PDA

View Full Version : Fix for flashing clouds



RCAF_Gunner
October 11th, 2008, 08:43
After installing Acceleration (SP2) I was getting flashing clouds quite a bit. I have a BFG 8800GT 512MB OC video card. While it may or may not be a video driver issue, none of the nVidia drivers since have solved the problem. Further, I force vSync on which cured a different type of tearing/flashing but not all driver releases seem to successfully retain the setting (for me at least). Anyway, it's one of those annoying things that spoils the illusion that I've wanted to cure for a while.

While "googling" around, I came across this thread at Avsim by Haldar / Mike: http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=set_threaded_mode&forum=121&page=&topic_id=434059&prev_page=show_topic


Go to this folder:

FSX\ShadersHLSL\misc

There you will find a file called SwarmCloud.fx. Make a backup copy of this file somewhere. (as always no crying if you don't do this step) http://forums.avsim.net/images/happy.gif

Open the original SwarmCloud.fx in notepad or wordpad and then look down about 20 lines down from the top. You will see this entry:

bool NewMaterialUsage = true;

Change its value from true to false. Make sure to keep the semi-colon.

Save and close the file.

Now, go to C:\documents & settings\<YOUR username>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX\

(If you can't get to this folder make sure that "show hidden & system files/folders" is turned on in your windows folder options.)

(This is the XP path by the way, Vista users will have to hunt for their equivlalent in the users folder.)

You will see a folder there called: Shaders.

Either move that folder out of there or delete it. Don't worry, FSX will build a new one the next time you run it. It contains a cache of the compiled shaders. This folder must be removed to ensure that the change you made to the cloud shader file above will be compiled and used on FSX's next run.

That's it. Run FSX and enjoy very solid and reliable clouds! I haven't seen any other bugs or oddities crop up from this change. I've had a few friends who were also experiencing flashing clouds test it as well, one on nvidia, the other on ATI, and their clouds stay perfectly put now.

I followed his suggestions, with the exception that I went a little further, backed up then deleted both the shaders and shaders10 folders (FSX recreates them), and my cloud flashing is gone. :mixedsmi:

One thing to note is his paths are for XP. Vista puts the files in different locations. Also, some people in the thread report side effects from the tweak but so far I haven't seen any other graphics issues that I hadn't seen before and I don't believe it has affected my frame rates. As long as you remember to make a backup of the original file it should be safe to try.

Cheers,
Rick

boxcar
February 6th, 2009, 10:02
One thing to note is his paths are for XP. Vista puts the files in different locations.


The path in Vista is: Start/Computer/(C): or whatever drive you have yours on/Users/"Your name"/AppData/Local/Microsoft/FSX/Shaders & Shaders 10.
.

harleyman
February 6th, 2009, 13:25
Thanks for that Boxcar....

boxcar
February 6th, 2009, 15:09
.
.
Thank you Mason, Rick & everyone.
.
.


http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc161/ddublu/Risingthroughstableclouds.jpg
.
.
Worked like a charm. Got me singing now... http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/cool/cool-smiley-026.gif
.
.

djscoo
February 6th, 2009, 19:38
does this also fix flashing smoke?

stansdds
February 7th, 2009, 16:46
Don't know about the smoke, but yep, it fixes flashing clouds.:woot:

boxcar
February 7th, 2009, 18:40
.
Wouldn't be surprised if it did, djscoo. Give it a try & let us know... how that be?

Actually, am attributing the flashing cloud problem to wide-screen monitor/gpu driver conflicts. Am no 'puter ace but did notice some other textures would "flash" on & off as they'd near the edge of the screen.

Could be wrong. Am wrong a lot. http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/lachen/laughing-smiley-008.gif All that is known in this is that there are no longer any flashing textures being noticed now in FSX here.
.

datter
February 10th, 2009, 05:31
Just found this the other day myself, works 100%.

harleyman
February 10th, 2009, 13:54
Glad its working...But I did nothing....LOL :wavey:

heywooood
February 11th, 2009, 17:42
This fix has worked for me - and I was resigned to the problem being an entrenched FSX beatle errmmm bug.

Thanks to the person resonsible for locating the culprit file and for those who seek to find answers and then share them with the community at large :ernae:

harleyman
February 21st, 2009, 03:01
I too used it and NO flashing clouds anymore..

A great tip...Thanks again...:applause:

boxcar
February 23rd, 2009, 19:26
.
One important point to note here in this:

When getting rid of the Shader folder (& Shader10 folder too, if you opt to) then don't get rid of the folders themselves! Just get rid of the contents & leave the folders in place. The regular Shaders folder will regenerate, though the Shaders10 folder will not unless you deep 6 your fsx.cfg file to allow it to regenerate, as well. Just leave the folders there & allow FSX to fill them back up on your next restart. ~FYI~

Fix is still working great here.
.

harleyman
February 24th, 2009, 02:28
Thats a good point boxcar....

Still working great with me too...:applause:

FLighT01
March 7th, 2009, 03:24
.
One important point to note here in this:

When getting rid of the Shader folder (& Shader10 folder too, if you opt to) then don't get rid of the folders themselves! Just get rid of the contents & leave the folders in place. .

What exactly is meant by "contents"? I'm on Vista 64
In Users\YourName\AppData\Local\MicroSoft\FSX
I see 2 folders: Shaders and Shaders10.

The Shaders folder contains 5 subfolders:
Common
Fixed Function
General
Misc
Terrain

The Shaders10 folder contains a single subfolder:
ShadersHLSL which contains 3 subfolders:
General
Misc
Terrain

All of these subfolders in both Shaders & Shaders10 contain a number of files.

Are we to delete all "subfolders" and their file contents and leave the main Shaders & Shaders10 folders in place? Or leave all subfolders as well?

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 03:34
Oh Man... I don't have Vista anymore...

The answer is ...I have no clue...but let me go back over my fix and see if I can figure it out better...

Hopefully someone else has Vista and a better explanation for you Frank....




The user above with vista did this Frank...I followed his suggestions, with the exception that I went a little further, backed up then deleted both the shaders and shaders10 folders (FSX recreates them), and my cloud flashing is gone


I would assume that means he removed the after the fix prior to the start of FSX that will rebuild them.Once hs saw the fix worked and all was well, he just kept them out and deleted them..

Don't forget to edit the Swarm Cloud .......




We can PM that person for a better explanation if you need it Frank..

FLighT01
March 7th, 2009, 03:54
Oh Man... I don't have Vista anymore...

The answer is ...I have no clue...but let me go back over my fix and see if I can figure it out better...

Hopefully someone else has Vista and a better explanation for you Frank....

Good morning Mason,

What got me to wondering is: why delete folders containing Terrain, etc. info?

I did this fix a while back on my XP box and (it works fine) there is only a Shaders folder in there containing the same 5 subfolders mentioned above for the Shaders folder but no Shaders10 folder (for DX10 I'm guessing - I'm fairly certain I deleted both the Shaders & Shaders10 folders completely on the XP box when I did the "fix" and lost the Shaders10 folder as mentioned above). But, as that box has a DX9 GPU the fact that I lost the Shaders10 folder should be no biggie, if indeed the 10 refers to DX 10. My XP box with FSX Accel runs fine ( but not as smoothly at the high graphic settings I prefer) with no flashing cloud textures. My Vista box will occasionally exhibit a minute or two of a specific cloud or two flashing at the start of a flight. Ocassionally the whole sky and clouds ( as well as water) will sometimes "burp" for lack of a better word, I always chalked that up to Nvidia cards. Also, I am presently using FEX on the Vista box, XGraphics on the XP box.

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 04:00
Don't delete them...Cut them out and put them on your desktop....FSX will rebuild them...

Then edit Swarm Cloud, and launch FSX...

If all is well then Store the two folders for future use, or if you are brave delete them..I would keep them for a while...



To answer you question...I don't know...It just works is all..must be some reference to clouds in there too....

FLighT01
March 7th, 2009, 04:06
Yep, I'll backup the subfolders to the desktop before deleting and then I can compare before with after.

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 04:10
That will tell you what has been rewritten ..As long as its not in code and you can read it all.....:faint:

FLighT01
March 7th, 2009, 05:04
The subfolders and files successfully regenerated in The main Shaders folder. The Shaders10 folder was still empty, I turned on the DX10 Preview for a bit, (never worked for me - AA and AF broken). Anyway, rechecked Shaders10 folder and the subfolders and their respective files were regenerated. Okay, back to DX9.

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 06:56
So its working??/

Is your AA and AF still working now?

FLighT01
March 7th, 2009, 13:36
AA and AF always works for me in DX9, as soon as I switched out of DX10 it's working again. DX10 also won't let me set my res at 1920 x 1200, which is the only way I like to fly.

harleyman
March 7th, 2009, 13:39
Have you tried putting the removed Shaders 10 folder back in to see?

FLighT01
March 9th, 2009, 12:26
Have you tried putting the removed Shaders 10 folder back in to see?

No, when I switched to DX10 for a brief while, the new Shaders10 files were generated so it should be good at this point. Back in DX9 I still get an occasional "portion" (usually the bottom) of a single cloud will flash. Curiously, if I pan to look straight on to the offender the change in viewing angle snaps the cloud solidly into place. 1 cloud out of say 50 in the scene. What a goofy program, LOL.

harleyman
March 9th, 2009, 13:11
Well I guess 1 out of 50 is better than 20 out of 50...LOL

But better is good too..I do see the ocassional stray as you do...I just look away and act like it didn't happen...:ernae:

FLighT01
March 10th, 2009, 02:52
Lol.