reported Cockpit shadows too dark

[Lasko]

Is there anything being done to fix the problems with shadows?  Setting shadows to Low or High results in about the same display, the instruments are unreadable.  I've resorted to using the flashlight during the day to read the heading or blade pitch, it's really ridiculous.  Setting shadows to Off seems to be the only workable solution. 

There are threads on this going back years, and at one time there was a shader mod that maybe addressed some of this but no longer works.

Shadow Low/High:

Shadow Off:

[Flappie]

Do you use Reshade or any other external software?

Please attach a short DCS track and your options.lua (Saved Games/DCS.../Config/options.lua).

[Lasko]

Thanks for checking it out.  I have not used Reshade and have only adjusted the Nvidia control panel a bit to make the terrain not washed out.  This is was the main complaint I found in other threads:

I can adjust the Gamma and Brightness higher in Nvidia control panel which kind of improves the instruments but puts a grainy haze overlay on everything.

2023-11-12 Mi8 Shadow High.trk

2023-11-12 Mi8 Shadow Off.trk

options-High.lua

For the copy I made of options.lua with shadow off, the only difference was ["shadows"] = 0 from ["shadows"] = 4.

[Flappie]

Thank you. I get the same result, even when using default 2.2 gamma setting. I tried other helicopters: the Ka-50 is a bit brighter, the Apache a bit more (thanks to its glass roof) and the Huey is very bright.

I've found a picture of a darkened Mi-8 cockpit: it seems rather normal when the sky is grey.

In your mission, the sun is shining: the cockpit should be more readable than it is. I'll ask devs if something can be done about it.

Edited November 12, 2023 by Flappie

[Flappie]

Reported as a Mi-8 issue.

[Lasko]

I think it is bigger than Mi8 though.  I added a Huey to the same mission, and it has direct sunlight on the front panels so it is somewhat better.  The parts that are in shadow are still too dark.  And the overhead console is also far too dark, and you can use the flashlight trick there again.

2023-11-12 UH1 Shadow High.trk

[Roostyla]

Its a problem with other modules I think where it darkens a little too much to my taste but instruments are still readable as they can be back lit or lamps turned on.

I'm new to the Mi-8, it's my first helo and the first thought I had was the same as Lasko that is was too dark to read instruments. Funnily enough I also used the same trick and had the flashlight on with the mouse cursor to read them! Try flying with dark clouds or even dusk and you can forget they exist  . I was hoping to use the cockpit lighting systems as they are various dome lights but it didnt help much.

I have since turned turn shadows to flat to remove the cockpit shadows entirely .

 

[Lasko]

2 hours ago, Roostyla said:

I have since turned turn shadows to flat to remove the cockpit shadows entirely .

Flat shadows causes other problems, including a mirror effect on some surfaces and sun angles.  I'm just going to enjoy leaving shadows set to Off for a while.