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Troubleshooting performance issues: Difference between revisions
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=== How do I use this page? === | === How do I use this page? === | ||
Below, you'll find a list of performance factors. Each of them affect performance, but it's not the same for everyone. So, to find out what you can give up for | Below, you'll find a list of performance factors. Each of them affect performance, but it's not the same for everyone. So, to find out what you can give up for less stuttering, more regular FPS, or what's killing the framerate, or what could be causing certain artifacts, you'll have to check each of them. | ||
Most important, you'll have to '''check them singularly''', otherwise you'll never be sure if one of the factors is more determinant than others. Also, make your experiments in a fixed environment, like always starting with the same aircraft on the same runway. | Most important, you'll have to '''check them singularly''', otherwise you'll never be sure if one of the factors is more determinant than others. Also, make your experiments in a fixed environment, like always starting with the same aircraft on the same runway. | ||
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Unknown exception in the main loop. Aborting... | Unknown exception in the main loop. Aborting... | ||
Possible cause: Not enough space | Possible cause: Not enough space | ||
: If you own an NVidia card, check that it is actually used: | |||
:# Go to the NVidia control panel. Probably located in the Windows Control Panel. | |||
:# Open the 3D Settings tab. Now there's two options you can take: | |||
:#* On the "General settings tab", set "Prefered graphics processor" to NVidia. The NVidia card will now be used for all software. This can decrease battery life significantly. | |||
:#* On the "Programm settings" tab, locate <tt>fgfs.exe</tt> (eg. <tt>C:/Program Files/FlightGear/bin/win32/fgfs.exe</tt>) and assign the NVidia card to it. From now on the NVidia card will be used for FlightGear. | |||
* '''Linux users''': Many newer Linux distributions come with 3D enhanced, composite desktop environments (KDE4, Compiz, Fusion...) They're known to consume CPU and GPU resources, even slowing FlightGear down by 10 FPS. Choosing another window manager from the login screen, like XFCE, results in higher FlightGear performance. Setting "Compositing" to "off" in KDE4 might also help. | * '''Linux users''': Many newer Linux distributions come with 3D enhanced, composite desktop environments (KDE4, Compiz, Fusion...) They're known to consume CPU and GPU resources, even slowing FlightGear down by 10 FPS. Choosing another window manager from the login screen, like XFCE, results in higher FlightGear performance. Setting "Compositing" to "off" in KDE4 might also help. | ||
=== Graphics drivers setup === | === Graphics drivers setup === | ||
*'''Graphics card drivers''': Ensure that the manufacturer's graphics card drivers are installed. You may be able to download and install drivers specific to your card from the manufacturer's site. See [[Graphics drivers configuration]]. If you think you're done, a sure way to check is the following: | *'''Graphics card drivers''': Ensure that the manufacturer's graphics card drivers are installed. You may be able to download and install drivers specific to your card from the manufacturer's site. See [[Graphics drivers configuration]]. If you think you're done, a sure way to check is the following: | ||
: | :# Set log level to "info": FlightGear launcher (fgrun.exe), in the last window button ''advanced > debugging'', set ''Log level'' to ''info'' and click OK. | ||
: | :# Launch FlightGear and find in the console window the line reporting your graphics card: | ||
Finished command line arguments | Finished command line arguments | ||
Initializing splash screen | Initializing splash screen | ||
GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X/AGP/SSE2/forceSW | GeForce4 MX 440 with AGP8X/AGP/SSE2/forceSW | ||
Max texture size = 2048 | Max texture size = 2048 | ||
: That "forceSW" indicates that the hardware acceleration is software emulated, so the OpenGL drivers are not configured, or worse you simply lack hardware support for OpenGL. '''Remember to set back to "alert" the log level | : That "forceSW" indicates that the hardware acceleration is software emulated, so the OpenGL drivers are not configured, or worse you simply lack hardware support for OpenGL. '''Remember to set back to "alert" the log level!!''' Logging affects performance! | ||
* '''Graphics drivers settings''': Disable Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering or at least set them to their lowest settings. Decreasing the setting for Mip-Mapping to its lowest setting can also help. | * '''Graphics drivers settings''': Disable Anti-Aliasing and Anisotropic Filtering or at least set them to their lowest settings. Decreasing the setting for Mip-Mapping to its lowest setting can also help. | ||
=== FlightGear setup === | === FlightGear graphics setup === | ||
From FlightGear Launcher (some options appear also during the simulation, so better to check them there too): | |||
* '''Rembrandt''': If you enabled the [[Project Rembrandt|Rembrandt renderer]], well, you knew that's experimental. First of all, try to change shadows settings, and consider disabling them. If it's not enough, disable Rembrandt altogether. To check if it's enabled: last tab, ''Advanced > Rendering >'' uncheck ''Rembrandt''. | |||
* '''3D Clouds''': One of the worst offenders in terms of performance impact. Disable them. (in-sim too) | |||
* '''Shading''': Set to "flat" | |||
* '''Fog''': set to "nicest" or "disabled" | |||
* '''Visibility''': Try reducing visibility, especially with high-detail scenery. (corresponds to ''bare'' settings in-sim, ''View > LOD settings'') | |||
* '''Log level''': Check that the log level is set to "alert" in ''Advanced > Debugging > Log level''. Logging can cost some FPS. | |||
* '''Everything else''': Both ''Advanced > features'' and ''Advanced > rendering'' have few settings that you can try out. | |||
* '''Texture compression''': If you're experiencing stuttering when turning left/right or when loading new tiles, it is possible that texture compression is not handled correctly. Disable it by adding the property <tt>/sim/rendering/texture-compression=off</tt> in FGrun: ''Advanced > Properties''. This can be tried for nVidia, ATI cards and for Intel integrated chips with MesaGL, that suffer from bugs with texture compression and FlightGear. | |||
During the simulation: | |||
* '''Shaders''': If you cranked all the way up these settings, it's very likely the cause of your FPS problem, and possibly of any [[Troubleshooting graphics artifacts|artifact]]. To check, during the simulation go in ''View > Rendering options'', check the Shaders slider position. If that seems the problem, you can select ''Custom'' and try to see which one, at which position is the cause of your problems. It can be a particular combination of them, too. | |||
* '''Random features''': Try disabling, one by one, random buildings, random objects, random trees. If any of them seem to be the cause of your problems, you could try to fine-tune their density, or just leave them disabled. They require to reload the scenery. | |||
* '''Everything else''': Try disabling one by one each of the other rendering features. Some will need a restart. | |||
* '''Framerate limiter''': be sure that it's unchecked, or that it's not forcing to a too low FPS. | |||
=== FlightGear simulation choices === | |||
* '''Time of day''': Changing from nighttime to daytime flying is not only easier on the piloting, but also easier on the graphic requirement. Check the "Time of day" box and select a daytime setting. This is not true, however, if you have shadows enabled: these are pretty consuming, and present only during daytime. | |||
* '''Location''': KSFO is a wonderful airport but also known for a high-volume of traffic, which can slow performance. Try another airport if you encounter performance issues. | |||
* '''Rural flying''': While framerate may initially be as slow as 5 fps during takeoff, they may jump 5x or more after flying out to less-populated areas. | |||
* '''Weather''': Fly in clear skies. Clouds always incur a more or less pronounced performance hit. | |||
* '''Choice of aircraft''': Certain aircraft have lower resource requirements, especially the UFO. The 777 instead is known to be quite heavy. | |||
* '''2D panels''': Although 3D cockpits look very tempting, simple 2D panels are much easier on the framerate. | |||
* '''AI traffic''': [[Interactive Traffic|AI-traffic]] is computer controlled traffic, which includes traffic over the [[Howto: Multiplayer|Multiplayer network]]. By turning off this function you're not able to see other aircraft. Most stuttering, or lag, is caused by the need to load the models for these aircraft while they appear. It can range from a minor annoyance to a crash. Turning off just the computer-generated aircraft (leaving the MP traffic visible), can be done by adding the property <tt>/sim/traffic-manager/enabled=0</tt> to [[FGRun]], through ''Advanced > Properties''. | |||
== For the geeks out there == | == For the geeks out there == | ||