Shimmering....anybodyNOT have it?

[Guest belga1]

Hello,

Gus, if I send you an LCD will you test it?

Yes of course I'm open minded to any tests Unfortunately I'm not sure if I will send it you back Regards.Gus.

[Bigmack 29]

I own a Nvidia 8800GTX. Which is connected to two 27" dell LCD monitors. I get no shimmering except when a airport developer is the lazy the mip their "T" bmp files in the scenery texture folder. I usally end up converting the files myself, which eliminates the shimmering effect. As state before shimmering has nothing to do with AA or AF quality settings.Bill M :(

[acmech 2]

I don't know if this is the correct cure, but I add mip maps to all textures that are shimmering. I have done this to my trees and all of my AI aircraft. The effect is great because it tends to blurr the object as it gets farther away which is exactly what happen to things in the real world. :(

[rhodges 6]

Thanks loads Paul!I got rid of all shimmers in FSX, but have just lived with them in FS9 for years. I thought I had tried every combination I could think of, but apparently overlooked your recommended settings somewhere. Don't see a sign of them now after an edit to your recommended settings.Respectfully:RTH

I am actually "pretty" close. The only time I get a shimmer is when using my TrackIR or on "some" AI. Otherwise, 16xs AA with SS enabled (which crippled my 8800GTX but my GTX285 eats up) does the trick for me.. I know people say at higher resolutions like 2048*1152 you don't need AA but I think that is one of the biggest loads of garbage ever spread in FS. If I shut off my AA no matter how high my resolution is it is HORRIBLE and IMMEDIATELY noticeable! Like I said, the only area I get a "little" shimmer is on my AI. and sometimes at KEWR Even things like Fences which use to be a nightmare now look beautiful. Incidentally I think I got better IQ with the 196.xx driver versions than the 182.50's but they were not stable(nv4disp.dll blue screens) on my box so for now I am still using the 182.50's at 16xsAA. If I go back to 8xS the difference is immediately noticeable. I also have a Negative LOD Clamp and usually stay between -.750 and 1.000. This also helps to sharpen things up a bit but if you go to far towards the negative you can actually introduce shimmers. The further you go into the negative lod clamp the sharper the image until you go to far...In fact the only place I even think about any flicker is at ImagineSim KEWR and with a couple of AI except for with TrackIR running and that seems to enhance any flickering on the screen, especially my taxiway lines at KEWR LOL!!!Cheers!-Paul

[psolk 3,040]

Thanks loads Paul!I got rid of all shimmers in FSX, but have just lived with them in FS9 for years. I thought I had tried every combination I could think of, but apparently overlooked your recommended settings somewhere. Don't see a sign of them now after an edit to your recommended settings.Respectfully:RTH

My Pleasure!!!Always glad to help, hope you enjoy!!-Paul

[red1 0]

Wait, so you actually introduced negative LOD and that helped shimmer? I thought it was the other way around...

[psolk 3,040]

Wait, so you actually introduced negative LOD and that helped shimmer? I thought it was the other way around...

To an extent that is correct and true. If you introduce too much negative LOD it will indeed cause shimmers, introduce too much positive and it will make everything look blurry but introducing a little bit of negative actually works to sharpen things up a bit. At least on my machine and we all know that no two are alike ;)-P

[Wolfko 0]

So it sounds like Nvidia has added something into the AA settings as well to help with shimmering which is why 16xS with SS makes everything appear so "soft" and smooth...I still think that in later versions of drivers the AF has gotten worse and it has required higher levels of AA to supplement it.

This has already worked when I first installed NHancer one and a half year ago. I even was able to reduce shimmering with high levels of AA in FS2002!! I think to remember that this was suggested by the legendary Simon Evans (or was it Captain Slarty?).Now in 2004 I get terrible shimmering and flickering with all the German Airports by Aerosoft (I think their designers never have heard about mipmapping :( ). Even the highest setting of AF has absolutely no influence on this shimmering. Only with Supersampling AA I'm able to reduce the shimmering nearly to zero. Conclusion: at least on my system AA has much more effect on reducing shimmering than AF.Wolfgangedit: a reason for e. g. shimmering airport textures can be, that no mipmaps are used in the textures (like it seems with the German Airport series from Aerosoft). I was able to cure this kind of shimmering by adding mipmaps to the textures (i. e. converting the textures) of some freeware airports. But I will not touch the payware GAP. But this also means, that setting the level of mipmaps within FS9 has absolutely no influence on this kind of shimmering.

[Guest stranex]

This has already worked when I first installed NHancer one and a half year ago. I even was able to reduce shimmering with high levels of AA in FS2002!! I think to remember that this was suggested by the legendary Simon Evans (or was it Captain Slarty?).Now in 2004 I get terrible shimmering and flickering with all the German Airports by Aerosoft (I think their designers never have heard about mipmapping :( ). Even the highest setting of AF has absolutely no influence on this shimmering. Only with Supersampling AA I'm able to reduce the shimmering nearly to zero. Conclusion: at least on my system AA has much more effect on reducing shimmering than AF.Wolfgangedit: a reason for e. g. shimmering airport textures can be, that no mipmaps are used in the textures (like it seems with the German Airport series from Aerosoft). I was able to cure this kind of shimmering by adding mipmaps to the textures (i. e. converting the textures) of some freeware airports. But I will not touch the payware GAP. But this also means, that setting the level of mipmaps within FS9 has absolutely no influence on this kind of shimmering.

Probably best for another thread but how do you go about adding mipmaps to the textures Wolfgang? Despite another day of testing and tinkering I'm still getting the shimmering even with default scenery :-(Think maybe time to try another graphics card?

[Wolfko 0]

Probably best for another thread but how do you go about adding mipmaps to the textures Wolfgang? Despite another day of testing and tinkering I'm still getting the shimmering even with default scenery :-(

Open every single texture of a scenery with a utility like image tool and check if it has mipmaps. If not use the option "create mipmaps" - save - done. This does not completely cure the shimmering/flickering but definitely helps to reduce it (e.g. at airports).

Think maybe time to try another graphics card?

I have a nVidea 9600GT, only a medium range card, but I'm quite satisfied. I don't know though, if my black screens when using SS AA are graphics card related.Wolfgang

[Guest bcogan]

Interesting topic and some good ideas to try. I normally fly FSX and have little if any shimmering issues. I want to fly FS9 to use the Cal Classics scenery and AI but the shimmer is terrible. FSX flys fine and at a good FPS and I have used similar setting in FS9 but with poor results. As I am flying FSX with no problem, I don't think its a hardware issue.Is this the nature of the older sim, higher performance computer or am I missing something?Bruce

[Plurb 0]

I have no shimmering whatsoever. None! Through several OS's, video cards (ATI 1950 and others current is a 5770). What I did to eliminate it is change Autolod in the FS9 config from 0 to 1. I stumbled into it one day experimenting and shimmering was gone.Plurb

[january 19]

The mystery grows deeper! I have modest shimmer on some objects - generally close to the horizon. Until now I've assumed it is just the way FS9 displays. But wait-When I invoke a Saved Flight (sitting on the runway, ready for takeoff, waiting for clearance) - NO shimmer whatsoever. Engine is running, plane is alive and I can click anywhere- flaps, switches, view-Landing or IFR etc, mixture or prop pitch levers, brakes on/off and still no shimmer.But touch the throttle lever and BINGO- the shimmer starts. This behaviour is consistent and is replicated on each experiment.So there is NO question on my machine anyway that shimmer has some connection with throttle actionAny comments?Try this experiment yourselves- use Select a Flight or Reset the Flight. Any shimmer? Then move the throttle.Alex Reid

[Guest belga1]

Hello,

But touch the throttle lever and BINGO- the shimmer starts. This behaviour is consistent and is replicated on each experiment.

Do you already test using the keyboard or mouse for move the throttle(s) lever and if yes .. what is different ?(I assume you use a hotas)Regards.Gus.

[red1 0]

The mystery grows deeper! I have modest shimmer on some objects - generally close to the horizon. Until now I've assumed it is just the way FS9 displays. But wait-When I invoke a Saved Flight (sitting on the runway, ready for takeoff, waiting for clearance) - NO shimmer whatsoever. Engine is running, plane is alive and I can click anywhere- flaps, switches, view-Landing or IFR etc, mixture or prop pitch levers, brakes on/off and still no shimmer.But touch the throttle lever and BINGO- the shimmer starts. This behaviour is consistent and is replicated on each experiment.So there is NO question on my machine anyway that shimmer has some connection with throttle actionAny comments?Try this experiment yourselves- use Select a Flight or Reset the Flight. Any shimmer? Then move the throttle.Alex Reid

'Shimmer' can only be present when moving, so that is why it relates to throttle.