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How to enable DDS by default?

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How to enable DDS by default?

Postby namosca » Sun May 15, 2022 2:07 pm

Good morning/evening/day everyone!

I am using FG 2020.3.12 and recently saw the option to use DDS. To my amusement I found that the graphics quality increased, and my FPS doubled with it (it went from 19-23 to 36-40 FPS on my system).

Thus, I would like to use it every single time I open FG, but I've noticed that this setting is not preserved across different launches of FG. How can I enable this option forever? Is there a command line argument for this?

The options I want to have enabled by default are:
- Use disk space for faster loading (DDS Texture Cache)
- Terrain textures: Global alternative (DDS format)

Thanks so much!
Last edited by namosca on Tue May 17, 2022 7:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: How to enable DDS by default

Postby TheEagle » Sun May 15, 2022 6:57 pm

Mhm, where did you enable that ? In the launcher, or in-sim ? The in-sim setting gets overwritten by the launcher setting at the next restart ! The launcher setting can be found in the Settings tab, Rendering section (you might have to click on "Show more" in the right-top corner of that section to actually be shown the DDS setting)
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Re: How to enable DDS by default

Postby namosca » Mon May 16, 2022 6:36 pm

Hi, TheEagle!
I have enabled that under the View -> Rendering Options inside the simulator. If I open the simulator directly without the launcher, the option "Use disk space for faster loading (DDS Texture Cache)" is preserved across different usages of the simulator. The option "Terrain textures: Global alternative (DDS format)" doesnt get preserved though.

If I use fgfs --launcher, then both options do not get preserved.

I dont have a way of setting this on the "Settings" directly on the launcher, even if I click the "show more" options.

Id like to find a way of preserving it, maybe with a command line option/argument... Do you know which command line argument with that be?

Thanks!
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Re: How to enable DDS by default

Postby wkitty42 » Mon May 16, 2022 11:15 pm

namosca wrote in Mon May 16, 2022 6:36 pm:I dont have a way of setting this on the "Settings" directly on the launcher, even if I click the "show more" options.

did you check all of the sections in Settings to be sure you're "show more" in all of them?
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"Why not?" said Gurder.
"Dunno. It's frightened of heights, I guess."
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Re: How to enable DDS by default

Postby namosca » Tue May 17, 2022 7:05 am

wkitty42 wrote in Mon May 16, 2022 11:15 pm:
namosca wrote in Mon May 16, 2022 6:36 pm:I dont have a way of setting this on the "Settings" directly on the launcher, even if I click the "show more" options.

did you check all of the sections in Settings to be sure you're "show more" in all of them?


Hi! Thanks to your tip, I just looked again on the launcher and under Rendering -> Show more, I saw the option "Cache graphics for faster loading". This activates the "Use disk space for faster loading (DDS Texture Cache)" option inside the game and is preserved among different sessions of FG, so its a good improvement for my situation, thanks :D

But for the option "Terrain textures: Global alternative (DDS format)" I still found no solution, and only get FPS improvement if this is also enabled.

If you happen to know any command line argument to activate that, Id welcome your answer :mrgreen:

Thanks!
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Re: How to enable DDS by default

Postby wkitty42 » Tue May 17, 2022 9:32 am

namosca wrote in Tue May 17, 2022 7:05 am:But for the option "Terrain textures: Global alternative (DDS format)" I still found no solution, and only get FPS improvement if this is also enabled.

that one is not so easy... it is not an option in the current 2020.4.0 next branch and i'm unable to find it in the in-sim property browser...

namosca wrote in Tue May 17, 2022 7:05 am:If you happen to know any command line argument to activate that, Id welcome your answer :mrgreen:

setting this one takes (or took) more than just setting a property... looking at the gui rendering dialog code, there's also some nasal involved that sets the materials file based on the selection chosen... but since the dialog in next has changed a lot and this option is not available, i suspect it is all changing with the new rendering capabilities and the development of WS3... the only option available, now, is whether DDS caching is being used and as far as i can see, regional textures are the ones used...

i'm sorry i can't help in this area any further...
"You get more air close to the ground," said Angalo. "I read that in a book. You get lots of air low down, and not much when you go up."
"Why not?" said Gurder.
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Re: How to enable DDS by default

Postby TheEagle » Tue May 17, 2022 11:21 am

namosca wrote in Tue May 17, 2022 7:05 am:Hi! Thanks to your tip, I just looked again on the launcher and under Rendering -> Show more, I saw the option "Cache graphics for faster loading". This activates the "Use disk space for faster loading (DDS Texture Cache)" option inside the game and is preserved among different sessions of FG, so its a good improvement for my situation, thanks :D


Cool, that's just what I meant !
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