Frame rate down after update

[Bayou Talker]

After downloading the latest update on my laptop the frame rate is so low that the sim is unusable. Prior to the update the frame rate was 60-80 and now it is 12-15. All of the graphics settings are far from the maximum. Hopefully there is a fix for this problem.

[opjose]

There is no "fix" per-se.

It is likely that this is a shader problem...

Try turning off particle effects and see if this changes things.

Also compare frame rates in photofields versus 3D fields when you try to benchmark the performance you are getting.

Frame rates vary all over the place in G3, so to get a real test you need exactly the same scenario in both versions.

I've seen people cite photofield frame rates in .430 versus 3D field frame rates in the latest release.

It would stand to reason that the two will not even be close.

[Bayou Talker]

The frame rates I checked are with the same settings in both versions and there is a marked difference between the two versions. The new version is definitely slower.

I have set the particle effects lower (not off) and it did make an improvement. It seems that every update to G3 causes me to set the realism lower so there is not only no improvement noticed but indeed a loss of realism. I was very disappointed that I had to set the graphics as low as they are to make the program useable with my laptop as it is definitely not a low end model.

When I installed the update on my desktop, it had a slight loss of frame rate also but not as much as the laptop.

I would suggest a prime part of the next update would be to make the graphics more efficient to allow higher realism settings on more systems. Anything extra added to the program is of no real value unless it can be utilized by the majority of the users.

[opjose]

It has nothing to do with "efficiency".

Particle and shader effects were upgraded to conform to DX9 standards as per the specs called for, for G3.

This has slowed down some marginal cards.

That said, yes this does indeed drop compliant cards a few FPS, but that's about it on most (but sadly not all) cards.

Laptops take the biggest hits because of their usually poor video display devices.

I don't know if it's possible for them to implement a "use older compliant effects" to speed up the graphics in this case...

In any event this one deserves a mention for a future update.

[Jaymis]

I had a similiar problem, and I'll give an apology for being redundant.

I thought it may have been a problem with the download, but wasn't sure. Anyway, here's my post and what happened when I simply added Expansion pack 2 which I understand has the latest update incorporated in it (no adjustments were made in settings). I've been using it daily and everything works as it did with version .430.

Here's the message I sent:
I've had G3 on my computer for about a month, all was fine. when I downloaded the latest update 448, all of a sudden things started to happen. When I opened the program, things seemed fine . . . until I attempted to load "certain" aircraft. The frame rate dropped form 55fps to 3, which made using the simulator impossible. If I restarted G3, it would work with that specific aircraft until I attempted to load another aircraft (usually larger more complicated models). Again, if I restarted G3 it would work, until I attempted to load another aircraft. Well . . . I was "almost" ready to go back to the previous version (430) when G3 expansion 2 arrived at my door. I installed it and all was good again, go figure . . .

The only thing I can figure is, either the update from the launcher was flawed or damaged during the download process (dialup) and may have been corrected when expansion pack 2 was installed. Either way, all is working properly again.

The purpose of this message is to give a potential "heads up" in the event this was a problem with other users.

[opjose]

This redundancy is WELCOME!

Yes I had forgotten about your post.

[missile]

I have G-3 installed on a new ACER laptop ( ATI 128 meg video / 1gig mem / 1.6 gig speed). I purchased the laptop specifically to run G-3. To get acceptable frame rates, picture compromises are necessary. I am willing to upgrade. Is there an optimal configuration that is used for dealer demos or development laptops?

[opjose]

There are serveral factors, hard disk speed, CPU speed, memory bandwidth, memory quantity, video memory, cpu to video memory transfer rate, video processing power, and software compatibility.

Maximize all of these and you get blistering performance in G3, and all new games and programs to boot.

I'm running G3 with a 3.6Ghz P4 Intel processor w/1 gig on board cache, 2 gigs of system ram (even more would be better), striped SATA drives, Nvidia 7800 GT video card with 256megs of Dedicated Video ram, etc.

I can run with everything maxed out, EXCEPT for a field or two where the CPU load from all of the trees slow things down.

So I'm still just short of optimal.

Take that as a bit of a touchstone.