Is a patch coming to fix the loss of contrast/color reflections in clouds in 2.3?

[Noel 4,517]

I've set up other flights around dusk and they are all the same... dull!.??

 

Yes, I don't care if P3D is a 'work in progress'--restore the blithering color & contrast quickly, please!   It would be one thing if the basic cloud performance issue was greatly solved, but alas it isn't and in some ways is worse.  What exactly improved in 2.3 anyway?  LM:  please deliver an interim patch so users can go back to enjoying some color and contrast while you fine tune the issue in YOUR test beds.  

[Novation 534]

To do a comparison you'd need to have the same sky textures installed in both sims, there's a row of pixels along the top of each sky texture that controls the cloud colors among other things. Mine's just the opposite, my FSX looks like your P3D2 shot and vice versa.

 

Jim

 

 

I have the same REX texture sets... I've even tried the using the same SHADE values for the light/dark colour values [pixels].

 

All the screens I've seen of P3D at dusk recently look more like mine, suggesting something is amiss, that was not before.

 

 

Noel. I think daytime visuals are improved over 2.2, my only beef is during low sun.

[Jim Robinson 122]

This is what I'm coming up with, 7 different sets of sky textures and screenshots from both sims side by side:

 

http://cat-tamer.com/flightsim/atchmnts/sky_comparison.html

[Novation 534]

This is what I'm coming up with, 7 different sets of sky textures and screenshots from both sims side by side:

 

http://cat-tamer.com/flightsim/atchmnts/sky_comparison.html

 

 

OK Jim, I've had some success by exaggerating those pixel values beyond those used in the same textures in FSX... I now have a lot more colour back in the sky, though I can't get quite the same level of contrast in the terrain.

 

Much better though, even if it still lacks some of the richness I would like.

[Noel 4,517]

 

 

Noel. I think daytime visuals are improved over 2.2, my only beef is during low sun.

 

90% of my flight time is spent starting/ending at sunrise/sundown.  And even so I don't see any improvements in daytime visuals in 2.3.  What are you referring to?  I see the same absence of lighting effects during the day as well.  I would agree they could have been softened somewhat, but on a scale of 0 to 100 w/ 100 being unrealistically over contrasted, previous versions were maybe around 80, and now are around 30.  How about 50?

[Novation 534]

 

 

What are you referring to?

 

Daytime lighting [HDR] is better, and clouds look brighter and whiter, whereas they always looks rather grey, something I can see in my collection of screens from 2.0 to 2.3.

 

The contrast between the light and dark of cloud shadows during the day is highly acurate, and mirrors what I see from the high location where I live, where I can watch the clouds cast their shadows across the countryside... okay I would tweak it a bit if I could, but its not far off reality.

[Guest]

 

 

Yes, I don't care if P3D is a 'work in progress'--restore the blithering color & contrast quickly, please!

 

What is the exact issue and do you have screenshots of the issue?  I've never seen or encountered a color/contrast issue in any version of P3D ... and I'm a little confused as to what this is?  Color contrast can be control via you monitor and/or nVidia control panel.

 

As pointed out, your sky textures will influence lighting even more so with HDR on.  If you like orange clouds, then have a dusk sky texture with lots of red/orange in it.

 

Anyway, there is nothing in v2.4 patch that addresses color/contrast.

 

Cheers, Rob.

[Jazzfan 57]

 

 

there is nothing in v2.4 patch that addresses color/contrast.

 

My apologies for going a little off topic, but... V2.4 patch? What did I miss? New beta? I guess I should go check the LM page.

 

  Cheers, Jazz

[Guest]

 

 

V2.4 patch? What did I miss? New beta?

 

I'm (and others) testing out a patch that is currently listed as v2.4 ... has a list of fixed issues in the .chm.  It's an RC so I assume it's going to be released relatively soon.

 

Cheers, Rob.

[Novation 534]

I'm (and others) testing out a patch that is currently listed as v2.4

 

That's good to hear.. So its more than just a hotfix update to correct some of those bugs that affected clouds? I'm hoping it will be possible to scale the clouds in the cloud.fx file, as I still prefer to use the oversized versions, even if they should not be that large.

 

On topic.. I now have some very pleasing results from adjusting the pixel tags to give a wider variance between the light and dark. I create a theme in SHADE and install the values into FSX then copy the textures across, which is less fiddly than Photoshopping the textures... though I wish I could find a way to use SHADE directly with P3D without a migration tool - anyone managed this?.

 

It does seem the same REX textures in FSX and P3D react with the lighting in very different ways, and you really need to boost those pixel values to restore some colour, which is almost totally absent otherwise.

 

I'll add another image to show the change, when I'm on my FS PC.

[Jazzfan 57]

Thanks for the info,Rob. I will keep an eye out for it.

 

  Jazz

[greggerm 312]

 

 

I'm (and others) testing out a patch that is currently listed as v2.4 ... has a list of fixed issues in the .chm. It's an RC so I assume it's going to be released relatively soon.

 

Well here's an inevitable question... same patching process as previous updates to be expected?

[Novation 534]

These are with the tweaked sky textures, which is so much better than the lifeless grey I had before. Plus, there is better definition in the terrain shading, which was non-existent.

 

I've also tweaked the HDR to reduce the bloom blur.

 

 

With a vivid red 'light' pixel.

[Ironkidz 0]

I am not a P3D user, but I still find it funny that so many people express some sort of disappointment or resentment for LM's customer service and/or the tick-tock cumbersome patching system when it has been clear from the get go that P3D is not a consumer/entertainment platform. So the convenience and user friendly nature of an entertainment platform along with the customer service, is expected not to be evident from a multi-billion dollar international defense conglomerate. 

[Novation 534]

Compared to the situation we had with MS there is little to complain about with LM... they do listen and they do make changes and fixes based on user input. You will never satisfy everyone, and they will not tailor the sim to individual needs, hence the tweaking above.

 

My personal contact with LM has not been like dealing with a multi-billion dollar international defence conglomerate, quite the opposite in fact.