Stutters when changing MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE

[BWBriscoe 116]

Hi all,

I posted a few days ago about some scenery textures appearing black and was advised to change my prepar3d.cfg MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE to around 32000.000000, which I've done.

I've just completed an approach into SimWings EGLL (in PMDG 777) and for the first time I was getting stutters on approach, landing and taxi. Initially during the approach they were once every five to eight seconds, but once on the ground they were every one to two seconds. It didn't feel like a FPS loss as between stutters the sim was smooth, it felt like it was attempting to load textures further out and that was causing the stutter (correct me if you think I'm wrong). 

Is there another setting I can try in the prepar3d.cfg to smooth this out? I've never had stutters on approach into EGLL before (just the black textures which now I'd prefer instead of the stutter!). 

The only setting I've changed in the prepar3d.cfg is the MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE.

My system: Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9900K CPU @ 3.60GHz, 8 Core(s), 16 Logical Processor(s) / 65GB RAM / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

Many thanks,

Ben

Edited August 16, 2021 by BWBriscoe

[sonny147 579]

You could try 18000.000000, I've seen posts were that works too, and half the work for your hardware ! Also are you limiting your frames if so how may I ask ?

[Michael Moe 495]

1 hour ago, BWBriscoe said:

Hi all,

I posted a few days ago about some scenery textures appearing black and was advised to change my prepar3d.cfg MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE to around 32000.000000, which I've done.

I've just completed an approach into SimWings EGLL (in PMDG 777) and for the first time I was getting stutters on approach, landing and taxi. Initially during the approach they were once every five to eight seconds, but once on the ground they were every one to two seconds. It didn't feel like a FPS loss as between stutters the sim was smooth, it felt like it was attempting to load textures further out and that was causing the stutter (correct me if you think I'm wrong). 

Is there another setting I can try in the prepar3d.cfg to smooth this out? I've never had stutters on approach into EGLL before (just the black textures which now I'd prefer instead of the stutter!). 

The only setting I've changed in the prepar3d.cfg is the MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE.

My system: Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-9900K CPU @ 3.60GHz, 8 Core(s), 16 Logical Processor(s) / 65GB RAM / NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti

Many thanks,

Ben

Do you have the new 777-200ER ?

I also had stutters on approach and after touchdown to EGLL 27R on Saturday.

I suspect the new moving map but not sure 

 

Default sliders here (Autogen draw distance on medium)

Michael Moe

Michael Moe

Edited August 16, 2021 by Michael Moe

[blaunarwal 432]

3 hours ago, BWBriscoe said:

MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE to around 32000.000000

The default value for MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE  is 1000. Your value is 32 times higher than default. I fear, this is not only a linear factor, but quadratic, means 1024 times more to load. You got stutters, well you asked for. 

I use if I recall correctly 2000.00 and have no missing textures, when panning around. 

Regards

Dan

Edited August 16, 2021 by blaunarwal

[Rogen 1,092]

It's a memory value, the higher the value the more memory will be used to fetch textures, thus preventing textures loading and unloading.

My lowly 1070Ti manages with a setting of 640000.000000, higher than really needed... 320000.000000 is more a middle of the road value, that said I never see a black textured building and haven't for years and don't have stuttering in normal use as I'm vsync'd to 30 Hz for a very smooth 30fps and run a DSR screen mode of 2560 x 1440, infact in a lot of areas I can manage a 60 Hz vsync for 60 fps and occcasionly fly @ 4k DSR.

I'd suggest if there is stuttering then something is else overloading either the GPU or CPU. Perhaps it is a particular texture set - PBR tends to chew through video ram like a superchased v8 does on fuel. The best thing to do is to experiment with different values till a sweet spot is found and monitoring GPU and CPU use is an ideal way to see how much load a scenario is placing on either CPU or GPU and thus will act as a guide on managing settings.

Rob Ainscough's video on the use of MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE

Cheers

Edited August 16, 2021 by Rogen

[AnkH 2,271]

Using 180000 for quiet some time now (1080Ti) and never experienced reduced performance or stutters due to this. For me, 180000 does the trick sufficiently, no black textures anymore anywhere. 

[BWBriscoe 116]

I've not limiting frames at all...would that help? I think my monitor is 60hz...do I do that through the Nvidia CP on in P3d itself? 

[787flyer 633]

 

19 hours ago, BWBriscoe said:

I've not limiting frames at all...would that help? I think my monitor is 60hz...do I do that through the Nvidia CP on in P3d itself? 

I think the majority of advice I have seen on this forum for P3Dv5  is to lock frames to 30 Hz externally (via NCP or whatever else) and if possible set your monitor's refresh rate to 30Hz and then run unlimited within P3D.

Side note: I run this setup also however my monitor does not have 30Hz capability but it does have G-synch which I found helped tremendously with the smoothness.

 

 

[glider1 90]

I tried 320000 as per rob's video in P3D52 on a 3090 and it caused an NT DLL crash to desktop during descent.

[mikeymike 366]

3 hours ago, glider1 said:

I tried 320000 as per rob's video in P3D52 on a 3090 and it caused an NT DLL crash to desktop during descent.

Been using 3200000 for quite a while ona 1080ti 

works perfectly fine.

mike

[newtie 533]

Same here.

[glider1 90]

2 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

Odd, 3090 has plenty of VRAM.  What is your DynamicTextureStreaming value?  If it =1 then set to =0.

Hi rob thanks it was set to 0. CPU and GPU loads are around 50 to 70% with temps roughly the same. If I set it to default I have no crash. 

i am in the middle of chasing this bug:

No clouds in v5 HF2 - Prepar3D Forums

so maybe the two bugs are related because of texture loading.

I fly the same route over and over again practicing IFR so I will report back if I discover why it crashed on MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE=320000.000000

Cheers

[glider1 90]

Update on the crash I got using this setting MAX_TEXTURE_REQUEST_DISTANCE=320000.000000. After I fixed the bug where no clouds were showing I've had a few flights without issues on the 3090 and I think the CPU is working less hard during descent. It's a great setting if you have got the vram to spare although it didn't seem to use that much more thanks a lot.

Edited August 21, 2021 by glider1

[DonMuskopf 32]

4 hours ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

The LearningCenter.chm indicates this is indeed a "distance" value where it was indicated to me this was a memory allocation value ... two VERY different meanings.

Rob, is this distance in meters like SCENERY_DRAW_DISTANCE ?

Thanks.

[DonMuskopf 32]

25 minutes ago, Rob_Ainscough said:

I believe so, yes.

Cheers, Rob.

Thanks. Like always, I appreciate your contribution to our knowledge of P3D.