Prepar3D Tweak Assistant (PTA) - Screenshots & Presets

[RaptyrOne 1,413]

Awesome pictures kiwi_biplane, especially the second one! What water textures and sky textures are you using?

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Greg,

 

Can't speak for the water textures, but I bet he is using his own fabulous Sky Texture creations. Look at the banner 😉

 

Regards,

Mike

[kiwi_biplane 635]

... What water textures and sky textures are you using?

Can't speak for the water textures, but I bet he is using his own fabulous Sky Texture creations. Look at the banner

 

 Hi Greg! Water textures are default ones. Awesome Yuriy`s preset makes water reflections more natural.

Yes, Mike, you are right, this is my sky «Set KIWI v3beta».    Textures can be found here. Registration popup can be closed to continue download.  You can test them, but  in some conditions they don’t look good. You can discuss their problems    in my topic.

 

Regards, Gennadiy

[Adamski_NZ 952]

Oooooh ... so much goodness!

 

I hope I'm not speaking too soon, but I think I've conquered the beast!!!

 

 

 

This is basically my preset 20_09 but with some minor water tweaks. Not major enough to warrant a new 20_10 ... yet!!!

 

Gennadiy - looking at your site -  I *love* your sky textures! I have a couple of questions for you (!!):

 

1) How does P3D cycle through the different day palettes? Can it do this without rebuilding the shader cache? Does it load all 10 of them?

 

2) If I go to the calendar and select a day (or two) either side of the current one, does P3D automatically use the new day(xx) sky textures?

 

Adam.

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Adam,

 

Another breathtaking couplet of images! Delighted to see your sleeves are still firmly rolled up :smile:

 

Here are a few images taken from an evening scenic flight with a full load of passengers out of Picton Harbour in the spectacular Marlborough Region of New Zealand's South Island. DeHavilland DH89a Dragon Rapide (Dave Garwood) and was on loan from Canada :wink:

 

 

ORBX NZ (South Island), Adam's 20_09 Preset, ENVTEX Sky and Cloud textures (ASCA integration - Cirrus and Clouds unchecked, Cloud structure and sky checked in ASCA).

 

Mike

[kiwi_biplane 635]

1) How does P3D cycle through the different day palettes? Can it do this without rebuilding the shader cache? Does it load all 10 of them?

 

2) If I go to the calendar and select a day (or two) either side of the current one, does P3D automatically use the new day(xx) sky textures?

 

Adam.

Hi, Adam! I’m amazed by your presets and screenshots. Nicely correct and pure color, perfect balance of scenary components. I will try new version "adam_pta20_07.ini" with pleasure.

 

Answering your questions:

-      i didn’t figure out day textures  rotation algorithm. Most likely it is done randomly. Any texture set can be loaded on simulator startup.

-      texture always changes if date is changed via simulator menu.

-      changing sky textures you don’t have to clear shader cache. You don’t have to exit the simulator! You have to put files into texture folder and change date in the simulator. I’m doing so while testing sets.

 

You can create your own 10 day set using your favourite ones.  You just have to sort them in day`s order. It is easily done by changing explorer window width so it has 10 elements in a row (as in the screenshot). Then every day will be represented by single column. It will be easy to select and replace files.

 

Regards, Gennadiy

[Adamski_NZ 952]

Here are a few images taken from an evening scenic flight with a full load of passengers out of Picton Harbour in the spectacular Marlborough Region of New Zealand's South Island. DeHavilland DH89a Dragon Rapide (Dave Garwood) and was on loan from Canada :wink:

 

Great screens, Mike! That Rapide is a beauty isn't it? The Marlborough Sounds are spectacular (in ORBX abnd RL) - I especially like the bushy areas around Picton.

 

 

Hi, Adam! I’m amazed by your presets and screenshots. Nicely correct and pure color, perfect balance of scenary components. I will try new version "adam_pta20_07.ini" with pleasure.

 

Answering your questions:

-      i didn’t figure out day textures  rotation algorithm. Most likely it is done randomly. Any texture set can be loaded on simulator startup.

-      texture always changes if date is changed via simulator menu.

-      changing sky textures you don’t have to clear shader cache. You don’t have to exit the simulator! You have to put files into texture folder and change date in the simulator. I’m doing so while testing sets.

 

You can create your own 10 day set using your favourite ones.  You just have to sort them in day`s order. It is easily done by changing explorer window width so it has 10 elements in a row (as in the screenshot). Then every day will be represented by single column. It will be easy to select and replace files.

 

 

Thanks, Gennadiy!! Try preset 20_09 (and skip 20_07 and 20_08). I've just tried your textures - and it's great to see some very subtle twilight colouring - well done!

 

Thanks for the textures loading info. My theory on day cycling is that the initial day number (on sim startup) may be random - and that date is the applied to the calendar as today's date. All other days then reference this initial value and count forward or backwards. That's just my theory though! I suppose the way to test this would be to create 10 *very* different, easily indentifiable (ie. not even realistic), day sets and run some tests - but I'm not sure I could be bothered, if it all works well anyway!

 

Adam.

[kiwi_biplane 635]

Adam, you do can remotely control people Human is a curios creature and you used it with success. You made me check your assumption and it turned out to be correct. I made 10 textures. I colored 7 in colors of spectrum and rest in white, black and gray. During simulator startup and loading of a new scenario it selects random texture, but then it is done according to schedule. I have no idea how to use this algorithm, most likely there is no way indeed ,  at least we know how it works.

 

I also tried your new preset. Good job, Adam. 

 

 

 

These shots with    my new set

[Adamski_NZ 952]

Hahaha ... very good, Gennadiy! We learn something new every day! I'm sure Yuri will come up with a way of using that algorithm, LOL! Great screens, BTW!

 

I'm glad the preset works well for you ... I'm always relieved to hear that it produces decent results for people with different systems. The terrain in your pics looks very similar to mine - but the skies are refreshingly different. I've been testing for weeks, using the same/identical sky set (to keep a level playing field), so it's great to finally be able to try something new - I'm enjoying the variety of your skies!

 

I'm hoping you can work your magic on water textures as well!!

 

Adam.

[Eziocin 46]

 

 

This is basically my preset 20_09 but with some minor water tweaks

Great shots Adam.....the water looks reallly good...which are these minor tweaks you are referring to ? 

Thanks

Ezio

[Adamski_NZ 952]

Great shots Adam.....the water looks reallly good...which are these minor tweaks you are referring to?

 

Just a couple of formulas/values changed in reflectivity and limpidity - nothing earth-shattering. I still have some night lighting to sort out, so was going to wait and add them to 20_10. I've posted the tweaks on my PTA page so people can add them manually for the time being:

 

1) ReflectionCoeff: (clamp(0.70 - 0.30 * cb_Altitude/100, 0.3, 0.7))

2) RefractionCoeff: (clamp(0.90 - 0.30 * cb_Altitude/304, 0.6, 0.9))

3) Scale ratio: 1

4) Waves smoothing: 7

 

Reflection is boosted a little when under 300ft ASL - and limpidity boosted when below 1,000ft.

 

Adam.

[Gregg_Seipp 568]

Is it possible to increase bloom with distance with a shader?

[klamal 282]

 

 

I still have some night lighting to sort out

Curious to know what night lighting you're going to be sorting out?  I use your 09 currently and to me, it seems a little too blue at night.

[Adamski_NZ 952]

Curious to know what night lighting you're going to be sorting out?  I use your 09 currently and to me, it seems a little too blue at night.

 

There are refinements under way with respect to moonlight/full moon behaviour when desaturating - it was bleaching out street lighting as well (now fixed, but still testing).

 

If you find the blue effect too strong, either reduce or turn off the "Sepia" post-processing filter - that's where I cheated the filter into introducing additional blue (instead of the more usual brown) at night. I may knock the power down a bit for 20_10.

 

Adam.

[KNOSSOS 122]

Is it possible to increase bloom with distance with a shader?

No