FE2 Bad Framerates

[vonOben 55]

Hi VonS

 

Doesn't increasing those values hurt the frame rate?

I've already a bit of a frame rate problem when there is a lot of flak, especially over towns with many houses.

 

Cheers

vonOben

[+VonS 1,424]

Hi VonOben,

 

Yes you are correct - getting good frame rates and good visual effects is usually a balancing act of various values in the particle ini file. The strange effect you had previously is probably some kind of banding or dithering effect due to the lower values I recommended earlier to improve frame rates. If you are having frame rate trouble during high activity in FE2 then the values should be kept lower in the particle ini file, as per my earlier suggestions in this forum. The best option then is to remove the rotary smoke emitter value or to replace it with something more subtle that doesn't dither as much with lower settings in the particle ini file - for example the inline exhaust effect would be a good choice.

 

Happy flying,

Von S

[vonOben 55]

Hi VonS

 

I've checked the effects files but neither Stary nor Laton has any InlineExhaustEmitter.ini only InlineExhaustEffect.ini
The RotaryExhaustEmitter.ini by Stary and Laton are identical, so it must be something in the other files that makes the difference.

 

Cheers

 

vonOben

[+VonS 1,424]

Hi VonOben, it's possible that the exhaust emitter values are included directly within the particle ini files, from what I remember they don't exist as separate inis...but I will study the particle ini file more thoroughly as soon as I get a chance.

 

Happy flying,

Von S

[vonOben 55]

Hi VonS

Regarding BetterSmokeAndBalloonEffects.zip:
The BalloonFireEffects need some tga-files, so I used the ones included in Stary's effects.

Cheers

vonOben

[+VonS 1,424]

Hi VonOben,

 

Yes, those modified effects require corresponding tga files from either the Laton or Starry effects pack, to work properly.

 

Happy flying,

Von S

[vonOben 55]

 

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

 

 

 

Hi von S

 

I've been comparing Stary's Particlesystem.ini with the default FE2 Particlesystem.ini.

Starys file is only 477kB and the default is 1001kB, so quite a lot is missing in Starys version.

But Starys file was made for FE, so it might not be a good idea using Stary's version in FE2?

 

Some [EmitterType] is missing in Stary's file: 049, 051, 054, 057, 287-296

Some [EffectType] is missing in Stary's file: 096-103

 

[FireMaterial]

EffectShaderName= is missing in Starys file.

RenderToBrightness= is missing in Starys file.

 

[FlareMaterial] is missing in Starys file.

[burningDebrisMaterial] is missing in Starys file.

 

Best regards

 

vonOben

[+VonS 1,424]

Hi VonOben,

 

I think that both the Starry and Laton effects were made initially for FE/FEgold. But they work well in FE2. I will experiment with using the default Particlesystem.ini with the Laton effects, although I am getting good results on an Intel integrated graphics card (Intel 4000) using the Starry particle system ini with reduced effects, as per my tweaks, and the Laton effects - flamers are abundant, and I am getting maximum frame rates as high as 90 or 100, with the delta frame rate numbers usually in the 50s and 60s.

 

(This is all in Wine8, version 1.5.1, in WineSkin, with two winetricks installed - the Direct3D ver. 11 (43) drivers, and also code telling WineSkin that my video card is using 1GB of video ram. Those proficient in WineSkin can find the D3D drivers under the "dll" section of winetricks, while the code telling the program how much video ram to use is located under the "settings" section.)

 

Happy flying,

Von S

Edited September 26, 2016 by VonS

[vonOben 55]

Hi VonS

I wasn't fully aware how the FE2 effects worked, but I have studied it now and understand it better.

For example:
[EmitterType050] is missing from Stary's Particlesystem.ini:
Name=AircraftSmokeEmitter

But the "AircraftSmokeEmitter" is to be found in Stary's AircraftSmokeEffect.ini, so it's important not to remove any of his new ini-files. If you do it can give strange effects or missing effects.
That was what I experienced earlier because I was not aware of how the ini-files all work together.

Best regards

vonOben

[+VonS 1,424]

Hi Von Oben,

 

Yes, none of the separate ini files (for effects) should be removed since this may create strange problems. This also applies to the sky/cloud effects: if some of the cloud tga files are removed (from the PanamaRed install) - as I have done to improve frame rates - only specific ones should be removed as indicated on the previous page of this particular forum/thread, otherwise the sky (in a 360 degree view) will not look seamless.

 

Have now checked my modification of the AircraftSmokeEffect.ini file and it is a tweak of Laton's, not of Stary's file - but the file does include an "AircraftSmokeEmitter" data entry, as does the Stary one - so I am assuming that either file is okay to use.

 

Happy flying,

Von S