Is anybody using the bloom (like in FSX) in FS9 ?

[Daube]

Hi all,

I've seen this new feature in the flightsimworld forum, and it seems to work pretty well, transforming completely the visual impression in FS9. So far I've never seen FS9 screenshots here that use this bloom, so I was wondering if anybody knew about it ?

[Daube]

Here is an example of ini content that you can use. The guy who did the screenshots told that some of those parameter have a big impact on the FPS, and some can create some visual glitches with clouds for example.

[PROXY]
EnableProxyLibrary=0
InitProxyFunctions=1
ProxyLibrary=
[GLOBAL]
UseEffect=0
AlternativeDepth=1
AllowAntialias=0
BugFixMode=0
SkipShaderOptimization=0
QuadVertexBuffer=0
[EFFECT]
EnableBloom=1
EnableOcclusion=0
EnableReflection=0
EnableMotionBlur=0
EnableWater=0
EnableShadow=0
DepthBias=0
[INPUT]
KeyUseEffect=123
KeyBloom=120
KeyOcclusion=121
KeyReflection=122
KeyCombination=16
KeyShadow=119
KeyWater=118
[REFLECTION]
ReflectionPower=15
ChromePower=10
UseCurrentFrameReflection=0
ReflectionQuality=0
ReflectionSourceSpecular=50
ReflectionSourceTFactor=50
UseAdditiveReflection=1
ReflectionDepthBias=0
UseLowResReflection=0
ReflectionSinglePass=1
UseEnvBump=1
EnvBumpAmount=100
EnvBumpOffset=100
ReflectionFlip=0
[BLOOM]
BloomPowerDay=10
BloomFadeTime=2000
BloomConstantDay=1
BloomQuality=0
BloomScreenLevelDay=60
BloomCurveDay=0
BloomPowerNight=25
BloomConstantNight=5
BloomCurveNight=0
BloomScreenLevelNight=20
BloomAdaptationScreenLevel=80
BloomAdaptationMultiplier=10
BloomAllowOversaturation=1
[SSAO]
UseFilter=1
OcclusionQuality=0
FilterQuality=0
DarkeningLevel=30
BrighteningLevel=30
IlluminationLevel=30
AdditiveIlluminationLevel=30
UseAmbientOcclusion=0
UseIndirectLightning=0
FadeDistance=50
UseForAlphaTest=1
UseForAlphaBlend=1
[COLORCORRECTION]
DarkeningAmountDay=10
ScreenLevelDay=60
ScreenLevelNight=20
DarkeningAmountNight=20
GammaCurveDay=0
GammaCurveNight=2
ColorSaturationDay=0
ColorSaturationNight=0
UsePaletteTexture=0
[PLUGIN]
WeatherMod=0
[WATER]
UseWaterDeep=1
WaterDeepness=20
WaterQuality=0
[SHADOW]
ShadowFadeStart=40
ShadowFadeEnd=80
ShadowAmountDay=60
ShadowAmountNight=30
ShadowScreenLevelDay=60
ShadowScreenLevelNight=20
ShadowQuality=0
UseShadowFilter=0
FilterQuality=1
ShadowBlurRange=30
[ENGINE]
ForceAnisotropicFiltering=0
MaxAnisotropy=4
ForceDisplayRefreshRate=0
DisplayRefreshRateHz=60
[MOTIONBLUR]
MotionBlurQuality=1
MotionBlurVelocity=10
MotionBlurRotation=10
[PERPIXELLIGHTING]
SpecularColorMin=0
SpecularColorMax=100
SpecularColorMultiplier=100
SpecularGlossinessMin=0
SpecularGlossinessMax=100
SpecularGlossinessMultiplier=100

[Daube]

In this INI file, the [INPUT] section is the list of keys (ASCII codes ?) for each action. Everything is listed in the documentation.

[INPUT]

KeyUseEffect=(1..255) decimal key number for activation/deactivation of modification, by default F12.

KeyBloom=(1..255) decimal key number for bloom activation/deactivation, by default F9.

KeyOcclusion=(1..255) decimal key number for ssao activation/deactivation, by default F10.

KeyReflection=(1..255) decimal key number for reflection activation/deactivation, by default F11.

KeyCombination=(1..255) decimal number of additional key for combining this key with others, by default SHIFT.

KeyShadow=(1..255) decimal key number for shadow activation/deactivation, by default F8.

KeyWater=(1..255) decimal key number for water activation/deactivation, by default F7.

[garryrussell]

To be honest I think it looks better without :-?

[Daube]

To be honest I think it looks better without :-?

Please read the comments carefully: the settings are exagerated in those shots, just to show better the difference. You can adjust it to a much more subtle and realistic level.

EDIT: here is a better example of what you can get, when tweaked correctly:
http://content.images.flightsimworld.co ... opy_01.jpg
http://content.images.flightsimworld.co ... 8-copy.jpg
http://content.images.flightsimworld.co ... opy_02.jpg

[Allen_Z]

[glow=yellow,2,300]some of those parameter have a big impact on the FPS[/glow]

Went from 20 to 1.4

I don't think BIG is a

[Daube]

Yep, I warned you. And of course, you can modify the settings to decrease the FPS impact.

[Harold]

Yeah ... I've seen that package and I find it most impressive, though I'll fiddle with it when I get my new Raptor

[Daube]

Here are some additionnal comparison shots. It's from FSX, where the dll works perfectly as well. Test made from Geneva airport with the famous freeware Trident 3.
First shot with bloom off, second shot with bloom ON.

[Daube]

Performance Tip:
Since we are, for the moment, only interested in the Bloom itself, set your EFFECT section as follows:

Code: Select all

EFFECT]
EnableBloom=1
EnableOcclusion=0
EnableReflection=0
EnableMotionBlur=0
EnableWater=0
EnableShadow=0
DepthBias=0


This will enable ONLY the bloom system, which has the smallest impact on the FPS

[Daube]

Just a bunch a new comparison shots:

[Harold]

What do you think about the comparison between razorsharp images and the 'romantic' fuzzy images the HDR package creates?

I think the images by Tim Fuchs' are razorsharp (which is what I like) but still have that romantic glow ... Do you think it might be Photoshopped or is that still do-able?

[Daube]

You mean Timest from the flightsimworld forum ?
His screenshots are fantastic. There are many possible reasons in my opinion that leads to such a quality:
- he pushes the video card settings to the extreme, max everything, forgetting the FPS
- he uses textures which are already much clearer and sharper than the default FS ones
- he certainely altered the ambient light, like what you could do in FS9 with FS SKyWorld
- his shots always have a "limited" visibility distance, leading to some very light "haze" which makes everything more "atmospheric".
I do not think that he modifies the shots (colors, contrast, light etc...) with photoshop.

[Harold]

Right ... but that still leaves the first question

[Daube]

Right ... but that still leaves the first question

Oh right !  :o Sorry.
I think both look good, depending on the circumstances.
The fact is that for external shots, full daytime and with such textures, the environment is already quite impressive by itself. In such cases, the bloom really isn't needed.

However, you will not fly in external view all the time right ? And in that case, the effect that you can see in my 737-cockpit shot gives something more. I didn't post any pictures about it yet, but you get also an interesting effect when you fly by night and trigger you cockpit lights. The full cockpit starts glowing, just like if your eyes were used to the darkness, and you feel the need to switch the lights OFF as soon as possible. I suppose this effect (I mean, constraint) exists in real life as well, and this is not something you get with the default FSX bloom or with REX either.

REX will bring you, among many other goodies, very nice clouds. Being often in a plane myself (I do skydive), I can tell that looking at those big white clouds really hurts the eyes, and that's why the pilots wear sunglasses. In FS (9 or X), even with the beautifull clouds provided by REX, you will not get this "glowing" that damage your vision of the external world, and this little mod will bring that quite nicely.