images one by one. In the DLSS 5 card and the tuning panel you can set it: DLSS 5 on the outer views, outer resolution (full, 1/2, 1/3), outer area and outer evaluation (with the sharp area or separately).
• Tuning panel in the headset: while you drive, right Ctrl + F2 opens a panel with all DLSS 5 options. Changes show at once; Save to qvfr.ini keeps them. The panel also shows the frame rate, the CPU and GPU frame time and the cost of DLSS 5, measured every second. Arrows choose and change an option, Enter switches, Esc closes; the game does not get these keys while the panel is open.
• NVIDIA DLSS Super Resolution in stereo (prototype, qvfr.ini only). With quad views off, the game renders at a lower resolution and DLSS upscales it to the full SteamVR resolution. In x64\qvfr\qvfr.ini: [quad] mode=off, [dlaa] mode=dlss and render_scale=0.67 (0.67 = DLSS Quality, 0.5 = Performance), then restart the game. Needs TAA on and MSAA off in the game. Not in the settings app yet and not measured yet; with quad views on, the mod keeps DLAA.
• Settings app: a DLSS 5 card with the same options as the panel. The DLSS exposure options are no longer in the app (they stay in qvfr.ini). Debug hotkeys no longer use right Ctrl + F2, which now opens the tuning panel.

Updating from 0.5.0: extract the zip over the old files. Your qvfr.ini is kept, and DLSS 5 stays off until you turn it on.

Install: download ams2-qvfr-0.6.0-alpha.zip, back up x64\openvr_api.dll of the game and extract the zip into
the folder with AMS2.exe. Settings: x64\qvfr\qvfr_config.exe. Details, requirements and compatibility notes are
in the README.

Licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. The zip includes OpenComposite 1.0.1539 (GPLv3, unmodified)
and NVIDIA DLSS 310.9.16 (x64\qvfr\nvngx_dlss.dll, NVIDIA RTX SDKs License, unmodified) for the optional DLAA;
see THIRD_PARTY.md for their licenses and
OpenComposite's source.

AMS2 QVFR 0.5.0

AMS2 QVFR 0.5.0: quad views foveated rendering for Automobilista 2 in VR.

What's new in 0.5.0

• Less CPU time per frame. Measured with DLAA on an RTX 5090: about 2.8 ms less game CPU time per frame (about 26%).
  • NVIDIA Multi-View Rendering (NVIDIA graphics cards only): the outer view of each eye now draws the scene of the sharp area in the same pass, so the sharp area no longer renders the whole scene a second time. This gives about 1.8 ms of the gain. On by default; you can turn it off in qvfr_config.exe → Settings → Rendering → NVIDIA Multi-View Rendering (restart the game).
  • The mod's own work in every frame is lighter on all graphics cards (about 1 ms).
• Trees no longer thin out in the sharp area while you move your head, with the game's TAA and with DLAA. This also happened in 0.4.0. With DLAA, trees and the sky no longer fall back to the game's TAA.
• Settings app: the Anti-aliasing card is now called Rendering, with the new NVIDIA Multi-View Rendering switch above NVIDIA DLAA.

Measurements (DLAA, quad views, benchmark mode, AMD9800X3D)

Game CPU per frame (WaitGetPoses to Submit, p50), A/B steps in one session each:

Change	Game CPU
Clones' bind mapping without the lock (works without MVR too)	about -1.0 ms
MVR: G-buffer, forward and velocity of focus from outer	about -0.95 ms
MVR draws take the PS state from the hooks	-0.17 ms
Focus forward recording without its velocity sub-passes	-0.66 ms
Total against the state before MVR	about -2.8 ms (about -26%)

Updating from 0.4.0: extract the zip over the old files. Your qvfr.ini is kept, and NVIDIA Multi-View Rendering is on by default.

Install: download ams2-qvfr-0.5.0.zip, back up x64\openvr_api.dll of the game and extract the zip into
the folder with AMS2.exe. Settings: x64\qvfr\qvfr_config.exe. Details, requirements and compatibility notes are
in the README.

Licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. The zip includes OpenComposite 1.0.1539 (GPLv3, unmodified)
and NVIDIA DLSS 310.9.16 (x64\qvfr\nvngx_dlss.dll, NVIDIA RTX SDKs License, unmodified) for the optional DLAA;
see THIRD_PARTY.md for their licenses and
OpenComposite's source.

AMS2 QVFR 0.4.0

AMS2 QVFR 0.4.0: quad views foveated rendering for Automobilista 2 in VR.

What's new in 0.4.0

• The game's TAA now works with quad views. Until now TAA made the focus area smear or flicker. The focus views now keep
  their own TAA history and get the right TAA settings for their size, and moving cars no longer smear in the focus area when
  it follows your gaze. MSAA stays the most tested option.
• NVIDIA DLAA (experimental, NVIDIA RTX cards only). Replaces the game's TAA with NVIDIA DLSS without upscaling: calmer,
  sharper edges than the game's TAA. Turn on TAA and turn off MSAA in the game, then turn on NVIDIA DLAA in
  qvfr_config.exe → Settings → Anti-aliasing and restart the game. Off by default.
  • Dashboard displays and mirrors keep the game's TAA, because DLSS leaves trails behind changing digits.
  • DLSS exposure is fixed at 0.002 by default, which keeps the brightness of lights and reflections; the GUI has a
    slider for it and an auto mode.

Updating from 0.3.0: extract the zip over the old files. Your qvfr.ini is kept, and the new settings use their defaults
(DLAA off).

Install: download ams2-qvfr-0.4.0.zip, back up x64\openvr_api.dll of the game and extract the zip into
the folder with AMS2.exe. Settings: x64\qvfr\qvfr_config.exe. Details, requirements and compatibility notes are
in the README.

Licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. The zip includes OpenComposite 1.0.1539 (GPLv3, unmodified)
and NVIDIA DLSS 310.9.16 (x64\qvfr\nvngx_dlss.dll, NVIDIA RTX SDKs License, unmodified) for the optional DLAA;
see THIRD_PARTY.md for their licenses and
OpenComposite's source. NVIDIA and DLSS are trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation; this mod is not sponsored or endorsed by
NVIDIA.

AMS2 QVFR 0.3.0

AMS2 QVFR 0.3.0: quad views foveated rendering for Automobilista 2 in VR.

What's new in 0.3.0

• No more box around the focus area when looking towards the sun. With Crepuscular Rays or Lens Flare on, the
  focus area showed as a darker box with lens flare rings in the wrong places, because the game sizes and places these
  effects for each view separately. Now the focus area shows the rays and lens flares of the rest of the image. If you
  turned these effects off because of the box, you can turn them back on.
• It costs about 0.1 ms of CPU and 0.1 ms of GPU time per frame (Sebring at sunset, sun in view).
• A faint glow above the sun can still look slightly different inside the focus area.

Updating from 0.2.0: extract the zip over the old files. Your qvfr.ini is kept, and the new setting uses its
default.

Install: download ams2-qvfr-0.3.0.zip, back up x64\openvr_api.dll of the game and extract the zip into
the folder with AMS2.exe. Settings: x64\qvfr\qvfr_config.exe. Details, requirements and compatibility notes are
in the README.

Licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. The zip includes OpenComposite 1.0.1539 (GPLv3, unmodified);
see THIRD_PARTY.md for its source.

AMS2 QVFR 0.2.0

AMS2 QVFR 0.2.0: quad views foveated rendering for Automobilista 2 in VR.

What's new in 0.2.0

• Less CPU work for the focus views. The game used to draw everything the whole eye sees into the focus views too.
  Now they draw only what is in or near the focus area. Daytona, 20 AI cars, 90 Hz the game's render thread
  got about 0.4 ms per frame shorter with the focus area on the cars ahead, and about 1 ms when looking elsewhere. This
  helps most when the game is CPU-limited, for example at 90 Hz with many cars. The image does not change.
• The focus views also need slightly less GPU time.

Updating from 0.1.0: extract the zip over the old files. Your qvfr.ini is kept, and the new settings use their
defaults.

Install: download ams2-qvfr-0.2.0.zip, back up x64\openvr_api.dll of the game and extract the zip into
the folder with AMS2.exe. Settings: x64\qvfr\qvfr_config.exe. Details, requirements and compatibility notes are
in the README.

Licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. The zip includes OpenComposite 1.0.1539 (GPLv3, unmodified);
see THIRD_PARTY.md for its source.

AMS2 QVFR 0.1.0

AMS2 QVFR 0.1.0: quad views foveated rendering for Automobilista 2 in VR.

Install: download ams2-qvfr-0.1.0.zip, back up x64\openvr_api.dll of the game and extract the zip into
the folder with AMS2.exe. Settings: x64\qvfr\qvfr_config.exe. Details, requirements and compatibility notes are
in the README.

Licensed under the PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. The zip includes OpenComposite 1.0.1539 (GPLv3, unmodified);
see THIRD_PARTY.md for its source.