No external lights illuminating ground when dynamic lighting disabled

[AdiR 27]

Hi,

I've just installed NGX for P3Dv4. When I turn on landing/taxi lights (at night) they are not illuminating ground even with " Landing-lights illuminate ground" option enabled.

I have to turn on "Dynamic lighting" to see landing/taxi lights illuminating ground (in external view and from VC). Is it correct? I've read "Dynamic lighting" should be turned off because of high performance drop (I also have framerate drop by 50% at default airport). But taxiing without lights illuminating ground can be "unhandy".

Cheers! 

[scandinavian13 5,192]

3 hours ago, AdiR said:

Is it correct?

Correct.

 

[fakeflyer737 991]

Why can't we have the option to use the old style lights? 

Im running a 980TI ASUS and with the lights off at FT CYYZ Im getting 38+FPS, when I turn them on its literally goes down to 8FPS.

[stufer 30]

Hi there

I'd like to request to have the option for the old style light effects too, if it can be done. On my computer it is a choice between decent anti-aliasing or dynamic lights. While dynamic lights are nice, they certainly don't compare to a non-shimmery image so anti-aliasing is what I choose. It would be nice to have the old light effect so the ground still lights up the way it does on previous versions of P3D and FSX.

I appreciate there may be a lot of good reasons why it has been removed but, well, there's no harm in asking!

Cheers

Stu

[anden145 2,283]

Can't you 'just' use MSAA instead of SSAA? That way, the impact on performance is quite minimal. I don't really understand why you would have flickering with MSAA instead of SSAA?! I run it at 1080p and 2xMSAA and have no performance impact with Dynamic Lights and it looks quite nice, to be honest.

I believe, that the old method is texture based and the new is an actual light source. Kinda worlds between them.

This discussion has already been debated to death in another topic. To have taxi/landing lights, you have to use Dynamic Lights. Apparently it isn't that easy to switch between the two methods.

[stufer 30]

Hi Anders

Yes indeed I can use MSAA and the impact on frames is not nearly so bad, just when using SSAA.

But I have chosen SSAA because of the shimmering I get on my screen without it. This is really noticeable in the sea - I think it's the wave effects - as my head moves around it sort of looks like a tv that's not tuned in!

But the worst for me is at night - I use Orbx scenery and the street lights flash and flicker at a distance to the extent that I can't stand to look at it! I tried using FXAA and that sort of softens it a bit but it cuts down on the range I can see the street lights at. It's all a case of compromises and after trying each of the them for a while I decided that good looking anti-aliasing was worth more to me than the dynamic lights, so that's what I've gone with.

I certainly don't expect PMDG to jump to and sort it out just because that's what I've chosen, but I just wanted to make the suggestion that they introduce the option to have the old style in for those, like me who prefer to. If it's too much for them to do, then so be it, I'll have to taxi in the dark, lol!

It's just that all the other addon and default aircraft seem to have that option to have DL or the old style. Would be nice, but certainly not an 'end of the world' issue!

Cheers

Stu

[anden145 2,283]

I understand your situation, but I'm a bit puzzled as to why you're experiencing these issues. I have flown at night and there's isn't any flicking and shimmering in my setup. My water isn't tearing or shimmering either... I'm using 2xMSAA with no FXAA... 

[Ioan92 63]

9 minutes ago, Anders Bermann said:

I understand your situation, but I'm a bit puzzled as to why you're experiencing these issues. I have flown at night and there's isn't any flicking and shimmering in my setup. My water isn't tearing or shimmering either... I'm using 2xMSAA with no FXAA... 

Post a screenshot, you got me curious. Anything less than 8x SSAA looks godawful on my setup.

[sidfadc 1,340]

1 hour ago, Ioan92 said:

Post a screenshot, you got me curious. Anything less than 8x SSAA looks godawful on my setup.

Agreed the shimmering at night in particular from lights on anything less than 4 x SSAA is painful!  I recently watched a Chewwy stream and he was coming into land at London Heathrow at dusk, he remarked how gorgeous it looked but all I saw was a load of shimmering!!  Guess some people don't notice or mind it as much.  But I agree with you.

[vonmar 122]

I just tested the PMDG737 P3Dv4 at night ...

My FPS is locked at 25 and I get 24.8 with DL ON.

[sidfadc 1,340]

3 hours ago, vonmar said:

I just tested the PMDG737 P3Dv4 at night ...

My FPS is locked at 25 and I get 24.8 with DL ON.

Whats your AA setting? 

My first flight tonight using the 737 NGX and with 4 x SSAA (the only option to kill shimmering for me) the difference is about 8-12 FPS if I drop down to 8 x MSAA with DL on but then everything shimmers especially ORBX night lighting, its just plain ugly and distracting.  Now obviously you cant compromise the lights of the NGX if you fly at night so unless PMDG can change this (suspect not) I personally will have to put up with shimmering or taxi around in the dark lol.  Hmmmm, tough choice!

[vonmar 122]

21 minutes ago, sidfadc said:

Whats your AA setting? 

My first flight tonight using the 737 NGX and with 4 x SSAA (the only option to kill shimmering for me) the difference is about 8-12 FPS if I drop down to 8 x MSAA with DL on but then everything shimmers especially ORBX night lighting, its just plain ugly and distracting.  Now obviously you cant compromise the lights of the NGX if you fly at night so unless PMDG can change this (suspect not) I personally will have to put up with shimmering or taxi around in the dark lol.  Hmmmm, tough choice!

4xMSAA

[PMDG777 231]

SSAA kills performance with dynamic lights as has been pointed out. LM and PMDG are well aware of this. It's MSAA or no dynamic lights, you can't have SSAA + DL + good performance.

[RichieFly 724]

I use 2xSSAA with Dynamic lights at payware airports (UK2000 EGCC, for example) and I get very acceptable performance. And it looks fine, by my eye.

It's safe to say, your mileage may vary.

[Cargostorm 151]

13 hours ago, stufer said:

Hi Anders

Yes indeed I can use MSAA and the impact on frames is not nearly so bad, just when using SSAA.

But I have chosen SSAA because of the shimmering I get on my screen without it. This is really noticeable in the sea - I think it's the wave effects - as my head moves around it sort of looks like a tv that's not tuned in!

But the worst for me is at night - I use Orbx scenery and the street lights flash and flicker at a distance to the extent that I can't stand to look at it! I tried using FXAA and that sort of softens it a bit but it cuts down on the range I can see the street lights at. It's all a case of compromises and after trying each of the them for a while I decided that good looking anti-aliasing was worth more to me than the dynamic lights, so that's what I've gone with.

I certainly don't expect PMDG to jump to and sort it out just because that's what I've chosen, but I just wanted to make the suggestion that they introduce the option to have the old style in for those, like me who prefer to. If it's too much for them to do, then so be it, I'll have to taxi in the dark, lol!

It's just that all the other addon and default aircraft seem to have that option to have DL or the old style. Would be nice, but certainly not an 'end of the world' issue!

Cheers

Stu

Try 2x MSAA in the sim and 2x SGSS in the Nvidia Inspector. That should help without making dynamic lighting on a slide show.