More Render.ini discussion - 128 MB Card - HELP

[Guest]

I've been really messing around with the render.ini and have been getting great results. I don't have the best computer in the world, or video card but have been able to tweak performance so that I can practically double my frame rates from the default render.ini I've read the tweak manuals and most of the posts here in the forums I could dig up, but I still feel confused about render.ini and FLY2.I guess I should definitley say that tweaking does work. If you have a 128mb card you can double your fps from the default render.iniWhat I don't understand though is there should definitley be some more documentation as to how the scenery options effect how many slots should be allocated for each field.For example, if you set the high scenery to 0, medium to 6 and MAX visibility to 20 (all minimums) you need X amount of 512 32bit textures, and X amount of 256 32 bit textures and X amount of 128 32 and 16 bits textures and so forth, etc , etc.If you set the high scenery to 3 miles, medium to 9 and max vis to 60 miles you need X amount of 512,256, 128, etc ,etc. I think you get my point. I sure wish TRI would have included more documentation on this. I think that it is just simple math, but unfortunatley only TRI knows for sure how many slots of what texture get loaded for what level of scenery.The only things I know for sure is that the max visibility seems to be effected mostly by the 512 slots. If you set the vis to 60 miles you need to increase the 512 32 bit slots to about a setting of 8.The documentation that I have read so far says the FLYII uses mostly 128_565 slots. However, I feel that the 256 slots are the key to getting better frame rates. The biggest gains in performance seem to come with the 256 slots.Let me say though that I have my high textures set to 1 mile radius and my medium textures set to 6 miles but my max visibility set to 60 miles. The big frame rate killer seems to be flying in clouds, at least for me it is. I can usually get a sustained 50-80 fps in clear weather with those settings. But if I go into or have any clouds my frames can drop into the teens or low 20's. I noticed that when the frames drop or even when I load clouds my hits in the debug info for the 256 texture slots go crazy - like 350-400 hits - even 800 hits!! I've been increasing my 256 slots even in excess of 400 slots allocated and solved my frame rate problems in clouds. FPS can sustain in 40 fps area even in clouds with max vis of 60 miles. I've never been able to do this before. What I just can't get over though is that the clouds should not take up those many slots. Does anyone know if the clouds use the 256_32 bit slots or the 256 16 bit slots? I've had a lot of improvement increasing both or one or the other. But it would be nice to know which one. In fact it would be nice to know exactly what slots do what. I've read the FLYII tweak manual and it highlights what the author "thinks" each texture does. But it would have been nice to know from TRI exactly what one each does.sorry to rant. I just love this sim, and trying to get the most out of it I can.thanks

[Guest Javier]

Hey! KyjkoI have some problems understanding the Render.ini file, I am new with the 128MB Video cards, I am trying one right now, but it would save me alot of time if I could just download a tweeked render.ini for the 128MB video card.I was wondering if you could e-mail me yours to give it a try! and maybe see that boost you are talking about. Right now I am still stuck at 30 Fps max and I get 4 FPS mostly when AI Planes are insight through the clouds.Also, I was hopping to see the NW727 Dynamic Plane smoothly pass on the TARMAC but instead I got the same 4 FPS I use to get with the Geforce 256 DDR 32MB RAM.If you don't mind .. could you post your Render.ini ? or e-mail me at javierrdz1@hotmail.comThanks!Javier.PS: My signature stil shows my old Geforce 256 DDR. sorry.

[Guest]

Hi all, :-waveIf you think your having problems, you should have a 16 meg card like me. Its onboard and when I tried to upgrade it to a 64 meg it wouldnt have it. I have built loads of computers and never had this kind of problem before. So if I see a hint of a cloud its a slide show all the way home. ;-)It seems Im going to have to build a new one just for my favorite sim...Stevie :-bat'The best aid to navigation is having been there before'

[Guest marcao]

Hi kyjko, Exactly like Javier, I'm new to a 128 mb video card and if you could send you render.ini or to post it here would be great.Thanks in advance.Regards,:-beerchugMarco Antonio Silvamarcao@pobox.comBrazil

[Guest]

[Graphics]mipLevelCount=8vertexIndexFormat=0premultiplyColorAndAlpha=0allowAutoMipMapping=0directTextureFlag=0[Textures]maxTextures32=0maxTextures64=16maxTextures64_565=16maxTextures128=72maxTextures128_565=999maxTextures256=200maxTextures256_565=350maxTextures512=8maxTextures512_565=0maxTextures1024=1mipMapFlag=896[NonAGP]maxTextures256_565=0[AGP]maxTextures256_565=0This is my current render.ini - I've been making changes and doing some more tweaking though. I've found with the current render.ini I have lost a little more performance in clear weather, but so far it seems to be a good all around render.ini for me.I should also point out I have the following settings.High Detail 2 milesMed Detail 10 milesMax Vis 40 milesI can get about the same performance doing the followingHigh Detail 1 mileMed Detail 6 milesMax Vis 60 milesThis gives me 30+ fps in FLYII under all circumstances. Yes, I can bump the High and Med textures out a little more, but then drop below 25 fps in clouds.These settings with render.ini give me 30+ smooth performance under all circumstances.Let me say that I have had a lot of success also my trying to max out my 256 32 bit slots more than the 256 16 bit slots. I'm still not sure if I should have more 256 32 or 16 bit slots.What I have tried to do is make a practical render.ini file that I can use for all flying conditions. So far I am happy. It is possible to get better peformance for specific conditions with different render.ini files but for me, so far this one works best all around.Also let me say too I have slow Athlon 1333, and slow PC-133 RAM on old motherboard. A newer P4 or Athlon XP could probably get much better for FLYII. Good luck.I wish we had more discussion on this topic cause this sim really still kicks butt.