setups

[400guy]

It would be very interesting to have a DETAILED thread listing the setups being used by those (LUCKY) folks who have been assisting in testing the sim.

By"detailed" I mean the EXACT configuration of the system being used, (including the model numbers of things such as video cards monitors etc.)

In considering the possible rebuilding of things here, such a listing would be VERY helpful!.

I saw a reference in one of the messages on the forum regarding touch screen monitors for example.  I've no idea what I should be considering).

[Hardy Heinlin]

I, for one, use:

iMac 2.93 GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo, 1920 x 1200 pixels. PSX frame rate: 30-72 fps

iMac 3.20 GHz, Intel Core i5, 2560 x 1440 pixels. PSX frame rate: always 68 fps


Regards,

|-|ardy

[John Golin]

It doesn't run on a Raspberry Pi.

Surface Pro 1 Core i5 3317U 1.7Ghz 4Gb RAM Windows 8.1 64bit  - runs at 50 - 70 frames per second on final approach into PHNL with FO PFD, ND, upper EICAS and outside view squeezed into the frames.

1920x1080 res.  Integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 display.

[John Golin]

Re touch screens - my own personal feelings are mixed.  For some parts of the sim it works well, for others I find it fiddly and sometimes impossible to do what I want. I have only used the small Surface touchscreen so bear that in mind.  

This is a full PC program, not an app, so in my opinion being able to use touch is nice where possible, but the richness of the simulator doesn't always lend itself to touch control...

[Will]

I basically see what Hardy sees. I have a 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac with 8 GB RAM and ATI Radeon HD 5670 video (1920 x 1080), and I always get 45+ fps, even in the most challenging environment, such as the busy Default.situ (final approach) which has lots of visible airport detail (runway lights and beacons), busy weather radar, terrain mapping, lightning, turbulence, rain splattering all over the windshield, windshield wipers visibly swiping to and fro, and all the rest including all of the associated sounds. Trust me that 45+ fps is more than enough to ensure a buttery smooth visual experience.

PSX never has any stutters, pauses, or delays.

In a typical cruise situ, even with a  beautiful sunset, I get 68 fps, rock solid all the time, no downticks.

I also use a wireless non-keypad keyboard and a wireless trackpad, which are sufficient for controlling the sim if that helps, although a keypad and a mouse with a wheel would possibly make certain things easier. Oh, and I also use a Saitek USB joystick with a custom mapping.

[GodAtum]

Thinking about hardware, would a i7 4770k with a Nvidia 780Ti  be able to run 4 PSX instances (CP side, FO side, 2x CDU)?

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

Dell Latitude D430, Intel Core2 @ 1.2GHz, 2Gb memory, XP. Works like a charm at 1920x1080 but of course does not go beyond about 14 fps in the ultra-demanding default situ. Note well -- 10-14 fps when still smooth as silk. Ok, the displays may jump in 0.5 mm increments instead of in pixel. But this is still very pleasant to work with. PSX scales down so gracefully that it becomes eerie. No stutters, no jumps, totally predictable, and probably not even noticeable unless you have seen the 70 fps variant.

I think it is comparable to the experience people had with their first HD exposure, or first Apple exposure, etc.   It is not required, but easier on the eyes.  A good, smooth 10 fps is preferable over a hiccupping stuttering on-off 30 fps.


Hoppie

[Hardy Heinlin]

For frame rate tests I would recommend to set moderate turbulence or crosswind gusts, or just do some aerobatics. This forces the PFD speed, attitude, heading, and altitude indicators, and the ND, to operate in a higher frame rate mode in order to provide maximum smoothness.

On a straight flight track, where speed, heading, altitude etc. change by 0.001 units only once per week, the required power is very low and the FPS indication goes up, because most of the power is then used just by the windshield which always runs at the highest frame rate mode. As the windshield scenery is simplified, it has not much influence. Just do something with your flight track; change headings, speeds, altitudes ... continuously. Don't fly on a straight track in steady winds, that's not demanding.


Cheers,

|-|ardy

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

This was NOT a straight flight track   :-D

[Hardy Heinlin]

It was just a general tip for everyone :-)

[Kurt]

Hi

Just wondering if PSX outside view window can be maximized to fit full screen?

Would be nice to have ultimate smoothness until I invest in a high end PC for external scenery generation

Cheers

Kurt

[Hardy Heinlin]

You can show any part of the flight deck frame.

You can zoom any part of the flight deck frame up to zoom factor 3.0.

You can resize the flight deck frame as you like.

It's all flexible. Zoom, pan, divide.

The "flight deck frame" is the PSX frame on your computer's desktop. The other frame in PSX is the Instructor frame.


Cheers,

|-|ardy

[Jeroen Hoppenbrouwers]

For clarification:

A PSX "frame" can be thought of as a "window" -- it is a rectangular, individually sizeable and movable computer display artifact. Most programs are usually displayed in a window. PSX has two windows: the simulator flight deck frame and the instructor frame.

The instructor frame appears and disappears on ESC key presses, but can also be minimized. The instructor frame is always a normal window. It has the usual OS-dependent decoration frame and associated buttons. On Microsoft Windows, minimize, maximize/restore, close. You can drag it off to a side monitor and leave it open all the time. Most changes you make are instantly reflected on or by the main flight deck frame, there is no "jump out of the sim" or pausing or whatever. It is an instructor panel -- instructing is a live, parallel activity.

The main flight deck frame can behave like the instructor frame, but you have the preference option "Show title, frame, and buttons of desktop window". If you de-select this, you drop the OS-dependent decoration frame. The visible flight deck expands to occupy the space previously taken by the decoration frame. If the frame happened to be maximized when you drop the decoration frame, it will also expand to cover the Windows Task Bar, and you get a full screen display, F11-style.

Within the flight deck frame you have the four rectangular segments. These are for conveniently looking at different parts or zooms of the complete flight deck, including the windshield segment. In cockpit mockups, these will often not be used. Instead you want multiple independent flight deck frames, that you can move around between monitors and/or computer systems. In order to achieve this, run multiple PSX instances, on the same box or on multiple boxes. Each PSX instance produces one new frame (plus an instructor frame if you insist).

If you want just the Captain's Clock displayed, drag the green segment dividers to the edge, pan the flight deck to center on the clock, and zoom in. There, a clock instrument, ready to be moved around on your monitors to wherever you want it.

A dedicated Instructor Station would still have a flight deck window, but reduced to 10 x 10 pixels and eternally minimized.

Since the individual instances run their own graphics and short-term other simulations, but are kept "lipsync" by the network, you get a smooth overall system that is not much heavier than one "big" PSX.


Hoppie

[Hardy Heinlin]

Additional clarification for future PSX users:

I intentionally use the word "frame" because if I would say "flight deck window", you would think I mean the "flight deck windshield".

Windshields and panels are shown in the PSX flight deck frame. Everything inside the flight deck frame be can panned, zoomed, divided.

Please note that the maximization feature of "Microsoft Windows" is not available in Apple OS X. The OS X menu bar is always visible at the top.


|-|

[GodAtum]

Would a 12 core Xeon make a huge difference to a 4770k? or will clock speed make more of an impact?

[Hardy Heinlin]

GotAtum, your questions are too specific :-) We are not able to test every single computer currently on the market, unfortunately.

[GodAtum]

Lol   If I make my question more general, which is better for PSX, CPU clock speed or number of cores?

[Hardy Heinlin]

Both.

But, for a single PSX, I think more than 8 cores wouldn't be an improvement.

[evaamo]

I have a late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display, which I use when I'm traveling. Unfortunately it comes with an integrated video card (Intel HD5000). I'm hopeful it will work Ok with PSX (fingers crossed).

cheers
-Enrique

[Pierre Theillere]

Hi guys!

I have quite a complex combination of Mac OSX Snow Leopard / Windows (7 & 8.1) and Linux (Fedora, Mandriva, and Ubuntu computers as an extensive testing bed and future (dual-pilots) flight deck! And, after installing Java on each of those computers, PSx runs fully fine, no tweaking, no hassle, and no CTD (crash to desktop)...
The most "static" parts, such as OverHead Panel, Center Console (audio, radios, weather radar, transponder), and instructor's window are fully fine, even on some good old ASUS eeePC 900. (removed WinXP, nad put Fedora on those)
For Flygenring: yep, PSx outside view can be maximized; that's what I do, getting it on 3 x 15" (3 x 1024 x 768 ) at a smooth 40+ fps (via a Matrox TripleHead2Go) on an old MacMini from late 2009. And it enables very precise handflying... crosswind crabbing is very impressive on such a setup too!
The best point is: splitting sound outputs! Thanks to PSx' server / clients capability, you may get engine sound (and ground roll) via subwoofers located behind / below, and airspeed sounds via small speakers being the windshield screens... and so on. And that good sound ambiance is a huge part of the immersion, at least as much as visuals!
Last thing: during PSx testing, I got "trapped" several times, taking the computer-generated rain or thunderstorms for the real ones!