ME2 remove vignette

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forkinator
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ME2 remove vignette

Post by forkinator »

I'm having a difficult time with a new mod I am trying to create and release. I can't stand the vignette effect of the mass effect series and when I was playing ME 1, I wanted it disabled but couldn't do it through coalesced without disabling the much needed post processing. I even posted on your (mgamerz) me3 mod at the time (doing a trilogy run before playing ME:A and I was playing ME1 when I posted on your mod) and so I would really appreciate some help with this. Your ME3 mod to remove the vignette is a life saver. Thank you for that.

With the tools there are now, I would expect it to be easier to do this with package editor. Let me know if you could help me get this working. Already released 2 mods since I started modding on sunday.




Edit: I got the disable shared cooldowns mod working and released it as a mod, but I have a different issue now that I could use help with.


Edit 2. Lol I now got the "press any key to continue" to skip and go straight to the main menu through package editor of ME3Explorer.




========================Old Thread Issue (Fixed) Start=================
First, here's a link to the mod if anyone comes across this.


http://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect2/mods/147



Now here's where I am stuck. I am trying to edit the entrymenu.pcc file and I think I found the right object I'm looking for to disable the "press any key to continue" menu.


I've been at it for a while now in Package explorer and I know it has something to do with the BioSeqAct_ShouldShowSplashSequence object but I can't seem to get it working right. I created a empty text file and then I changed the extension to .bin and I replaced the code with the bin file but it doesn't remove the "press any key to continue" screen.



I tried to change some flags in hex editor to false but it did not help

. There is a mod with this working so I know it's possible, I just have my entrymenu.pcc modded so I don't want to overwrite it with a different mod.


If anyone knows what to do, let me know. I will check back frequently

=====================Old Thread Issue (Fixed) end=======================
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Mgamerz
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Re: ME2 remove vignette

Post by Mgamerz »

Are you trying to create a skip splash screen edit? In ME3 I had to edit a kismet (sequence) and just made nothing ever hook up to the shouldshowsplash's yes/no inputs. Open entrymenu.pcc in sequence editor.

As for vignette I looked at ME2 but couldn't find anything directly. I use a text dump of all game files to quickly search for variables bit I don't have one for me2. My me3 one is about 7GB.

I've breath of the wild mostly so I have some time until MK8 takes over cause my girlfriend and I are going to get it.
forkinator
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Re: ME2 remove vignette

Post by forkinator »

I was able to finish editing the entrymenu.pcc to skip the splash screen so I am done with that.

I only want to find a way to disable the vignette. How would i dump all the ME2 game files to search through them like you?
Any other ways to look for a way to disable the vignette?


Hopefully the effect resides in Engine.pcc.


EDIT: heres a pic of the engine.pcc file in package editor. I don't see a vignette effect either but how would it be processed if it was not there?


Image

https://ibb.co/goikvk
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Shad0wlife
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Re: ME2 remove vignette

Post by Shad0wlife »

Ok, looks like you got the cooldowns done :D
I actually only used a tool I found on BSN which did the setting along with unlimited save slots. I only went into the modding part later. But yeah, cool that you found it!
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Mgamerz
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Re: ME2 remove vignette

Post by Mgamerz »

I dumped ME3 stuff using a the GUI Transplanter tool. It unfortunately doesn't work with ME2, as far as I am aware. It uses a lot of modified me3explorer stuff. I'll look into this this weekend if I can.
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Mgamerz
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Re: ME2 remove vignette

Post by Mgamerz »

I tried to port the me3explorer packages for me2 and me1 into my tool, but the code bases are so different now I don't want to dedicate the time to do it.

However, looking into some game files I have found references to post processing and vignette and I am testing what is possible with them. It is not done the same way as ME3. I'm looking in Startup_INT under its post processing materials. Must be careful with this as this is definitely a file that will be used by the ME2 controller mod.
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Mgamerz
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Re: ME2 remove vignette

Post by Mgamerz »

Got it done. Just needed to remove materials from some post processing settings - unfortunately, the post processing material for removing vignette is bundled with filmgrain, so if you disable the vignette that goes with it. (If you have FG off in game, its just vignette).

I'll bundle this up into a single mod file but I need to talk to dybuk about permission to ship a ME2 controller compatible version so people don't install this and bust his mod.

Image

Edit: Nexus page up now: http://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect2/mods/148

I need Startup_<Lang>.pcc files from all the other languages - all I have is INT. I know there are about 6 or 7 more.
forkinator
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Re: ME2 remove vignette

Post by forkinator »

Image


Amazing work Mgamerz! I'm speechless! How does the game split the film grain from the vignette without disabling both but it not be possible to just remove vignette?
I'm not complaining, just genuinely curious. Is this something that can be searched for by looking through CE pointers? Or am I way off?

I actually enjoy the film grain so that's why I ask. I'll have to try finding it the way you did. Not sure if I have the tools to do so. Ultimately I want to learn all this without needing to download mods.

Again, excellent work!
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Mgamerz
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Re: ME2 remove vignette

Post by Mgamerz »

The game uses post processing for two different scenarios:

Film Grain On (+vignette)
Film Grain Off (+vignette)

Both materials include the vignette, but one has the film grain too. In order to remove vignette the coupled film grain has to be removed as well. It might be able to be texture modded out but I have no idea how to do that.

The edits are in startup_XXX.pcc and I deleted two array entries in the effect list on some post processing exports. You can see a name in each export which describes the post processing element such as filmgrainvignette and vignette.
forkinator
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Re: ME2 remove vignette

Post by forkinator »

Mgamerz wrote:The game uses post processing for two different scenarios:

Film Grain On (+vignette)
Film Grain Off (+vignette)

Both materials include the vignette, but one has the film grain too. In order to remove vignette the coupled film grain has to be removed as well. It might be able to be texture modded out but I have no idea how to do that.

The edits are in startup_XXX.pcc and I deleted two array entries in the effect list on some post processing exports. You can see a name in each export which describes the post processing element such as filmgrainvignette and vignette.

Okay that makes sense. I'm still learning a lot and trying to understand the limits of what we as modders can do.
If for instance, I wanted to create a scenario with Film Grain On (-Vignette), would it even be possible with the tools we have?

I am looking in package editor now to find the edits you made by comparing my file with yours, so far no luck but I haven't spent more than a few minutes looking. I just want this to work with ALOT and No Minigames which happen to be the most popular mods i think. I sent you a message on reddit with my Startup_int.pcc file which has ALOT and No minigames installed. Maybe you could apply those edits you made to my file and re release it as a optional file for those who have those mods?


EDIT: switching a few object classes and names around, I was able to completely remove the vignette on main menu. unfortunately, while in game, this only reduced the effect to about 30% of what it was when at default. This has the added effect of Increasing the film grain while in game and in menus by about 60% give or take so its not a welcome change. Heres to hoping theres a way to completely turn off vignette without affecting film grain.

EDIT2. Alright i disabled vignette without disabling film grain, Now I need to even out the film grain effect somehow. Its too strong as it is.

I am going to upload it to dropbox for anyone to play with and figure out how to reduce the film grain effect.

Download Link for modified Startup_INT.pcc file below. This file has the vignette removed but the film grain is too strong. It's possible that i edited the file in a way that it doubles up on the film grain effect with 2 sets of calls to the effect. If anyone can fix this, let me know. I will keep at it.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xm10e7ygpl3mz ... 9.pcc?dl=0


EDIT3: Alright I think i finally got it working. NO vignette but I kept the film grain at close to normal levels. It was as i predicted, I had 2 film grain effects that were being called on and both of them were using the film grain material. I deleted one of the properties and now we have film grain and no vignette. This was a side effect of my first edit to the file which removes vignette by renaming the object called upon from the vingette material to the film grain material hence there being a double up effect on film grain. It is now fixed.

There seem to be multiple vignette effects. One is stronger closer to the center of the image while the other is just around the outside of the image, meaning its not as strong as the other one. There is also an effect that is enabled somehow that is linked with one of the vignette materials but I don't know what it's called.

Its important to note that this file works with ALOT and NO Mini games. It will work with a vanilla game ( i think)

Im letting Mgamerz look at this file so he can upload it as a standalone mod.

download the file below Mgamerz and tweak it to your liking. Im sure there are some issues with material calls being made twice. If you can make the film grain less, that would be ideal.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/nlp74ku20k0mb ... 9.pcc?dl=0
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