Using a reshade black frame insertion shader fx?

[Supermodel_Evelynn]

So I downloaded this software posed here from Git Hub and ran it on my Gigabyte M27Q P monitor and I was completely shocked at how good it runs it runs better than my old Viewsonic XG2431 PureXP mode

It's brighter and has less blur than the viewsonic with the added benefit of me being able to use VRR at the same time something that was not possible on the viewsonic.

I set my monitor to 120hz and it runs street fighter 6 at 60hz / 60 FPS and its almost as clear as a CRT, almost.

I am just shocked that this little piece of software that exist is better than what billion dollar companies can come up with on hardware level.

I cannot believe that there isn't a more robust piece of software like BFI Desktop software, like one where you can adjust how strong you want the BFI etc like nothing exist on the internet to turn your regular monitor into strobe mode except this one little magic piece of software that is almost perfect.

In fact the BFI that comes with my monitor is sooo bad so much cross talk and when I enabled the Desktop software BFI from github ontop of the monitor BFI it actually solves 85% of the cross talk like HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE???????????

[Chief Blur Buster]

It's brighter and has less blur than the viewsonic with the added benefit of me being able to use VRR at the same time something that was not possible on the viewsonic.

It's brighter, but it has more blur (unless you combine the two)

1. Frame-level BFI can be made Brighter = YES
2. Frame-level BFI can have less Crosstalk = YES
3. Frame-level BFI Less Blur = NO (laws of physics)

Some people have more importance on #1 (people like you, XG2431 not better)
Some people have more importance on #2 (people like you, XG2431 not better)
Some people have more importance on #3 (XG2431 is definitely better)

Everybody has different priorities. The XG2431 did not help you, but it did help others.

Therefore, be careful of words, please do not confuse "strobe crosstalk" with "motion blur" -- they are different things. Please do not mislead other forum members by confusing "strobe crosstalk" and "motion blur"
Use the correct words, use the correct terminology; to prevent confusing other people.

BFI at 50%:50% only reduces brightness by 50%, which is less than a lot of hardware strobing, so naturally you're right about brighter.

But if you're not combining hardware strobe at the same time (this trick works on all monitors, including XG2431 and XL2566K and others), then software BFI at 50%:50% can never have less motion blur than hardware strobe.

Mathematically, software-only BFI (without being combined with hardware BFI) can never produce produce less motion blur than hardware BFI.

In fact the BFI that comes with my monitor is sooo bad so much cross talk and when I enabled the Desktop software BFI from github ontop of the monitor BFI it actually solves 85% of the cross talk like HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE???????????

This is normal.

The software BFI "hides" the strobe crosstalk, because LCD GtG is simply a pixel fading from one color to the next, as seen in these high speed videos. You can see the blurry-wipe effect (LCD GtG fade zone) as the display refreshes top-to-bottom.

Crosstalk is because two adjacent refresh cycles showed up through a strobe backlight (a very advanced explanation is at Electronics Hacking: Creating a Strobe Backlight, scection "Understanding LCD Refresh Behavior Via High Speed Video".



But if you do a software black frame in between hardware strobes, it helps wipes the adjacent refresh cycles, helping preventing those from strobe crosstalking (GtG slowness between adjacent refresh cycles).

So combined software BFI + hardware strobe reduces strobe crosstalk massively on ALL MONITORs (BenQ, ViewSonic, etc), relative to their existing existing strobe quality.

Combinging hardware BFI and software BFI is a range-extension trick that some people do, to allow lowering of min hardware strobe Hz (e.g. blacking out every 120Hz hardware strobe to emulate 60Hz hardware strobe), but it does have the accidental benefit of helping prevent strobe crosstalk. The main disadvantage is running extra software to do software-based BFI, on top of the existing hardware BFI. And you sometimes may have latency problems with DesktopBFI (especially if blacks out important frames, and you don't see action until the next refresh cycles), so you've got some *possible* game-dependant tradeoffs to contend with. It might not affect the specific game you play.

However, it's a valid and popular trick in the emulator community to range-extend hardware strobe with concurrent software BFI -- we've been doing that for 10 years with some emulators. The trick worked with year 2013's ASUS VG248QE monitor, I posted this information in year 2013.

So, yes, combining software BFI + hardware strobe backlight does two things concurrently:
- Range extension of strobe backlight minimum Hz to lower Hz; and
- Reduction of strobe crosstalk.

For 60Hz software BFI + 120Hz hardware strobe, your panel is still scanning out in 1/120sec, with the black frames clearing the pixels in between. So it sort of emulates Large Vertical Totals in a different way, while also doing the additional step of clearing the pixels quicker.

This trick improves all strobed monitors on the market; but be careful about image retention effects; that's why software BFI generally isn't as popular; Software BFI also improves PureXP Light too, which is also why some people use the combination if they want to reduce strobe crosstalk without using complex QFT tricks.

Also, the Large Vertical Total tricks also reduce strobe crosstalk of brighter PureXP settings like PureXP Normal and PureXP Extreme. Basically, brighter than PureXP Ultra but less crosstalk than PureXP Ultra, but it's complicated user calibration (I tried to get the manufacturer to do it automatically).

(I am sorry that it's more complicated than an airplane cockpit sometimes, but at least the manufacturers let me let users DIY it).

[Supermodel_Evelynn]

Ooh nice well you will be happy to know I love long technical explanations that's the best part of this forum

I stopped using the software BFI because I was getting serious image retention on my monitor like really bad to the point you couldn't see anything else on the monitor.

So now I am waiting on more Blur Buster 2.0 certified monitors to hit the market.

Having VRR + Bright Strobing at 60HZ like 250 nits or even 200 nits with the clarity of Pure XP Ultra would be the dream.

TO be honest even having 150 nits with clarity of Pure XP Ultra would absolutely insane.

The most impressive thing I ever learned in life was on this forum I had no idea Pure XP Ultra was = 2400 HZ OLED

Now I appreciate the amazing tech behind the XG2431

[prokinkd]

Hello.

Hopefully, this is right the thread to post this.

I made a simple shader for Magpie (window scaling software for Windows) that implements few motion blur reducing modes similar to black frame insertion, these are alternating with each frame 1px fine patterns: "scanlines" (horizontal or vertical) and checkerboard. Such modes can be used on non high refresh rate displays without significant flickering that BFI would have.
This is proof-of-concept I made when I was curious about this stuff, as shader-based implementation seem to add quite a bit of lag. Though, it appears to be working as intended, while having not completely terrible look, so I decided to share it.

Code: Select all

// PxInterleaving.hlsl

//!MAGPIE EFFECT
//!VERSION 4
//!USE_DYNAMIC
//!SORT_NAME PxInterleaving

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL use rows
//!DEFAULT 1
//!MIN 0
//!MAX 1
//!STEP 1
int horizontal;

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL use columns
//!DEFAULT 0
//!MIN 0
//!MAX 1
//!STEP 1
int vertical;

//!TEXTURE
Texture2D INPUT;

//!SAMPLER
//!FILTER POINT
SamplerState sam;

//!PASS 1
//!DESC First Pass
//!STYLE PS
//!IN INPUT
//!OUT OUTPUT

float4 Pass1(float2 tex) {
  float2 inputSize = GetInputSize();
  
  return (
    GetFrameCount() +
    (horizontal > 0 ? floor(inputSize.y * tex.y) : 0) +
    (vertical > 0 ? floor(inputSize.x * tex.x) : 0)
  ) % 2 > 0 ?
    INPUT.SampleLevel(sam, tex, 0) :
    float4(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
}

[Chief Blur Buster]

Hello.

Hopefully, this is right the thread to post this.

I made a simple shader for Magpie (window scaling software for Windows) that implements few motion blur reducing modes similar to black frame insertion, these are alternating with each frame 1px fine patterns: "scanlines" (horizontal or vertical) and checkerboard. Such modes can be used on non high refresh rate displays without significant flickering that BFI would have.
This is proof-of-concept I made when I was curious about this stuff, as shader-based implementation seem to add quite a bit of lag. Though, it appears to be working as intended, while having not completely terrible look, so I decided to share it

Interlacing/interleaving can produces pros/cons.

I have a TestUFO interlace pattern here too: www.testufo.com/interlace

It produces more problems when framerate=Hz at maximum speeds -- called the "Venetian Blinds" effect.

More interesting reliable blur reduction is brute Hz, try this on a 240Hz monitor: www.testufo.com/blackframes#count=4&bonusufo=1
You can realize you can vary the persistence by varying the number of completely-black frames.

[1mongus]

So, it's 2024. Is there still not a decent software BFI method around yet? I've tried using the different forks of softwarebfi in this thread, which caused horrendous flickering and black screens, even with configuring it according to posts in this thread, like running in realtime, administrator etc. The reshade was alright, but had visible checkering and flickering although to a lesser degree than softwarebfi, however it's a gamble whether it actually compiles in different games. The magpie shader two posts above does seemingly nothing but introduce scanlines and darken the screen
Is there anything at all? I'd buy the ASUS 32" OLED but it only has 120hz BFI, and I enjoy older games that only run at 60fps. Unless I'm mistaken, you can't use the 120hz BFI at 60fps, so it's practically worthless.

[prokinkd]

Yeah, the effect is quite pronounced in dynamic scenes, like on CRT.
Tried this blackframes test on 170/180 Hz screen (best I have ATM), and it does looks better than scanlines, but flickering is quite visible at 1 picture / 2 black, no wonder with real framerate being 60 or less. Again looks similar to CRT at that framerate.

So, it's 2024. Is there still not a decent software BFI method around yet? I've tried using the different forks of softwarebfi in this thread, which caused horrendous flickering and black screens, even with configuring it according to posts in this thread, like running in realtime, administrator etc. The reshade was alright, but had visible checkering and flickering although to a lesser degree than softwarebfi, however it's a gamble whether it actually compiles in different games. The magpie shader two posts above does seemingly nothing but introduce scanlines and darken the screen
Is there anything at all? I'd buy the ASUS 32" OLED but it only has 120hz BFI, and I enjoy older games that only run at 60fps. Unless I'm mistaken, you can't use the 120hz BFI at 60fps, so it's practically worthless.

wehem's recent fork of desktopbfi on GitHub worked alright for me, it even have functioning configuration via command line params. Although I tested it only in one game with a rock solid framerate (Xash3D HL1). What I've noticed is that framerate and frame timing has to be almost perfect, otherwise flickering is guaranteed. And shader based stuff was more prone to flickering in my case, it had appeared with some fixed period of second or so, even with steady framerate.

As for Magpie effect I've posted, that's expected behavior, because it doesn't blanks entire frame at time, so it won't flicker. Brightness reduction should be comparable to full BFI, though. And setting both "rows" and "columns" makes effect work in checkerboard pattern, motion artifacts (scanlines) seem to be less pronounced in that mode.

Also, while I'm here, I'll share updated version of the Magpie shader, and Reshade version of it. Now it does have support for 2:1 BFI to prevent burn-in due to signal polarization. Can be both 2 picture + 1 black, and 1 picture + 2 black. It was fun to learn that calculating visibility of a pixel is as simple as one expression.

Code: Select all

// PxInterleaving.hlsl

//!MAGPIE EFFECT
//!VERSION 4
//!USE_DYNAMIC
//!SORT_NAME PxInterleaving

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL use rows
//!DEFAULT 1
//!MIN 0
//!MAX 1
//!STEP 1
int horizontal;

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL use columns
//!DEFAULT 0
//!MIN 0
//!MAX 1
//!STEP 1
int vertical;

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL ratio
//!DEFAULT 3
//!MIN 2
//!MAX 3
//!STEP 1
int ratio;
// 2 -- alternate each frame (1:1 ratio), 3 -- 1:2 ratio, prevents polarization burn-in

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL inverse cycles
//!DEFAULT 1
//!MIN 0
//!MAX 1
//!STEP 1
int inverse;
// Change to invert black and picture frames when ratio=3


//!TEXTURE
Texture2D INPUT;

//!SAMPLER
//!FILTER POINT
SamplerState sam;

//!PASS 1
//!DESC First Pass
//!STYLE PS
//!IN INPUT
//!OUT OUTPUT

float4 Pass1(float2 tex) {
  float2 inputSize = GetInputSize();
  
  return ((inverse > 0) ^ (
    GetFrameCount() +
    (horizontal > 0 ? floor(inputSize.y * tex.y) : 0) +
    (vertical > 0 ? floor(inputSize.x * tex.x) : 0)
  ) % ratio > 0) ?
    INPUT.SampleLevel(sam, tex, 0) :
    float4(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
}

Code: Select all

// PxInterleaving. fx

#include "ReShade.fxh"

uniform int framecount < source = "framecount"; >;

uniform bool horizontal <
  ui_type = "boolean";
  ui_label = "use rows";
  ui_tooltip = "Rows interlacing";
> = true;

uniform bool vertical <
  ui_type = "boolean";
  ui_label = "use columns";
  ui_tooltip = "Columns interlacing";
> = false;

uniform float ratio <
  ui_type = "slider";
  ui_min = 2.0; ui_max = 3.0; ui_step = 1.0;
  ui_label = "frame inversion ratio";
  ui_tooltip = "2 -- alternate each frame (1:1 ratio), 3 -- 1:2 ratio, prevents polarization burn-in";
> = 3.0;

uniform bool inverse <
  ui_type = "boolean";
  ui_label = "inverse cycles";
  ui_tooltip = "Change to invert black and picture frames when ratio=3";
> = true;

float4 PS_PxInterleaving(float4 pos : SV_POSITION, float2 tex : TEXCOORD0) : SV_TARGET {
  return (inverse ^ (
            framecount +
            (horizontal ? floor(ReShade::ScreenSize.y * tex.y) : 0.0) +
            (vertical ? floor(ReShade::ScreenSize.x * tex.x) : 0.0)
          ) % ratio > 0.0)
          ? tex2D(ReShade::BackBuffer, tex)
          : float4(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
}

technique Interlace {
    pass Interlace {
        VertexShader=PostProcessVS;
        PixelShader=PS_PxInterleaving;
    }
}

Due to how visible framerate dips are with this shader and that it makes frame tear line very visible, it could have some utility for use with RTSS scanline sync as monitoring tool.

I'd like to implement this scanlines stuff in desktopbfi one day, but mostly out of curiosity. Brightness reduction makes it difficult to use this BFI stuff in practice, as I need to compensate for brightness reduction each time BFI is on, and then reduce brightness back when BFI is not in use again. And the picture is not pretty to have any of it on constantly.

[1mongus]

Yeah, the effect is quite pronounced in dynamic scenes, like on CRT.
Tried this blackframes test on 170/180 Hz screen (best I have ATM), and it does looks better than scanlines, but flickering is quite visible at 1 picture / 2 black, no wonder with real framerate being 60 or less. Again looks similar to CRT at that framerate.

So, it's 2024. Is there still not a decent software BFI method around yet? I've tried using the different forks of softwarebfi in this thread, which caused horrendous flickering and black screens, even with configuring it according to posts in this thread, like running in realtime, administrator etc. The reshade was alright, but had visible checkering and flickering although to a lesser degree than softwarebfi, however it's a gamble whether it actually compiles in different games. The magpie shader two posts above does seemingly nothing but introduce scanlines and darken the screen
Is there anything at all? I'd buy the ASUS 32" OLED but it only has 120hz BFI, and I enjoy older games that only run at 60fps. Unless I'm mistaken, you can't use the 120hz BFI at 60fps, so it's practically worthless.

wehem's recent fork of desktopbfi on GitHub worked alright for me, it even have functioning configuration via command line params. Although I tested it only in one game with a rock solid framerate (Xash3D HL1). What I've noticed is that framerate and frame timing has to be almost perfect, otherwise flickering is guaranteed. And shader based stuff was more prone to flickering in my case, it had appeared with some fixed period of second or so, even with steady framerate.

As for Magpie effect I've posted, that's expected behavior, because it doesn't blanks entire frame at time, so it won't flicker. Brightness reduction should be comparable to full BFI, though. And setting both "rows" and "columns" makes effect work in checkerboard pattern, motion artifacts (scanlines) seem to be less pronounced in that mode.

Also, while I'm here, I'll share updated version of the Magpie shader, and Reshade version of it. Now it does have support for 2:1 BFI to prevent burn-in due to signal polarization. Can be both 2 picture + 1 black, and 1 picture + 2 black. It was fun to learn that calculating visibility of a pixel is as simple as one expression.

Code: Select all

// PxInterleaving.hlsl

//!MAGPIE EFFECT
//!VERSION 4
//!USE_DYNAMIC
//!SORT_NAME PxInterleaving

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL use rows
//!DEFAULT 1
//!MIN 0
//!MAX 1
//!STEP 1
int horizontal;

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL use columns
//!DEFAULT 0
//!MIN 0
//!MAX 1
//!STEP 1
int vertical;

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL ratio
//!DEFAULT 3
//!MIN 2
//!MAX 3
//!STEP 1
int ratio;
// 2 -- alternate each frame (1:1 ratio), 3 -- 1:2 ratio, prevents polarization burn-in

//!PARAMETER
//!LABEL inverse cycles
//!DEFAULT 1
//!MIN 0
//!MAX 1
//!STEP 1
int inverse;
// Change to invert black and picture frames when ratio=3


//!TEXTURE
Texture2D INPUT;

//!SAMPLER
//!FILTER POINT
SamplerState sam;

//!PASS 1
//!DESC First Pass
//!STYLE PS
//!IN INPUT
//!OUT OUTPUT

float4 Pass1(float2 tex) {
  float2 inputSize = GetInputSize();
  
  return ((inverse > 0) ^ (
    GetFrameCount() +
    (horizontal > 0 ? floor(inputSize.y * tex.y) : 0) +
    (vertical > 0 ? floor(inputSize.x * tex.x) : 0)
  ) % ratio > 0) ?
    INPUT.SampleLevel(sam, tex, 0) :
    float4(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
}

Code: Select all

// PxInterleaving. fx

#include "ReShade.fxh"

uniform int framecount < source = "framecount"; >;

uniform bool horizontal <
  ui_type = "boolean";
  ui_label = "use rows";
  ui_tooltip = "Rows interlacing";
> = true;

uniform bool vertical <
  ui_type = "boolean";
  ui_label = "use columns";
  ui_tooltip = "Columns interlacing";
> = false;

uniform float ratio <
  ui_type = "slider";
  ui_min = 2.0; ui_max = 3.0; ui_step = 1.0;
  ui_label = "frame inversion ratio";
  ui_tooltip = "2 -- alternate each frame (1:1 ratio), 3 -- 1:2 ratio, prevents polarization burn-in";
> = 3.0;

uniform bool inverse <
  ui_type = "boolean";
  ui_label = "inverse cycles";
  ui_tooltip = "Change to invert black and picture frames when ratio=3";
> = true;

float4 PS_PxInterleaving(float4 pos : SV_POSITION, float2 tex : TEXCOORD0) : SV_TARGET {
  return (inverse ^ (
            framecount +
            (horizontal ? floor(ReShade::ScreenSize.y * tex.y) : 0.0) +
            (vertical ? floor(ReShade::ScreenSize.x * tex.x) : 0.0)
          ) % ratio > 0.0)
          ? tex2D(ReShade::BackBuffer, tex)
          : float4(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0);
}

technique Interlace {
    pass Interlace {
        VertexShader=PostProcessVS;
        PixelShader=PS_PxInterleaving;
    }
}

Due to how visible framerate dips are with this shader and that it makes frame tear line very visible, it could have some utility for use with RTSS scanline sync as monitoring tool.

I'd like to implement this scanlines stuff in desktopbfi one day, but mostly out of curiosity. Brightness reduction makes it difficult to use this BFI stuff in practice, as I need to compensate for brightness reduction each time BFI is on, and then reduce brightness back when BFI is not in use again. And the picture is not pretty to have any of it on constantly.

Thank you very much for directing me to that fork of desktopbfi. I did try looking for an updated version myself but couldn't find one, and github's forks page is as useless as usual. I also tried the reshade version of your shader, I think it did work but I don't find it as effect as desktopbfi. Wish there was a way to get that working on exclusive fullscreen games...

How did you find the desktopbfi fork, if you don't mind me asking?

[prokinkd]

Thank you very much for directing me to that fork of desktopbfi. I did try looking for an updated version myself but couldn't find one, and github's forks page is as useless as usual. I also tried the reshade version of your shader, I think it did work but I don't find it as effect as desktopbfi. Wish there was a way to get that working on exclusive fullscreen games...

Sure, glad to help. What exactly isn't working with fullscreen exclusive games? Both desktopbfi and shader utilites should work.

How did you find the desktopbfi fork, if you don't mind me asking?

I was using "Network" tab. Also using "Repository type: Network" in "Forks" together with "Active"/"Inactive" works as well.

[1mongus]

Thank you very much for directing me to that fork of desktopbfi. I did try looking for an updated version myself but couldn't find one, and github's forks page is as useless as usual. I also tried the reshade version of your shader, I think it did work but I don't find it as effect as desktopbfi. Wish there was a way to get that working on exclusive fullscreen games...

Sure, glad to help. What exactly isn't working with fullscreen exclusive games? Both desktopbfi and shader utilites should work.

How did you find the desktopbfi fork, if you don't mind me asking?

I was using "Network" tab. Also using "Repository type: Network" in "Forks" together with "Active"/"Inactive" works as well.

The shader works fine but desktopbfi definitely doesn't. By exlusive fullscreen I mean actual, old fullscreen, not borderless windowed. That doesn't work with desktopbfi because it can't display over them, at least as far as I've tried.