P3D default texturing

Can someone please tell me, are the textures the same as in default FSX or not?

I don't know if they modified the base textures but I recall that right out of the box, P3D looked better - colors were brighter, etc.

 

Vic

Yes, I thought so too. I will install Pilot's Global Mesh and Vector or F1 equivalent, ASN and REX, but will leave the ground textures as is. Will purchase PMDG-NGX and give P3D a good try.

They are the same textures supplied with FSX, but there are lots of factors that make them look different. The HDR, bloom, overall lighting, and they also incorporated terrain specular lighting support. From the learning center:

 

Land classes now have specular values that will affect how they reflect light (for example, snow and roads now reflect light differently, snow is shinier, etc.)

Thanks! sounds good.

Day-2 with P3D. Installed Global mesh and REX textures, I like it that REX utility is a single installation that works with both FSX and P3D. It is evident it won't be a quick transition due to differing interface so FSX is staying for a while. My next step is ASN and FSCommander where I am very confused.

 

FSCommander 9.5 doesn't see a P3D installation, only FSX and X-Plane.

ASN/sp2 doesn't want to run with P3D.

ASN/sp2 doesn't want to run with P3D.

 

 

You need the specific P3D version of ASN and it only runs on P3D 2.5+ - not 2.4

 

Your ASN license covers BOTH FSX and P3D but they are two different programs.

 

Vic

Will research... meanwhile I tried a first flight, KIAD-KJFK (fsdt & flightbeam), surprised at very low performance of 15fps which seems to be locked (no less no more 14.8-15.1), both in the airports and in the air. Notice the locking set to 30. At least in the air I expected a better rate. I do realize something is wrong, please help me to figure it out. Display settings are fare from being maxed, please review attachments.

And here is the FSX, look at this beauty! 26 fps (fluctuating 23-28) FSDT KJFK with ASN on, traffic, Orbx/Vector and all the kitchen. All settings are nearly max, if anything is lowered it is only to help the VAS and prevent the OOM, othervise I have the same fps rate at settings maxed (maybe a 1-2 fps lower). It's 18-22 fps with PMDG 777 and 16-18 (worst case 14 during turns) with iFly 747 in KJFK. So obviously there is something wrong I have going in P3D.

I have i7 4790k w/ GTX970, Win7 SSD drive.

Your FPS will be that low if you keep such high settings enabled. From my experience and many hours on P3D, this will help you out a whole lot,

 

Set your Target FPS to unlimited, for some reason that freed up a ton of frames for me.

Turn off FXAA. That will save you a ton of FPS. Also, since you have a Nvidia Card, enable DSR (Dynamic Super Resolution). This will let you increase your screen resolution up to around 3800 or so while in game, allowing you to turn down Anti Aliasing settings and save on performance. You can enable it by going to your Nvidia Control panel and looking under 3D settings, there should be a checkbox to enable DSR. Enable every DSR option it gives you and leave whatever smoothness setting it gives you AS IS (Mine is 33% or so). Then, enter P3D settings and you should be able to increase your resolution a whole ton, just remember to lower you AA settings as this is what will save you FPS (The increased resolution will say, make 8x look like 4x AA).

Turn down tessellation to it's lowest setting. You really don't need it set so high. If you'd like 3D waves, the easiest way to enable them is tessellation at it's lowest setting and water at it's maximum setting.

I'd also turn down texture filtering to 8x or 4x. I myself have noticed no major difference in my many hours on P3D.

I'd turn down Level of Detail Radius one notch. That'll save some frames. In FSX, LOD radius at it's highest setting is what you pretty much get with it set one notch lower than maximum in P3D. P3D simply gives you the option to increase the LOD radius even further than in FSX.

Also, do you have AI enabled? Default AI can take up a ton of resources and will really drag your FPS down.

I'd also keep shadows enabled, but on the lowest settings possible. That should save some FPS.

You can turn Texture Resolution and Mesh Resolution up if you'd like. Shouldn't really effect FPS at all.

This is pretty much from all my own experience, it gives me amazing performance. P3D may be a newer FSX, however, with all the new effects and what not, we'll have to wait awhile until our computers are powerful enough to run with everything cranked to the right just like we did with FSX back in the old 2006-2012 days!

Let me know how it works!

-Mac

I lock my FPs to 30 FPS which is fine for a flight sim, and it never varies from there. No stutters, smooth as silk. I use only UTX USA and Europe and nothing else and it looks fine. Stutter free.