RivaTuner - Texture Filtering Settings

[Cruachan 705]

Great utility, but I'm a little surprised nobody has commented on one of its deeper features available to the inveterate tweaker constantly in search of his/her nirvana ;) Select the Texture tab and under Texture filtering settings there is an 'Optimize' button. This takes you to a page where it appears you can optimize the filtering mode for one or multiples of up to 4 texturing stages.You can also force such optimization in software by checking the 'Always optimize selected stages box'I can see the advantage of restricting the Direct 3D driver to optimize filtering mode for only one texturing stage (in my case stage 0) since this must lead to a saving in processing resources. Under Optimization strategy I have the maximum anisotropy set at level 8 for this one stage.However, I wonder just how relevant this is when applied to FS2002? How many texturing stages are used? On brief experimentation I see no obvious improvement in clarity over restoration of the default settings where no stages are selected and forcing level 8 for anisotropy (GeForce4). This may be simply because only one stage is in fact used so it does not matter either way.In what situation would such an additional tweaking capability be relevant? Or should one just ignore this page? I would be interested to know.Mike :-wave

[Guest Stratus_Fractus]

I'd like to know too.

[Naji 5]

Hi, Mike, Stratus.The settings that have made all the difference in my setup are as such for the Textures tab:Before you click on Optimize, put Degree of Anisotropy on 'Determined by Direct3D Application'. Then click on Optimize; on the tab that opens, I have Stage1, 2, 3 checked, but Stage0 unchecked. Check 'Always Optimize Selected Stages'. I have Max Anisotropy on level 8. This together with a LOD Bias of +0.3 and AA of Quincunx has given me a crystal clear landscape. I have GF4 Ti4600, 2.4Ghz and using Det 40.71.Hope this helps.EDITED: It is curious to note that, in the Textures tab, simply putting the Degree of Anisotropy on Level8, without going to Optimize, wouldn't kick in aniso at all on my setup. Only after I put the above, did I get aniso beautiful effects. I have no idea why; thankfully, I came across the above settings on Guru3d.com.

[Guest]

I have also the same settings and it works fine it depends on your system also to update the textures make sure you do a dfrag for your hardrive which also helps. i really think this stuff sould be in a website to help plp out, take care guys hope it works good for you. :D

[Guest PaulL01]

>I can see the advantage of restricting the Direct 3D driver >to optimize filtering mode for only one texturing stage (in >my case stage 0) since this must lead to a saving in >processing resources. Under Optimization strategy I have the >maximum anisotropy set at level 8 for this one stage. >>However, I wonder just how relevant this is when applied to >FS2002? How many texturing stages are used? On brief >experimentation I see no obvious improvement in clarity over >restoration of the default settings where no stages are >selected and forcing level 8 for anisotropy (GeForce4). This >may be simply because only one stage is in fact used so it >does not matter either way. >>In what situation would such an additional tweaking >capability be relevant? Or should one just ignore this page? >I would be interested to know. >>>Mike :-wave Mike,I'll do my best to explain: first Anistropic filtering as you probably already know helps to sharpen Mipmaped textures as when viewed at an angle (runway and terrain on approach etc). However the higher degree of anistropic filtering that you use will require considerable work from the video card and thus you start to loose FPS performance. The GF4TI cards suffer a greater hit than even GF3 cards so..Alexey the creator of Rvtuner Designed the "optimization" as a means of trying to help lessen the burden on the video card by using Rvtuners "optimization" of usually the second (or more) stage(s) of textures as when the effect has little negative visual impact, that is you let the first stage receive the Aniso filter but limit its use (optimize)on subsequent stages.For example in the use of FS2k2's reflective Aircraft textures you would want to see the aircrafts panel lines, paint work, logo and stripe get the full aniso treatment but then limit the aniso on the "reflective" environment texture as that is blurry to begin with etc...So, as you have it set according to your post, actually I don't see where you would get any benefit as you have not limited it (first stage) at all nor would I recommend those settings.You might want to try letting the first stage alone and just limit the second stage to "2" if you have aniso set at "3"(recommended) or level"4" as the overall aniso level.Hope you get the gist, the "Optimization" is on performance not image quality.I don't use the "optimization" settings so I cant give you any "best settings" recommendations.I am however enjoying 8x FSAA as enabled by Atuner. :)

[Cruachan 705]

Thanks Naji, PaulAs ever, your replies are very helpful. I think I understand and am now away to experiment further.Paul, in fact before all this I had been running for several weeks with 'force level 8' under 'Texture filtering settings' and LOD -0.1 (same as you) and immediately noted an improvement in the quality of the ground textures in FS2002. I had not progressed or experimented with the second page revealed by clicking the 'Optimize' button.....until today, that is!One further question - Do you revert back to the defaults before benchmarking with 3DMark 2001SE? Even with your overclocking your score seems impressive - even moreso if you run the benchmark with FSAAx8 and Anisotropy level 4 forced. In my case I take a significant hit if Anisotropy level 8 is forced. Clearly, sensible performance comparisons between systems can only be made if everyone using similar GPU and CPU hardware are benchmarking with the same default initial settings.Mike :-wave

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Paul,Back again :)I have prodded and pulled and finally come up with the following settings for my GeForce Ti4400 (30.82):LOD -0.1 (also tried -0.3 and -0.5 but didn't see a marked difference)Texture filtering: Anisotropy Level 8 forced for texturing stage 0 Stages 1,2 and 3 are optimized Anisotropy level 4Does all this make sense to you? Certainly the ground textures (Ruud Faber)appear superb and blurr naturally, as one would expect in reality, towards the far distance as seen from an altitude of 2000-3000ft.I tried enabling FSAA (Quincunx) but really this makes the ground textures and gauges look horrible to my eyes so have reverted back to the default 2x and my usual screen resolution of 1280x960x32.Similarly, using a setting for LOD of +0.3, as recommended by Naji, degraded the image quite significantly and was a definite no no. Strange how we get different results, isn't it?Regards,Mike :-wave

[Guest Stamatis]

"LOD -0.1 (also tried -0.3 and -0.5 but didn't see a marked difference)"I believe that LOD does not work with the latest Nvidia drivers, no matter what you put the setting to. They need to be "patched" first. Maybe this is why you saw no difference?StamatisPS. Anyone knows if this LOD setting problem has been dealt with by Nvidia?

[Guest]

Stamatis there is a patch script in riva tuner go to power users tab in the bottom 3rd icon click on that then go to the folder patch scripts the nvida folder after that you sould see alot folders for dirrent things one for lod bias fix, i still need to learn more about this stuff it is very intresting i hate the fact that many plp out there dont know nothing about this stuff and it will really help you gaming alot am using 30.82 drivers not 40s.

[Guest Stamatis]

Thank you "EarthDragon", but I knew about the patch, this is why I referred to it :-)My question was meant to ask whether by any chance Nvidia had corrected this bug in any subsequent driver release, so that this patch was no longer required?Stamatis

[Guest]

Hehe sorry about that i dont know myself buts its a good question i dont think they did fix it anyone know ?? :)

[Cruachan 705]

>I believe that LOD does not work with the latest Nvidia drivers, no matter what you put the setting to. They need to be "patched" first. Maybe this is why you saw no difference?Well, no. The patch script has been applied and I do see a difference but not enough to justify settling for an LOD setting of -0.3 or -0.5 and certainly not +0.3Mike :-wave

[Guest]

LoL, I have gone the past couple of months assuming that I was using -3.0 LOD...until I saw this thread! I applied the patch script and now I know what LOD -3.0 ACTUALLY looks like--swimmy and not very desirable. I've moved the decimal over a notch and now I'm using LOD -0.3 :-).-Derek

[Guest LSangiovanni LIML]

Hi friends,very interesting readings.I need help with Riva Tuner:can anyone, please, explain to me why, from time to time, especially after running batch files or DOS applications, my Riva Tuner Digital Vibrance setting revert back to default and i have to open again program and reload my preference?What is wrong with Riva Tuner v.2? Or perhaps it's only my fault?Thanks in advance for helpingcheersLuigi ;-)P4 2.53GB, 768MB ram, ASUS TI4200

[Cruachan 705]

on my posts 5 and 6.Fingers crossed!Mike