KNOSSOS

Got it, thank you! No, unfortunately now PTA has no common capability for applying custom shaders only at night or day. If you want, I can send you DPX Cineon custom shader "night edition" for manual installing. PTA will not modify this shader and it will work only at night. Any custom shader from PTA can be converted this way. Hmm...maybe it's useful to add that capability for selective applying at night/day for all custom shaders in PTA as a common parameter. Like this (0=all time, 1=Day, 2 = Night, for instance) Will see.

Definitely a great idea. Thanks PTA have some tweaks for night lighting: Ambient/diffuse moonligth on terrain, night light (that you use). If you use HDR, parameter TONEMAP_NIGHT_EXPOSURE_KEY in main config file also affects night brightness. Eric, could you, pls, show screenshot "before-after" of you nigth environment? Thanks!

No, it was my fault, Eric. AS2016 works excellent. Danny, PTA is compatible with any version 3.1.X, 3.2.X, 3.3.X. Including 3.3.5

Hi! Minor update for PTA on the site http://1coder.ru/PTA version 1.4 for Prepar3D v. 3.1 - 3.3 Release notes: - No more separate applications for different P3D version. One application for all supported versions of Prepar3D: PTA automatically detects installed P3D version and adjusts tweaks for it. - Support sim upgrade/downgrade process: it's not neccessary now to reinstall PTA. Tool detects upgrade and ask your permission to delete outdated shaders files from backup. After that new shaders backup will be created for installed P3D version. - New tweak for clouds shader: Reduce top layer cirrus clouds brightness at dawn, dusk and night. - A couple of new tweaks for moonlight brightness on terrain (similar to sunlight tweaks for terrain). - Fixed bug in "No-popcorn" modificator tweak: no more clouds popping in/out at far distance. How to upgrade from previous PTA versions: All presets from previous versions are compatible with 1.4. Delete old PTA_33.exe (PTA_32.exe/PTA_31.exe) from PTA directory and unzip PTA.exe from new distribution archive. (If you are using PTA from command line interface don't forget make the appropriate changes) Happy flights!

Hi, Martin! In last PTA release (1.3) some tweaks renamed. Actual table: RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Low, Shadow Intensity:Low => PTA Equivalent:Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.2; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=2.0 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Medium, Shadow Intensity: Low => PTA Equivalent:Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.5; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=2.0 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:High, Shadow Intensity: Low => PTA Equivalent:Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.8; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=2.0 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Low, Shadow Intensity: Medium => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.2; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.7 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Medium, Shadow Intensity: Medium => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.5; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.7 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:High, Shadow Intensity: Medium => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.8; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.7 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Low, Shadow Intensity: High => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.2; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.4 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Medium, Shadow Intensity: High => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.5; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.4 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:High, Shadow Intensity: High => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.8; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.4

Roland, I can add some coefficients to adjust "power" of ambient and diffuse moonlight. This will darken/lighten textures at night. Just like already existing tweaks for sunlight. Thank you for suggestion!

Ah, sorry, Erich, for my misunderstanding. Just thought I missed someone's comment

Can't see all needed info on first screenshot. Could you send me, please, your preset? trifonov.geo@gmail.com Great! Thanks for feedback!

I saw some reviews of the tool on youtube, but in Russian and Spanish (or mb Portuguese): Excuse me, have I missed something about Tom's frustration? All tweaks in PTA have detail description and many of them illustrated. Just click "?" button. IMHO it's a bad idea in general to start tweaking something without any real idea of what you are doing and what you are going to get. Also, unfortunately, P3D have no option to make adjustments in shaders "on-the-fly" to see result immediately (like Reshade or RTH for X-Plane). Some presets shared in this topic and some great jobs shared here: http://www.avsim.com/topic/490178-prepar3d-tweak-assistant-pta-screenshots-presets/ PTA starts first time with some "initial" preset. (You can get it later by menu Actions - Set initial tweaks parameters). This option allows get sort of start point with very conservative parameters. The final result of tuning depends on personal preferences, hardware, and installed addons and, of course, textures. Best regards,

Hi! What's wrong with Ezdok Cam View? Check necessary custom shader in list (Curves as an example), tune its params and assign shader on necessary Ezdok cam. When applying preset please see that custom shader was activated:

Well, there is a table with RSP and PTA 1.3 settings: RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Low, Shadow Intensity:Low => PTA Equivalent:Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.2; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=2.0 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Medium, Shadow Intensity: Low => PTA Equivalent:Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.5; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=2.0 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:High, Shadow Intensity: Low => PTA Equivalent:Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.8; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=2.0 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Low, Shadow Intensity: Medium => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.2; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.7 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Medium, Shadow Intensity: Medium => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.5; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.7 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:High, Shadow Intensity: Medium => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.8; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.7 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Low, Shadow Intensity: High => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.2; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.4 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:Medium, Shadow Intensity: High => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.5; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.4 RSP settings:Terrain brighthess:High, Shadow Intensity: High => PTA Equivalent: Adjust terrain ambient sunlight=0.8; Adjust terrain diffuse sunlight=1.4 Also PTA 1.3 have separate management for aircraft (VC) lighting (Tweak "Aircraft brightness tuning" on page "Lighting").

Some info if you upgrade/downgrade sim while using PTA: Important! If you upgrade or downgrade version of Prepar3D: You can't continue using old version of PTA with new or previous version of sim. Please DO NOT use command "Restore original P3D shaders" from previous/new version of PTA if you have already updated or downgraded sim. Just delete old version of PTA and install relevant version. However, presets (*.ini files) from different versions of PTA may be compatible. If you need them, please keep in safe place, make clean installation of PTA and return presets in new installation. For presets compatibility issues please read release notes. Daniel, what you mean "deleted the shaders folder"? Shaders cache? PTA modify only these core shaders in ShadersHLSL folder: Cloud.fx GPUTerrain.fx General.fx GPUTerrain.fxh \PostProcess\HDR.hlsl \PostProcess\FXAAResolve.hlsl If any of them are already modified by other utilities/tools, PTA should ignore them, not modify. No other shaders and effect files affected by tool. Regards,

Thanks for feedback!

Only clear shaders in step #1 looks redundant. Thank you, Henry!

Henry, PTA doesn't have a permanent log in file. Only current session log on bottom of main window.

Yep. Those screens are from previous version of PTA. Pls see http://1coder.ru/PTA/releases.html Gregg, if you tell me your settings in RSP, I'll try to find the same solution in PTA.

Maybe REX was installed with "Cloud size algortithm" option is on? In that case REX modify cloud.fx shader. I'm trying to reproduce error situation with no original and original shaders and can't do it. In my case PTA run as described: error in log if non-original shader and when original shader placed in sim, found it, and make backup. What is exact error message in log? Just FYI table of original shader files sizes for different P3D versions: Shader file name | Prepar3D version | Shader file size (bytes) -------------------------------------------------------------- Cloud.fx | 3.1 | 21690 Cloud.fx | 3.2 | 21301 Cloud.fx | 3.3 | 20578 -------------------------------------------------------------- GPUTerrain.fx | 3.1 | 51019 GPUTerrain.fx | 3.2 | 51029 GPUTerrain.fx | 3.3 | 50854 -------------------------------------------------------------- General.fx | 3.1 | 35841 General.fx | 3.2 | 33360 General.fx | 3.3 | 33360 -------------------------------------------------------------- GPUTerrain.fxh | 3.1 | 14723 GPUTerrain.fxh | 3.2 | 14723 GPUTerrain.fxh | 3.3 | 14519 -------------------------------------------------------------- HDR.hlsl | 3.1 | 6252 HDR.hlsl | 3.2 | 6252 HDR.hlsl | 3.3 | 6252 -------------------------------------------------------------- FXAAResolve.hlsl | 3.1 | 1077 FXAAResolve.hlsl | 3.2 | 1077 FXAAResolve.hlsl | 3.3 | 1077

No, I don't fiddle with texture editing, just use Navid's Hashemi sky set: http://navidh.se/misc_navids_skyset_2016.html. Looks good IMO. I'm not sure when next release of PTA will be ready so PM you method of manual tweaking for stratus lighting.

Yes, it can be tweaked by shaders. But full match for colors impossible. Top layer stratus is not a cloud actually: it compute in general.fx shader, not cloud.fx. So sophisticated clouds lighting algorithm can't be used. Personally, I solved this problem by using night sky textures with no overlighted stratus. But of course, no problem with this tweak in next release of PTA (OMG one more tweak ).

At fisrt start, PTA should automatically find proper P3D installation directory, shaders cache directory, and create backup of used in tweaks shaders to \SHADERS_BACKUP subdirectory in main PTA directory. But if any shader at PTA first start is not original, it will be completely ignored: no backup for it, no tweaks for it, no restore from backup. And every start PTA will try to find that original shader in ShadersHLSL folder of sim. If it will be found, tool start to work with this shader - backup, tweaks, restoring from backup. Menu command "Restore original P3D shaders" restore only those shaders that have been successfully stored at backup from your copy of Prepar3D. It's not a method to restore all original shaders (otherwise it seems to be distribution of copyrighted content.) Best regards,

LOL

I sincerely grateful to those who supported project. Much appreciated! Also in 1.3 autogen lighting tweak not affects VC now.

Hi, Todd! New release of PTA ver.1.3 deployed on site. I guess it's a good time to start from scratch. Please make sure that you have original, not tweaked, edited, or downloaded from other sources shaders in ShadersHLSL folder in main P3D directory. Delete all PTA folders, make new one, download archive for your version of sim from site and unzip it into that folder. If your shaders are original, PTA should start without errors. Also note, that after applying preset, Prepar needs extra time (quite a lot) to load textures at first time.

It seems wrong version of PTA installed. What version in Help-About?

Hi! 1. You can save preset with new name. Menu Preset - Save As. 2. Menu Actions - Restore original P3D shaders. Regards,