FPS problem with fog

tinker20 · 03-23-07, 05:06 AM

Hello,

I do have really big problems if the gameengine has to calculate “volumetric fog”.
This occors when weather turns bad, like rain and fog.

As soon as thus in the game happens and weather effects emerge, I cannot play no more in the external perspectives. Frame rates sink then under 5 fps.
Really unplayable.

There I must turn the weather effects off in the options menu, then it runs again liquid.

Too bad, that with turning of the "environmental effects", those loved effect that you can see through the water is deactivated, too.
But those water effects don´t slow the game down, only the fog does.....strange.

Without this effect it looks not much better than SH3, my judgement.

System is a Pentium 4 with 2.6 Ghz.
2 GB RAM
Windows XP
Radeon X1950 XTX APG grafics card with 256 MB RAM.
8x AGP activated.

I have somehow the feeling that the fog effects go extremst on the CPU (pentium processor)

Do you have any ideas, how to solve this?

This text in german:
Hallo,

ich habe extreme Probleme, wenn im Spiel das Wetter schlecht ist und der Grafikeffekt "volumetric fog" eingesetzt wird von der Engine.

Sobald also im Spiel Nebel und Wettereffekte auftauchen, kann ich in den Außenperspektiven nicht mehr spielen. FPS sinken dann auf unter 5.

Da muß ich dann die Wettereffekte in den Grafikeinstellungen abschalten, dann läuft es wieder flüssig.

Ziemlich doof, daß damit der Effekt wo man durchs Wasser durchschauen kann auch abgeschaltet wird. Wobei ich ansonsten den Effekt anlassen kann, und ich kann trotzdem flüssig spielen.
Aber sobald Nebel auftaucht ruckelt es wie ne Diashow und ist unspielbar.

Ohne diesen Effekt sieht es nicht viel besser als SH3 aus, meines Erachtens. Das nervt mich ziemlich.

System ist ein Pentium 4 mit 2.6 Ghz.
2 GB RAM
Windows XP
Radeon X1950 XTX APG Karte mit 256 MB RAM.
8x AGP aktiviert.

Ich habe irgendwie das Gefühl, daß die Nebeleffekte extremst auf den CPU gehen.

Was meint Ihr dazu?

Iron Budokan · 03-23-07, 06:50 AM

Have you tried turning off other programs in the background? From what I've heard that fog really eats up the juice on your CPU.

tinker20 · 03-23-07, 07:19 AM

Hi,

I turned every other programms off, while playing SH4.

It really seams, as if my cpu is a bit too slow for the game...

Any other ideas?

I searched the internet also, but I couldn´t find any info wether this fog effect stresses mainly the GPU or the CPU.

Galanti · 03-23-07, 07:30 AM

I've noticed my fps are halved in fog as well, but as I've got a 7950GT, that just means going from 70 fps on the bridge to 35

I haven't really looked into it, but I believe there is separate effects file for volumetric fog. If it's in plain text, there may be some options to tone down the detail, without impacting the rest of the environmental effects.

Also, have you tried adjusting your partical detail slider in the graphics options?

Mud · 03-23-07, 07:37 AM

Maybe a modder can make the volumetric fog fx file smaller or even transparant to reduce the huge impact on the FPS.
I'm not a modder so I don't know if it's even possible.

Mud

tinker20 · 03-23-07, 08:31 AM

Yes,

particles are totally down

Same thing...unplayable with fog...

OneTinSoldier · 03-23-07, 09:20 AM

Well, first I'm going to be picky. Now.. I may be wrong! But I don't think you can have an AGP ATI X1950 XTX...

an AGP X1950 Pro, YES.
An AGP X1950 XTX, NO.

Please, anyone, let me know if I'm wrong, and I would be curious to know where you got it.

With that said, have you seen the following thread?

ATI: Auto 2D/3D overdrive problem

It's quite possible that what is being discussed in that thread is the problem. I am watching that thread myself because I just ordered an AGP X1950 Pro 512 MB card(HIS Brand) from Newegg!

The thread points out that the only ATI cards affected are the ones that have the 'Overdrive' feature, X18xx and X19xx series of cards.

stabiz · 03-23-07, 09:55 AM

well, my E6600 dual core, 2GB ram and 7950GT has problems with fog too. Stutters of death, and less fps, even without post processing.

OneTinSoldier · 03-23-07, 11:09 AM

Interesting stabiz. I wonder if someone with a Core 2 Duo like yours and an 8800 GTX has problems with volumetric fog?

Or does the effect take lots of CPU? Perhaps an E6800 Extreme + 8800 GTX?

Overall question of OP remains... what does it take?

Vikinger · 03-23-07, 11:44 AM

Got exactly same problem. 5 fps when its turned on and when its of 85 fps.

Dualcore AMD 4400+
leadtek px 7800 gtx tdh pciE, latest nvidia drivers.
2 gig ram
raptor hd
etc
etc
etc

stabiz · 03-23-07, 03:02 PM

So it is possible to turn off the fog?

Mud · 03-23-07, 04:37 PM

I managed to turn it off ( sort of ) and gained about 10 FPS.
As said before I'm not a modder but I did some changes with notepad.
All I did reset values to zero in the volumetric fog fx.

Mud

stabiz · 03-23-07, 04:47 PM

Where is that file?

THE_MASK · 03-23-07, 04:47 PM

Core2Duo mod should fix it .

stabiz · 03-23-07, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mud

I managed to turn it off ( sort of ) and gained about 10 FPS.
As said before I'm not a modder but I did some changes with notepad.
All I did reset values to zero in the volumetric fog fx.

Mud

What did you do to it, mud? I cant make anything out of the file.

03-23-07, 05:06 AM	#1
tinker20 Swabbie Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Germany Posts: 8 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	FPS problem with fog Hello, I do have really big problems if the gameengine has to calculate “volumetric fog”. This occors when weather turns bad, like rain and fog. As soon as thus in the game happens and weather effects emerge, I cannot play no more in the external perspectives. Frame rates sink then under 5 fps. Really unplayable. There I must turn the weather effects off in the options menu, then it runs again liquid. Too bad, that with turning of the "environmental effects", those loved effect that you can see through the water is deactivated, too. But those water effects don´t slow the game down, only the fog does.....strange. Without this effect it looks not much better than SH3, my judgement. System is a Pentium 4 with 2.6 Ghz. 2 GB RAM Windows XP Radeon X1950 XTX APG grafics card with 256 MB RAM. 8x AGP activated. I have somehow the feeling that the fog effects go extremst on the CPU (pentium processor) Do you have any ideas, how to solve this? This text in german: Hallo, ich habe extreme Probleme, wenn im Spiel das Wetter schlecht ist und der Grafikeffekt "volumetric fog" eingesetzt wird von der Engine. Sobald also im Spiel Nebel und Wettereffekte auftauchen, kann ich in den Außenperspektiven nicht mehr spielen. FPS sinken dann auf unter 5. Da muß ich dann die Wettereffekte in den Grafikeinstellungen abschalten, dann läuft es wieder flüssig. Ziemlich doof, daß damit der Effekt wo man durchs Wasser durchschauen kann auch abgeschaltet wird. Wobei ich ansonsten den Effekt anlassen kann, und ich kann trotzdem flüssig spielen. Aber sobald Nebel auftaucht ruckelt es wie ne Diashow und ist unspielbar. Ohne diesen Effekt sieht es nicht viel besser als SH3 aus, meines Erachtens. Das nervt mich ziemlich. System ist ein Pentium 4 mit 2.6 Ghz. 2 GB RAM Windows XP Radeon X1950 XTX APG Karte mit 256 MB RAM. 8x AGP aktiviert. Ich habe irgendwie das Gefühl, daß die Nebeleffekte extremst auf den CPU gehen. Was meint Ihr dazu?

03-23-07, 06:50 AM	#2
Iron Budokan Sea Lord Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 1,778 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	Have you tried turning off other programs in the background? From what I've heard that fog really eats up the juice on your CPU. __________________ "You will take on England wherever you find her ships, and you will break her power at sea." --Iron Coffins, Herbert A. Werner http://kennethmarkhoover.com

03-23-07, 09:20 AM	#7
OneTinSoldier Sonar Guy Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Denver, CO USA Posts: 382 Downloads: 46 Uploads: 0	Well, first I'm going to be picky. Now.. I may be wrong! But I don't think you can have an AGP ATI X1950 XTX... an AGP X1950 Pro, YES. An AGP X1950 XTX, NO. Please, anyone, let me know if I'm wrong, and I would be curious to know where you got it. With that said, have you seen the following thread? ATI: Auto 2D/3D overdrive problem It's quite possible that what is being discussed in that thread is the problem. I am watching that thread myself because I just ordered an AGP X1950 Pro 512 MB card(HIS Brand) from Newegg! The thread points out that the only ATI cards affected are the ones that have the 'Overdrive' feature, X18xx and X19xx series of cards. __________________ "Variable this is EasyRhino, do you copy? Over." Loud and clear EasyRhino. "Do we have a gig? Over." That's a Roger, we have a gig. Target is painted, start the music. "Roger that Variable. Into attack. Pickling target. Target is acquired and lit. LGB comin' down!" EasyRhino, circular error probability zero. Impact with High Order Detonation. Thank You, have a nice day. Last edited by OneTinSoldier; 03-23-07 at 09:42 AM. Reason: overdrive series of card only - X18xx and X19xx series

03-23-07, 09:55 AM	#8
stabiz Silent Hunter Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Norway Posts: 4,224 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	well, my E6600 dual core, 2GB ram and 7950GT has problems with fog too. Stutters of death, and less fps, even without post processing. __________________

03-23-07, 11:09 AM	#9
OneTinSoldier Sonar Guy Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Denver, CO USA Posts: 382 Downloads: 46 Uploads: 0	Interesting stabiz. I wonder if someone with a Core 2 Duo like yours and an 8800 GTX has problems with volumetric fog? Or does the effect take lots of CPU? Perhaps an E6800 Extreme + 8800 GTX? Overall question of OP remains... what does it take? __________________ "Variable this is EasyRhino, do you copy? Over." Loud and clear EasyRhino. "Do we have a gig? Over." That's a Roger, we have a gig. Target is painted, start the music. "Roger that Variable. Into attack. Pickling target. Target is acquired and lit. LGB comin' down!" EasyRhino, circular error probability zero. Impact with High Order Detonation. Thank You, have a nice day.

03-23-07, 07:19 AM	#3
tinker20 Swabbie Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Germany Posts: 8 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Hi, I turned every other programms off, while playing SH4. It really seams, as if my cpu is a bit too slow for the game... Any other ideas? I searched the internet also, but I couldn´t find any info wether this fog effect stresses mainly the GPU or the CPU.

03-23-07, 07:30 AM	#4
Galanti Captain Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Ottawa Posts: 536 Downloads: 106 Uploads: 0	I've noticed my fps are halved in fog as well, but as I've got a 7950GT, that just means going from 70 fps on the bridge to 35 I haven't really looked into it, but I believe there is separate effects file for volumetric fog. If it's in plain text, there may be some options to tone down the detail, without impacting the rest of the environmental effects. Also, have you tried adjusting your partical detail slider in the graphics options?

03-23-07, 07:37 AM	#5
Mud Captain Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 541 Downloads: 50 Uploads: 0	Maybe a modder can make the volumetric fog fx file smaller or even transparant to reduce the huge impact on the FPS. I'm not a modder so I don't know if it's even possible. Mud

03-23-07, 08:31 AM	#6
tinker20 Swabbie Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Germany Posts: 8 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Yes, particles are totally down Same thing...unplayable with fog...

03-23-07, 11:44 AM	#10
Vikinger Captain Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 514 Downloads: 44 Uploads: 6	Got exactly same problem. 5 fps when its turned on and when its of 85 fps. Dualcore AMD 4400+ leadtek px 7800 gtx tdh pciE, latest nvidia drivers. 2 gig ram raptor hd etc etc etc __________________

03-23-07, 03:02 PM	#11
stabiz Silent Hunter Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Norway Posts: 4,224 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	So it is possible to turn off the fog? __________________

03-23-07, 04:37 PM	#12
Mud Captain Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 541 Downloads: 50 Uploads: 0	I managed to turn it off ( sort of ) and gained about 10 FPS. As said before I'm not a modder but I did some changes with notepad. All I did reset values to zero in the volumetric fog fx. Mud

03-23-07, 04:47 PM	#13
stabiz Silent Hunter Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Norway Posts: 4,224 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	Where is that file? __________________

03-23-07, 04:47 PM	#14
THE_MASK Ace of the deep . Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 9,226 Downloads: 901 Uploads: 73	Core2Duo mod should fix it .