FS2004 Cloud updates and performance...

[John_Cillis 2,406]

For those of you trying to optimize your systems:Sometimes, you can think you have a problem licked--such as fps slowdowns. Then for some odd reason, it comes back. This post isn't a gripe--just an observation about cloud redraws that may help users avoid chasing gremlins where there aren't any.When you have a nice pretty sky with puffy cumulus, you may be surprised at how well COF performs. I can regularly get 20-30 fps in that scenario, depending on what settings have been enabled for my specific flight (I "pre-flight" the sim, and enable autogen or AI depending on what I'm going to be doing). You may notice (and those with faster systems probably have to set fps to unlimited to notice) that you can be cruising along getting 20-25 fps, then all of a sudden you're getting 15 fps. Then a few seconds later it jumps back, and seemingly nothing has changed. But--something does. FS2004 will periodically "fade-in" new clouds to keep the area around your aircraft populated with them, as per your settings. It is during the "fade-in" process, I've discovered, that the sim uses a little more HP. The clouds literally form out of thin air, and it takes cpu resources to form them. This will slow your system even if the "fade-in" is out of view--such as to your side or behind you.So I hope this helps simmers feel a little less "crazy" about thinking they have things licked.... The sim is just doing it's housekeeping....-John

[FlyinMisfit 0]

hi John,i've noticed that too. i usually fly using RWW with the 15 minute updates. i thought it was probably the weather updates being downloaded and imported that was slowing things down. do you have any info. as to what degree 2k4 makes use of "Hyperthreading"? i was just curious because i have a 3.06 with HT. thanks for any info. happy flyin, fm

[John_Cillis 2,406]

I haven't heard any feedback on it. If anything, the fact that you have a HT chip and you still notice the slowdowns makes me believe it's used very little.Chris's cloud updates have really helped the bottom line as far as the weather was concerned. I'd argue that a 3/8ths deck of towering cumulus, with Chris's update, yields better performance than FS2002's weather settings when set the same way. Speaking of clouds, we sure got nailed in Phoenix this morning with the remnants of T.S. Erika. There was a five hour period where I heard nothing but thunder. I would have loved to have tried a RW update during the storm....-John

[FlyinMisfit 0]

thanks for the info. John. i'm not to surprised that HT didn't help performance much in FS other than running other apps. while running 2k4. hopefully, the Prescott CPU's will provide a big performance boost in FS. hope the weather didn't get to bad there. happy flyin, fm