[3.7.2] Monochrome windowed GZDoom

[leodoom85]

First of all, I don't know in which category would fall this possible bug.
Second, when I change the port from fullscreen to windowed, regardless of resolution and press F11 in game or at any time (which you all know it's the gamma value), the game turns monochrome...black and white. Just check the image in spoiler. This was tested with GZDoom 3.7.2, 32-bit build, modern version.

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[Rachael]

This is not happening for me. I suspect there's something wonky with your configuration.

If it's okay with you, I'd like a version of your .ini that has all your personal data removed, but all your configuration settings intact.

[leodoom85]

I swear for the almighty agitated revenant that I haven't changed the config since I started using GZDoom lol but here I go. Has zero info for path folders and stuff.

[Korell]

I just quickly checked (as I just downloaded 3.7.2) and I don't get this either, though I'm using the 64-bit version.

[Rachael]

It seems like you set vid_saturation=0 at some point. If you set vid_hwgamma=1 it will force shader gamma whether you are fullscreen or windowed. There is a bug here, but it's not obvious.

The bug is - the shader gamma is not activated when you go windowed mode with vid_hwgamma 2, as your's is set to. That's why the gamma does not take effect until you bump it.

I don't know how to set display saturation, so that's why it doesn't get set with display (non-shader) gamma.

[leodoom85]

What? well, can be the case since I don't remember it at all.
In any case, I don't play on window mode, only fullscreen...so it doesn't affect me that much to be honest. It was just weird that something like that happens.

[Rachael]

If you set "vid_hwgamma 1" in the console, the game will then always use shader gamma. That enables a higher dynamic range with the brightness and gamma adjustments, similar to what enabling dither does, which helps reduce the banding at higher gamma or contrast levels.

0 = always system gamma, it will always use the display driver to change the gamma (which affects other windows)
1 = always shader gamma, enables shader gamma no matter what mode GZDoom is in
2 = shader gamma only in window mode, uses system gamma in fullscreen

[Graf Zahl]

Don't you mean "software gamma"? I think the better terms would be "system gamma" and "shader gamma" anyway.

[Rachael]

Edited my post, then.

[leodoom85]

Gotcha Rachael. Thanks

[Korell]

Just read through the above and thought I'd check my ini files for comparison and they all have vid_hwgamma=2 (but with vid_saturation=1). So I set up a fresh install and let GZDoom 3.7.2 (x64) create a new ini file and that also has vid_hwgamma=2 and vid_saturation=1, so this is set by default which makes sense as I don't recall ever changing these variables. So are there any particularly recommended settings to use? The description above of the options for vid_hwgamma seem to suggest that vid_hwgamma=1 might be a better option than 2 as then it is just GZDoom that is changed by the gamma setting. Or am I misunderstanding something here? Below are some of the default vid_ variables.

vid_hwgamma=2
vid_saturation=1
vid_contrast=1
vid_brightness=0

[Rachael]

That is correct, and the configuration you're showing there is fairly block standard for GZDoom - in fact I think those are the defaults, if I remember correctly.

Personally, I kinda wish GZDoom would just use shader gamma exclusively and remove the system gamma setter entirely.

[Graf Zahl]

If the dither filter can compensate for the loss of color precision we may consider that.

[Rachael]

If anything, a metric fuckton of color precision is GAINED by using shader gamma.

The system gamma is effectively locked to the 256 shades per channel that GZDoom outputs, and it shows when you raise the gamma levels in really dark areas. And the moment you start to play around with it, obviously, those 256 shades get reduced very quickly. With dither turned on the effect is masked a bit but then you start to see the dither, itself. Plus, it changes a ramp that is used by other applications in the system - so if you really need it, you can download a utility like "GammaPanel" and change your gamma externally, leaving GZDoom to only affect its own gamma output internally with the shaders.

Let me show you what I mean, with a couple of extremely ugly screenshots:

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[Graf Zahl]

I don't need it myself and if shader gamma really produces better results, the option should be removed. It's probably one of those things which have outlived their usefulness as time went by.

I have absolutely no attachment to it and the only reason why I didn't do anything about it was the belief that system gamma produces better results.