rec.autos.simulators

    I seen a post on this NG about setting the mirror refresh rate.  I
tried to download the file but the server couldn't find it. Now that I
want to try to download it again, I can't find that message.

Question,  Is there a way to set the refresh rate for the mirrors?  And
where is the URL that tells about it and or the file to download.

Thanks in advance,
Mike Barlow

--
=========================================
Mike Barlow of Barlow Racing?
MikeBa on the TEN network.
Member of R.O.R. 1999
http://www.racesimcentral.net/~marknjess/noflame.html
=========================================
Racing online with the help of......

Race Communications Association
http://www.racesimcentral.net/

Holodyne Engineering

Mystic Music

[ Int Profile Values ]
value0 = OpenGL:TossHighestMip:0         ; do not change
value1 = OpenGL:MipFiltering:0                ; do not change
value2 = OpenGL:MirrorsEvery:0                ; do not change

[ OpenGL ]
TossHighestMip = 0                       ;
MipFiltering = 4                        ;
MirrorsEvery = 4                        ;

At the Fast Lane http://www.grandprix2.com/gpl/patches.htm there's a Banshee
patch that also works for Voodoo cards.  It's a glide2x.dll wrapper (put in
the gpl directory) that intercepts Glide calls from GPL and passes these
through to the real glide2x.dll (in the windows\system directory) with some
modifications.  It's primary purpose is to fix a texture problem with
Banshee cards, but it also includes the ability to set the mirror refresh
rate in a glide.ini file.

I did some benchmarks and found that by setting the mirrors to refresh once
every two frames, I can get the same framerates at 1024x768 as I had at
800x600 before.  Also, at once every two frames, the mirrors are still good
enough for safe online racing.

On a PII 450, 128MB, 12M Voodoo2, at startline at Spa, starting last, modern
F1 style staggered grid, all graphic detail on except for cars only in
mirrors and
detail bias set to 25%:

                   (startline FPS / lowest FPS after start / inline racing
FPS)

                   Before             mirror refresh every 2 frames
800x600       30 / 24 / 36           36 / 28 / 36
960x720       27 / 22 / 30           31 / 25 / 36
1024x768     27 / 22 / 29           30 / 24 / 36

Brian

Since I too have a PII-450, I think I might, if I get a chance, duplicate
your tests with a Banshee so collectively we might be able to compare the
two boards/patch in a GPL environment. So that I can duplicate your tests,
would you give me the following details?

I assume you testing against the AI. How many AI drivers were active?

From what position on the grid did you make your frame rate observations?

What were your sound settings?

What kind of sound hardware do you have (this may taint the comparison).

I'm thinking that 1024 x 768 with the Voodoo2 requires a SLI setup. Were you
running 2 Voodoo2s?

How do you have your Voodoo2(s) clocked?

Thanks! I'll see if I can produce some equally meaningful numbers for
everybody.

From last position.  Note, I was using the modern F1-style, 2 wide staggered
grid.
With the standard grid, the framerates are quite a bit lower:

STANDARD GRID
==============
                   (startline FPS / lowest FPS after start / inline racing
FPS)
                   Before             mirror refresh every 2 frames
800x600       25 / 21 / 36           28 / 23 / 36
960x720       22 / 18 / 30           25 / 20 / 36
1024x768     21 / 18 / 29           24 / 20 / 36

MODERN F1-STYLE GRID
====================
                   Before             mirror refresh every 2 frames
800x600       30 / 24 / 36           36 / 28 / 36
960x720       27 / 22 / 30           31 / 25 / 36
1024x768     27 / 22 / 29           30 / 24 / 36

The net effect of the revised grids and the mirror refresh rate patch let's

8 sounds - I'm using "soundQuality = 0" in the app.ini file

Turtle Beach Montego II OEM (using latest Aureal Vortex 2 drivers) that came
with my Dell

I only have 1 Voodoo2.

Clocked at 98 MHz, using Metabyte Wicked 3D version 3.15 beta drivers
(except for 2.53 glide2x.dll in C:\windows\system).  I'm using a Voodoo2 fan
from 3DfxCOOL.  This helps quite a bit - I can run GPL at 100MHz with the
fan, where before, it would lockup within seconds without it.  However, even
with the fan, NR1999 locks up after a few minutes at 100MHz, but is fine at
98.