Aircraft appear dull/grey on new PC - why?

[irmurray]

Hi folks,

I am migrating to a new laptop, on which I have installed FS2004 and FSX. In both sims, the aircraft (when viewed from spot plane etc.) appear grey / dull, even in full sunlight.

In the start-up screen, the aircraft appears OK initially, then if I change anything, it suddenly dulls down.

Here is a comparison screenshot of my old machine and new machine, same location, same weather. Newer machine aircraft not nearly as bright as the old one (the scenery seems to be the same in both cases).
http://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/st...res/fsdull.jpg

Here's a shot comparing the FS2004 loading screen as it comes up at first, then after switching aircraft. The first case proves that my machine will display the plane "bright", but it fails to do so in the sim itself, and FSX is the same.
http://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/st...es/fsdull2.jpg

Anyone know what's going wrong here?

Thanks for your tips,


Iain.

[irmurray]

Hi folks,

I am migrating to a new laptop, on which I have installed FS2004 and FSX. In both sims, the aircraft (when viewed from spot plane etc.) appear grey / dull, even in full sunlight.

In the start-up screen, the aircraft appears OK initially, then if I change anything, it suddenly dulls down.

Here is a comparison screenshot of my old machine and new machine, same location, same weather. Newer machine aircraft not nearly as bright as the old one (the scenery seems to be the same in both cases).
http://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/st...res/fsdull.jpg

Here's a shot comparing the FS2004 loading screen as it comes up at first, then after switching aircraft. The first case proves that my machine will display the plane "bright", but it fails to do so in the sim itself, and FSX is the same.
http://www.computing.dundee.ac.uk/st...es/fsdull2.jpg

Anyone know what's going wrong here?

Thanks for your tips,


Iain.

[RyanbATC]

I've never seen that before...

What is your new system?

It almost looks like your video card is not loading the shaders (ie doesn't support the features)

Did you turn on aircraft reflections on your new laptop install of FS?

[RyanbATC]

I've never seen that before...

What is your new system?

It almost looks like your video card is not loading the shaders (ie doesn't support the features)

Did you turn on aircraft reflections on your new laptop install of FS?

[irmurray]

It's an HP 7400 with an Intel 945 Express chipset.

I've tried various settings in Display/Aircraft (ie. Reflections / Aircraft Cast Shadows / Landing Lights) and in Display / Hardware (ie. Render to Texture / Transform and Lighting / Anti-aliasing)

Although the aircraft preview sometimes goes "bright", when I change aircraft, it goes "dull" again, and always appears dull in the sim.

It seems that the "Reflections" setting makes no difference.

It's a puzzle!

Regards,


Iain.

[irmurray]

It's an HP 7400 with an Intel 945 Express chipset.

I've tried various settings in Display/Aircraft (ie. Reflections / Aircraft Cast Shadows / Landing Lights) and in Display / Hardware (ie. Render to Texture / Transform and Lighting / Anti-aliasing)

Although the aircraft preview sometimes goes "bright", when I change aircraft, it goes "dull" again, and always appears dull in the sim.

It seems that the "Reflections" setting makes no difference.

It's a puzzle!

Regards,


Iain.

[JSkorna]

Hi,

Your under powered little 945 chipset cannot handle the graphics demands of FS!

Jim

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http://www.hifisim.com/

[JSkorna]

Hi,

Your under powered little 945 chipset cannot handle the graphics demands of FS!

Jim

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http://www.hifisim.com/

[irmurray]

Hi Jim,

> Your under powered little 945 chipset cannot handle the graphics demands of FS!

And yet it can - it is drawing the aircraft, textured, at decent frame rates, it's just coming out dull - it's not black or untextured, it is textured, just too dark.

And it displays OK on first loading, it's just subsequently that it doesn't do so. Surely if the chipset wasn't up to it, it would not display at all?

This was a decent spec laptop bought specifically to do FS stuff on ...

Regards,


Iain.

[irmurray]

Hi Jim,

> Your under powered little 945 chipset cannot handle the graphics demands of FS!

And yet it can - it is drawing the aircraft, textured, at decent frame rates, it's just coming out dull - it's not black or untextured, it is textured, just too dark.

And it displays OK on first loading, it's just subsequently that it doesn't do so. Surely if the chipset wasn't up to it, it would not display at all?

This was a decent spec laptop bought specifically to do FS stuff on ...

Regards,


Iain.