Alt+Enter does not enter full screen; stuck in windowed

[Loukuins]

13 minutes ago, 01G8R said:

It stopped working on 2.8 update for the guys in our group using it. 

Yup I saw that, the worst in that is i'm spend more than a grand on this game and asking a Exclusive FullScreen option is asking too much apparently...

[scommander2]

Sorry, it is very confuse that some said it works fine and the majority said no.

I guess whatever "no" for now is about OB 2.8.0.32235.1?  

Just wondering, thanks.

[Loukuins]

With latest update doesn't work (OB)

[HiJack]

What DCS Stable version changed the "Alt+Enter" function? Anyone?

[scommander2]

There is the summary for the stable versions:

2.7.17.29493 - it  works normal.

2.7.18.30765 - it is required the patch in autoexec.cfg

 

 

[Boosterdog]

Having played around with things for a few hours I can perhaps help some, in certain situations. THIS ISNT AN ALT-TAB FIX - just a way of coping better with its absence in 2D.

I play mainly helos in 2D and I fly low most of the time. So these suggestions are limited. Most if not all of this is obvious.

My working assumption is that the old Alt-Tab Exclusive Full Screen somehow handled the game better.  This is only based on my observations of how it used to improve stuff back in the day. To test I used was a redux of an old F14 track of flying low over the forests of the Caucauses looking sideways out of the pit.  This is a track i used initally to set my graphical limts back in 2021 and 2.7.  In this case with MSAA X2 and SSAA 1.5 (initally I had to Alt Tab to get smooth running but in later patches in 2021 I got the same without as the booting process seemed to have refined). The track would yeild two results - without EFS a perceptable stutter - with EFS smooth play. 

Using this track I played about with the graphics in an attempt to find a decent middleground. I was also interested in finding those settings that could be altered without a game restart as the Maps in DCS vary wildly in their demands and present options are woefully limited.. I should add that I dont think its just about power - without vsync the replay ran at around 95 fps with my settings although my observations are made with vsync on (60) for smoothness of flow. I reproduced the mission with the Hind and AH64. The stuff below is based on what I found with the Apache.

What I found isnt earth shattering but it helps me. All bets are off when you introdice a lot of active AI!!

1) With MSAA X2 or X4 and SSAA off no stutter as I expected. (X2 for the Marianas)

2) MSAA X2 and SSAA X1.5 on but SSLR OFF and mirrors OFF also worked. Seems SSLR is doing it thing even when there are no visible areas of water to give reflections. Could be an inland option if you can live without with relections in rivers. (Marianas still not perfect - see point 4)

3) In the Caucauses there are shrubs under the forest canopies. These produce shadows - removing the Shrub.ref file in the Game root Mods/Terrains/Caucauses/Surface Detail (I renamed it Shrub_0) eases the load a little without producing too noticable an effect. 

4) For the later ED maps (Channel and Marianas) dialing back the scenery detail to 0.75 can recover a good few fps without affecting the graphics. This in trun reduces the stutter. Seems to have a small double whammy when using in cockpit displays. 

5) Pratting about sightseeing is greatly assisted by switching off the in cockpit displays (obviously) 

I can, at a push, live without the SSAA so have gone with option 1 and option 4 for the Channel and Marianas. I find only the AH64 needs this currently. The previous heavy hitters like F14 and Hind are fine without any adjustment. Id expect this given its pretty EA. In cockpit displays of course have huge impacts. 

In another thread a user has found setting the displays to every frame smoothed out his frame times - its had no noticable effect for me but something to try. 

Clearly something has changed as the full screen is no longer exclusive but Im also quite sure that the combination of the AH64 and 2.8 has had a net impact too that AlT-TAB alone may not have solved (but may have helped). Whilst I know others have different reasons for wanting AlT-TAB back, I am going to be interested to see how my expereince changes if future patches return some performance to both the game in general and to the AH64. 

Of course putting it back (or providing a reason why not other than "its working as intended") would be the best outcome here. 

 

EDIT - playing around a little with the Shadow.lua (Config/Effects) may also help - for instance medium shadows flicker badly in the trees but High was a tad too much for my rig - altering either medium or highs shadow map from 2048 or 4096 respectivley to 3072 provdies a few more fps than the standard high setting (a few less than the standard medium setting) without any noticable impact on the quility from high (i also lower the larger numbers from 7000 to 3072 but have seen no discernable effect positive or negative).

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by Boosterdog

[petsild]

Hi,

with the release of version 2.8, it is not possible to enable or force LAlt+Enter true fullscreen, only Windowed or Borderless mode.

This results in not being able to use DSR image enhancement and the better DLDSR method in drivers.

[petsild]

On 10/26/2022 at 5:00 PM, BIGNEWY said:

Hi all, 

the team have asked if you can try this. 

It should switch back to the old mode and allow alt + enter 

add in autoexec.cfg
 

dx11backend = 
{
    flipMode = false,
}

Let us know if it helps with performance 

The command will make DCS not start at all, only a black screen.

[Boosterdog]

2 hours ago, petsild said:

The command will make DCS not start at all, only a black screen.

Something that has been pointed out to ED and BIGNEWY several times in this thread with no reaction and no removal of non working solution posted. Frustrating. 

[BIGNEWY]

Sorry for over looking this 

it seems the work around is no longer working. I will ask the team about it. 

thanks

[Boosterdog]

2 hours ago, BIGNEWY said:

Sorry for over looking this 

it seems the work around is no longer working. I will ask the team about it. 

thanks

Thank you 

[Mike68]

 

On 11/13/2022 at 12:39 PM, petsild said:

The command will make DCS not start at all, only a black screen.

LAlt+Enter works for me in 2.8, in the game options untick the Full Screen setting. When selected I had black screen too.

Edited November 15, 2022 by Mike68

[Boosterdog]

1 hour ago, Mike68 said:

 

LAlt+Enter works for me in 2.8, in the game options untick the Full Screen setting. When selected I had black screen too.

 

Tried - dont even get a black screen. Just a DCS Icon in my task bar and a steady 10% draw on my CPU in the Task manager.  

[scommander2]

I remembered someone posted it is related to to display and it does not work 2k+...  I am not sure that it is a casse that "Alt+Enter" works for someones but does not work with others...

[Boosterdog]

21 minutes ago, scommander2 said:

I remembered someone posted it is related to to display and it does not work 2k+...  I am not sure that it is a casse that "Alt+Enter" works for someones but does not work with others...

Im at 1080P.  Whatever happened the autoexec fix isnt the solution. Nothing has changed in our windows or rigs yet what once worked well for most if not all and was removed is now hit and miss with the fix. All this said BIGNEWY has taken it back to the team so we will see what happens next. 

I

[fab.13]

Hello,

Thank you for this thread.
You can find a similar thread in the VR forum ( ALT ENTER subject )

Here are the result of my test in OpenBeta 2.8

- 'disable screen optimisation in shortcut or DCS.exe' + Vsync ON ( in DCS )+ Autoexec.cfg (FlipMode=False)
=> ALT ENTER Works in 2D ( and better perf as we are used to get )  : Good !

- 'disable screen optimisation in shortcut or DCS.exe' + Vsync OFF ( in DCS ) + Autoexec.cfg (FlipMode=False)
=> ALT ENTER Works in 2D but BLackScreen or Transparent window  : not playable , BAD

- 'disable screen optimisation in shortcut or DCS.exe' + Vsync OFF ( in DCS )+ Autoexec.cfg (FlipMode=False)
=> ALT ENTER Works in VR ( Rift user for me ) ( BLackScreen on mirror but we don't care ) : Good and performances are as usual  in 2.7 ( 90 hz everywhere with my settings )


Conclusion:

Maybe the missing ALT ENTER tips could explain some performances issue meet on Open Beta 2.8 ( VR users mainly )

For now, i keep this FlipMode in VR
Because DCS OB 2.8 is now as quick as it was in DCS 2.7 ( when ALT ENTER was available )

I can get 90 hz in my whole test mission with new light system, great !
If i remove full screen in VR with ALT-ENTER, fps drop down to 45 hz...

 

 

Edited November 19, 2022 by fab.13

[scommander2]

@fab.13thanks for providing the test results... it is very helpful without gussing around

[Boosterdog]

21 hours ago, fab.13 said:

Hello,

Thank you for this thread.
You can find a similar thread in the VR forum ( ALT ENTER subject )

Here are the result of my test in OpenBeta 2.8

- 'disable screen optimisation in shortcut or DCS.exe' + Vsync ON + Autoexec.cfg (FlipMode=False)
=> ALT ENTER Works in 2D ( and better perf as we are used to get )  : Good !

- 'disable screen optimisation in shortcut or DCS.exe' + Vsync OFF + Autoexec.cfg (FlipMode=False)
=> ALT ENTER Works in 2D but BLackScreen or Transparent window  : not playable , BAD

- 'disable screen optimisation in shortcut or DCS.exe' + Vsync OFF + Autoexec.cfg (FlipMode=False)
=> ALT ENTER Works in VR ( Rift user for me ) ( BLackScreen on mirror but we don't care ) : Good and performances are as usual  in 2.7 ( 90 hz everywhere with my settings )


Conclusion:

Maybe the missing ALT ENTER tips could explain some performances issue meet on Open Beta 2.8 ( VR users mainly )

For now, i keep this FlipMode in VR
Because DCS OB 2.8 is now as quick as it was in DCS 2.7 ( when ALT ENTER was available )

I can get 90 hz in my whole test mission with new light system, great !
If i remove full screen in VR with ALT-ENTER, fps drop down to 45 hz...

 

 

Already tried these and its the ole black screen for me - can you post the exact synax you use in the autoexec for the flipmode please.. 

[fab.13]

1 hour ago, Boosterdog said:

Already tried these and its the ole black screen for me - can you post the exact synax you use in the autoexec for the flipmode please.. 

dx11backend =
{
    flipMode = false,
}

Be careful !
The black screen is one of my test results ( vsync off in DCS).

The only way for me to get ALT-ENTER working in 2D is to use VSYNC ON into DCS
I have not tested with nvidia vsync functionnality because i never had the need.

[Boosterdog]

30 minutes ago, fab.13 said:

dx11backend =
{
    flipMode = false,
}

Be careful !
The black screen is one of my test results ( vsync off in DCS).

The only way for me to get ALT-ENTER working in 2D is to use VSYNC ON into DCS
I have not tested with nvidia vsync functionnality because i never had the need.

Ah-HA!  

I can speak only for myself but @fab.13is my new hero!

Nvidias Vsync in the NCP seems to have been the hiccup for me.

In addition to using the game's vsync I also had to set the Nvidia NCP vsync to "use application setting" so that vsync is also operational in Exclusive full screen without causing the black screen.

As i never use fast sync this provides the solution for me. but , as many do use that setting, its still going to be an issue for some. 

When the alt tab thing dissappeared something i think (i havnet gone back to check) I noticed was that vsync selected in the NCP affected both full screen and windowed modes. In older builds this would only affect Full screen not the windowed mode. In those cases the games own vsync would work with the windowed mode but not the full screen mode (as it does now). My ubnderstanding is that the games vsync was meant to only work with the windowed mode. 

Anyhow - Im happy (wont last) - Thank you @fab.13

 

 

 

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by Boosterdog

[scommander2]

45 minutes ago, Boosterdog said:

In addition to using the game's vsync I also had to set the Nvidia NCP vsync to "use application setting" so that vsync is also operational in Exclusive full screen without causing the black screen.

Good to know, thanks.

[Boosterdog]

@BIGNEWY Fab.13 seems to have located the grit in cog wheels of the solution. Something with the fix doesnt play nice with Nvidia 's own control panel Vsync unless the settings are "off" or "use application setting. The fix also requires the games vsync to be turned on which was never the case when it was a standard feature in either instance.

Is this something the team could be made aware of so that they may refine the gfix for those wishing to use other NCP vsync settings?

Thanks

 

[BIGNEWY]

42 minutes ago, Boosterdog said:

@BIGNEWY Fab.13 seems to have located the grit in cog wheels of the solution. Something with the fix doesnt play nice with Nvidia 's own control panel Vsync unless the settings are "off" or "use application setting. The fix also requires the games vsync to be turned on which was never the case when it was a standard feature in either instance.

Is this something the team could be made aware of so that they may refine the gfix for those wishing to use other NCP vsync settings?

Thanks

 

I will mention it to the team, thanks

[BIGNEWY]

confirmed for me also 

dx11backend = {flipMode = false,}

works only with vsync enabled in DCS

[Loukuins]

57 minutes ago, BIGNEWY said:

I will mention it to the team, thanks

Thanks for letting us know that !

33 minutes ago, BIGNEWY said:

confirmed for me also 

dx11backend = {flipMode = false,}

works only with vsync enabled in DCS

I will try with V-Sync next time I start the game, with 2.8 had some frame time spike issues with V-Sync, hope it doesn't happend anymore with the latest update