Dusk/Night/Dawn FPS hit

[ChaoticBeauty 6,692]

:lol:

 

...but yes I sure have. 

 

http://www.prepar3d.com/forum-5/?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=6363

 

I just hope I don't have to bump the thread for a month to get a response like last time (the AI texture swapping issue). Maybe if I title my thread "something something autogen"  :lol:

 

Whoops. This was lost between all those huge screenshots.

[Brian Doney 127]

Whoops. This was lost between all those huge screenshots.

 

Yeah no worries, you know by now just to ignore me when I'm being a smartass  :lol:

 

I'm going to go try a flight or two now in the Q400, with the ASN beta, and we'll see how it goes. I do hope others will be willing to chime in either here or over at LM with their experiences, and I really hope this isn't just a side effect of the lighting changes made.

[Novation 534]

I wonder if testing out in the middle of the pacific might narrow down the sun/moon issues.

 

 

It take a genius eh Brian?.... :lol:

 

So, in the middle of the Pacific... I still get a substantial drop looking at either the sun or moon when they sit on the horizon during dawn and dusk... :unknw:

 

Even stranger looking straight up gives me a huge drop - from 100+ to 40 :shok: looking straight down into the ocean gives me the highest fps, but this is regardless of TOD... but, only in the middle of the ocean.

 

Looking at the sun/moon at any other TOD is fine, just dusk/dawn, so there is something amiss here, with either me or P3D.

 

 

So, I am currently downloading the full 2.2 installer and will start from scratch with no add-ons, as this is plain stoopid :vava:

 

If anyone else can spare ten minutes to check some of this it would be good... those blue lights too.

[Brian Doney 127]

Unfortunately, this community is far more concerned with the icing than it is with the cake, so it looks like this will go nowhere either way.

 

1 minute to load the sim and have a look is a lot to ask I guess :unknw:

[Novation 534]

Yeah probably... buts that’s okay I have few expectations. I am just about to install a virgin v2.2 and will see what happens.

 

I must say, I do like that icing too :blush:

[Brian Doney 127]

I like all of it too of course  :wub:

 

I guess I was just a bit grumpy seeing the thread on the LM forums drop to page 2 without a response (not even saying a dev response, just any response).

 

I know we all have different priorities, and I am well aware that for now I am definitely in the minority of the P3D user base, as someone that spends most of my time in the tubeliners near the large airports. I just had hoped that such a large and obvious perf hit would be worthy of a little investigation.

 

In any case, I am curious what your fresh install shows you. For me it made no difference. I'm going to go try and re-create your scenario in the ocean now.

Alright so again I can't really say I see much of a direct impact from the sun:

 

 

 

 

 

...and a quick dusk shot:

 

 

Out here definitely isolates the lighting away though which is good.

[MikeT707 1,181]

Alright guys, I have noticed the same dawn/dusk fps drop as well.  In fact I noticed it in v2.1 in certain scenarios.  When I am looking in a certain direction, the frame rate drop occurs, but if I change my view direction it goes away.  Also if I change the time of day it goes away, so something needs to be addressed by LM, which I am confident that they will.  I will add to the thread on the P3D site so it can get the attention it needs.  

[Novation 534]

In any case, I am curious what your fresh install shows you.

 

 

No change... which is annoying, as I thought it might be one of my REX4 textures, or some other add-on.

 

Could someone [more than one if poss] please load the flight in the file uploaded below... unzip and add the files (ab.fxml and ab.WX) to your C:\Users\your name\Documents\Prepar3D v2 Files and then load the flight called 'ab'

 

Looking at the sun in this scenario tanks my frame rate into the low teens... though there may be other factors than the sun and it position, as above.

 

 

https://www.mediafire.com/?8hlm43bpzhsndml

 

Thanks... if its reproducible I can be reported, otherwise I need to look for a solution.

 

 

 

EDIT

Alright guys, I have noticed the same dawn/dusk fps drop as well.  In fact I noticed it in v2.1 in certain scenarios.  When I am looking in a certain direction, the frame rate drop occurs, but if I change my view direction it goes away.  Also if I change the time of day it goes away, so something needs to be addressed by LM, which I am confident that they will.  I will add to the thread on the P3D site so it can get the attention it needs.  

 

Thanks Mike... so there might be something in this. Good to know we're not alone.

[MikeT707 1,181]

Nope, not alone. I will get some specifics in terms of scenarios that I see this occurring and come back with that information tonight.

[vgbaron 3,505]

IIRC there has always been a drop at dawn/dusk in FSX. Had something to do with changing the lighting and the sky. FWIW, even during the day, if I am parked looking ahead at a terminal building and I pan around to look at scenery - the FPS increases when it's scenery and decreases when the airport buildings are displayed.

 

Vic

[Novation 534]

IIRC there has always been a drop at dawn/dusk in FSX

 

 

As I still have FSX installed I was able to test the same scenarios and I do not get the same thing. There maybe some loss as night-lighting kicks in, but not anything like I am seeing in 2.2. which is a real nose dive in fps.

 

For now I will just avoid flying at that time of day.

 

Other than this I am not experiencing any issues with 2.2 so far.

[Novation 534]

Okay... I've got it, and Beau has backed this up on the LM forum... this is totally unconnected with Brian's lights and therefore should not be in this tread, though it is an issue only connected with dusk and dawn.

 

With the sun on the horizon, you get a compression of cloud shadows being drawn, due to the narrow angle.. so even if you have a minimum cloud shadow draw distance it can still crush your frames when the sun reaches a certain point and you look in the wrong direction.

 

Maybe LM can do something to prevent very distant clouds casting shadows within your allocated radius, when the sun is at a certain angle... with the light level on the terrain, they cannot be seen anyway, so its a total waste of performance... maybe cloud shadows need to turn off at a certain time of day.

 

Anyway, it good to know why this is occurring, even if I can't do much about it.

[Brian Doney 127]

Even if they aren't directly related, anyone that might search (HA! like anyone does that nowadays  :lol: ) for a similar issue will benefit from both issues being discussed.

 

Glad that you got an answer, even if it isn't the best news.

[MikeT707 1,181]

 

 

With the sun on the horizon, you get a compression of cloud shadows being drawn, due to the narrow angle.. so even if you have a minimum cloud shadow draw distance it can still crush your frames when the sun reaches a certain point and you look in the wrong direction.

This is interesting because I was getting the same behavior in v2.1, which as we know does not cast and receive cloud shadows.  I was, however, in mountainous terrain so maybe it was casting long range terrain shadows.  I will have to try some things out tonight.

[Novation 534]

anyone that might search (HA! like anyone does that nowadays :lol: )

 

 

You get into big trouble with 'Snave' if you don't :lol:

 

 

I was, however, in mountainous terrain so maybe it was casting long range terrain shadows.

 

This is going to do something similar for sure... I've never had quite the hit from terrain alone, but when in combination, you have a recipe for disaster performance wise.

 

Just like the new Autogen system, these new shadows are at an early stage, and may benefit from further optimisation... I hope.