shakeystick

Look for the forum topic that is sticky/pinned here. It's the hardware and software guide. It covers DX9 setup and then the extra steps needed to run in the shader file fix/improved DX10 preview mode. I believe that all of your questions are answered in the guide.

Yes, thank you. I appreciate the shared knowledge and the time taken to convey it. The more I read here the more I learn about how this stuff really works. For some reason I seem to have read something into and beyond what was actually written in the DX10 guide then. I'm still sorting things out in my mind and trying to understand the actual differences between FSX in DX9 & DX10 modes. And the differences, if any, that exist in the rendering, load times, CPU & GPU workloads, etc, etc, etc. I'm certain there is (or should be) a set list of things that ,if already tuned properly, should remain exactly the same between both modes because the change from DX9 to DX10 and back again has no effect on the performance of those items. Knowing the items on that list would help me, and many others I'm sure, as we attempt to continue to make informed decisions about the settings on our systems while operating in both modes. My system is older, all air cooled, and only running at 3ghz with rather low end twin GTX 460s in SLI. But I do have eight processor cores holding a pretty even load from what I have seen. Something tells me that some of the advice that I see you guys trading on here with the newer Intel processors at much higher speed may not translate well onto my system but I'm kind of clueless as to what those subtle differences might be. This is one of my biggest reasons for asking about the items above. Regards, GP

Yes that one got me puzzled at first too. That is until I learned that there are separate display entries for DX10 & DX9. If you look closely you will see that the DX10 entries have an extra period and zero when compared to the DX9 ones. You apparently switched back and the DX9 entries were not there so the program made a new one for you. I have seen it do this by adding a default resolution value too like 1024 X 768 or some such when my display is really 1400X1050. If I remember correctly the program added the correct resoltion as yet another extra display entry after I restarted FSX. I then deleted the incorrect resolution entry and left the one that was correct. FSX will most definitely re-create certain config entries on it's own if it does not see one there already.

Because I think going back to DX9, regardless as to whether we are talking night or day, means that I am giving up some of that DX10 inherent smoothness. For me that smooth feeling to the way the plane responds so well to control surface input really enhances the realism of the way the aircraft flies. I don't want to give that up. Yes you can untick the DX10 preview to return to DX9 but aren't there other changes within the fsx.cfg file that prevent you having both DX9 & DX10 running in an optimal way by simply changing back forth by ticking/unticking the DX10 preview box? As for the look to DX10 at night, yes it seems darker at (especially at altitude) and also not as visually appealing as DX9 but dusk and dawn are still pretty fun times to fly around.

Hello Skylon, It wonders me also. I am watching for any new information that might help with this "multi-display/multi-view" way of running FSX in DX10 mode in the same way we both apparently did in DX9. Or at least watching for the possibility thereof anyway. I do not have any Vsync/tearing issues at all. I have run the last half dozen or so versions of the Nvidia drivers in FSX with no problems. I also update Nvidia drivers without hesitation. Never ran into a problem at all. But I have also always used identical monitors. So in that respect, at least, your particular Vsync problem has not happened on my system. The only time I even take FSX out of fullscreen mode and into windowed mode is when I want to look at something (task manager for instance) while trying to determine how good (or bad) the program is running. I have to say again that the DX10 shader fix that I found here on Avsim has really improved my FSX experience by leaps and bounds.

Once again someone is barking up my tree. I have very similar issues and have settled for a single view spanned across three monitors using NVIDIA surround mode for DX10. Before converting to DX10 I was running in DX9 with separate views on each of four 1400x1050 resolution monitors. But I have been unable to get DX10 to do this. http://forum.avsim.net/topic/400342-dx10-full-screen-issue/#entry2604296 http://forum.avsim.net/topic/395876-dx-10-and-multiple-monitors/ Please let us know if you find the magic bullet for this.

Typically the file and folder structure of an add-on aircraft, after unzipping the package, will reflect the actual FSX root folder structure. Many can be unzipped to the root "FSX" folder and then if you just allow it to merge folders and overwrite files then it will install correctly. You should back up any folders to be altered first so that you can "restore" your FSX installation to it's OEM state if need be. It is important to remember that there is more than one "texture" folder within FSX. One lives inside the main FSX folder and many more texture files are scattered throughout the program. Each aircraft has it's own texture file within the aircraft folder under FSX>Sim Objects>Airplanes>your airplane. See link below. It's not that hard to get a pretty good handle on basic FSX files and how to work with them. There are great resources all over but the link below lays out the basics and should help you understand how to install an aircraft yourself. Always read any and all read me files with a given package of course. The aircraft .cfg file lives inside the aircraft folder itself. And as long as you are not adding textures/liveries to an existing aircraft but rather installing a new plane package for the first time then it should be good to go with no changes. Use windows explorer to click around and compare your own FSX files while looking at the link. Also make sure you have gone into your computer settings to allow "hidden" folders to be visible. You can google how to do this if need be. Cheers and Good Luck. http://www.flyingscool.com/FSX_Directories.htm#Aircraft

I really don't enjoy computer games very much at all. But then again I don't consider FSX to be a computer game. I consider it to be a simulator. With that said I will answer your question. Spoiled? Most definitely not! As all of you know this is not a program that you can simply drop the disc in, install and away we go. No, no, no. Rather it takes real effort and dedication (not to mention the ability to search, read and comprehend) to really get FSX "working". Spoiled no. Better for the experience? Absolutely!

Something tells me you must be using mutilple displays, if I am correct then I would like you to reconfigure for single display across more than one monitor via Nvidia surround. If DX10 then works you must be experiencing the exact same thing that I have in the past. Sincerly, Shakeystick (continual FSX DX10 nvidia surround mode simmer)

Yes, but I was forced to cut back to a three monitor Nvidia surround mode display arrangement. Two gtx 460s in SLI and three monitors with a single display spanned across all three (with bezel correction too). Ths means my DX10 .cfg file shows only one triple wide display resolution at 4420 x 1050 for the three 1400 x 1050 montiors. I have been completely unable to get DX10 to run in any other manner than a single display entry in the config. Where I had been in DX9 I was running four independant displays with four different 1400 x 1050 displays shown in my config. (0,1,2&3). So in DX9 I could keep flying on the main montior and switch to overhead view on one monitor, tower view on another and fly by on another for example. I am unable to get DX10 to do this. It is a single display and if I click a new view it will, of course, change the one view spanned across all three monitors. I posted a while back asking for help on this in hopes of being able to use DX10 in exactly the same way that I do DX9 but alas, no joy. But DX10 was so much of an improvement in overall frame rates, and most importantly, smoothness that I have not looked back despite having lost some display quantity, flexibility and functionality. I, for one, will be watching closely for any clues that might lead me to being able to do all that I did with DX9 in DX10. So the answer to your question is yes I have three displays hooked up to two cards but it only works (for me at least) when I span the displays and make FSX treat all three as a single display.

Hello mobsky. I watched the video. I'm new at this but I think what I was seeing as far as image degradation with the pixelated patches showing up at times was the CPU overloading the GPU? Just a guess please don't laugh if I'm way off with this. (Anyone's feedback appreciated on this) The other thing I see is the size & brightness of the vehicle/street lights below. I think they are too big & bright. I don't run any payware night lighting but the look of yours reminds me of the airport night-lighting problem that I did experience after first changing over to DX10. A replacement halo.bmp file & adding/adjusting the scalar settings in the .cfg file has pretty much fixed the night airfield lighting issue for me in DX10. I wonder if there might be a similar way to fix your night scenery lights. Point may become moot in the near future with a new release. At least I hope it does.

I read one report that said it came down in a lake. What are the odds of that? It sure was eye opening news this morning. Shocking to see so many injuries. I truly hope everyone makes a good recovery! I started thinking about the timing with the flyby of the known one later today. I then thought that it's possible to have a cluster arrive together and that the known one could be part of a larger group of unknown ones. There are those who say we may have had close calls in the not so distant past. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Bonilla_Observation

It is a hobby, and as such is........you know the rest.

I sometimes tune my Grundig Satellit 750 receiver to KDFW approach and listen to real world pilots get clearance for final. That's pretty fun when simming. Sometimes I hear something really interesting. When there is heavy weather in the area the whole tone and tempo really changes. Pilots reporting conditons real frequently and reassuring each other (and the controllers of course) that the ride down was smooth and not as bad as it might look, stuff like that. If you don't have a radio just google for Live ATC dot net and find your favorite airport. Or look at national weather conditons and select one that is having heavy weather. I have listened to ground controllers flip the active rwy at DFW due to a 180 deg surface wind shift while weather was passing through. Planes in the sky changed approach direction of course and dozens of planes were parked on the taxiway and elsewhere while the runways were closed for the worst of it. When the controllers opened the runway again it was real interesting listening to them get everybody ready including some engine retstarts. Then get everybody turned around and taxied down to the new active rwy for takeoff. In other words nothing like FSX aircraft radio, ha ha!

Looking forward to the nightime patch also. As of right now I still fly at night in DX10 because the flying itself is so much better both day and night. But virtual cockpit outside night scenery in DX9 looks much better to me so far. I hope the result is close to or even better than the way DX9 looks at night. Thank you in advance for that one. I have been flying the former payware Alhpa PBY Catalina in DX10. The wingtip lights sometimes flash at night also. At least the landing lights work to light the ground. Although with the airplane viewed in fly by or tower view you won't actually see the landing lamps themselves lit up on the wings until the plane is actually above the threshold. Must be something in the airport file itself or something similar making them visible only after they are at the airfield. Like I said they always light up the ground below regardless of location. But the virtual cockpit outside night scenery is what I look at the most. The plane looks awesome in DX10 btw. What are the best looking aircraft in DX10? I seem to get the idea here that the PMDG 737 NGX is the plane to have. How much better does it look in DX10? How much better than the PMDG 747-400X QOTS? I actually have that one.

Perhaps someone should check with Firehawk44 and verify that it was Firehawk44 himself who was performing these operations? :unsure:

If you have V3.2.2 installed correctly then those squares should be black......I think. I defer to those who post here and have more experience in this.....but I feel fairly confident in saying that it looks to me like a botched 3.2.2 installation.

I also have an SLI rig. Two lesser cards (GTX 460). I am willing to test provided I understand the instructions. Word Not Allowed, please let me know if I can try any tests to help us understand how FSX and SLI behave together. Yes CPU is slower (3.0 GHZ) but I have 8 cores and a MOBO made for this stuff.

Ivo, if what I understand from reading here in the DX10 forum and what I have also seen on my sim is correct, then installing the 3.2.2 shader fix should have replaced what you are seeing (missing textures) with a black background not the default FSX logo & blue background that you see. Did you actually install the shader fix 3.2.2 itself? Or just the bonus water file? Sounds to me like the install of the 3.2.2 shader fix did not go as intended. And that is where the default background (dark color) replacement file is. Just installing the water bonus will not stop the in-flight FSX advertisement. Once again if I understand correctly. I'm new here and a fairly recent DX10 convert. Please correct me anyone if I am wrong on this. I have no desire to spread disinformation. I've got to say that with the smoothness of the display and the controls, vis-a-vis DX10V3.2.2, the simulator experience for me has been truly re-awakened. I am learning more and more, day by day, that frames per second is just a number and the smoothness is what really makes a difference (for me anyway). I might see an autogen tree or building pop up as I fly by, but there is no disruption in the smoothness. In DX9 a new building or tree meant a stutter seemingly without exception. To me that is the single biggest difference.

I've seen this happen in my .cfg file also. I manually removed the duplicate entry and so far it has not returned. I'm not sure exactly what is happening when this occurs, but I think FSX is rewriting the entry itself in a different location in the file. Mine usually appear very near the bottom. The second entry has not reappeared after I removed it and FSX seems the same, certainly not worse anyway, without it there.

Thanks for all the replies everyone. It was blind luck that no posts were lost in the rollback that took place overnight too. It looks like kand's most recent reply was posted prior to Wednesday. To recap, I was running DX9 FSX acceleration with four different full screen views parked on four different monitors. I wanted to run in DX10 in the same manner. So far no joy in getting that to happen. However I am overjoyed at the DX10 flight results thus far with Nvidia surround mode (two gtx460s, 1g ea.). In fullscreen wide view, spanned across the three 1400x1050 displays, with VC view at .60 zoom it looks wonderful. If I zoom out to .50 or less then the side window views from the VC begin to look elongated on the right and left displays. I'm not unhappy at all with this though. And I am very very satisfied with the huge difference that implementing the changes brought forth by Steve's work and Paul's efforts in teaching myself and others how to use them. Thank you guys, thank you, thank you. Frame rates are steady (most of the time right on 30 but almost never below 20 so far), stutters are virtually non-existent and that has made all the difference in the world to me. The extra visual boost to the scenery and such is just the icing on the cake. I feel like it's my birthday and I got exactly the present that I wished for. Thanks again. Some observations, hypothetical questions and, if you don't mind, a request for additonal cfg/insp help. Maybe I should have started a new thread on this? I'm just going to keep it here I guess. Initial testing went great with only one large problem. The runway glide slope lights were so big and bright that I was just about completely unable to see the runway itself until I was almost above the threshold. That made it really hard to tell just how well lined up I was. This may have been a result of some lighting enhancement I had previously made whilst being a DX9 only user. I have already mostly fixed that irritant with a new halo.bmp and scalar adjustments in my .cfg. Runway lighting is much better but I would still like to tweak it in the future. Probably play with the scalar numbers first then maybe a different halo.bmp again if just adjusting with the numbers does not really help. In DX9 it seemed I would get a momentary freeze when I saw autogen appearing nearby. In DX10 the autogen just appears with no stutter or momentary freeze. It does appear too close to the airplane for my taste though. Also the ground is blurry a little ways beyond the area where I see the autogen first popping into view. It also seems that I don't get available airports, radio calling/landing options in my radio window available to select by clicking on them (day or night), or visible runway lights/airports at night even, until I am way closer to the airfield when compared to how it was in DX9 before I made any DX10 changes. I am almost positive that these symptoms are caused by load raduis or reject threshold or other some such in my .cfg file. I understand the DX10 feature and it's being named "preview" means that, in FSX at least, it is a somewhat unfinished product. The flashing taxiways are ample evidence of that but it leads me to ask these questions. To what extent unfinished? Where did Aces leave off exactly? I have perceptions about my DX10 experience so far that there may be extras (ie. scenery, static objects, effects, maybe even AI, etc.) in there for DX10 that just flat out do not exist in DX9. Is that even possible? I am far from being any kind of well informed person on this and maybe what is happening is simply a result of moving the sliders? Maybe the only real difference between DX9 & 10 is shaders (something I have a very limited understanding of, I know they are files and that's about all). But I am still asking myself, and now you, questions. Questions like, if the above is true, and there are extra goodies in there then where could they be found? DX10 exclusive Easter Eggs anyone? Logically I would look in the parts of the program that the development team obviously would have put more time and effort into. Things like the major scenery and other points of interest (the Las Vegas strip or maybe Rio, NYC, London, etc). One other area comes to mind also. The missions. I actually reflew the Sitka Approach mission in DX10 and think I saw some major differences. Was that car and semi-rig parked down at the end of the runway hanger when I flew this in DX9? Did the car actually have it's rear bumper hanging down and the hood missing? Maybe it is an artifiact of one of the add-on static object libraries that I installed when setting up AI for another airport months ago and thousands of miles away in the sim? Anyone else notice anything like I have? Or am I imagining things again? ha ha! Hey no worries either way. Like I said, extremely happy with the sim in DX10 and I'm going to do my best not to look back. I don't think that will take much, if any, effort at all! On the subject of looking back, lol! The need exists for guide on the most effortless way to make the needed program changes to run in 9 or 10. And maybe that guide should get a sticky. Not that I plan on using it! Well maybe although I can't imagine why at the moment. I know just enough to be dangerous with my cfg. file. I've used the Bojote tool before as you can probably see by my affinity mask setting at the end of this posting. Is it UsePools=1 or Bufferpools=1? Both? Neither? I think not having DisablePreload in there might be holding me back. Is that loading too much to memory? TBM? Two cards in SLI numbers? Since I am now running in Nvidia surround I set the .cfg file entry as one display that is three screens wide. At some point FSX added a second identical display device entry (triple wide) toward the very end of the .cfg file of it's own accord. I removed it and it seems to have stayed gone. Mistake? If I am running two cards in SLI surround with just one display device shown in the .cfg then by default does this not mean that FSX sees the SLI GPU combination as a single GPU? Probably stirred up a hornet's nest with that one, ha ha! Does it matter in what order inside the .cfg file that the main categories and sub-items appear? If it does not then would having them in a certain order improve overall performance? Does it help or speed up FSX to read them in a certain order or not? The reason I ask this is that I have seen some pretty fast loads and some that took a very long time. I'm pretty sure this is when the .cfg loads and/or FSX actually writes to it. It occurs to me that there might be a "clean" order in which it could be loaded or read or whatever that could maybe be beneficial once the program is actually running. No? When I edit my .cfg file, I open and then make changes to it and then save it. I do this with the actual.cfg file and not the .txt that is alwys there with it, correct? Does making saved changes in either one make the other one identical or does FSX do that to one or the other once it is running? Maybe too many questions for a single post. And I realize that some apply to both 9 and 10, but just a few more. I know there are things in the .cfg that are mutually exclusive. In other words there is no point in having one if you also have the other in there too. What are those things? Reject threshold and load radius or some such? Others that I do not know about? Paul, one question before I post some of my .cfg file. On your photo linked Nvidia inspector settings forum page where you have the option of going 4, 6 or 8 are those the only changes and everything else stays the same when switching back and forth? Or are there accompanying changes that need to be made in inspector or the .cfg file when switching between those modes too? Sorry this runs so long but I have a lot of questions. Thanks again and happy DX10 simming everyone. The .cfg tidbits below (not all of it to save space). Please don't laugh because there is bound to be something stupid in there. I'm almost sure of that. [GRAPHICS] SHADER_CACHE_PRIMED_10=1693500672 SHADER_CACHE_PRIMED=1693500672 MultiSamplesPerPixel=4 MultiSampleQuality=8 D3D10=1 HIGHMEMFIX=1 TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=1024 NUM_LIGHTS=8 AIRCRAFT_SHADOWS=1 AIRCRAFT_REFLECTIONS=1 COCKPIT_HIGH_LOD=1 LANDING_LIGHTS=1 AC_SELF_SHADOW=1 EFFECTS_QUALITY=2 GROUND_SHADOWS=0 TEXTURE_QUALITY=3 IMAGE_QUALITY=0 See_Self=1 Text_Scroll=1 [Display] RUNWAY_LIGHTS_SURFACE_SCALAR=0.9 RUNWAY_LIGHTS_VASI_SCALAR=0.9 RUNWAY_LIGHTS_APPROACH_SCALAR=0.9 RUNWAY_LIGHTS_STROBE_SCALAR=0.9 ChangeTime=4.000000 TransitionTime=4.000000 BLOOM_EFFECTS=1 SKINNED_ANIMATIONS=1 TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=100 UPPER_FRAMERATE_LIMIT=30 WideViewAspect=True ChangeTime=4.000000 [Main] FIBER_FRAME_TIME_FRACTION=0.33 PerfBucket=7 HideMenuNormal=0 HideMenuFullscreen=1 Maximized=1 [bufferPools] BufferPools=1 PoolSize=10485760 RejectThreshold=524288 [AccelerationPack] ControlsFirstRun=0 HomePageFirstRun=0 [ATC] ShowATCText=1 COMM_MSG_NONE_COLOR=FFFFFFFF COMM_MSG_ATC_USER_COLOR=FFB6FFB6 COMM_MSG_USER_ATC_COLOR=FFFFD21B COMM_MSG_ATC_AI_COLOR=FF00FF00 COMM_MSG_AI_ATC_COLOR=FFFF7840 AutoOpenAirTrafficWindow=1 UsePilotVoice=1 PilotVoice=0 [PointOfInterestSystem] CycleSetting=0 [sCENERY] LENSFLARE=0 DAWN_DUSK_SMOOTHING=1 IMAGE_COMPLEXITY=4 [TrafficManager] AirlineDensity=20 GADensity=20 FreewayDensity=6 ShipsAndFerriesDensity=0 LeisureBoatsDensity=0 IFROnly=0 AIRPORT_SCENERY_DENSITY=2 [TERRAIN] LOD_RADIUS=4.500000 MESH_COMPLEXITY=75 MESH_RESOLUTION=24 TEXTURE_RESOLUTION=25 AUTOGEN_DENSITY=4 DETAIL_TEXTURE=1 WATER_EFFECTS=6 [JOBSCHEDULER] AffinityMask=255 [DISPLAY.Device.NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460.0.0] Mode=4420x1050x32 Anisotropic=1 AntiAlias=1

Are you in DX10 with four monitors? If so then what are the details please?

Well, I went ahead and did the modification as per the guide in the sticky. Flying in Nvidia surround across three monitors. Test flight in the default 747 around Dallas and landing at DFW. Landed at DFW with aircraft casts shows on ground and itself and ground object shadows too! All the way in it stayed smooth with FPS at 30 or just a few below. Awesome! I am sold on this. Thanks Steve and thanks Paul. I'll worry about the fourth monitor later. Time to have some fun and really check this out. Thanks again guys. If I find anything useful to share I will be sure to do so.

Hi Paul, I have four Acer AL2017s here. Seems I can pick them up cheap not working and put some new capacitors in the power supply to have a good working monitor. I guess I should mention I have the Gold edition full blown FSX accelleration installed. Come to think of it that must be obvious because if I did not have all service packs plus accelleration then I would not have DX10 preview available, duh! Right? Thanks all you guys for all the feedback about surround but I think you all missed my point a little bit. My real question is why can't I take a setup that runs fine in DX9 and select DX10 preview and get it to load a flight without changing my "all four monitors enabled" prefered confguration? I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. So far it sounds like the answer is no, no one else has. I want to gain DX10 and the fix Steve provided, but I don't want to lose what I like about my DX9 experience which is four independant views dragged onto four separate monitors. I promise I'm not crazy here just a little eccentric, lol.

Thanks for all the great feedback. And thanks to all of you for your quick replies. It is a DX10 issue for me because I had to change to surround (three monitors and only one view) from all enabled (four monitors with four completely independant views) to get DX10 to load a flight successfully. I don't want lose the fourth monitor and I sure don't like the idea of being stuck with only one selectable view at a time while flying across the remaining three. What if I fly into a hill while I am looking at something else? With four separate monitors and each being independant of the others that has not been a problem in DX9, I want to load DX10 in the same way and see if I am able to. Something seems to be preventing this from happening. I was wondering if anyone else has been able to run DX10 in the manner I describe. I am certain I have read of others doing things exactly the way I have in DX9. I have read some saying FSX only "sees" one GPU of a an SLI enabled pair and others saying that FSX "sees" both SLI GPUs as a single GPU. I don't know for sure which is exactly true but logic and my general impression after flying in a variety of different settings (both SLI enabled and disabled) that there seems to be nothing but benefit from running SLI enabled. I could be wrong as I have done no real testing and say this just based on my impression of the performance. I do watch FPS in the upper left corner by pressing shift Z.