Some of you may be wondering what exactly SweetFX is and I am not really going to go into detail about it, other than to say that it is a third-party graphical enhancement software. It allows ESO to look more beautiful than you can imagine. I know, I know, it already looks fantastic on Ultra settings. Well, I agree, but after enabling SweetFX you will notice that vanilla ESO is faded. SweetFX will bring out the colors in the game.
The armor will be shinier, the water more translucent, and the sky and sun more radiant. In fact, once you have ESO with SweetFX working properly, you will never be able to play it without it again. I guarantee that.
Below is a step by step guide to get SweetFX set up properly on your PC. Follow every step exactly as it is described and you will be basking in the gorgeous world of Tamriel in a completely different light.
Note: This will require three downloads, all of which are perfectly safe. The first is RadeonPro, which is a utility for configuring ATI graphics cards (It will work with nVidia, as well). The second, of course, is SweetFX 1.4 (There is a 1.5, but it does not work in Windows 8.1. For this tutorial, we will stick to 1.4 to accommodate everyone.). Finally, we will need a SweetFX preset. The one that I use is called Perfection! A preset is a file that contains a particular configuration for SweetFX. There are many available, but for this tutorial, we will use the one that I do. In the future, you can follow the last few steps of this guide to add different SweetFX presets and determine which you like best.NOTE: I added some screen shot comparisons. Please check them out.
Comparison 1: Enabled
Comparison 1: Disabled
Comparison 2: Enabled
Comparison 2: Disabled
Comparison 3: Enabled
Comparison 3: Disabled
These screen shots cannot possibly show the extent to what SweetFX can do. To appreciate it entirely, one must see it in game.
Step 1: Download RadienPro
RadeonPro_Download_Screen
Step 2: Download SweetFX 1.5
Click "I accept the agreement" and then click the
Next button
Step 3: Create a new file to hold the preset data and call it "My_ESO_Preset.txt".Step 4: Copy the text below into the empty file from Step 3. Save and close the file./*******************************************
*
* This file has been generated by RadeonPro
* from a user defined profile
*
* http://www.radeonpro.info
*
*******************************************/
#define USE_SMAA_ANTIALIASING 1
#define USE_LUMASHARPEN 1
#define USE_BLOOM 1
#define USE_HDR 1
#define USE_TECHNICOLOR 0
#define USE_DPX 0
#define USE_LIFTGAMMAGAIN 0
#define USE_TONEMAP 1
#define USE_VIBRANCE 1
#define USE_CURVES 1
#define USE_CARTOON 0
#define USE_ADVANCED_CRT 0
#define USE_MONOCHROME 0
#define USE_SEPIA 0
#define USE_VIGNETTE 0
#define USE_DITHER 0
#define USE_BORDER 0
#define USE_SPLITSCREEN 0
/*
LumaSharpen settings
*/
#define sharp_strength 1.55 // [0.10 to 3.00] Strength of the sharpening
#define sharp_clamp 0.250 // [0.000 to 1.000] Limits maximum amount of sharpening a pixel recieves - Default is 0.035
#define pattern 2 // [1|2|3|4] Choose a sample pattern. 1 = Fast, 2 = Normal, 3 = Wider, 4 = Pyramid shaped.
#define offset_bias 1.0 // [0.0 to 6.0] Offset bias adjusts the radius of the sampling pattern.
#define show_sharpen 0 // [0 or 1] Visualize the strength of the sharpen (multiplied by 4 to see it better)
/*
Bloom settings
*/
#define BloomThreshold 30.00 // [0.00 to 50.00] Threshold for what is a bright light (that causes bloom) and what isn't.
#define BloomPower 1.150 // [0.000 to 8.000] Strength of the bloom
#define BloomWidth 0.0150 // [0.0000 to 1.0000] Width of the bloom
/*
HDR settings
*/
#define HDRPower 1.15 // [0.00 to 8.00] Strangely lowering this makes the image brighter
#define radius2 0.95 // [0.00 to 8.00] Raising this seems to make the effect stronger and also brighter
/*
Technicolor settings
*/
#define TechniAmount 0.11 // [0.00 to 1.00]
#define TechniPower 2.8 // [0.00 to 8.00]
#define redNegativeAmount 0.88 // [0.00 to 1.00]
#define greenNegativeAmount 0.88 // [0.00 to 1.00]
#define blueNegativeAmount 0.88 // [0.00 to 1.00]
/*
Cineon DPX settings
*/
#define Red 8.0 // [1.0 to 15.0]
#define Green 8.0 // [1.0 to 15.0]
#define Blue 8.0 // [1.0 to 15.0]
#define ColorGamma 2.5 // [0.1 to 2.5] Adjusts the colorfulness of the effect in a manner similar to Vibrance. 1.0 is neutral.
#define DPXSaturation 3.0 // [0.0 to 8.0] Adjust saturation of the effect. 1.0 is neutral.
#define RedC 0.20 // [0.60 to 0.20]
#define GreenC 0.20 // [0.60 to 0.20]
#define BlueC 0.20 // [0.60 to 0.20]
#define Blend 0.2 // [0.00 to 1.00] How strong the effect should be.
/*
Lift Gamma Gain settings
*/
#define RGB_Lift float3(1.000,1.000,1.000) // [0.000 to 2.000] Adjust shadows for Red, Green and Blue.
#define RGB_Gamma float3(1.000,1.000,1.000) // [0.000 to 2.000] Adjust midtones for Red, Green and Blue
#define RGB_Gain float3(1.000,1.000,1.000) // [0.000 to 2.000] Adjust highlights for Red, Green and Blue
/*
Tonemap settings
*/
#define Gamma 1.0 // [0.000 to 2.000] Adjust midtones. 1.000 is neutral. This setting does exactly the same as the one in Lift Gamma Gain, only with less control.
#define Exposure 0.00 // [-1.000 to 1.000] Adjust exposure
#define Saturation 0.00 // [-1.000 to 1.000] Adjust saturation
#define Bleach 0.00 // [0.000 to 1.000] Brightens the shadows and fades the colors
#define Defog 0.000 // [0.000 to 1.000] How much of the color tint to remove
#define FogColor float3(0.00,0.00,2.55) // [0.00 to 2.55, 0.00 to 2.55, 0.00 to 2.55] What color to remove - default is blue
/*
Vibrance settings
*/
#define Vibrance 0.40 // [-1.00 to 1.00] Intelligently saturates (or desaturates if you use negative values) the pixels depending on their original saturation.
/*
Curves settings
*/
#define Curves_contrast 0.25 // [-1.00 to 1.00] The amount of contrast you want
#define Curves_formula 7 // [1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10] The contrast s-curve you want to use.
/*
Cartoon settings
*/
#define CartoonPower 1.0 // [0.1 to 10.0] Amount of effect you want.
/*
Advanced CRT settings
*/
#define CRTAmount 1.00 // [0.00 to 1.00] Amount of CRT effect you want
#define CRTResolution 1.2 // [1.0 to 8.0] Input size coefficent (low values gives the "low-res retro look"). Default is 1.2
#define CRTgamma 2.4 // [0.0 to 4.0] Gamma of simulated CRT (default 2.2)
#define CRTmonitorgamma 2.2 // [0.0 to 4.0] Gamma of display monitor (typically 2.2 is correct)
#define CRTBrightness 1.0 // [1.0 to 3.0] Used to boost brightness a little. Default is 1.0
#define CRTScanlineIntensity 2.0 // [2.0 to 4.0] Scanlines intensity (use integer values preferably). Default is 2.0
#define CRTScanlineGaussian 1 // [0 or 1] Use the "new nongaussian scanlines bloom effect". Default is on
#define CRTCurvature 1 // [[0 or 1] "Barrel effect" enabled (1) or off (0)
#define CRTCurvatureRadius 1.5 // [0.0 to 2.0] Curvature Radius (only effective when Curvature is enabled). Default is 1.5
#define CRTCornerSize 0.0010 // [0.0000 to 0.0020] Higher values, more rounded corner. Default is 0.001
#define CRTDistance 2.00 // [0.00 to 4.00] Simulated distance from viewer to monitor. Default is 2.00
#define CRTAngleX 0.00 // [-0.20 to 0.20] Tilt angle in radians (X coordinates)
#define CRTAngleY -0.10 // [-0.20 to 0.20] Tilt angle in radians (Y coordinates). (Value of -0.15 gives the 'arcade tilt' look)
#define CRTOverScan 1.01 // [1.00 to 1.10] Overscan (e.g. 1.02 for 2% overscan). Default is 1.01
#define CRTOversample 0 // [0 or 1] Enable 3x oversampling of the beam profile (warning : performance hit)
/*
Monochrome settings
*/
#define Monochrome_conversion_values float3(0.18,0.41,0.41) // [0.00 to 1.00] Percentage of RGB to include (should sum up to 1.00)
/*
Sepia settings
*/
#define ColorTone float3(1.40,1.10,0.90) // [0.00 to 2.55, 0.00 to 2.55, 0.00 to 2.55] What color to tint the image
#define GreyPower 0.11 // [0.00 to 1.00] How much desaturate the image before tinting it
#define SepiaPower 0.58 // [0.00 to 1.00] How much to tint the image
/*
Vignette settings
*/
#define VignetteRatio 1.00 // [0.15 to 6.00] Sets a width to height ratio. 1.00 (1/1) is perfectly round, while 1.60 (16/10) is 60 % wider than it's high.
#define VignetteRadius 1.00 // [-1.00 to 3.00] lower values = stronger radial effect from center
#define VignetteAmount -1.00 // [-2.00 to 1.00] Strength of black. -2.00 = Max Black, 1.00 = Max White.
#define VignetteSlope 8 // [2 to 16] How far away from the center the change should start to really grow strong (odd numbers cause a larger fps drop than even numbers)
#define VignetteCenter float2(0.500,0.500) // [0.000 to 1.000, 0.000 to 1.000] Center of effect for VignetteType 1. 2 and 3 do not obey this setting.
/*
Dither settings
*/
#define dither_method 1 // [1 or 2] 1 = Ordered dithering (very good and very fast), 2 = Random dithering (different but slightly slower dithering)
/*
Border settings
*/
/*
Splitscreen settings
*/
#define splitscreen_mode 1 // [1|2|3|4|5|6] 1 = Vertical 50/50 split, 2 = Vertical 25/50/25 split, 3 = Vertical 50/50 angled split, 4 = Horizontal 50/50 split, 5 = Horizontal 25/50/25 split, 6 = Curvy vertical 50/50 split
Step 5: Install RadeonPro. Step-by-step instructions below.Screen 1
Click
Next button
Screen 2
Check the
I accept the agreement radio button and then click
NextScreen 3
Click
Next button
Screen 4
Click
Next button
Screen 5
Click
Install button and wait for installation to complete.
Screen 6
Uncheck "Open RadeonPro website" and click
Finish button.
Step 6: Create a new folder on your desktop (or anywhere, as long as your remember where) and call it "SweetFX Files".Step 7: Unzip the SweetFX archive (the file that ends in .7z) to the new directory.Step 8: Open the new directory and view the files. It should like like the image below.
SweetFX_Folder
Step 9: Run RadeonPro as Administrator.
You'll notice that in the above image, the left column has "Elder Scrolls Online" under the
Recently Played Section. Your copy will not have this just yet, so don't worry.
Step 10: Configure RadeonPro to enable SweetFXScreen 1: Open configuration dialog
Click on the gears near the top of the screen. It is circled in the above image.
Screen 2: Tell RadeonPro where to find the SweetFX files
Click
SweetFX Settings in the left-hand list. On the right-hand side, check
Enable SweetFX integration and in the text box below enter in the path to the directory created in Step 5. See the image above for better understanding. Note: You can click "Change..." and search for the directory via the file explorer. Also, do not forget to set a key in the
Toggle SweetFX hotkey box. Simply click in the box and press the key that you want to use in game to toggle SweetFX on or off. I use 'End'. Once you are done with all that click
Save button.
Screen 3: Import the SweetFX Preset into RadeonPro
Click on the Sweet FX tab on the right-hand side. Check the
Enable SweetFX box and scroll down to the bottom of this screen. Click the
Import settings button. This will open a file explorer. Locate the preset that you created and saved in Steps 3 & 4 and click the
Open button. If you scroll up, you should notice that there are several options checked in the "Effect to configure" section.
Screen 4: Configure the Visual tab
On this tab, make sure that
FXAA is checked and Quality is not "Off". I set mine to Ultra, but you can select whichever your PC can handle. On this tab you can also check
Anti-Aliasing,
SMAA,
Ambient Occlusion,
Anti-Aliasing Filter, and
Anisotropic Filtering. I don't claim to be a genius when it comes to these settings, so play around with them until they are what you are looking for.
Screen 5: Create an ESO game profile
Click the piece of paper icon with a plus sign on it located two icons to the left of the gears icon. (See above). Browse to the directory where your eso.exe file is and double click the game's executable. On my PC, this is "D:\Programs\Zenimax Online\The Elder Scrolls Online\game\client\eso.exe".
Screen 6: Apply the changes
Right click the profile under
Recently played and select "Apply Now".
Step 10: Play the game!
Finally, we can play the game with the new graphical enhancements. The first time that you run the game, I recommend that you right click the profile and select "Play". However, as long as RadeonPro is running in the background (or minimized), you can safely run it from the Launcher (in order to get updates).
Enjoy.