Fokker F28 4k stutterfest 8k smoother. Curious!

[AJZip 251]

(**Title changed - see Post Post at the bottom)

OK - this is a weird one that seems to defy all logic.

I finally got to purchase the Marketplace offering of the JF Fokker F28 having salivated over it since release.  I love these 'on the edge of modern technology' airliners - the BAe146 remains my all-time-favourite.

And...well, I was disappointed.  I loaded up the F28-4000 in VR using my HP Reverb G2 and two things struck me:

- the textures were OK-ish, but more like the norm of a couple of years ago than some of the more recent 'blow your socks off' standard

- the stuttering was dreadful.  Not unflyable, but I landed after a single circuit feeling VERY airsick

 

That's odd, I thought.  Especially for Just Flight which is generally my go-to developer.  Did the normal, fully shut down, reboot, etc, but no change at all.

So I tried the F28-1000 version.  And that was worse!!  Couldn't fly it.  Felt airsick just looking round the cockpit.  Switched to the BAe146 - smooth and normal.  Back to the F28-1000, dreadful.

And so I did an internet search, general and on the JF Forums.  NOBODY seems to have reported a stutter issue.  But I did spot the Just Flight post about there being an 8k mod available for the F28-4000 version.  Loud and clear was the warning that the VRAM requirement was high and not to try it if you don't have at least 12Gb.  Well, the 4080 has 16Gb but, if it stutters like the devil at 4k, then it is going to be unusable.  But, just to see if it improved the clarity of the cockpit I thought I'd try.

Happily, the download wasn't linked to my JF account (I had bought this one from the MSFS Marketplace) and actually installed fine, albeit in the Official directory rather than the Community folder.

 

I put on the headset and booted up the F28-4000 in 8k with - I kid you not - my eyes almost closed, fully expecting a nauseating mega stutter.  But no.  MUCH smoother.  

And it looked much better

And I did a full flight and ILS landing

And it's FANTASTIC.

 

Well, this is weird, I thought.  Was it just my PC originally having a wobbler, I wondered?  So I reloaded the F28-1000...but that is still stutterfest

 

I'm happy I have a version that runs well now, but how can going from 4k render to 8k massively REDUCE stuttering?

Any clues?

Anyone else having similar issues with either version?

 

**Post Post

Having done a bit more experimenting, I've amended the title to '8k smoother' rather than 'smooth as silk'.  Compared to the original 4k version of the F28-4000, and the F28-1000, the 8k version of the F28-4000 is MUCH smoother when you are sweeping across the instruments in the headset.  While there is still a perceptible judder, it is small and non-nausea inducing.  If I switch to the F28-1000, I just don't want to fly this in VR. 

I also tried the JF BAe146 immediately afterwards - much smoother sweep than either of them 

Weird!

Edited February 17 by AJZip

[Donka 645]

Can yon disable the cabin via the EFB? Might be worth trying to see if it helps.

[AJZip 251]

49 minutes ago, Donka said:

Can yon disable the cabin via the EFB? Might be worth trying to see if it helps.

Good thought - I'll have an experiment when I get a chance and report back.  Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[AJZip 251]

1 hour ago, Donka said:

Can yon disable the cabin via the EFB? Might be worth trying to see if it helps.

Spot on!

Yes - it helps a lot.  I'm still not sure why the 8k mod improves things rather than exacerbates things, but yes - turning the cabin off makes a marked and immediate difference.  It has made the 1000 and 2000 variants now smooth enough to be flyable - and the 4000 variant on 8k is also smoother still, now being only a teeny touch more juddery than the BAe 146...the latter being pretty much judder-free.

Love this forum... many thanks for the wisdom @Donka !

[AJZip 251]

And just finished a flight from EGCC Manchester to EGBB Birmingham VOR and ILS landing in the F28-4000 with the 8k mod and cabin interior switched off.  Every bit as smooth, and every bit as satisfying as the BAe146.  All of a sudden, my favourite has some strong competition!

Splendid.

Many thanks once more for your flash of inspiration, @Donka

[Donka 645]

Welcome - glad you have things working well for you now.

[AJZip 251]

It still bemuses me that the 8k was better than the 4k, presumably both with the cabin switched on.  But it is academic - the important thing is that I can now fly the best resolution version without any stutters at all.  By any terms, that's a win.

[Donka 645]

Might be worth running the developer performance overlay to get an idea what is happening. Perhaps a balancing issue between CPU and GPU and by giving your GPU more to do with 8k textures, the CPU isn't having to work as hard to keep up?