FSX-SE FSX STEAM OR WAIT FOR P3D 64BIT?

[Pete Dowson 558]

I'm running FSX-SE side-by-side with FSX and P3D2.4.

 

Preliminary tests, comparing like for like, I'm getting at least 20% and up to 30% improvement in frame rates with FSX-SE over FSX. And it is a lot smoother, so far. I can actually whack most of the sliders up higher and have TrafficX at 100% rather than my usual 50%, and still see better performance. I don't quite understand why this is yet (though a lot will be far better use of modern Intel processor design by the 2013 compiler), so I'll be doing a lot more tests before I can be definitive.  All i can say is that it does look very promising.

 

I am lucky in that I don't have any complex panelled aircraft. My simulator is hardware, fixed as a 737NG, so I don't use panels. Butt I have 535 scenery layers in my SCENERY.CFG file, and most of the texture improvements like FTX Global, UTX and so on.

 

I don't reinstall. My SCENERY.CFG file has full path names for every scenery layer, even the default layers.  For FSX-SE all I needed to do was copy my FSX SCENERY.CFG file into the relevant FSX-SE folder, in AppData\Roaming. My SimObject paths in the FSX.CFG file are full paths, so I don't have to copy or install aircraft -- I would need to copy the Gauges folder over, if I used Gauges. I do copy over the Effects folder.

 

I could actually remove the entire SCENERY folder from withing FSX-SE, because it is unused with all entries in SCENERY.CFG pointing to FSX and other, externally installed, scenery folders.

 

To make sure i was comparing like-for-like i used my FSX.CFG file as FSX-SE.CFG. With both installs using same sceneries and the same aircraft and other SimObjects,, they should be comparable. I can't yet run ASN with FSX-SE as it doesn't work, but most of my other add-ons are running by simply copying over my FSX DLL.XML and EXE.XML files.

 

I won't be running any scientific / definitive tests till I get back in January, but I'm certainly impressed so far. I didn't get any improvements in performance when trying the same thing with Prepar3D 2.4 and currently I don't like the way P3D looks on my projected screen.

 

Regards

Pete

[Guest]

How do cloud shadows, tessellation, HDR, an volumetric fog look in FSX:SE?  

 

Cheers, Rob.

[ray hughes 165]

Jeez..... I made a decision less than two months ago that I would go for a fresh install of FSX and move from SP2 to Acceleration because my old SP2 DVD, disk 2 was giving read errors. At the time getting a physical copy of Acceleration cost me NZ$79 dollars... I bit the bullet, purchased this and began the re-installation. Bit by bit I am slowly migrating aircraft, scenery, airport add on's across. I put it on a fresh (Non SSD) 1.8TB  HD, updated the video drivers and found (as expected) that performance was slightly better than SP2 after a fresh install. All up I have spent in inordinate amount of time with FSX of late.. Then this - $5 US for a Steam version of acceleration ... if only!!

 

I would have snapped this up despite the huge download required simply because of the ability to easily "repair" in place applications by verifying cache integrity with a simple click of the mouse and not have to hunt down the DVD again. However I choose to ignore the update purely because of the time and work involved in another re-installation and the fact I would have to migrate all steam applications to my new drive to take advantage of my new storage. Instead, I am leaving the new storage for FSX and FS add on's only... and I am trying to have a life outside of the FSX. ( I tip my hat to Joe Cocker who had a life of considerable interest ).

 

My next big update is likely to be Prepar3D 2.x but in all honesty I could be swayed by X Plane 64bit if I learn to accept the 3D modelling and simple runway empty airports in most instances - some of the latest released scenery looks pretty convincing and the fight modelling I believe is described as more accurate.

[zmak 331]

 

 

I've read very few here have made a donation

 

The donor badges doesn't show up if the donation was made before a certain time frame .

[MarkW 1,493]

I wonder if the performance improvements are somewhat of a placebo effect of a fresh install.  We all know that over the years FSX gets cluttered with all manner of addons and tweaks.  Personally I will be on the sidelines for now, if it turns out at some point in the future that FSX SE is light years ahead of the current FSX SP2/Accel then I will buy it even at full price of $30 it will be worth it but nor now I will wait and watch.....and enjoy my current FSX Acceleration with Steve's DX10 fixer.

[Pete Dowson 558]

How do cloud shadows, tessellation, HDR, an volumetric fog look in FSX:SE?  

 

Same as in FSX of course, they don't exist. But I cannot say I miss them, and HDR makes P3D look even worse on my projection screen.

 

Pete

[Guest]

 

 

and HDR makes P3D look even worse on my projection screen.

 

I created a thread here on how to adjust P3D HDR to one's liking: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/455299-the-perfect-hdr/

 

Cheers, Rob.

[Pete Dowson 558]

I created a thread here on how to adjust P3D HDR to one's liking: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/455299-the-perfect-hdr/.

 

Thanks. I'll take a look. What about getting anti-aliassing working nicely though?  airports looks really poor in P3D.

 

 

I wonder if the performance improvements are somewhat of a placebo effect of a fresh install.  We all know that over the years FSX gets cluttered with all manner of addons and tweaks

 

Not for me as I am using exactly the same "clutter" with FSX-SE, as I explain earlier. It isn't really a "fresh install" once I've made it exactly like my FSX! ;-)

 

Pete

[charleslee201 19]

How do cloud shadows, tessellation, HDR, an volumetric fog look in FSX:SE?
 
prepar3d defender  ... here we go again ,      well  a least  steam fix the VAS issue ,

 

now I can fly non stop  to many ad on airport , refuel , and  come back and leave the sim running  for  my next trip

 

cheers

[turner112 52]

Personally I really like cloud shadows. Adds a whole different level of immersion for me.

[Pete Dowson 558]

well  a least  steam fix the VAS issue ,

 

Reading the changes they made I thought it should help, though some say that isn't true. Personally I don't suffer from OOMs in any case, not using any add-on cockpit gauges and tending to fly fairly short flights -- 1 hour, 1.5 sort of distances. But I'll be logging the VAS values and comparing those too, when I get back in January. And these days  I do sometimes fly multi-legged trips without reloading. Generally I find VAS goes up and down in any case, not all one way, but it's always done that for me in FSX too.

 

Pete

Personally I really like cloud shadows. Adds a whole different level of immersion for me.

 

I might like them when I get my Piper Arrow VFR system up and running again. But in my cockpit I'm airliner flying in Europe, above the clouds or certainly not low enough or have a good enough view below to observe such things as cloud shadows! Too busy in any case being a sole pilot in a 737 with Radar Contact nagging me! ;-)

 

Really most of what folks seem to like about P3D revolve around VFR, low and slow. So I'll definitely look at it closer on my Piper system. I need a new screen first. There's only an old 32-inch 1280 x 1024 screen on it at present. Time for a change there, when I get time ....

 

Pete

[turner112 52]

 

 

There's only an old 32-inch 1280 x 1024 screen on it at present. Time for a change there, when I get time ....

 

Hi Pete,

 

If you're looking for a new home for that old used-up thing...

[Ray Proudfoot 8,979]

 

 

The donor badges doesn't show up if the donation was made before a certain time frame .

 

Not sure what the cut-off date is but my April donation is still reflected in my profile.

[WfordJr 1]

How do cloud shadows, tessellation, HDR, an volumetric fog look in FSX:SE?  

 

Cheers, Rob.

Never used them in P3D anyway! I prefer excellent performance over a shadow. Performance and stability were always the by far biggest complaints about FSX.

[zmak 331]

Not sure what the cut-off date is but my April donation is still reflected in my profile.

Mine isn't so Im just letting you know your comment regarding lack of donations isn't correct