'Simple' 2.5 Setup Guide.. Starting point to improve your FPS+

[Snacko]

I'm no expert, but I did some simple things that I read about in different places on the forums.. I made a simple mission for each map and compared my fps. Here's what I found..

 

UnMod, Cleanup & Repair

Before the 2.5 Update I uninstalled all of my mods. After the update I ran the game a little, and then exited. I then ran "..\bin\dcs_updater.exe cleanup" from a command prompt in the game folder. Then I also ran "..\bin\dcs_updater.exe repair" the same way.

 

New Options.lua

I renamed my "Saved Games/DCS/Congfig/options.lua" to a backup and ran the game to create a new options.lua. Then I compared the two files with the Notepad++ Compare Plugin. There were new settings in the new 2.5 options.lua, so I wanted to keep that one. Looking through the compared old file I copied over some of the settings just to keep much of what I had before.

 

AntiAliasing:

Several options are listed below. Try them out and pick what looks and works best for your system.

 

1. AA: Set Game's MSAA & Deferred Shading for best quality.
   This option does not give good Frame Rates but probably has the best quality. If you have a great system that can handle this with good fps go for it.
    
   .
   
2. AA: Set Game's MSAA, with MFAA on your Video Card together.
   This is another option for better FPS+. MFAA + MSAA?
    
   I read a post that said to use DCS MSAA with your card's MFAA (Multi-Frame AA) at the same time. I found the graphics 'good' and acceptable and it added about 13-15 FPS+. So, compare the angular jaggies between the two options and see if you like the slightly lower quality to get the FPS increase. Set it up like this:
    
   In game:
   *Select 2x msaa
    
   Nvidia Control Panel:
   *Antialiasing-mode> enhance the application setting
   *Antialiasing-setting>2x
   *Multi-Frame Sampled (MFAA)>ON
    
   I 'think' you are supposed to set them both the same (2x, 4x, 8x). I tried all three and found that 2x gave the best FPS boost. My results were:
   
   • Caucasus: x2=~77 fps
     
   • Caucasus: x4=~63 fps
     
   • Caucasus: x8=~60 fps.
     

 

.

[*]AA: ** Set Game's MSAA, with FXAA on your Video Card together.

But for the best balance of FPS and acceptable AA try this. I've gone back and forth on this because at first I was told that this didn't work because my screenshots had no AA. And since I use Screenshots to zoom in and examine the AA quality I thought they were correct.

 

But Piston85 noticed that the AA that was missing in the screenshots was actually working fine in the game. Since FXAA is a Post Processing AA filter it does not show up on the Screenshots.

 

So, this option added ~30 fps over the game's Stock MSAA 8x of 65 fps, and gave acceptable AA, and crappy Screenshots.

• Caucasus: MSAA x2 + nVidia FXAA = ~97 fps
  

 

I tested this with the nVidia AA - Mode = Application-Controlled, and also Enhance the Application. Both gave the same results.

 

Here's an example of the Game FXAA vs the Screenshot. I paused the game and took a screenshot, then put the screenshot up over the game to compare. Here's the photo I took with my phone. You can see that the game looks good and the Screenshot has no AA!

 

ReBuild Shader Cache

But I was still getting better FPS in NTTR 2.2, so I read that you should delete you Shader cache? I never heard that before, but I renamed my "..\Saved Games\DCS\metaShaders" folder as a backup and ran the game again. I loaded a mission for each map to build the Shaders again. And ran my nVidia AA testes again.

 

Not only did rebuilding the Shader Cache improve my FPS. But the game looks much more like Wags videos. :thumbup: I wish I had taken pics of the forests before. I had those lime green forests that some people have posted. And it did not look like Wags videos.

 

ReBuild FXO Cache

I also read that you should delete you FXO folder? I never heard that before either, so I am learning a bunch of new stuff. So, I renamed my "..\Saved Games\DCS\fxo" folder as a backup and ran the game again. Running each map rebuilds the entire fxo folder. And you can delete your backups when you're satisfied things are working.

 

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Also, turn off your Mirrors on the Options/Gameplay tab! That just makes them 'Off' by default in the cockpit. You can turn them on with the M key, and they eat 10+ fps!

 

I think this is some basic stuff that should have been posted with the download instructions.

 

I don't think my game settings matter that much. There are other guides for tweaking that. And this should just be a basic starting point to improve your graphics. So, set your Graphic Settings reasonable for your PC. Build a mission for each map(or just one map). Don't change your settings or the missions during any tests so you can compare these results.

 

But here are my settings if you are curious. The pic shows my AA at 8x, but I have now set it to 2x and am using the MSAA + MFAA method talke about above for better FPS. I may change that in the future, but at least I have some options.. My triple-screen pc specs are in my signature. Cheers.

 

EDIT:

I HAVE UPDATED THE ANTIALIASING SECTION SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS THREAD TO REFLECT THINGS LEARNED IN THE DISCUSSION BELOW.

Edited February 5, 2018 by Snacko

[Peter22]

I'm no expert, but I did some simple things that I read about in different places on the forums.. I made a simple mission for each map and compared my fps. Here's what I found..

 

UnMod, Cleanup & Repair

Before to 2.5 Update I uninstalled all of my mods. After the update I ran the game a little, and then exited. I then ran "..\bin\dcs_updater.exe cleanup" from a command prompt in the game folder. Then I also ran "..\bin\dcs_updater.exe repair" the same way.

 

New Options.lua

I renamed my "Saved Games/Users/DCS/Congfig/options.lua" to a backup and ran the game to create a new options.lua. Then I compared the two files with the Notepad++ Compare Plugin. There were new settings in the new 2.5 options.lua, so I wanted to keep that one. Looking through the compared old file I copied over some of the settings just to keep much of what I had before.

 

Use your Video Card's AA

Then I ran the game to see if the AA was fixed, or if I still needed to set it in nVidia CP. Here's what I found:

 

With AA set in-Game to 8x:

• NTTR: ~65fps
  
• Caucasus: ~60fps
  
• Normandy: ~55fps
  

 

With AA set in the nVidia Control Panel set to 8x:

• NTTR: ~85fps
  
• Caucasus: ~70fps
  
• Normandy: ~65fps
  

 

So, I'm going to use the nVidia AA for the game!

 

ReBuild Shader Cache

But I was still getting better FPS in NTTR 2.2, so I read that you should delete you Shader cache? I never heard that before, but I renamed my "..\DCS\metaShaders" folder as a backup and ran the game again. I loaded a mission for each map to build the Shaders again. And ran my nVidia AA testes again. Here's what I got:

 

• NTTR: ~100fps
  
• Caucasus: ~98fps
  
• Normandy: ~80fps
  

 

Not only did rebuilding the Shader Cache improve my FPS. But the game looks much more like Wags videos. :thumbup: I wish I had taken pics of the forests before. I had those lime green forests that some people have posted. And it did not look like Wags videos.

 

Also, turn off your Mirrors on the Options/Gameplay tab! That just makes them 'Off' by default in the cockpit. You can turn them on with the M key, and they eat 10+ fps!

 

I think this is some basic stuff that should have been posted with the download instructions.

 

I don't think my game settings matter that much. There are other guides for tweaking that. And this should just be a basic starting point to improve your graphics. So, set your Graphic Settings reasonable for your PC. Build a mission for each map(or just one map). Don't change your settings or the missions during any tests so you can compare these results.

 

But here are my settings if you are curious. My pc specs are in my signature. Cheers.

Hummm interesting since I have very similar rig 980 /same CPU/ and memory. 4K monitor.however I am not being able to set everything to look quite right specially with gamma and nVidia Control Panel ..in other hands I cant see my FPS using right ctrl /pause nothing shows..I heard about ctrl+pause/brake..which I dont know what that is..Brake?..anyway I am going to try all this meta/Shaders clean up this afternoon and see how it goes

Thank you for posting

Peter

[uscstaylor]

Thanks man Ill see what my game looks like when I get home. I hope others who have very nice setting post here as well to kinda get a handle on hitting the sweet spot sorta speak.

Edited January 31, 2018 by uscstaylor

[Gliptal]

You can't force anything through the NVIDIA panel with DS on: the additional FPS you're seeing come from MSAA being disabled ingame.

[Chic]

You can't force anything through the NVIDIA panel with DS on: the additional FPS you're seeing come from MSAA being disabled ingame.

 

 

 

Agreed. Same with NVidia Profiler.

[Snacko]

Hmm.. It looked good to me, but I didn't know that. I'll do some tests when I get home.

 

Sent from my Moto Z Play using Tapatalk

[Chic]

Hmm.. It looked good to me, but I didn't know that. I'll do some tests when I get home.

 

Sent from my Moto Z Play using Tapatalk

Yah, I was pretty psyched bout frame increase till I realized that AA effect was gone.

[Peter22]

Are u guys experiencing a weird look with the A10C co -pit the center is normal but when u look sides look different..way different!!!!!

 

https://i.imgur.com/4xAOm62.jpg

Edited February 1, 2018 by Peter22

[Peter22]

Yah, I was pretty psyched bout frame increase till I realized that AA effect was gone.

 

So should we set the AA in the DS options? nothing to touch in the Nviadia settings?

[Peter22]

Plus there is no way I can display my FPS..right ctrl+pause .do nothing..right ctrl + pause / neither...so annoying ....

[bolek]

Plus there is no way I can display my FPS..right ctrl+pause .do nothing..right ctrl + pause / neither...so annoying ....

 

Try LCtrl-Pause

[Chic]

So should we set the AA in the DS options? nothing to touch in the Nviadia settings?

At least on my rig currently, it appears that the game settings for AA & AF work, whereas NVidea settings don't seem to "take".

[Chic]

Plus there is no way I can display my FPS..right ctrl+pause .do nothing..right ctrl + pause / neither...so annoying ....

 

Try FRAPS. It's free.

[GregP]

Snacko, when you refer to your Saved Games folder, presume you mean the 'DCS.openbeta' folder, as opposed to the 'DCS' folder? Because only the former has been updated to 2.5; the latter still corresponds to the 1.5.8 release version.

[PeaceSells]

Plus there is no way I can display my FPS..right ctrl+pause .do nothing..right ctrl + pause / neither...so annoying ....

 

You have to look very carefully to the top-left corner of you screen. It is very small and red.

[PeaceSells]

You can't force anything through the NVIDIA panel with DS on: the additional FPS you're seeing come from MSAA being disabled ingame.

 

You can set anisiotropic filter through Nvidia panel. It works and causes almost 0 fps loss.

[TexasBread]

I used Nvidia Inspector to force AA. It does Indeed work. Every setting for me is maxed out except msaa which is off. I went from 35-45fps to 85-115fps in multiplayer by following this guide.

[Gliptal]

Screenshots please. MSAA can't be forced with DS for technical reasons. FXAA and AF may work though.

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=3161121&postcount=110

Edited February 1, 2018 by Gliptal

[PeaceSells]

From what I remember reading a while ago, MSAA can't be set through Nvidia's panel, but if you have a GTX 970 or higher, there's the MFAA option. I think you can set that and it will have effect in DCS?

[Gliptal]

From what I remember reading a while ago, MSAA can't be set through Nvidia's panel, but if you have a GTX 970 or higher, there's the MFAA option. I think you can set that and it will have effect in DCS?

I'm not sure about that.

[Mr_sukebe]

Useful thread. Shame that more players post their graphical issues first, THEN starting looking for solutions like this.

 

I played for a number of hours yesterday, doing some tweaking, based upon this thread.

Things I find worked:

- Do use deferred shading, does look awesome

- Disable MSAA and AA in game

- If you have an Nvidia card, enabled MFAA in the Nvidia Control panel

- Disable your mirrors

- Go through the usual game setting checks, e.g. shadows to flat

- Disable Vsync for VR, Freesync and Gsync users

- In VR, I found a gamma setting of 1.6 was good

 

With the above, and on all 3 maps, now getting a solid 45 fps (using ASW) in VR almost all of the time.

[Gliptal]

Can some of you stating that MFAA works post a comparison screen? MSAA can't work, but MFAA might if you "Enhance Application Settings". No videos, the encoding would render the comparison useless.

Edited February 1, 2018 by Gliptal

[Goa]

guys AA /MFAA in nvidia control panel doesnt work at all...as Gliptal already said there is no difference with anti-aliasig enabled in nvcp...the more fps we get is because MSAA is disabled in game, that's a fact....AA doesnt do a shit for now.

[Art-J]

SMAA can't work [...]

 

I believe it's similar post-processing method like FXAA and so it works when injected via ReShade 3.0.8 - I can turn it on/off on the fly with one mouse click and observe the result. Not much of it though, seems to be similar to FXAA - just adds a little bit of bluriness to fonts and edges, nothing else.

 

It's ugly, but better than nothing, though, so I keep injecting it together with FXAA.

[Gliptal]

Yeah sorry, I meant MSAA can't work. SMAA might, althugh the added blur might not look good to most.

 

Too many acronyms.