Bad Anti-Aliasing with NVIDIA

[SteveW 1,792]

I mainly prefer DX10 simply because it's just more 3D looking in the VC, with reflections, bloom, and shadows, plus the sky and clouds look better, and the performance improvement is nice. I think DX9 mode has been served for longer, and is simpler to construct an anti-aliased image, makes for the better AA. Bigger screens show up poor AA just as bad.

[Wanthuyr Filho 83]

Hello All,

 

Something funny happens on my system, a have a modern Nvidia card and run FSX with internal AA checked, together with Nvidia Control Panel all maxxed out (AA32, etc), but it doesn't seem to make a difference, even with forced settings. I don't run Nvidia Inspector, is it really necessary? I used to use Nvidia Inspector many years ago yet on FS2004, because otherwise Control Panel wouldn't work anyway, but I thought it had been resolved by now.

Anyway my image quality is good enough, no jaggies, no shimmering, the only real bad is that the screenshots get jagged, specially the aircraft's shadows. My method of taking screenshots is FSX's default command for this functionality.

 

Best regards,

[SteveW 1,792]

To improve AA with FSX DX9 mode, when using the NVidia Control Panel, changing to Enhance or setting any improved AA mode does not work.

Instead NI must be used to override the application and improve AA.

 

How to make a new FSX profile for NI:

What I do is use the Control Panel, select FSX, press the Restore button and Apply. Next I set Enhance and press Apply, this is simply to create the fresh NI profile.  IF we now go into NI there is a new FSX profile.

Now we can select FSX profile in NI, and make the changes to the AA settings:
Behaviour flags = None
AA - mode = Override app setting
AA - Setting = '4x4 [4x4 Supersampling (D3D only)]'

In FSX we have DX10 disabled, Anisotropic, AA=on or off, but set off anyway.

 

Some use other AA setting such as 'AA_MODE_METHOD_SUPERVCAA_64X_4v12' but I recommend '4x4 [4x4 Supersampling (D3D only)]' as is visibly better amongst the trees and faster too I think.

[Wanthuyr Filho 83]

Hello All,

 

Something funny happens on my system, a have a modern Nvidia card and run FSX with internal AA checked, together with Nvidia Control Panel all maxxed out (AA32, etc), but it doesn't seem to make a difference, even with forced settings. I don't run Nvidia Inspector, is it really necessary? I used to use Nvidia Inspector many years ago yet on FS2004, because otherwise Control Panel wouldn't work anyway, but I thought it had been resolved by now.

Anyway my image quality is good enough, no jaggies, no shimmering, the only real bad is that the screenshots get jagged, specially the aircraft's shadows. My method of taking screenshots is FSX's default command for this functionality.

 

Best regards,

BTW, DX10 here.

[SteveW 1,792]

OK thought you were on DX9 because you mention 'maxxed out (AA32, etc)', that would be a DX9 setting. Please refer to the start of the discussion whereby I explain fully how to set up DX10.

All the best.

[Wanthuyr Filho 83]

Thanks a lot, I'm gonna check that right away!

Yes, I use DX10 and the Control Panel has every setting all to the maximum, yet it seem not to make a difference, either image quality or performance degradation (loss of FPS).

 

Best regards,

[SteveW 1,792]

You're welcome Wanthuyr, the main setting with DX10 is "Antialiasing - Transparency Supersampling". If you only use one aircraft all the time first try "4x Supersampling", if you use lots of aircraft types or if the instruments look crumpled set "4x Sparse Grid Supersampling". 2x improves performance, 8x improves image.

[SteveW 1,792]

The difference with DX10 over DX9 is the way objects with more complex lighting information are scaled and projected into the scene. The transparency AA is pre applied to the objects during the scene rendering, other AA cannot be applied with the NVidia controls. Moving onto P3Dv2 and its DX11 system, we find there's no enhancement settings available from the controls, AA must be applied in the sim.

[SteveW 1,792]

And I didn't say anything about texture filtering.

Yes quite. I didn't mention it because I'm going daft, and it wasn't intended to put your nose out. NI can override Texture filtering with the "Texture filtering - High quality" setting. I find this makes a difference to the AA and improves the quality of edges. I've been taking a few shots this afternoon and DX9 AA looks pretty good with '4x4 [4x4 Supersampling (D3D only)]', and '32xS [Combined: 2x2 SS + 8x MS]' improves on that. Whatever settings used, I find DX9 performs poorly compared to DX10. (press f5 or refresh to view latest images).

 

Sorry for all the confusion caused, 'but' I think when people say they had a different experience it's going to be down to a different setting somewhere. Careful experimentation is required as general advice on these settings is confusing. I've been starting from a saved .FLT and magnifying screenshots.

 

Best regards

steve

[XCLTM3 112]

Noticed that some users reported different experiences with reference to the FSX DX9 "Anti-aliasing" button in Settings. Either, you could get NI to solely carry the settings and have the FSX switched or ticked to off position, or, some needed the Anti-aliasing button ticked.

 

I can confirm that on my system, I must tick the "Anti-aliasing" button in FSX - without it, I can clearly see FSX is suffering jagged lines and a host of other issues.

 

Strange thing indeed.

[nathanpinard 0]

Has anyone seem any changes with P3D 2.3?

 

LM have stated that 2.2 had issues with NI not changing things, and they didn't do that on purpose. Just wondering if they made it more possible now.

[SteveW 1,792]

I can confirm that on my system, I must tick the "Anti-aliasing" button in FSX - without it, I can clearly see FSX is suffering jagged lines and a host of other issues.

Exactly, if FSX is in DX10 mode then you do need to set AA on in the sim, due to the way objects are rendered. Same goes for P3D in DX11.

 

Has anyone seem any changes with P3D 2.3?

Seems to work exactly the same as 2.2 in terms of making enhancements with NI.

[XCLTM3 112]

My FSX is in DX9 mode (refer to my post yesterday) and I need to check the "Anti-aliasing" box within FSX. I don't use DX10.

[SteveW 1,792]

My FSX is in DX9 mode (refer to my post yesterday) and I need to check the "Anti-aliasing" box within FSX. I don't use DX10.

 

In that case it seems the NI profile does not override the sim settings. I would try making a fresh NI profile then experiment with the settings described.

[XCLTM3 112]

Tried that too (a few times), but didn't get any result. I will take a look at your recommendations for making a fresh NI profile - just to ensure I'm not missing a procedure.

 

It truly is odd that I cannot get NI to carry the full load from FSX (by unticking the internal FSX AA switch).

 

As a point, NI settings recommended by you, Nick Needham, Ryan Maziarz (PMDG) & Kostas - and still the jagged edges and other anomalies if I untick the internal FSX AA.

 

Ergo, I now relent to using the internal FSX AA.

 

As I pointed out earlier, it would seem that there are other users experiencing this anomaly and I can't quite deduce why there are some of us seeing this problem, and others who are not.

 

Thanks for your assistance.