Performance - Refinements - QoL Features

Installation:

1. Compatibility Mod

1. Download p2-rtx_1.5_219e304.zip
2. Copy All contents Within the p2-rtx Into your portal root folder

2. Base Remix Mod

1. Download the base remix-mod - repo: (https://github.com/xoxor4d/p2-rtx-base-mod)
2. Extract and place the mods folder into the rtx-remix folder found in the Portal 2 root folder
   (create the rtx-remix folder if it does not exist)

Followed by:

• Copy _master.cache from root/portal2/maps/soundcache to root/portal2_dlc3/maps/soundcache
• Make sure your folder structure looks like this
• Start the game by executing p2-rtx-launcher.exe (start as admin if game is installed under Program Files)
• The window title should change to Portal 2 - RTX followed by the GitHub commit number if successful

Note

Set graphic options ⚠️

• Shader Detail: Low
• Effect Detail: Low
• Model /Texture Detail: High
• Paged Pool Memory: High

Tip

Check the Troubleshooting section in the Readme if encounter issues

✳️ Info:

• Some engine tweaks, which are required to make the game compatible with RTX Remix, result in CPU bottlenecks on some maps (software skinning instead of HW skinning). This may or may not improve in future updates.
• It can be mitigated by hiding models and placing them via the remix toolkit

Version Changelog

General Changes & Improvements:

• No more ASI-Loader. The compatibility mod now comes with it's own launcher p2-rtx-launcher.exe
• Comp.Mod now produces verbose output if it encounters an error + version checks the portal2.exe (sha1 hash)
• Fixed-Function rendering of SpriteTrail effects
• New visibility checks and more refined culling heavily improves the performance in certain areas
• Remix: Disabled indirect alpha blended shadows to improve performance for minimal visual differences
• Remix: Ability to set the emissive intensity per emissive surface instead of relying on a single global scalar (runtime change)
• Remix: Ability to use the albedo as the emission map when enable_thin_film is enabled on opaque materials (runtime change)
• Portals now have proper visibility checks and no longer render everything in front of them (entire map) ( #35 - #95 )
  • There are edge cases that will require additional handling via manual culling overrides (map-setting)
• The base-remix-mod for the compatibility mod has it's own GitHub Repository now

MapSettings

• Now uses the .toml format for more flexibility and readability
• Proper error reporting via an external console

• Ability so scale the UV's of water materials

• Ability to load remix .conf files:
  • Trigger via choreography (.vcd) or when the player enters a certain map area (leaf)
  • Can be used to create transition effects with various ease modes, duration and delay settings
  • Use in-game console command scene_print to show information about playing / ending choreographies

• Added the ability to hide specific models
  • Example: when a certain model is used a lot, it can make sense to hide them and manually re-add the models by adding them as references to map markers (toolkit) - will help with cpu bottlenecks
  • Use in-game console command: xo_debug_toggle_model_info to visualize model info

• Improved and added additional culling settings:
  • Set cull mode per area
  • Force entire areas
  • Hide specified leafs or areas (with additional modifiers)

• Added the ability to script lights (similar to keyframing) via the remixApi
  • Smoothly or linearly move a light along a path
  • Smoothly interpolate every light setting including shaping (spotlight) settings
  • Specify the time it takes for a light to move / interpolate from one to the next keyframe
  • Various modes like: run once, loop, auto-connect loop
  • Spawn on map load OR trigger spawning when a specified choreography (.vcd) or a specified sound starts playing
  • Kill the light when a specified choreography (.vcd) or a specified sound starts playing
  • Use in-game console command xo_debug_toggle_sound_print to visualize sound information

• Map Markers:
  • Added the ability to spawn markers that will never cull - spawned when the map loads

GameSettings

• There is now a file called game_settings.toml that will be automatically created (default settings) when launching the compatibility mod. It can be used to tweak certain features of the compatibility mod.
• Valid modifications of settings are considered and will be written back to the file when it gets re-generated
• Addition or the deletion of settings via future updates should not interfere with your settings as long as the configured setting is still available
• Use in-game console command xo_gamesettings_update to reload the file

• Currently available settings:

• Enable culling of exit portal areas when the entry portal is not visible from the players POV (++ performance) (on)
• Check each node for potential emissive light strips (rectangular with limited depth) & force-draw node on match. (on)
• Spawn billboard sprites (fake volumetrics) on light props (off)
• Spawns an additional surface on emancipation grills that can be turned into an invisible, but emissive surface using the toolkit (on)

Fixes

• Fixed multiple issues with effect visuals ( #1 - #32 - #51 ... )
• Fixed water drops on glados (wakeup)
• Fixed SpriteCard effect performance (eg. fire after The Fall -> 30 to 60 fps)
• Fixed a visual issue affecting portal opening (secondary mesh that caused overlapping)
• No longer render area portal brushmodels (black material - used for blocking vis between areas)
• Fixed an issue where the player model is blocking the view on a4_finale4 for a short period of time ( #56 )
• Fixed visual artifacts when the camera was near refracting water (intro on sp_a3_01) ( #73 )
• Fixed a random game crashing issue that happend when loading maps (related to pixel visibility checking - dxvk issue)
  by forcing off: r_dopixelvisibility

Graphic Settings

Folder Structure

.  
├─ ...
├─ 📁 steamapps
│  └─📁 common
│     └─📁 Portal 2
│       ├── 📜 p2-rtx-launcher.exe
│       ├── 📜 portal2.exe
│       ├── 📜 ...
│       │
│       ├── 📁 portal2_dlc3
│       │   ├── 📜 pak01_dir.vpk
│       │   └── 📁 maps
│       │       └─ 📁 soundcache
│       │          └── 📜 _master.cache
│       │
│       ├── 📁 portal2-rtx
│       │   ├── 📜 map_settings.toml
│       │   └── ...
│       │
│       └── 📁 rtx-remix
│           └─📁 mods
│             └─📁 portal2rtx
│               ├── 📜 portals.usda
│               ├── 📜 mod.usda
│               └── ...
└── ...  

First public release

Installation:

Compatibility Mod

1. Download the zip below
2. Copy the contents within the portal2-root folder into your portal root directory

Base Remix Mod

1. Download the base remix-mod - repo: (https://github.com/xoxor4d/p2-rtx-base-mod)
2. Extract and place the mods folder into the rtx-remix folder found in the Portal 2 root folder