How to disable new “spotting dots” and revert to previous logic user can put “DotRendererExperiment = False” in autoexec.cfg file located in \Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\

[CrazyGman]

I cannot find the autoexec.cfg file located in \Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\

I've checked and had others also check, and it's not anywhere there.

I really really not a big fan of the new spotting dots.

[speed-of-heat]

Then create one...

[CrazyGman]

1 hour ago, speed-of-heat said:

Then create one...

Sigh...so I have to create the file from scratch and then put in the command myself...because putting a tick box in the settings menu was too inconvenient? So now if I want it the old way i'm guessing it's not going to pass the integrity check on multiplayer servers?

[BIGNEWY]

We are looking into the DotRendererExperiment = False as it does not seem to be working correctly. 

the team are aware. 

[Art-J]

@CrazyGmanTo each his own. Autoexec method has been used for years for enabling/disabling various WIP features which would otherwise clutter the already "crowded" menus even more and which are going to be used by only some players anyway.

Usually parameters set in the file pass the IC check, so you're free to try it. The jury is out, however, if the reverting method works at all. I, and couple of other players it seems, don't see any difference between using this line in autoexec and not.

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by Art-J

[speed-of-heat]

2 hours ago, CrazyGman said:

Sigh...so I have to create the file from scratch and then put in the command myself...because putting a tick box in the settings menu was too inconvenient? So now if I want it the old way i'm guessing it's not going to pass the integrity check on multiplayer servers?

 

1) the length of time to write your response took longer than to create the folder and the file 

2) AFIK anything in saved games passes IC

[Specter]

Using DotRendererExperiment = False does not seem to affect my game.  Still got big spoldges for air and ground targets.

Lets hope this gets toned down, user selectable in the future.

[TKNARMZ]

its ugly as can be! Don't know why we can't just turn it off!

[Malamem]

I hope that ED remove it at all! Nobody is able to spot even a 747 at 10nm. DCS is called a simulator. This spot dot just turn it into an ace combat video game.

 

It should never had to be implemented.

Edited October 21, 2023 by Malamem

[jackdaw]

18 minutes ago, Malamem said:

I hope that ED remove it at all! Nobody is able to spot even a 747 at 10nm. DCS is called a simulator. This spot dot just turn it into an ace combat video game.

 

It should never had to be implemented.

 

I regulary see commercial airplanes in the hold at biggen hill which is approximatly 8nm from my position, they then fly the holding pattern that takes them further away from my position, the only time i have trouble seeing them is because of cloud or ground objects.

my eye sight is worse than 20 20

[Volator]

The problem in DCS always was that it was too hard to spot aircraft at closer range, say within 2nm, while the dots were spotable unrealistically at 50nm (if you knew where to look for them, i.e. with radar lock). Looks like this problem still wasn't adressed properly, but the original unrealistic spotting at distance was even made worse.

[rob10]

2 hours ago, Malamem said:

I hope that ED remove it at all! Nobody is able to spot even a 747 at 10nm. DCS is called a simulator. This spot dot just turn it into an ace combat video game.

It should never had to be implemented.

Guess what: IT DEPENDS ON YOUR SET-UP.  I'm on flat screen and I can just nicely make out an F-18 at 3 nm.  Before it was a challenge keep wing in view if they moved off any distance.  I think the new implementation needs to be better tweaked to take different resolutions etc into account, but it's definitely not terrible for everyone.

[speed-of-heat]

3 minutes ago, rob10 said:

Guess what: IT DEPENDS ON YOUR SET-UP.  I'm on flat screen and I can just nicely make out an F-18 at 3 nm.  Before it was a challenge keep wing in view if they moved off any distance.  I think the new implementation needs to be better tweaked to take different resolutions etc into account, but it's definitely not terrible for everyone.

This, the idea is solid, the implementation needs work...

[silverdevil]

ED implementation of the new spotting system was from years of everyone complaining about spotting. now ED has taken a step to improve and everyone is complaining. i am sure it will improve.

Edited October 22, 2023 by silverdevil

[TCKnight]

please fix this big bug. I fly with vr... big square everywhere

Edited November 3, 2023 by TCKnight

[Buzz313th]

If I create a .txt file and rename it "autoexec.cfg" and then put one line in it that reads "DotRendererExperiment = False"

 

Is that enough to create a proper autoexec.cfg that I don't have originally in \Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\?

 

Edit...

I tried this and I did not see a difference.  I'm assuming I made the file correctly.

Edited November 3, 2023 by Buzz313th

[SharpeXB]

On 10/22/2023 at 7:13 AM, silverdevil said:

ED implementation of the new spotting system was from years of everyone complaining about spotting. now ED has taken a step to improve and everyone is complaining. i am sure it will improve.

I don’t think everyone complained about spotting. Certainly there will always be someone complaining about it. The current solution is hardly an improvement. 
 

What’s interesting is I recently flew with a totally new player online, in the previous 2.8 OB. We were just flying around randomly and again this player was a complete newbie. He had no trouble seeing me or keeling track of where I was. And he was using very basic hardware with no TrackIR or anything. Gee…

Edited November 3, 2023 by SharpeXB

[rob10]

1 hour ago, SharpeXB said:

I don’t think everyone complained about spotting. Certainly there will always be someone complaining about it. The current solution is hardly an improvement. 
What’s interesting is I recently flew with a totally new player online, in the previous 2.8 OB. We were just flying around randomly and again this player was a complete newbie. He had no trouble seeing me or keeling track of where I was. And he was using very basic hardware with no TrackIR or anything. Gee…

Once again, you assume because you see it that way, everyone sees it the same way.  THEY DO NOT!  I am one of those who had trouble with seeing even wingmen when they went spread with the old system.  Now I can keep track of them.  In MY setup they aren't big blocks like some people are seeing, they are nice small/tiny objects that I can see at a reasonable distance (maybe a bit more than 10 nm for tankers).  THAT is why some people like the new system.  It is not broken, it needs tweaking for those who are getting the giant blocks that I'm not getting.

1 hour ago, Buzz313th said:

If I create a .txt file and rename it "autoexec.cfg" and then put one line in it that reads "DotRendererExperiment = False"

Is that enough to create a proper autoexec.cfg that I don't have originally in \Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\?

Edit...

I tried this and I did not see a difference.  I'm assuming I made the file correctly.

Currently a known and acknowledged by ED bug.  Adding that line does not do what it's supposed to do even if you have it correct.

EDIT: is there any way around replies being merged?  These 2 posts are on completely different topics, but the only way I can separate them (they get automatically merged even when I reply separately) is waiting 5 minutes or something between posting them

Edited November 4, 2023 by rob10

[SharpeXB]

12 minutes ago, rob10 said:

I am one of those who had trouble with seeing even wingmen when they went spread with the old system. 

This type of observation is only helped by screenshots etc. otherwise it’s just not possible to know what you’re referring to by “trouble seeing” or what I might mean by “giant blocks”. I did in fact post screenshots of what I’m seeing and I think most agree that these are too large. The new system appears to be nothing more than dot labels forced on. 
 

In 2.8 aircraft as close as your spread out wingmen are very easy for me to see. So I’d be curious to see a shot of what you’re experiencing as invisible wingmen. 

[Buzz313th]

31 minutes ago, rob10 said:

Currently a known and acknowledged by ED bug.  Adding that line does not do what it's supposed to do even if you have it correct.

I saw the posts acknowledging that the line didn't work for some, so I figured maybe it might work on my system..  Which is why I gave it a try.

 

31 minutes ago, rob10 said:

In MY setup they aren't big blocks like some people are seeing, they are nice small/tiny objects that I can see at a reasonable distance

Are you on VR or a flat screen?

Edited November 4, 2023 by Buzz313th

[rob10]

6 minutes ago, Buzz313th said:

Are you on VR or a flat screen?

Flat screen.

[Buzz313th]

4 minutes ago, rob10 said:

Flat screen.

What is your ingame screen resolution?

Your monitor size..  and

How far roughly is the monitor from you when playing?

 

Edited November 4, 2023 by Buzz313th

[SharpeXB]

2 hours ago, rob10 said:

In MY setup they aren't big blocks like some people are seeing, they are nice small/tiny objects that I can see at a reasonable distance (maybe a bit more than 10 nm for tankers).

See for this discussion to have any validity you need to clearly describe the following:
Define “MY setup” ie List your specs.
What’s “small” or what’s the definition of “reasonable”? Keep in mind the real data for this indicates distances far far less then most players seem to believe.
Fyi my first screenshot shows a tanker easily totally visible at 22 miles. Is that “reasonable”? 
Without tracks or screenshots specifically describing what all these are, the discussion is rather pointless. 

[RenegadeMech40]

Has anybody been able to make this fix work. Me n a buddy fly in VR on Reverb G2’s and the spotting dots are stupid big and obnoxious. They show up around 30 miles out as a square that appears about 3/32” in our displays. Like I said, obnoxious. I did not have the autoexec.cfg file in the Config folder so I made a file from Notepad. All I did was copy and paste the “DotRendererExperiment = False” from the title of this thread, pasted it in the note and saved it as a .cfg file and placed it in the Config folder. Did I do it correctly?

Edited December 20, 2023 by RenegadeMech40
Format of text

[SharpeXB]

On 12/20/2023 at 9:10 AM, RenegadeMech40 said:

Has anybody been able to make this fix work. Me n a buddy fly in VR on Reverb G2’s and the spotting dots are stupid big and obnoxious. They show up around 30 miles out as a square that appears about 3/32” in our displays. Like I said, obnoxious. I did not have the autoexec.cfg file in the Config folder so I made a file from Notepad. All I did was copy and paste the “DotRendererExperiment = False” from the title of this thread, pasted it in the note and saved it as a .cfg file and placed it in the Config folder. Did I do it correctly?

 

There’s a toggle setting in the Gameplay menu now for the Spotting Dots. Off reverts the setting back to the 2.8 method.