Do Terrain Objects - LOD Size actually work?

analogoldguy · 06-11-11, 02:04 PM

Hello, I am using SH4 Gold Edition 1.5, stock right now.

I must say that my video card (an old AGP X800 XT) and CPU are not the best, nor is my 1GB memory a healthy amount. But I can run SH4 fairly well in most situations. (Windows XP Pro).

It is when I am at a heavily terrain-populated port like Surabaya, (in a sub that has a rotating radar antenna), that things get unacceptably "jerky" at about 9-10 FPS when I'm looking backwards from the sub's bridge towards the land. (and yes, I use the "rotate the view 360 degree trick to load things in)..

I have adjusted the LOD and Objects down to nothing, but have not seen trees or buildings disappearing or lessening in number. And my FPS do not change at all. In another favorite program of mine (Trainz), when moving the "draw distance" sliders, I easily see fewer trees, buildings, railroad tracks and so on. And the frame rate increase is obvious.

Do the LOD and Terrain Objects adjustments in SH4 work like this for you people?

Thanks, Bob P.

WernherVonTrapp · 06-11-11, 03:24 PM

I'm not absolutely certain, so maybe somebody can clarify/correct this but, I think those settings can only be changed at the beginning of a career while inside the Home Port office. It should work once it's been changed. However, if you return to the Graphics Settings menu and the sliders are still where you've last moved them to, it should take effect, and w/o having to be in Home Port.

magic452 · 06-11-11, 04:18 PM

Try turning off your radar when close to port, that helps quit a bit. Just don't forget to turn it back on.

It's more the AI controlled items that slow down the system.
The terrain objects do as well but there is nothing you can do about that.

Magic

analogoldguy · 06-12-11, 06:58 AM

Thanks Wernher and Magic,

I tried turning off the radar, and the FPS did go up to about 11-12. It did make a difference.

I read further in threads here about making the graphics changes in the Home Port Office room. (For the German campaign it is in the filing cabinet in the room)...

After I changed it there, my FPS while leaving Surabaya went down to 5-6,(a really horrible situation), much of last night I tried in vain to get it back to my normal 9-10 and did not succeed !!

Computers and computer programs, you gotta love them !!!!

Thanks anyway fellas. My opinion is that (on my computer), those LOD and Terrain Object sliders do not work! Bob P.

Daniel Prates · 06-13-11, 12:46 PM

You notice it is the radar that's causing all that lag, when you realize that your TC while aproaching to port is always reduced when a new ship is sighted in radar.

Jan Kyster · 06-14-11, 11:28 AM

If you enter 'Options' under Graphics Settings, there's a drop-down box at the top.
This lets you choose between High, Medium and Low settings.

However you may also open "your documents\SH4\data\GFXSettings.cfg" and edit the settings in there.

Standard settings are as follows:

High Setting:
UnderwaterDispMap=1
Ship3DDamage=2
CharacterDetail=1
ParticlesDetail=10
TerrainObjectsDensity=8
TerrainObjectsLODSize=5

Medium Setting:
UnderwaterDispMap=1
Ship3DDamage=1
CharacterDetail=1
ParticlesDetail=8
TerrainObjectsDensity=5
TerrainObjectsLODSize=8

Low Setting:
UnderwaterDispMap=0
Ship3DDamage=0
CharacterDetail=0
ParticlesDetail=5
TerrainObjectsDensity=2
TerrainObjectsLODSize=10

It's easier to manipulate settings in the cfg-file and the above gives you an idea of which values will ease the burden on your card.
You may choose in-between values = user defined setting.

In Graphics Option enabling following values will take a big toll on your card/cpu:
- post processing filter
- glare
- lightshafts and
- volumetric fog

In you ATI control center you may want to play with AA as this is the number one FPS killer...

Oh, the values above may be manipulated at any time, but you'll need to load your save again for the changes to take effect, ie. you don't need to exit from SH4, but must be in the Main Menu.

Dogfish40 · 06-16-11, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by magic452

Try turning off your radar when close to port, that helps quit a bit. Just don't forget to turn it back on.

It's more the AI controlled items that slow down the system.
The terrain objects do as well but there is nothing you can do about that.

Magic

I was kinda' surprised when my brand new ASUS laptop TDC'd at Midway. I always had all kinds of problems getting away from that place but I thought my new box would laugh at Midway...it crashed anyway.
It was so bad that I had to go back a save and use the other base on that atoll south of Midway (I can't think of the name right now) but all it is, is just a Sub tender and a sand bar. So, I'm done with Midway until I can find a way to shut down all of my mods and graphics, just to refit. The Question in my mind is, why all the problems with Midway, when Pearl acts just fine?! Pearl has twice the graphics that Midway does and I have to go to well over 1000TC to even have a hiccup.
Anyway, hope this adds some fuel to the mystery. I wish all the ports would act like Pearl Harbor (at least for me).
Good Hunting

06-11-11, 02:04 PM	#1
analogoldguy Watch Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Massachusetts USA Posts: 22 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	Do Terrain Objects - LOD Size actually work? Hello, I am using SH4 Gold Edition 1.5, stock right now. I must say that my video card (an old AGP X800 XT) and CPU are not the best, nor is my 1GB memory a healthy amount. But I can run SH4 fairly well in most situations. (Windows XP Pro). It is when I am at a heavily terrain-populated port like Surabaya, (in a sub that has a rotating radar antenna), that things get unacceptably "jerky" at about 9-10 FPS when I'm looking backwards from the sub's bridge towards the land. (and yes, I use the "rotate the view 360 degree trick to load things in).. I have adjusted the LOD and Objects down to nothing, but have not seen trees or buildings disappearing or lessening in number. And my FPS do not change at all. In another favorite program of mine (Trainz), when moving the "draw distance" sliders, I easily see fewer trees, buildings, railroad tracks and so on. And the frame rate increase is obvious. Do the LOD and Terrain Objects adjustments in SH4 work like this for you people? Thanks, Bob P.

06-11-11, 03:24 PM	#2
WernherVonTrapp Admiral Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Now, alot farther from NYC. Posts: 2,228 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 0	I'm not absolutely certain, so maybe somebody can clarify/correct this but, I think those settings can only be changed at the beginning of a career while inside the Home Port office. It should work once it's been changed. However, if you return to the Graphics Settings menu and the sliders are still where you've last moved them to, it should take effect, and w/o having to be in Home Port. __________________ "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Miyamoto Musashi ------------------------------------------------------- "What is truth?" -Pontius Pilate

06-11-11, 04:18 PM	#3
magic452 Sea Lord Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Reno Nevada USA Posts: 1,860 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Try turning off your radar when close to port, that helps quit a bit. Just don't forget to turn it back on. It's more the AI controlled items that slow down the system. The terrain objects do as well but there is nothing you can do about that. Magic __________________ Reported lost 11 Feb. 1942 Signature by depthtok33l

06-12-11, 06:58 AM	#4
analogoldguy Watch Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Massachusetts USA Posts: 22 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	Thanks Wernher and Magic, I tried turning off the radar, and the FPS did go up to about 11-12. It did make a difference. I read further in threads here about making the graphics changes in the Home Port Office room. (For the German campaign it is in the filing cabinet in the room)... After I changed it there, my FPS while leaving Surabaya went down to 5-6,(a really horrible situation), much of last night I tried in vain to get it back to my normal 9-10 and did not succeed !! Computers and computer programs, you gotta love them !!!! Thanks anyway fellas. My opinion is that (on my computer), those LOD and Terrain Object sliders do not work! Bob P.

06-13-11, 12:46 PM	#5
Daniel Prates Grey Wolf Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Curitiba, Brazil Posts: 938 Downloads: 65 Uploads: 0	You notice it is the radar that's causing all that lag, when you realize that your TC while aproaching to port is always reduced when a new ship is sighted in radar.

06-14-11, 11:28 AM	#6
Jan Kyster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1,151 Downloads: 152 Uploads: 0	If you enter 'Options' under Graphics Settings, there's a drop-down box at the top. This lets you choose between High, Medium and Low settings. However you may also open "your documents\SH4\data\GFXSettings.cfg" and edit the settings in there. Standard settings are as follows: High Setting: UnderwaterDispMap=1 Ship3DDamage=2 CharacterDetail=1 ParticlesDetail=10 TerrainObjectsDensity=8 TerrainObjectsLODSize=5 Medium Setting: UnderwaterDispMap=1 Ship3DDamage=1 CharacterDetail=1 ParticlesDetail=8 TerrainObjectsDensity=5 TerrainObjectsLODSize=8 Low Setting: UnderwaterDispMap=0 Ship3DDamage=0 CharacterDetail=0 ParticlesDetail=5 TerrainObjectsDensity=2 TerrainObjectsLODSize=10 It's easier to manipulate settings in the cfg-file and the above gives you an idea of which values will ease the burden on your card. You may choose in-between values = user defined setting. In Graphics Option enabling following values will take a big toll on your card/cpu: - post processing filter - glare - lightshafts and - volumetric fog In you ATI control center you may want to play with AA as this is the number one FPS killer... Oh, the values above may be manipulated at any time, but you'll need to load your save again for the changes to take effect, ie. you don't need to exit from SH4, but must be in the Main Menu.