Does shadow really have such a big impact in VR?

[GVO]

Was messing about with my settings in preperation for my Rift S arriving tomorrow (have the old Rift).

I went through all the settings and came to shadows, normally I use "flat only". When I went higher of course there was an impact on my FPS but when I turned them off, I got a huge boost. My FPS is locked at 45 (same problem as other have been experiencing).

 

To give an example: F-14B - instant action - PG map - On Alert 5

(on carrier)

With flat only, I get around 26-30 FPS

With no shadows, it's locked at 45 (then probably higher).

With highest level of shadows, I get around 20-24 (so not that big a change from flat only).

 

Is it because of my system or because of how the game renders shadows?

 

My system spec:

Intel i7-6700 4GHz

16 GB DDR4 RAM

Geforce GTX 1080

HDD drive

 

Texture medium

Terrain Textures Low

shadows testing

Civil traffic off

Water Medium

Visib Low

Grass/clutter 50%

Trees 75%

Msaa x2

Pd-1.2

Preload Radius 50%

 

Edit: added settings

Edit2: Of course, the FPS is another matter when I leave the carrier. It goes to 38-45(locked) with shadows on.

Edited July 2, 2019 by GVO

[Strikeeagle345]

It's just how the game works. If you could get your CPU clock higher, you would lose less FPS with those settings. I have zero difference with Shadows of or on High with my setup. I am usually around 45 FPS with or without.

[Svsmokey]

Shadows , msaa and pd are the biggest frame-rate killers in DCS . However , with the below system i am getting 45 or better in the Caucasus with the Hornet , Huey and L-39 .

Cockpit shadows low

Terrain shadows flat

Civil traffic low

Water high

Visib medium

Grass/clutter 100%

Trees 62%

Msaa x2

Pd-1.0

[Strikeeagle345]

oh, better add my settings too.

 

Texture high

Terrain Textures High

shadows High

Civil traffic off

Water high

Visib high

Grass/clutter 0%

Trees 62%

Msaa x2

Pd-1..3

Preload Radius Maxed

[Svsmokey]

oh, better add my settings too.

 

Texture high

Terrain Textures High

shadows High

Civil traffic off

Water high

Visib high

Grass/clutter 0%

Trees 62%

Msaa x2

Pd-1..3

Preload Radius Maxed

 

Nice to know you're doing so well with the Odyssey and a 1070 . Makes me feel a little better about getting an Index !

[GVO]

Thanks for the replies guys. I added some info in OP.

But seems like I should get better FPS overall with my system when I compare to yours. Will mess around some more.

Thx for the tip on my CPU. Will try to OC to 4.4.

[VampireNZ]

Yes DCS is strange like that - my CPU is never even near max capacity on any cores - yet still limits performance I believe.

 

With the following I am sitting at around 70%-80% GPU usage locked at 40 fps in the Rift S. 100% over PG Cities. Still get judders looking sideways and on the ground...without maxing any hardware...grrr.

 

Texture High

Terrain Textures High

Shadows Low

Civil traffic Med

Water High

Visib Ultra - (with custom edits)

Grass/clutter 0%

Terrain Shadows Off (Off due Flat actually looks really bad - flickering and just bad)

Trees 75%

Msaa x2

Pd-1.5

Preload Radius 100k

 

If I drop PD to 1.4 my GPU is sitting around 65% for 40 fps, might drop back to this to try and remove some judders...but I think this is wishful thinking in DCS to have totally smooth flight. I sort of expect to have a smooth flight experience with minimal CPU usage and only 65% GPU usage....weirdness.

Edited July 2, 2019 by VampireNZ

[FoxTwo]

Terrain shadows seem to destroy it. Cockpit shadows not as much. I run with terrain off and cockpit high.

[anlq]

Water and Shadow have the very high impact on performance, I always leave these to low in VR and get better FPS.

[sirrah]

Water and Shadow have the very high impact on performance, I always leave these to low in VR and get better FPS.

 

I never noticed fps impact by water between low and max (so I've set it to max).

I did however indeed notice high impact on shadows. Too bad because shadows set to high are absolutely fantastic in VR.

[Strong05]

Depends on your computer but I have a very similar setup to yours and have found that cockpit shadows have very little impact on fps, the same with flat terrain shadows.

 

I've also found that depending on the mission, DCS can be either GPU or CPU bottle necked. Most MP servers are CPU bottle necked while simpler missions will be GPU bottle necked. The easiest way to tell is to watch your GPU utilization (if it's not >90% you are most likely CPU bottle necked). If you are CPU bottle necked GPU utilization (at least for me) dropped to about 50% or less, and the FPS tanked to 30 or less.

[jross194]

GVO,

 

Have about the same system as you (CPU, GPU) but I have 32gb memory, and I get about the same results. If that helps? Use MSI to bump the CPU to 4.4 ghz. Never run it at the stock 4.0ghz so not sure of the difference - it crashes when I try to go much higher, so I dont :).

 

VR unit = Odyssey Plus.

 

All depends on how they wrote the code; shadows are, used to be, computationally expensive.

 

If ED can boost VR performance I'm buying more of their modules. If not then someday I'll give my [limited] funds to Intel, Samsung, nVidia - again.

[Thick8]

GVO,

If ED can boost VR performance I'm buying more of their modules. If not then someday I'll give my [limited] funds to Intel, Samsung, nVidia - again.

 

I’m hoping the new Ryzen will make a difference. Maybe if I can get it up to 5 GHz... Not sure if getting one of the new Nvidia cards next month will help. I don’t mind spending the money but I’d like to see a decent return for it.

[Wolf8312]

I'm now using cockpit shadows having avoided them in the past. They don't seem to be taxing my performance in any way really though I do seem to rememeber them playing havoc when I used them with B17's for some reason, and I haven't checked that out.

 

Shadows are fantastic in VR though for realism. It isn't just the shadows per say, but the lighting and relflections they prouduce especially when flying near dusk or dawn.

 

It often isn't so much what they allow you to see, but what they conceal. They make the cockpits look much nicer, not only because they look more realistic, but because things are not so washed out, and exposed, which is especially important in modules such as the Anton which looks pretty garish in VR without shadows and too much exposure presently.

 

It is harder to see things sometimes though, so I have to make sure important buttons are mapped to my HOTAS and memorized, but I am mainly into WW2 and helicopters anyway!

 

One reason I always avoided shadows was I knew they would be hard to play without having experienced them, and I do feel I can't go back now!

 

I made one airport attack mission which I fly up to in the 109, starting at sunrise. It looks so damned beautiful that mission in VR with, heavy weather, and that early morning lighting, combined with the effects of the shadows.

 

You gotta work with what you have, and I'd recommend making smaller contained missions, at the right time of day to make things as realistic and atmospheric as possible. I am using a standard vive but I think people would be amazed by how truly realistic it all looks/feels when you create missions with VR/performance, and realism in mind.

[Svsmokey]

I'm now using cockpit shadows having avoided them in the past. They don't seem to be taxing my performance in any way really though I do seem to rememeber them playing havoc when I used them with B17's for some reason, and I haven't checked that out.

 

Shadows are fantastic in VR though for realism. It isn't just the shadows per say, but the lighting and relflections they prouduce especially when flying near dusk or dawn.

 

It often isn't so much what they allow you to see, but what they conceal. They make the cockpits look much nicer, not only because they look more realistic, but because things are not so washed out, and exposed, which is especially important in modules such as the Anton which looks pretty garish in VR without shadows and too much exposure presently.

 

It is harder to see things sometimes though, so I have to make sure important buttons are mapped to my HOTAS and memorized, but I am mainly into WW2 and helicopters anyway!

 

One reason I always avoided shadows was I knew they would be hard to play without having experienced them, and I do feel I can't go back now!

 

I made one airport attack mission which I fly up to in the 109, starting at sunrise. It looks so damned beautiful that mission in VR with, heavy weather, and that early morning lighting, combined with the effects of the shadows.

 

You gotta work with what you have, and I'd recommend making smaller contained missions, at the right time of day to make things as realistic and atmospheric as possible. I am using a standard vive but I think people would be amazed by how truly realistic it all looks/feels when you create missions with VR/performance, and realism in mind.

 

Yes , i find both cockpit and terrain shadows to be must-haves , regardless of cost .

[Wolf8312]

Yes , i find both cockpit and terrain shadows to be must-haves , regardless of cost .

 

 

Yeah and it might sound silly but don't discount the benefits of a jetseat and a large airconditioner blowing across your body! In VR feeling the cold wind combined with the weather effects of the game itself just seems to lend itself to a greater feeling of presence. It's also vital in itself if you live somewhere hot!

[Svsmokey]

Yeah and it might sound silly but don't discount the benefits of a jetseat and a large airconditioner blowing across your body! In VR feeling the cold wind combined with the weather effects of the game itself just seems to lend itself to a greater feeling of presence. It's also vital in itself if you live somewhere hot!

 

I have a desk fan . Great when i open the canopy after a mission :)

[DeltaMike]

Yes

 

Between MSAA, PD and shadows, you can have two but not all three

 

Set your textures and water high, that's not the problem

 

Consider zeroing out grass and clutter, that's a resource suck that doesn't enhance flying in a jet

[Kayos]

Was messing about with my settings in preperation for my Rift S arriving tomorrow (have the old Rift).

I went through all the settings and came to shadows, normally I use "flat only". When I went higher of course there was an impact on my FPS but when I turned them off, I got a huge boost. My FPS is locked at 45 (same problem as other have been experiencing).

 

To give an example: F-14B - instant action - PG map - On Alert 5

(on carrier)

With flat only, I get around 26-30 FPS

With no shadows, it's locked at 45 (then probably higher).

With highest level of shadows, I get around 20-24 (so not that big a change from flat only).

 

Is it because of my system or because of how the game renders shadows?

 

My system spec:

Intel i7-6700 4GHz

16 GB DDR4 RAM

Geforce GTX 1080

HDD drive

 

Texture medium

Terrain Textures Low

shadows testing

Civil traffic off

Water Medium

Visib Low

Grass/clutter 50%

Trees 75%

Msaa x2

Pd-1.2

Preload Radius 50%

 

Edit: added settings

Edit2: Of course, the FPS is another matter when I leave the carrier. It goes to 38-45(locked) with shadows on.

 

You can probably bump these up to High and be fine.

Texture medium

Terrain Textures Low

[Nigel Hanchard]

I have a desk fan . Great when i open the canopy after a mission :)

 

 

 

Ha! As crazy as it sounds, I’ve found myself opening the canopy as soon as I’ve landed to cool down! The weird thing is … it seems to work!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

[dburne]

Ha! As crazy as it sounds, I’ve found myself opening the canopy as soon as I’ve landed to cool down! The weird thing is … it seems to work!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

Yep I always do the same lol.

In the Spit I open it on final approach.

[fagulha]

Ha! As crazy as it sounds, I’ve found myself opening the canopy as soon as I’ve landed to cool down! The weird thing is … it seems to work!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

 

You´ve took my VR "hobby" simulation into a new level. Thank you Hahahhaa

[Tinkickef]

Ha! As crazy as it sounds, I’ve found myself opening the canopy as soon as I’ve landed to cool down! The weird thing is … it seems to work!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

Yep, always Taxy with the canopy raised, unless it's raining! My main bugbear with the F14 is that the sound of the engines does not rise when the canopy opens. It's fine taxying out because I can hear the sound of my wingman's engines behind me, but not after landing.

Just the change in noise level adds another layer of immersion.

[hansangb]

Yep, always Taxy with the canopy raised, unless it's raining! My main bugbear with the F14 is that the sound of the engines does not rise when the canopy opens. It's fine taxying out because I can hear the sound of my wingman's engines behind me, but not after landing.

Just the change in noise level adds another layer of immersion.

 

 

Don't wuss out on the rain! If it ain't raining, we ain't training! :D

 

Oh wait, that's for the ground pounders! LOL.

 

I'll have to give that a shot. I heard you can hear the ocean waves as well.