FS2004: Compilation of Popular Tweaks

[badderjet 181]

Q) How can I make my DVC gauges look more crisp?A) To make your DVC gauges look more crisp add these line under FS9.CFG [PANELS] section:VIRTUAL_COCKPIT_TEXTURES_SCALE=2.0This might not work on all video cards.

[Guest Ken_Salter]

Q) The panning is too slow. How can I speed this up?A) In you fs9.cfg file, look for the linePAN_RATE=400Change this to set your pan rate near 900.Contributed by timllam10386 and Chris Willis

[Guest drobson]

Want to bypass the opening screen?Make this change to the fs9.cfg. --Square brackets--DEMO=0LOADSIM=1LOADWINDOW=1SHOW_OPENING_SCREEN=0 Change this from 1 to 0STARTUP_DEMO=Want to see low/high/average FPS? --Square Brackets--Location=316,222,964,756HideMenuNormal=0HideMenuFullscreen=1Maximized=0Ave_Frame_Rate_Display=1--Add this lineSave the file and exit.Darrell

[MadDog 353]

Q) How can I pan the outside view when in 2D cockpit mode?A) Add this line in the FS9.CFG CONTROLS section:PAN_IN_COCKPIT_MODE=1Q) How do I turn off the red "brakes" messages?A) Add this line in the FS9.CFG SIM section:SHOW_BRAKE_MESSAGE=0

[Chris Willis 8]

How to disable the AGP Texture Acceleration without disabled from the DirectX.In your fs9.cfg, under your display graphics cards:(DISPLAY.Device.NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X.0)Mode=1024x768x32TriLinear=1TextureAGP=0 <------------------------- Add this line What are the following settings in the [TERRAIN] section of the fs9.cfg file? TERRAIN_ERROR_FACTOR=96.000000 This is a value from 0 to 100 that control the DEM radius (it is linear in area) TERRAIN_MIN_DEM_AREA=10.000000 This the lowest value used to calculate the DEM radius based upon the TERRAIN_ERROR_FACTOR TERRAIN_MAX_DEM_AREA=100.000000 This is the highest value used to calculate the DEM radius TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=19 This control the DEM resolution: 18 = 150m DEM, 19 = 75m DEM, 20 = 37m DEM, 21 = 19m DEM TERRAIN_TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=8 This controls the terrain texture size. Valid values are 8 = 256x256, 7 = 128x128, 6 = 64x64 TERRAIN_AUTOGEN_DENSITY=4 This controls the autogen density TERRAIN_USE_GRADIENT_MAP=1 This turns on/off the gradient map (cliffs). TERRAIN_EXTENDED_TEXTURES=1 This turns on/off the extended texture ring TERRAIN_DEFAULT_RADIUS= This is the default radius in textures for all rings, default is 2.5 TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS= This is the radius used for the inner ring when the extended texture ring is turned on, default is 4.0 TERRAIN_EXTENDED_LEVELS= This is the number of rings to add when using extended texture rings, default is 1 When I am switching view, I get coloring popping texture (brown, red etc.) how can I fix that's ? Fs9.cfg under: (DISPLAY)TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=40 <------------ to a higher value ex: 400This setting controls the rate at which textures get transferred to the video hardware. Higher numbers will result in the textures getting to the hardware faster and avoiding "popping" textures when switching view but may increase stutters and require more physical memory on the video card (and some more, not recommended for video card with less than 128Mb). Performance Boost -Enable the T&L will increase your performance near 4 fps-AntialasingThe Antialasing inside fs2004, will reduce alot your performance, uncheck from the fs2004 and only use the Antialasing from external tweaker or from your driver display setting.Better performance in 2d panel mode and others area.By disabled the AGP Texture Acceleration, your performance will increase specialy with 2d panel and others area. (You will not nead to turn of the AGP Texture Acceleration under your DirectX, it's the same function inside fs9.cfg)In your fs9.cfg under:(DISPLAY.Device.NVIDIA GeForce4 Ti 4200 with AGP8X.0)Mode=1024x768x32TriLinear=1TextureAGP=0 <------------------------- Add this linePanelAsTexture=0 <--------------------- Add this lineBy adding the PanelAsTexture line, your performance will even increase specialy with 2d panel 3rd party aircraft, it may cause 2-d panels to blank out if you've enabled AA inside FS2004, uncheck AA in fs2004, and enabling AA from your prefered tweaker or your driver display setting. Special thank to JohnCi for the PanelAsTexture=0ThanksChris Willis[link:fsw.simflight.com/FSWMenuFsSim.html]Clouds And Addons For MsFs

[Chris Willis 8]

Q) How can I pan the view in the 2D cockpit? A) In the fs9.cfg file add this line in the CONTROLS section: pan_in_cockpit_mode=1 Q) How can I add visual damage effect to aircraft? a) Add the following line after the ui_variation line in the aircraft.cfg file for each aircraft you want to display the damage effects: visual_damage=1 You must also check "Detect crash and reset situation" in the simulator realism settings Q) How do I disable the warning message on startup about non-compatible modules? A) Add the following lines to the fs9.cfg file{OldModules} (use brackets not braces - this forum does not display brackets)name of dll=1 Q) How can I stop the AP to automatically turn on the wing leveler? Add the following lines in the Autopilot section of the aircraft.cfg file for each airplane you want to change back the AP behavior to the FS2000 way: use_no_default_bank=1 use_no_default_pitch=1 Q) How do I back-up from a gate? A) With the push-back function: SHIFT+P to start going back, SHIFT+P then 1 (main keyboard) to back and turn left, SHIFT+P then 2 to back and turn right, and don't forget SHIFT+P again to stop moving! ThanksChris Willis[link:fsw.simflight.com/FSWMenuFsSim.html]Clouds And Addons For MsFs

[Chris Willis 8]

Q) I can`t see the water reflection even if they are correctly set? In your Control Panel, Regional Settings, Set to English (United States)Terrain detail = Land Only Water Effects = High ThanksChris Willis[link:fsw.simflight.com/FSWMenuFsSim.html]Clouds And Addons For MsFs

[Guest Ken_Salter]

Q) How can I customize the panel lighting?A) Here's the setting I use for my Hawk panel which looks cool and is subtle at night:(Color)Day=255,255,255Night=20,20,20Luminous=170,170,110and one of the settings I use for my private DC-3 panels:(Color)Day=255,255,255Night=60,21,21Luminous=140,85,2Try those two for starters in one or other of your panels, and see what you think.Thanks to Dark Moment for posting this

[Guest jase439]

Q) How can I make my overcast clouds look better and not so patchy?Read this thread:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...28918&mode=fullYou still get a few little holes here and there every so often, but at about a tenth of the frequency as before. Adds to the realism actually. I think it's a byproduct of the dynamic weather. I had no holes initiallly, but after about 20-30 minutes, I started seeing a few isolated patches in the overcast with different cloud formations occupying the 'holes'.-=-=-Combining low vis with the cloud layer is still the key. I have also had good success with two layers of stratus, one from 2000 to 3999, the next from 4000 to 6500. Then a layer of 1/16th vis from 2000 to 5000. If you like more of a "deck" then this looks a little better. Also, I have backed cloud density off from "maximum" to "high". I get more holes, but I don't get the giant hole above me after descending. I think with maximum density, FS9 is trying to get better framerates by knocking down the clouds. -=-=-You can also improve performance, my reducing the 3D clouds percentage. FS will still draw clouds out to the maximum cloud draw distance, but it will render them as a 2D textured surface instead of a volume. Not a huge gain, but you can pick up 10-15% or so. I have mine set to 60% 3D clouds.For best overcast results, it's best if you limit your maximum visibility to 60-80 miles and set the cloud draw distance to the same, otherwise you'll get a very visible line on the horizon where the cloud line stops.

[Guest jase439]

Q. The yaw damper doesn't appear to work in 3rd party panels.FS9 adds many new lines to the autopilot section of the aircraft.cfg file (after you use the aircraft for the first time) and the last one allows you to activate the yaw damper for any aircraft. The line looks like this:yaw_damper_gain=0.000000Just change it to:yaw_damper_gain=1.000000and that aircraft will, once again, have a yaw damper. Kudos out to Dave Freed for this helpful tip!

[Bert Pieke 7,585]

Q. How can I get similar frame rates to what I was getting in FS2002?A. If all the new features in FS9 are slowing down your system, here is a starting point that should get you back to FFS2002 performance or better:Select in the Options/Settings/Display menu:Terrain detail = Land OnlyWater Effects = Low Select in the World/Weather/User selected weather, CustomizeVisibility=50 milesClouds=none (or Advanced weather: "Few" Cirrus 10,000 to 12,000 feet, looks better with little fps impact)and back on the Weather menu: Rate of Change=0

[shermank 173]

Q) HOW CAN I STOP SOUND STUTTERS IN FS2004A) CLICK ON START AND THEN RUN. TYPE IN "DXDIAG". LOOK FOR THE SOUND PAGE, THEN NOTE POSITION OF SLIDER FOR SOUND ACCELERATION. MOVE IT FROM HIGH TO BASIC.SHERM

[MikeAdamo 51]

Hello again,I thought it a good idea to add this long post to this FAQ thread as many people have told me they

[Guest]

Guys, I think I fixed my stutters. Check out these two links if you are having performance problems.!http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...92&mesg_id=4492http://fsw.simflight.com/FSWFs2k4fix.htmlI believe these two tweaks did it for me. Todd

[Guest Jimbofly]

I've found that by reducing water effects to "none" the water actually looks better and you get an improvement in performance. I have a Radeon 9700, so it is DX9 compatible.I've noticed that in some ways the water in FS2K4 with effects set to high look a little overdone, and that the water can turn strange colours sometimes. By setting the water effects to "none", the water actually looks more real and the colours more convincing.I've also noticed that when setting autogen and static scenery to "very dense" rather than "extremely dense", there's an almost two-fold improvement in frame rate in San Fransisco, yet you hardly notice the difference. I hope this post helps people with their flight simulator experience!James