X-Plane night lighting and multiple screens....Be Aware

[XOrionFE]

I just figured out something that had been bugging me for a while last night in regards to X-Plane lighting at night.   I have been running FSX again on three displays using Nvidia Surround and the 4 window setup we all use for projectors or TVs.   I did this because I have never been happy (or more probably never figured out) how to get Wideview working to sink clouds and traffic seamlessly when using multiple computers.   The single computer approach with undocked views was much easier to deal with on FSX.   So that said, whenever I get the X-plane urge I just ran it using the same single computers and 3 displays but set the fov to 135 (45 per display) for one very wide front view.  Obviously sides are distorted because of their physical angles and this being a non-wrapping fov.   In any event, I noticed that all night lighting was really dim and often hard to make out airports.  I thought this was occurring due to a recent beta update of XPlane because it used to be much much brighter and beautiful as seen on some of my older video and picture posts...so was scratching my head.

Well it finally dawned on me...the stretch of the fov to more pixels in width was what was causing the issue.  If I shrunk back down to a 45-50 degree fov on 1920x1080 single tv...boom...tons of lights and perfect night flying.   So the moral of the story is...DO NOT run X-Plane as a single view spanning 3 displays (projectors or TVs) off one computer.....it loses all its glory.   You MUST run a seperate computer per display as I had done previously and keep each ones FOV to 45-50 degrees.   Then you get to see X-plane night lighting in all its glory.   And though I LOVE the new lighting in FSX provided by FTX Global and it comes a lot closer to XP I still think XP is the winner in night lighting effects.    So hopefully that helps someone if they are having the problem and yes, for those who want to save their wallet from growing dry fast, stick with the FSX surround view multi window setup and FTX Global.  You will have less computers to run and more cash.   For those who love XP as I do and have sampled the koolaide (from whence itis hard to go back to FSX)...prepare your wallet :-).

Best regards,
Scott

[rhysb]

Scott,

Thanks for the heads up. As there are only a few of us who have ventured to xp10 that's good info. Do you find though that when using the single view to a computer method do you sometimes find at dawn or dusk times the natural light going across the screens doesn't quite match at the screens edge? Difficult to explain so il try and shoot a video to show you what I mean.

Also just on your FSX setup:
I went over to xp10 but have wandered back to fsx and prosim although I'm now using p3d as I find it more stable. I am quite a late convert to orbx and it was trying their PNW and Scotland sceneries that got me hooked and since then more areas, FTX global and their Ketchikan airport have followed.
Anyway back to my point, I now have xp10, FSX and P3D 1.4 running on the sim. If I was to benchmark FSX and P3D with FTX global etc I have to say the lighting is far superior in P3D than FSX and I get a much better experience with the ORBX stuff. I know it would be a pain but I would recommend giving P3D a go you will not be disappointed.

[XOrionFE]

Not sure I have seen the color at edge difference you describe but will keep an eye for it.

On P3D are you using Wideview?

Scott

[rhysb]

Yes I use wideview with P3D but I don't as I have the same setup as you but I have only 3 screens not the 5 so I tick the wide aspect check box in p3D to put the 150 degree view over the 3 screens of one comp the. Use the other 2 for prosim etc.

When I'm running xp I use 3 machines for 3 screens but my 2 side computers are not as strong as my main so have to turn the settings down on them.

Il try and shoot a video of the light issue

Rhys b

[Nat Crea]

Lucky Im a multi-computer addict...I would never have known Scott

Serious question, does anyone believe there is a CPU out there can run multi-views on one
computer SMOOTHLY with ORBX's YMML, YSCB or YBBN for example?

Nat

(Sorry Hi-Jack police!)

[XOrionFE]

Lucky Im a multi-computer addict...I would never have known Scott

Serious question, does anyone believe there is a CPU out there can run multi-views on one
computer SMOOTHLY with ORBX's YMML, YSCB or YBBN for example?

Nat

(Sorry Hi-Jack police!)

I dont.  I was running my 680 with 3 displays at 1080 with FSX and with Orbx Scenery and in heavier airports such as Aerosoft I get framerates in the mid teens.   Not until I am climbing past 5-10 K and away do I start getting into the 30-40s.   Up high now problem at all.   But on the ground in the good stuff still have stutters and mid teens.

[Flying_Fox]

Serious question, does anyone believe there is a CPU out there can run multi-views on one
computer SMOOTHLY with ORBX's YMML, YSCB or YBBN for example?

My Sandy Bridge (i7 2600K @ 4.6 Ghz, 3(!) views) runs YSCB with ~20-21 FPS.
Smooth enough for my liking. 
YBBN is slower, of course.



Nick

[XOrionFE]

Serious question, does anyone believe there is a CPU out there can run multi-views on one
computer SMOOTHLY with ORBX's YMML, YSCB or YBBN for example?

My Sandy Bridge (4.6 Ghz, 3(!) views) runs YSCB with ~20-21 FPS.
Smooth enough for my liking. 
YBBN is slower, of course.



Nick

But your not running 3 x 1920x1080 are you Nick?

[Flying_Fox]

But your not running 3 x 1920x1080 are you Nick?

No, 1280 x 800 

[rhysb]

Lucky Im a multi-computer addict...I would never have known Scott

Serious question, does anyone believe there is a CPU out there can run multi-views on one
computer SMOOTHLY with ORBX's YMML, YSCB or YBBN for example?

Nat

(Sorry Hi-Jack police!)

I dont.  I was running my 680 with 3 displays at 1080 with FSX and with Orbx Scenery and in heavier airports such as Aerosoft I get framerates in the mid teens.   Not until I am climbing past 5-10 K and away do I start getting into the 30-40s.   Up high now problem at all.   But on the ground in the good stuff still have stutters and mid teens.

Guys,

I have the same with the 670 as Scott. I do find though that p3d running at 15fps against FSX running 15fps you will get a much smoother experience with p3d.

Rhys b

[Nat Crea]

Thanks guys..had a feeling.
Looks like 3 new 4770k's for me.
If that doesn't defeat YBBN nothing will

Nat

[XOrionFE]

Just picked up to new 3770ks for my back monitors.   

I was going to get the 4770s but was worried they are so new.  Went with tried and tested.  Should be fine though...I hope.

Scott

[Nat Crea]

Hey Scott,

I've been tossing up between 3770K and 4770K for a while.
Seeing there's only $20 difference and I have to get new M/B's anyway,
I was leaning towards the 4770's.

Nat

[XOrionFE]

Hey Scott,

I've been tossing up between 3770K and 4770K for a while.
Seeing there's only $20 difference and I have to get new M/B's anyway,
I was leaning towards the 4770's.

Nat

I was going through same choice dilema. My good friend Doug Horton was a writer for Computer Pilot Magazine and now a featured writer for Avsim does tons of benchmarking of flight sim and computers (you may have read his articles).   He recently wrote the following article which is basically what I based my latest build off of.

http://forum.avsim.net/page/index.html/_/reviews/hardware/anatomy-of-a-z77-computer-professionally-buil-r1541

[Nat Crea]

Scott

Bought the components to build three 3770K IG's.
If they dont chew up ORBX, I'll do a "Mau"! 

Nat

[Maurice]

Scott

Bought the components to build three 3770K IG's.
If they dont chew up ORBX, I'll do a "Mau"! 

Nat

If you haven't done a "Mau" by now after all the rebuilds, reconfigurations, modifications, improvements, tweaks, fixes etc... you are probably way beyond being able to do a Mau.

Doing a Mau requires a great amount of common sense, intestinal fortitude and raw courage  , all of which you are obviously lacking since the high you get from torturing yourself is stronger than any high you could get from illegal substances.

Let's face it Nat, you'll want to take your sim with you when your kids dump you in a nursing home some day

By the way, when Scott mentioned choosing between a 3770K or 4770K, I didn't even know what he was talking about. I had to Google it to realize these were CPUs. That shows how much I've gone out of touch with current technology and to paraphrase McDonalds,  I'm loving it 

Mau

[Kennair]

Hey guys, Nick Needham has some detailed analysis and advice on building a system based on the newest 4770K (Haswell) processor.  Might be useful.

http://www.simforums.com/Forums/haswell-48ghz-on-air-building-a-haswell-system_topic46180.html

Ken.

[XOrionFE]

Hey guys, Nick Needham has some detailed analysis and advice on building a system based on the newest 4770K (Haswell) processor.  Might be useful.

http://www.simforums.com/Forums/haswell-48ghz-on-air-building-a-haswell-system_topic46180.html

Ken.

Good stuff on Hazwell.  I had read that but still decided on one generation older to save a few bucks and also due to the great track record I have read about for 3770.   Maybe when I am ready to replace my older computers I will do the 4770.

[Nat Crea]

Built one 3770k today and chewed up  4.5Ghz no problemo.
Got it to 5Ghz just for fun before she spat the dummy.
The trio should be no match for FSX...fingers crossed 

Nat

[Maurice]

The trio should be no match for FSX...fingers crossed 

Nat

I think you meant to say FSX should be no match for the trio, otherwise I can already see the headlines in your local newspaper

"Sim addict found hanging from the overhead in his simulator.
The authorities are classifying this death as extremely suspicious as there were rumours of an altercation between FSX and XP shortly before the body was found. Search is now underway for XP as the prime suspect but FSX is not out of the woods either as this is beginning to look like a lover's quarrel and it is still too early to determine who the jilted party was".

Maurice

[Nat Crea]

LOL Youre right Mau...it was late and I could hardly even keep my brain functioning.

Trouble is the NG flightdeck is to short to hang yourself..even for me 

Nat

[RayS]

Thought I'd update this thread...

I noticed the same dimming across multiple overhead projectors. Turns out there is an update to 'fix' the night lighting issues, with 4 different lighting options. #3 & #4 are really good.

http://forums.x-pilot.com/files/file/435-replacement-day-and-night-lighting-lightstxt-for-x-plane-1020/