Following seen on http://fsx-tweaks.4t.com/texture_folder.htmlNot sure if anyone has seen this before or tried it already. I don't have FSX yet (in my Xmas stocking!) but am accumulating the best tweaks beforehand. If anyone has any feedback on the effects of this I would be grateful.Since Windows Vista relies on Shader technology, and Windows XP doesn't, this tweak dramatically helps onframe rates without sacrificing Scenery Quality.First thing to do is make (2) new folders in yourC:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesMicrosoft Flight Simulator XAutogen folder.Name them "bump.dds" & "specular.dds".1. Move all files in your C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesMicrosoft Flight Simulator XAutogen folderwith _bump.dds in the file name to the newly created bump.dds folder.Regards,Stuart

What is that supposed to do?Sounds like it would simply disable/remove the bump'ed autogen files from the sim.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2530 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian

Hi Stuart you can try this site for auto bats that will do that for you.http://www.fox-fam.com/wordpress/?page_id=41Some tweaks I would just stay away from. The resizing of textures may help if you don't have enough ram. Others can really just give you more problems then they are worth. One of the best tweaks is to replace your AI once you get FSX somebody will help you with this if you need it.The cfg file tweaks are pretty good plus if you make a mistake no big deal.When you get FSX you may want to try them all just make sure to back up your files so in case you don't like the results you can undo your mistakes.:) One word of advice please don't max every slider out then go to the biggest airport you can find. :)

>One of the best tweaks is to replace your AI once you get FSX>somebody will help you with this if you need it.>Fxfx3 I think the main reason that gives better fps is because there are FEWER aircraft in an AI package, than there are with stock AI.Set stock ai sliders to 50% each and you will get literaly dozens of AI aircraft...maybe 100+.But install an add-on AI package, like WoFAI, and keep sliders at 50%, and it will de-activate *ALL* of the FSX ai, and you'll have maybe a dozen or two or three dozen AI planes. Result=better fpsRhettAMD 3700+ (@2530 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian

Hi Rhett could be I always take the stock AI BGL out of my FS sims anyway. Just in case it loads it up even without it in use.Thanks for the tip never new that about the 50% thing.:)

I tried resizing the textures and I ended up with serious stuttering.Had to reinstall FSX.Have no idea why it didn't work for me.

Rhett I confirmed on my system at least that it is not the number of AI that brings my system down, it is the models themselves. Using just 10% AI at KPHL (only 4 planes in view)I'm down at 10 FPS but get 22 if I shut AI off altogether. Seems that for me at least, car & boat traffic doesn't bother my system, just the aircraft. I'm going to try the WOAI tonite and see if that helps any.Jim

>Hi Rhett could be I always take the stock AI BGL out of my FS>sims anyway. Just in case it loads it up even without it in>use.>>Thanks for the tip never new that about the 50% thing.:) Oops, no I didn't mean that. 50% was just for sake of argument. Put your AI slider at 20%, 60%, 100%, whatever, and see how many FS AI's you have at say, EGLL. Well, install an aftermarket AI package and at the same slider setting, at the same location, you often will see less AI.Of course, once all AI packages are compiled using FSX TrafficDataBaseBuilder, add-on + stock AI will be able to coexist.But you have a good idea about disabling the stock traffic file. I did that when I was testing my AI package I am making.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2530 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian

>Rhett> I confirmed on my system at least that it is not the number>of AI that brings my system down, it is the models themselves.>Using just 10% AI at KPHL (only 4 planes in view)I'm down at>10 FPS but get 22 if I shut AI off altogether. Seems that for>me at least, car & boat traffic doesn't bother my system, just>the aircraft. I'm going to try the WOAI tonite and see if that>helps any.>>JimThat's exactly what my system does--but from that we cannot conclude that it is solely the model complexity that is to blame. Install your WOAI stuff, and you'll see FEWER ai at that 10% setting in most places, than you saw with stock FSX ai. That tells me that it is also the numbers of AI that is causing a problem, too.RhettAMD 3700+ (@2530 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2 GB Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8, WD 250 gig 7200 rpm SATA2, CoolerMaster Praetorian

>>Rhett>> I confirmed on my system at least that it is not the number>>of AI that brings my system down, it is the models>themselves.>>Using just 10% AI at KPHL (only 4 planes in view)I'm down at>>10 FPS but get 22 if I shut AI off altogether. Seems that>for>>me at least, car & boat traffic doesn't bother my system,>just>>the aircraft. I'm going to try the WOAI tonite and see if>that>>helps any.>>>>Jim>>That's exactly what my system does--but from that we cannot>conclude that it is solely the model complexity that is to>blame. Install your WOAI stuff, and you'll see FEWER ai at>that 10% setting in most places, than you saw with stock FSX>ai. >>That tells me that it is also the numbers of AI that is>causing a problem, too.>>RhettYou'll get different results depending upon which aI package you use; the % figure at which the aircraft will appear (as set in the flight plan) varies greatly amongst developers. I used the PAI and WoAI packages and got reasonable quantities of aircraft throughout, with the slider at aprox 40%, though some major airports could look a little sparse, and some small airports/airfields were deserted! When Just Flight released their FSX fix for Traffic 2005, I removed all the PAI and WoAI and installed that instead. Now, with the slider at 20% there are vast numbers of planes all over! The FPS are better too, as I believe the models/paints are much simpler....they certainly don't look anywhere near as good as the freeware packages planes, but, there are a much wider range of aircraft, airlines, and even helicopters, so I'm reasonably happy to stick with this package:)I do still use the PAI/WoAI packages in FS9 though, and can have the % slider a lot higher than I can in FSX with little or no performance hit; Heathrow Pro looks amazing, and Aerosoft's Mega Frankfurt is just phenomenal - there's hardly a parking spot empty, and yet FPS stay at around 24, even with all the brilliant animations going on!!

>Following seen on>http://fsx-tweaks.4t.com/texture_folder.html>Not sure if anyone has seen this before or tried it already. I>don't have FSX yet (in my Xmas stocking!) but am accumulating>the best tweaks beforehand. If anyone has any feedback on the>effects of this I would be grateful.>>>Since Windows Vista relies on Shader technology, and Windows>XP doesn't, this tweak dramatically helps on>frame rates without sacrificing Scenery Quality.>>First thing to do is make (2) new folders in your>C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesMicrosoft Flight Simulator>XAutogen folder.>Name them "bump.dds" & "specular.dds".>>1. Move all files in your C:Program FilesMicrosoft>GamesMicrosoft Flight Simulator XAutogen folder>with _bump.dds in the file name to the newly created bump.dds>folder.>>Regards,>Stuart>How would the sim now know the files are seperated?

I think what he is saying here is that since XP does not fully use shader technology / bump mapping, the files would no longer be used, but can be stored so that could easilly be restored if need be, or when/if one moves to Vista.As I said I don't yet own FSX, so cannot verify what effect this could have on the graphics currently, but guess anything is worth a try if it improves the FSX flying experience under XP/DX9c, while we all eagerly await Vista/DX10.Perhaps someone could try this and let the community know the effect?Cheers,Stuart

>Following seen on>http://fsx-tweaks.4t.com/texture_folder.html>Not sure if anyone has seen this before or tried it already. I>don't have FSX yet (in my Xmas stocking!) but am accumulating>the best tweaks beforehand. If anyone has any feedback on the>effects of this I would be grateful.>>>Since Windows Vista relies on Shader technology, and Windows>XP doesn't, this tweak dramatically helps on>frame rates without sacrificing Scenery Quality.>>First thing to do is make (2) new folders in your>C:Program FilesMicrosoft GamesMicrosoft Flight Simulator>XAutogen folder.>Name them "bump.dds" & "specular.dds".>>1. Move all files in your C:Program FilesMicrosoft>GamesMicrosoft Flight Simulator XAutogen folder>with _bump.dds in the file name to the newly created bump.dds>folder.>>Regards,>Stuart>Sorry to disagree, but Windows XP does use Shaders. In fact, that is the very reason that SP2 is required for FSX, as it was that patch that introduced DX9.0c and support for Shader 3.0. Even five minutes of research before posting would have told you that:http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/g...am_sp2perf.mspxSo why would this mod do anything except mess up your FSX?Allcott