[SH2] Fog fix/WineD3D/WSF incompatibilities

[seagull]

Hi everyone; I've been doing a lot of my own research, but I can see I'm clearly in a very good group here, so I hope you'll all be patient with me and help me to work out the best combination of fixes for my device. I'm running an NVIDIA card, so SMAA shouldn't be an issue, at 1920x1200. In addition to the standard, boilerplate issues every SH2 fix remedies by now (looping sound, broken saving, single-core affinity, safe mode, screen resolution), here are the issues as I see them:

• Vertex shading. -- WineD3D fixes this. By removing the "DISABLE_VERTEX_SHADERS" fix from local.fix (which disables vertex shaders at the expense of FOV and flashlight effects) and running WineD3D, the white textures are gone, and James' flashlight now has a circular shape instead of the ugly blocky one we're all used to. The fix is called D3D8.DLL.
• Fog. -- Nemesis2000 has a fog fix out which enables proper volumetric fog as seen in the PS2 version of the title. Its fix is called D3D8.DLL.
• The Map screen. -- I've been using sh2fix (https://files.servx.ru/shfix/sh2/) for a while now and it fixes this, I haven't tested with SH2WF recently but the last time I did the map screen had ugly grey borders either side of the screen and the marker overlays displayed where the map didn't. Has this been addressed?
• EXE Versions. -- There seems to be a lot of confusion about this; nobody's ever published a table of all the different EXE versions and checksums that work with each individual fix. Nobody uses the original because it needs the ISO loaded. If you check the sh2fix link I posted above, in the misc/ folder there's a "compatible_exe" with the MD5 of 3E1D6C76FCFD23925661066893E8EC92. Is the Widescreen Fix known to be directly compatible with this or is there a preferred version? Does SH2WSF include NoCD functionality?

The biggest issue for me is that both WineD3D and the Fog Fix are called D3D8.dll. I tried using ThirteenAG's ultimate ASI loader but only the Fog Fix works with it, WineD3D doesn't – as such, the fix is pointless because it only works when they're running together. This basically forces users to choose between realistic fog or vertex shading. It's compounded by the fact that the fog fix is closed-source, making it impossible to merge into another project.

Has anyone been able to find a fix for this? I hate disabling my vertex shaders. Thanks everyone! Great work with this, you're doing a beautiful thing for SH fans.

[AeroWidescreen]

Fog: It's an awkward situation. I could make my own version of this and integrate it with the widescreen fix, because the fog fix has its own problems that I know how to solve, but that would undermine the work Nemesis2000 put into it. @jdkubiak has tried contacting him, but I don't think he ever got a response.

Map: I just tried sh2fix and everything is stretched, so it doesn't fix the map issue unless I'm missing something. The whole point of the widescreen fix is to have everything scale correctly for all resolutions, and right now the side-effect of that are those black bars on the map. A proper solution has yet to be found, but I'm currently experimenting with the idea of modifying the textures themselves.

Exe versions: I don't know about other fixes, but the widescreen fix uses byte patterns so it should work with any exe. That's why the supported exe version is listed as "Any" on the front page. If there's an exe that doesn't work for some reason you can post about it here and we can look into it, but no guarantees can be made if that exe has been heavily modified. 'No cd' exes will work.

[seagull]

Thanks for your reply, Aero.

I too have tried contacting Nemesis but found no response. If you're able to address this, I beg of you to. Doing this will finally permit us to have vertex shaders and fog, which is the last piece of the puzzle as far as I'm concerned.

The mapping is an interesting one, thank you for clarifying. I appreciate stretching the map isn't the goal of the fix, but I wonder if I'd be alone in saying I prefer a fix that breaks the rules a little to improve the experience. Would this ever be something you'd consider adding an option in the INI for?

I appreciate your word in EXE versions, I'll delete my alternate testing EXEs and just use the sh2fix one. Cheers!

[seagull]

Closing note: depending on your response I'll either edit or close this case.

[AeroWidescreen]

Fog: Interesting. I'll send him an email and see if I get a response at all, and if I don't, then I'll look into this. We're kind of stuck if his work is closed source and he's not responding to anyone.

Map: I could ask ThirteenAG to add an option to disable FixMenus, like he did for SH3. All 2D elements would be stretched, not just the map though.

[seagull]

Both would be immensely appreciated, thank you for your consideration. I don't know how you guys handle case management; would you like me to edit this case and make a new one, or close it and make two, or just leave things as they are?

[AeroWidescreen]

You can edit this one or make a new one, but if you make a new one then close this one. 😛 It doesn't really matter to me.

[Polymega]

I've found ways to make the Widescreen Fix + WineD3D work to fix all noted Nvidia bugs (along with Xinput Plus and Nemesis' Fog Fix) but doing this creates a new issue in that the Widescreen Fix doesn't work many of the times when you launch the EXE. You typically have to relaunch the game several times over before the fix takes effect. Obviously not the ideal solution.

The Ultimate ASI Loader has a built-in D3D8to9 converter but it creates a very unflattering lighting issues in one of the scenes and turns all FMVs red if using a computer with integrated graphics. If these issues could be resolved then I believe you could drop WineD3D in favor of Ultimate ASI Loader's solution.

@jdkubiak has tried contacting him, but I don't think he ever got a response.

Yup, I've also messaged him twice with no response. Been probably a month or so now.

I could make my own version of this and integrate it with the widescreen fix, because the fog fix has its own problems that I know how to solve, but that would undermine the work Nemesis2000 put into it.

I completely understand the reasoning of your thinking here but I also believe you would not be undermining his work. So long as you don't steal any of his coding, thus writing your own code/solution from scratch/"by hand," I wouldn't see any issue with this. And, as a sign of respect, if you come up with your own solution you can always give a shout-out to Nemesis for being the one to originally find a solution to the fog and inspiration for your continued iteration.

I also beg of you, if you have the knowledge and time, to make the fog fix mostly due to the possibility of disabling it in the tunnel where you meet the first Lying Figure and disabling it for the hallway/room(s) where you meet Eddie for the last time.

Map: I could ask ThirteenAG to add an option to disable FixMenus, like he did for SH3. All 2D elements would be stretched, not just the map though.

This one is a more subjective issue for many as I don't mind your fix for this as-is, am okay with stretching the images if need be, and would absolutely prefer them to be scaled without stretching. However, there's never any harm in giving people the option to stretch the images if that's what they want! Maybe have stretching disabled by default in the INI and users can enable it if they prefer.

[AeroWidescreen]

Well, on second thought making my own fog fix wouldn't solve anything when it comes to using all of this together. It's already possible to do that. What's interesting is dsound.dll used to work in a previous version of the ASI loader... yep, try this: https://www.sendspace.com/file/ybrl9h

Using dsound.dll should allow you to use widescreen fix + fog fix + wineD3D + xinput plus all at the same time!

@ThirteenAG is there a way to get dsound.dll to work again?

@seagull You should be able to use the WineD3D + fog fix + widescreen fix together already. Just place sh2.dll and sh2fog.ini into the scripts folder, and rename sh2.dll to sh2.asi

[Polymega]

Well, on second thought making my own fog fix wouldn't solve anything when it comes to using all of this together. It's already possible to do that.

Worth your consideration to have it toned down in those specific areas?

What's interesting is dsound.dll used to work in a previous version of the ASI loader... yep, try this: https://www.sendspace.com/file/ybrl9h

This is awesome! I can't wait to give this a go then!!

[seagull]

Oh my, this thread is going places fast. Thanks both, I'll test that fix and report back.

Quick one: the site I grabbed sh2fix from has a "misc" subdirectory – https://files.servx.ru/shfix/sh2/misc/ – wherein various builds of WineD3D can be located. Will 2.6 (the latest there) work, should I use the latest version from WineD3D, or is there a preferred build we're using here?

[Polymega]

There's a lot of versions for WineD3D so I haven't tested them all but, and if memory serves, I did find that if you use the very first version (1.6 I believe) it will not only still fix all the Nvidia bugs but also NOT create the black lines on faces that the latest versions of WineD3D produce. I believe it needs to be used with the ENB Converter for all this to work.

http://downloads.fdossena.com/Projects/WineD3D/Builds/

Also, and again if memory serves (as I've been messing with a ton of different solution combos and they're all getting fuzzy in my mind at this point), Ultimate ASI Loader's built-in D3D8to9 will also fix the Nvidia specific bugs without creating black lines on character faces but you run into the previous issues I mentioned with this route. But worth mentioning this method again as an alternative.

[AeroWidescreen]

Worth your consideration to have it toned down in those specific areas?

Yeah, sure, I still plan on doing what I said. It's just that I wasn't fully awake when I made my initial post, and for some reason I thought that would solve seagull's main problem as well. Sorry for the confusion.

[seagull]

It works! Thank you both so much for your help with this. I hope someone from PCGamingWiki sees this and adds this to their file, but for reference, I mapped out the file structure (since this can get pretty complicated) and wrote a quick guide for users wanting the total experience. = = = = = = = = = = Seagull's Silent Hill 2 installation guide for Modern PCs (June 2017) EDIT: This is pretty obsolete now, please read through the rest of the thread

• Install Silent Hill 2: Director's Cut. This implies the European release.
• Edit permissions of install directory to make your Windows user an administrator. (Or install to somewhere like C:\Games\SH2)
• Run the SH2Patch file included with the installer. It installs some ancient device-specific fixes but it's worth doing regardless.
• Replace the EXE with the "compatible EXE" NoCD available at https://files.servx.ru/shfix/sh2/misc/compatible_exe.zip
• (Optional) find and copy over the FMVs from the Silent Hill 2 Widescreen FMV pack.
• Download, but do nothing with, Nemesis 2000's SH2 Fog Fix. Get it from here: https://mega.nz/#!O0YTyBRa!NzxBsiPAnsY3IigL0UmiwTtMob-KKCBw44771E_B448. The password is "sh2".
• If you have a file called local.fix, make sure there is no line referring to "DX_CONFIG_USE_VERTEX_SHADERS". This is an old fix used to repair white textures on modern devices. It isn't necessary any more with the WineD3D binaries. If you're using a pre-existing installation, this will probably be present, so be sure to check for it.
• Download the latest developmental build of the Silent Hill 2 Widescreen Fix from https://ci.appveyor.com/project/ThirteenAG/widescreenfixespack/build/artifacts.
• Download an old build of ASILoader from https://mega.nz/#!ApYjgRbT!A5HEZLcalxyzaPr-c-f9IQiHdRASBVSsbNwQsl2hr4A.
• Download WineD3D 1.6.2 from http://downloads.fdossena.com/Projects/WineD3D/Builds/. (Yes, that's the oldest version.)
• At this point you should have a number of files prepared in addition to your SH2 installation: -- The Silent Hill 2 compatible EXE -- The Silent Hill 2 Fog Fix -- The Silent Hill 2 Widescreen Fix -- The old build of ASILoader -- WineD3D 1.6.2
• In your Silent Hill 2 installation directory, make a folder called "scripts" and place the Widescreen fix inside it. You can edit the .ini file now to configure things like screen resolution.
• Copy the "sh2.dll" and "sh2fog.ini" files into here as well. Re-name "sh2.dll" to "sh2.asi".
• From the WineD3D archive, move the files "d3d8.dll", "libwine.dll" and "wined3d.dll" to the installation folder (not the scripts folder).
• Copy "dsound.dll" into the installation folder. This is the ASI loader that loads the Widescreen and Fog fixes.
• Copy dinput8.dll into the installation folder. This is part of the Widescreen fix.
• You're done! Launch Silent Hill 2 and configure the joypads as you want. If you're using Xpadder, be sure to de-map the joypad buttons. Also make sure to turn Fog to complex, but don't change the resolution settings as the Widescreen Fix handles that.
• If you're using a joypad, install the Lavendy vibration driver from http://stoic.jp/nds/driver/xi/index.html to enable vibration for XInput devices. You'll need to use DS4Windows to make Windows think you're running a 360 pad if you have a DS4 pad.

[AeroWidescreen]

Depending on ThirteenAG's response, using the old ASI loader may only be a temporary solution.

Also, I've sent Nemesis2000 an email with my solution to his 'fog_layer2_size' problem. I'll wait about a week before doing anything. I've already compared my solution to the PS2 version, and I get similar looking results in the Eddie boss fight and Lying Figure encounter.

[seagull]

Thanks for the update. I await the next one.

[ThirteenAG]

I'm sorry, I'm not reading any issues nor will be responding to ones for some time. I don't quite understand what's the problem you have with current asi loader though.

[Brunn0121]

Using the wined3d + wsf fixes the white textures and objects that disappear when too close to the camera, but this is what happens when turning the flashlight on / off

Also, this is not an bug/issue, but is there a way to make the 2d images fit the entire screen? like zooming them to fit the 16:9 aspect ratio? i think this (and the widescreen map screen) is the only thing left to make this game completely widescreen.

[Polymega]

The flashlight bug has been addressed/fixed in the latest development build of the WSF. Be sure to download the dev build version on the downloads page.

[Brunn0121]

It is the latest version, the flashlight problem that illuminates characters behind James is fixed, this bug only happens for a split second when turning it on/off (my video showed this problem clearly), disabling wine3d3 eliminates the problem, but the white textures and objects disappearing when getting too close to the screen gets back.

[Polymega]

I see. I'm not near my PC to try this but try using the ENB Converter and WineD3D but, with using the ENB Converter and its d3d8.dll file, use WineD3D's d3d9.dll instead of its d3d8.

I don't recall have this issue with that setup.

http://enbdev.com/convertor_dx8_dx9_v0035.htm

[AeroWidescreen]

@ThirteenAG

I'm sorry, I'm not reading any issues nor will be responding to ones for some time. I don't quite understand what's the problem you have with current asi loader though.

dsound.dll causes a hang on launch for SH2, even though it works in an older version of ASI loader. It's only an issue for people wanting to use all of these different fixes together, so it really isn't a big deal, but thought I'd bring it to your attention.

Using the older ASI loader is a more than acceptable workaround for this.

@Brunn0121

It is the latest version, the flashlight problem that illuminates characters behind James is fixed, this bug only happens for a split second when turning it on/off (my video showed this problem clearly), disabling wine3d3 eliminates the problem, but the white textures and objects disappearing when getting too close to the screen gets back.

Well, I only had that problem when I enabled D3D8to9 via global.ini. I don't normally use any of this stuff, so I recommend following jdkubiak's and seagull's advice.

[ThirteenAG]

dsound.dll causes a hang on launch for SH2, even though it works in an older version of ASI loader. It's only an issue for people wanting to use all of these different fixes together, so it really isn't a big deal, but thought I'd bring it to your attention.

Please create a separate issue in UAL's repo about this. Also try to use forceentrypointhook=0 in global.ini, see if it works that way. I don't want there to be any regressions.

[Brunn0121]

It simply doesn't work unfortunately, I don't think I'm doing anything wrong because if I were it wouldn't fix the white textures and the wsf wouldn't work either, the 2 fixes just don't get along with each other, when I get back home I'll try an fresh install from my disc and start this procedure from 0 Thanks for the reply.

[Polymega]

What's interesting is dsound.dll used to work in a previous version of the ASI loader... yep, try this: https://www.sendspace.com/file/ybrl9h

@Aero52 you beautiful person, you. The game boots up with your fix each and every time now along with the other fixes running along with it. Oh the consistency makes me so happy. :)

Using the wined3d + wsf fixes the white textures and objects that disappear when too close to the camera, but this is what happens when turning the flashlight on / off

Hm, @Brunn0121 I ran the game on both my Nvidia and AMD rig and didn't experience this issue. Now, when I turn off the flashlight I noticed Maria stayed lit a second longer than the environment on both GPUs. But doesn't it do that for all versions of the game including consoles? I don't have my PS2 (and sold my Xbox a long time ago) plugged in to test that.

Here's the files that I use, if this may help you:

d3d8.dll (ENB Converter file)
d3d9.dll (WineD3D file)
dinput.dll (Xinput Plus file)
dinput8.dll (Xinput Plus file)
enbconverter.ini (ENB Converter file)
libwine.dll (WineD3D file)
dsound.dll (Ultimate ASI Loader "Older Version" that Aero linked above)
wined3d.dll (WineD3D file)
XInput1_3.dll (Xinput Plus file)
XInputPlus.dll (Xinput Plus file)
\scripts\sh2.asi (Fog Fix file)
\scripts\sh2fog.ini (Fog Fix file)
\scripts\SilentHill2.WidescreenFix.asi (Widescreen Fix file)
\scripts\SilentHill2.WidescreenFix.ini (Widescreen Fix file) 

ENB Converter 0.035: http://enbdev.com/convertor_dx8_dx9_v0035.htm WineD3D 1.6.2: http://downloads.fdossena.com/Projects/WineD3D/Builds/WineD3DForWindows_1.6.2.zip Xinput Plus: https://sites.google.com/site/0dd14lab/xinput-plus Ultimate ASI Loader "Older Version": https://www.sendspace.com/file/ybrl9h

[Brunn0121]

The ps2 doesn't have any issues with the (flashlight)[https://youtu.be/M8pczBiToPQ] at all, it works just fine. But my sh2 doesn't use the aso loader, I'm using the global.ini method on the scripts folder, I'll install a fresh copy again and make it so it is 1:1 to your version, thanks for all those links you're helping me big time

[Polymega]

Using UAL's global.ini for D3D8to9 creates lighting issues as I mentioned above so there is a chance this lighting issue may also be from that.

Yes, let us know if using the ENB Converter route fixes that. The more knowledge we have with all this the better.

[seagull]

The more knowledge we have with all this the better.

I'll say. I hadn't been using d3d8-to-9 at all; if I can be assured it doesn't create additional problems I will. What does it add/fix over the bog-standard WineD3D8?

[AeroWidescreen]

I have more good news to share. Nemesis2000 responded to my email and he apparently fixed the problem with the fog size and made some other changes. 😃 Download the latest archive from ps2wide.net and give it a try.

[seagull]

The good news just keeps on coming!

[Polymega]

I have more good news to share. Nemesis2000 responded to my email and he apparently fixed the problem with the fog size and made some other changes. 😃 Download the latest archive from ps2wide.net and give it a try.

The updated fog fix is gorgeous! There's more fog without it being too much and the fog layers warp and distort in the air just like the PS2 version. And--maybe its always done this for the PC version but wasn't as noticeable--the fog gets pushed aside as James runs through it (also like the PS2 version) which is super nice.

The Eddie room looks fantastic now. The room isn't consumed by custom fog anymore but there's more/enough now to really add to the drama of the scene. Absolutely stunning.

The tunnel where you first meet the Lying Figure is still too much but this fix overall is a major, marked improvement. It really makes you appreciate all over again how the fog in the game adds to the atmosphere.

Aero, you seem to have the magic touch with both helping to fix this game and reach out to others. Please be sure to thank Nemesis on all our behalf the next time you get in touch with him!

I'll say. I hadn't been using d3d8-to-9 at all; if I can be assured it doesn't create additional problems I will. What does it add/fix over the bog-standard WineD3D8

Using WineD3D's d3d8 file will fix all the Nvidia specific bugs but also introduce black lines on character's faces (they're more noticeable the farther they are from James/the camera). Using WineD3D's d3d9 file fixes both the Nvidia bugs and the black lines. But in order to use a d3d9 file for SH2 (which uses DirectX8) you need to use the ENB Converter.

The Ultimate ASI Loader has a built-in D3D8to9 feature but I found this one creates an unflattering lighting issue in one of the final cutscenes for the game and also tints all FMVs completely red for people who are using integrated graphics.

[seagull]

Understood, sounds great. Quick one – the new fog fix also has a d3d8.dll all of a sudden. Should I move that to /scripts and call it d3d8.asi as well?

[Polymega]

You can ignore Fog Fix's d3d8 file (since we're using other files like WSF, WineD3D, etc). Just place the other two files in the \scripts folder and rename sh2.dll to sh2.asi :)

[AeroWidescreen]

The tunnel where you first meet the Lying Figure is still too much but this fix overall is a major, marked improvement. It really makes you appreciate all over again how the fog in the game adds to the atmosphere.

You sure? I know it may not be 1:1 down to the last pixel, but the PS2 version has a similar amount of fog in the Lying Figure cutscene based on what I've seen. Same with the Eddie room. Might have to make some small adjustments if anything, but it's close.

[Brunn0121]

@jdkubiak YOU ARE THE MAN! I installed a fresh copy from my disc and made my game files 1:1 to yours, turns out that using the asi loader with the global.ini on the scripts folder made that problem I had, now I'm using only the asi loader with the WSF, Fog Fix and wineD3D and now the game is absolutely perfect!

The only thing left is to make the map screen fit the entire screen, oddly enough when you move the map far enough, the James arrow and the door marks are still visible over the empty corners of the screen...

And last question to @Aero52 / @ThirteenAG , is there a way to make the 2D images fit the entire screen? It is letterboxed already by default, so we wouldn't lose that much if we cropped it enough to fit the 16:9 aspect ratio (Rosseter and Fungo commented about this on their HD remaster review), if this doesn't mess with the clickable options while on 2D screens, of course. And the option to crop the FMV to fit the widescreen aspect ratio would be really nice too!

[seagull]

@Brunn0121 That was one of my initial points; Aero has already commented on possibly introducing a feature to stretch 2D assets to stop that from being an issue.

I've noticed the v2 fog fix seriously tones things down in terms of fog quantity, to the point where I initially thought I'd installed it wrong. I'm making a comparison video right now.

[Polymega]

You sure? I know it may not be 1:1 down to the last pixel, but the PS2 version has a similar amount of fog in the Lying Figure cutscene based on what I've seen. Same with the Eddie room. Might have to make some small adjustments if anything, but it's close.

You know, I'm really embarrassed of myself. I love SH2. Like a lot. It's the sole reason I went to college for 3D design/3D environment artist. Made a fan site, collect SH2 items, etc. But it's been so, so many years since I've played the PS2 version (my PS2 has long since been put up in storage) I'm forgetting all these things...

I watched some YouTube videos just now of the PS2 version and, yeah, you're totally right: The fog density in that tunnel looks almost identical. I'm very sorry for my ditsiness with that. And on that note one more time: Nemesis2000, if you're reading this, THANKS!!

turns out that using the asi loader with the global.ini on the scripts folder made that problem I had, now I'm using only the asi loader with the WSF, Fog Fix and wineD3D and now the game is absolutely perfect!

Ah, yup, that'll do it. Sorry I forgot to mention that as I too found that out the hard way.

The only thing left is to make the map screen fit the entire screen, oddly enough when you move the map far enough, the James arrow and the door marks are still visible over the empty corners of the screen...

This has been requested by many and Aero is aware of it. He mentioned he has some ideas as to approach this but it may prove time-consuming. You can read a little more about this here: https://github.com/ThirteenAG/WidescreenFixesPack/issues/236#issuecomment-303605752

I also asked my friends who own influential SH FB sites to ask for additional help/resources. A person who recently graduated college with a software development degree contacted me and said he'd look in to making a new SH Texture Explorer that would allow us to edit/re-upload those 2D images in different resolutions. No promises to that, of course, but I certainly appreciate him taking the time to see what all he can do to help the WSF cause.

I've noticed the v2 fog fix seriously tones things down in terms of fog quantity, to the point where I initially thought I'd installed it wrong. I'm making a comparison video right now.

I thought that too, at first. But I temporarily cranked up the fog settings to be sure. Honestly, I really like the default values set for the new fog fix. It mirrors the PS2 version quite nicely without being overbearing. I say give it a playthrough with those settings first and see if it also grows on you. And you can always adjust these settings to your liking by editing the sh2fog.ini file.

[seagull]

I'm making a comparison video right now.

I decided it wasn't necessary. Turning the fog fix's "fog_layer2_density_mult" from 1.00 up to 1.50 puts the level of fog at roughly the same level seen in the v1 fix, which I had grown used to (and which, personally, I think looks much closer to what I'm seeing on YouTube for PS2 copies of the title.)

[Brunn0121]

@seagull, i have the ps2 version and can confirm that 1.50 is the closest to it. @jdkubiak You own the "I got a letter" site, right? man what an honor to be talking to you, i got all the different ps2 isos from your site, thanks! And, if someone makes a new texture explorer/extractor/replacer would be really nice, id love to see that!

[Polymega]

Yes sir, I do! I hope one day to revamp the site again with new content/info I've learned about the game over the years. Thanks for the kind words! Although I think you may've gotten the ISOs from another site? I don't remember sharing those files over there?

[seagull]

Sorry for nonsensing up the thread chaps, but could I get some help with the ENB converter? When I download versions 0.35 and 0.36 and install them (rename WineD3D d3d8.dll to d3d9.dll and place the ENB d3d8.dll in its place alongside the .ini file), it tells me a dynamic link library can't be located in dsound.dll (the ASI loader). Any ideas?

[Polymega]

You're fine. Don't rename WineD3D's d3d8 file to d3d9. Instead, use the actual d3d9 file provided in the WineD3D download. There's d3d8/9/10 files in the WineD3D download.

[Brunn0121]

@jdkubiak I got the information about the existence of those versions through your website, the E3 trial, Japanese trial and last but not least, the 0.10 version (this is the only one i can't find anywhere to download) what a fine find you got there with that golden disc!

@seagull i got that problem too, i just re-installed the game and made it look 1:1 to @jdkubiak version, and it all worked just fine

[Polymega]

Gotcha! Yeah I don't think I will ever get over the fact the the golden disc owner trusted me enough (under the sole condition I don't distribute its file contents online) to mail that disc to me to document for preservation purposes (I sent it back to him afterwards).

My ultimate dream as a SH2 fan/collector is getting some type of copy of the Spring TGS (Tokyo Game Show) 2001 trial disc. That trial has RPT roaming the Blue Creek Apartment hallways.

Anyway, to not veer from the discussion anymore I'm more than happy to continue conversations with anyone about SH2 nerd stuff via email! Just use the form below (not typing out email here to avoid spam bots getting it): http://www.igotaletter.com/siteinfo/contact/

[seagull]

This is great, everyone. Thanks so much. @jdkubiak - your fix worked perfectly, thank you. Can I bug you guys with one more thing? This isn't anything to do with the widescreen fix, it's part of a larger guide I'm writing. You can see a version of it above, although I've learnt a lot since I wrote that, so consider it a v1.0. (Or a v0.10, perhaps... COMINGSOON!!)

I notice different EXE files have different title screens. Here's the screen from the one I'm using, it's the "compatible_exe" file from SH2Fix: https://i.imgur.com/9E1aiKZ.jpg

I note that @Aero52 posted the EXE they use earlier, however, and it looks different: https://i.imgur.com/CS9eFMt.jpg (I also note that the mouse positioning is way off for this versioning, almost as if the game has the buttons in the same place as the first image and the button icons too far down).

Does anyone know which one can be considered more "recent"? If there are bugfixes present in one but not the other? This is a real stretch so I appreciate any help I can get.

[Polymega]

I'm not an authority on this so someone like Aero can chime in with more info if there is any but the different EXE versions don't matter (so long as they're versions supported by the fixes) beside their cosmetic appearances as you've already noted. I personally like the second one you linked*: https://i.imgur.com/CS9eFMt.jpg

But the one Aero posted some weeks back shouldn't be used anymore as he modified that EXE to temporarily "patch" the lighting fix and may cause issues for you with the latest versions of the WSF. If you want that version of the main menu/EXE you can find it by Google searching "SH2 PC No CD" and going to the first link. I believe one of them is of that EXE (this is where I got it from). And always scan these files before running them just to be safe.

*If we can get a new SH Texture Explorer to upload higher resolution, widescreen version of images I plan to replace that menu screen with something like this one: http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/741276-silent-hill-hd-collection-playstation-3-screenshot-silent.jpg

I've always liked the colors for this one. I'd just place the "Director's Cut" wording below the SH2 logo.

[Brunn0121]

Well my version is either of those 2, because i installed a patch that translates the game to my language, but it is a modified version of your first screenshot, i think that @jdkubiak is right, doesn't matter the version as long as the scripts are loaded properly, and apparently both versions seems to work just fine, just a matter of preference.

Also, has anyone commented on the matter of the soft shadows here yet? is it possible? i mean, i thought the flashlight bug was impossible to fix since it also happens on the xbox 360 retro compatibility.

[AeroWidescreen]

@jdkubiak

I also asked my friends who own influential SH FB sites to ask for additional help/resources. A person who recently graduated college with a software development degree contacted me and said he'd look in to making a new SH Texture Explorer that would allow us to edit/re-upload those 2D images in different resolutions. No promises to that, of course, but I certainly appreciate him taking the time to see what all he can do to help the WSF cause.

Well that's newsworthy. It's perhaps the only thing the HD collection has over any version, so it would be a huge breakthrough. Hell, I wouldn't mind donating if he's serious about it.

@Brunn0121

Also, has anyone commented on the matter of the soft shadows here yet? is it possible? i mean, i thought the flashlight bug was impossible to fix since it also happens on the xbox 360 retro compatibility.

I honestly don't know. I tried changing the shadow res to see how the game would react, but my initial attempt was unsuccessful, so who knows what the reason is.

[Brunn0121]

Well i initially suspected that the shadow softness was tied to the resolution, when using an ps2 emulator the shadows look fine at native 512x512 resolution, but when i bump up the resolution, it gets less soft, the more i raise it, the more blocky it gets..

[Polymega]

the shadows look fine at native 512x512 resolution, but when i bump up the resolution, it gets less soft, the more i raise it, the more blocky it gets..

Yeah, that make sense. The shadow resolution isn't a primary factor in making shadows soft. There can be different names for it but a shadow's filter and size of the shadow itself can be the biggest determining factors for how soft a shadow is.

While the shadow resolution does influence the softness to some degree it mostly makes a soft (or hard) shadow look more or less smooth. So if the shadow is already soft but has a low resolution the transition of the shadow will look very blocky or pixelated. A higher resolution will make for a smoother soft transition to a shadow that's already soft.

I wouldn't have the first clue as to how to create soft shadows in SH2 PC...

[seagull]

While we're talking about various porting issues (since the original issue has long since been closed), has anyone noticed how the PS2 version of Silent Hill 2 has character animations that were left out of the PC version? As far as I know nobody's ever noticed this. I was watching PS2 plays-through of Silent Hill 2 earlier today to try and find a reference point for the fog and I stumbled across a French let's-play that shows James walking directly into a fence and then reeling back from it as if taken aback. I tried to replicate it on the PC version and couldn't.

Here's the video (adblock advised): http://webm.land/media/1Atl.webm