PTA v2.5 for Prepar3D v4

[TuFun]

Discussion here: https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/5...d-v4-released/


Price: $17.00

https://www.simtweaks.com/

[spatialpro]

Does anyone know if this works in VR (Rift CV1 in my case)?

Ta

Andy

[spatialpro]

BTW I can confirm it works with VR

[patful]

I am considering buying PTA, but have read accounts of P3D errors, having to reinstall P3D, and even a few people mentioned performance hits. I don't understand how shader mods would even affect performance. Are these stories something to worry about, or just random user errors? Does anyone have before and after screenshots? I haven't found any that are very helpful/convincing. Thanks.

Pat

[ncooper]

Hello,
random user errors.

Customers always seem to blame the last product they installed when something goes wrong,
but sometimes it is simply the last straw that broke the already sick camel's back and sometimes
it is something else that they did but either did not realise or cannot admit.

Sometimes it is indeed the last product they installed but in this case, I think not.

However much of a mess you make of your P3D v4 image in the pursuit of perfection, PTA always
retains the ability to reset everything to P3D v4 default and undo the damage.

If you can access it, the FTX (Orbx) screenshot forum has thousands of images illustrating
what can be done to P3D with PTA and its siblings.

[lownslo]

I started using PTA when I moved from FSX to P3Dv4 early this summer. I really didn't understand much about PTA (still don't; you might want to keep that in mind ) but I'm glad now that I have it. From what I've read over the years, P3D has always been on the dark side... PTA corrects that, and can do so fabulously. I say "can" because what matters the most is the presets... and there are plenty out there, both good and not so good. It's a stupid simple tool to use, and I find it hard to believe it could hose a P3D install (but us humans being what we are, I've come to accept that anything is possible ). If you're unsure before using it just save your Shaders folder... although PTA does that as well when you first use it.

There may be a bit of a performance hit but I believe that comes down to the "Bloom" setting and any post-processing a specific preset calls out. I have checked for a performance hit using "HDR" off and on (the shaders doing what the PTA preset calls out) under a few scenarios and I can't say I see any hit on my system.

Finally, with the recent upgrade to 4.1 I waited until Matt had the compatible PTA 2.60 ready before doing the upgrade. For something I wasn't sure about buying I guess maybe I've come to depend on it. Mixed with a preset you like PTA is a powerful and indispensable tool.

HTH,

Greg

[patful]

Thanks, Nick and Greg, most helpful.

Pat

[patful]

I purchased and installed PTA over the weekend. I used Adam's preset, loved it, but noticed a little stuttering. I checked my GPU usage, and it was at a constant 99-100% in cloudy weather (ASP4/ASCA). Went back to the default shaders and my previous P3D.CFG, and GPU usage was at 70-75% in the same saved scenario a couple of minutes later. I then tried THOPAT's preset, no extra GPU usage, but didn't like the look, way too dark. Think it's optimized for ORBX, which I don't have. Anybody know of other good presets that don't use post-processing to the extent that Adam's does? Thanks.

Pat

[expat]

Why wouldn't the Dynamic Lighting feature in P3D4 give you all the scope you need to play with e.g., brightness, contrast, bloom etc? Still can't decide whether I like the look better with it just turned off!

[patful]

Why wouldn't the Dynamic Lighting feature in P3D4 give you all the scope you need to play with e.g., brightness, contrast, bloom etc? Still can't decide whether I like the look better with it just turned off!

HDR is pretty limited. I played with the settings as much as I could, never got the look I wanted. With A2A aircraft, the props cause a weird effect when panning up in the VC with bloom set anywhere above 0.4, so I never really got to play around with bloom. PTA offers idiots like me the chance to change all sorts of settings not available through the P3D interface.

[patful]

Disregard the question about other preset recommendations. I ran the same saved scenario in P3D with THOPAT's and Adam's presets, and default, this time in clear weather. Any use of PTA adds an additional 20-25% GPU usage. I even disabled the custom post-processing in the presets, no change. Weird and disappointing. I'm not willing to turn down my settings to get the nice lighting effects. Maybe someday I'll buy a 1080.