QUICK REFERENCE - 03 / 2023

TROUBLESHOOTING
ABOUT
20 When I open the GShade installer, I see a
message that says “Windows protected your PC”
GENERAL INFORMATION
My presets are missing!?
2 What games can I use GShade with?
Why do shadows look weird in Final Fantasy XIV’s /gpose?
3 Can I help provide settings for a game that’s
not automatically recognized? 21 What software and overlays may cause issues with GShade?
Where can I find backups made by the GShade installer? 23 GShade takes a long time to load and switch presets.
How can I make it faster?
Can I be banned for using GShade?
I don’t get a message saying GShade is loading on
Can I redistribute the shaders or textures from
startup and I can’t open the GShade overlay
GShade in my own ReShade build?
25 I can’t open the GShade overlay but I do see the loading bar.
THE BASICS
My gamepad/controller isn’t working.
6 What graphics and game settings should I use with GShade?
26 My game is crashing. What should I do?
7 How do I open the overlay?
27 I’m having issues taking screenshots.
What is the default screenshot key combo? What should I do?
How do I switch between drives in the 28 I took a lot of screenshots and they’re all black/transparent.
preset explorer dropdown? How do I recover them?
8 What are the gamepad/controller buttons mapped to in 29 The update check keeps failing. What should I do?
the GShade overlay?
30 GShade is loading very slowly and I’m using the
9 How do I add these .ini presets I downloaded? FFXIV Quick Launcher (XL)/Dalamud
How do I add these .fx/.fxh shaders GShade does not work when XivAlexander is installed
and image textures I downloaded? in Final Fantasy XIV
Where do I put these .addon files I downloaded?
SHADERS AND ADDON DEVELOPMENT
10 What do all of these PNG Compression options mean?
32 How do I write shaders for GShade?
TUTORIALS How do I write addons for GShade?
12 How do I load my custom image textures into shaders 33 What extensions to ReShadeFX does GShade include?
like Layer.fx, StageDepth.fx, and Silhouette.fx?
TEAM CREDITS
13 How do I take transparent ChromaKey screenshots?
15 What useful things can I do with Post-save Commands? LEGAL
 Why did GShade disable itself when
ABOUT a major update was available?
WHAT IS GSHADE? Before reading any further, note that:
There is still a minimum period of 30 days between major updates
GShade is a user-friendly and generally enhanced fork of ReShade maintained as a matter of policy, outside of emergency releases for
by Marot Satil. It’s a package of Presets, from-scratch utilities, and a whole security fixes or other similar pressing issues.
ecosystem of shaders aimed at improving the realtime post-processing As of version 4.2.0, you are responsible for keeping your own copy
experience in any game. of GShade up to date, and no human support will be available.

Originally inspired by Miiolk’s amazing work on the ReShade 3.4 Angelite You have come here seeking knowledge of the bad times, and knowledge you
pack and the now-fully-depreciated fork Stormshade, its creation would not will find. In the ages before GShade, the Final Fantasy XIV
have have been possible without all of the countless hours of work from community was divided.
our developers (past and current), feedback from the community, the daily
trudging of our testing team, and the contributions of those who are no Some used the latest version of ReShade 3 with only the latest shaders.
longer with us. Others used the latest version of ReShade 3 with older shaders.

From its easy-to-use installer that takes care of everything for you to its Others still used very old versions of ReShade with hand-modified shaders
comprehensive Control Panel, you’ll be wondering why you weren’t using and textures which were changed but continued to use default file names.
GShade already. If you’ve managed to read this far, you’re probably either Others yet used a fork of ReShade called Stormshade which
using GShade already or are highly interested in giving it a try. frequently went out of sync with ReShade and shader updates.

From all of us who have worked on the project: thank you, we appreciate the Others also used a copy of ReShade 3.4 issued by the creator of Angelite,
time and effort you put into using our software and hope that you’ll continue often referred to as the Angelite build itself.
to stick with us as we continue to push the boundaries of post-processing Others used a fork of ReShade called Moogleshade which
in the future. also suffered from the default texture replacement issue.
Others adapted when ReShade 4 was released, but many feared the
change and refused to upgrade, while the brave pressed on into the future.
Others even still used further and strange disordered combinations,
often with the varying shader names which only further hampered
their ability to collaborate with their peers.
In order to establish some even ground amidst this mess and to minimize the
stress of our support team, the forced updates were seen as a necessary evil.

As you have likely now witnessed the past repeating itself in a personal capacity,
if things don’t work when you hand your presets around, updating is probably
a good idea.

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GENERAL What games can I use GShade with?

INFORMATION
GShade can automatically detect the proper settings for over 300 different games.
If your game isn’t on the list, PCGamingWiki often has the specific settings you’ll
need to get GShade running.

Listed below are some of the popular titles people use GShade with:

Black Desert Online

City of Heroes
DC Universe Online
Dragon Nest
Elder Scrolls Online
Fallout 76
Final Fantasy XIV
FiveM
Guild Wars 2
Marvel’s Avengers
NeosVR
Neverwinter (MMORPG)
Lord of the Rings Online
Monster Hunter Rise (Requires REFramework)
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis (Japan/Global)
Second Life (Official, Alchemy, Black Dragon, Catznip, Firestorm, Kokua, Singularity)
Shroud of the Avatar
The following pages contain answers to some of the
Star Wars: Galaxies
most common general questions about GShade.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
The Sims 4
Tree of Savior
Warframe
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft Classic

01 SCREENSHOT: RICCHAN — WARFRAME © DIGITAL EXTREMES LTD.

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Can I help provide settings for a game

that’s not automatically recognized?
Yes! Please use this form. It even includes instructions on how to get the
information we need.

Where can I find backups made

by the GShade installer?
You can open the GShade backups folder from the Tools tab of the GShade
Control Panel. To open the GShade Control Panel, find its shortcut on your
Desktop or in your Start Menu.

To locate your backups manually, navigate to: ?:\Users\Public\GShade Backups\

Can I be banned for using GShade?

We are not aware of anyone who has been banned for using GShade or of any
auto detection features in Final Fantasy XIV which look for third party software.
As with any third party addon, plugin, or tool, it is best to not
discuss it in-game.
Provided solely for reference, Square Enix has discussed the nature of
tools which offer purely graphical enhancements in the past here.
For other online games, please refer to the publisher of the game itself on the
legality of GShade/ReShade use. Many use anti-cheat software which will
prevent you from even launching the game when GShade is present.

Can I redistribute the shaders or textures

from GShade in my own ReShade build?
Please refer to the individual licences in each shader (.fx).
Any of the textures (.png, .jpg files) in GShade which are from ReShade
fall under the licence that accompanies their respective shader.
For other files, you’ll need to ask permission from the original creators.

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THE What graphics and game settings

should I use with GShade?
BASICS For all games, you will need to make sure that a specific type of anti-aliasing
called MSAA is not in use, but do note that not all games have MSAA as
a feature. This type of anti-aliasing will prevent the depth buffer from working
properly and break any shaders that depend on it like MXAO or ADOF.

You can find a list of games with other required settings listed below:

Elden Ring
Only works in offline mode, and requires the
use of the Offline Launcher Mod.

Final Fantasy XIV

DirectX 11 (Launcher): On
Enable dynamic resolution: Off
Edge Smoothing (Anti-Aliasing): FXAA
Transparent Lighting Quality: High
Naturally darken the edges of the screen. (Limb Darkening): Off
Water Refraction: Off
Cinematic Cutscenes – Depth of Field: Off
The following pages contain information
on basic use of GShade
Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis
NVIDIA DLSS: Off
AMD FSR 1.0: Off
3D Rendering Resolution: High (Standard)
Automatic Resolution Adjustment: Off

05 SCREENSHOT: FREYJA BLUE — FINAL FANTASY XIV © SQUARE ENIX

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RE Engine Games (Monster Hunter Rise, Resident Evil 8, etc.) What are the gamepad/controller buttons
Requires the use of REFramework. mapped to in the GShade overlay?
Second Life (Firestorm & Black Dragon) Keep in mind that you will need to make sure Controller/Gamepad Input is
enabled during installation for your game to use these bindings. If you did
Advanced Lighting Model: On (Requires application restart after enabling.) not enable this option during install or would like to disable it, you can also
open the GShade Control Panel and change it via the game’s settings (cog/
The Sims 4 gear button) on the Installations tab.
3D Scene Resolution: High
L1 + R1 + Start – Open/Close overlay.
Edge Smoothing: Off
D-Pad – Navigation/selected setting adjustment.
Post Processing Effects: Off
L1 + D-Pad – Slower selected setting adjustment.
World of Warcraft R1 + D-Pad – Faster selected setting adjustment.
Image Scale: 100% X – Toggle menu.
Anti-Aliasing: Image-Based Techniques or None X + L1/R1 – Focus windows.
X + D-Pad – Resize window.
How do I open the overlay? X + Left Stick – Move window.
Y – Edit text.
Shift + Backspace. You can change it under the Settings tab in the overlay.
B – Cancel/Close/Exit.
A – Activate/Open/Toggle.
What is the default screenshot key combo?
At this time, there is no screenshot button combo, and all button presses
Shift + Numpad+ You can change it under the Settings tab in the overlay. also pass through to the game itself.
Please ensure that the screenshot key set in GShade never matches the
native screenshot key of your game unless it has been disabled or changed.

How do I switch between drives in

the preset explorer dropdown?
Type the new path in the preset explorer dropdown menu after opening it,
starting with the new drive letter. For example: D:\MyPresets

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How do I add these .ini presets I downloaded? What do all of these PNG
Compression options mean?
Place them in ?:\?\gamefolder\gshade-presets\Custom to work with the
installer’s converter, or create your own folder(s) in gshade-presets. Don’t You may have noticed two different options on the Settings tab under the
forget to convert them before loading them if they weren’t made with GShade! Screenshots category in the overlay: PNG Compression Method and
You can find the preset converter in the GShade Control Panel. Under the PNG Compression Level.
Tools tab just click Launch Converter and point it to the folder that your
presets are inside of. All of the possible combinations for these options are lossless, and they
allow you to fine-tune your screenshot file sizes against the time it takes
to save a screenshot.

How do I add these .fx/.fxh shaders Best All-around Performance:

PNG Compression Method: RLE
and image textures I downloaded?
PNG Compression Level: 9
In order to ensure that your custom shaders and textures are not removed
between GShade updates and installations, please keep the following in mind: Maximum Compression (Slowest):

Never attempt to edit, replace, or add a second copy of a shader or PNG Compression Method: Filtered
1 texture which is already included in GShade. You can find these in: PNG Compression Level: 9
?:\Program Files\GShade\gshade-shaders\
Custom shader files (.fx, .fxh) should be placed in: Maximum Speed (High File Size):
2 ?:\Users\Public\GShade Custom Shaders\Shaders\ PNG Compression Method: Huffman Only
Custom compute shaders (.fx, .fxh) should be placed in: PNG Compression Level: 0
3 ?:\Users\Public\GShade Custom Shaders\ComputeShaders\
Custom textures (.png, .jpg, .jpeg, .dds) should be placed in:
4 ?:\Users\Public\GShade Custom Shaders\Textures\

Where do I put these .addon files I downloaded?

Place any .addon32 or .addon64 files in ?:\?\gamefolder\gshade-addons\

and follow any other instructions provided by the addon creator.

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How do I load custom image textures into shaders

TUTORIALS like Layer.fx, StageDepth.fx, and Silhouette.fx?

Before anything else, make sure that the filenames of any image
textures you’re adding do not match any of the included texture files
1 in GShade. You can find the included textures in:
?:\Program Files\GShade\gshade-shaders\Textures\

Place your custom image textures (.png, .jpg, .jpeg, .dds) in this folder:
2 ?:\Users\Public\GShade Custom Shaders\Textures\

On the Home tab of the in-game GShade overlay, locate the settings
for the shader you wish to load a custom texture into. Note that the
3 shader must support this functionality, and not all shaders use textures
in the first place.

Underneath the normal settings for the shader, you will need to open
the Preprocessor Definitions dropdown. Do not confuse this with the
4 Edit Global Preprocessor Settings button, which is the wrong area to
look for these settings.

Under the Preprocessor Definitions dropdown for your shader, you

will see several options which allow you to change the dimensions of
5 the texture you’re loading, as well as the filename of the texture being
loaded.
The following pages contain useful guides
on how to make use of GShade’s advanced
features such as transparent screenshots
and post-save screenshot commands.

11 SCREENSHOT: UCHU SUZUME — PHANTASY STAR ONLINE 2 © SEGA

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6 Using StageDepth as our example, these options are: 3 Required technique settings:
StageTex: The filename of the image texture to be loaded, Ensure that Chromakey is enabled and the last (bottom)
always in quotes. active technique in your list.
STAGE_SIZE_X: The width of the image texture being loaded. Ensure that Chromakey is using the Keying color option
The default for most shaders is usually equal to the width Alpha Transparency in its settings.
of the game resolution.
Ensure that no DOF, Blur, CA (Chromatic Aberration),
STAGE_SIZE_Y: The height of the image texture being loaded. etc. shaders are enabled.
The default for most shaders is usually equal to the height
An example preset called GShadeChromaKey.ini in the
of the game resolution.
GShade preset folder is included to get you started and
STAGEDEPTH_TEXFORMAT: The texture format in use. act as a general reference.
You generally don’t want to change this unless you know exactly
what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.
4 For portrait (vertical) screenshots in Final Fantasy XIV:
Adjust the camera angle to 90 from the /gpose menu,
Once you’ve made the necessary changes to the Preprocessor Definitions to place yourself into portrait mode.
for your shader, you should see the changes reflected immediately.
7 Disable DOF in the /gpose menu.
Note that not all shaders use the same names for their Preprocessor
Definitions, but the labels are always very clear. Adjust any custom in-game lighting sources and Spotlight techniques
5 accordingly.
Adjust the Threshold of the Chromakey layer so that as much of the
photo as possible becomes covered in the black backdrop. Everything
How do I take transparent 6 covered becomes transparent in screenshots taken. Lower numbers
ChromaKey screenshots? are closer to the camera.

At the bottom of the Home tab of GShade’s in-game overlay, make Optional: Use Chromakey2 and the settings Vertically Radial
1 sure Disable Transparency is unchecked. Depth or Horizontally Radial Depth plus FOV to cover even more
area with a second Chromakey layer

7 Take a screenshot with the GShade screenshot hotkey.

Rotate the screenshot clockwise, which can be done by right clicking
8
If possible or desired, position your character in such a way that the it in Windows Explorer.
character is “floating” on the edge of an object (this makes excluding
2 Alternatively, you can automate the rotation with
the ground much easier), preferably in a studio or some other controlled- Post-save Commands.
lighting setting.
Make sure Disable Transparency at the bottom of the Home tab of
9 GShade’s in-game overlay is checked when you are finished taking
transparent screenshots.

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What useful things can I do Automatic 3-way horizontal split with rotation for
portrait (vertical) screenshots.
with Post-save Commands? “%TargetPath%” -crop 3×1@ +repage -rotate 90”
The post-save commands can run any command-line executable, but for “%TargetDir%\%TargetName%%02d.png”
the first part of this tutorial and the useful commands offered in it, we’ll be
using ImageMagick. Automatic 3-way vertical split:
“%TargetPath%” -crop 1×3@ +repage “
1 Download and install ImageMagick. “%TargetDir%\%TargetName%%02d.png”
Automatic 3-way horizontal split:
On the Settings tab of the in-game GShade overlay under the Screenshots
“%TargetPath%” -crop 3×1@ +repage”
section, fill the Post-save Command option with the full path to the
2 ImageMagick executable, such as:
“%TargetDir%\%TargetName%%02d.png”
C:\Program Files\ImageMagick-7.1.0-Q16-HDRI\magick.exe For portrait (vertical) screenshots in Final Fantasy XIV:
Your path may be different depending on the version of Adjust the camera angle to 90 from the /gpose menu,
ImageMagick you installed. to place yourself into portrait mode.
You may need to start typing the drive letter, e.g. C:\ to get Disable DOF in the /gpose menu.
the UI to assist you with navigation, else you can just
paste in the path.
4 Take your screenshot as normal, and (if you used the above options)
the modified screenshot(s) will be in the same folder as the original
Set the Post-save Command Arguments as desired. Some very useful
3 examples are included below.
screenshot itself.

You’re not just limited to running a single executable, however. You can
Automatic rotation for portrait (vertical) screenshots:
also write a Windows Batch (.bat) file or PowerShell (.ps1) script with a
“%TargetPath%” -rotate 90”
series of commands tailored to your needs.
“%TargetDir%\%TargetName%_r%TargetExt%”
On the Settings tab of the in-game GShade overlay under the Screenshots
Automatic downscaling from 4k to 1080p or 1 section, fill the Post-save Command option with the full path to
8k to 4k for aliasing reduction: cmd.exe or powershell.exe.
“%TargetPath%” -filter Lanczos -resize 50%”
For batch (.bat) files:
“%TargetDir%\%TargetName%_d%TargetExt%”
?:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe
Automatic ideal PNG8 compression for Twitter (do not For PowerShell (.ps1) scripts:
use with other social media platforms) with transparency support: ?:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe
“%TargetPath%” -dither -FloydSteinberg -define
dither:diffusion-amount=100% -colors 256
PNG8:”%TargetDir%\%TargetName%_Twitter%TargetExt%”

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Your paths may be different depending on your Windows and PowerShell

versions, and you may need to start typing the drive letter, e.g. C:\ to
2 get the UI to assist you with navigation, else you can just paste in the
path.

Set the Post-save Command Arguments to point to your batch (.bat)

3 file or PowerShell (.ps1) script:
For batch (.bat) files under cmd.exe:
/C “?:\MyBatchFile.bat” Custom Arguments Here
For PowerShell (.ps1) scripts under powershell.exe:
-File “?:\MyPowerShellScript.ps1” -Custom -Switches -Here

Take your screenshot as normal, and the script will start after your
4 screenshot has successfully saved.

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When I open the GShade installer, I see a

TROUBLESHOOTING message that say “Windows protected your PC”

Click the underlined text that says More Info and then click Run Anyway.
This is Microsoft SmartScreen, and it generally shows for any
unsigned executable files

My presets are missing!?

Inside of gamefolder\gshade-presets\ are several folders including

GShade and Custom.

GShade presets will be installed into gshade-presets and existing non-

GShade presets in gamefolder will be moved into gshade-presets\Custom\

Note that this relocation process only happens when you have presets
located in gamefolder, and you’re not required to put non-GShade presets in
gshade-presets\Custom\

Why do shadows look weird in

Final Fantasy XIV’s /gpose?
The following pages contain invaluable
assistance with solving technical problems Make sure you disable the Depth of Field (DOF) setting in the
you may run into when using GShade. /gpose menu (R Key).

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What software and overlays may

cause issues with GShade?
Please note that this list is not exhaustive, and there may be software or
settings we are unaware of that could cause issues:

Overlays: Software:
AMD Radeon Software StartAllBack
Discord StartIsBack
FRAPS Bullguard
NVIDIA Geforce Experience EVGA Precision
Logitech G HUB Citrix Workspace (Can be made to work, but you need to install
Citrix Workspace again with the App protection setting disabled.)
PrecisionX
f.lux
Razer Cortex
MSI Afterburner
Razer Synapse
ShareX
Spotify
Razer Cortex
Steam
RivaTuner
UPlay
Windows DVR Dalamud Plugins:
Windows Game Bar QoL Bar (Causes high frame latency/hitching when entering combat.)

Windows Settings:
AutoHDR (Disable it; leave regular HDR enabled.)
Windows Game Mode

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GShade takes a long time to load and switch Find the process for your game in Task Manager.

presets. How can I make it faster? Right click your game’s process, and then click Open file location.

On the Settings tab of the in-game GShade overlay under After this location opens in Windows Explorer, you can compare
1 the URL bar at the top of the window to the path you’re using
Shaders & Techniques:
in the GShade Installer or GShade Control Panel to check if
Enable Do Not Load Unused Shaders. you’re installing to the game location that’s actually running.
Set Shader Load Delay to 0. If you were not installing to the correct location, be sure to remove
the incorrect installation from the Installations tab of the
Make sure you’re running on the latest available graphics card GShade Control Panel to avoid future confusion.
2 (GPU) driver for your system. If you don’t know your graphics card
model, try using Speccy. For Final Fantasy XIV, make sure you are running the game in
3 DirectX 11 mode (game launcher setting).
AMD Drivers
Intel Drivers For Guild Wars 2, make sure you are running the game in
4 DirectX 11 mode (in-game setting).
NVIDIA Drivers

If you’re on a laptop with a dedicated GPU, follow these instructions Check to make sure an antivirus didn’t delete the following
5 folders & files in ?:\Program Files\GShade\
3 for NVIDIA or these instructions for AMD to make sure your
dedicated GPU is actually being utilized. GShade64.dll

If you’re using the FFXIV Quick Launcher and/or Dalamud, GShade32.dll

4 see our recommended settings for these tools.
Only one of the following should be present in the folder with your
6 game’s executable, depending on the game’s
API (excludes Vulkan & DXVK):
I don’t get a message saying GShade is loading d3d10.dll (DirectX 10)
on startup and I can’t open the GShade overlay d3d11.dll (DirectX 11)
Ensure that you installed GShade to the correct executable. For any d3d12.dll (DirectX12)
1
game, this is its executable that runs while playing, not its launcher.
d3d9.dll (DirectX 9)
In many cases, you may find that you have multiple installations of dinput8.dll (DirectX 9/10/11/12/OpenGL)
2 your game on your PC. To check for this problem:
dxgi.dll (DirectX 10/11/12)
Open your game normally. opengl32.dll (OpenGL)
Open Task Manager in Windows.

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I can’t open the GShade overlay My game is crashing. What should I do?
but I do see the loading bar
If you’re getting a missing dll error or no error:
Ensure you’re using the correct key(s) to open the menu. The key(s)
1 are shown on the loading bar during each game startup. 1 Make sure GShade32.dll and GShade64.dll exist in
?:\Program Files\GShade\
Some laptop and specialty desktop keyboards require you to hold 2 You may have installed GShade to the wrong location.
2 down the Fn key to use function keys such as F2.
If the crash includes clr.dll in the text, it’s caused by a bug in the
If you’re using Citrix Workspace, reinstall Citrix Workspace with FFXIVQuickLauncher or a Dalamud addon.
3 App protection toggled off.
If the crash includes k_fps64.dll or k_fps32.dll in the text, it’s caused
If you’re still having issues or if your issue wasn’t covered above, by a Razer software overlay.
please look through the commonly known problematic overlays,
4 software, and settings list to see if there are any
You can typically disable this in the settings for Razer Cortex
1 under the Launcher tab in the In-Game section. The setting
you need to disable.
name is called Custom Display.

If you’re using or have used mods through TexTools with Final Fantasy XIV
My gamepad/controller isn’t working (skip to 4 for other games) in the past:
Remove (not disable) any mods that are currently in use.
Disable the Steam Overlay or disable Steam Input for the game under its
1
In TexTools, this is known as a Start Over.
Properties in the Steam Library.
Grab the GShade Integrity Check App, drop it into your
If you wish to continue using the Steam Overlay, you can Add
2
Final Fantasy XIV game folder, and run it.
GShade to your game again through the Installations tab of the
If the integrity check comes back with broken indexes:
GShade Control Panel using the Normal option under Hooking.
3 Open TexTools, click Help, Download Index Backups,
Normal hooking mode is known to cause on-startup and finally do a Start Over.
* crashes for a small number of users in Final Fantasy XIV.
If the integrity check comes back with any other
4 broken files, reinstall XIV.
For users of Steam Controllers and those looking to take advantage of
Steam Input for other reasons, we highly recommend using GlosSI instead
You’re crashing on startup in Monster Hunter Rise or any other
of the native Steam Input settings.
RE Engine game.
Use the REFramework mod.

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You’re not crashing in Final Fantasy XIV, you’ve never used mods in XIV, or 4 If you’re receiving an access denied or screenshot failed error:
the integrity check came back clean:
Uninstall Avast, AVG, or Kaspersky. Proceed to find
Download (do not install) the latest video drivers a better antivirus product.
1 for your video card.
https://www.avast.com/en-us/uninstall-utility
Run Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) in Windows Safe Mode
2 and disable obtaining drivers from Windows Update. https://www.avg.com/en-us/avg-remover

3 Reboot and install the driver you downloaded earlier. https://support.kaspersky.com/common/uninstall/1464

You’re somehow still crashing: If you’re using Anamnesis/Penumbra/Dalamud (XL Plugins)/

CMTool, add both the Anamnesis/Penumbra/XL/CMTool
Look through the commonly known problematic overlays,
executable and ffxiv_dx11.exe in the Final Fantasy XIV
1 software, and settings to see if there are any
game folder to your antivirus’ exceptions/whitelist/ignore list
you need to disable.
and then restart your computer.
If you’re using mods in Final Fantasy XIV, one specific mod may
2 be bad and the source of your crashes. Start Over and then see
if you can track it down
I took a lot of screenshots and they’re all
black/transparent. How do I recover them?
I’m having issues taking screenshots. 1 First, in the future make sure Disable Transparency is enabled on
What should I do? the Home tab of GShade’s in-game overlay. When this setting is
disabled, you will be taking transparent screenshots.
Ensure that GShade & the game you’re using it with do not share 2
a screenshot hotkey and that you are using GShade’s screenshot Download and install ImageMagick.
1 hotkey. You can check GShade’s hotkey on the
Settings tab of the overlay.
3
Create a new folder anywhere and copy all of the screenshots with
this problem into it.
Some games like Final Fantasy XIV allow you to change or
disable their native screenshot hotkey, allowing you to use 4
Download this batch file and place it into the new folder you
(for example) the PrintScreen hotkey with GShade.
created. Never place it into your normal screenshots folder.
Unless you are taking transparent screenshots, make sure the 5
Double click RemoveAlpha.bat inside of the new folder to
2 Disable Transparency option on the Home tab of the in-game
begin the conversion process.
overlay is enabled.
6
Your screenshots should no longer be black/transparent and should
Make sure you have a valid screenshot folder that you can create
3 files in, allocated in the Settings tab of the overlay.
look as you originally intended.

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gshade gshade

The update check keeps failing. GShade is loading very slowly and I’m using
What should I do? the FFXIV Quick Launcher (XL)/Dalamud

1
Disable any VPN software temporarily. Some VPN providers block normal 1 Open the GShade Control Panel.
DNS lookups in error, but this is usually not intended behavior.
Power off your PC, modem, and router for 5 minutes to attempt clearing 2 Navigate to the Installations tab.
2 old, dead cached routes.
3 Click Add New.
If you are tethered to a mobile 3G/4G/5G device such as a phone
3 or mobile hotspot, some providers intentionally block connections Install GShade to Final Fantasy XIV again using Normal as the
to some servers. 4 Hooking method on the options step.
Sometimes your ISP’s DNS servers can malfunction. Try setting your DNS
4 In the settings for Dalamud, make sure Enable multi-monitor windows
servers in Windows and/or your router to Google’s Public DNS servers: 5 is turned off/disabled.
IPv4:
8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4
GShade does not work when XivAlexander is
IPv6:
2001:4860:4860:0000:0000:0000:0000:8888 installed in Final Fantasy XIV
2001:4860:4860:0000:0000:0000:0000:8844
1 Open the GShade Control Panel.
Run the following command in a cmd prompt or Powershell
5
running as admin: ipconfig /flushdns 2 Navigate to the Installations tab.
Ensure that any software or hardware firewalls are
6 not blocking api.github.com. 3 Click Add New.

You’re on Windows 7 or Windows 8. Follow one of the Install GShade to Final Fantasy XIV again using Normal as the
7 4
three following steps: Hooking method on the options step.
Install Windows 10 or Windows 11.
Install XivAlexander again using the Install XivAlexander as
Install Linux. 5 dinput8.dll for DirectX 11 version option.
Temporary Fix:
Install:
https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2088631
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=863265
Set Windows to use TLS 1.2 by default in the registry
as described here.

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 gshade

How do I write shaders for GShade?

SHADER & ADDON GShade and ReShade use the same high-level programming language
for shaders called ReShadeFX, which is automatically compiled into a

DEVELOPMENT compatible language for the hooked graphics API.

ReShadeFX is a hybrid language that uses a mixed syntax of both C++

and HLSL with the core functionality of HLSL and GLSL. As a result,
having syntastical knowledge of C++ and solid knowledge of HLSL
or GLSL are the cornerstones of learning to leverage the language.

With the above in mind, there are many existing pixel shaders and
compute shaders to learn from once you understand the core concepts.

How do I write addons for GShade?

At this time, both GShade and ReShade have feature parity for the
ReShade API, so developing addons for both is the same.

If you’re reading this section, you probably

already know what you’re doing

31 SCREENSHOT: LUFREINE — EASTSHADE © EASTSHADE STUDIOS

GSHADE QUICK REFERENCE GSHADE QUICK REFERENCE 32
gshade

What extensions to ReShadeFX

does GShade include?
GShade currently includes the following extensions to the
ReShadeFX specification:
Preprocessor Macros
__GSHADE__ – Returns the version of GShade in the format:
(MAJOR * 10000) + (MINOR * 100) + REVISION
GSHADE_APRIL_FOOLS – Returns 1 if the local system date is April 1st
and remains undefined otherwise.
GSHADE_DITHER – Returns 1 if Global Tri-Dithering is enabled on the Settings
tab of the in-game GShade overlay or remains undefined if it is disabled.
Example use: LUT.fx
Note that GShade will show preprocessor definitions equal to or shorter
than 5 characters in the UI, in contrast to ReShade which shows them
at 10 and above.
Uniform Variables
Annotations
ui_bind – Allows binding a uniform variable to an existing preprocessor
definition, so that when the uniform variable is changed the preprocessor
definition is redefined and the effect is reloaded.
Example use: LUT.fx, MultiLUT.fx, Layer.fx

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gshade gshade

TEAM CREDITS LEGAL

Permission has been granted to the GShade project for distribution

DEVELOPERS rights to several shaders and textures by the authors, whose licences
or copyrights otherwise do not allow for redistribution, re-hosting,
Marot Satil or automated downloading. Please contact the creators directly for
permission if you are interested in doing so:
CONTROL PANEL - Yulia
Espresso Lalafell (twitter.com/ FairyHikkidasTimewarp.jpg
DESIGNERS espressolala) FairyKawaii.png
EGGameplayLut.png FairyLunasGarden.png
LOGO - Yae FFXIVLUTAtlas.png FairyMermaid.png
FairyMermen.png
GUIDES - Lufreine Fairy (instagram.com/fairyqueen.xiv) FairyMerryWhatever.jpg
Ravenking (twitter.com/RealRavenking) FairyNarcoticFog.png
TRANSLATORS Fairy PROJECT.jpg FairyPersephone01.png
FairyAbandoned.png FairyPersephone02.png
CHINESE - ShadyWhite FairyArdenvaldDark.png FairyPolaroid.png
FairyArdenvaldGlow.png FairyPolaroidDark.png
FRENCH - Kanakorum FairyArdenvaldLight.png FairyPurgatory.jpg
FairyBitchesBrew.png FairyRain.png
GERMAN - Tsukiumi & Kaida FairyBlackFog.png FairyRavenqueenFog.png
FairyBlackSwan.jpg FairyREC.png
ITALIAN - Bec FairyBloodyMary.png FairyREC2.png
FairyBluefire.png FairyShiroxoNeonLights.jpg
JAPANESE - uchu suzume FairyBrokenIce.png FairySnowtastic.png
FairyBrokenIceLight.png FairyThisIsHalloween.png
KOREAN - Saki & Strawberry FairyButterflyheart.png FairyValanthyne.png
FairyCelestialNights.png FairyVampirequeen_Bats.jpg
FairyCelestialNightsLayer.png FairyVampirequeenFog.jpg
>>FULL HISTORICAL CREDITS<< FairyColdOutside.jpg FairyVampiresDance.jpg
FairyCrystallized.jpg FairyWhiteSwan.jpg
FairyDandelion.png FairyWintergreen.jpg
FairyDrivingHomeForChristmas.png FairyWitchesBrew.png
FairyFinsOceanHorror.png FairyYaleerasEden.png
FairyFinsOceanHorror02.png
FairyHeartOnAString.png Feli (twitter.com/ffxivfeli)
FairyHearts.jpg lut_Feli.png
FairyHearty.png

35 GSHADE QUICK REFERENCE GSHADE QUICK REFERENCE 36

gshade gshade

Johnni Maestro (twitter.com/Johnnicles) Mori (twitter.com/ TreyM (github.com/TreyM)

PopArt.png moripudding) AtmosphericDensity.fx
Vaporwave.jpg lut_GShade.png LensDiffusion.fx
VignetteSharp.png LayerA.png Macros.fxh
VignetteSoft.png MultiLut_GShade.png MShadersAVGen.fxh
MShadersBlendingModes.fxh
Johto (twitter.com/JohtoXIV) Neneko (twitter.com/Xelyanne) MShadersCommon.fxh
MultiLut_Johto.png MultiLut_Neneko.png MShadersGaussianBlurBounds.fxh
MShadersMacros.fxh
LordCobra (github.com/LordKobra) Nightingale Silence (twitter. VHSM.fx
Cobra_Mask.fx com/franandneo)
ColorSort.fx MultiLut_Nightingale.png Yae (twitter.com/lapismenangis)
computeGravity.fx MultiLut_yaes.png
Droste.fx ninjafada (sfx.thelazy.net/
LongExposure.fx users/u/ninjafada) Yomigami Okami (twitter.com/
RealLongExposure.fx lut_ninjafadaGameplay.png Yomigammy)
MultiLut_ninjafadaGameplay. Fire1.png
Lufreine (twitter.com/Lufreine) png Fire2.png
Ice1.jpg Lightrays1.png
Metal1.jpg Talim (twitter.com/Talim_ffxiv) Shatter1.png
Papyrus2.png TalimAladdin.png Snow1.png
Papyrus6.png TalimAladdin2.png Snow2.png
TalimBlueLight.png
MartyMcFly/Pascal Glitcher (github. TalimBubblebun.png
com/martymcmodding) TalimColorBorder.png
MShadersLUTAtlas.fxh TalimGalaxy.png
Posterize.fx TalimGreen.png
qUINT_bloom.fx TalimNightSky.png
qUINT_common.fxh TalimRed.png
qUINT_deband.fx TalimSmoke.png
qUINT_dof.fx TalimSpiderweb.png
qUINT_lightroom.fx
qUINT_mxao.fx
qUINT_sharp.fx
qUINT_ssr.fx
Retro_Neon.fx

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gshade gshade

For rights regarding all other shaders and textures, please refer to the
licences inside each shader file. Leeja Llen (leeja-ffxiv.carrd.co)
Leeja Llen
Permission has been granted to the GShade project for distribution
rights to presets whose licences or copyrights otherwise do not allow for Lufreine (twitter.com/lufreine)
redistribution, re-hosting, or automated downloading. Please contact the Lufreine
creators directly for permission if you are interested in doing so: Malkovich Malkovich (twitter.com/malkovichff14)
Malkovich
Aeon Legion (instagram.com/aeonlegion)
ColorsReborn Mana (twitter.com/milkisslut)
Witch Presets
Alma Emma (twitter.com/AlmaEmma_ffxiv)
AlmaStudio Marot Satil (twitter.com/MarotSatil)
GShade
Ares Stardust (twitter.com/neonhighways)
OMGEorzea Meia Mochi (twitter.com/mepururu)
MeiaIridescence
Aztral Okami (twitter.com/AztralOkami)
AztralSuperBloomStudio Messy Fantasia (twitter.com/Mesaana10)
MessyPortraitTiltShift
Cyane Monis (twitter.com/ffxiv_nya)
CyanePrism Mori Tori aka miiolk (twitter.com/torii_ff14)
Angelite
Fairy (instagram.com/fairyqueen.xiv)
Fairy Neneko Neko (twitter.com/xelyanne)
Neneko ColorS
G’thro Reddia (twitter.com/RedhadesFFXIV) Neneko ColorS - World
G’thro Neneko ColorS - World 2
Glace Camelot (twitter.com/GlaceFF14) Neneko ColorS - Universe
Glace Neneko ColorS - World of Warcraft
Neneko ColorS - WoW
Grey Fantasies/Lady Arkana (twitter.com/grey_fantasies) Neneko ColorS - Zero
Arkana
Nightingale Silence (twitter.com/franandneo)
Johnni Maestro (twitter.com/Johnnicles) Nightingale
Johnni
ninjafada (sfx.thelazy.net/users/u/ninjafada)
Johto (twitter.com/JohtoXIV) ninjafada
Johto’s Studio
NuclearFuzion (twitter.com/Zhvowa)
Kiyomi Lavellan NukeGP
KiyomiKiyowabunga
Oni Akuma (Oni Akuma of Gilgamesh)
Kupaii Satil (twitter.com/PastelKupaii) OniAkumaTrueLifeRealism
Kupaii

39 GSHADE QUICK REFERENCE GSHADE QUICK REFERENCE 40

gshade gshade

Packetdancer (twitter.com/Packetdancer)
Packetdancer
Freya “The Photosmith” Bloodmourne (twitter.com/Freybae_ffxiv) ReShade source code used in this project is licenced under:
PhotosmithFrey
Copyright 2014 Patrick Mours. All rights reserved.
Ruri (twitter.com/nihil242)
Ruri
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
Serenaya Carrin (twitch.tv/serenayacarrin) modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
SerenayaRealismGameplay
Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this
Shenova Shadowheart (twitter.com/Shenova82)
list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
Shenova
Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice,
Talim (instagram.com/talimffxiv) this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation
Talim - Ta-hee! and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its contributors
Tayang Mol
may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
Tayang
without specific prior written permission.
Veylind Xaan (Discord: Veylind#3679)
CrystalCaliberII THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND
CONTRIBUTORS “AS IS” AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES,
Yae (twitter.com/lapismenangis)
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
Nacht
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
Yaz (instagram.com/alcred.ffxiv) ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR
Yaz-Alcred CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL,
SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT
Yomigami Okami (twitter.com/Yomigammy)
NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
Yomigami Okami
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
Yulia Rose (michanpyon.com) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN
Yulia CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR
OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE,
A copy of all redistributable shaders and textures included in EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
GShade can be found here:
https://gshade.org/releases/GShade-Shaders.zip
GShade is not endorsed or otherwise promoted by
Patrick Mours, aka crosire, or any other ReShade contributor.

41 GSHADE QUICK REFERENCE GSHADE QUICK REFERENCE 42

gshade

This project includes the DXVK binaries, which are licenced under:

Copyright (c) 2017 Philip Rebohle

Copyright (c) 2019 Joshua Ashton

zlib/libpng licence

This software is provided ‘as-is’, without any express or implied

warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages
arising from the use of this software.

Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose,

including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it
freely, subject to the following restrictions:

– The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not
claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software
in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be
appreciated but is not required.

– Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not
be misrepresented as being the original software.

– This notice may not be removed or altered from any source distribution.

GShade Logo & Branding © 2018 - 2023 GSHADE. All Rights Reserved.
FINAL FANTASY is a registered trademark of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
FINAL FANTASY XIV © 2010 - 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.

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