My next project is to start looking into producing some scenery myself using FSEarth tiles and also to give Tileproxy a try. No doubt a steep learning curve there as well.......rgds,Mark

Hi Mark,Actually, while it may seem a bit daunting at first, it's really quite straightforward....once you get the hang of it ;)I suggest you use Ed Truthan's excellent guide and follow his advice:http://edtruthan.com/tileproxy/tutorial/I haven't been running TileProxy for a while and, in the light of this discussion, I thought I would blow the dust of the executable and give it another try. Performance in FSX in the past was poor with slow updating of the tiles (broadband speed related). The program was updated to version Beta 8 some time back and I had installed it but, believe it or not, never quite got around to giving it a try! Anyway, since then my broadband speeds have improved (you really need to be around 2Mbits/sec or better) so it was now or never. I checked my FSX TileProxy configuration file and, yes, the TBM=400 tweak was still there, fired up TileProxy, then the sim + the FSX TP config file, loaded my local flight situation (takes a while with TP - you have to be patient) and WOW! the performance was very good indeed. So you, Christian and Nick do know what you are talking about: when using Photoscenery with FSX a TBM value of 400 does seem to help quite a bit. It also helps to anchor your frame rates between 12-18.Regards,MikeASRock 939Dual-SATA2 (AM2CPU Board), AMD Athlon 64X2 6400+ (BE,3200MHz,Windsor), Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro, 2GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2 PC2-6400 4-4-4-12(2T) (Dual Channel), NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB (DDR3) (ForceWare 182.08 WHQL), SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum (Drivers version 5.12.0001.1196 WHQL), Antec NeoHE 650W PSU, Windows XP Home Edition (SP3), DirectX 9.0c

I totally agree with Nick's assessment, and I too get dismayed at seeing posts that appear to be a "magic bullet" type of solution. Mike's finding will undoubtably work for the type of flying he will do with photoscenery, but if it is used as a "one size fits all" solution for all types of FSX graphics use, many people will encounter severe problems with it depending on their hardware. Like Nick said, and I agree, that does NOT mean it is a "bad thing" to do in FSX...as long as the user UNDERSTANDS when (or even if) it should be be used, and even more importantly, when to NOT use it.Case in point...in the last 3 days, I bit the bullet and tried the new Beta 8 version of TileProxy myself. I had tried it in the past, but gave up on it due to long loading times, slow loading textures, the need to fly at under 100 kts so FSX could keep up with the tile loading, etc. To me, it wasn't worth it. But I read that Beta 8 "fixed" a lot of this, so I thought "What the hell, I'll give it a try and see what happens."After going through the initial problems setting it up with my Vista 64 and encountering the "unsigned drivers" issue, I finally got it all working. The TileProxy installation did make changes to my FSX.CFG file, including the TBM=400 new entry. But I made darn sure I made a backup of my FSX.CFG file prior to installing TP (which the instructions recommend you do), so I can always "swap out" an FSX.CFG file configured for my non-photoscenery flying.I must say, I am impressed with what TP Beta 8 can do now. In the past 48 hours, I have spent WAY too much time using it. After using it with the initial "default" installation settings (recommended in the tutorial installation guide for the first time you install it), it was impressive. But then I started increasing the "demands" of it by trying out the 60cm and 30cm tile options. I honestly didn't expect it to work very well, in as much as the documentation and tutorial said it was "experimental" and required "extensive hardware capability", etc. So I expected to be disappointed in this area.Was I wrong! I'm still playing around with different "level mapping" strategies, but for photscenery flying, the Beta 8 TP seems to be a winner. I have a relatively high-end computer, configured correctly for FSX, and have no problems running FSX the way I want it. Never have had a problem, but I also have extensive computer background in knowing how to make the proper adjustments depending on what I am asking FSX to do at the time. And that is the key to this whole thread, and what Nick is trying to get everyone to understand.TP Beta 8 was a total surprise to me. It runs fantastically for me with the "recommeded" settings it makes to the FSX.CFG file. BUT...There is NO WAY I would use those same settings in FSX when running non-photoscenery graphics. When I do an FSX session with UTX, GEXn, autogen enabled, etc...I WILL go back to using my "backed up" FSX.CFG file without the changes the TP installer made to it. Otherwise, my FSX would NOT be configured properly for that type of graphics use.There are a plethora of "scenery display types" a user can use in FSX...photoscenery is just one of them. There is NO "magic bullet" setting in FSX that works best for ALL of them. If you are going to "jump around" using different types of scenery in FSX, you really should have different "configuration files" for them, and if possible, use the configuration file that works best with the type of scenery you are using at the time.I like variety in my FSX experience. Yes, I use photoscenry. But I also am amazed at the capabilities of products like UTX, GEXn, FTX, and many, many others. I will be one of the first to purchase GEXn Europe when it is released. But if I am going to "jump around" using these different type of scenery products in FSX, I WILL NEED to use different "configuration settings" to get the most from each of them. There is no "magic bullet" that will work for ALL of them.Rick

I totally agree with Nick's assessment, and I too get dismayed at seeing posts that appear to be a "magic bullet" type of solution. Mike's finding will undoubtably work for the type of flying he will do with photoscenery, but if it is used as a "one size fits all" solution for all types of FSX graphics use, many people will encounter severe problems with it depending on their hardware. Like Nick said, and I agree, that does NOT mean it is a "bad thing" to do in FSX...as long as the user UNDERSTANDS when (or even if) it should be be used, and even more importantly, when to NOT use it.Case in point...in the last 3 days, I bit the bullet and tried the new Beta 8 version of TileProxy myself. I had tried it in the past, but gave up on it due to long loading times, slow loading textures, the need to fly at under 100 kts so FSX could keep up with the tile loading, etc. To me, it wasn't worth it. But I read that Beta 8 "fixed" a lot of this, so I thought "What the hell, I'll give it a try and see what happens."After going through the initial problems setting it up with my Vista 64 and encountering the "unsigned drivers" issue, I finally got it all working. The TileProxy installation did make changes to my FSX.CFG file, including the TBM=400 new entry. But I made darn sure I made a backup of my FSX.CFG file prior to installing TP (which the instructions recommend you do), so I can always "swap out" an FSX.CFG file configured for my non-photoscenery flying.I must say, I am impressed with what TP Beta 8 can do now. In the past 48 hours, I have spent WAY too much time using it. After using it with the initial "default" installation settings (recommended in the tutorial installation guide for the first time you install it), it was impressive. But then I started increasing the "demands" of it by trying out the 60cm and 30cm tile options. I honestly didn't expect it to work very well, in as much as the documentation and tutorial said it was "experimental" and required "extensive hardware capability", etc. So I expected to be disappointed in this area.Was I wrong! I'm still playing around with different "level mapping" strategies, but for photscenery flying, the Beta 8 TP seems to be a winner. I have a relatively high-end computer, configured correctly for FSX, and have no problems running FSX the way I want it. Never have had a problem, but I also have extensive computer background in knowing how to make the proper adjustments depending on what I am asking FSX to do at the time. And that is the key to this whole thread, and what Nick is trying to get everyone to understand.TP Beta 8 was a total surprise to me. It runs fantastically for me with the "recommeded" settings it makes to the FSX.CFG file. BUT...There is NO WAY I would use those same settings in FSX when running non-photoscenery graphics. When I do an FSX session with UTX, GEXn, autogen enabled, etc...I WILL go back to using my "backed up" FSX.CFG file without the changes the TP installer made to it. Otherwise, my FSX would NOT be configured properly for that type of graphics use.There are a plethora of "scenery display types" a user can use in FSX...photoscenery is just one of them. There is NO "magic bullet" setting in FSX that works best for ALL of them. If you are going to "jump around" using different types of scenery in FSX, you really should have different "configuration files" for them, and if possible, use the configuration file that works best with the type of scenery you are using at the time.I like variety in my FSX experience. Yes, I use photoscenry. But I also am amazed at the capabilities of products like UTX, GEXn, FTX, and many, many others. I will be one of the first to purchase GEXn Europe when it is released. But if I am going to "jump around" using these different type of scenery products in FSX, I WILL NEED to use different "configuration settings" to get the most from each of them. There is no "magic bullet" that will work for ALL of them.Rick

There really is no need to create different FSX.cfg files for swapping out purposes. You can create the necessary configuration files from within the sim and load as necessary. You reconfigure what you can from within the sim and save the file. Then, if necessary, this file should be edited in Notepad to add/change certain entries like TBM.For example, here are the configuration entries stored in my Settings_TileProxy.CFG file:[GRAPHICS]TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=1024NUM_LIGHTS=8AIRCRAFT_SHADOWS=1AIRCRAFT_REFLECTIONS=1COCKPIT_HIGH_LOD=1LANDING_LIGHTS=1AC_SELF_SHADOW=0EFFECTS_QUALITY=2GROUND_SHADOWS=0[sCENERY]LENSFLARE=1DAWN_DUSK_SMOOTHING=1IMAGE_COMPLEXITY=3[DISPLAY]BLOOM_EFFECTS=0SKINNED_ANIMATIONS=1TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=400UPPER_FRAMERATE_LIMIT=18[PANELS]QUICKTIPS=1PANEL_OPACITY=100[TERRAIN]LOD_RADIUS=3.500000MESH_COMPLEXITY=85MESH_RESOLUTION=22TEXTURE_RESOLUTION=25AUTOGEN_DENSITY=0DETAIL_TEXTURE=1WATER_EFFECTS=3[WEATHER]CLOUD_DRAW_DISTANCE=1DETAILED_CLOUDS=1CLOUD_COVERAGE_DENSITY=7THERMAL_VISUALS=0DownloadWindsAloft=0DisableTurbulence=0[TrafficManager]AirlineDensity=10GADensity=10FreewayDensity=10ShipsAndFerriesDensity=15LeisureBoatsDensity=15IFROnly=0AIRPORT_SCENERY_DENSITY=1This file is loaded prior to the creation of a flight situation where I intend to be using TileProxy (TP).After I finish the TP session, and before exiting, I will load my Settings_My Normal Configuration.CFG file which contains my base settings used for general flying in the sim. This file contains, amongst other changes, my usual TBM setting of 70.Currently I have 22 such configuration files all of which are stored in the My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files folder. This helps my system cope with FSX under quite a few different circumstances.All part of the ongoing struggle to get FSX to deliver acceptable performance!My understanding is that the developers introduced this helpful facility in anticipation of the performance problems with FSX and does give the experienced end user a fighting chance of achieving reasonable success on a variety of system specs. However, this leaves all the casual/first time users out in the cold as they will have little or no understanding of how to manipulate this feature.Mike

I guess its about time I added the TBM for photoscenery to the tuning thread. Most people who use PS already know about it from others who use it or from the devs who make the products however given the conversation here I will go ahead and add it to the config with all the warnings.

Mike,I've been doing that for a long time already. Ever since FEX introduced the need for 4096 textures for the HD clouds. It's the only way while in FSX to change a setting without something like Texture_Max_Load=4096 defaulting back to 1024, or an LOD Radius higher than 4.5 reseting itself. Any use of the "sliders" in FSX will result in any individaul setting manually adjusted over it's maximum slider value being reset to at most it's maximum slider setting again.I planned on making several new TP ones to include in my list, for different TP uses such as different Level Mappings, etc.If anyone here reading this is confused by the above, below is a link to a tutorial I wrote in the REX forum in December 2008. The Admins there made it a "sticky" post. Note in the last post, a user said that he experimented and found out you can actually create a saved file with only ONE FSX.CFG entry in it, like for the Texture_Max_Load=4096 only. When using that saved file, he said it won't change any other settings in FSX. I haven't tried that method yet, but if it does work, you could actually have a saved file that would allow you to change any ONE or more settings in FSX without having to use the sliders or create a saved file with all the other settings in it. This would be useful if you wanted to just change the settings for the items in the FSX.CFG file that TP changes.http://realenvironmentxtreme.com/forum/index.php?topic=898.0Rick

hi Guys, i use a simple batch file command from the desktop to swap my various config files in and out , depending on the type of flying i am doing. Here is a copy of the batch file text;copy "c:\Users\mark\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\fsxmaster.cfg" "c:\Users\Mark\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX\fsx.cfgyou will have to substitute your own file locations and names.good to see that that my little discovery has wider implications. I am looking forward to giving tile proxy a go.cheers, Mark

Hi Nick, hope you are well and not too overworked getting your next release out ! Which i cant wait for BTW> Dont get the wrong impression, i am not trumpeting this as another " miracle tweak", just a fix that worked specifically for me on my specific set up. I just suggested anyone else with similar set up, both scenery and machine, may wish to try if they were experiencingthe same problem. I fully realised that my "find" was not applicable across the board, thats why I prefaced the topic "for photoscenery users". I dont think my post implies anything but the fact that it worked specifically for me with my set up and that I realised that a very different result would occur if you were using autogen, and UTX ,GEX etc etc, but i guess it could be misinterpreted.Just wanted to clear that up, and hopefully no one has misunderstood what I posted.As a photoscenery user, I often find it difficult to get specific information as it is a niche market within FSX. For instance, in all the threads regarding this problem, I started, no one ever pointed that photosceneries worked differently and were rendered differently to the normal textures. bHopefully my little find will be of use to fellow users. On another note, my new drive set up etc seems to be working very well and having set up FSX and windows again using your tweaks and advice, its all great. So thanks once again for your help and advice getting me to where i am now, best regards, mark here are the screenies I promised of Gottfried Razek's blue sky scenery:Before tweak:And after: ( note the frame rates in this one) Does not look to sad eh?!

Mark.What is photo scenery.Can this be installed on any system.Where do I get info about this.I am very interested.I would really appreciate a reply.Tim Diamond,Canada