2022 SR-71 performance improvement on older/ slower machines in P3D

[af120835]

If anyone is struggling with performance issues with the new SR on older/slower machines where FPS takes a hit, and also photorealistic scenary takes a long time to load/ look blurry when flying, then I have found a way of improving performance.

Replacing the following section in the panel.cfg file has given me a massive FPS boost, and more importantly my Orbx scenary now looks great. With settings really low, I've gone from 50fps and blurry scenary to 150fps and crisp scenary.

High settings allow me to have circa 50-60fps and crisp scenary.

I'm slowly going to re-add sections that have been commented out (with //) and see which is the worst culprit for causing the problems, but I thought I'd share in case anyone else was having the same issue.

Generally however, the cockpit maps seems to be the biggest issue for some reason.

It does mean losing out on some of the new functionality, but performance is massively improved. One day I'll get round to building a better PC and enjoy everything as it should be.

Andy

//--------------------------------------------------------

//[Vcockpit01]
//Background_color=0,0,0
//size_mm=512,512
//visible=0
//pixel_size=512,512
//texture=$SR71VC1

//gauge00=Glowingheat_SR-71!Map, 0,0,512,512

[Vcockpit02]
Background_color=231,227,231
size_mm=512,512
visible=0
pixel_size=512,512
texture=$SR71VC2

gauge00=Glowingheat_SR-71!wide, 1,1,512,512

[Vcockpit03]
Background_color=231,227,231
size_mm=512,512
visible=0
pixel_size=512,512
texture=$SR71VC3

gauge00=Glowingheat_SR-71!narrow, 1,1,512,512

[Vcockpit04]
Background_color=231,227,231
size_mm=512,512
visible=0
pixel_size=512,512
texture=$A12VC2

gauge00=Glowingheat_SR-71!mirrorleft, 1,1,512,512

[Vcockpit05]
Background_color=231,227,231
size_mm=512,512
visible=0
pixel_size=512,512
texture=$A12VC3

gauge00=Glowingheat_SR-71!mirrorright, 1,1,512,512

//[Vcockpit06]
//Background_color=0,0,0
//size_mm=512,512
//visible=0
//pixel_size=512,512
//texture=$SR71VC4

//gauge00=Glowingheat_SR-71!Map_rso, 0,0,512,512

//[Vcockpit07]
//Background_color=231,227,231
//size_mm=1024,1024
//visible=0
//pixel_size=1024,1024
//texture=$SR71VC5

//gauge00=Glowingheat_SR-71!SR-71_SLR, 1,1,1024,1024

[Vcockpit08]
Background_color=0,0,0
size_mm=1024,1024
visible=0
pixel_size=1024,1024
texture=$SR71VC5

gauge00=Glowingheat_SR-71!SR-71_exhaust_Smoke, 1,1,1,1
gauge01=Glowingheat_SR-71!shutdown1, 1,1,1,1
gauge02=Glowingheat_SR-71!shutdown2, 1,1,1,1
gauge03=Glowingheat_SR-71!STALL SHUTDOWN, 1,1,1,1
gauge04=Glowingheat_SR-71!stopwatch, 1,1,1,1
gauge05=Glowingheat_SR-71!rsostopwatch, 1,1,1,1
gauge06=Glowingheat_SR-71!teb_counter, 1,1,1,1
gauge07=Glowingheat_SR-71!Elevondroop, 1,1,1,1
gauge08=Glowingheat_SR-71!Switch, 1,1,1,1
gauge09=Glowingheat_SR-71!fueldumpcontroller, 1,1,1,1
gauge10=Glowingheat_SR-71!manualspikecontroller, 1,1,1,1
gauge11=Glowingheat_SR-71!SR-71_master_caution_lamp, 1,1,1,1
gauge12=Glowingheat_SR-71!SR-71_master_warning_lamp, 1,1,1,1
gauge13=Glowingheat_SR-71!A12_burner_LOGO, 1,1,1,1
gauge14=Glowingheat_SR-71!A12_burner_wing, 1,1,1,1
gauge15=Glowingheat_SR-71!fuel_transfer_fwd, 1,1,1,1
gauge16=Glowingheat_SR-71!fuel_transfer_aft, 1,1,1,1
gauge17=Glowingheat_SR-71!NWS, 1,1,1,1
gauge18=Glowingheat_SR-71!NWS_controller, 1,1,1,1
gauge19=Glowingheat_SR-71!Antiskid_controller, 1,1,1,1
gauge20=Glowingheat_SR-71!canopy_seal_controller_pilot, 1,1,1,1
gauge21=Glowingheat_SR-71!canopy_seal_controller_rso, 1,1,1,1
gauge22=Glowingheat_SR-71!FWD_transfer_controller, 1,1,1,1


//--------------------------------------------------------

[DBushell]

Hi Andy,

I'd start with the wide, narrow, mirror left and right and SLR - these are all render to texture sections. That could be slowing down the FPS.

[af120835]

Hi David, It's definitely got something to do with the map bizarrely. I think it has something to do with the photorealistic scenary. I have everything else on, and it's fine..the FPS is lower with it all on, but the scenary renders fine.

If I turn the maps on in the cfg file, even with the maps actually switched off in the cockpit, and everything else off in the cfg, the scenary just renders blurry.

Maps off in the cfg and it looks great... I don't understand it.

It only happens with Orbx scenary. Doesn't seem too bad with the default scenary.

Part of the problem I think is it's just an aging pc.. I've been lucky enough to get hold of a gaming pc, so looking forward to trying it out with everything on and maxed out.... Just hoping LM manage to sort out the lighting in P3D V6 so she looks gorgeous at dusk again!

Cheers

Andy

[stavka]

Today i bought the SR-71A for P3Dv5 on Justflight store.
I fly many aircraft at +/- 30 to 50 fps without any problem including PMDG 777, as also other complex airliners that goes to FL350 or even higher with some bizjets.

Now with your SR-71, I takeoff at KRND, go strait forward, climb with +/- 5º AoA, 400 KIAS (between 380 and 420), and everytime the aircraft cross 22.000ft my fps goes from 30 or 40 to 0.4 fps, yes, only 0.4 fps after i cross FL220.

I tried with other aircraft A320, 777, 757, etc goes to FL350 without any issues and at high fps, with sr71 i can't cross FLL220. I readed the manual about compressor stall, etc, but its why i taken care to climb always at 400 kias (not more than 450 neither less than 300) and also my AoA was around 5º (not higher than 10). And even if compressor stalled, it should turned off engines and not turned off my fps to 0.4.

I didn't any change on any file, its vanilla installation.

I have P3Dv5.4 lastest updated version.

How do i fix this situation?

Thank You so much!

[stavka]

After i get the 0.4 fps higher than FL220 if i descend below FL220 i instantly get again high (+40) fps. So something is wrong with this aircraft after it cross FL220.

[stavka]

Checking the P3D logs, i saw that after it crossed FL220 it flood the log file with this error:
error=Failed to load visual effect "fx_Glowingheat_A12_contrail"
In Effect folder i have many fx_Glowingheat_A12 files but not that one! So something is missing here.

[stavka]

ha ha ha, after some tests that missing file is the big guilt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If i get a contrail effect from other aircraft and copy that file and rename the copy to "fx_Glowingheat_A12_contrail" it stopped to generate that errors and also it stopped to be at 0.4 fps and go at high fps.

So, this missing file is need to fix the fps issues.