Ground units looking like Boxes until REALLY close

luza · April 2, 2011

Is there anyway to increase the distance to render ground units? It really destroys the immersion when you litterally have to fly right over ground units for them to render properly

RichardG · April 2, 2011

Try increasing your cockpit resolution in options/settings

Dimebag1 · April 3, 2011

Try the graphics.Cfg file, somewhere in the lod for ground units maybe, it will have a number somewhere you could increase. It's not advisable to fool with these things without backing the files up tho.

luza · April 3, 2011

Just to clarify, I found no settings in the Options menu that seemed to affect or solve the problem

Sinky · April 3, 2011

Like Dimebag said, there should be LOD options inside the graphics config for each view distance setting. You could try editing those values ( backing up the file before-hand ), no idea if it will work or not but it's worth a shot. Expect an FPS hit.

I take it you mean visually looking at the targets and not through the TGP. Settings have been deprecated or moved into LUA files so like I said before it may not work.

luza · April 3, 2011

could anyone be more specific which line in the lua file it is ?

-Ice · April 3, 2011

Seriously guys, are you telling him to "go fiddle with this but we don't think it'll work but why don't you do this experiment for us?"

Has someone found out a way to do this? Yes / No

Might it be possible to do this? Yes / No

I'm curious as well why nobody's tackled this before. I usually specks come into 3D at 2nm but can visual ID until less than 1nm... and this is with zoom enabled already.

Sinky · April 3, 2011

Haven't reinstalled notepad++ after reformatting yet so can't get the line number at the moment but this is the section I'm talking about. Specifically the lod multiplier.

Camera
{
   current = "Medium";
   Low
   {
       near_clip = 0.2;
       middle_clip = 4;
       far_clip = 150000;

       structures = {30, 2000};
       trees = {1000, 1500};
       dynamic = {300, 20000};
       dynamic2 = {300, 20000,0.5};
       objects = {3000, 80000};
       mirage = {3000, 20000};
       surface = {10000, 50000};
       lights = {50, 10000};
       districtobjects = {100, 100};
       districts = {2000, 2000};

       lodMult = 1;
       lodAdd = 100;
   }
   Medium
   {
       near_clip = 0.2;
       middle_clip = 4;
       far_clip = 150000;

       structures = {40, 10000};
       trees = {1000, 6000};
       dynamic = {300, 20000};
       dynamic2 = {300, 20000,0.5};
       objects = {3000, 80000};
       mirage = {3000, 20000};
       surface = {14000, 80000};
       lights = {100, 30000};
       districtobjects = {300, 300};
       districts = {6000, 6000};

       lodMult = 1.5;
       lodAdd = 0;
   }
   High
   {
       near_clip = 0.2;
       middle_clip = 4;
       far_clip = 150000;

       structures = {60, 20000};
       trees = {1000, 12000};
       dynamic = {300, 20000};
       dynamic2 = {300, 20000,0.5};
       objects = {5000, 80000};
       mirage = {3000, 20000};
       surface = {20000, 80000};
       lights = {200, 80000};
       districtobjects = {400, 400};
       districts = {12000, 12000};

       lodMult = 1.0;
       lodAdd = 0;
   }
}

@Ice: Where's the problem in him trying it if he backs up the file? Personally I've only fiddled with the lodAdd and it did make a difference. You will notice non-smooth section on the fuselage if you set the view distance to low I think it was, changing the lodAdd from 100 to 0 in this file fixed that problem for me when I had a lesser system. Also, 80% of people don't have the performance to sacrifice for better levels of detail that far out or even have a need for it.

Targets tend to be dead on my end before I get that close and if I'm strafing a tank the firing range is 0.7 slant and break off at 0.5 and the tanks detailed for me.

I never said it wouldn't work I said it might work and it might not, not every setting in the graphics.cfg still effects the game since the engine upgrade.

Edited April 3, 2011 by Sinky

bengo · April 3, 2011

Seriously guys, are you telling him to "go fiddle with this but we don't think it'll work but why don't you do this experiment for us?"

Has someone found out a way to do this? Yes / No
Might it be possible to do this? Yes / No

I'm curious as well why nobody's tackled this before. I usually specks come into 3D at 2nm but can visual ID until less than 1nm... and this is with zoom enabled already.

Good point. To start troubleshooting properly, we need system specs and in-game settings.

Kuky · April 3, 2011

changing the lodMult value in Graphics.cfg does work now... I've set mine to 1.5 (I've tried 2.0 also and it works even better but there is little FPS hit so I've decided to leave it at 1.5)

The way it works is if for 3D model it's set that from high lod to low lod switches at say 500m, lodMult of 1 will mean lod will switch at that value of 500m... if you set it to 2.0 it will switch at 1000m... this means more polys to render for the video card and it does decrease performance... as a benefit objects do look better further out

Edited April 3, 2011 by Kuky

luza · April 3, 2011

Specs aren't the problem, I run the game really well.

cba. to pull up specifics but

win 7 64bit

6gb DDr3 dominator Ram

ATI 5870

i7 950 Quad running at 3.07 Ghz

Tried some different ingame settings, and went with settings simular to wags.

Game runs smooth as silk

ingame 4x AA

Ati control pannel 16X AF

Vertical sync Quality

Mipmap detail Quality

A.I quality

luza · April 3, 2011

changing the lodMult value in Graphics.cfg does work now... I've set mine to 1.5 (I've tried 2.0 also and it works even better but there is little FPS hit so I've decided to leave it at 1.5)

The way it works is if for 3D model it's set that from high lod to low lod switches at say 500m, lodMult of 1 will mean lod will switch at that value of 500m... if you set it to 2.0 it will switch at 1000m... this means more polys to render for the video card and it does decrease performance... as a benefit objects do look better further out

but I was wondering if there was a line in the Lua, specificly for vehicles ?

near_clip = 0.2;

middle_clip = 4;

far_clip = 150000;

structures = {40, 10000};

trees = {1000, 6000};

dynamic = {300, 20000};

dynamic2 = {300, 20000,0.5};

objects = {3000, 80000};

mirage = {3000, 20000};

surface = {14000, 80000};

lights = {100, 30000};

districtobjects = {300, 300};

districts = {6000, 6000};

lodMult = 1.5;

lodAdd = 0;

Was thinking it was Dynamic maybe?

StrongHarm · April 3, 2011

Luza, would you mind posting a screenshot of the condition you're referring to please? It would be helpful if you would make the target SPI and show the HUD distance values in your screenshot.

-Ice · April 3, 2011

Sorry guys, but just telling someone to fiddle with some such in [insert lua/config filename here] is just too... vague... to be of help.

ie, compare Dimebag1 and Sinky's response to Kuky. Just my IMHO.

Kuky, thanks for the pointers!

mia389 · April 3, 2011

I get this as well. I have my settings on medium and when I look out my canopy and zoom the vehicles are boxes until I get closer. I will get a screen shot in a bit for ya

luza · April 3, 2011

Ill try SH - But I had the same thing on this PC and my old PC in DCS blackshark too, it's they look like boxes and only render once one gets really close (not on tgp, but with Mk1)

StrongHarm · April 3, 2011

Thank you. I'd like to know more about this issue and appreciate your time in reporting it. Mia389 and luza, I wonder if you both have ATI cards. Would you mind following instructions on this post to add a DXDIAG and screenshot please? Are your settings default in your graphics setup in windows, or did you alter them based on a particular post or method?

For those of you experiencing any issue with DCS; your time in reporting your issue will make a great sim even greater. We're fortunate to have a sim producer *and community* that really cares about this sim. Help

is

available.

• Please see the "

DCS: A-10C Tech Support

" forum.

!-It's very helpful to us if you do a quick search of the Tech Support forum to make sure the issue hasn't already been reported and discussed.

• Report all issues based on the "

How To Report a Problem

" post as outlined by the magnificent Panzertard.

Osirith · April 3, 2011

Hello,

got the same "problem" with units looking more or less like little boxes when viewed with large zoom through hud. This is clearly (as it seems) a LoD thing, not a graphic bug or something else.

I use a nVidia GTX460/1Gb.

I will try to take a screenshot and post more info (settings, etc) as soon as I can.

It's not something really awful or with playability issues, but still, as it was reported in this thread, just adding to it :)

Sinky · April 3, 2011

Sorry guys, but just telling someone to fiddle with some such in [insert lua/config filename here] is just too... vague... to be of help.

ie, compare Dimebag1 and Sinky's response to Kuky. Just my IMHO.

Kuky, thanks for the pointers!

I told the guy where to go and what to change...

Only reason I never gave the same explanation as Kuky is because I haven't had experience changing that value which Kuky clearly has. You should keep things like that to yourself in future, myself and Dimebag were only trying to help and it's not like we gave incorrect information.

negrete · April 3, 2011

Hi guys if got the same problem and I posted some info and a screen shot long time ago in tech suport but no help at all see post and pic.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=68634

Tomorow ill post more screens late here in spain.

Thanks for the help its very annoying this bug

Mi spec I7 920 ati 5850 saphire and 6 gig of ram

mia389 · April 3, 2011

I attached DXDIAG and a picture of my settings and 6 pictures. I have not messed with any graphics.cfg file. I have a new 560 coming in the mail this week and will report back if it happens with that card as well. Im on a GTX275 now.

I have AA off. Not sure if that causing it. Maybe I will turn it on and see what happens

DxDiag.txt

Edited April 3, 2011 by mia389

-Ice · April 3, 2011

I told the guy where to go and what to change...

I do apologize, your second post was a bit more helpful than the first.

You should keep things like that to yourself in future, myself and Dimebag were only trying to help and it's not like we gave incorrect information.

Now telling me what I should keep and not keep to myself is a bit rich isn't it? I never said you gave WRONG/INCORRECT info, I just said the "look here and fiddle with these 'n' amount of options" wasn't much help.

StrongHarm, I'm on a i5 750 and HD 5770 and I am getting the exact same "boxes" as mia389. I'm not exactly sure if it's at the same distance, but yes, when doing a guns run, I just usually find the 3D object on the landscape although by the time I am thinking about firing (less than 1nm), it is usually the "proper" 3D model and no longer a box. This makes me curious though... does it appear as a "proper" model before 1nm for you guys?

At the very least, I'd like the "boxes" to appear sooner, as to when the boxes transform into actual tanks/vehicles, I'm not too picky as they're probably gonna be dead real soon anyway :music_whistling:

mtuckner · April 3, 2011

I experience this too. I should screen cap a couple this evening to illustrate. It's a problem when trying to see what way the tank is facing when using the old eyeball and not the TGP. You have to get within their guns range to get the LOD to pop. I tried a couple training missions with no TGP and it was dangerous just to see if it was a truck or tank that I wanted to line up on. I know this is LOD to save performance. I might have to tweak that file since I think have have some performance to squeeze.

miguelaco · April 3, 2011

Actually, in 1.1.0.6, lodMult for high scenes is less than that for medium (1 vs 1.5) which doesn't make sense. I think this is a bug in graphics.cfg as I stated in another thread. Don't think is a card issue.

negrete · April 4, 2011

Here are some pics of the problem with distances in the gun piper. I think with the new ati driver it is a bit better but maibe it is just because of the mission dont know. But I remember sometimes I had to go below 0,9 miles to see the tank.