P3D 3.4 Experience Thread

[simmerhead 885]

On the bright side I'm thinking that my PMDG 737 NGX will move from FSX to P3D when REX has released their airport texture addon. I'm gonna stick to default airports (with updated AFCADS) and no other scenery addons apart from REX Soft Clouds, FSGRW and freeware AI traffic and FreemeshX.

 

I simly can't get my sim to run smooth with ORBX Global, Vector and Open Landclass - and forget about the regions, so I'll move those to Prepar3D v2.5 and GA flying.

[Guest]

CPU affinity can impact VAS also ... I know when I ran my 5960X with HT ON (16 logical CPUs) I was using about 300-400MB more VAS.  I've since disabled HT, and run AffinityMask of 170 (basically 4 real cores).  Performance is good, VAS is good, the only negative I noticed was the loading of aircraft textures takes a little longer.

 

Cheers, Rob.

[downscc 1,327]

Similar experience with 6700K..., HT off and run without an affinity mask (4 cores).  VAS with NGX is okay but things get tight with 777 as noted.

 

I just ran into an oddity with VAS and my 777 adventures.  Lined up ready for takeoff at KJFK after starting at the gate and doing a preflight, I noted VAS use was 3.274 GB.  I saved, exit restated and reloaded at the ready for takeoff spot and VAS was 2.987 GB.  True it is only about 300 MB difference but if every little bit helps this could be useful.

[SteveW 1,792]

If we only turn on HT and do nothing else to the system we mess it all up.

 

Taking Robs AM=170 example above; it is a fact that 8 cores with HT disabled and AM=170=10101010 is exactly the same for P3D with HT enabled AM=17476=01,00,01,00,01,00,01,00. These are the same four "real cores" used except we have the benefit of hyperthreading which can return up to 30% more throughput per windows system. The "downsides" to HT is that some processes may become errant and make twice as many threads using twice as much CPU bandwidth across the chip for no purpose. Other processes may see the alternate LPs on those used real cores as unused cores, so we must take care of that or we blew it. Also there would be an increase in heat equal to the increase in work done, so if we are pushing an overclock we may push it into the red if it's far enough up the curve already. The task is to track those other processes down to ensure we get our HT performance increase.

 

Rob, I would try on your setup adding two more LPs 21840=01,01,01,01,01,01,00,00 which can keep the rendering still very stable since v3.2, but will increase the loading speed by several seconds. Check the time a scenario loads with a stopwatch and see how much less time it takes with cores more than four. If it takes less time to load the scenario, this translates into faster pickup of new scenery and objects within the sim operations.

[theskyisthelimit 48]

For those that say they "cull" the plane count to being 100 or so loaded at most any given time to help with VAS with UT2..

How are you doing this?  Via the UT2 interface?  If so.. i tried setting mine to 100.. but despite this when i view the count in SuperTrafficboard i still see 150 at times, or 130 etc.

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

If the UT2 approach isn't working, try using the Traffic Optimizer instead:

 

http://www.avsim.com/topic/451048-traffic-optimizer-for-p3d/

 

Killing off excess AI aircraft is dependent on how frequently any AI traffic zapper checks to see whether the maximum number of aircraft within the user's realty bubble has been exceeded. In heavy traffic areas around big international airports, both the UT2 mechanism and the TO can get overwhelmed.

[Eziocin 46]

I have completed my flight from Aerosoft EGLL to ImagineSIm KAUS, 9hr 50m, no midflight restart, with 850 Mb residual VAS remaining after engines shutdown in KAUS. 

This is extremely good.....considering that the visual settings in P3D menus are in the high part of the sliders, FTX Vector has everything enabled except Tertiary Roads, P3D texture resolution is 2048, and ASCA clouds resolution is 1024. I have disabled the exterior model of the PMDG T7 to save some VAS (not a screenshot addicted, so I don't care about it...).

 

Just an update....I flew Aerosoft EGLL to Flightbeam KIAD yesterday....deactivated FreeMesh X and reactivated FTX Mesh....don't know if it is good or bad news but nothing changed vs the previous flight ...I ended up my flight with 800 Mb residual VAS...all the other settings unchanged.

Therefore either the problem with FTX mesh is limited only to a particular area of UK or the people who are having VAS issue are looking in the wrong direction...

[Guest]

 

 

I noted VAS use was 3.274 GB.  I saved, exit restated and reloaded at the ready for takeoff spot and VAS was 2.987 GB.  True it is only about 300 MB difference but if every little bit helps this could be useful.

 

You'll need to do two full 360 view rotations in VC and in Spot before noting any VAS values ... that will force the loading of local scenery (including AI aircraft).  When doing my VAS testing, if I come in and do nothing else just stay looking straight forward in VC, I'm usually about 300-400MB lower, but this isn't a good test of VAS usage as it's unlikely most users will not look around the VC or go to spot view (or some external view).

 

Cheers, Rob.

[downscc 1,327]

I'm sure that is what is was.... true, I have a set sequence of view changes I do too when evaluating VAS. It was late and I was trying to get a long flight launched.

[DogTagGamer 3]

Well, I installed it, opened it up and it worked fine (pre-add-on installs).   Then added on Airbus (Aerosoft) and Flightbeam KSFO, KPHX, and KDEN, along with Orbx Global and vector.   P3D v3.4 would then crash upon loading screen.   Been out of the flight sim loop for about a year due to real life issues.... Getting back into now.    

 

Am I supposed to manually copy files from the addons to certain locations?  I feel pretty much like a newb again.   

 

Thanks

[SteveW 1,792]

Well, I installed it, opened it up and it worked fine (pre-add-on installs).   Then added on Airbus (Aerosoft) and Flightbeam KSFO, KPHX, and KDEN, along with Orbx Global and vector.   P3D v3.4 would then crash upon loading screen.   Been out of the flight sim loop for about a year due to real life issues.... Getting back into now.    

 

Am I supposed to manually copy files from the addons to certain locations?  I feel pretty much like a newb again.   

 

Thanks

At which point did it start crashing - after installing which product?

 

 

About meshes: One thing to look out for is to not set your mesh below 10m, this can cause problems of blurred terrain and possibly other effects.

[DogTagGamer 3]

Hey Steve,

 

It started crashing after installing all of the airports mentioned.  Like a "noob" I didn't install one and test.  Also, I am using the alpha of chase plane...which is not set to open upon flight sim execution.

 

 

 

My system

i5 4690k

16gb ram

250 GB SSD

1 TB HDD

2 TB HDD (flight sims on this drive)

EVGA 1080p

[jason99vmi 157]

 

 

Am I supposed to manually copy files from the addons to certain locations? I feel pretty much like a newb again.

 

Those addons you mentioned should all be installed via the installer.  There are some things that can just be copy and pasted but those are like freeware aircraft, freeware addon scenery, AI aircraft, boats, etc. 

[joepoway 241]

Steve

What do you mean by this everyone seems to run 5m?

 

About meshes: One thing to look out for is to not set your mesh below 10m, this can cause problems of blurred terrain and possibly other effects

 

Joe

[Afterburner 374]

I have conducted a short flight with Concorde-X from EHAM to EGLL (default) using P3D v3.4 with settings that push the VAS to the extreme, and I could get as close as 4.5 NM to the airport before OOMing. I have made a video of it, which you can watch below.

 

Some settings/aspects that have pushed the VAS:

- Autogen/scenery settings to the maximum

- LOD 6.5

- Everything activated in ORBX Vector (except frozen rivers)

- 40% car/boat/ship traffic

- Heavy amount of AI traffic near EGLL (over 250)

- Flight during sunset

- Regular 360 degrees rotation in spot view

- Overflying downtown Amsterdam and London

 

Overall, I can't complain with how VAS was handled during the described conditions.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXfP-tmMo10