Texture max load setting in cfg file

[Dazkent]

Hello

 

I have been playing around with the Steam edition of FSX and have noticed that it sets the Texture Max Load setting to 4096 by default. For P3D I have this set to 2048 and on my main FSX on my flight rig I have always left it at 1024. I was wondering what are the benefits of increasing this setting or should I just leave it alone?

 

Kind regards

Darran

 

 

[Cabby]

I can tell no difference between 2048 and 4096. For FSX SE I use 2048. For P3D I use 1024 due to avoid OOM's. Both sims look great at those settings.

C.

[walterg74]

I can tell no difference between 2048 and 4096. For FSX SE I use 2048. For P3D I use 1024 due to avoid OOM's. Both sims look great at those settings.C.

You probably can't tell the difference because that states the maximum texture size you *can* load...

So if you don't have any addons that use these hogher res textures, you won't see a difference...

[Rob Newman]

You can still technically load a 4096 texture, even with 2048 set... the sim will simply down sample the texture to 2048 before using it.

2048 is more than enough to be honest... and helps a little with VAS usage.

[Cabby]

You probably can't tell the difference because that states the maximum texture size you *can* load...

So if you don't have any addons that use these hogher res textures, you won't see a difference...

 

I have a number off add-ons capable of 4096 texture size.   There difference in image quality is so slight between 2048 and 4096 it is not worth the VAS.

 

C.

[Russell Linn]

IMO, you get more bang for your buck with 2048, so I always keep my cfg set to that. A lot of sceneries give you the option to select a texture resolution you'd prefer, and depending on your system (and other add-ons), bottlenecking that option via your cfg may not always be the best thing to do. I guess it all depends on your own needs.

Tip for best image quality:

If your scenery was developed natively at a higher resolution, then make sure you set your scenery (via control panel, when applicable) to use the same resolution as what you have your max load set to. This doesn't ALWAYS apply, as it depends on the developer. If a developer supplies downscaled versions of a texture, they have the option of sharpening/prettying them up a bit.

[walterg74]

IMO, you get more bang for your buck with 2048, so I always keep my cfg set to that. A lot of sceneries give you the option to select a texture resolution you'd prefer, and depending on your system (and other add-ons), bottlenecking that option via your cfg may not always be the best thing to do. I guess it all depends on your own needs.

Tip for best image quality:

If your scenery was developed natively at a higher resolution, then make sure you set your scenery (via control panel, when applicable) to use the same resolution as what you have your max load set to. This doesn't ALWAYS apply, as it depends on the developer. If a developer supplies downscaled versions of a texture, they have the option of sharpening/prettying them up a bit.

Looked for that in REX and it doesn't: it's 1024 or 4096. Nothing in-between...

[Stewart Hobson]

Looked for that in REX and it doesn't: it's 1024 or 4096. Nothing in-between...

True only for runways and taxiways.  Clouds have a wider variety of choices.

[Wolter van der Spoel]

with REX load the 4096 textures and in the fsX.cfg set 2048, works a treat

[lawrence aldrich]

Speaking of REX, I have the program 4 original release but don't use it in either fsx or P3d.

I have active sky next on both sims, together with a full load of Orbx (global, vector and many other releases)

 

Is there any point in installing REX into this mix.....visually I mean?

[Rob Newman]

Speaking of REX, I have the program 4 original release but don't use it in either fsx or P3d.

I have active sky next on both sims, together with a full load of Orbx (global, vector and many other releases)

Is there any point in installing REX into this mix.....visually I mean?

Most certainly.

Active Sky Next is a weather engine only; it controls how the clouds and other weather elements are arranged in the sim to simulate the weather around you.

Rex4 is a texture pack; it provides the cloud textures that Active Sky uses ro build the weather. if you don't install Rex, Active Sky uses the default cloud textures Which are not as good.

In other words, the two products compliment each other perfectly. Better yet, Rex also includes texture updates for airport surfaces (for default style airports, including those upgraded versions found in FTX regions), water animations, sky colors, dawn/dusk colors, weather sound effects and more...

[lawrence aldrich]

Thanks, Rob

I'll plug that in....sounds good.

[Dazkent]

Thanks for the input guys, looks like the general advice is to set it at 2048 to get the best of both worlds

[Amundsen]

what are You talking about?

 

My CFG-file contains TWO entries with Texture Max load:

 

the [DISPLAY]-section contains TextureMaxLoad=x

 

and

 

the [TERRAIN]-section contains TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=xxxx

 

What's the difference?

[Dazkent]

I believe that the one in display helps speed up texture loading (virtual cockpit) and the other one is to do with the max texture size

[Rob Newman]

what are You talking about?

 

My CFG-file contains TWO entries with Texture Max load:

 

the [DISPLAY]-section contains TextureMaxLoad=x

 

and

 

the [TERRAIN]-section contains TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=xxxx

 

What's the difference?

 

As Dazkent said...

 

[DISPLAY]

TextureMaxLoad=x (in my case, x=6) controls the number of multiple textures to load in any given cycle (of any size).

 

The other TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=xxxx (in my case x=2048) instructs the sim to use this number as a maximum texture resolution (2048 means it will use a 2048x2048 texture maximum).

 

Oddly though, this entry is normally under the [GRAPHICS] header... You may want to relocate yours from [TERRAIN] to [GRAPHICS]

[Amundsen]

Thanks for the informations!

 

I can't see any difference in texture-quailty nor FPS while switching between TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=4096 and =2048.
Will do some testflights again...

[lawrence aldrich]

Thanks for the informations!

 

I can't see any difference in texture-quailty nor FPS while switching between TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD=4096 and =2048.

Will do some testflights again...

I think you need something loaded that can use 4096 textures, Orbx is strictly 1024.

I didn't realize that until I loaded Rex4 into the mix.

I can now see a slight visual improvement , in both FSX and P3d. 

[Amundsen]

OK. I will tune to max. 1024 since I fly only in ORBX-regions.

Do I have to expect any problems with 3rd-party-airports using larger textures than 1024?

[Stewart Hobson]

I think you need something loaded that can use 4096 textures, Orbx is strictly 1024.

I didn't realize that until I loaded Rex4 into the mix.

I can now see a slight visual improvement , in both FSX and P3d. 

I don't know whether or not "Orbx is strictly 1024", but from what I see of statements by several of the Orbx staff, they refer to a setting of 2048.

[Rob Newman]

OK. I will tune to max. 1024 since I fly only in ORBX-regions.

Do I have to expect any problems with 3rd-party-airports using larger textures than 1024?

 

You shouldn't have any "problems", but you will notice a drop in texture quality at such airports... FSX will load the 2048 (or 4096) texture sheet then convert it to 1024 before displaying it at that lower resolution.

 

Doesn't really give you any real performance boost to FPS, but may help memory usage a little.

 

 

As for Orbx being "Strictly 1024", while this is indeed the case for the ground textures and building textures, the place you will notice it the most is on runways and taxiways... FTX Central has the "Aero" tool that allows you to set a higher resolution (2048) surface detail texture. Similarly, if you eventually use REX or similar, you will notice a difference between the settings. 

[Amundsen]

You shouldn't have any "problems", but you will notice a drop in texture quality at such airports... FSX will load the 2048 (or 4096) texture sheet then convert it to 1024 before displaying it at that lower resolution.

 

Doesn't really give you any real performance boost to FPS, but may help memory usage a little.

 

 

As for Orbx being "Strictly 1024", while this is indeed the case for the ground textures and building textures, the place you will notice it the most is on runways and taxiways... FTX Central has the "Aero" tool that allows you to set a higher resolution (2048) surface detail texture. Similarly, if you eventually use REX or similar, you will notice a difference between the settings. 

Ahhhh......now finally I am updated what's going between the different options. Will check AERO and REX....

 

Thanks a lot!

[wingclip]

I don't know what SIM platform some of you are running, but l certainly see a huge difference between 1024 and 4096. I also see a big difference between 2048 and 4096 although it's not as dramatic. 

 

I have a CUSTOM built system, (I'm on my tablet,  but l think my system specs are noted in my account somewhere). Even with a 4.9Ghz i7 4890k and GTX 1070 the 4096 will put a strain on my system if I fly a high-Res plane over someplace like the Narvik airport in Norway. 

 

That said, I see definite differences in a lot of my add-on strips, but not all the time. Lately, I've been holding my resolution to 2048. I NEVER, EVER fly with anything less than 2048.

 

I've paid too much money for many of my add-on aircraft & scenery to get as realistic as I can afford. It wouldn't make any sense to do that and then turn it all back to a near defaut appearance. (Of course,  that's just my own opinion which is worth nothing to anyone else).

 

However, can someone tell me if FSX would accept a 3072 setting, or does it require settings divisible by 2?

Thank you,

Rich 

[Nick Cooper]

Hello,

this topic is over three years old.

The answer to your question is no.

1024, 2048, 4096. the next one would be 8192

[wingclip]

Hi Nick,

I see, it can be increased exponentially only.

I didn't know it could be increased beyond 4096 at all. The question comes to mind that If the Text Max setting was changed to 8192, would that increase have any noticeable affect on any textures that wasn't programmed with 8192 textures in the first place? I imagine the computer would be working hard for nothing until it was slammed to its knees trying.

 

OR, would it work hard at all if no scenery and/or aircraft had 8192 textures for it to find...

 

For years, I've always understood that FSX would automatically select the highest resolution mesh for any given area, if there was more than one mesh resolution to select from for that given area. I suppose it's possible that things work something like that when it comes to texture resolution applications.

 

You can set it as high as you like, but until the sim finds a texture at, or above that setting, it'll run the next best option, if it has one.

Thanks again,

Rich

PS For anyone interested, I just bought Norway and the Narvik airport a few days ago, and wow! It's done very well! Definitely worthwhile to buy!

[jsapair]

FWIW, there's a freeware program out there called TML (Texture Max Load Editor) that will lock in at startup  whatever setting you chose. Been using it for years.

                                       jsapair

[wingclip]

Thanks for that jspair!

In fact, I accidentally found a program that did exactly years ago, myself! It's called "Airport Enhancer HDX". The program does a great job with the resolution, texture applications, and overall effects having to do with airport runways, grasses, taxi ways, etc. In fact, the airport signage and painted lines on the pavement are handled by that program as well.

 

I've disabled the REX textures having to do with those same areas because HDX really does it better with less of a FPS hit. It also maintains whatever Text Max Load and Terrain LOD settings you want. As I said earlier, I run the 2048 resolution most of the time and I set it once and that's it.

 

FSX will, and does, open every time with the resolution I selected. The only time it converts back to 1028 is when I make the slightest change in the "Scenery" panel in FSX. If I change the airport traffic density, bump the mesh setting one notch up or down, or anything like that, the Text Max Load reverts to 1028 and the Terrain LOD reverts to default.

 

Like you, I've been using the program for at least the last 6 years of the 9 years I've been flying FSX, so I automatically go back and change the 1028 to 2046 if, and when, I make a change of that kind in the Scenery options.

Thanks,

Rich