SweetFX Compatibility with Win 8.1 and DX 11(.2?)?

I stumbled across a thread on the LOTRO forums about a utility called SweetFX, which enables changes to shader code in games by running on top of the SMAA process (as I understand it).

I tried this on my LOTRO install, without InnerSpace running, and ran into a problem since I had LOTRO configured to run in DirectX11 mode. Apparently this add-on doesn't work correctly with Windows 8.1 and anything but DirectX9. I reconfigured LOTRO to use DirectX9 for its rendering, and the add-on worked beautifully. I was curious if I was going to be able to run this when running multi-box using IS, so I went ahead and tried to launch this using my InnerSpace LOTRO profile (single instance only, and I tried with a character set with the same results). When I do try to launch it, I get the following pop-up error (before I even get to the log-in screen):

TurbineLauncher.exe - Entry Point Not Found
The procedure entry point CreateDXGIFactory2 could not be located in the dynamic link library C:\Windows\system\d3d11.dll

If I hit OK, and try to log in, I am able to enter my login/password to the login screen, but after picking a server, when the software attempts to transition to the actual game, I get no window spawn. This is the same behavior I got before setting LOTRO to use DirectX9. I looked and noticed that we have an OpenGL/DirectX8/DirectX9 check-box option in the game profile, but nothing to disable DirectX10 or DirectX11 support. I'm not sure if IS is using DirectX11 (even when the game is only configured for DirectX9), or if there's something more sinister going on behind the scenes.

I doubt that this is a LOTRO specific issue, but likely an issue with Windows 8.1, DirectX 11, SweetFX and IS. I did a forum search, and saw that somebody had SweetFX working with ISBoxer previously (approximately June, 2013). But I didn't see anything to indicate setup issues, etc. Any guidance, or perhaps availability of a way to downgrade/force IS to not use DirectX10 and/or DirectX11 would be nice?

Thanks!

[lax]

This error pops up because something links to d3d11.dll, and hard links to the Windows 8.1-specific "CreateDXGIFactory2" entry point. (Not because IS is trying to use d3d11; LOTRO loads them all in order to give you a list of what your system supports for the drop-down box.) It's indicating that d3d11.dll is missing it. Actually that makes sense, because it's in dxgi.dll.

I'm not entirely sure why this would come up with Inner Space but not without, since no part of Inner Space uses that and it certainly doesn't hard link to anything Windows 8.1-specific.

But, I did make a change in the development build (5952) of Inner Space that could, maybe, fix the issue. Right click IS, select Patcher, check "Download development (test) patches" and then close and restart Inner Space to let it patch up.

I got the patched build and verified version number to what you indicated.

It still prompts me with that message.

Anything else I could run/log to help figure it out?

[MiRai]

Just to add my two cents to this thread. I was only ever able to get SweetFX to work with WoW in DX9 through Inner Space (also Windows 7). When using DX11 I didn't get an error of any sort, it's just that it didn't seem to work at all while the game still worked just fine.

Ultimately, because I abhor aliasing, I got rid of SweetFX because it's not compatible with any anti-aliasing at the game/driver level and I find it's built-in SMAA/FXAA is inferior. Don't get me wrong, the tool itself does wonders for the look of a game, but jagged edges in this day and age make me feel like I'm playing a console game.

I use SweetFX with ISBoxer and Win 7 (64) while mutiboxing Neverwinter in both DX9 and DX11 without problems. And, just like you, I really think it adds to the overall look of the game. I use the stencil effect to give it an edgier look (more like Age of Conan) than the somewhat cartoony one it normally has.

SweetFX doesn't actually do anything until you toggle it on, so if you're getting an error before the toggle ON state, then it's certainly not SweetFX.

I use it all the time with ISBoxer, so I don't think it's an ISBoxer issue.

So, by process of elimination, most likely it's either a Win 8 issue or your graphics card drivers.

Hope that may add info to help you move forward.

So, by process of elimination, most likely it's either a Win 8 issue or your graphics card drivers.

Hope that may add info to help you move forward.

Right, it is a Windows 8.1 issue with SweetFX and DirectX 11. I already indicated that I had to downshift to DirectX 9 in order to get it to run with LOTRO. The issue is that when running IS vs. straight LOTRO, the software still attempts something via DirectX 11 that doesn't occur without IS in the loop. So, there is an interaction going on there with IS that isn't going on without it. That's why I posted here to see if lax had any ideas on what would be going on to cause that.

My guess is that I'll be stuck waiting until SweetFX updates to address the issue with Windows 8.1

But it isn't the end of the world. I just don't get the nicer visuals while multiboxing is all.