How to fix graphical artifacts/glitches

[tobiassolem 173]

Almost everyone has had the issue where certain models "leak" away in absurd patterns, the cause could be open model splines or similar - regardless this happens around any location where there are player placed barbed wire or mod allocated/placed soldier corpses. This is not a graphics card error, or an issue with any type of hardware, nor is it server specific. It manifests itself only when looking toward certain locations (where the models are), don't go too close because they will start impeding on performance (ie. using up processing power) so if you encounter them I recommend to:

1. Turn away from the area where the glitches are occuring

2. Run back towards from where you came

3. Find an area where you can safely view the area with the glitches and attempt to fix them (see further below)

The issue itself can look a bit different from player to player, but here are three examples:

Where will you find them?

1. Northwest airfield

2. Balota airfield

3. Balota military camp

4. Chernarus

5. Stary Sobor military camp

6. Zub castle

7. NW Berezino (near the military camp)

What I have tried attempting to remedy the issue (and what works):

1. Changing graphic settings (such as turning Anti-aliasing, post-processing and such) on and off, does not work at all.

2. Changing Vsync from On to Off and back again, works in a few individual cases.

3. Changing HDR settings between max to minimum works more oftenly.

4. Holding down shift, pressing the "minus (-)" key on your numeric keypad, releasing and after typing 'flush' works on a few occations (about 20% success ratio for me.

5. Changing your config file by editing: My Documents\ArmA 2 Other Profiles\<Your profile>\<Your profile>.ArmA2OAProfile:

change so

sceneComplexity=1000000;

Step 5 works well in that it limits the progression of the model bleeds when they do occur, but it does not prevent it from happening alltogether.

6. Restarting Arma 2, sometimes this works - I have found that when it does it is very seldom.

7. Restarting your computer - This has about the same success-ratio as either option (4) or option (3).

8. Switching servers - very small success ratio, although this happened once when I was playing (was near northeast Berezino (near the military camp) and after switching servers it got solved. Switching back to the previous server "kept" the fix, so that worked once at least.

9. Switching between video ram (small, very high, etc.) - this works about 1 in 10 times.

10. Changing resolution from eg. 1680x1050 to something else and then back, this works some of the time, I have only tried it three times tonight, and it worked one time, so my success ratio is about 33% thus far - granted, I have not tested this as many times as I have option 2-9, but there you have it.

I have attempted all fixes, including updating the drivers, I have also tried this both with a computer using an 560ti and a GTX260 AND an ATI 4850, the glitches occur on all the computers, and the issue occurs regardless of what drivers or graphics card I have. None of the computers have these issue with ARMA2 at all. So my conclusion is that it is mod-specific, and that when it starts happening it will not just "go away", it seems like once there is an issue with one of the models, the model is cached in the memory and will persist there until the memory is cleared, either by flushing, or some kind of memory clearing.

Bottom line, if you experience the glitches, attempt steps 2-10, or if you are impatient, attempt steps 3,4,7 and 10 (they are the ones which I have had the greatest success with). None of these steps are guarantees though, there is currently (as of 1.7.2.4 and latest OA beta patch 95417) no 100% fix.

P.S: One of my "clan-friends" report that playing the mod in Windows XP never results in any graphical glitches. (Confirmed by two out of three users, 66% success rate currently)

I hope this will be helpful to you, and get rid of these glitches until Rocket releases a fix for it.

Edited August 4, 2012 by fisk

[Epicurias 0]

Good post, ive had the same issues and found that only 2 things ever fix it (for me)

- Changing Memory usage on advanced options (Default to high or vice versa)

- Changing your resolution.

No other fix has worked but these 2 combined has not yet failed to sort it out and dont involve having to leave or quit the game.

Also, i second the "not on XP" thing my mate runs XP and hasnt ever had this issue

[Rowson 0]

I'm running XP and I still got the artifacts problem, so that part does not count for everyone! :\

[Disgraced 1123]

Same here, running XP and getting these glitches. The only thing I didn't try is the flush option.

[meltbox360 0]

I get this. Thought it was due to my drivers or overheating but it is only in this mod and it seems randomly but I have had a barn go crazy as well as the airfield on the coast and the military compound to the south of it. Seems like the military has vision jamming tech o.O

EDIT:

Running Windows 7

Edited August 4, 2012 by meltbox360

[tobiassolem 173]

Updated OP with feedback from thread.

[remiwell 1]

Just restart your whole Arma II when it starts happening, Dont dissconnect but restart the whole game. When you log back its gone and you can loot the place!

[tobiassolem 173]

Just restart your whole Arma II when it starts happening, Dont dissconnect but restart the whole game. When you log back its gone and you can loot the place!

Success at reading OP: 3%

Better luck next time champ. ;)

[cls (DayZ) 1]

problem is that the Model of the dead soldiers and barbed wire is somehow not "closed",

it means that the outlines of the 3d mesh of those both bad buddies and not proper alined that the texture that arma engine is trying to overlap the modell is reaching far out.

within the game search explicitly for 1.7.2.3 servers if you join one of those you wont be encounterd with the problem

[D3AD_S1L3NT 13]

i use flush.. if it doesnt work, restart the game and do it again.

~silent

[ast65 11]

Alt-Tab ing out and back worked for me...

[Neil James 1]

P.S: One of my "clan-friends" report that playing the mod in Windows XP never results in any graphical glitches. (Confirmed by two out of three users, 66% success rate currently)

I'm on XP and the game is unplayable around any graphical glitching areas. Myth busted.

[tobiassolem 173]

I'm on XP and the game is unplayable around any graphical glitching areas. Myth busted.

Ahh, well. And upgrading to 1.7.2.5 doesn't seem to work either. So the issue is still present.

[dude0367 0]

I was getting these glitches in Chernogorsk earlier today. I'm running a Sapphire HD 6870 and with pretty much all the setting maxed (in 1080p) if that helps for your data collection.

[ItsAPardigan 0]

I was getting it at this location today, fixed by changing resolution.

Windows 7 64x

AMD HD7770

[bombobombom 2]

History:

- Ran flush over 50 times, only once did it end up decent.

- Changed settings between nearly all imaginable options. (well, a lot at least)

- Poked around with my ATI cataclyst settings.

- None of the above fixed it properly for me nor them.

So finally something that did work? It goes a litle something like this;

1. Video Options -> Advanced -> Quality preference: Very low.
   
2. Now modify all your settings to what you want, keep video memory to default.
   
3. The clitch should remain but don't worry.
   
4. Try to run a few Shift+NumMinus and type flush (You wont get a popup or a console window but it should work, note that it is numminus, meaning the minus button on your numpad. Laptops may have them on the keyboard on the keys iop or aroudn them and you'll most likely need to hold or press the FN key once.)
   
5. If this works, lay. If it doesn't do step 6.
   
6. Close the client completely. Do it propperly, meaning no "taskkill /f /im arma*" or CTRL+ALT+DEL.
   

Details, I used this setting:

* Me, my bro and a friend all had our problems solved after various attempts ending up with the best method being this.

* Aditionally bro had an HDR flashing bug. This was fixed temporarly by client restart too.

* Poke around with resolution as some get it fixed simply by doing that. Just as in the above post!

Notes

* Manually update Dayz, not using the Dayzcommander or six launcher may or may not help. (untested)

* Maybe parameters such as -exThreads=3 can help loading textures with threading. No clue how the parameter work though, not tried it. Source @ biki

Until the models in Dayz are repaired/replaced we'll have to consider the glitch a virus infecting our characters brains making stuff look weird.

Edited August 12, 2012 by BomboBombom

[tobiassolem 173]

Great post BomboBombom - you have my beans!

[Unibek 2]

My buddy and I have come to calling them "Rape Rays". It's pretty self explanatory. Thanks for the small guide, seems to have worked for me.

[A9Carlos 3]

History:

- Ran flush over 50 times, only once did it end up decent.

- Changed settings between nearly all imaginable options. (well, a lot at least)

- Poked around with my ATI cataclyst settings.

- None of the above fixed it properly for me nor them.

So finally something that did work? It goes a litle something like this;

1. Video Options -> Advanced -> Quality preference: Very low.
   
2. Now modify all your settings to what you want, keep video memory to default.
   
3. The clitch should remain but don't worry.
   
4. Try to run a few Shift+NumMinus and type flush (You wont get a popup or a console window but it should work, note that it is numminus, meaning the minus button on your numpad. Laptops may have them on the keyboard on the keys iop or aroudn them and you'll most likely need to hold or press the FN key once.)
   
5. If this works, lay. If it doesn't do step 6.
   
6. Close the client completely. Do it propperly, meaning no "taskkill /f /im arma*" or CTRL+ALT+DEL.
   

Details, I used this setting:

* Me, my bro and a friend all had our problems solved after various attempts ending up with the best method being this.

* Aditionally bro had an HDR flashing bug. This was fixed temporarly by client restart too.

* Poke around with resolution as some get it fixed simply by doing that. Just as in the above post!

Notes

* Manually update Dayz, not using the Dayzcommander or six launcher may or may not help. (untested)

* Maybe parameters such as -exThreads=3 can help loading textures with threading. No clue how the parameter work though, not tried it. Source @ biki

Until the models in Dayz are repaired/replaced we'll have to consider the glitch a virus infecting our characters brains making stuff look weird.

After weeks of suffering with this crippling bug I am now free of it's pains after your guide!! Thanks :)

Changed my settings to very low, memory to default and then set my items as performance permits. I also realised at this point that I've been running the game in a wrong resolution since over 2 months ago now lol. Oh my it's better now at 1920 x 1080 as intended. I used to wonder how folks on YouTube vids got their game looking so nice and it was something as easy as that - I feel like a noob.

Flushes now actually have some benefit rather than making the problem worse and any military installation, which was previously unapproachable, is back to normal :)

Shame nobody is about anymore but hey

[johan (DayZ) 21]

I have a GTX460 and run windows 7. Posted this in the other thread but I currently have the settings to high /v high and just setting them to low, waiting for the recieving part to end and then cancel without saving the settings have had a 100% success rate so far. Went maybe three days without a glitch then I retried it and it worked again. Whatever general area I've been in seems to have stopped glitching for me permantently (i.e. when I revisit balota/NW airfield/wherever) I don't have to redo it.

I hope this helps, haven't yet seen any confirmation from any other people other then my closest friends, but let me know how it works out, ok?

[L9_Pwnage 0]

I have wanted to say thank you to Bombobombom because he has fixed the problem i have been trying to fix for 3 weeks. I refused to play DayZ for the past 3 weeks because of the graphical glitches, but I love the game and decided not to give up on it. I tried Flush, turning off things in Windows settings, setting memory settings to normal and default. I have done every solution people suggested, but for the first time, I fixed it and it has been working for me ever since. Thank you Bombobombom.

[L9_Pwnage 0]

Sorry, I did a repost by mistake.

Edited August 25, 2012 by L9_Pwnage

[shalafi 0]

First of all, hello to everybody (newcomer here).

I just wanted to share that for me there were times where restarting the client completely would not fix the glitches with a 100% success rate. Since restarting the whole computer felt like overkill, I managed to find out a compromise between both - I play on a monitor, but have my TV set hooked up on the 2nd port, so what I do is to close the Arma client, extend my desktop to the 2nd output using Catalyst Control Center (running a AMD HD 4870) which makes the screen "flick off/on" (suppose it is some kind of video reinit), then disable the 2nd output.

After that I launch the client and so far that has fixed the glitches with 100% sucess.

But I suppose it would not be an option for those who are running with a single output connected (the option to extend would be unavailble)...

Regards

[Ddaddy 4]

There's many threads on this topic. Not found any permanent fix. What seems strange to me is why it happens on some machines and not others!

On 2 quad cores (1 intel 1 amd) with 8800gt and 275gtx no issue for me. But on a dual core intel with 4870 glitches in cities bad. Flush works but only lasts a couple minutes.

So why is it not common across cards/machines?