FS9.CFG/Loading Help

[gmcg 0]

Hi all,

 

I am needing some help with finding the right FS9.cfg tweak to fix an issue that I'm having.

 

The issue: On final (3 miles and in) textures, structures, lights, etc etc start popping up, like the world is loading up right in front of me. A lot of times it really isn't bad or noticeable but tonight, it was. On short final, it seemed like half the airport started loading up. No hitches, stutters, etc but it was just annoying, kinda.

 

I've been tweaking my cfg for the last year+ and really have it nailed down, however this issue is starting to get a bit more noticeable (b/c I'm watching for it closely) and am hoping someone can help me put the finishing touches on my tweaking.

 

What I want: Stuff not loading on final. I want the airport to be loaded in advance, load completely and further out. I think I've narrowed it down to TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS= or TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS but I want to make sure I'm not missing anything else. I just want the airport to be fully loaded like 5+ miles out and not having things loading up that I can notice. I might have just made a simple error in my tweaking and want a second set of eyes. When I get this fixed, I think my tweaking days are done b/c I'm very happy with how it looks overall.

 

I think this also caused a few very minor stuttering issues with some freeware airports I've tested recently, so it might kill two birds yadda yadda.

 

Thanks,

gmcg

 

[DISPLAY.Device.NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX/9800 GTX+.0]

Mode=1680x1050x32

TriLinear=1

MipBias=6

[DISPLAY]

UPPER_FRAMERATE_LIMIT=24

TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=100

RUNWAY_LIGHTS_SURFACE_SCALAR=1.2

RUNWAY_LIGHTS_VASI_SCALAR=1.0

RUNWAY_LIGHTS_APPROACH_SCALAR=1.0

RUNWAY_LIGHTS_STROBE_SCALAR=1.5

[TERRAIN]

TERRAIN_ERROR_FACTOR=25.000000

TERRAIN_MIN_DEM_AREA=10.000000

TERRAIN_MAX_DEM_AREA=100.000000

TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=21

TERRAIN_TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=8

TERRAIN_AUTOGEN_DENSITY=4

TERRAIN_USE_GRADIENT_MAP=1

TERRAIN_EXTENDED_TEXTURES=1

TERRAIN_DEFAULT_RADIUS=3.500000

TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS=4.000000

TERRAIN_EXTENDED_LEVELS=232

[sCENERY]

IMAGE_COMPLEXITY=5

DYNAMIC_SCENERY=0

DYN_SCN_DENSITY=3

DAWN_DUSK_SMOOTHING=1

SUNGLARE=1

LENSFLARE=0

[clipper759 4]

Try these.  They work well for me running a 9800GT.

 

TERRAIN_DEFAULT_RADIUS=9.500000
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS=9.000000
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_LEVELS=4

[alexos 1]

Are u approaching a standard airport or flytampa? With flytampa some "popping" is normal - due to lod technique.

[gmcg 0]

Are u approaching a standard airport or flytampa? With flytampa some "popping" is normal - due to lod technique.

No, but I do have some that I've not been to in a while. Using FSDT,Blue Print, Freeware, etc a lot right now and default (which is making me think it is just a simple distance tweak).

 

@clipper759

So that should make everything load further out in front of me?

 

Thanks,

gmcg

[clipper759 4]

Systems and settings will vary.  I get good results with those settings, you may not.  There is still some pop-up of auto gen.  I think that is unavoidable, although a newer video card ( GTX 600+) may help with that.  May not. I set my auto gen to "Dense" and find it acceptable, even flying from the virtual cockpit with a greater field of vision.

 

As Alexos said many add on airports have that issue to some degree. Gary @ UK2000 has talked about the technique in some of his post and stated there really is no good way around it. You could also try TERRAIN_EXTENDED_LEVELS=1 as I have read either number (1 or 4) is acceptable.

 

Hope that helps some.

 

 

Cheers,

[gmcg 0]

No joy...... any other suggestions? I noticed no difference. Even messed around with autogen and MIP settings too. I wondering if this is tied to my AF topic here: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/409371-weird-fs9-blurry-behavior/

 

Just would love to not look up and see some tress and building popping up on short final B)

 

Thanks,

gmcg

[gmcg 0]

Maybe this will help what I'm looking for.

 

Say my loading radius around my airplane is 2 miles. So within 2 mikes, everything is loaded and clear. When something comes in contact with the 2 mile radius, it loads up, sometimes popping (no hitching but not appealing to the eye). Runway markings, lights (at night), trees, etc.

 

What I'm looking for is to increase that load radius out past 2 miles to like 5, 6, 7, etc. Away from me. MIP settings, what?

 

I think the freeware secenery that started me on this new push to fix this isn't the greatest and will have closer load up issues no matter what but I have to believe extending my loading radius has to be possible. I don't seem to notice it as bad on some professional FS videos from edetroit and such.

 

I'll be happy to post a video if that would help.

 

Thanks,

gmcg

[Dave Morgan 68]

Hi.

 

Not what you want to read, I suppose, but the TERRAIN_ variables in your original post relate to the drawing of terrain textures and not to autogen. As you've found, tweaking them is unlikely to make any difference.

 

I'd suggest you start with adjusting your scenery settings within FS9. Increase the autogen density & scenery complexity to their maximum and see if that makes a difference.

 

If it doesn't have any effect on the autogen distance then rename fs9.cfg (make sure it's the right one if you have several copies after past tweaks) to fs9.wot_i_been_usin or something similar, and let the flight sim build a new default config file.

 

Make the same approach using the defaults. Where does the autogen appear?

 

If it appears at a greater distance, push up the scenery sliders one at a time. Make the approach and eyeball the autogen each time you alter one of the sliders. With patience and luck you'll find the setting that causes the reduced autogen distance.

 

If not, does the reduced distance occur at all airports, on landclass and photoscenery, night & day, winter and summer, or is it limited to one set of circumstances?

 

Let us know what you find.

 

Cheers,

D

[gmcg 0]

Tired full autogen sliders.... no difference yesterday, will try again.

 

I'll take some time this afternoon and mess with the fs9.cfg some more. I'm currently flying with a MIP of 1, just to see.

 

Like I said, I think the freeware airport in question is always going to do this.I only pulled out the airport I wanted. Didn't use the LC or anything else from the original file.

 

gmcg

[gmcg 0]

No luck..... it must be the fs2004 default settings and I'm probably looking at very normal behavior that is unchanged within FS2004. I still have some popping (no hitching) at flytampaKMIA and FSDT KORD (two payware airports I tested the re-built .cfg) but I've always had that. Like I said, what got me on the kick was the freeware airport, not the norm however.

 

I guess it is just one of those things I really never noticed and will have to live with, as every other FS2004 user probably does.

 

Thanks,

gmcg