MSFS 2020 Auto FPS App v0.4.2

[GSalden 4,657]

1 hour ago, RJC68 said:

Oh boy Noel, 

That's a brave statement to make here on AVSIM LOL

Prepare for the incoming internet troll attack 🤣

Omg what did Noel say ..,

For me FG is a great way to get the sim smoother 😎

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

5 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

As much as I hate interrupting the FG or no FG discussion… Have anyone got any experience with the latest build in VFR mode? 

I did a normal (ie. not specifically for testing) flight in VFR mode with 0.4.2.7 today. It worked fine for the first couple of touch and goes, but got into a stutter loop in the last 1000 ft on final descent into the third. I had been using FPS Sensitivity mode, so I switched over to FPS Tolerance (both at 5) and it didn't happen again for a lot more touch and goes after that. My other relevant settings were TLOD Min 50, TLOD Min + checked and TLOD Max 400.

Speaking of 0.4.2.7, where I had disabled GPU-Z integration because I thought it was the source of major stutters on my system. Turns out my Reverb G2 VR headset started dying on me late last week, giving me 15 second long pauses and blackouts and sometimes complete sound loss, and that seemed to coincide with my GPU-Z use. Even since removing GPU-Z integration my headset continues to falter and, if anything, is getting worse. Running MSFS in PC or FG mode works fine. As such, it seems GPU-Z was not the droid I was looking for and I will re-enable it in the next test release.

Since trying out VFR and IFR modes quite a bit lately, one final change I might make is to save a full settings profile per each of these modes, like I already did for target FPS, or at the very least TLOD Min, TLOD Max and TLOD automation method (FPS Tolerance/Sensitivity) and its associated value. The reason I want to do this is because I find I am using different settings in the aforementioned settings between IFR and VFR and it would be handy for the app to just remember what I had last time.

 

[Cpt_Piett 4,678]

2 hours ago, Reset XPDR said:

I did a normal (ie. not specifically for testing) flight in VFR mode with 0.4.2.7 today. It worked fine for the first couple of touch and goes, but got into a stutter loop in the last 1000 ft on final descent into the third. I had been using FPS Sensitivity mode, so I switched over to FPS Tolerance (both at 5) and it didn't happen again for a lot more touch and goes after that. My other relevant settings were TLOD Min 50, TLOD Min + checked and TLOD Max 400.

Yeah, I had the same on a few occasions, below 1000ft. I recently switched to tolerance (at 3). Seems a little bit better. If that doesn’t work I just switch to IFR and the stutters are gone. Any idea what causes these intermittent stutter-fests in VFR mode? (apart from running TLOD max at 975 I mean). Was it FPS sensitivity?

2 hours ago, Reset XPDR said:

As such, it seems GPU-Z was not the droid I was looking for and I will re-enable it in the next test release.

Good news about GPU-Z and thanks, that subtle reference cheered me up 🤭 I was fighting on several fronts today with too many things not working (don’t worry, AutoFPS has been behaving as usual which means exemplary).

My mood didn’t improve as I got increasingly desperate trying to force the Fenix down at Paro, Bhutan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h61Gdo_A7yA. My settings for this video: 

Quote

Expert: True Mode: FG ATgtFPS: False FltType: IFR TgtFPS: 63 TLODAMtd: 1 Tol: 3 TMin: 200 TMax: 975 TMinEx: true CloudQ: True CRecovT: 100 Pause: True TLODBAlt: 1000 MaxDesRate 2000 CustomOLOD: True OLODB: 1000 OLODT: 20 OLODBAlt: 2000 OLODTAlt: 10000 

I was running with FG-FPS unlocked (it's possible to get very high FPS in remote areas) and a relatively low target FPS in order to force AutoFPS to crank up TLOD as high as possible (to be able to render the surrounding mountains in as high detail as possible). I think AutoFPS did an excellent job in such a difficult scenario, with rapid AGL-changes as I was flying over hills one second, and valleys the next. Not to mention some insane descent rates. Final segment of the approach from the log: 

Quote

FPS: 108 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 613 OLOD: 631 AGL: 5025 FPM: -970 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 110 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 538 OLOD: 728 AGL: 4195 FPM: -898 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 110 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 483 OLOD: 809 AGL: 3574 FPM: -1509 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 107 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 329 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 1871 FPM: -1726 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 107 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 285 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 1535 FPM: -1050 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 107 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 259 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 1104 FPM: -544 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 104 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 274 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 1523 FPM: -2767 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 101 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 328 OLOD: 965 AGL: 2299 FPM: -4246 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 102 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 329 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 1879 FPM: -2775 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 101 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 309 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 1841 FPM: -2634 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 100 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 363 OLOD: 956 AGL: 2333 FPM: -2037 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 99 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 357 OLOD: 980 AGL: 2189 FPM: -1443 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 101 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 322 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 1742 FPM: -1672 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 100 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 250 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 645 FPM: -2107 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 100 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 255 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 1164 FPM: -2634 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 100 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 250 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 747 FPM: -2333 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 101 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 250 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 940 FPM: -714 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 101 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 250 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 862 FPM: -1303 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 98 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 250 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 521 FPM: -2239 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 97 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 250 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 227 FPM: -2588 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 91 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 250 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 29 FPM: -734 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 94 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 250 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 9 FPM: -51 Clouds: Medium 
FPS: 93 FGAct: True Pri: TLOD TLOD: 250 OLOD: 1000 AGL: 13 FPM: -194 Clouds: Medium 

The abovementioned flight wasn’t for testing purposes, but I can’t really call it a normal flight either. Not really sure what it was to be honest 😜 Doing go-arounds with towering mountains left, right and center is not easy, even with a climb rate of 5500fpm… I eventually gave up (luckily without throwing my Xbox controller at my overpriced OLED) and started watching a comedy instead...

By the way @Reset XPDR - what does "TLODAMtd: 1" refer to in the log?

2 hours ago, Reset XPDR said:

Since trying out VFR and IFR modes quite a bit lately, one final change I might make is to save a full settings profile per each of these modes, like I already did for target FPS, or at the very least TLOD Min, TLOD Max and TLOD automation method (FPS Tolerance/Sensitivity) and its associated value. The reason I want to do this is because I find I am using different settings in the aforementioned settings between IFR and VFR and it would be handy for the app to just remember what I had last time.

You mean, like different profiles for different types of flights? That would be very useful, at least for me as I’m constantly switching between IFR/VFR and GA/airliners. 

Edited March 27 by Cpt_Piett
Still haven't finished that comedy...

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

1 hour ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Yeah, I had the same on a few occasions, below 1000ft. I recently switched to tolerance (at 3). Seems a little bit better. If that doesn’t work I just switch to IFR and the stutters are gone. Any idea what causes these intermittent stutter-fests in VFR mode? (apart from running TLOD max at 975 I mean). Was it FPS sensitivity?

I'd say it is because TLOD can be allowed to be very high and change often very close to the ground. IFR mode is much more restrictive and will only allow your TLOD to go as high as the elevation profile allows, even if you have a high TLOD Max because it just starts the restrictions higher. Maybe I should just get rid of VFR mode altogether if it causing these stutter issues and suggest users just pick a lower TLOD base alt when they are doing VFR?

Alternatively, I could just leave the radio button to select either VFR or IFR there but have the choice pick another settings profile you have saved per flight type, like I suggested earlier. eg. for IFR you may choose FPS Sensitivity 5, TLOD Min 50, TLOD Max 200, and TLOD Base Alt 1000 ft whereas for VFR you may choose FPS Tolerance 5, TLOD Min 100, TLOD Max 400, and TLOD Base Alt 100 ft and instead of VFR being free roaming above 100 ft like it currently is (and seems to cause stutter issues), make it be like the old TLOD Min on Ground/Landing for that mode too but with a much lower base alt like I have set in my aforementioned example. I might build up a test version so that you and I, and anyone else interested in testing this theory, could give it a go.

2 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

You mean, like different profiles for different types of flights? That would be very useful, at least for me as I’m constantly switching between IFR/VFR and GA/airliners. 

Yes. In the example above those IFR and VFR settings would be saved to separate profiles. I'll bundle that in the test version too, AND turn GPU-Z integration back on. 😁

[Cpt_Piett 4,678]

42 minutes ago, Reset XPDR said:

Maybe I should just get rid of VFR mode altogether if it causing these stutter issues and suggest users just pick a lower TLOD base alt when they are doing VFR?

Perhaps, if there’s more disadvantages than advantages with VFR mode. I don’t have a clear opinion on that (yet), but I’ve been using VFR mode less and less over the past few days, even in remote areas. I’d really like to hear others opinions on this though.

42 minutes ago, Reset XPDR said:

I might build up a test version so that you and I, and anyone else interested in testing this theory, could give it a go.

If you do, I’d be happy to test how that works out (as always)! I think that’s probably a better idea than ditching VFR mode altogether.

Edited March 27 by Cpt_Piett

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

1 hour ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Perhaps, if there’s more disadvantages than advantages with VFR mode. I don’t have a clear opinion on that (yet), but I’ve been using VFR mode less and less over the past few days, even in remote areas. I’d really like to hear others opinions on this though.

If you do, I’d be happy to test how that works out (as always)! I think that’s probably a better idea than ditching VFR mode altogether.

Working on it now. It's a lot more code change than I thought, but it is simple and is forcing me to clean up some other ugly temporary code that somehow is trying to become permanent that I've been meaning to cull out for a while. 😄

[Sonosusto 681]

2 hours ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Perhaps, if there’s more disadvantages than advantages with VFR mode. I don’t have a clear opinion on that (yet), but I’ve been using VFR mode less and less over the past few days, even in remote areas. I’d really like to hear others opinions on this though.

If you do, I’d be happy to test how that works out (as always)! I think that’s probably a better idea than ditching VFR mode altogether.

Yeah, might be no need to ditch it completely. But lately I have been just using IFR and auto for ease of use.

[Harrier77 60]

Me too, I have been using IFR mode always exclusively. I have found that I only get stutter issues, VFR and IFR, when I have a TLOD max set too high for my system to regularly achieve, i.e 300+. When I lower TLOD max to 200 it works well on my low end system, except for low level VFR flying.

Edited March 27 by Harrier77

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

Finished the coding changes, which were quite extensive across multiple modules - usually a recipe for a typo somewhere! 🤪 The profile saving between IFR and VFR seems to work well. I just need to make sure the automation is using the right parameters for what you are seeing and to regression test non-expert mode to make sure it is still doing what it is supposed to.

[GSalden 4,657]

Using IFR mode only with TLOD max at 200 which works very well.

I also tried a flight with Dynamic LOD and TLOD max at 250 which also works well  stepmax : 5 ).

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

As promised, the new Test Version 0.4.2.8-test is available here.

This version kills off VFR mode, and formerly FPS priority mode, as we know it because it has never really worked satisfactorily, with its worse attribute being that it often caused stutters on approach. VFR mode has been retained in name and spirit by being based on, but with a separate settings profile to, IFR mode with starting settings more suitable to VFR flight (a low TLOD base altitude and a higher TLOD min), all settings of which are fully customisable by the user in any case.

Many lines of code changed in this version to get profiles working, so there is a reasonable chance I missed something in my intense afternoon bug stomping session. In addition to commenting on the new changes, please let me know if anything that used to work no longer does.

Changes are:

• Added full expert profile saving per flight type, not just target FPS. This means all settings in the expert settings area will be saved to a separate profile for IFR and VFR flight types, allowing the user to customise each of these flight types as desired.
• Changed VFR TLOD automation to be the same as IFR but with a pre-filled profile with 100 ft default TLOD base altitude and double the IFR TLOD Min, to give a good starting base for a VFR profile, which then can be further customised as the user desires.
• Re-enabled GPU-Z companion app integration as it was not the droid I was looking for with major stutter issues (RIP my trusty old Reverb G2) and it was useful to other users.

Example profiles that I am currently using with exactly the same flight follow.

VFR:

IFR:

[El Diablito 328]

Reset, I've been enjoying flying in the sim of late with your app, I'm finally at the point where I have great performance at almost every airport I fly into (yet to try JFK). I get the odd stutter here and there and I'm ok with that as perfection is not something worth chasing anymore in this sim for me, I'm happy with what I have.

And on that note may I suggest you take some time off from your endeavours and just try and enjoy some flying yourself. This is in danger of becoming TLOD Simulator! I say this with all due respect of course and understand the enjoyment you obviously get from working on this!

[Reset XPDR 1,271]

17 minutes ago, El Diablito said:

Reset, I've been enjoying flying in the sim of late with your app, I'm finally at the point where I have great performance at almost every airport I fly into (yet to try JFK). I get the odd stutter here and there and I'm ok with that as perfection is not something worth chasing anymore in this sim for me, I'm happy with what I have.

And on that note may I suggest you take some time off from your endeavours and just try and enjoy some flying yourself. This is in danger of becoming TLOD Simulator! I say this with all due respect of course and understand the enjoyment you obviously get from working on this!

Fair point. Even though it may seem I have been busy today, I have backed off significantly compared to what I was doing in the lead up to 0.4.2 formal release. These test builds of late are more just fine tuning of what is already working quite well, it's just the perfectionist in me that keeps me going at this point.

I know I say it often, but this latest test build is about as far as I plan to take this app. After I do the formal release, hopefully in the next few days, I plan to kick back and relax and enjoy the sim as you suggest. Thanks for the reminder to keep it real! 😁

[Cpt_Piett 4,678]

I think it’s a good idea to keep previous builds available so that people can use the version that works best. At least for a while. IMO, IFR mode (which possibly most people are using) is working extremely well. VFR mode is a bit more “elusive” and trickier to use, so I’m happy that Reset will try to fine-tune that a little. 

I’ll get started on testing 0.4.2.8 in a little while. 

[skylane182 12]

Thanks for all your great work for this App.
Is it possible to uninstall and/or deactivate the App if you, whatever reason, don't want to use it anymore, with reverting all the changes the app has done to the sim?
Do you recommend to backup any files before trying the App?

(Excuse if there are already answers to these questions anywhere in the two threads. Maybe a little FAQ-readme would be helpful for some users.)

Thanks in advance