In D3D, the other ways to make a big frame rate improvement are to turn off
reflections and anisotropic filtering, and to adjust the mirror detail down
(with m and n keys). Why is that mirror such a frames hog? F1RC and F12001
have two mirrors (of course) but the frames hit isn't nearly as big.
David G Fisher
In GPL it's the same, mirrors EAT fps. Thank god gpl isn't so
demanding by todays standards so it's 36fps all the time (the max in
GPL). I once read a technical explanation for this but I can't
remember where I read it. On my system the mirrors in F1 2001 did also
cost quite some fps btw. And with the GT mod the mirrors are reversed
:-/
Andre
As far as the mirrors.....sitting at Atlanta pits....I'm getting 49
FPS....it bumps to 54 FPS with the interior reflection removed...then up to
68 FPS with the mirror removed entirely. I like the realism....so I leave
the mirrors on max....49 FPS is plenty of juice.
I'm still not really pleased with the D3D jaggies....even at 1600 res.
Trying to reduce them with a little FSAA or anistropic filtering....just
knocks the FPS down too far (below 30 FPS....which it seems to me to be
something of a minimum since it gets real choppy below that level). When
I've reduced the screen res to say 1024....I can bump the FSAA and
anistropic up to kill the jaggies...but then end up with a blurry
screen....even with the LOD increased (tried several settings). The best
graphic quality (compromise) seems to be 1600x32 and no FSAA or anistropic
filtering. But...the jaggies are really bad in the driving target. OpenGL
is no improvement...even though its better now that the 27.40 ref drivers
include an LOD slider for OpenGL.
Let's hope Papy can make some D3D or OpenGL graphic performance improvements
in the first patch.
Couple comments on other parts of N2002 now that I've got some seat time
logged on it:
1. I really like the "driving lessons"......of course it helps that Darrel
Waltrip is one of my favorite people in racing right now (I'd love to meet
that guy some day). I think the lessons are very well done,
entertaining...and provide really good information for novice sim drivers
who want to take their N2002 racing a bit more seriously than the gamers.
I'm using the lessons to refresh my racing at each track.....running for
about a half hour.......no lessons. Then, I go to the lessons....review
them several times and take some notes on exit speeds.....then go back to
the track and work on fine tuning my line and get the basic race setup "in
the window." This whole process takes about two hours per track....but
highly worth the effort and much more "efficient" than the "pre lesson" days
with N4 or N3.
2. The track graphics and "likeness" are superb. All the tracks I've
actually raced on or been to as a fan......look as my memory sees them.
Except of course, Sears....which is really only a "color" issue. Papy seems
to think Sears is green...its not (except for a few weeks this time of
year)....its brown/beige in June when the race happens. But, I will fix
that when I can get to it....if Papy doesn't manage it by the patch.
3. I like the new-look to the UI screens and the click sounds are very well
done...IMHO.
4. I hope somebody will work on taking the background out of the***pit
overlays for the speed/gear and the "race info" data box on the right. It
would also be great if those could be moved around....so that those of us
who don't care to see all of the***pit floor (by increasing the monitor's
FOV...and lowering the screen) can still see the in-cockpit data and
gear/speed data.
Tom
<snip valid observations>
This should show up soon Tom, I used the translucent (sp?) info boxes in N4
and really liked them. I would like to see Papy move away from the
"Earnhardt" seat position though, I think it is too low in the car (can't
see any hood until a wreck) and IMHO is too far to the center. Almost like a
lowered "tv in-car cam" view really.
I'm using an AMD TBIRD 1gHz, Geforce 256 ddr, SB-Live Value
P3 500 GF2 GTS SBLive here..
the difference between 8 or 24 sounds is about 1-2 fps..
I don't run 3d sound btw because I get the problems of cracking sound
and sometimes losing the engine sound..
Andre
"SimRacer" >
Check out the pre-race interviews when they talk to some of the drivers
who are already strapped in....You will notice their chins BARELY clear the
door...I don't think anybody 'cept may 6'4" Buddy Baker could see the hood
sitting in one of those...
dave henrie
I was going to sit in Little E's seat too....but he wouldn't get out of
it....and I wasn't going to sit on his lap. ....lol.....
Tom
It could be the built in sound card I'm using (P4 1600, GF2Ti, Avance
AC '97 audio, 320megs, XP, Ferrari FF wheel), although others have reported
the same thing. Someone from r.a.s posted this tip page for improving fps in
N2002, and the had the same result on their system too.
http://www.discountdescramblers.com/nascar.html
Yep, mirror really kills the frame rate, but you can't race without it.
x2 FSAA has almost no effect on my fps suprisingly. Just a few frames.
Forgot to mention that I'm only using D3D now.
David G Fisher
- David
Everybody has a different size and sitting position, so for everyone
the view is different in real life.. would be nice to be able to set
your own view..
Andre
That alone has to be worth $69.99 CAD.
Just as I thought. I said here a long time back that Nascar Heat's view is
closer to the real thing and was told that because they sit so low that N4's
is more realistic. They should start including adjustable***pit view like
some flight sims do.
AC '97 does not do 3D hardware acceleration and that means more cpu load.
now that is a bit of a daring comment :-)
I assume the actual vertical position of a drivers head depends on the
drivers preference and how tall he is. The fact that in Labonte's car _you_
could see the hood doesn't mean _he_ could - or any of the other drivers.
Unless they are as tall as you are or taller. I sincerely doubt all Nascar
drivers prefer or use the same seat height, or rather, head position.
Papy's seat position is as good as any other, unless someone proves that all
Nascar driver seats have the same height, and all Nascar drivers are equally
tall :-)
Achim
