Prepar3D Tweak Assistant (PTA)

[Manny 1,293]

Thank you Thank you. PTA the best thing that has happened to our sim world!

[armchair_pilot 54]

Hey, does anyone have good settings for getting rid of the cloud popcorn? :smile:

[dash8q400 flyer 6]

deleted

[Purr 121]

How should I go about using Rex with PTA? I'm wanting to use the RSP preset. So, Install REX textures first and then load the RSP preset via PTA and apply?

 

Also, to verify, it is the entire HLSL shaders folder I should be making a backup of before doing any of this?

 

Thanks!

[KNOSSOS 122]

How should I go about using Rex with PTA? I'm wanting to use the RSP preset. So, Install REX textures first and then load the RSP preset via PTA and apply?

 

Also, to verify, it is the entire HLSL shaders folder I should be making a backup of before doing any of this?

 

Thanks!

Hi!

If you check "Cloud Sizing Algorithm" in REX, it will modify you Prepar3D clouds shader (cloud.fx). In this case just before using REX please make backup of original cloud.fx and return it after installing REX. Or do not check this box in REX.

Install PTA, load RSP preset and apply it to sim. If you need "Cloud Sizing Algorithm", that provided by REX, you can use "Clouds size coeff.." tweak in PTA. It does the same work.

 

Regards,

[Adamski_NZ 950]

Firstly - many thanks, Knossos, for such an outstanding piece of work. PTA ties together so many "loose ends" from Reshade, RSP etc. - all tied up in a really great GUI. The "Swiss Army Knife" of weaks! Well done!

 

I've fiddled with Reshade (and lately RSP) for a long time and never *really* got decent results. My first trial settings with PTA got me there in one step!!! Just a few minor adjustments and I was enjoying a completely new sim!!! This is P3Dv3 without HDR (which I just can't get on with). Donation on its way soon, I suspect!!

 

Hey, does anyone have good settings for getting rid of the cloud popcorn? :smile:

 

I'm glad you asked! I still find "popcorn clouds" a HUGE problem with P3D. FSX simply doesn't have them. No amount of tweaking seems to get rid of them entirely.

 

My feeling is that it's not a *palette* problem - more to do with the *maths* used to randomise the sizes and distribution of the various textures. Blurring out the textures in the far distance isn't really a fix - it just hides the problem.

 

I'd be over the moon if PTA could find a way of modifing the way these shaders work at source - rather than just "papering over the cracks".

 

As I said, though, PTA is simply amazing!! A massive thank you from me!

 

Adam.

[KNOSSOS 122]

Thank you, Adam!

I'm going to add a couple of tweaks for clouds in next release, one of them can also affects the popcorn problem.

But it also relate to lighting, not geometry.

[Adamski_NZ 950]

Thank you, Adam!

I'm going to add a couple of tweaks for clouds in next release, one of them can also affects the popcorn problem.

But it also relate to lighting, not geometry.

 

Wow! If you can do all this, you'll become an FSim *Super Hero*!

 

Apart from the infamous "oily black water" P3D problem (which your water tweaks help to mitigate), the popcorn clouds are my single most irritating thing (and backwards step) about P3D, graphics-wise.

 

I don't think you're going to get rich quick, but I just made a donation to show my appreciation!

 

Adam.

[armchair_pilot 54]

 

I'm glad you asked! I still find "popcorn clouds" a HUGE problem with P3D. FSX simply doesn't have them. No amount of tweaking seems to get rid of them entirely.

 

My feeling is that it's not a *palette* problem - more to do with the *maths* used to randomise the sizes and distribution of the various textures. Blurring out the textures in the far distance isn't really a fix - it just hides the problem.

 

I'd be over the moon if PTA could find a way of modifing the way these shaders work at source - rather than just "papering over the cracks".

 

As I said, though, PTA is simply amazing!! A massive thank you from me!

 

Adam.

 

I thought RSP did quite well for "fixing" the popcorn. I wonder if there's an equivalent in PTA?

[Adamski_NZ 950]

I thought RSP did quite well for "fixing" the popcorn. I wonder if there's an equivalent in PTA?

 

I've tried every trick in the book (with RSP and other utilities) - believe me. Often, I thought I'd "nailed it" only to find certain weather conditions spawned these ugly looking things. Near looked good - as did distant ones ... but I'd still get the popcorn every now and again at mid-distance - totally destroying any semblance of realism or immersion.

 

I'm encouraged to hear Knossos acknowledging the problem - particularly as there are many people out there that deny the fact that these horrid looking clouds exist at all.

[vertigho 8]

Here are several screenshots I got using the PTA tool. Took some time to tweak, constantly trying to balance contrast, shadow depth, with maintaining a proper balance of light in the flightdeck. Also, just to clear up any (potential) confusion, I did not bother to fly/start the aircraft, rather, I slewed up in the air and experimented with/previewed different times of day.

 

[Adamski_NZ 950]

And ... just to prove I can get results too! :wink:

 

 

 

Adam.

[Guest tymk]

Beautiful shots guys, I'm still trying to find a perfect shadow depth balance.

 

I'd also like to thank Yuri for the latest update with the improved "disable adaptation" feature, which now allows me to retain my adjusted day/night exposure settings in the CFG. I hated the unpredictable behavior with HDR on, and now I can now get consistent results -- especially for darker panels/cockpits.

 

Adam, I'd give HDR another go with adaptation disabled, it's a huge improvement... :wink:

 

Tym

[edpatino 1,964]

And ... just to prove I can get results too! :wink:

 

 

 

 

Adam.

 

Nice shots!. Are you using P3Dv3.2? or 3.3?

Cheers, Ed

[Adamski_NZ 950]

@Ed - Latest "hotfixed" P3Dv3.3. Working like a charm at the moment!! With PTA it's looking better than ever before.

 

@Tym - I find the HDR effects (no matter how I try to "calm them down") way too drastic. Too much clipping in both light and dark extremes - and I hate the way it all bleaches at certain angles. I like to see what my naked eye would see - not some pseudo-lens effect. Our eyes are great at compensating for huge differences in lighting - I don't see why I should have to accept the limitations of a camera!

 

Adam.