New patch and FScfg [terrain] changes?

[Joe_D]

To those who have installed the patch, just what changes were made to the FS9cfg, particularly in the "terrain" section?

The reason I ask is, I suspect that the only reason the terrain looks somewhat better and higher resolution mesh is supported is a patch edited SF9cfg, which you can easily edit yourself that will accomplish the same thing.
I think others would like to know also, particularly those wo do not want to install the patch at this time.

Here are my current settings and my terrain (and mesh) looks amagingly well without the patch.

[TERRAIN]
TERRAIN_ERROR_FACTOR=100.000000
TERRAIN_MIN_DEM_AREA=10.000000
TERRAIN_MAX_DEM_AREA=100.000000
TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=21
TERRAIN_TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=8
TERRAIN_AUTOGEN_DENSITY=5
TERRAIN_USE_GRADIENT_MAP=1
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_TEXTURES=1
TERRAIN_DEFAULT_RADIUS=5.000000
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS=8.000000
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_LEVELS=248

[Joe_D]

No one who installed the patch is willing to post the terrain section from the new FS9cfg to clear this up?
I`m shure many would be interested.

If "TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=21 " is all MS has done to enable higher meter mesh, what took them so long to tell the masses of this simple fix for their blundering oversite?

[Gixer]

I would but I have been messing with mine trying to make my sim look better.

[Fozzer]

...just as a point of interest...
...aren't many of these settings altered by changes you make in the "Options" menu when running the actual game, and are saved in the xxx.cfg file when you exit the game?
(Or not all of them...)...?

Cheers all... ...!

Paul.

[commoner]

HI lads..........I don't really pretend to understand this techy stuff but maybe somebody could explain eh? Here's the terrain section AFTER I applied the patch.....

[TERRAIN]
TERRAIN_ERROR_FACTOR=60.000000
TERRAIN_MIN_DEM_AREA=10.000000
TERRAIN_MAX_DEM_AREA=100.000000
TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=19
TERRAIN_TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=8
TERRAIN_AUTOGEN_DENSITY=3
TERRAIN_USE_GRADIENT_MAP=1
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_TEXTURES=0
TERRAIN_DEFAULT_RADIUS=0.000000
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS=0.000000
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_LEVELS=1307992

[JBaymore]

Joe_D + commoner,

Hum....... that is interesting with the "21" versus the "19" on the TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL value in the "patch" cfg file.

It USED to be that the value of "21" made the mesh tighter.

[Gixer]

Do you think the zero could mean unlimited?

[Graycat8524]

Heya Commoner,

You may not want to be using the No CD Patch for FS 9.0 now that the 9.1 update has been installed.  According to two sources that I have found if you use the No CD Patch for version 9.0 after the FS 9.1 update has been installed you can lose some of the updated improvements.

http://www.simviation.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=COF;action=display;num=1097279468

Felix/FFDS SimV Forum Moderator writes:

Note that if you have the no-CD file, some of the enhancements may not appear;.....


Also, it's interesting that the way the readme is written basically infers that they know there are 3rd party programs that "change" the FS9.exe file, so while not a tacit "blessing" it's a recognition that there is such a file "out there" ...  It's also saying, don't come crying to us if you reinstall the no-cd file and the enhancements/FS9.1 doesn't work!

From the Known Issues Document MS included with the FS 9.1 update download:

NOTE: This FS9.EXE will require a CD in the drive for Flight Simulator to run. If any action (such as re-installing a modified FS9.exe via a 3rd party add-on software installation) causes an overwrite of the updated FS9.EXE, you will lose significant fixes included in the Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight (update).

I can use the FS 2004 CD4 for a few days until some enterprising person comes up with a No CD patch for the FS 9.1 update which does not cause any of the new improvements to go bye-bye.

[commoner]

Hi Graycat....Well mmmm....the flight sim SEEMS ok but which bits won't work I wonder..........if only I knew I could check WITH and WITHOUT the patch eh? ...only bits I know that do work are the new (gorgeous) Humber Bridge where I fly from....and some super bridges around

[Graycat8524]

Heya Commoner,

You may want to uninstall then re-install the FS 9.1 Update to replace the FS9.exe.  Or if you backed up the new FS 9.1 version of the FS9.exe you may want to restore it.  I'm not sure which "improvements" you lose, however, since we've waited for over a year for M$ to offer this update -- I'm not going to "miss" anything!

Like I said I'll use the FS 2004 CD4 for a few days until somebody comes out with a new No CD Patch.

[Joe_D]

[quote]Joe_D + commoner,

Hum....... that is interesting with the "21" versus the "19" on the TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL value in the "patch" cfg file.

It USED to be that the value of "21" made the mesh tighter.

[RollerBall]

I used to have terrain_max_vertex_level=21 but I put it back to 19 when I found that Niagara Falls had risen to about 100 ft above the surface level of the water.

Go and have a look and see if this applies for you  ;)

[commoner]

Let me say what I did.....I installed the 9.1 patch without the no cd crack. then I just replaced the fs9.exe file with the fs9.exe crack. I don't see any difference since I did that. Maybe Microsoft are just tying to scare folk into not using the no cd crack..mmm....So now what. :-/ :-/

Off to bed now...see you tomorrow. commoner.

[JBaymore]

commoner,

What you did SHOULD result in seeing few differences!  You installed the NEW fs9 file... and then wrote the OLD fs9 file right OVER it... thereby erasing it and replacing it.  So what you have is what you started with for the fs9.exe file.    The only stuff that will be there is the stuff that is NOT changed in the exe fiel...or that is not "called" by the changes to it.

best,

...................john

[richardd43]

After installing the patch I copied the nocd patch back in but renamed it so it would not over-write the original fs9.exe.

I have flown with and without the cd and have not seen any difference.

I think that if we had a set fly pattern (in a high density area) that a few people could fly we might be able to make a better comparison.

If anyone has a suggestion I would be willing to give it a try.