FE2 Bad Framerates

[Mike Dora 171]

I have just converted all my old FE1 setups to FE2 configuration (I know I'm a very late-adopter, I was long put off the conversion because I'd invested so much time & effort expanding & customizing my FE1 setups. However I was just on deployment & had some useful off-duty spare time!).

 

My problem is that I'm getting disappointingly low framerates. One of the big selling points of FE2 was, I think, that was more compatible with later OS, using DX10 etc. But with my Win7 setup, NVidia GTX950 graphics card the best FRs I am getting are in the "teens", often dipping to <10. Very rarely do they exceed 20, though I do get much better FRs when in external view.

 

Something can't be right here, can anyone point me in a good direction please?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[MigBuster 2,884]

Have you set up a NVDIA profile at all?

 

If so what are the settings?

 

I max the game out and use a profile - but cant compare to a 950 which is a mid/low end card.

[33LIMA 972]

This may be worth a try.

 

With Wordpad or similar, open the file (Vista path follows, adapt for Win 7 if/as needed) [your user name]/Saved Games/ThirdWire/FirstEagles2/Options.ini. In the section [GraphicsOptions], check this line: UseAdvancedShaders=1, as shown below. If it reads 'UseAdvancedShaders=0', overtype the 0 with a 1, save and close.

 

[GraphicsOptions]
DisplayDeviceID=0
DisplayWidth=1600
DisplayHeight=900
DisplayDepth=32
AspectRatio=1.777778
AntiAliasing=0
UseAdvancedShaders=1
ForceDX9=FALSE
ForceVSyncOff=FALSE
LensFlare=0
DetailLevel=4
ObjectDetail=2
ObjectTexture=3
CockpitTexture=2
CockpitMirrors=1
CockpitReflection=1
EffectsDetail=2
TerrainDetail=2
TerrainTexture=2
HorizonDistance=1
GroundObjectDensity=2
WaterDetail=2
CloudsDetail=2
Shadow=2

 

Setting a shorter horizon distance may help - IIRC, setting for setting, FE2's settings are more, well, distant.

 

IIRC there is an unresolved issue that if you have the shadows set to high (the one that gives dynamic shading in the cockpit view), the FPS takes a nose dive in that view if you are close to the ground and your own aircraft's shadow is in view/being rendered.

 

The above settings are for a GTS 250 and give about 20-30 FPS with stock terrain
 

[Mike Dora 171]

Thanks both

 

For MiGbuster, what kind of profile do you mean please, what kind of settings?

 

Mike

[MigBuster 2,884]

You can open the NVidia control panel and create a profile and tweak the card e.g.

 

 

 

 

 

Try setting max pre rendered frames to 1 as a start.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike Dora 171]

Problem solved everyone.

 

It was quite simple in the end (isn't it always?).

 

I was using a bad Flightengine.ini file, with very high settings for [LowDetailOption], [MedDetailOption] etc that were OK for FE1 but not for FE2. Reset all the [*DetailOption] values to default FE2 levels, and now running FRs in the ~40 region.

 

Thanks for all the advice & support!

 

Mike

[Mike Dora 171]

This may be worth a try.

 

With Wordpad or similar, open the file (Vista path follows, adapt for Win 7 if/as needed) [your user name]/Saved Games/ThirdWire/FirstEagles2/Options.ini. In the section [GraphicsOptions], check this line: UseAdvancedShaders=1, as shown below. If it reads 'UseAdvancedShaders=0', overtype the 0 with a 1, save and close.

 

[GraphicsOptions]

DisplayDeviceID=0

DisplayWidth=1600

DisplayHeight=900

DisplayDepth=32

AspectRatio=1.777778

AntiAliasing=0

UseAdvancedShaders=1

ForceDX9=FALSE

ForceVSyncOff=FALSE

LensFlare=0

DetailLevel=4

ObjectDetail=2

ObjectTexture=3

CockpitTexture=2

CockpitMirrors=1

CockpitReflection=1

EffectsDetail=2

TerrainDetail=2

TerrainTexture=2

HorizonDistance=1

GroundObjectDensity=2

WaterDetail=2

CloudsDetail=2

Shadow=2

 

Setting a shorter horizon distance may help - IIRC, setting for setting, FE2's settings are more, well, distant.

 

IIRC there is an unresolved issue that if you have the shadows set to high (the one that gives dynamic shading in the cockpit view), the FPS takes a nose dive in that view if you are close to the ground and your own aircraft's shadow is in view/being rendered.

 

The above settings are for a GTS 250 and give about 20-30 FPS with stock terrain

 

 

Hi guys, I'm still investigating ways to improve my FE2 frame rates. Averaging 20-40 FPS but suffering very irritating immersion-killer "stalls" down to 4-5 FPS, especially early in the sim operation.

 

Trying the UseAdvancedShaders=1 option as suggested above improves the FR dramatically, by a factor of 3 or 4, so that in that case the whole thing runs silky-smooth. BUT I lose all the fire & smoke effects - no gun flashes, no tracer smoke, no smoking engines, no flamers, no explosions.

 

Restoring UseAdvancedShaders=0 brings back all those flash & bang effects, but shoves the FR back down again so that I again get the semi-slideshow "stalls",

 

Any suggestions please, how can I have the high FRs of UseAdvancedShaders=1 and all the fire & smoke effects?

 

Mike

[+ojcar 157]

You can use UseAdvancedShaders=1 and add this:

 

 

 

Effects.zip

[Mike Dora 171]

Thanks Ojcar!

 

First tests show this is working (though no tracer smoke seems to be showing, I'll have to investigate that further).

 

What do these files have that other effects files don't have, is it the two lines "EffectShaderName=effectLightLevel.fx"  for smoke effects and "EffectShaderName=effectFire.fx" for fire effects? Are there any others please? If possible would want to tinker with my old effects to bring them all back!

 

Thanks again

 

Mike

 

[Mike Dora 171]

Thanks Again for your help Ojcar

 

Everything is now working fine, at excellent 50+ FRs, with however one remaining snag. When an ac goes down with engine damage, the smoke trail is partly green. I believe this is an old problem, is there a fix for it please?

 

Thanks again

 

MIke

[+VonS 1,424]

Hi Mike,

 

I think that the green engine smoke for engine damage can be fixed with the slightly older AircraftEngineDamageEffect file (from 2007) that I'm attaching below since I can't now find the link where I initially located the file on CombatAce (probably somewhere in the forums for FE/FE2).

 

Von S

 

 

[+VonS 1,424]

On a somewhat related note, here are some more observations for everyone regarding what effects work well for good frame rates in FE2, especially on mid-range or lower hardware (this is what I have running in my setup in WineSkin on a quad-core Mac Mini):

 

Step One - Install the latest Laton effects tweaks (Ver.3)

 

http://combatace.com/files/file/8462-effects-3-first-eagles/

 

Step Two - Install the older more thorough Laton Tweaks (Ver.2), overriding the Ver.3 stuff

 

http://combatace.com/files/file/3765-smoke-effects-pack-v2/

 

Counterintuitive, yes, but it's good for healthy frame rates. I avoid the newer effects by Starry since, while they look good, they are harder on frame rates than the Laton tweaks. If using the Laton effects tweaks, keep the AircraftEngineDamageEffect from the Laton install (I think it's from 2009) - don't use the older DamageEffect file I've posted in my previous post above - that's for the Starry tweaks.

 

Step Three - This is optional but works well if you like nicer-looking skies

 

Download Panama Red's sky tweaks

 

http://combatace.com/files/file/13454-realistic-sky-mod-first-eagles-2/

 

Important: once the sky tweaks are installed into your "Flight" folder, delete the cloud TGAs that are numbered 19 and above, leaving the other ones in place (this still allows for a seamless 360 degree view but doesn't hit frame rates as much). Another tip is to replace CLOUD1 from the Panama Red install with CLOUD1 from Gumpy's Ilyushin sky mod for FE/FE2 (http://combatace.com/files/file/10070-il2-clouds-for-first-eagles/). This gives added "fluff" to the Panama Red clouds, especially on a rainy day - but doesn't hit frame rates, especially if you delete clouds number 19 and higher.

 

The only other thing to play around with here is the top info in your particle system ini file. I usually use the following settings and it works well for smooth frame rates:

 

[ParticleSystem]

MaxParticlesPerEmitter=512

MaxEmitters=1024

MaxEffects=512

MaxFields=64

AdditionalEffectsFolder=Effects

 

Happy flying,

Von S

Edited April 12, 2016 by VonS

[Mike Dora 171]

Many thanks vonS,

 

But sadly it's still not working. The files you suggested don't seem to run with UseAdvancedShaders=1 in the Options file, which I understand is need to take full advantage of FE2 higher FRs. But when I adapt the files you give to work with the advanced shaders by inserting "EffectShaderName=effectLightLevel.fx"  for smoke effects and "EffectShaderName=effectFire.fx" for fire effects, I'm back to the green smoke, please see pic of damaged Martinsyde.

 

The funny thing is that even when (in desperation) I tried copying-in a similar file from SF2 (specifically the DirtyExhaustEffect file, that I know works perfectly well in SF2) in lieu of the AircraftEngineDamageEffect file (), I still get the dreaded green smoke! Another attempt saw me replacing the AircraftEngineDamageEffect file with a copy of the AircraftFireEffect file (which works fine in FE2/advanced shaders), but with all the "fire" bits removed. Guess what? Green smoke..

 

This kind of implies the problem lies outside that specific file. I'm approaching stumped, which is very frustrating because after over a month's work I now have FE2 all singing-dancing with all my personal ac edits etc and satisfyingly-high FRs, but with green smoke for damaged engines which messes with the immersion factor.

 

Any further suggestions gratefully received!

 

Thanks

 

Mike

Edited April 12, 2016 by Mike Dora

[+VonS 1,424]

Hi Mike,

 

That is strange indeed. I see in the pic., judging from the smoke, that those are the Laton effects. I just did a test on my setup, with AdvancedShaders set to the default 0, then to 1, and it made no difference. I was able to reduplicate the "green smoke" however by placing the 2009 version of the Starry AircraftEngineDamageEffect ini file in my Effects folder. Placing the 2007 version of that same file there, that I posted a couple of posts above, then solved the problem - as did the same file from the Laton effects pack that is also from 2009, but earlier in that year. Here's an attachment of the Laton AircraftEngineDamageEffect file. Maybe this one will do the trick if the older Starry file didn't.

 

Von S

 

 

 

 

[Mike Dora 171]

Thanks again vonS

 

But still no joy. The first attachment here (with the Alb DIII in the background) shows what I get with the Laton effect you sent above, and the second one (BE12 in vertical bank) shows the result with the old Stary effect.

 

I'm more and more convinced that it's something lurking elsewhere that is causing this irritating problem. These may sound like dumb questions, but is there a "switch" I have to set somewhere to make sure the system actually uses the custom effects? BTW when I delete the custom Effects folder, to force the system to use the native FE2 effects, I actually get _zero_ fire & smoke effects. Not even a gun flash.

 

Or could it be a graphics card driver issue - I'm using an Nvida GTX 950G with driver version 361.43.

 

For further info, my Options.ini file looks like this:

 

[Options]
//Section=3
Section=1

 

[GameplayOptions]
MissionStart=0
CockpitView=1
DisplayUnit=1
EnemySkill=1
Simulation=3
FlightModel=2
WeaponEffectiveness=2
Avionics=2
Targeting=2
HUDDisplay=1
Landing=2
Collision=2
Blackout=2
AmmoUsage=2
FuelUsage=2

 

[GraphicsOptions]
DisplayDeviceID=0
DisplayWidth=1600
DisplayHeight=900
DisplayDepth=32
AspectRatio=1.777778
LensFlare=2
DetailLevel=4
ObjectDetail=1
ObjectTexture=1
CockpitTexture=1
//CockpitMirrors=0
CockpitMirrors=0
CockpitReflection=0
EffectsDetail=1
TerrainDetail=1
TerrainTexture=1
HorizonDistance=1
GroundObjectDensity=1
WaterDetail=1
CloudsDetail=0
Shadow=1
rem AntiAliasing=0
//AntiAliasing=3
AntiAliasing=0
UseAdvancedShaders=1
ForceDX9=FALSE
ForceVSyncOff=FALSE
Use32BitZBuffer=TRUE
ObjectsFade=TRUE

 

[soundOptions]
SoundVolume=87
SpeechVolume=100
MusicVolume=77
NumChannels=32
ReverseStereo=0
SpeechSubtitles=1

 

[ControlOptions]
ControlMap=Default.INI
Sensitivity=75
DeadZone=20
ForceFeedback=1
TrackIR=1
ForceFeedbackGain=100

 

[instantAction]
AircraftType=CamelF1_150
MissionMap=wwiCambrai
StartTime=15:00:00
StartDate=04/01/1918
TextureSet=2
//NationalMarking=0
//Squadron=94AS
AircraftNumber=1
KillMarking=0
StartTimeDeviation=10
SquadronMarking=0
NationalMarking=0

 

[singleMission]
AircraftType=AlbatrosD3
MissionMap=FLANDERS
MissionType=INTERCEPT
MissionTime=NOON
MissionWeather=SCATTERED
AirActivity=RANDOM
AirDefenseActivity=RANDOM
LoadMission=FALSE
LoadMissionFilename=D:\Sims\FE2 Mod Collection\FE2\Missions\0 Dogfight.MSN
StartDate=08/03/1914
EndDate=11/11/1918
MissionDate=02/01/1917
Service=GERMANY
StartYear=0
EndYear=0
FlyAll=FALSE
EditMission=FALSE

 

[Campaign]
CampaignName=180321 Operation Michael
PlayerService=GERMANY
PlayerUnit=Jasta 4
Difficulty=NORMAL
Length=NORMAL
AircraftSupply=NORMAL
WeaponSupply=NORMAL
LoadCampaign=TRUE
CampaignSavename=Mike's Campaign 1.SAV
AircraftType=AlbatrosD5a

 

[Multiplayer]
Connection=1
PlayerColor=5
SessionType=0
GameType=0
Password=MyPassword
MaxPlayers=8
IPAddress=000.000.000.000

 

[MultiplayerOptions]
PortID=46000
LobbyLaunched=FALSE

 

[MiscOptions]
DisplayUnit=0
ForceAIPilot=FALSE
HUDDisplay=1

[DogfightHost]
MissionMap=WWIVERDUN
Loadout=0
StartTime=10:30:00
RespawnTime=30
RespawnDistance=4000.000000
MinHeight=1000.000000
MaxHeight=4000.000000
HeightDeviation=500.000000
ContrailAlt=7000.000000
StartYear=1917
EndYear=1918
StartTimeDeviation=240
ScreenshotsDelay=60
WeatherType=SCATTERED
MissionDate=09/18/1918

 

[DogfightPlayer]
AircraftType=SPAD13
TextureSet=DefaultTextureSet
PlayerService=USAS
Squadron=

 

[CoopMission]
MissionMap=WWIVERDUN
Service1=USAS
Service2=Germany
Mission1=SWEEP
AircraftType1=SPAD13
AircraftType2=SPAD13
AircraftType3=FokkerD7
AircraftType4=FokkerD7
StartYear=1917
EndYear=1918
ContrailAlt=7000.000000
ScreenshotsDelay=60
WeatherType=SCATTERED
MissionDate=09/18/1918

 

[MotionExporter]
ExporterDLL=

 

[Mods]
ModsEnabled=TRUE
Directory=D:\Sims\FE2 Mod Collection\FE2
Editors=FE2

 

[screenShots]
Directory=D:\Sims\FE2 Mod Collection\FE2\ScreenShots
Format=JPG

 

As always thanks again, any further suggestions gratefully received!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

[Wrench 9,806]

if you delete the custom "effects", and you get NO stock effects, there is something very wrong with your install itself.

Basic diagnostics -- common to one, or common to.all

 

what I'd do, as a test, rename the mods folder (x-name-of-folder), let the exe rebuild at new, clean mods folder and retest with only all stock items.

If the stock effects come back, you'll have to start chasing down what items were added that caused the fauilue

[+VonS 1,424]

Hi Mike, I would agree with Wrench that if no effects are present when you delete your effects folder, there is probably a conflict with the install itself. One approach is to slowly "rebuild" your custom Effects and Flight folders - to see what brings about the green smoke effect. Also, I noticed in your options ini info. that you have antialiasing set to 0 - it's worth testing the effects with antialiasing set to the default value of 4, also 2 is a sensible choice - to see if this is somehow related to the green smoke problem. Hope you sort out the problem soon.

 

Von S

[Mike Dora 171]

Thanks guys,

 

I've quickly resolved the "no stock effects" issue. Because of a previous lack of space on the C drive, I'd transferred the custom FE2 files to the D drive (D:\Sims\FE2 Mod Collection\FE2) with just the Options file left C:/ ../Saved Games/Thirdwire/FE2. Having recently re-created plenty of space on C, last night I copied the custom FE2 files back to their rightful home. Then when I tried running the sim with the custom effects blocked, the stock effects ran perfectly well. So that's one thing settled!

 

So now I have further testing to along the lines suggested above, a step-by-step process of elimination to see where/what exactly brings in the bad effect.

 

Meanwhile I and my "jasta colleagues" are massacring loads of BEs, Martinsydes & Sopwith Strutters on all the early 1917 test sorties!

 

Cheers

 

Mike

[Wrench 9,806]

 

 

Having recently re-created plenty of space on C,

 

emptied the p0rn folders, eh??? LOL!!

 

now that stock effect are working, comes the hard part. remember, add one at a time. 

 

the green smoke thingy had me thinking ... perhaps there's a callout for the wrong tga is some ini somewhere, or a mis-colored tga.

Running these things down is like trying to find an intermittent (un)grounding problem in wiring harness...time consuming.

I'm positive you'll find it eventually!!

[Silberpfeil 363]

Good find, Mike Dora, that is exactly what happened to me when I migrated all my mod folders off C: and onto my D: drive.

And no, Wrench, it wasn't the porn folders I was clearing out, it was all those car show pix!  

[Mike Dora 171]

Success! See latest shootdown pics. The only thing is, I'm not entirely sure how..

 

What I know I did do, was follow Wrench's advice, swapping files in & out, one or  two at a time. I also remembered that the AircraftObject.ini file in the Objects folder is influential in all this, it contains text telling the system what effects to use in what circumstances (isn't there always something relevant parked somewhere else?):

 

[Effects]
AircraftSmokeEffect=AircraftSmokeEffect
FuelFireEffect=AircraftFuelFireEffect
//EngineDamageEffect=AircraftEngineDamageEffect

EngineDamageEffect=AircraftSmokeEffect
EngineFireEffect=AircraftEngineFireEffect
FuelLeakEmitter=FuelLeakEmitter

 

As it happens I wasn't keen on the EngineDamageEffect that I had, that showed flames as well as smoke (if the engine starts burning, pretty soon the rest of the airframe should burn too), so I substituted the AircraftSmokeEffect and it all works more or less to my satisfaction now. No St Paddy's Day smoke effects any more, just wish I could thin out ("unthicken") the black smoke a bit so it doesn't look so much like an actual flamer.

 

Thanks All!

 

Mike

 

PS I have a couple more FE2 visuals irritations to deal with, but will take a short break first. There's this Life thing to deal with sometimes too.

PPS No Wrench, not those files :) 

Edited April 15, 2016 by Mike Dora

[+VonS 1,424]

Glad you fixed the green smoke problem! To thin out the black smoke, try experimenting with the entries called "AmbientColor" and "DiffuseColor" that are under the "SmokeTrailMaterial" and "AnimatedSmokeMaterial" headings of the AircraftSmokeEffect ini file. Values of 1.0 are for fully opaque smoke, values of 0.0 are fully transparent: some values in between might do the trick to lighten the smoke trail effect. It's worth a try anyway.

 

Von S

[+VonS 1,424]

Hello Gents', as a follow-up to my previous post regarding tips for low-end hardware and good frame rates in FE2, I've done some more experimenting and noticed the following.

 

The Panama Red clouds numbered 21 through 28 can also be installed with no major impact on frame rates, and they give nice, high cloud effects.

 

While I still recommend the Laton effects instead of the Starry ones for lower-end systems, you can substitute the Particle System ini file from the Starry folder to get nice engine exhaust effects going since engine exhaust emitter entries are missing from the Laton Particle System file - engine exhaust effects also don't seem to impact frame rates from what I've been able to test.

 

Good entries to use in the Starry Particle System ini are:

 

[ParticleSystem]

MaxParticlesPerEmitter=1024

MaxEmitters=512

MaxEffects=512

MaxFields=16

AdditionalEffectsFolder=Effects

 

Also, I've tinkered with the AircraftSmokeEffect and BalloonFireEfffect inis for the Laton effects install since I wasn't too happy with the huge balloon explosion and some of the color contrast in the SmokeEffect. The smoke is a little bit more subtle now for the aircraft smoke trails (after tinkering with smoke transparency), also a little more dynamic looking. The balloon explosion is now smaller and I think more realistic, with a smaller fireball and a smaller ball of black smoke following after - at any rate this explosion effect doesn't affect my frame rates and I can fly smoothly through it - the previous big explosion would hit my frame rates very obviously.

 

The two tinkered files, for your "Effects" folder, are included below and might help with FE2 on mid and lower-powered hardware.

 

Von S

Edit: Removed link since the files are now hosted in the posts under the main thread for the FE2 FM and Realism Pack updates.

Edited August 10, 2018 by VonS
Removed obsolete link.

[vonOben 55]

Hi VonS

Thanks for the files attached and your suggestions!

When using Laton files and yours I had this strange effect around the rudder on the Fokker Eindekkers:

 

 

It was not there on the Albatros D3 but it also displayed with default effects, so I assumed it had something to do with the  engine type and the exhaust.
When I used "FE2 Effects pack" http://combatace.com/topic/53100-fe2-effects-pack/ I didn't have this problem, so I copied these files and used them togeter with the old Laton files and yours.
CleanExhaustEffect.ini
DirtyExhaustEffect.ini
InlineExhaustEffect.ini
RotaryExhaustEmitter.ini

That removed the strange effect.

Cheers

vonOben

[+VonS 1,424]

Hi VonOben,

 

Yes, that dark, smoky exhaust seen on some of the rotary types is I believe the RotaryExhaustEmitter. The relevant entries are included in the Starry particle ini file, while the Laton one is missing several of those entries. It's possible that by including the Laton particle ini file you've then removed those rotary smoke effects. The strange effect you're seeing might have something to do with the particle ini file suggestions I've given for lower-end systems in one of my previous posts above.

 

Try the following values to see if it makes the smoke effects more subtle, in the Starry particle ini file:

 

[ParticleSystem]

MaxParticlesPerEmitter=2048

MaxEmitters=1024

MaxEffects=1024

MaxFields=32

AdditionalEffectsFolder=Effects

 

Happy flying,

Von S