DCS Optimized Textures

[Taz1004]

I wasn't planning on sharing this as it's too big but there were some requests so here it is.  Please read all instructions and notes.

Many of DCS textures are needlessly large.  Wasting VRAM and drive space.  This mod reduces those textures at no reduction in quality.  Benefits of this would be:

• Reduced DCS install size. (By about 26GB with all optimization)
• Reduced loading time.
• Reduced chance of running out of VRAM.
• Possible performance benefit

Performance benefit will depend on your graphic card and mission.  It will save more VRAM on heavier mission.  Average VRAM reduction I've experienced is between 1GB to 3GB.  With 1 - 4 FPS gain on my 16GB VRAM.  May benefit more in VR.  Or you may not see any FPS gain if you already have enough VRAM.  YMMV.

 

 

 

INSTALL with Mod Manager (Recommended):

• Place the folder into your Mod Manager Mods repository.  (Keep correct folder structure per your Mod Manager)

 

INSTALL without Mod Manager (Not recommended):

• Copy and overwrite files in DCS main install directory.  Backup your files.

 

NOTES:

• This is texture mod.  It will not pass "Pure Texture" IC check.
• I only optimized cockpits for modules that I own.  If you want to optimize modules I don't have or optimize more aggressively, I posted simple instruction HERE
• In order to maximize the drive space of your DCS install drive, I highly recommend putting your Mod Manager repository on different drive than your DCS install drive.  For OvGME, make sure to also set "Custom configuration backup folder" to the slower drive.

 

DOWNLOADS:  These are Google Drive links because files are too large.  You will get virus warnings.  You can check for virus after download.

Links are folders you can BROWSE.  You should download the entire folder the first time but after that, browse and only download files that are updated.  Updated files will be listed at the bottom of this post or you can sort by Date Modified.  My Google Drive has bandwidth limit.  Please don't download the entire folder each update.

Optimized Core  (10GB)

Optimized Liveries  (7.2GB)

 

COCKPITS:

Optimized A10C-II  (412MB)  Updated 4-13-2023

Optimized F-16C  (150MB)

Optimized FA-18C  (133MB)  Updated 10-26-2023

Optimized Ka-50-3  (200MB)

Optimized AH-64D  (478MB by lefuneste01)

Optimized Mi-24P  (81MB by lefuneste01)  Updated 5-03-2023

 

 

UPDATED:  12-22-2023

• CoreMods/aircraft/FA-18C/Textures/FA-18C.zip
• CoreMods/aircraft/AH-64D/Textures/AH-64D.zip
• CoreMods/tech/TechWeaponPack/Textures/rapier_fsa_launcher_radar.zip
• CoreMods/tech/TechWeaponPack/Textures/rapier_fsa_missile.zip
• CoreMods/tech/TechWeaponPack/Textures/rapier_fsa_optical_tracker_unit.zip
• CoreMods/tech/TechWeaponPack/Textures/rapier_fsa_selector_engagement_zone_box.zip
• Bazar/World/textures/b-13l.zip

Edited December 29, 2023 by Taz1004

[KCOOL]

Taz,

THANK YOU!

Edited April 6, 2023 by KCOOL

[LucShep]

Nice one Taz! 
Just what the doctor ordered.  Me thinks this will turn out as the quintessential mod for DCS...

[Blinde]

What does 'optimized core' include? Terrain textures etc?

[Taz1004]

1 hour ago, Blinde said:

What does 'optimized core' include? Terrain textures etc?

Anything that's not cockpit, terrain or liveries.  Basically ground units, ships, infantry, weapons...

I'm working on liveries next.  They are messy.

[joker62]

Thank You, I will definitely try it.

[zildac]

Thanks Taz!

[Quekel]

Thanks! Will try this for VR!

What is Raster, Config & Shaders ?

[Taz1004]

11 minutes ago, Quekel said:

Thanks! Will try this for VR!

What is Raster, Config & Shaders ?

Just my various preferences.  Labels, haze, shadow, countermeasure programs etc.

[Quekel]

I was trying to edit the shadows file to only have Cockpit & cloud shadows, but no luck so far. You know what parameters I need to put ?

[speed-of-heat]

52 minutes ago, Quekel said:

I was trying to edit the shadows file to only have Cockpit & cloud shadows, but no luck so far. You know what parameters I need to put ?

ones that dont exist in the game afaik

[zildac]

@Taz1004 Re the shaders mod in your OvGME config. Anything useful that you'd be happy to share, performance or visual wise or just personal prefs?

[Taz1004]

9 hours ago, zildac said:

@Taz1004 Re the shaders mod in your OvGME config. Anything useful that you'd be happy to share, performance or visual wise or just personal prefs?

It's just haze which I already shared.  I just put it as separate mod so I can test other mods without having to disable it as that requires recompiling.

Man, you guys are after the crumbs.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Taz1004

[Blinde]

This is pure magic for VR. Thank you once again, Taz. I hope ED learns from this.

Edited April 7, 2023 by Blinde

[dali]

Taz is another person ED should hire

[KCOOL]

1 hour ago, dali said:

Taz is another person ED should hire

or at minimum provide him all modules for free....

[ww3231]

4 hours ago, Taz1004 said:

It's just haze which I already shared.  I just put it as separate mod so I can test other mods without having to disable it as that requires recompiling.

Man, you guys are after the crumbs.

 

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but where did you share the haze changes? I tried googling, searching your profile, but didnt find it

[Taz1004]

29 minutes ago, ww3231 said:

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but where did you share the haze changes? I tried googling, searching your profile, but didnt find it

It was on Kegety's thread.  You can download below.  Search for "Taz" on where to adjust.  DCS will recompile each time you re-install this.  Doesn't take more than 30 seconds for me.

Taz1004_Haze.zip

[KCOOL]

Amazing mods Taz.

Thank you so much for all you do for the community.

These work really well. More FPS and no stutters.

Question: For me (3080 10G) Caucasus work better in MT, but Syria better in ST. Does it make sense?

Best

 

 

[zildac]

10 hours ago, Taz1004 said:

It's just haze which I already shared.  I just put it as separate mod so I can test other mods without having to disable it as that requires recompiling.

Man, you guys are after the crumbs.

 

Understood, already done. Thought it may be something different, thanks.

[Taz1004]

Optimized liveries uploaded.  Liveries alone would save about 10GB of drive space.  There were some crazy large livery files.  I don't do multiplayer so I'm not sure but I'm guessing if players join with these huge liveries on multiplayer server, I can see how it could pile up on VRAM.  Especially with memory leak.

[LucShep]

Many thanks Taz!
And, holy cow, this is no joke.  The savings on file sizes are friggin enormous and there's no visual difference.
The VRAM usage savings are very substancial, as are the improvements on drive space and game files access (faster loading times and less stuttering).
Makes me wonder what the heck has ED been doing all this time, when it should have been like this from the start.  

I hope ED is looking at this mod/thread and seriously thinking about adopting (and compensating!) your work.
I will not run DCS without this mod now, period. 

Edited April 7, 2023 by LucShep

[jnr4817]

When you talk about file size savings are you overwriting the game files or using to OvGme? If you use OvGme the original files still exist so we aren’t saving any SSD space, only when loading into a server would space be saved?

[Taz1004]

4 minutes ago, jnr4817 said:

When you talk about file size savings are you overwriting the game files or using to OvGme? If you use OvGme the original files still exist so we aren’t saving any SSD space, only when loading into a server would space be saved?

Files are total 16GB.  It saves you 24GB.  So that's still 8GB saving even if you don't overwrite.  But this is why I said:

• I highly recommend putting your Mod Manager repository on separate drive than your DCS install drive.

Even if it's on a USB drive.

Edited April 8, 2023 by Taz1004

[jnr4817]

1 hour ago, Taz1004 said:

Files are total 16GB.  It saves you 24GB.  So that's still 8GB saving even if you don't overwrite.  But this is why I said:

• I highly recommend putting your Mod Manager repository on separate drive than your DCS install drive.

Even if it's on a USB drive.

 

Makes total sense. Thanks homie.

I've gotten all your mods to work except Core and LIveries. For some reason ovgme will not make and archive. I also cant drag DL'd zip file into my mod archive. Very weird.

Edited April 8, 2023 by jnr4817