best settings for P3D v4

[tecto 3]

I know that for most of the games best settings = max settings.

However I've noticed that this rule doesn't apply to P3D. Some settings on max/ultra make the sim graphic artificial or simply ugly looking.

Could you please tell me what settings will be the best and will make my sim as real as possible?

Regarding add-ons currently I have:
FTX Global
FTX openLC Europe
FTX Norway
FTX Vector
FS Global 2010
PTA
Envtex

My specs are:
i7-7700k (not overclocked) on Z270 mobo
Nvidia GTX 1060 6B
16 GB DDR4
 

[aeronauta 67]

tecto, have you tried (backing up) deleting your prepar3d.cfg and restarting the Sim so it creates a new one and having a look ?  you will be surprised..

Jorge

 

[Cargostorm 151]

With a 1060 video card you should use "moderate" settings in the sim. But this again depends on the kind of aircraft and area where you fly. It is good practice to have a airliner or a GA profile for less demanding aircrafts. Simstarter NG can do the job using different settings and profiles.

A performance hook can be FTX vector. I would be very very careful with the settings and just enable features that you really need for your flight. Usually you do not need to have enabled minor roads, railways or streams if you are doing an IFR flight. It gives you FPS in return! Many people skipped vector for performance reasons or just use it to correct coastlines.

[tecto 3]

Thanks for the replies - however it's not about FPS. It's about the overall view of the textures. I think it's not related with textures loading time since even when I pause the sim, it doesn't "refresh" for a better view after some time...

When I watch YT videos the sceneries look awesome, while my impression is that my textures looks poorly even if I move all the graphic sliders to max.

I just wondered whether some of the graphic options are causing that (when slided to max) - for instance blur something too much etc. 

[andreh 125]

Pictures would help

[pracines 823]

When you find a YouTube vid that has awesome looking scenery, check what add-ons are being used. Its likely that some shader add-on is being used, then buy that shader program and replicate the settings. 

[Cargostorm 151]

3 hours ago, tecto said:

 I think it's not related with textures loading time since even when I pause the sim, it doesn't "refresh" for a better view after some time...

That sounds normal for P3D. If I slew forward, ground textures get blurry and it needs some significant time until everything is sharp. It it doesn't refresh in your system after a while, then something is not normal. Maybe it would be helpful if you show us your settings and a pic of the situation you mean.

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

On my 4770K@4.1 GTX1070, I use this:

 

SETTINGS
within P3Dv4

Display:
FXAA off   
AA:  4XSSAA
texture filtering: anisotropic  8X
texture resolution: high 2048x2048
Vsync  off
Target framerate: unlimited
Wideview aspect: off
mipmap VC panels off
Screen resolution:  1920X1080

World
LOD radius:  high
Tesselation factor: high
mesh resolution:  5m
texture resolution:  1m
high resolution terrain unticked

Scenery complexity: extremely dense
autogen draw distance:  medium
autogen vegetation density: normal
autogen building density: dense
Dynamic vegetation: unticked

water detail:  medium
Reflections: user vehicle only
Special effects: medium/medium

Lighting
shadow quality:  high
draw distance: low
casting and receiving: Internal vehicle only

HDR on:
Brightness 0.85
Bloom 0.85
Saturation 0.80

Dynamic reflections: off

In Prepar3D.cfg file:

[TERRAIN]
TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=9
 

[tecto 3]

Ok I'm tweaking the sim. I think I had some issues with Orbx libraries...

Anyway could you please tell me which setting for AA is better: 4xSSAA or 8xMSAA.

On 8xSSAA I have a significant FPS drop but for both 4xSSAA or 8xMSAA FPS looks to be similar.

So what to choose - 4xSSAA or 8xMSAA?

Or in other words - regarding quality - is it better to choose higher MSAA or lower SSAA?

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

Did you read my post, just above yours?

[Nyxx 6,993]

If your having texture loading problems try locking your FPS as running unlimited will not help.

in your main p3d folder there is a exe called “delete generated files”

Run that, it will rebuild your scenery, config etc.

then try running a low locked 20 FPS to see if your texture load is good then you can turn that up a bit at a time.

That will get you started on the tight path.

Also don’t turn off mipmap vc it’s will lower how good your vc looks.

use 4x SSAA and 4xMSAA when you use DL

Also note adding 

[TERRAIN]
TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=9

is no different to simply ticking

high resolution terrain

That option is great for good texture loading as long as you have good texture loading in the first place.

 

 

 

 

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

34 minutes ago, Nyxx said:

If your having texture loading problems try locking your FPS as running unlimited will not help.

in your main p3d folder there is a exe called “delete generated files”

Run that, it will rebuild your scenery, config etc.

then try running a low locked 20 FPS to see if your texture load is good then you can turn that up a bit at a time.

That will get you started on the tight path.

Also don’t turn off mipmap vc it’s will lower how good your vc looks.

use 4x SSAA and 4xMSAA when you use DL

Also note adding 

[TERRAIN]
TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=9

is no different to simply ticking

high resolution terrain

That option is great for good texture loading as long as you have good texture loading in the first place.

 

 

 

 

 

To the OP, try both approaches by all means, and choose what works for you!

 

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

59 minutes ago, Nyxx said:

Also note adding 

[TERRAIN]
TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=9

is no different to simply ticking

high resolution terrain

 

That claim is not supported by the LM team's statement:

Quote  "...the high resolution texture setting effectively doubles your LOD range. Using the TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=10 in combination with enabling high resolution terrain textures will effectively quadruple your LOD radius."

[Nyxx 6,993]

Read your “claim” again Bert.

You was talking about 9 not 10 and they are talking about the difference between 9 and 10

10 is for 12GB gtx cards only 

You was talking about adding 9 and 9 as I said was the same as simply ticking “high res terrain “

Its no wonder why new people can get so confused with "statements" like this.

------

To the new people allow me to explain the "Statement " above. 

Ticking "high resolution terrain" is the same as adding in you config file under [TERRAIN] the line TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=9 this extends the LOD (level of detail) further out than the normal amount, so you see more detail further out from your aircraft. 

If you have a 12GB gtx card you can manually add under [TERRAIN] TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=10 this then gives you the maximum LOD within the sim, quadrupling your LOD radius from the normal amount. It will make your load times increase a lot as it's now loading so much more LOD and needs around 10-12GB of GPU ram.

That's why in that "statement" is says  " in combination with enabling high resolution terrain textures " because it giving you so much more on top of ticking high resolution terrain ( TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=9), Do not try this unless you have a 12GB GPU.

So to conclude 

 "high resolution terrain" ticked =  doubles your LOD range

TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=10 = quadruple your LOD range

With my 1070 with "high resolution terrain" ticked the result is stunning. But you have to set your sim up right to begin with to get beautiful textures loading and stutter free.

I hope that was clear.

 

[tecto 3]

Thank you all, basing on your posts it's really better now. Thanks!

I also bought ENVTEX yesterday and it looks stunning now!