How you can divide your PO by 2 (in some cases)

I lastly reinstalled GP4 due to "a miss in my backup strategy" and then reinstalled it from ground.
But once I retried the game, I was having strange PO : about 150 on Monza starting line at starting and around 180 when passing front to the pits during race (everything with sunny weather).
I tried to delete the f1gstate.sav (and it's backup) as I advice it in my guide but nothing changed and finally deleted the f1graphics.cfg (and it's backup) and I suddenly retrieved my old performance: 95 on starting grid at startup and during race with PO decreasing to 60 quite often.

So I studied files and got the plot : dynamic environment map. With static ones, everything runs smooth.
I have to say it doesn't come from having a crapy graphical card as I have a GeForce 5900XT wich is intended to perfectly support that kind of mapping.

So my guess is that there are some troubles with DirectX 9.0c and/or some Forceware drivers (I installed 66.00 some days ago for Doom3 and Far Cry) causing very low performance with environment mapping.

So if you have some very low performances, be sure to try with static environment maps, whatever your graphical card. Result can be impressive !





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2004 06:46PM by Lo2k.

I second that - I have a slow ATI 9200 - dynamic maps are a no no for me.

how can you disable that?

Lo2k Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> So I studied files and got the plot : dynamic
> environment map. With static ones, everything runs
> smooth.

Thanks Lo2k


Just tried it at the hires monza and my PO halfed :D



Jeff

@Harjinator:
-Launch game (GP4)
-Option menu
-Graphics Menu
-Advanced Menu
-Change value in the "Environment map" field to "static"

Thanks will try.

_______________________________________________________

Team Japan Owner - GPGNC

it helps a lot thx man

If you still want dynamic env mapping, but its killing your PO, you can adjust the range of effective reflections to a lower value. From standard your f1graphics.cfg sets this value to 200meters. I have reduced this value to 60 meters, which still reflects all immediate trackside objects and buildings so you notice no difference on the car. Where you notice the difference is in a good reduction in the PO. Try it! It works...!
The line you need is...
60 ; [MAIN VIEW] Enable dynamic environment reflections to X metres (for advanced carshader only) v3
You can also set this value in [MIRROR VIEW] & [VIDEOWALL VIEW] if you use them.

If I can add another little observation I have made.
If you are running high quality settings in your .cfg file and you are getting acceptible PO performance, what I have done is push all quality settings to their max with almost no further hit at all. Sounds a dumb claim, but I am now running mirrors and video walls maxed out with the same display quality as main view. I don't think there is any more quality tweaks I can do, so GP4 is now as good visually as the designers ever intended it to be.
I am running 30fps on a GeForce 4 Ti4600 (with very old drivers(cos they still give me best performance)) with PO at race starts around 60, and typ in-race of 40-50. Melbourne is the only track where PO is high at starts but it settles during race. Here it is around 100 at start because there are approx 6 videowalls in shot at the start line.



"Anything happens in Grand Prix racing and it usually does" (MW)

Cool, will try

@harjinator - your sig is amazing! I wish i can design a car like that, your the next Newewy! LOL

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

@FullersF1

Could you send me your F1Graphics.cfg? I have a GF4Ti4200, but the way your running it is way better than mine - do you have AA on?

I'm running at 45 fps, no mirrors, no AA etc, no bump mapping (had it on before with 2xAA on running at 35 fps) but with PO around 130 at start and around 80-100 in race.

You what'll be good? if someone wrote a guide on the F1graphics.cfg detailing the main performance/graphics settings.

overclock will increase the PO rapidly.
my card is Ti4200

what does it change in game?

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X (@ed24f1)

@v@sh,
I will send you my f1graphics.cfg if you give me an e-mail address. I am not using AA cos it kills PO, but with these settings in game I have done a test by switching it on and I cannot detect any graphical improvement to justify it. Its as if AA is switched in game through .cfg without a global setting via your Gfx card settings.
I also used to run at 40fps before I discovered this. Then I could see a big difference in visual realism between 40 and 30fps. But now with these settings, the only difference I see is reduced PO. Graphics is not degraded by running at the lower framerate so your the winner all round.


"Anything happens in Grand Prix racing and it usually does" (MW)

Hmn i have a fx 5950 ultra by aopen - run dx9.0c and newest forceware 66.xx.

I have no performance problems but i saw an effect in gp4 that i never saw before.

I drove at imola and there was something like "heat haze" in the sky above me.

Ill drive again there and make a screenshot.

@FullersF1

Sounds good, heres my email address: gwaihir00@hotmail.com

@Enjojz

Could you send me your F1graphics.cfg please? It'll might suit mine better since you have a GF4Ti4200. Btw what driver are you using?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2004 01:41PM by v@sh.

What do you mean with "overclock will increase the PO rapidly"???

I`m overclocking my system every time - without the grafics card (have to do with kind of guarantee etc).

Overclocking cpu/ ram - system dont increase po it makes that nearly all games run much better. You only have to know how to do it...

@chet: Thanks very much for the compliments. I haev some better designs, but they're on A3 paper, which I cant scan!

@Lo2K, Thanks, the PO is now good even at the back of teh grid on race starts.

_______________________________________________________

Team Japan Owner - GPGNC

@Harjinator: Glad it helped you

Fullers F1 I have a GeForece 4600Ti aswel..I run high graohics but mirrors kill my po...can you send me your config...I use 4X AA as it looks shimmery without it :-p

wbithrey@hotmail.com is my email addy

Thanks

Regards

Willb

Lo2K!!
I'm already a very big fan of your great works and by the way I want to thank you for all your efforts, but this advice is gold worth!!

Thanks a lot!!! I don't see any big difference in contrast to dynamic, but the game performance is a lot better!