P3D v3 models on P3D v4

[Nathos]

I'm having serious perfomace problems with P3D v4 and dynamic lighting on gsx trucks, on a 4k monitor, it uses around 50% of my GPU. How can i use P3D v3 models (that do not have dynamic lighting) on P3D v4 or how can i disable Dynamic Lighting on P3D v4 only on GSX veicules so i can use lighting on PMDG aircrafts?

[virtuali]

I'm having serious perfomace problems with P3D v4 and dynamic lighting on gsx truck

There are no performance problems whatsoever with dynamic lights on GSX vehicles:

This is a 4K video, which shows GSX vehicles with their dynamic lights, on an airport (FSDT KCLT) which ALSO uses dynamic lights. The only things different might be:

- Your anti-aliasing settings. You don't really need a strong anti-aliasing with a 4K monitor.

- The PMDG aicraft lights.

how can i disable Dynamic Lighting on P3D v4 only on GSX veicules so i can use lighting on PMDG aircrafts?

What is causing the fps loss are not the GSX vehicles and, are you sure it's realistic to have all the airplane lights turned on when serviced by ground vehicles ? Have a look here:

https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC%20120-74B.pdf

This is the relevant part:

(2) Exterior Lights. To the extent possible and consistent with aircraft equipage, operating limitations, and flightcrew procedures, pilots should illuminate exterior lights as follows.

(a) Engines Running. Turn on the rotating beacon whenever an engine is running.

(b) Taxiing. Prior to commencing taxi, turn on navigation, position, anti-collision, and logo lights, if available. To signal intent to other pilots, turn on the taxi light when the aircraft is moving or intending to move on the ground, and turn it off when stopped or yielding or as a consideration to other pilots or ground personnel. Strobe lights should not be illuminated during taxi if they will adversely affect the vision of other pilots or ground personnel.

(c) Crossing a Runway. All exterior lights should be illuminated when crossing a runway.

If you wait to turn airplane lights on when the ground service stops, you are not only saving fps, but are also following a more realistic procedure.

What we MIGHT do, to improve things, is to have the GSX vehicles turn on/off their own lights automatically, when they are returning back to their starting positions, which is even more realistic.

[Nathos]

There are no performance problems whatsoever with dynamic lights on GSX vehicles:

I have to disagree, here are my results:

Without gsx trucks: Solid 30fps and 50% GPU usage
https://i.imgur.com/G3lLs2k.png

With gsx trucks: FPS drops to 26 and GPU usage goes to 100%
https://i.imgur.com/gSGRDyv.png

GSX trucks with dynamic light off: FPS goes back to 30 and GPU usage goes to 50%
https://i.imgur.com/llqLElh.png

- Your anti-aliasing settings. You don't really need a strong anti-aliasing with a 4K monitor.

My AA setting is 2x Msaa, turning it off has no effect on GPU usage or FPS. FXAA is OFF.

are you sure it's realistic to have all the airplane lights turned on when serviced by ground vehicles ?

I do not have any external light on, as you can see in the screenshots i take, even the aircraft is off.

I'm not trying to debate the FPS loss on Dynamic Lights, i'm just asking where are located the trucks models on prepar3d v4 so i can replace ir with the models from prepar3d v3 or fsx. Or if there is a way to disable all dynamic lights from gsx trucks without having to turn this option off in the simulator.

[virtuali]

I have to disagree, here are my results:

It's very well known fact that DL have different impact depending on WHAT is being lighted. In your case, the surrounding scenery, which doesn't look like a proper P3D V4 scenery.

That's why I showed you a 4K video of GSX vehicles with all their own lights turned on, on a proper P3D scenery.

That's why users are seeing a very different impact of DL (regardless where they come from, airplane, scenery or vehicles) depending on the scenery used.

No, they are not "free", of course, but having the GPU usage at 50% is not something to be happy with: ideally, it should always running around 100%, which means no GPU power is being wasted.

My AA setting is 2x Msaa, turning it off has no effect on GPU usage or FPS. FXAA is OFF.

Since you SHOULD see a noticeable difference between MSAA and FSAA, if you don't, it's likely because the performance loss caused by the lights lighting a non optimized scenery, is larger than the one caused by the different anti-aliasing setting.

I'm not trying to debate the FPS loss on Dynamic Lights, i'm just asking where are located the trucks models on prepar3d v4 so i can replace it with the models from prepar3d v3 or fsx. Or if there is a way to disable all dynamic lights from gsx trucks without having to turn this option off in the simulator.

You can disable dynamic lights on the vehicles by removing the fx_headlight.fx and fx_headlight_small.fx files in the Addon Manager\Effects folder.

In any case, your message was useful to suggest what we'll feature in the next update: all vehicles will turn on/off their headlights automatically depending if they are moving, which should reduce the number of DL that are active at any given time quite a bit.

[Nathos]

Thanks! Deleting the files fixed for me!

[virtuali]

Thanks! Deleting the files fixed for me!

Ok but, before you give up with DL entirely, could you please try to do a Live Update now ? I've just uploaded all GSX vehicles to have their headlights automatically turned off when they are not moving. It seems both a more realistic and dynamic scene, and it should save some fps too!