Hi AllIn an attempt to reduce shimmering on all of my AI, I mipmapped their textures using a batchfile and ImageTool. Unfortunately, although the shimmering had disappeared after adding the mipmaps, I started get pretty severe micro-stutters when panning both inside and out of thecockpit.I therefore, attempted to remove the mipamps by running ImageTool again, but this time, addingthe -nomipmap switch to the batch file. Unfortunately, this seems to have had no effect on theAI. They still appear mipmapped and the micro-stutters are still present.What's strange is that after removing the mipamps, the AI texture files reduced in size by about1/3 (the space taken up by the mipmaps) and both ImageTool and DXTBmp clearly show a texturewithout mipmaps, but they're still showing up as mipmaped AI in FS.If I use DXTBmp to save one of the textures to DXT3 without mipamps, then the mipmaps disappearwithin FS, so I know that the mipmaps can be removed. Unfortunately, I can't use DXTBmp with a batchfile and have way too much AI to change them manually.My question is really two-fold:1) Why the micro-stutter are so severe after mipmapping? Btw, I have my frame rate limited to 20 fps which normally gives me plenty of headroom to play with.2) Can anyone suggest why ImageTool appears to be unable to truly remove the mipmaps or recommend an alternative program that can run batch file conversions of DTX3s to remove their mipmaps. Any help much appreciatedGary

How do you know they are / are not mipmapped in FS?scott s..

I never heard of mipmapping AI causing stutters. I mip all my AI using the image tool that comes with FS9. Which affects how your video card handles and process your display image. Did you mip just the "t" files or did you mip both "t and 'L' files?? What are your video card settings??

Using a batch with imagetool can sometimes result in the alpha channel being stripped from a DXT3 texture. This will cause stuttering.I would suggest heading over to the Alpha India group forums where there us a wealth of specialist AI information and more on Dxt3, alphas and mips.For the record I have all my AI mipped (many hundreds of bgl's) and mips themselves do not cause stuttering.

It should have been -nomip instead of -nomipmap. :smile:What atco says is correct about Imagetool and the alpha channel, Imagetool will throw out the alpha channel if it's all one color which is the case with most of the WOAI aircraft. I use a Martin Wright (of DXTBmp fame) command line utility called tga2bmp.exe which leaves the alpha channel intact. The catch is that your source file needs to be a .tga so you have to make that conversion first. This works for me because I resize all my AI textures down to 50% with nconvert.exe anyway, and it's just as easy to output .tga's as anything else.I've tried mipping the full size textures, mipping the 50% sized textures, and running the textures at 50% without mips, and I think I like the latter best. The mips seemed stuttery to me too. I'm convinced the 512 x 512 texture size without mips is the way to go. You loose a little quality at 10 feet away, but to be honest these AI models aren't something you want to look at that closely anyway.Jim

Hi AllMany thanks for your suggestions.atco and Jim you were spot on regarding the alpha channel being stripped away by ImageTool.Fortunately, ImageTool can reinstate the alpha channel proving that the conversion in to 32-bit (only) using the -createalpha switch.Hence, a batch conversion to 32-bit then another to DXT1 with mipmaps has solved the problem; nice shimmer-free textures without micro-stutters.The last few days attempting to solve the problem have been frustrating, but educational as well. That's what I love about this hobby; there's always something new to learn.Just out of interest, do you know why removing the alpha channel causes micro-stutters?Thanks again for your helpGary

A DXT3 texture has to have an alpha channel, where one is not present the graphics card tries to apply one itself. This causes great workload for the card and stuttering occurs.You would not believe the number of sceneries and aircraft that have these alpha-less DXT3 textures, including a lot of payware.Peter van der Veen has created an alpha searcher tool that will find these textures which you can then resave in dxtbmp to add the alpha back or convert to DXT1 which does not require an alpha channel to be present.

Peter van der Veen has created an alpha searcher tool that will find these textures which you can then resave in dxtbmp to add the alpha back or convert to DXT1 which does not require an alpha channel to be present.

Do you have any idea where I can find this tool? I have searched through the files and internet to no avail.gwillmot

I know he uploaded it on the AIG forums, I would assume its either at WOAI or his own site as well.Actually just checked both and its not there, looks like he just uploaded it at AIG for now. If you are registered there you can get it (its called Alpha search) or perhaps you could email Peter or post at WOAI to see if he will upload it elsewhere.Its a remarkably useful program for dealing with this issue. Previously it had to be done file by file using imagetool and dxtbmp, a long and laborious process.

I thought that I had sorted all of my AI problems after converting their textures to DXT1 with mipmaps. However, not quite the case.I now have white / grey textures on all of my AI when they're viewed from a distance. If I move my view point closer either through slewing or zooming in, then the textures 'pop' back into view. Move back / zoom out and they return to white / grey. Sounds like a mipmap issue, but any more advise would be gratefully received.Gary