FSX : no blurries at 350 knots !

[GSalden 4,650]

Just a short note to let you know that it is possible to fly with FSX without having those blurries.It is a combination of a good Working Windows icw a good configured FSX ( in relation to your hardware).In my spare time I work on my cockpit project, but also built / tune computers being used for flightsimming. I will describe what I did and then maybe you can try the same things and see if you will benefit from this.1 Make sure that Windows is running optimal. When I installed Windows I did set all eyecandy to Performance ( Control panel / System/ Advanced / Performance ).I locked virtual memory to 2 times my physical memory.Because I am using Raid 0 I let me virtual memory on the same drive as windows.If you have multiple drives you might try with a small ( 256 mb ) virtual memory on your Windows drive and a larger ( total of 2x physical memory ) on different (fast) drive. On my pc I have the following programs installed that I use 1-2x p/week to make sure that Windows stays in top condition : Norton Utilities 2005 ,EasyCleaner, Registry Mechanic, HitmanPro and Diskeeper Premier 2007.2 Disable unnecessary background programs/services.On this forum you can find more threads about this.All processes running use cpu time, so the less time for flightsimming the less the performance.3 Use FsAutostart from Ken salter. You can get it here at Avsim.This utility will help you to disable even more background services/progarms and then startup Fs.4 Make sure that before installing SP1 you make a fresh install of FSX.5 Because I have a dual core processor I added to my fsx.cfg file :[Jobschedular]AffinityMask=36 Now we are going to setup FSX properly.What I did was set all sliders to the left and framerate locked to 22.No extra features checked.I made a saved flight in a B737 at 2000 ft from just before Seattle Intl all the way over the city at 150 knots till just after the city.This flight I named Testflight.With Shift+Z I made the framerate counter visible to monitor if there where drops on the way.The lowest framerate is the most important.Each time I crancked up the sliders a bit and added some features.Again I made another flight after that.In this way I made about 8 flights till I saw framerate drops till below 19.On that point you can do 2 things :- set the framerate to 20 and leave it that way- leave the framerate to 22 and set something less detailed You now should have a good configured and fluid running FSX.Good luck !What I did extra :I installed TreeX and used the medium trees, so not the high definition.In the Autogen folder you will find several autodecriptions.spb files. I renamed the default one to .def and renamed the medium verion to autodescriptions.spb.Just by doing this I am able to fly at 350 knots over the area without getting any blurries.Ofcoarse my fast setup is a big advantage here.Some FSX settings :- Detail radius : max- Only Aicraft on ground shadows- Animations : max - Mesh : 70- Mesh lod : 19- Water 1x high- Scenery density : max- Autogen density : dense ( at very dense I can keep up at 250 knots )- Cloud disntance : 60- Cloud detail / density : max- AI traffic : 30% ( I use Traffic 2005 )- All other AI objects : 22% Some Graphics card settings :- AA 16- AS 4- Clamp

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Gerard,Very helpful advice - thanks!3 Questions, if I may:1. AffinityMask=3. Do dual processor owners really need to add this? When I check Task Manager while FSX is loading and running, both cores (without the tweak) do seem to be running appropriately, just as the programmers intended.2. Registry Mechanic. I have just been persuaded to try this out. I thought I had a pretty well tuned registry already and was very surprised, following a deep scan, to learn that 1440 problems were found! Just how reliable is this program? Of those 1440 problems 691 are Shared DLLs. Should I be concerned? I know the program creates backups, but am I inviting trouble by simply hitting the 'Repair' button rather than embarking on the tedious business of checking each 'problem' one by one? I know I can always revert back via System Restore (I also use ERUNT), but having to do so in the event of problems arising rather defeats the object of the exercise: making life just that little bit easier for the end user. Furthermore, some problems may not become apparent immediately. I had a nasty experience some time ago with a utility called RegCure. It took weeks to sort everything out so you can perhaps understand why I am feeling a bit wary. Registry Mechanic, on the other hand, does seem to be held in high regard.3. Could I ask you to look at this thread:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...ing_type=searchDownload the flight situation file:http://download.xdrive.com/s/437081836rTaw...NP&partner=plusMy question relates to what you are seeing while the sim is running in this situation. Any Stuttering, micro or otherwise, and are you seeing any blurries?Thanks again.Mike

[Guest allcott]

Mike, I've long beena user of JV16 Power Tools and its Registry Tools are part of my weekly maintenance schedule. In all the time of using JV16 I've never had a week when it didn't find at least 40 errors in the registry, but most of them are location references for files and folders that no longer exist or trace elements of software I have removed. I have never had a problem with Windows caused by using the tools. Quite the opposite, you can get very obvious boot times decreases from cleaning and optimising the registry. You got more to worry about from defragging IMHO.Allcott

[GSalden 4,650]

Hi Mike,No blurries with your flight.When making fast turns some micro stutters.For the rest completely fluid.What might help you is panning around the aircraft several times till it goes completely fluid before starting a flight By doing this the simulator will load all scenery around you and not a new part when making a turn.

[Mace 1,896]

>>Some FSX settings :>>- Detail radius : max>- Only Aicraft on ground shadows>- Animations : max >- Mesh : 70>- Mesh lod : 19>- Water 1x high>- Scenery density : max>- Autogen density : dense ( at very dense I can keep up at>250 knots )>- Cloud disntance : 60>- Cloud detail / density : max>- AI traffic : 30% ( I use Traffic 2005 )>- All other AI objects : 22% >>>Some Graphics card settings :>>- AA 16>- AS 4>- Clamp>Nice writeup...But I must say, you really should be able to run higher settings than you list above, at 20-25 fps.I mean, the system you list there is a Core2 overclocked with an 8800.Why is it, that my 3700+ (albeit overclocked) can run 20-25 fps fluid with higher settings than you list there? It makes no sense. RhettAMD 3700+ (@2585 mhz), eVGA 7800GT 256 (Guru3D 93.71), ASUS A8N-E, PC Power 510 SLI, 2gb Corsair XMS 3-3-3-8 (1T), WD 150 gig 10000rpm Raptor, WD 250gig 7200rpm SATA2, Seagate 120gb 5400 rpm external HD, CoolerMaster Praetorian

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Gerard,Thanks! You do appear to have found the sweet spot for FSX performance on your system. Well done!Can you comment on your use of Registry Mechanic, please? Describe your usual procedure. For example, I would be very interested to know whether you simply hit the 'Repair' button following a deep scan. When my scan completes I browse down through all the 'problems' and note that every one is set for deletion.I see Medium, Low and High Priority problems. Every value is 'invalid' and ALL are set for deletion. Should I simply close my eyes, cross my fingers, pray to Allah and hit the 'Repair' button or should I examine each in turn in case an alternative solution is more appropriate? With many it's just impossible to decide what course of action is most appropriate.With RegCleaner and RegSupreme I never felt this anxiety; just let each utility do its thing. However, Registry Mechanic seems to have turned up many more 'problems' than the other two.Mike

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

>1. AffinityMask=3. Do dual processor owners really need>to add this? When I check Task Manager while FSX is loading>and running, both cores (without the tweak) do seem to be>running appropriately, just as the programmers intended.FSX should auto-detect multi-core CPUs, so no you should not need to add this. Of course, if you are not seeing multi-core use in task manager, this setting may help put FSX straight on what it can use. I use it to turn cores on and off for testing.Gary

[GSalden 4,650]

Hi Mike,Yes I let Registry Mechanic do its thing.I also use the Compact Registry feature.Sometimes I also use Advanced System Optimizer, but that is more on a once a month base.Beside all this I made several shortcut for the Temporary Internet Files folder and Temp folders ( 2).I empty them before optimizing the system.

[GSalden 4,650]

Hi Rett,The system is capable of running more fps in 90% of the scenery.Eg at Seattle airport with lots of AI traffic I have framerates between 28 and 40.But what I want is complete smoothness.Therefor I look for the lowest framerate I get and use that one as a reference point.If I would set my framerate to 30 I am sure I would have some kind of small stutters in very detailed scenery, especially when making turns at low altitude.Ofcoarse I could set the scenery less detailed, but that is not what I want.Better framerate set at 20 and fluidness all over, then set at 30 and sometimes (micro)stutters or some kind of blurries.You have to set the system to a level that it is capable of handling all situations, not most of them.