MSFS 2020 Auto FPS App v0.4.2

[Reset XPDR 1,303]

4 minutes ago, Cpt_Piett said:

I know. Normally I wouldn't use VFR for dense areas, as I mentioned earlier. This was purely for testing purposes. If you'd like I could take a GA to a much less dense area. I'm thinking the Fenix might be ok too as there'll be enough overhead. 

Anything specific you'd like me to try? I find that videos are quite efficient in quickly demonstrating vs a very wordy post. 

If you could just do a quick GA circuit in a less dense area with FPS sensitivity mode and VFR and LODs less than 400, and record it if it's not too much hassle,I would greatly appreciate it.

[mmcmah 430]

36 minutes ago, Reset XPDR said:

The thing to remember with the old FPS Tolerance is that it would let TLOD change on the ground, which I have since removed because of DX11 and DX12 texture issues, is that it would do most of its TLOD adjusting when you were readying your flight, when you wouldn't normally be skimming scenery in drone cam, so it's probably not a big deal.

Are you sure the FPS Sensitivity doesn't allow a TLOD change while readying for a flight?

I tried 4.3.3 earlier today flying back and forth between EGLL and EGLC and as we all now know, VFR over complex scenery is a stutterfest. I had a hard crash of my entire system as a result of the vicious cycle I've mentioned in previous messages. That was with FPS Sensitivity - which DOES increase the TLOD on the ground for me with 4.3.3.

FPS Tolerance fared better but when it too started stuttering, I quit the flight so as to not get another complete system crash. I feel like 4.3.4 could be a very good rollback in that regard.

On the VERY positive side, I conducted some tests at ENHF and found that I LOVE the increasing TLOD on the ground (happened on both FPS Sensitivity as well as Tolerance) in remote areas and taking off with far vistas well rendered by the high TLOD. I did decide to drop my TLOD Max to 600 from 800. I found that there was just too little visual difference to go that high.

As I mentioned before, though, unless 4.3.4's <1000 foot behaviour changes the algorithm a lot from what's in there now, IFR definitely works best for highly complex areas.

I will test 4.3.4 tomorrow.

[Reset XPDR 1,303]

8 minutes ago, mmcmah said:

Are you sure the FPS Sensitivity doesn't allow a TLOD change while readying for a flight?

With the exception of TLOD + being activated, which may add 50 to your starting TLOD, then there are no other TLOD changes until at least 100 ft.

The code for VFR Sensitivity mode starts out: newTLOD = Model.altAboveGnd < VFRMinAltTLODLocks ? Model.tlod where private const float VFRMinAltTLODLocks = 100.0f;

In english, this says if the current AGL is less than the VFR minimum altitude to lock TLOD, which is 100 ft, then set the new TLOD to be the same as the existing TLOD ie. don't change anything.

In VFR FPS Tolerance mode, it is possible for TLOD to change on the ground as this starting code segment is not present.

I have no idea how TLOD was changing on the ground for you as it is not logically possible from the code I just described, unless you are onboard a Vulcan bird of prey and your AGL in the cockpit is > 100 ft 😄

[Cpt_Piett 4,800]

My VFR tolerance landing if it's of any interest to Reset: https://youtu.be/IvNdbI4v2-A

I know, too high settings in a dense area. Everything was smooth until final approach. 

(panning micro-stutters due to video capture, not seen in-sim)

Note: stutters start to appear below 1000' as TLOD is still extremely high (above 700). Then stutters increase in intensity as aircraft descends further. It's easy to see this on the frame time graph. 

 

Edited March 21 by Cpt_Piett

[mmcmah 430]

3 minutes ago, Reset XPDR said:

With the exception of TLOD + being activated, which may add 50 to your starting TLOD, then there are no other TLOD changes until at least 100 ft.

The code for VFR Sensitivity mode starts out: newTLOD = Model.altAboveGnd < VFRMinAltTLODLocks ? Model.tlod where private const float VFRMinAltTLODLocks = 100.0f;

In english, this says if the current AGL is less than the VFR minimum altitude to lock TLOD, which is 100 ft, then set the new TLOD to be the same as the existing TLOD ie. don't change anything.

In VFR FPS Tolerance mode, it is possible for TLOD to change on the ground as this starting code segment is not present.

I have no idea how TLOD was changing on the ground for you as it is not logically possible from the code I just described, unless you are onboard a Vulcan bird of prey and your AGL in the cockpit is > 100 ft 😄

I'll try again and then I'll try 4.3.4.

[Cpt_Piett 4,800]

VFR sensitivity GA circuit: https://youtu.be/eq8F9MMSqVo

Again, micro-stutters due to recording. Frame time graph flat most of the time i.e. very little frame time variance. Felt very smooth in-sim. 

Only thing I noticed was clouds high. 

Edited March 21 by Cpt_Piett

[Reset XPDR 1,303]

13 minutes ago, Cpt_Piett said:

VFR sensitivity GA circuit: https://youtu.be/eq8F9MMSqVo

Again, micro-stutters due to recording. Frame time graph flat most of the time i.e. very little frame time variance. Felt very smooth in-sim. 

Only thing I noticed was clouds high. 

I think your FG was giving you too much head room and TLOD was pegged at TLOD Max for the entire flight, including on the ground before you took off. Did you start the flight this way and TLOD worked up to 400 on the ground or had you already been flying around and TLOD 400 was the last TLOD you had when crossing 100 ft to land?

As for clouds showing high, being black in colour indicates that is your default cloud setting. You may need to exit the app and set it to Ultra if that is what you normally use.

Edited March 21 by Reset XPDR

[Cpt_Piett 4,800]

Loaded flight, set TLOD+OLOD max 400. Haven’t changed anything in MSFS menu for days. Did not change clouds (always ultra in menu), and I didn’t restart sim after Nice tests.

1 hour ago, mmcmah said:

On the VERY positive side, I conducted some tests at ENHF and found that I LOVE the increasing TLOD on the ground (happened on both FPS Sensitivity as well as Tolerance) in remote areas and taking off with far vistas well rendered by the high TLOD. I did decide to drop my TLOD Max to 600 from 800. I found that there was just too little visual difference to go that high.

Happy to hear you’re appreciative of Norway’s natural beauty with high TLODs. Did a very nice flight earlier today from ENHF (bit northeast of Hammerfest) to ENRA. Norway’s very high resolution mesh makes a big difference in such mountainous areas. And high TLODs ensures the mesh detail stays high in the distance. 

Edited March 21 by Cpt_Piett

[Reset XPDR 1,303]

FYI everyone, I messed up the version numbers with these latest test releases. They should have been 0.4.2.X not 0.4.3.X as they are only minor builds to the 4.2 baseline.

As such, the next test version to be released will be 0.4.2.5-test, not 0.4.3.5-test. You can still refer to all previous test releases by what name I gave them at the time eg. 0.4.3.1-test through 0.4.3.4-test.

Sorry for any confusion this may create, but I need to fix it now before formal release otherwise I will end up having to skip a major release number to get it back in sync for what will be only a minor version release and that would create even more confusion.

[Reset XPDR 1,303]

5 minutes ago, Cpt_Piett said:

Loaded flight, set TLOD+OLOD max 400. Haven’t changed anything in MSFS menu for days. Did not change clouds (always ultra in menu), and I didn’t restart sim after Nice tests.

It happens to mine sometimes, despite how bullet proof my restoration code appears to be the wrong settings are sometimes left. Easiest to just double check in the MSFS menu without the app running.

[Cpt_Piett 4,800]

6 minutes ago, Reset XPDR said:

It happens to mine sometimes, despite how bullet proof my restoration code appears to be the wrong settings are sometimes left. Easiest to just double check in the MSFS menu without the app running.

Hmm. Doesn’t really make sense as my menu settings have applied to every flight I’ve had for the last several days. In fact I can’t remember last time they changed without me changing them.

Edited March 21 by Cpt_Piett

[Reset XPDR 1,303]

Just now, Cpt_Piett said:

Hmm. Doesn’t really make sense as my menu settings have applied to every flight I’ve had for the last several days.

Sometimes software does things that defy sense. 😄

I think I have enough data from the test flights you've already done, so no need to continue with these. Thanks for doing all these different test flights. It has been very helpful. 👍👍

[Cpt_Piett 4,800]

No worries, happy to hear my videos were helpful!

[Reset XPDR 1,303]

Can anyone tell me if the auto pause on MSFS active pause or settings menu is working in flight as advertised with 0.4.3.3-test or later?

FYI, one last change I will make in the next, and likely final, test version of this current maintenance release is for the app to save target FPS per flight type (IFR/VFR) in addition to the different graphics modes (PC/FG/VR), giving six different target FPS options. You will always see the saved target FPS applicable to the mode you are currently in eg. FG Mode and IFR.

BTW, I am pushing this release a bit as I want to get the major bug fix out to the masses for the TLOD Min, Max and Cloud Recovery TLOD combos that can sometimes take out the app catastrophically.

Edited March 21 by Reset XPDR

[Reset XPDR 1,303]

New Test Version 0.4.2.5-test is available here. No you are not seeing things, the version number has been reverted as stated below and further explained here.

This is likely the final test version before this minor maintenance version gets formally released, pending any major issues being uncovered.

Changes in this specific version:

• Due to a version naming error on my part, this test version will now revert to be a minor build update on the 0.4.2 baseline, not a major update as implied by the previous 0.4.3.X test version naming convention. Apologies if this causes any confusion but it is best to sort it in a test release being used by a handful of testers rather than in a release version with hundreds, possibly thousands, of users. My apologies for letting this happen in the first place.
• Expanded Target FPS to also save a different value for IFR and VFR for each display mode.

Summary of cumulative notable changes in 0.4.2.5-test since the 0.4.2 formal release:

• Reduced TLOD changes in VFR mode on a sliding scale from 1000 ft to the ground to reduce potential stuttering at low altitudes.
• Auto pause will now engage when either active pause or settings menu is brought up in flight.
• User-selectable TLOD automation method, giving the choice between the new FPS sensitivity (smaller changes more often) and the old FPS Tolerance (larger changes less often) to resolve smoothness issue.
• App will now remember last window position on startup. Can be disabled in config file.
• Expanded Target FPS to also save a different value for IFR and VFR for each display mode.
• Fixed major issue where certain combinations of TLOD Min, Max and Cloud Recovery TLOD could result in an app crash and failure of the app to start again until the config file was deleted.
• Various minor bug fixes and logic improvements.
• Logging updated to reflect changed functionality.

Please let me know of any issues with these cumulative changes. Note that stuttering reduction is an ongoing effort however I believe that the app now has sufficient options and flexibility to help users in resolving stuttering, not least of which is to have conservative settings in the first place. If in doubt, the default app settings give a good starting point.