ATI User: Don't worry - be happy!

[Olham]

Just tried the 4 different settings for Smoothvision HD in ATI Control Center: Box, Narrow Tent, Wide Tent and Edge Detect

 

But either my 4870 doesn't support that yet, or it doesn't seem to make any difference. What do you guys say?

 

 

[Von Paulus]

Yes, Olham, your 4870 supports it. In this case you don't see significant differences.

[Olham]

Thank you, von Paulus, wasn't sure.

[BirdDogICT]

Thank you, von Paulus, wasn't sure.

Doesn't make much difference except when flying the Model T or bicycle through town.

[Von Paulus]

Doesn't make much difference except when flying the Model T or bicycle through town.

 

Eheheh.

Now serioulsy, in which circumstances the differences are more noticeable?

[Olham]

I have a suspicion: could it be for rooms?

The names "box", "narrow tent" and "wide tent" sound, as if they could be different perspectives for inside rooms?

Like using different lenses, from very wide (and more distorted) to more "normal"? Just an idea.

If anyone has a game on his rig, that is playing inside buildings, perhaps you try?

[BirdDogICT]

Eheheh.

Now serioulsy, in which circumstances the differences are more noticeable?

When at altitude, it doesn't make much difference at all, in fact, Box AA requires the fewest resources and looks great. (This is also true for most other sims or FPS games).

 

However, when sitting on the airfield, there are noticeable jaggies in the landscape with Box AA. They are most noticeable in dark ground textures. Those jaggies start to disappear at an altitude of about 2000 feet.

 

If I'm sitting on the airfield while using Narrow Tent or Wide Tent or Super-sample AA the jaggies are gone, but at a higher FPS cost (don't use Super-sample at all unless you have Crossfire). I use tent rendering because I like the way it blurs the landscape slightly. It's a subtle difference noticeable only when flying low.

 

I only offered a discussion about the differences because some new users were having problems with stuttering or low FPS by setting AA too high, and asked for an explanation. For all practical purposes, Box AA is the way to go, especially since 99% of the time you're at altitude. BHaH already looks great at high resolutions with AA completely turned off, so it only takes a little AA to make the sim shine.

[Von Paulus]

I've asked this, because I tend to have a certain insensibility towards AA, even being a 1280x1024 user.

[Olham]

Thank you for the good explanation, BirdDog!

[BirdDogICT]

I have a suspicion: could it be for rooms?

The names "box", "narrow tent" and "wide tent" sound, as if they could be different perspectives for inside rooms?

Like using different lenses, from very wide (and more distorted) to more "normal"? Just an idea.

If anyone has a game on his rig, that is playing inside buildings, perhaps you try?

Here's a good graphic that shows how each of these filters work: http://www.rage3d.com/articles/AA_AF/index.php?p=2

[GregSM]

Great info, thanks BirdDog.

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

Greg S

[Olham]

Aaaaahhhh! Now that was helpful for a simple mind - I always understand things much better with graphics.

Thanks again, BirdDog!

[Olham]

I have now flown a mission with the ATI SmoothVision setting "Edge detect" (see also: Screenshots thread).

Firstly, I was surprised: although "Edge detect" does 24 samples of AA, my 4870 card performed it without problems.

Here is a picture close abouve the ground - the graphic parts of the trees seem to "merge" better.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2010 by Olham

[BirdDogICT]

I have now flown a mission with the ATI SmoothVision setting "Edge detect" (see also: Screenshots thread).

Firstly, I was surprised: although "Edge detect" does 24 samples of AA, my 4870 card performed it without problems.

Here is a picture close abouve the ground - the graphic parts of the trees seem to "merge" better.

 

 

 

Very nice. The 4870 is an excellent card, actuallly a little faster than the 5770 I upgraded to.

[Olham]

I bought the 4870 with 1 GB of own memory instead of 512 MB - that may explain a better performance.

Thanks again for explaining it all to us, BirdDog - I am very happy with what I get now.

Do you think, "Edge detect" is also doing "nicer" clouds? In my flight today, they looked just marvellous!

[BirdDogICT]

I bought the 4870 with 1 GB of own memory instead of 512 MB - that may explain a better performance.

Thanks again for explaining it all to us, BirdDog - I am very happy with what I get now.

Do you think, "Edge detect" is also doing "nicer" clouds? In my flight today, they looked just marvellous!

My experience is that edge detect works fine with clouds, but I seem to have a big drop in FPS in heavily overcast, stormy weather. Not entirely sure why. Probably has something to do with the extra demands of rendering lots of transparent clouds at once.