UltraMFCD for DCS 1.5/2.0

[Sgt_Baker]

Hi, Sgt Baker!

 

First of all, big thank you for your efforts for creating this really promising tool!

 

...

 

Is it possible to export everything to any screen without raising the render-resolution inside DCS, which would be really overkill with my tons of screens?

 

Kind regards,

Terrorvogel

 

Hi Terrovogel,

 

It probably is something to do with the massive res/number of screens/number of adapters.

 

As it so happens I discovered a potential cause for this bug the other day. We previously had a problem whereby DCS and uMFCD could end up running on separate graphics cards (not good). While developing the new CDU I discovered that the code I'd put in place to attempt to avoid that wasn't as foolproof as it could be. That said, I was never able to reproduce said bug locally, so it was a shot in to the dark.

 

Obviously with that number of cards the likelihood of things getting out of whack is much higher.

 

On a side note, it's good that you already have the MFCDs set to render on the main card. This avoid transferring real-time uncompressed video (which is essentially what the main MFCDs are) over the PCIe bus, which comes with an obvious performance penalty.

 

I'm just finishing up the new (and very pretty) CDU, which in and of itself has brought with it a 100% custom DirectX rendering solution. It needs to be done /right/ as opposed to hastily. :) Once that's ready for beta testing I'll be in touch to see whether we can get to the bottom of thus multi-adapter problem.

 

Regards,

 

Baker

[Sgt_Baker]

Have now finished work on the new CDU's rendering system. Now just a matter of wiring up all the keys so they actually do something.

 

:)

 

--Baker

 

P.S. The Dim/Brt buttons will now function: Switch between day and night modes.

[MadDog-IC]

Not sure what I am missing here, I have watched the progress of this program thinking that it sounds fantastic, but didn't really need its features until now.

 

I think it would be very useful to help me setup some Helios profiles, where I have to change the whole layouts for 1920x1080 screen to 1280x1024 screen and re-position all the exported data windows.

 

So I downloaded UltraMFCD v2.55 and even v2.58 beta, but both programs instantly stop responding on trying to running them.

 

Running standalone DCSW v1.55x stable, 1.56x Openbeta, 2.04 Openalpha with tacview v1.54 and no other MODS.

 

Any clues as why that would be happening, as no one else seems to be mentioning that it stops responding on running it.

 

Regards, Ian.

[Sgt_Baker]

Any clues as why that would be happening, as no one else seems to be mentioning that it stops responding on running it.

 

Regards, Ian.

 

Ah, yes. That XamlParse thing. We dealt with and squashed this one once before. Can't remember off the top of my head what it was, but there are lengthy written records to pore over.

 

The current state of affairs is such that I NEED to finish "fresh" development without getting bogged down in chasing and eliminating bugs that affect a minority of users. Without delineating blocks of time to concentrate on the future, we'd still be stuck with two MFCDs and nothing else. Believe you me, chasing bugs can consume ALL of one's time and effort.

 

Ironically, yet positively, the new CDU rendering stuff is a complete move away from M$'s often unpredictable XAML way of things. The old CDU, which was rendered mostly in XAML was uncontrollably spewing so much weird stuff at the graphics card that things HAD to change. Hence my relative silence of late - developing a pure DX11 rendering system that still works in a window, you see.

 

So I'll leave it at this: Let me finish things on this end where the stake in the future-ground is concerned. Then I'll get back to bug chasing.

 

Regards,

 

Baker

[MadDog-IC]

Ah, yes. That XamlParse thing. We dealt with and squashed this one once before. Can't remember off the top of my head what it was, but there are lengthy written records to pore over.

 

Believe you me, chasing bugs can consume ALL of one's time and effort.

 

So I'll leave it at this: Let me finish things on this end where the stake in the future-ground is concerned. Then I'll get back to bug chasing.

 

Regards,

 

Baker

 

No problems, I appreciate the time and head banging it takes to develop software, especially when the goal keeps changing.

 

Kind of like trying to keep DCS itself running well enough to play a game, let alone the the state of the multitude of missions themselves that have issues.

 

Wish you all the best with it.

 

Regards, Ian.

[Sgt_Baker]

Kind of like trying to keep DCS itself running well enough to play a game...

 

The new effort is precisely about that. In the old days, DCS's DX9 rendering system was so crappy that any decent GFX card was left 60% idle. That changed with DCS's move to DX11, resulting in uMFCD and DCS competing directly for GPU resources.

 

Obviously a mod that adversely affects the fundamental performance of DCS isn't exactly ideal, hence recent efforts to reduce uMFCD's interaction with the GFX card to the minimum possible.

 

Then again, and I'll say this with a stiff, British upper lip: DCS's DX11 rendering engine isn't exactly a Ferrari... more like a last-legs banger of a car. I'm removing every last redundant or unnecessary GPU/CPU call from my software for identical or better effect. Hope ED might some day do the same.

 

:)

[Terrorvogel]

Hi Terrovogel,

 

It probably is something to do with the massive res/number of screens/number of adapters.

 

As it so happens I discovered a potential cause for this bug the other day. We previously had a problem whereby DCS and uMFCD could end up running on separate graphics cards (not good). While developing the new CDU I discovered that the code I'd put in place to attempt to avoid that wasn't as foolproof as it could be. That said, I was never able to reproduce said bug locally, so it was a shot in to the dark.

 

Obviously with that number of cards the likelihood of things getting out of whack is much higher.

 

On a side note, it's good that you already have the MFCDs set to render on the main card. This avoid transferring real-time uncompressed video (which is essentially what the main MFCDs are) over the PCIe bus, which comes with an obvious performance penalty.

 

I'm just finishing up the new (and very pretty) CDU, which in and of itself has brought with it a 100% custom DirectX rendering solution. It needs to be done /right/ as opposed to hastily. :) Once that's ready for beta testing I'll be in touch to see whether we can get to the bottom of thus multi-adapter problem.

 

Regards,

 

Baker

 

Thank you Sgt Baker for the detailed explanation! Hope you will find and solve theese bugs and i can´t wait for testing this nice program in (hopefully soon) future:thumbup:

 

Regards

Terrorvogel

[theGozr]

Would love actually able to run some mode apps from a seconc pc in network.. Light up the main machine

[Sgt_Baker]

Would love actually able to run some mode apps from a seconc pc in network.. Light up the main machine

 

Thorough planning has already taken place regarding multi-machine implementations of uMFCD. Additionally, the removal of Windoze "black box" rendering is critical to making that happen properly.

 

We are, of course, heading rapidly in the direction of niche applications.

 

:)

 

--Baker

[theGozr]

This would be soooo welcome.. I ll be first to get it :)

[Sgt_Baker]

Well... the new efficiency drive is proving fruitful. The previously mentioned CDU MkII is now so efficient that my AMD 7970 Black Edition (not exactly the greatest of cards these days) not only registers 0% GPU use with the CDU running in isolation, but even sees no need to switch out of its lowest power state.

 

Should now be able to apply this system to every display that doesn't render video (targeting pod) data.

 

--Baker

[regiregi22]

Hello,

 

This is the first time I try UltraMFCD and I am having a problem. I am only interested in using the coloured TGP screen, not exporting video panels.

 

I only have this option activated, and in the export check list, I don't have any checked. The problem is that some video sources like the digital clock and the CMSP panels are show just in the middle of the screen. The export de-activate options doesn't seem to make any effect.

 

They do work though with the MFCD, I can activate/deactivate them to be exported.

 

Another thing that doesn't work is the ability to move or resize the video exports along the screen.

 

Thank you,

Best regards

[Sgt_Baker]

Hello,

 

This is the first time I try UltraMFCD and I am having a problem. I am only interested in using the coloured TGP screen, not exporting video panels.

 

I only have this option activated, and in the export check list, I don't have any checked. The problem is that some video sources like the digital clock and the CMSP panels are show just in the middle of the screen. The export de-activate options doesn't seem to make any effect.

 

They do work though with the MFCD, I can activate/deactivate them to be exported.

 

Another thing that doesn't work is the ability to move or resize the video exports along the screen.

 

Thank you,

Best regards

 

Hi Regi,

 

Exactly which versions of UltraMFCD, DCS and Windows are you running? I've tested the scenario you mentioned on this end and everything works as one would expect.

 

A couple of things you might like to try:

 

1) See whether using the latest beta version makes any difference.

 

2) Complete a Diagnostics Package and post it back here or to the uMFCD forum.

 

Cheers,

 

Baker

[Sgt_Baker]

We have ignition, so to speak!

 

[Holton181]

Yay!

(have an addiction to beta 2.5.6, the only one working for me right now. Looking forward to Ka-50 compatibility for this new one!)

[Sgt_Baker]

Yay!

(have an addiction to beta 2.5.6, the only one working for me right now. Looking forward to Ka-50 compatibility for this new one!)

 

It it the only one working in the KA-50 or the only one working full stop?

[Holton181]

I only fly helicopters, so don't know about other aircrafts.

I've been writing in the beta threads on your website.

First times I tried it, I got to low fps and said I would wait using it until resolved, but for some reason it start working quite well (no idea what I have done).

It's really easy to get addicted!

[Sgt_Baker]

I only fly helicopters, so don't know about other aircrafts.

I've been writing in the beta threads on your website.

First times I tried it, I got to low fps and said I would wait using it until resolved, but for some reason it start working quite well (no idea what I have done).

It's really easy to get addicted!

 

Roger that. I've been on something of a holiday from the ol' bug hunting. Starts messing with your mind after a while, you see.

 

I'm going to release the new renderer/CDU in to beta, then get back to proper testing/bug-squashing on this end.

 

--Baker

 

Edit: Really what I need is a biological robot to collate, categorise and make initial sense of the initial bug reports. :D

[Holton181]

Understand you perfectly, good to have something else to wrap your head around for a while.

But I must admit, after your last post about bug hunting, I get the feeling that this new renderer won't be for the Ka-50?

Hope I'm wrong.

[Sgt_Baker]

Understand you perfectly, good to have something else to wrap your head around for a while.

But I must admit, after your last post about bug hunting, I get the feeling that this new renderer won't be for the Ka-50?

Hope I'm wrong.

 

On the contrary, it's a universal renderer. It's coded in such a way that it's relatively easy to port old-style displays over without too many headaches. That's why I've taken my sweet time implementing the new system: Making sure I avoid brain tumours further down the line.

 

The reason I chose the A-10C CDU first is that it's by far the most complex and demanding display currently in the uMFCD system.

[Holton181]

Excellent!

Looking forward to try it out then :-)

[Iku_CC]

Does anyone else have double click problem with touch monitor when using UMFCD?

[Sgt_Baker]

Does anyone else have double click problem with touch monitor when using UMFCD?

 

Was actually going to get in touch with you specifically regarding this. May be solved once and for all in next build. Spent half of yesterday specifically attempting to break the click/touch elements of the new CDU. Seems (after a few minor updates and "doh" moments) to be working relatively solidly. Also addresses the "stuck key" issue, which I think was another you reported, no?

 

--Baker

[Iku_CC]

Thx..looking forward next release...I had to say that I can't remember any "stuck key" issue and I looked my messages on your UMFCD forum and there I was not reported of that...not sure have I reported it in this thread..:)

[98abaile]

I was the one who reported them.