Hi!I just installed ASV and went thru the settings menu. I activated the "ICS+Random Sky/Env" mode.Then I recognized the "Enable Mips" Button in the Active Environment menu. Here's my question: When I want to enable the "Mips", is it enough when I click it the "Enable Mips" once, or do I have to press the button everytime on startup when the randomizer chooses a new texture set?By the way.........great piece of software;-)Kind regardsMartin

HI, You only have to do it one time, no need to press them again after, they are all converted for ever. Mips function only works with imagetools.exe installed from Ms.ThanksChris WillisHiFi Simulation Software Team Developerhttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpgFreeware Addons for FSW GROUP

Chris, I have downloaded imagetools.exe. Now what? I read the wordfile that came with it but I am a bit confused. I still cannot figure out how to use this tool and what files to convert in the FS9 texture folder. Can you give me a short step by step tutorial to do this?Regards,Tom

Hi, only copy the imagetools.exe to Flight Simulator 9ModulesASVActiveEnvironment.You will able to mips clouds in AE interface, do it only one time if needed.ThanksChris WillisHiFi Simulation Software Team Developerhttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpgFreeware Addons for FSW GROUP

>Chris, I have downloaded imagetools.exe. >TomTom, could you please give a direct link to the imagetools.exe sourcefile at Microsoft.com? I cannot find that file by doing their search on their siteallen

I am confused about the benefits of mips. If I have a very fast machine with a good video card, would mips help or hurt?

HI, "I am confused about the benefits of mips. If I have a very fast machine with a good video card, would mips help or hurt?"By default ASV they are disabled, normaly mips help, if you have issue enabled, you can always revert back to mips disabled after. Default fs2004 clouds are mips enabled, it's depend on system and configuration.Files for mipshttp://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho..._id=17264&page=ThanksChris WillisHiFi Simulation Software Team Developerhttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpgFreeware Addons for FSW GROUP

Hi Allen,http://www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimul...wnloads_sdk.aspHope this helps,JimActiveSky Sales and Supporthttp://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpg http://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_proud_supporter.jpg

>HI,> "I am confused about the benefits of mips. If I have a very>fast machine with a good video card, would mips help or>hurt?">>>>By default ASV they are disabled, normaly mips help, if you>have issue enabled, you can always revert back to mips>disabled after. Default fs2004 clouds are mips enabled, it's>depend on system and configuration.>>>Files for mips>http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho..._id=17264&page=>>>>Thanks>Chris Willis>HiFi Simulation Software Team Developer>http://www.hifisim.com/images/asv_dev_team.jpg>Freeware Addons for FSW GROUPI think the question was about the benefits, not how do you convert to mips, so you really didn't answer the question. I have a very fast machine with a PCI-e x800xt 256MB card and frame rates aren't an issue for me. What is the tradeoff to not using mips? I would assume performance. Do you know what the difference between using mips and not using mips is in terms of performance? Are there any other benefits of using mips or quality issues if not using them?Thanks.

Bump

I have the same config, and would also hear an answer to the above question about the benefits of Mips?

Hello all,I have not tried MIPS yet, because I'm not at home right now. As you can easily revert back to non-MIPS, why don't you just try MIPS and see if you note any improvement? If I understand it right, the effect of MIPS is also machine dependant. So I'd say: give it a go! :9

As an engineer I like to read about the theory behind also ;)Of course I can just "try and explore" but I was just curious and wanted to learn something about the topic :)

Hi All,Mips are in effect separate resolution/size sub-images within the original image. These are used within FS9 for different performance reasons, showing lower-resolution versions when the image is further away, as the higher resolution version is not needed. A good example of this is the scenery engine, where further-away-scenery can be blurry (lower res mip sub-image).From a purely technical standpoint, MIPS should provide better performance at the cost of reduced image quality (reducing further as the distance increases). From a practical standpoint, some users have reported better performance with MIPS, others with NO MIPS, so it is really hard to say. There are probably plenty of other factors at play, many of them unknown within the FS9 wx graphics engine.Hope that helps,

Thanks Damian. So it's really a trial and error thing, and if all is well without mips, then I'm hearing there is no compelling reason to enable them, since quality may suffer as a result.