Common

Where can I report issues?

If you encounter any issues, please consult this FAQ first and then if it isn't of any help you may refer to the Issues tab. Before creating a new report please check that your issue hasn't been reported already.

Does LE work on pirated copies of the game?

No.

How Do I install LE?

You can find the installation instructions here in the wiki.

How do I update the mod?

When updating to a new version of the lighting engine. Always make sure to delete the shader folder and the dxgi.dll file from your Game folder. Then extract the new version into your Game folder. If you have a custom lighting setup, make sure you don't extract the ds2/3le_atmosphere_presets dir from the archive.

Does the mod support HDR?

Yes! In order to enable HDR do the following:

• Enable HDR in Windows 10/11. But also make sure "Auto HDR" is not enabled.
• Enable HDR Monitor support in LE's F1 menu, then simply restart your game.
• Make sure to also properly configure your HDR brightness in LE's F1 menu, which has a slider for peak brightness, paper white, & UI brightness.

Dark Souls 2 Lighting Engine

Does LE support vanilla Dark Souls 2?

No, only SOTFS.

Does LE support downgraded versions of SOTFS?**

For best compatbility please use the latest version from Steam.

I am encountering flickering on the screen. Especially in bright spots. How do I fix it?

This can be caused by having overlays enabled like Steam or Geforce Experience enabled. Disabling those should help fix the issue, the mod is currently only compatible with OBS.

How do I recover a game crashing on launch? Or enable use of DSR? or use the existing swapchain? or am facing stuttering issues after upgrading to 0.9xx? or use a resolution other than my monitor's native resolution?

If you are able to access the mod's F1 menu, simply disable Flip model swapchain. Otherwise use these settings in ds2le_user_settings.ini:

[UserSwapChainSettingsV2] 
enable_flip_model_swapchain=0 ;(0 - old model, 1 - flip model)
enable_variable_refresh_rate=0 ;(1 - if you have gsync/freesync monitor)
framerate=60.000000 ;(Ignored if "frame_limiter_policy " is set to "0")
frame_limiter_policy=0 ;(0 - Game frame limiter, 1 - Before render , 2 - after render)`

[!NOTE] On Steam deck. Enabling Flipmodel swapchain seems to cause an FPS drop. Please disable it for Steam deck.

How do I manually set texture override settings? (Applicable only for DSTexoverride.rar)

Manual Texoverride Settings - under [User Settings] (No UI for this if you are only using DSTexoverride.rar. Manually edit ds2le_user_settings.ini)

texture_cache_allocate_staging_buffer=1
texture_cache_gpu_optimization=1
texture_cache_mode=2 ;(1 - dump mode, 2 - override mode, 3 - Editor mode - invalid as there is no UI)
texture_cache_override_quality=0 ;(0 is 2k, 1 is 4k)

My game appears blurry and is not picking the right resolution.

Check the following log in the DirectXHook.log. It should match your monitor resolution. If not please set the DPI aware setting at DarkSoulsII.exe manually. Reported monitor size " Right: xx Left:0 Bottom:x Top:0" Right click DarkSoulsII.exe - > Properties -> Compatibility->Change DPI Settings->Check the "Override High DPI Scaling Behaviour"

[Linux] Game does not start or crashes to desktop

Disable "Force the use of a specific steam play compatibility tool"

The Image feels a bit washed out on my screen compared to videos shown of the Mod. How do I fix it?

All monitors differ from pc to pc and manufacturer to manufacturer. The lighting setup made by a preset maker would be done on their monitor. Hence it may not look the same. To get around this issue, with the release of 0.9.0.9. There are 2 sliders added under monitor controls in user settings. Saturation and Contrast. The settings are applied to all areas automatically and work irrespective if you have and HDR or LDR monitor. These values are added/subtracted on top of what the preset adds per area hence are done before any UI passes or rendering. So adjust these per your taste.

Shadows from the Torch/Point/Spotlights seem to be bugged or get an error message (rt_found or has_rt_entry). How do I fix it?

This is usually caused by edits in modengine.ini which change shadow resolution. Make sure the following default values are set in modengine.ini Lighting engine will upscale the below values to 2x if shadow quality is set to high in ModUI.

dynamicAtlasShadowResolution=2048
dynamicPointShadowResolution=512
dynamicSpotShadowResolution=1024

On steam deck/other touchpad devices. I can't use F1 menu and don't know how to change user settings. How do I solve it?

Latest build of LE has 2 user settings file which come with the rar.

1. Flip model disabled, 100% UI Size and AMD FSR Enabled.
2. Flip model disabled, 80% UI Size and AMD FSR Enabled. Rename one file of choice to ds2le_user_settings.ini and paste it in your game folder.

Dark Souls 3 Lighting Engine

TODO