Fs2004 Scenery Engine

[Chris Willis 8]

Hi, Just to add little comments on the scenery engine. The scenery engine in fs2004 update faster the ground texture than fs2002, there is less (dynamic blurring) with your type of system capability according to your details slider, also there is some line in the fs9.cfg And I use, with the MIP MAPPING slider to 5, increasing the mip mapping to 6 or 7, you will loose performance, by default like fs2k2 it is set at 4.TERRAIN_DEFAULT_RADIUS=9.500000TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS=4.5000000Even JohnCi tell me the same thing, about the ground texture..ThanksChris Willis[link:fsw.simflight.com/FSWMenuFsSim.html]Clouds And Addons For MsFs

[Guest JonP01]

Chris,What exactly does the mip-mapping slider do? Nobody has been able to give a proper explanation of this. So far, all I heard from people is that it looks best set halfway (by default at 4) and looks worse if set to either side of this.Also, does the mip-mapping slider effect the "terrain_default_radius" and "terrain_extended_radius" parameters, or are these parameters indepedant of the mip-mapping value set by the user in the GUI?And last but not least, as regards your comment about the terrain textures updating faster in FS2004. Is this at the expense of performance in comparison to FS2002, all other things being equal?Thanks.

[Guest Franken]

This is great news! I'll be sure to try out these settings when I get my hands on it in a month or two (hopefully).

[LAdamson 240]

>And last but not least, as regards your comment about the>terrain textures updating faster in FS2004. Is this at the>expense of performance in comparison to FS2002, all other>things being equal?>For me, the terrain is better looking, and performance (FPS) seems to be better. Just a few changes of sliders such as terrain & water, or water (alone)-------------can make a whopping difference in fps.For instance, flying around a Caribbean Island this evening in the Robinson R-22 chopper, I was getting 35 fps with reasonable settings & water slider - off. Turn to full water slider & got 23 fps. Turn the terrain/water slider to full, back off the water slider to "low", and the water looked the same as with the full setting, but back to 35fps. I'm sure there are visual differences in the water setting, but not in this case.Note: Islands & country settings - including hills, with lot's of auto-gen are very framerate friendly. The Robinson R-22 is extremely fps friendly!L.AdamsonAthlon 1900XP/Geforce3Ti500

[Guest JonP01]

I look forward to trying the Robinson. I'm normally a fixed-wing person myself and I've been a bit discouraged attempting to fly helos in older versions of the sim. I understand the new helos are a bit easier to fly, particular if one just has a joystick with integrated rudder rather than the full works.

[LAdamson 240]

>I look forward to trying the Robinson. I'm normally a>fixed-wing person myself and I've been a bit discouraged>attempting to fly helos in older versions of the sim. I>understand the new helos are a bit easier to fly, particular>if one just has a joystick with integrated rudder rather than>the full works.I believe the Robinson R-22 "IS" easier to fly. Not because the flight dynamics are "easier", but just modeled better. It may or may not need more anti-torque pedal in hover, but I don't know what the real one is like. Other than that, with my rudder pedals, and seperate throttle/collective control, it fly's very much like I flew R/C choppers. I'm also a fixed wing person, but VC & spot modes in this vehicle are a "blast"!!!L.Adamson --- no guarentee's about the total flight envelope of a chopper...

[Guest Joshieca]

Chris, would you be willing to share some of your settings and where you have them set to for best performance? [div align=center][link:www.jetdoc.com/STO/]Visit The Bookstore & Gift Shoppe][/b

[Chris Willis 8]

Hi John, Mip-mapping slider is the same like the mip map on/off in fs2k2, but now you can control the level of the "intensity". In fs2k2 when you turn this to on, it is flickering, ultra bright and not accpetable. The most you can use with the mip map slider it is to 5 it is clear from far, not excessive brights with flickering texture like the mip map on in fs2k2.Orkeep the mip mapping slider in fs2k4 at 4 like default setting and enable the anasotrope, I have just tried this without a external tweaker, and it is better than the mip mapping slider in fs2004.I don't use AA since it eat near 7 fps and no external tweaker.Also there is a new line in the f9.0 TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=40 , by default it is 40, this controls the rate of the texture to the hardware, if your value number are high, the texture will getting faster to the hardware, but you may get stutters depend on your system capability.More the value is lower, more the texture will take time to update, but more smoother.I have set this to 400, I have no stutters in my , P4 2.53 Ghz 533, 512 ram, Gforce4 TI 42008x.Asus P4P800 8X.fs9.cfg[DISPLAY]UPPER_FRAMERATE_LIMIT=20TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=400These are my setting[DISPLAY]UPPER_FRAMERATE_LIMIT=20TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=400TERRAIN_DEFAULT_RADIUS=9.000000TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS=4.500000All at full in fs2004, except, scenery/aircraft shadows, antialasing, dynamic scenery add-ons to off clouds, setting ultra high, mesh to 85, I lock to 20 fps the slider, I get stable 20 fps, At worst condition, I get 15 fps with many clouds layers, BUT the essentiel there is no stutter and even at 13, 14 , 15 fps, it is smooth no joke, I am really happy with the performance. It may take time to check your slider, but you will find good setting for your own preference and system. In general, the performance is the same like fs2002 at the system market time, but now we are in 2003 system market.It is clear under 1.5GHZ, you will have to reduce slider but you will still able to use it with good graphics and smoothness. Even on lower system with many slider reduced, it is still smooth.Autogen in fs2k4 eat more at full slider because they have twice the amount compare to fs2002, you may reduce it to the half for comparaison to fs2002.If I unlock the slider I get near 25 and 35 with fair weather cloudsI have no complain about any blurs anymore :)This is not a external tweaker, it is inside the nvidia display setting option.http://forums.avsim.com/user_files/21202.jpgThanksChris Willis[link:fsw.simflight.com/FSWMenuFsSim.html]Clouds And Addons For MsFs

[Chris Willis 8]

Joshieca, See my post above.ThanksChris Willis[link:fsw.simflight.com/FSWMenuFsSim.html]Clouds And Addons For MsFs

[Guest JonP01]

Hi Chris,Thanks very much for the excellent explanation. I was guessing the mip-map adjustments would do as you said. That bandwidth adjustment looks very interesting and I can't wait to start playing with it. This FS2004 sure has far more performance adjustments than FS2002 ever did. I guess a lot of us will need to be patient and methodical in finding the best compromise amongst image quality, functionality and performance.

[Guest Joshieca]

>Joshieca,> See my post above.>>Thanks>Chris WillisGot it thanks...that will come in most helpful.

[Guest cwright]

>Also there is a new line in the f9.0 TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=40 , >by default it is 40, this controls the rate of the texture to the >hardware, if your value number are high, the texture will getting >faster to the hardware, but you may get stutters depend on your >system capability.Chris, that's amazing! This sounds like exactly what some of us have been asking for on the forum for the last year or so. Maybe Microsoft does listen after all! THis, together with yours and John's observations that dynamic blurred textures seem to be a lot better in FS2004, is very encouraging. Many thanks. Best regards, Chris Wright