Why is P3D handling VAS so poorly?

[Afterburner 374]

In my experience, one should not expect Prepar3D to aggressively reduce the VAS consumption after leaving a complex area (maybe by 100 - 300 MB, depending on how far you are away from that area). However, compared to FSX (SE) DX9-mode, the VAS usage does not pile up incessantly at a high rate as you fly along over various sceneries over land.

Last year, I did a video where I directly compared the VAS usage in FSX-SE DX9, DX10 and Prepar3D v3.2 under identical circumstances on a test flight from KIAD to KJFK. You can take a look at it if you like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8taw2AJl8Q

 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

11 minutes ago, Afterburner said:

In my experience, one should not expect Prepar3D to aggressively reduce the VAS consumption after leaving a complex area (maybe by 100 - 300 MB, depending on how far you are away from that area). However, compared to FSX (SE) DX9-mode, the VAS usage does not pile up incessantly at a high rate as you fly along over various sceneries over land.

Last year, I did a video where I directly compared the VAS usage in FSX-SE DX9, DX10 and Prepar3D v3.2 under identical circumstances on a test flight from KIAD to KJFK. You can take a look at it if you like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8taw2AJl8Q

 

Thanks ab. Will do later on. I've had to pause a flight from ENGM to EGLL as the footie is about to start. There was a reduction in VAS usage soon after crossing the Norwegian coast.

Perhaps it only tries to retrieve it when it gets extremely low. Time and various flights will tell.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

1 hour ago, Paul_ said:

Ray .... 

 

The bottom line is ... are you suffering from OOM messages which are interfering and stopping you completing flights? 

Paul 

No, not yet. But it seems awfully close to doing that. Maybe something magical happens when VAS < 200Mb.

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Ray,

Speaking of excellent resources, few come better than Rob's superlative AVSIM Prepar3D Guide. Unlike many of us, Rob's approach has always been strictly methodical and most of the information documented in his guide is the result of extensive testing and proven results. Those 'grey' areas are included for completeness and are left for the user to decide what value they may have when employed in their particular Prepar3D/hardware/software setup. As you know, the guide includes a section with some useful guidelines for avoiding OOMs.

Tweaking recommendations are made sometimes without solid evidence of efficacy. On the other hand some are made without realising that such tweaks already exist as default, but don't appear in the Prepar3D.cfg file. If the default condition for a particular setting = 1 (Active) and LM consider it to be correct and of value for good performance then adding the entry is only necessary when you wish to try the effect of turning it off (= 0). An example would be ENABLE_MEMORY_OPTIMIZATION=1, which does not appear in Prepar3D.cfg but exists in the sim's software as the default state. Another example would be TextureMaxLoad=6 (default). I use a value of 30 so have added the entry to the Prepar3D.cfg file. As is stated in Rob's Guide, I have found on my setup 'this improves texture loading performance and reduces low quality textures (blurriness)'. In fact I see no blurries these days. I doubt whether this is wholly responsible, but seems to complement the balance of other configuration values as set throughout the sim.

Edit: Capping frame rates in the sim is a way of reducing the load on the GPU while helping to reduce the number of long frames (stuttering). If the limiter is set to unlimited then don't be surprised to see your GPU working upwards of 90% with the consequent heat implications. I have turned off VSync and Triple buffering and performance remains very fluid most of the time. I cap at 31fps which seems effective but, again, this is system specific.

Regards,

Mike

 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

1 hour ago, Cruachan said:

Hi Ray,

Pulling your hair out yet? If so, I wouldn't blame you as we've all been down this road at some time or another and know only too well what you are experiencing. Many of these are System specific and may not help you. It can all get a bit confusing when assailed from all sides with suggestions and/or 'recommendations'. Don't forget you can always get back to the sim's pre-tweak default state by renaming Prepar3D.cfg (preserves your previous settings for reference) and deleting the Shaders folder (NOT the ShadersHLSL folder in Prepar3D root. There is a strong case for starting again and building up your settings bit by bit while witnessing the effects produced by each change.

I noticed you are using AffinityMask=255 with HT=ON (11,11,11,11). Actually this entry is not needed as it's the same as AffinityMask=0, the sim's default setting. When you have time to explore this setting a bit further there is no better resource than Steve Waite's excellent article over at his CodeLegend website:

http://www.codelegend.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=532

Regards,

Mike

Mike,

Appreciate the advice but it still doesn't answer my question. Why doesn't P3D release VAS once out of complex areas?

I'm very tempted to leave this as it is now and just fly. If I get an OOM then I'll investigate further but quite frankly adjusting the settings in P3D makes no difference to VAS being released.

On the AF thing I have all 8 processors working so see no need to change the current setting.

[fluffyflops 1,858]

I spoke too soon... My vas just halved in about 2 seconds coming out of Gatwick on the lam sid...

I can do 10 hours from hk to moscow in the 747 but can do 10 mins out Gatwick. 

 

 

[grandfred29 180]

hi all

Ray, have you see in the avsim guide certain tweak who can help you about vas release.

i don't remember exactly but you will be able to find them easily.

You can do a backup of your p3d cfg and erase all inside this file and save with nothing inside, restart P3D and check after close it what is write inside.

I did this few weeks ago and remark there is some tweaks wrote by default

affinity mask you be 85, maybe 116 and reduce /2 ground shadow and cloud shadow

in my case i can start a flight at amsterdam with a very poor vas like 400mb free, took of and arrive at TOC with 1000-1200mb free...

[fluffyflops 1,858]

all these posts about tweaks and this and that...

 

Ray a simple yes or no question... are you only getting getting VAS issues when ONLY using the concorde and or fsl ??  

Do you get them using the 777 or 747...

Im getting a nagging feeling its FSL  spotlights.  As its only the FSL i get the issue with on the new drivers,  with the .33 drivers the vas is stable.  With the new drivers its not.  but only in the FSL using spotlights

maybe someone can look at this... thanks in advance

 

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[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

26 minutes ago, tooting said:

all these posts about tweaks and this and that...

Ray a simple yes or no question... are you only getting getting VAS issues when ONLY using the concorde and or fsl ??  

Do you get them using the 777 or 747...

Im getting a nagging feeling its FSL  spotlights.  As its only the FSL i get the issue with on the new drivers,  with the .33 drivers the vas is stable.  With the new drivers its not.  but only in the FSL using spotlights

 

I only have Concorde so can't comment on 737 or 777. I don't have Spotlights installed either so we can forget that.

I'm going to do as Fred suggests and use Rob's P3D VAS guide. That should help.

[fluffyflops 1,858]

Do you have spotlights..Yes or no? 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

7 minutes ago, tooting said:

Do you have spotlights..Yes or no? 

I've already said I don't have it installed.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

P3D has OOM's over the City of London inbound to EGLL. Not impressed. Never had this problem with FSX:SP2.

Clearly I'm going to have to dial back some settings. Rob's P3D guide now being opened.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,960]

I did the following:-

Loaded Nvidia driver 376.33

Deleted P3D.CFG and let P3D build a new one.

Dialled back several settings to free up VAS.

I now have 1360Mb free at EGLL in Concorde. Previously it was 805Mb.

I'm reasonably confident this will prevent OOMs. I may tweak these over time and change to newer drivers.

I obviously had set them too high thinking P3D could cope with VAS far better than FSX. But you have to give it a fighting chance.

Thanks to all who offered advice.

[Afterburner 374]

I'm glad to hear that the combination of rebuilding the p3d.cfg and running the 376.33 driver has improved your VAS usage.

I can say that I have seen many instances where users who had tweaked their cfg-file to death started experiencing issues sooner or later, and deleting the configuration file and letting P3d rebuild a new one gave them a relief. Personally, I only "tweak" using the P3D internal display settings (except of maybe the cloud shadow size), and it has worked best for me.

[fluffyflops 1,858]

I can confirm the new drivers leak like hell using the the fsl out of Gatwick but Ironically dont leak going in... You couldn't make it up.