Antialiasing & Anisotropic

Another graphics question

I think my computer is pretty good spec wise & wondered about these two things.
If I understand correctly the Antialiasing is what I think causes this problem I am curious about.

The problem is the solid white lines in the not too far distance many times appears broken
or even flashing. Is this something that can be adjusted out thru settings?

I have tried various setting in the gfx card antialiasing settings like 8xCSAA or 16QCSAA etc
Antialiasing Transparency set at 8x super sample

Anisotropic filtering at 16x ( although I am not clear what anisotropic does )

Also have my cfg set
[MAIN VIEW] Texture filter quality 3 => anisotropic
[MAIN VIEW] Texture filter quality for mipmaps 3 => anisotropic
[MAIN VIEW] Max anisotropic filtering set to 7

Is there any other settings that affect this broken flashing line?

Even with these settings my CPU Load is quite low so I have room

Any ideas appreciated
Thanks

Here is a start line pic & you can see it in the right hand side of the track painted line & how broken it is
even at stop. When moving it is flashing & a bit of a distraction headache inducer

Strange... I use 4xEQ Antialiasing with standard filter and 8x anisotropic with standard quality of filtration. That's enough for my eyes.
You have all edges are broken: cocpit, tyres.
Look at my screens - with lower settings there's no problem.

I read few articles about antialiasing and anisotropic and look that higher settings are pretty good not always.

Also if my memory don't lie to me, 8x AA and 16x fitration makes very realistic image, but processor feels bad

Screenshot 1
Screenshot 2
Screenshot 3

All your settings are changing Anisotropic Filtering (aka AF) but AF is only acting on textures and not on geometry edges like these white lines (or the flat yellow advert on the right).
What you need to change is Anti-Aliasing (aka AA), but I don't remember if GP4 is handling Windows AA settings correctly.

To use AA setting from the game, rather play with this line:
0 ; [RELEASE] Number of multisamples if available (0-16 :: 0 => off, 1 unused)

Value is pretty straightforward : use 2 for 2xAA, 4 for 4xAA...

Looking at lines in GP4Builder, even a 2x setting (from Windows though) is smoothing broken lines.





Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/2014 11:21PM by Lo2k.

Thanks ws1986 & Lo2k for replies

@ws1986...yes at times I have tried various settings & cfg's
I can get a very nice image with settings but still have that broken track line in the
distance.

@lo2k...Thank you I was wondering what line in the cfg if any dealt with AA
I have tried it @4 & 8 & It is better at start line but not great when running the track

Actually the most annoying is the one I put a black arrow pointing at
on left edge of track. The reason it is a semi-solid inside the broken line &
annoying is it is racing/moving just ahead of me so creates
a flashing movement. It seems as if the track line is being drawn a bit too slow.
Because of course next to the car or nearby the lines are fine & drawn solid

Thanks again for your help





Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2014 03:17AM by flying.

Lo2k Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All your settings are changing Anisotropic
> Filtering (aka AF) but AF is only acting on
> textures and not on geometry edges like these
> white lines (or the flat yellow advert on the
> right).
> What you need to change is Anti-Aliasing (aka AA),
> but I don't remember if GP4 is handling Windows AA
> settings correctly.
>
> To use AA setting from the game, rather play with
> this line:
> 0 ; Number of multisamples if available (0-16
> :: 0 => off, 1 unused)
>
> Value is pretty straightforward : use 2 for 2xAA,
> 4 for 4xAA...
>
> Looking at lines in GP4Builder, even a 2x setting
> (from Windows though) is smoothing broken lines.


You know I have been thinking more about what you wrote
& it makes complete sense.
But what you said about whether Windows is handling AA settings correctly
has me wondering

I have many AA levels in my Nvidia panel but do not really see any difference in sim
So I was curious about what you said with Windows

Is there anything you know of that I should check?
I have DirectX 11 but see these days there is no DirectX control panel like earlier
versions
Just dxdiag from command prompt which just states all is well.

I will play with the gfx card more & see
It is quite good now but I had thought it could easily have no jagged track edge lines
Or does everyone see these too?

Lastly I am wondering about just setting gfx card to a global setting of "let app decide"
have not tried that yet

Thanks
& here is an example of the jagged track line on left of track bit also mirror edges
Yet line on right is fine? Perhaps a setting regarding drawing faster images?

Well, I said "from windows though" because I was speaking about GP4builder viewport and the way AA was doing a good job to smooth track lines in it.

Anyway, I don't remind if GP4 use windows AA settings at all. It's quite an old time I did some experiments with it and never went too far.

Ok thanks for that

The best settings I have so far is to just set the card to use application settings

I guess because GP4 has the f1graphics.cfg it is working best if the card
just enhances that & not try to dictate settings to GP4

At least that is what I am seeing

Thanks

Update

I think I finally have it
The problem was I kept using "Use The 3D application"
as a choice thinking t would be best & point to the f1graphics.cfg basically...

Today while playing with settings I used "override any application settings"
Much better now & broken or flashing/moving lines on far sides of tracks gone

I ended up settling with these settings in Nvidia Control Panel

Anisotropic Filtering =8x
AA Mode= Override any application settings
AA setting=4x
AA Transparency= 4x (supersample)....Multi sample is also good

Also this setting made a big difference
Setting Maximum Pre-Rendered Frames to 4 instead of
"Use Application settings"

Not pin perfect but the best I have had in this sim

Hi Flying,

I've applied your suggested Nvidia settings to my new PC (Acer V3-772g: i5-4200U, GeForce GT 570M).
I've obtained very good graphics appearance with low PO (less then 60%).

sergio_poletti Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi Flying,
>
> I've applied your suggested Nvidia settings to my
> new PC (Acer V3-772g: i5-4200U, GeForce GT 570M).
> I've obtained very good graphics appearance with
> low PO (less then 60%).


glad to hear that Sergio!
Yes about 50-60 for me also if in Tcam view or 30-40 in cockpit @ 50fps

One thing I did notice after I posted is I still have the broken/jagged if still & flashing/moving
white track edge lines but I think it is the tracks & not the graphic settings as it only happens
on the modded larger wad type tracks

The funny/odd thing is it is always the opposite side of the track that you are on.
I mean if the left side of the track line looks jagged/broken up ahead when stopped or flashing when moving....
If I move to that side of the track it is fine/solid line ahead into distance but then the opposite side of
track has that problem.

So if that is so I am not sure if it is graphics or the newer modded tracks? It never happens at all on the original GP4 tracks.

Here is an example & this is the picture/loading screen included with the track pack
But even in this still picture viewed out of sim you see it ahead on left track edge line?
So I am not sure this is something I can change

If anyone reading this knows I would appreciate hearing your thoughts





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2014 01:56AM by flying.

That loading screen is a photo, it's not a screenshot so it's not affected by your graphics settings.

=====================================================


Intel NUC 8i3, 8GB RAM, MS Sidewinder Wheel

TomMK Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That loading screen is a photo, it's not a
> screenshot so it's not affected by your graphics
> settings.


Yes Tom that is what tipped me off that it *could be?* the tracks & not the card.

Also when testing the cards settings I was using your Hi Qual CSM 2014
Looked great at tracks like Monza where I had a lot of that flashing line in our last hotlap there.

But then later I used our laptop comp version & it was back
I then realized the CSM mod was pointing to the old tracks in main GP4 folder
( well I knew that as the track also has less details )

But that started me thinking & I used the photo as an example of it out of sim & still there

So is it the new tracks then? Or still a gfx issue?
Does the photo have a jagged left track edge line on your computer too?

Thanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2014 02:36AM by flying.

This is what is odd to me....

It is always opposite side of track so maybe it is a setting that can be changed?
Here is roughly the same spot on Monza but left side of road driving vs right side of road
The jagged line is always opposite side but drawn solid on near side

Or does that just suggest it is dependent on camera view angles?
It is most pronounced in Tcam view & less in cockpit so that is something

Not a big deal of course but just wondering if fixable
Mainly because while driving at 50fps it appears as flashing on the jagged side.
If I could be rid of it would be nice





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2014 02:38AM by flying.

Difficult to say without being in front of your screen, but from looking at your screenshots, I don't think GP4 is capable of much better than that.

=====================================================


Intel NUC 8i3, 8GB RAM, MS Sidewinder Wheel

TomMK Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Difficult to say without being in front of your
> screen, but from looking at your screenshots, I
> don't think GP4 is capable of much better than
> that.

Thanks Tom I am glad to hear that. I can stop tinkering
& get back to practicing

Flying,

graphics appearence of your images looks very good and also PO at 60 fps is excellent.

Can you please post your "GP4 option/graphics/advanced settings" and f1graphics.cfg ?

Thanks in advance.

Sure

The 1st gfx screen as you know the resolution is not as shown
the f1grapgics.cfg sets it as I have it there at 1920x1080
cockpit view does not matter as I set it in sim with - & + keys

The 2nd gfx screen I have bump mapping off but do turn it off & on at times via the
f1graphics.cfg
Also it will carry 60fps easily but I turn it down to 50 to lessen loads

In our laptop version I have all setting same but fps @39-40 for our competition as that is what we
are allowed max so others can all see our laps in replay if they want




On the f1graphics this is what I am currently using & very happy with it.
In this one bump mapping is on as I like the tarmac at suzuka as it does not reflect as much light or look washed out
1 ; Bump map track (requires DP3; 0 => off)

Another odd thing is I use to set these to 3 or anisotropic & max at 7 is what I "was" using before the card adjusted it.
But recently when I told the Nvidia card to overide app it seems to have changed?
In any case I am not sure why it shows max anisotropic as 1 or off as I have it at 8x in the card...But again the sim is looking great now

2 ; [MAIN VIEW] Texture filter quality (0 => none, 1 => point, 2 => bilinear, 3 => anisotropic, 4 => flatcubic, 5 => gaussiancubic) v3
1 ; [MAIN VIEW] Texture filter quality for mipmaps - if any - (0 => none, 1 => point, 2 => bilinear, 3 => anisotropic, 4 => flatcubic/quincunx, 5 => gaussiancubic) v3
1 ; [MAIN VIEW] Max anisotropic filtering (1 => off, to max 7) v2

This one I have 200 instead of the 20 I had & again looks good

200 ; [MAIN VIEW] Enable dynamic environment reflections to X metres (for advanced carshader only) v3


So here is the whole file & this is just something to play with
I have a few actually but this one is looking very good for me.
(With the Nvidia card set as shown earlier)

[www.mediafire.com]


This is my other one which has the anisotropic settings,bump off & 20meter instead of 200 on reflections I mentioned I was using before card adjustment

[www.mediafire.com]



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 09/26/2014 03:31AM by flying.

This is with that bump setting on at Suzuka
usually I dont care for bump but at Suzuka it helps for my eyes


This is the laptop version @ 39fps
both photos not edited but just screen captures


Even in a crash scene in the laptop version with smoke & lots of cars it is not very stressful on cpu
Also on the laptop versions I am still using all lod_0 cars