ORBX PNW stutterless especially skagit/harvey

[flying_bob 38]

Well I refer to these posts.

 

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/382519-a-huge-fps-increase/page__st__175#entry2459535

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/382595-alpha-channels-mips-dxt1dxt3/

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/382755-dxtfixerx/

 

 

 

ALL the FTX AI had mipmaps missing and had to be corrected. Well I added as per above posts.

 

Suddently I have stutterless ORBX PNW. Skagit, that was a killer on machine is now suddenly flyable and have actually made 3 flight into skagit, where I never could in the past. Still frame rate heavy but ALL the stutters is GONE..!!

 

I used alphasearcher to ID the files without mipmaps and used DXTBmp to add a mipmap. (you just open the file with DXTBmp and make sure the "include mipmap when saving" is ticked (right top) and the DXTBmp will add the mipmap for you when you save the file. It was time consuming but well worth the effort.

 

Well as always make sure you have backup of your system.

 

it might not work for you but for me it was a HUGE decrease in stutters.

 

I have not done any scenery and any flyable planes. On AI I really had nothing to loose, and what a surprise it gave me.

[lateagain 45]

If these things need fixing would it not be a good idea to contact ORBX so that they can look at it and issue a patch.

 

Having looked at those links I still didn't see an idiot proof step by step guide. Nor any definitive feedback about the value or any issues that might arrise by doing this.

 

I'm not an overly cautious type but as far as FSX is concerned I've way too many add-ons to start messing around without back-up.

 

Other folk have named other publishers work in those threads too. Have they reported their findings to the publisher. It would seem the best route to a system safe fix? especially when there are different versions of some of the tools mentioned and a virus picked up by one downloader?

 

MW graphics have a long history of useful tools for FS and Train Sims too so I'd be confident with downloading their stuff but some stuff in those threads was beta versions?

 

Geoff

[1st fltsimguy 466]

Flying Bob, you are correct. I not only followed those threads but applied the adjustments to missing alphas, and added mipmaps where missing. My Orbx land runs smooth with nary a microstutter. I still need to complete some AI mips for World of AI planes and a few others.

 

I also messed around with the fiber frame adjustment and Vsync and changed my monitor from 120Hz to 60Hz and ran with locked 30fsp in FSX and shut off the external limiter. Everything seems to be good now, well it wasn't bad before but I am getting a smoother ride and less blurries.

[lateagain 45]

OK I've found the utilities and installed them and AlphaSearcher has found me about a weeks work of missing Mipmaps :lol: but I've backed up all the FTX AI files and so that reduces the task somewhat.

 

I'm not familiar with DXTBmp, but as I used to do reskins in Train Simulator I immediately see a similarity to TgaTool (which is how I know of MW Graphics) The one question I have is that apart from "Include when saving" in the MipMaps box there is another tick box "Use 16 bit Dither" and below that two drop down select boxes "Scaling Filter" and "Processing".

 

What should I select for those? Sorry if that seems dumb ...but I'm not familiar with the workings of FS graphics as I was with TS graphics :huh: .

 

It's a shame there's no way of opening the files found in AlphaSearcher directly with DXTBmp ...or am I missing a trick? Finding them in the "open" dialogue box is a bit of a pain <_< .

 

BTW if anyone reading this can recommend an idiots guide to reskinning I'd be interested.

 

Geoff

[William J.S.S 173]

Unless there is an easier way for the program you are using, I have no idea really what it is, but this is what I do when I am looking for a file that is in a folder with a 1000 others.

 

CTRL+F.....then search like the first 4 or 5 letters/numbers I am looking for, then click find next....it will bring you right to it.

 

Hope this may help you in what you are doing.

[1st fltsimguy 466]

OK I've found the utilities and installed them and AlphaSearcher has found me about a weeks work of missing Mipmaps :lol: but I've backed up all the FTX AI files and so that reduces the task somewhat.

 

I'm not familiar with DXTBmp, but as I used to do reskins in Train Simulator I immediately see a similarity to TgaTool (which is how I know of MW Graphics) The one question I have is that apart from "Include when saving" in the MipMaps box there is another tick box "Use 16 bit Dither" and below that two drop down select boxes "Scaling Filter" and "Processing".

 

What should I select for those? Sorry if that seems dumb ...but I'm not familiar with the workings of FS graphics as I was with TS graphics :huh: .

 

It's a shame there's no way of opening the files found in AlphaSearcher directly with DXTBmp ...or am I missing a trick? Finding them in the "open" dialogue box is a bit of a pain <_< .

 

BTW if anyone reading this can recommend an idiots guide to reskinning I'd be interested.

 

Geoff

 

Hey Jeff, dithering has to do with sound I believe and the scaling feature is to resize texture files, you do not need to touch these features, leave turned off.