Prepar3D Tweak Assistant (PTA)

[Cruachan 705]

Hi,

Adam has done it again! It may be a work in progress, but it's looking pretty good to me

I restored the default sky textures (140) prior to applying his 25.01 for PTA 2.51 Preset and I believe the results speak for themselves:

Juneau (PAJN), ORBX

Season (Spring) and Time of Day (1400hrs) = P3Dv4 Defaults

Fair Weather

Prior to this, I was experimenting with Adam's 21.11 Preset in P3D4 using Matt's PTA 2.51 and had copied across all the Sky Textures (as recommended by Adam and provided by REX4 TD) from P3D3.4 and also found the results were comparable to what I am seeing in P3D3.4. I had to reduce the Clouds Shadows Depth a little, but that was all. I did not notice any performance impact or downsides from using the REX4 TD textures. It would appear that all this is now irrelevant.

If it is at all possible to continue tweaking with the default Sky Textures then I would think this would be desirable and a better solution as it eliminates the introduction of so many potentially important variables which can and do influence how various scenery components are lit.

Well done, Adam, and a huge thank you for continuing this adventure for us!

Regards,

Mike

[FlightSimmer Pete 15]

Hi Adam, keen to install this when you feel it's ready ")

Cheers

 

Pete

[Cruachan 705]

6 hours ago, FlightSimmer Pete said:

Hi Adam, keen to install this when you feel it's ready ")

Cheers

 

Pete

Hi Pete,

There's really nothing to stop you from enjoying it now. Installation of a Preset is very easy and non-destructive. Just make sure you back up the default Prepar3D v4 ShadersHLSL folder. At first run PTA 2.5x will create backups of the relevant default Shader files (7) automatically so, again, it's quite straightforward creating another quick manual backup yourself should you wish to do so. Once you have those backups you can relax. Should the need ever arise, there is a menu option within PTA allowing you to restore the default Shaders. 

Just open a Preset, Apply it, tweak it (if you feel the need) and then close PTA. That's it! Adam's Presets set the necessary HDR settings automatically.

Yes, you may consider it to be a 'work in progress', but that should not discourage you from trying it now. Believe me when I say that it's very unlikely you will feel disappointed.

Regards,

Mike

Edit: Here are a few more images taken with Adam's 25.01 Preset Shader tweaks in place:

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/513025-ugh-and-the-flight-started-out-so-wellhelp/

 

[FlightSimmer Pete 15]

5 hours ago, Cruachan said:

Hi Pete,

There's really nothing to stop you from enjoying it now. Installation of a Preset is very easy and non-destructive. Just make sure you back up the default Prepar3D v4 ShadersHLSL folder. At first run PTA 2.5x will create backups of the relevant default Shader files (7) automatically so, again, it's quite straightforward creating another quick manual backup yourself should you wish to do so. Once you have those backups you can relax. Should the need ever arise, there is a menu option within PTA allowing you to restore the default Shaders. 

Just open a Preset, Apply it, tweak it (if you feel the need) and then close PTA. That's it! Adam's Presets set the necessary HDR settings automatically.

Yes, you may consider it to be a 'work in progress', but that should not discourage you from trying it now. Believe me when I say that it's very unlikely you will feel disappointed.

Regards,

Mike

Edit: Here are a few more images taken with Adam's 25.01 Preset Shader tweaks in place:

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/513025-ugh-and-the-flight-started-out-so-wellhelp/

 

Hi Mike,

Thanks for all the information, yes I have used Adams presets in P3d V3.4 and won't use anyone elses, to be honest. :)

Cheers

Pete

[Adamski_NZ 952]

Announcement - new preset: adam_25-02 - for PTA 2.51.

25_02 is basically 25_01 (which was for DEFAULT P3Dv4 sky/cloud textures), but optimised/tweaked for REX skies (or similar):

Get it here

Adam.

[Adamski_NZ 952]

On 6/20/2017 at 9:30 PM, Cruachan said:

Just open a Preset, Apply it, tweak it (if you feel the need) and then close PTA. That's it! Adam's Presets set the necessary HDR settings automatically.

Yes, you may consider it to be a 'work in progress', but that should not discourage you from trying it now. Believe me when I say that it's very unlikely you will feel disappointed.

Thanks for the kind words, Mike (and great pics too!).

I tend to set the HDR values in the preset in case people forget to change their P3D settings from some previous preset. However - I feel decidedly weird about having *any* utility messing with my P3D config, so people can disable this section in PTA if they want to - but just remember to keep your P3D HDR values in sync!

Adam.

[timest 472]

Awesome stuff Adam!! Thank you. 

[Cruachan 705]

13 hours ago, Adamski_NZ said:

Announcement - new preset: adam_25-02 - for PTA 2.51.

25_02 is basically 25_01 (which was for DEFAULT P3Dv4 sky/cloud textures), but optimised/tweaked for REX skies (or similar):

Get it here

Adam.

Hi Adam,

Okay, REX4 TD Sky textures selection (as you have recommended) reinstalled and the difference is very noticeable. In fact I loved the combination of these Sky Textures with your last P3D3 Preset and it's such a pleasure to see those impressively natural results reprised in P3D4. So, I think I'll take back my comments in an earlier post regarding the use of the default Sky textures 😃

Another cracking set of images, Adam! I see you have installed the A2A Spit in P3D4. Have you noticed the absence of in-cockpit engine sounds as soon as you take off? Shame, really, as everything else seems to be working fine. Hopefully this will be corrected when they release the new installer. All I did was copy the Spit's folder from the P3D3 Simobjects folder - in this instance I didn't bother with the new fangled brain-bashing add-on.xml business 🤓

Regards,

Mike

[Adamski_NZ 952]

2 hours ago, Cruachan said:

Another cracking set of images, Adam! I see you have installed the A2A Spit in P3D4. Have you noticed the absence of in-cockpit engine sounds as soon as you take off? Shame, really, as everything else seems to be working fine. Hopefully this will be corrected when they release the new installer. All I did was copy the Spit's folder from the P3D3 Simobjects folder - in this instance I didn't bother with the new fangled brain-bashing add-on.xml business 🤓

Great to hear REX/TD and the new preset look good on your system! I feel like I've got back to the P3Dv3 "look and feel", but with all the P3Dv4 bonuses.

I've held off with the A2A Spit - until they patch it. This is the RealAir version, which I installed using the add-ons.cfg method, though I think just pointing the installer at P3Dv4 also works.

As far as the A2A Spit: you may be missing effects/sounds that might have originally gone into the common P3D effects/sounds folder <?>. I'm hoping A2A fix the nasty blue canopy for the Spit when they update it. It should really look like the RealAir one in #1 above!

Adam.

[SKEWR 364]

Quick question: Does the new preset look good at night also?

[Adamski_NZ 952]

53 minutes ago, SKEWR said:

Quick question: Does the new preset look good at night also?

Only one way to find out !

Besides ... "good" is a very relative term!!

Adam.

[FlightSimmer Pete 15]

Hey Adam, This may well be your best effort to date :) Very very nice :)

[Adamski_NZ 952]

1 hour ago, FlightSimmer Pete said:

Hey Adam, This may well be your best effort to date :) Very very nice :)

Thanks, Pete!! I still have the tweaking bug, so stay tuned! I'm thinking I maybe have a fraction too much blue overall.

Adam.

[ErichB 3,643]

Great work again Adam.  Thanks

[Adamski_NZ 952]

Announcement - new preset: adam_25_03 - for PTA 2.52 (P3Dv4).

Basically 25_02 but with a little blue removed and softer shadows to help out in cloudy/overcast conditions.

Hawker Hero (Fury I) near Whangarei (NZWR):

Manfred Jahn's superb DC-3 near Mount Cook, ORBX NZSI:

Amazingly, the Flight1 BN-2 Islander works in P3Dv4. Here it is near Gisborne (NZGS) - ORBX NZNI:

Manfred Jahn's superb DC-3 again - near Mount Cook, ORBX NZSI:

For those interested in my PTA reincarnations, the link is: http://www.nzfsim.org/index.php?dsp=PTA

Adam.