The rain in FSX when flying in the virtual cockpits looks really naff. I don't like the way you can see the texture maped onto what looks like a sphere. Does anyboday know where the texture map is in FSX, Then I could maybe tone it down by tweaking the alpha in a DXT editor. If there is a better rain effect for rain in FSX this would also be an option?

 

 

Best regards

 

Jools

If you are seeing a spherical "rain-free" zone outside your cockpit, like an invisible force-field, that is an unavoidable (as far as I know) side-effect of using DX10 preview mode. Using DX9 makes it go away!

 

Some payware planes like the Turbine Duke have built in rain modelling on the glass of the VC and it makes a real difference to the overall effect and immersion.

OK Thanks, is there any harm in down grading DX10 to 9. I use the PMDG NGX and I am orried I might mess things up?

 

Jools

OK Thanks, is there any harm in down grading DX10 to 9. I use the PMDG NGX and I am orried I might mess things up?

 

Jools

 

YMMV!

 

It is a slightly contentious subject as the positive and negative effects of DX10 Vs DX9 seem to vary so much between systems, but the bottom line is that DX9 will generally give you a better, glitch-free visual experience and DX10 can often grant you better performance/FPS.

 

I have always got higher frame rates and a smoother experience under DX10 and preferred to use it up until fairly recently when I managed to tweak DX9 to an acceptable performance level. Now I wouldn't go back!

 

DX9 is less buggy than DX10 and image quality, in the main, is better. You can also use external applications that enhance DX9 and GPU effects, such as NVIDA Inspector and FXAA injector etc which do not work under DX10. It certainly shouldn't cause any issues with your pay-ware planes (I run the NGX under DX9 fine) as most of them were designed and built under DX9, though some do offer additional guarantees of compatibility and extra special effects under DX10 mode.

 

DX10 was only ever a "preview" mode and as such, was never really implemented properly. It will give you flickering runway textures at some airports, the rain bug that you have already seen and it causes glitches in other effects such as the guided taxi ways. The one advantage, especially if you need to squeeze every last frame out of your PC is that it often (but not for everyone!) gives you a higher and more consistant FPS.

 

You don't need to touch Direct X at a system level - it is simply down to the "DX10 Preview mode" option in the graphics settings within FSX.

 

If you haven't done so already, I would backup your old fsx.cfg, start again with a new one, set FSX to DX9 and follow Word Not Allowed's excellent tuning guide here. It will help you get the smoothest experience under DX9 and you may find you never go back!