Issue with Cloud Shadows appearing and disappearing in 2.3

[fiftysix 6]

These are the two additional lines that have been added to the config since 2.3

 

GROUND_SHADOW_TEXTURE_SIZE=2048
CLOUD_SHADOW_TEXTURE_SIZE=1024

 

My cloud shadow has a default value of 512. I guess less pixels to render in the shadows gives the improved performance 

[vonmar 122]

My cfg shows this for P3D V2.3:

 

GROUND_SHADOW_TEXTURE_SIZE=2048
CLOUD_SHADOW_TEXTURE_SIZE=512

Is this what your cfg is?

 

 

**************************************************

 

Did you change it to 1024 per your post:

GROUND_SHADOW_TEXTURE_SIZE=2048
CLOUD_SHADOW_TEXTURE_SIZE=1024

 

 

Have you made changes to your default (installed) cfg ?

[fiftysix 6]

Mine is default the same as yours too

 

GROUND_SHADOW_TEXTURE_SIZE=2048
CLOUD_SHADOW_TEXTURE_SIZE=512

 

Hmm maybe this is irrelevant then 

 

​Thanks for looking though

 

John 

[mike2060 4]

Try changing the amount of zoom you use. See if that fixes anything.

[LHookins 3,102]

 

 

Do you have P3D Ver 2.3 installed?

 

No, I'm on 2.2.  I'm waiting to make sure ASN works before updating to 2.3.  I haven't tried cloud shadows in 2.2, and everything else is working just fine and I'm in no hurry to possibly change that.

 

In FSX I've seen clouds, buildings and occasionally trees and possibly segments of roads disappear the same way the cloud shadows do in the video.  This happens very seldom, and I don't know what combination of parameters will trigger it.  It acts like the video card decides to render the object based on the position of the center of the object, in or out of your field of view.  I've also seen other objects in other games do this occasionally.

 

The problem doesn't happen often enough for me to get concerned about.  If every cloud shadow in every flight constantly did the same disappearing act, I can understand why people would be upset. 

 

Also, just because you've never seen it doesn't mean it's not happening.  The effect is usually quite subtle and easy to miss.  Occasionally it's dramatic as in the cloud shadows in the video.  I wouldn't suggest going and looking for it, as once you start seeing it you can't un-see it and some people will find it quite distracting.

 

Hook

[vonmar 122]

Hood,

 

"No, I'm on 2.2.  I'm waiting to make sure ASN works before updating to 2.3.  I haven't tried cloud shadows in 2.2, and everything else is working just fine and I'm in no hurry to possibly change that."

 

Well, let us know what you see after you install P3D V2.3 and test the cloud shadows we are talking about here.

[LHookins 3,102]

 

 

Well, let us know what you see after you install P3D V2.3 and test the cloud shadows we are talking about here.

 

I understand you don't have the cloud shadow problem at all.

 

Hook

[Novation 534]

Also, just because you've never seen it doesn't mean it's not happening.

 

 

No, its not happening, subtle or not.

 

My cloud shadow res is the default of 512.

 

I am using the very newest 340.66 drivers which resolve the tessellation issues that started with the 340 branch... they need a modded inf to support Geforce cards, but they work flawlessly for me. I have seen shadows disappear, but not with 2.3 thus far.

[LHookins 3,102]

Thanks, Novation.

 

My point is that this is not a new phenomenon, is not only cloud shadows, and is not restricted to FSX/P3D or even flight simulators.  My best guess is that it's related to zoom level and the way the graphics card decides to render objects at the edges of the field of view.  Some people are going to see it and others aren't.  When I was seeing it I wasn't seeing it all the time every time.  Cloud shadows will be the most obvious problem because of their immense size compared to other objects.

 

Cloud shadows aren't even all that new.  While most people here have only had them for a little while, those of us with CumulusX have had them for years.  Cloud shadows can be quite odd.  For example, if you're sitting on a runway under a cloud shadow, it's possible to have the shadow appear and disappear as you move your viewpoint, and while the shadows will appear and disappear at the same point as you move your view, there's not an obvious pattern to it.  Cloud shadows were all flat with CumulusX, which caused its own problems, and I'm guessing that's not the case with P3D.

 

The real news is, not everyone will see the problem, and this is good.  My take on it is, if you do see the problem, it will eventually go away.

 

Hook

[Guest]

 

 

if you do see the problem, it will eventually go away.

LOL I hope so but I don't think computers work that way.  ^_^ We'll see what the next driver does though.

[LHookins 3,102]

 

 

I don't think computers work that way.

 

It's just another way of saying the problem is intermittent. 

 

Like P3D stutters.  When I first started flying, P3D was almost unusable.  I flew for a while anyway, and I almost never get stutters now.  I think the stuttering was caused by building the shader cache files.  Same thing with the awful frame rates, which finally stabilized at my locked speed of 30.

 

Hook

[abasa12 38]

Sorry to dig up this old topic, but is there any progress on the disappearing shadows? Shadows were flickering on and off left right and center in V3, especially with TrackIR. Any settings to possibly change with REX4, my GPU or Prepar3D?