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About this mod
Unlocks Ultra++ and Insane options for some graphics settings, extending grass/tree rendering further, and improving mesh render distance and LOD. Perfect for the most immersive graphical experience and screenshots. Less so for your framerate.
Currently in 1.1, updated with both DX12 and DX11 versions. More versions to come soon.
- Permissions and credits
- Changelogs
Ultra++ and Insane Settings unlocks just that: additional graphical settings that allow you to push The Witcher 3 4.0 to even more remarkable graphical highs.
In it's 1.1 state, this mod adds the following new settings to your graphics menu.
What do these new settings do?
Before/After examples!
How to install?
How to use?
What exactly is this doing?
Known issues and limitations
Mod is work in progress! Future updates may include additional graphical settings (eg: improved water detail, more NPCs), but I want to ensure any settings included are meaningful and not a placebo. Future updates will also include more scalable/balanced options, and alternative files for those who want to avoid any LOD errors.
In it's 1.1 state, this mod adds the following new settings to your graphics menu.
- "Ultra++" and "Insane" settings to Foliage Visibility Range.
- "Ultra++" and "Insane" settings to Detail Level.
- NEW: DX11 copy uploaded. Can now use settings in both DX12 and DX11 launchers.
What do these new settings do?
- Foliage Visibility Range controls the distance at which grass, bushes, and trees are rendered. This permits grass/bushes to render much, much further than the current Ultra+ cap, filling out fields and hills with detailed foliage. Additionally, it also controls the LOD detail level of some foliage assets. For example, trees will render in fuller detail over longer distances, before they swap to their low quality 2D billboard.
- Detail Level controls the distance at which mesh props are rendered. Fences, walls, signs, infrastructural detail, and so on render much further than the current Ultra+ cap, allowing you to see wooden fences along roads (amongst other details) into the distance. Additionally, it also controls the LOD transition of mesh assets between their various quality models. For example, huts in Velen will now render with full roofing and wood detail further from the camera, reducing pop-in.
- As these settings increase draw/rendering distance for assets, Ray Tracing features will respond accordingly. RT reflections will stretch further as RT reflections respond more accurately to full tree models over 2D billboards. And distance trees/grass will have RT shadows and ambient occlusions applied.
- Your framerate will weep.
Before/After examples!
- Velen: https://imgsli.com/MTQxNTcx
- Velen: https://imgsli.com/MTQwMDcx
- Novigrad: https://imgsli.com/MTQwMDcy
- Novigrad: https://imgsli.com/MTQwMDY5
- Toussaint: https://imgsli.com/MTQwNTg4
- Note: As the mod alters the rendering settings, it works everywhere, in every location. No limitations.
How to install?
- Download either the DX12 or DX11 version of the file depending on the version of the game you're running. Or download and copy both. They cannot clash as they use different names.
- Find your The Witcher 3 install folder.
- Move to the following directory: The Witcher 3/bin/config/r4game/user_config_matrix/pc/
- Make a copy of the file called "graphics" and/or "graphicsdx11" (this should be a basic HTML document, backing up for posterity).
- Copy the modded "graphics" (DX12) and/or "graphicsdx11" (DX11) file across to the folder, replacing the original. You can copy across both.
- Boot up the game and make your changes.
How to use?
- Go into your graphics settings and toggle Foliage Visibility Range and Detail Level settings to either Ultra++ or Insane.
- IMPORTANT: Reload your save! Foliage Visibility Range Ultra++/Insane will generally work in real time. Detail Level however will not load in new LOD settings until you reload your save.
- TIP: If you are having framerate problems, try using Ultra++ instead of Insane. Alternatively, keep Detail Level on standard Ultra+, and just toggle Foliage Visibility Range to Ultra++ or Insane. Detail Level may have a higher impact on performance than Foliage Visibility Range.
What exactly is this doing?
- Replacing the "graphics" file adds new graphic options, Ultra++ and Insane, to the graphics settings.
- Foliage Distance Range Ultra++ and Insane alters the config settings of GrassDistanceScale, FoliageDistanceScale, and FoliageShadowDistanceScale.
- Detail Level Ultra++ and Insane alters the config settings of MeshLODDistanceScale and MeshRenderingDistanceScale.
- GrassDistanceScale = Controls rendering distance of grass.
- FoliageDistanceScale = Controls rendering detail level of trees.
- FoliageShadowDistanceScale = Controls shadow rendering distance on foliage (may not be necessary with RT Shadows enabled).
- MeshLODDistanceScale = Controls LOD detail transition steps over distance for meshes.
- MeshRenderingDistanceScale = Controls rendering distance of meshes (eg: fences).
Known issues and limitations
- AGAIN: You will need to reload your save file before some settings correctly apply, namely Detail Level.
- Framerate impact ranges from notable to severe depending on your hardware. This is due to the settings overruling optimised engine limits. This cannot be optimised at an engine level, as it is "brute forcing" higher settings. Future release will provide more balanced settings to help find a comfortable performance/visuals middleground.
- Game patches will likely replace the mod file with the original graphics settings as part of standard quality assurance. This is easily fixed by copying the file back across.
- Detail Level LOD tweaks is a very buggy function for unknown, engine optimisation reasons. I suspect there is a hardcoded culling feature of the engine that kicks in when LOD is tweaked too high, which can cause disappearing/flickering distant assets. With this mod I have attempted to find an LOD middleground that has the minimal amount of distant LOD streaming issues while retaining visual improvements. Future release will include an optional version of the mod that does not change LOD, for those who want other benefits without the risk of distant object flicker.
- You are free to open the config settings yourself and tweak! However, please note many of these settings have hidden engine limits. Some settings have caps that when raised above will automatically default back to the highest possible setting (eg: tree rendering cannot be raised above a config setting of "5", and resets to "5" if raised higher). Other settings have unspecific limitations that cause bugs if raised too high (eg: LOD limitations). I'm continuing to experiment with solutions and/or balanced settings that take these issues into account. This mod was built around those limitations.
- "Ultra++" and "Insane" settings will not read correctly as text in the menu. They will appear as "##preset_value_ultra++" and "##preset_value_insane" equivalently. They do, however, appear in the correct position of the graphics slider and correctly apply their settings to the game, so don't stress, it's easy to apply and understand. See the screenshot for example.
- This mod does not completely resolve asset and LOD pop-in. LOD transitions and asset pop-in is a necessary optimisation of every game that has ever existed, and how engines handle streaming data is complicated and often tailored to specific assets. You will still get some pop-in, even on Insane. You will still see some assets pop-in at close range while others don't. Life ain't perfect.
Mod is work in progress! Future updates may include additional graphical settings (eg: improved water detail, more NPCs), but I want to ensure any settings included are meaningful and not a placebo. Future updates will also include more scalable/balanced options, and alternative files for those who want to avoid any LOD errors.