Before We Begin.
Now we’ve had the other ENB thread for some time now, however it’s just a thread of the same questions over and over again, a lacking OP and just a lot of confusion. Now it’s time for a more fleshed out thread with a proper how-to guide and explaining the various patches, game and ENB versions. However I’m not claiming to know everything about ENB, so I’ll cover as much as possible. As an early disclaimer, my knowledge surrounding the EFLC versions and ENB is limited. I’m assuming it’ll behave like the latest version of GTA IV ( 1.0.7.0 ) thus being a limited effect experience only compatible with a few select ENB versions. Right now we’re focusing on two versions: Retail version patched to 1.0.4.0 or Steam versions downgraded to 1.0.4.0.
Why is the 1.0.4.0 patch so special, why doesn’t the latest patch work?
The PC version of GTA IV have had a bit of a hard birth. For every patch, Rockstar basically made a new shader to fix a lot of the game’s problems however that also meant Boris Vorontsov, the guy behind ENB had to re-write the ENB shader. After 1.0.4.0 he basically got fed up and decided not to re-write the shader any more – That means any ENB on versions higher than 1.0.4.0 are not full-feature ENB. Lots of effects will be missing. So when someone claims their ENB is 1.0.7.0 ( Latest patch ) compatible, it basically means they are tested for basic compatibility: No colours that are completely off, image isn’t black, basic features working etc. however it will never look as good as any 1.0.4.0 ENB.
So let us prepare the game, assuming you are on a fresh install.
Retail users: Simple, download the 1.0.4.0 Patch - [ Mirror #1 ]
Steam users: We’re going to be downgrading to 1.0.4.0. Steam servers have the latest version ( 1.0.7.0 ) so we're going to need a downgrade.
Steam users who don't want to downgrade / EFLC users: Skip this downgrade guide. 1.0.7.0 / EFLC compatible files are included in iCEnhancer 2.1
( Borrowed from http://www.gtagaming.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128300/ )
Feel free to start the game and verify it works. If it doesn't, ya dun' goof'd. Else you can check out the thread linked above, for any further troubleshooting. ( Now you see why the retail version is preferred )
Okay, what next?
So now we have to install an ENB of our choice. To clarify the entire ordeal surrounding Icenhancer: The guy behind it is not the sole creator of ENB, he isn't the only GTA IV ENB tweaker out there and people need to stop treating him as such. He put in some good work on his excellent ENB versions, his ENB also managed to hit the mainstream eye which is great. So all the "He needs a job at Rockstar!" that is going around is plain stupid and need to stop. But to not drag his work through the mud, the ENB is nice and we'll base this guide on it.
Let's download iCEnhancer 2.1 - http://www.mediafire.com/?2iaiaqb97b2of2q
And his configuration tool - http://www.mediafire.com/?4y8es83wdvj0wx8
Taken from his website - http://icelaglace.com/
( Linking directly to the files. He decided to have them routed through some paid ad shit on his site. Normally I'm totally for supporting artists and developers however his work is in the questionable range of monetary compensation worthiness ).
Backup, something something real men don't take backups.
Before we proceed, you need to decide now how to back up your game in case you want to revert it back to vanilla, in case of problems or because you want to try a different ENB. There's two methods as I see it;
1. Make a copy of the entire prepared GTA IV directory. When / If you want to revert back, you simply delete the primary folder and copy over / remove the "-Copy" from the backed up folder making that the primary folder again.
2. Take notice of every file in the downloaded RAR(s) so you can remove them later, as there's very few overrides but instead more additional files. In case you want to modify vehicles ( Covered later in this guide ), make a backup of these files:
- Vehicles.ide ( Grand Theft Auto IV\common\data )
- Handling.dat ( Grand Theft Auto IV\common\data )
- Carcols.dat ( Grand Theft Auto IV\common\data )
- vehicles.img ( Grand Theft Auto IV\pc\models\cdimages )
If you got the extra space, make a full backup - Much easier.
Let's install it
Now here's where you have to pay attention - This operation will require skill, intellect and lots of patience ( Not really ). Open iCEnhancer 2_1FINAL.zip with your favourite software ( WinRAR, 7zip etc. )
- Drag all the content of the archive from the 1.0.3.0 - 1.0.4.0 - 1.0.0.4 -> iCenhancer 2.1 files folder into your prepared GTA IV folder and accept any folder merging / file replacing.
- Then you look into the .zip archive again and open "Install this if fresh install" Drag that content of that folder into your root folder as well ( Xlive.dll / xlive_d.dll ). This disables GFWL in-game which is required for ENB to work correctly, as GFWL blocks the .dll
- 1.0.7.0 / EFLC users can follow the above, except when you open the .zip archive they need to open the "1.0.7.0 - EFLC" folder instead. That doesn't have any xlive.dll but a shader folder instead, follow the readme within that folder.
The 1.0.7.0 / EFLC version is a watered down butchered version. As explained earlier, the latest full featured ENB shader is for 1.0.4.0 so the 0.7.0 / EFLC version is just a leftovers version that doesn't look very good. I can't help you with this version either as it's a waste of time and I haven't messed around with it whatsoever.
NOTICE: When installing the Xliveless ( xlive.dll ) files, it moves all your savegames from "X:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames" to "X:\Users\Michael\Documents\Rockstar Games\GTA IV\savegames" So any downloaded saves / Own save games needs to be manually moved or installed in the new location.
Post-installation
At this point the game is basically ready - Except we haven't tweaked, installed any cars or any mods / trainers. However it'd be nice to confirm it's working at least, right? Start the game via LaunchGTAIV.exe in your root folder ( and make a shortcut if you like easy access ). If the game launched and you can fire up a new game, great. If your game crashed, looks off or text is missing check out the troubleshooting section.
Vroom vroom
While ENB is a powerful addition to GTA IV, it's the custom vehicles that makes it all really shine and come together. The great reflection details and the sheer details on some of these cars just brings out the best in the mod. I suggest anyone wanting to give this is a serious try to install at least a car or two to mess around with. It also became a helluva lot easier recently as well-made software was introduced turning the installation process into a 3 click process requiring no effort, up from reading an F16 sized handbook just to install the model.
First you download and install GTA IV Vehicle Mod Installer v1.3. Remember to start the game after installation, that's recommended by some.
Now you need to find a car you'd like installed, stop by GTA4-Mods.com's vehicle section and find something you like. Sort by highest rated or most downloaded, you'll probably find some higher quality models and pay close attention to the star rating. There's lots of bad models out there, beware.
Here's an excellent car and model http://www.gta4-mods.com/vehicles/new-lamborghini-reventon-f3600 if you can't decide on something. Download this and place the .rar somewhere convenient. ( Do not unpack it! )
It's recommended that you install the trainer ( See Mods & Extras ) to spawn vehicles of your choice.
Installing a car
Start up "GTA IV Vehicle Mod Installer" and you'll be greeted by a Permission Configuration screen. You simply have to click the "Configuration" button and it'll find the GTA IV folder and be ready for use. Now click the "Main Panel" button. You will see it has configured the path to your GTA IV folder, if that is incorrect or perhaps pointing to a backup folder, feel free to change it.
Now let's install a the car we've downloaded. In the bottom field, select the "Vehicle Install from archive" field and click the browse button.
Find the .rar you downloaded and point towards that, simply click next.
The next screen is a verification of the content, the output on this screen will vary according to how many files included. Some downloaded cars have colour files, a new handling and extras on the car - Some however is just a basic model with just one field.
You will notice the green checkmarks, some models you download will leave a red checkmark making it unable to install - That means the file in question doesn't keep to the established structure - Usually happens with the colour or handling file. If you still want to install the car, just click the red checkmark and deselect the problem file and you can still install the car.
This time however it's all green and ready to go, press next.
This is the screen where you pick which vehicle to replace. Usually the creator has given it a name within the file that identifies which car it's going to replace, so it'll automatically pick the car. However sometimes it's a generic name and you have to pick which vehicle you'd like to replace. It doesn't matter which car you pick, you can replace a truck with a Ferrari and if the downloaded Ferrari has colours, a handling file and all that it'll drive like a Ferrari. If it doesn't, it'll handle like a truck.
You will notice the "Your Vehicle Name", that does NOT represent in-game name. That is merely for your own convenience within the Vehicle Mod Installer to see which vehicle you've replaced something with. So you can put in something to identify it with. Leave it blank and nothing will show up next to it, however it'll still show up as blue to signify it has been replaced.
Press next and the car is installed, it's that simple.
Note, it is possible to install vehicles as additional vehicles and not replace existing ones however I will not be covering that.
Whoa, the car I installed suck - I want to change it back!
As I mentioned earlier, plenty of crappy cars out there and anyone who starts messing around with lots of custom cars will probably stumble on one or two. However it's no problem, especially not with this piece of software - Restoration takes but a second.
On the main panel, instead of hitting "Vehicle install from X", click "Original vehicle restore" and click next, pick the vehicle you want restored ( Custom name ( If you've specified one ) will appear on the right side of the vanilla name, so if you have a huge list of names it'll be easier to identify each car and their replacement ). Click next on the vehicle and voilà - Vehicles restored ... Simple.
GTA IV also a lot of mods, ranging from huge robots, zombies, weapons and sounds to skins, entirely new islands and texture packs. However that could almost have an entire thread of its own as the installation process can be quite complicated and it's probably something you should slowly discover on your own. I will however add a select few to this section that doesn't require much and maybe I'll update the section with new ones along the way.
In this section I won't baby the explanations too much, I'll just tell you which files and where and how to get it working.
The very first thing that is required for any mod is some way to enable them, which we'll be doing with a Scripthook and an ASI Loader compatible with our installation.
Basic files & Trainer
Download:
GTA IV ASI Loader v1.0.2.0b
- Drop the dsound.dll ( Don't need the rest ) into your root GTA IV directory.
GTA IV C++ ScriptHook Redistributable v0.3.0
- Drop the ScriptHook.dll into your root GTA IV directory.
inGame Trainer v1.9.0
- Drop InGameTrainer.asi, InGameTrainer.ClothInfo.dat, InGameTrainer.ini, InGameTrainerKeys.txt into your root GTA IV directory.
Now you have the groundwork to install some mods and you now also have an In-game trainer.
Using the trainer: When you've got a game loaded, press F1 and a menu will appear. Simply navigate the menu with Numpad keys 8, 2 and 4, 6 for directional navigation and Backspace to exit. The menus and possibilities will be fairly apparent and there's TONS of stuff to toy around with. Especially help at spawning cars when you've installed a new one.
At times the trainer can take a minute to load, because it hasn't properly hooked yet. Just give it some time and try again.
First person view
Download:
First Person Mod v1.1
- Drop FirstPerson.asi, FirstPerson.ini and dsound.dll ( Replace existing ) into root GTA IV directory.
Using First Person: When in-game, double-tap the change view key ( Default V ).
NOTICE: These mods I'm listing are for unless stated otherwise for patch 1.0.4.0. I do not guarantee them working with any other version and won't provide any support. In case of mod related crashes see the Troubleshoot section.
Crashes, where's my text, my PC is on fire!
Unfortunately, as with any modding project there's always room for errors and problems, this definitely ain't an exception. Below is a list of common errors and problems. I've tried to add as many of the problems as I could, however feel free to suggest in the topic any additional troubleshoot points I need to add. Also notice that this troubleshoot guide won't cover everything, as plenty could go wrong.
- Crashes during start-up / loading of the game.
The most common issue is a crash during start of the game or after you've pressed "Start". The problem usually relates to third party applications that hook into DirectX / d3d9.dll which ENB doesn't like. That means recording software like Dxtory and Bandicam ( FRAPS works fine ), FPS overlays, hardware monitors and tweakers like MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner etc. and I also believe stuff like Teamspeak overlays can have an impact. There's a lot of software that can cause problems.
- My menu text is gone.
1. Download this "fonts.zip": Click
2. Open the folder "X:\(...)\Steam\SteamApps\common\grand theft auto iv\GTAIV\common\data" and copy the files "fonts.dat" and "fonts_r.dat" as a backup to any other folder.
3. Copy both files that are contained in the "fonts.zip" to the folder "X:\(...)\Steam\SteamApps\common\grand theft auto iv\GTAIV\common\data" and overwrite the existing ones.
4. That's it.
Note: "fonts.dat" is obviously for the western alphabet, while "fonts_r.dat" is the equivalent file for cyrillic symbols (if you are playing in russian for example).
( Taken from GTAGaming )
- I've installed a mod and the required scriphook, my game is crashing.
The newest ScriptHook.dll-version may not work properly with 1.0.4.0 and lead to crashes, so do as following:
1. Download this ScriptHook.dll-version: Click
2. Download the recent version of .Net Script Hook (I have tested with 1.7 Beta and it worked): Click
3. Copy the "ScriptHookDotNet.asi" and the folder "scripts" from the .zip-file of the .Net Script Hook into your GTAIV main directory. You do not need the also contained "ScriptHook.dll" as it does not work properly with 1.0.4.0.
4. Now copy the other "ScriptHook.dll" from the "GTAIVScriptHook_0.4.0_Redist.zip" into your GTAIV main directory. This one should work perfectly.
5. Finished. Now your mods and *.asi-files should work as usual if they require ScriptHook.
( Taken from GTAGaming )
- Game performance is abysmal / It's stuttering on my AMD card.
Apparently there's an issue with some AMD cards that just leads to extremely poor performance in the game. Personally I had a 5970 which is a Crossfire card and it was straight out unplayable due to stuttering. I also heard cases of single-card users getting really poor performance compared to an Nvidia equivalent. There is no exact science in this, there's crossfire issues but I don't know any specific cards that has these issues or what causes it exactly - Other than poor coding.
- Everything is completely washed out and foggy. ( 1.0.4.0 )
Usually this means you might not have installed Xliveless correctly ( xlive.dll ), as that'd block the ENB but not the ENBs colour settings. I have also seen cases where people are in actual fog in the game. Save the game to advance 6 hours or use a trainer to change the weather to confirm that's not the case.
- SLI Performance is on the low side
Try the latest SLI compatibility bits in Nvidia Inspector: 0x42500045 ( Old bit is 0x03400405 ) - This may improve SLI scaling for you.
- I installed some custom cars / a car pack, there's taxis everywhere!
It's a common issue well known to the community. It happens when you use excess memory with custom cars, then the game starts loading the top default model instead; The taxi. There's two ways of fixing it, either you only install size limited models of custom cars, some creators make small models that adhere to vanilla vehicle standards or you could download a traffic fix like http://www.gta4-mods.com/script/trafficload-f9780 ( See requirements on the left side! ).
However the traffic fixes can introduce new issues due to the game's poor memory handling, you'll see textures going missing, load very slowly, memory crashes and basically the game will just slowly conk out no matter how powerful your PC is or how many terabytes of RAM you have.
- Whoa, I have this drunken cam
Make sure you launch the game with LaunchGTAIV.exe and nothing else, as other .exes will activate the piracy detection.
- Helpful command lines
Either make a shortcut and add these to a shortcut of LaunchGTA in the target; "C:\Grand Theft Auto IV\LaunchGTAIV.exe" -norestrictions OR create a commandline.txt file in your root GTA folder and add them as shown below ( Underneath each other ).
