One of the ACES/MS reps posted that they're making heavy use of Shaders in FSX, and they're using Shader Model 2.0. I'm just wondering:1) Is shader model 3.0 code considered faster than 2.0 on cards that support 3.0? IIRC, 3.0 code is supposed to be smaller than 2.0, but does it tend to execute faster when producing the same effects?2) If the answer to #1 is yes 3.0 tends to be faster, would it be possible to replace the SM2.0 shader modules with 3.0 ones (assuming somebody wrote 3.0 versions of all the shaders.) Or would additional code have to be changed to instruct the card to use 3.0 mode?Just wondering why ACES didn't put in support for SM3.0 for cards that support it.--2002cbr600f4i

Not a good idea. In general you should use the lowest shader model that accomplishes what you want since with a simpler instruction set the card can do a better job of optimizing the code. In this case newer isn't necessarily better.

So maybe we should reconsider the move to DX10 then. Or is DX10 that much more efficient in handling shader model 2 calls?

From what I've read, DX10 is all about shaders. IT should be a dramatic performacne enchancement on similar hardware if implemeted correctly.I've been under the impression that FSX isa showcase for DX10 shaders- now that there is DX10 hardware about (Seen pics of a G80 finally!)I hope that ACES has gotten an engineering sample in house, and off of an emulator.Both R600 and G80 sound like monsters- anything from 2-3x the performance of current top end hardware- just take that with a grain of salt. I'll beleive it when I see it.

>>I hope that ACES has gotten an engineering sample in house,>and off of an emulator.>They said they did get a sample DX10 card, on one of the FS blogs. That was about the time FSX went gold seems like.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2.5 ghz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (94.47), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian

I read somewhere that DX10 will include (?) Shader 4.0... Sounds even better than Shader 3.0. If this is true and FS X should become a showcase for Vista/DX10, FS X as got to use Shader 4.0... right...?

>I read somewhere that DX10 will include (?) Shader 4.0...>Sounds even better than Shader 3.0. If this is true and FS X>should become a showcase for Vista/DX10, FS X as got to use>Shader 4.0... right...?DX10 only includes shader model 4.0. Previous shader models are not allowed to be used in DX10.