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This is an interesting open source project! vkBasalt is a new Vulkan post processing layer that currently supports Contrast Adaptive Sharpening.

Unlike Radeon Image Sharpening, vkBasalt supports Linux and works with both NVIDIA and AMD. This isn't entirely reinventing the wheel though, as it's partly based upon the ReShade port of AMD's CAS. Still, it's fun to see what hackers are able to do with little layers like this, especially when we don't have official support.

Want to see the difference it makes? The developer included a comparison shot of Skyrim:

See a bigger comparison on this dedicated page.

Seems like a really fun idea, although the result might not be to everyone's tastes it's very much personal preference. It does make it look quite a lot sharper to my eyes.

It's already seeing plenty of activity on GitHub with others helping out, in time this could be quite an interesting Vulkan layer if more options get added in.

You can find it on GitHub.

Hat tip to RTheren.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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27 comments
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Ehvis Oct 21, 2019
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I wonder if it's just me, but I really don't like the artificial sharpening. Never have on any medium and for any game that offers the option I turn it off. It just feels harsh and unnatural.
sub Oct 21, 2019
Quoting: EhvisI wonder if it's just me, but I really don't like the artificial sharpening. Never have on any medium and for any game that offers the option I turn it off. It just feels harsh and unnatural.

Well, I'm quite amazed how good it looks in the example without adding excessive noise.
Would use it.
Doc Angelo Oct 21, 2019
These filters don't make the image actual sharp (as in making blurry things sharp), they make it appear sharper to the human eye.
Dunc Oct 21, 2019
Quoting: EhvisI wonder if it's just me, but I really don't like the artificial sharpening. Never have on any medium and for any game that offers the option I turn it off. It just feels harsh and unnatural.
I know what you mean and in general I agree, but in that example (and, as far as I recall, The Witcher 3 with some slight sharpening; not too much), I think it works.

Edit: Heh. It's in the AUR already. Sometimes the Arch community just amazes me.


Last edited by Dunc on 21 October 2019 at 1:53 pm UTC
14 Oct 21, 2019
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I like this example and would totally use it in Skyrim at least. I'd test it on many games. I think the clarity makes the image look a little more real rather than artificial.
NeoTheFox Oct 21, 2019
Great job on that sliding preview, it really works well for side-by-side. You are very good at this Liam.
__xdbc Oct 21, 2019
Quoting: EhvisI wonder if it's just me, but I really don't like the artificial sharpening. Never have on any medium and for any game that offers the option I turn it off. It just feels harsh and unnatural.
I don't get why people use it like that either, but the main selling point of AMD CAS is that it can upscale lower resolutions quite well and provide a decent performance boost in games. Unfortunately this port doesn't work for me, it just crashes in every wine game I try with a page fault error


Last edited by __xdbc on 21 October 2019 at 3:27 pm UTC
Liam Dawe Oct 21, 2019
Quoting: NeoTheFoxGreat job on that sliding preview, it really works well for side-by-side. You are very good at this Liam.
Can't take all credit. I implemented it using https://github.com/koenoe/cocoen, no point reinventing the wheel :)


Last edited by Liam Dawe on 21 October 2019 at 3:58 pm UTC
Derheim Oct 21, 2019
The only issue I see about those layers is the effect it has on text. Don´t really like it, cool tho.
Dunc Oct 21, 2019
Quoting: 14I like this example and would totally use it in Skyrim at least. I'd test it on many games.
I think that's wise. I've quickly tested it on a few; in most, the effect seems more subtle than it appears in that Skyrim shot above: it either just made everything look a bit clearer (the best way I can describe it is that it's as if I'm using higher resolution textures; the road surface in the Skyrim shot is a good demonstration of what I mean), or had so little effect that I'm not even sure if it's working at all. But it definitely gives Elite Dangerous that unpleasant artificial over-sharpened look (maybe it already uses a sharpening filter?).

So, yeah: try it out. Even if you don't like it in one game, you might be surprised by others.
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