[dx2]

I agree. I have made the same experience with performance loss with the user interface.

I suspect a bad implementation for the rendered scene merged with the ui bits. Maybe it is getting rendered with the scene together all the time?

Hitting F10 twice increases FPS a LOT (2 - 3 times more than with UI)

To investigate the matter I switched back to the default UI disabling all windows (not by pressing F10 twice). There is no real difference. Pressing F10 twice with default UI will have the same effect.

Another point: It depends on size of the AREA that the UI element covers.
So having very small UI elements can run as game a little bit faster.
Try it yourself: (use uibuilder to allow the quest journal to resize up to 1 x 1 pixel) (use FRAPS to show FPS)
- open journal with full size --> FPS drops a lot
- resize journal to 1 x 1 pixel --> FPS rises back to original value
-> so the content of the window is not the point if it is not shown

Yet another point: Making UI elements 100% invisible (by window options) prevents FPS to fall a lot. it just falls very few frames per second. You have to make sure it is 100% invisible. 99% is not fully invisible.

I would like to have an API which I can use to write my own 'UI' to show it on a second monitor for example. Wouldn't this be great?
I know everything is possible but it wouldnt be legal.



Maybe there is a way to influence DirectX directly ? Maybe to disallow thr game to use a specific feature that results in the fps problems?
I do not know a program which can do this.