fsx-ms oh that VAS

[Pe11e 812]

After two years of using only default airports with updated AFCADs, I've decided to purchase Aerosoft's Zurich v2, and after testing the conclusion is surprising - this addon used only 100-200mb more VAS and fps is lower by only 15% than on default LSZH. That finding left me hungry for more, so I bought FlyTampa's Copenhagen two weeks later. 

Now my FSX setup looks like this - FTX Global + OpenLC EU + Vector + MyTraffic 6 @ 30% + Soft Clouds + FSGRW + DX10 with the Fixer (a bit more VAS to spare). All commercial flight will be with NGX at the moment, possibly sometimes this year with PMDG 777 and 747v2.

My other settings are typical for i3770k @ 4.5ghz, everything on high, including autogen on dense and cockpit shadows. When I fly GA autogen goes to very dense, that's all, no water reflections. No road traffic, no boats, no mumbo jumbo.

1. So my question is: what are your findings with this setup, how much VAS left at the end of every flight? I know the number will be different on every flight depending how good or bad is destination airport is optimized, but every info is welcomed.

On my home airport, Aerosoft Zurich v2, after I load the flight, there is 2.2gb of VAS left with the above setup. After I load the NGX, that number is somewhere around 1.4gb I think, which is low, but what can I do because NGX is my fav airliner?  :smile: So with 1.4gb of VAS left at the start of the flight, I'm very worried how much VAS will left after two hour flight, on approach to detailed addon airport? 

 

2. Will FSUIPC sound the alarm for low VAS below some typical number (200-300mb) or...???

 

3. Is there any tweak to lower the usage of VAS in NGX and on detailed airports? I applied Texture Optimizer on external model textures and saved maybe 50-100mb of VAS and few frames, no big deal. I also applied Texture Optimizer on both airports, also saving few frames and maybe 100mb of VAS. But that's it, I can't squeeze more a single megabyte.

 

4. If you are close to VAS limit on approach, will entering the options and lowering autogen on low or stuff like that should help?

 

5. with your findings, which FSX option has a biggest hit on VAS? Is it autogen, AI, clouds density, or something else? I've tested only MyTraffic, 50mb of difference with 0% and 30%.

 

I'm not using 2048 or higher textures, so that should help.

Someone suggested to disable various features in Vector tool because it can eat up to 900mb of VAS, but I didn't saw ANY difference! With or without roads, tunnels, bridges, etc. I'm getting the exact same number of VAS left after I load the sim - 2.2gb. So that left me confused. :blink:

Also, when I was using only default airports, in the end of every flight, there was app. around 800-900mb of VAS left, which also got me worried! I mean, that was default + NGX, I'm still afraid to complete my first flight with two very detailed addon airports! 

 

Cheers!

[Tom Wright 438]

I have a ton of add on airports, and I've never had an OOM. I don't monitor VAS, I think if I started doing that I would be so paranoid I wouldn't get any enjoyment out of flying, I'm bad enough with frame rates!

 

From the reading I have done on the subject, a common denominator for those with VAS problems seems to be those using FTX Vector. That isn't to dissuade anybody from using the product, however certain settings in Vector seem to use quite a lot of VAS. That said, unless you're frequently suffering OOMs don't get paranoid watching the VAS numbers, just fly and enjoy!

[Pe11e 812]

I have a ton of add on airports, and I've never had an OOM. I don't monitor VAS, I think if I started doing that I would be so paranoid I wouldn't get any enjoyment out of flying, I'm bad enough with frame rates!

 

From the reading I have done on the subject, a common denominator for those with VAS problems seems to be those using FTX Vector. That isn't to dissuade anybody from using the product, however certain settings in Vector seem to use quite a lot of VAS. That said, unless you're frequently suffering OOMs don't get paranoid watching the VAS numbers, just fly and enjoy!

 

Thanks for your answer.  :smile: Also, you mentioned that FTX Vector is eating VAS too much, but I'm still confused because after my tests there was no difference in VAS usage with or without certain features. Now I want to completely disable FTX Vector to test that claim once again.

[tf51d 284]

If VAS is an issue, you should seriously consider moving to FSX-Steam or if you can afford it P3D V3.1 Either one of those make a world of difference as far as VAS management is concerned, over FSX-Box.

[Pe11e 812]

If VAS is an issue, you should seriously consider moving to FSX-Steam or if you can afford it P3D V3.1 Either one of those make a world of difference as far as VAS management is concerned, over FSX-Box.

 

I know that, and also purchased P3D v3. :smile:  Why I didn't ditched FSX still? Because I invested a ton of money from my perspective on addons, and in addition I don't want to think about compatibility. I know that I have huge freedom in FSX, all addons are compatible. There are already few new airport addons that are P3D v3 compatible out of the box, but I have few older airports (Aerosoft Barcelona, Santorini/Mykonos X, etc), which are not compatible by default.

[Mephic 129]

I managed to crash FSX Steam quite easily by loading 4096 cloud textures, ASN with enhanced overcast, 737 NGX with HD repaint and flying from addon EPKK, over whole FTX Global/Vector/LC package to FTX Norway I also helped it with NGX Immersion Package effects, autogen set to very dense and rest maxed out  

 

Truth is right now I use following set up:

 

1. All sliders maxed/all shadows on except: 

*Autogen: DENSE

*Airline Traffic with MT2013: 25%

*GA Traffic: 0%

*all other traffics: 0%

 

Active Sky Next: enhanced overcast + 4 cloud layers

REX 4 with 512 clouds (+soft clouds package) 

FSX Shade (as it gives great effect on visuals and eats 0 from performance)

slightly tweaked immersion NGX package

Traffic optimizer in high density areas

FTX Vector Underlays OFF on all roads (it's ugly feature anyway), tertiary roads off (I fly high) 

 

With those settings in Steam Edition I can fly for example from Aerosoft EDDL to Drzewiecki Polish Airports or EPKK series having 200-300 MB of VAS left. I can also fly in and out FTX Norway or even to a really VAS hungry ORBX Brisbane, although this airport I hate because it's fps eater. Sometimes I tweak particular airports to remove unnecessary trafic from them or HD textures which can kill VAS. 

 

I can list easily what had biggest VAS impact on my sim: 

 

1. Cloud resolution (going to 512 helped A LOT and they look more realistic on this setting anyway)

2. Autogen (this is a real killer)

3. FTX Vector functions listed above [yes, I noticed improvement] 

 

And one more rule which actually is the most important here:

 

***ALWAYS switch OFF scenery you don't fly above (and here I mean addon airports*** - when the airport is in Australia and you fly in EU that's not an issue, but when you fly over it than goodbye VAS. 

 

There are offcourse other factors and combined together can kill sim in no-time. 

 

For that reason I'm not even going to settings screen anymore - this set up works and I'm happy with it. 

[Tom Wright 438]

I managed to crash FSX Steam quite easily by loading 4096 cloud textures, ASN with enhanced overcast, 737 NGX with HD repaint and flying from addon EPKK, over whole FTX Global/Vector/LC package to FTX Norway I also helped it with NGX Immersion Package effects, autogen set to very dense and rest maxed out  

 

 

Are you using DX10 mode with the Fixer or DX9? DX10 is supposed to be slightly better in terms of VAS usage.

[Mephic 129]

I'm using dx10 with fixer but these settings will obviously not work with my plethora of add ons

 

Anyway I am really happy with my current set up and will switch only to 64 bit sim in future.