Photoscenery extremely overexposed in 4.4

[stiletto2]

Can everyone affected, please post post details of your Options->World->Terrain settings (all 4 sliders values and the HD texture checkbox). If you're using the cfg to override the texture exponent please make note of that as well. Does enabling disabling HD textures impact the final texture quality?

Thanks

Hi Beau,

I have no config texture overrides. I first noticed the photoreal overexposure on lighter colored photo scenery (e.g. concrete) when using Orbx TrueEarth GB South. I have displayed the scenery using two different profile settings with the same disappointing results. These were the two different World->Terrain profiles tested:

Level of detail radius MAX
Tessellation Factor Ultra
Mesh Resolultion 5m
Texture Resolution 7cm
Use high-resolutionterrain Textures CHECKED

Level of detail radius Ultra
Tessellation Factor High
Mesh Resolultion 5m
Texture Resolution 15 cm
Use high-resolutionterrain Textures UNCHECKED

I have inserted below two images (one from P3Dv4 and one from X-Plane 11) for your comparison (ignoring the general lighting, object and water color differences of two different sims).





Note the difference in the photoreal concrete areas using the exact same Orbx photo scenery files (same LOD level and source) when displayed using P3Dv4 vs. XP11. My P3Dv4 photoreal concrete area portions are extremely overexposed and, as a result, look white and more blurry than the concrete areas as shown by one of Orbx's XP11 platform promo pictures.

I feel that it is critical that this overexpsoure problem be quickly solved. Of course, if you feel the Orbx compile of the ortho terrain is causing this, I am sure you can chat with Orbx since, in the past, you have been working quite closely with them. I hope this problem is able to be figured out since I love P3Dv4 and want it to look as good as other competitive sims if possible.

Thanks!

Stiletto2

[egnurlaup]

Those are amazing differences. I am sure a fix can be worked out between ORBX and LM. Like you, I have tried almost everything I can think of inside P3Dv4 settings with marginal success.

You are correct, the scenery quality is a major factor within any sim. I would really like to get totally immersed in P3Dv4, and remove FSX-SE, but this scenery challenge is keeping me from making that move.

[yankeegolf3]

Hi,

This is interesting, I started having this issue after installing Active Sky Cloud Art and will now uninstall to see if this is causing the problem and report back here if it helps.

Hello,
Has the situation improved? I have the same doubt about a possible ASCA impact.
THX

[Bernie]

Hi,

I must admit that I never went ahead to un-install the ASCA as I thought it did not make sense but I did tick the option for sky colour which made the difference that I was looking for. I am still interested to see how this thread pans out as I still see the difference that others are seeing.

[francescodoenz]

Allow me to "chyme in" inspite of being a newbie coming back to the hobby after three years...I installed version 4 on a brand new PC and photoscenery switzerland Pro and noticed immediately extremely overexposed swiss photo scenery, BEFORE installing any other addons!
Adding afterwards ASCA and active sky did not change anything.

[ibelarry]

Hi Folks!

I have the same issue in 4.5 as I had in 4.4 with photoscenery areas especially roads and parking lots being overexposed-discolored bluish or white in both ORBX scenery and other photoscenery. Deleted shader cache. Tried all different setting options including default. Did not make a difference. Uninstalled envtex and envshade and PTA still no difference. I don't use Active Sky. I am also to the point where I might just delete P3dv4 period. I never seem to have any issues with Xplane whenever they upgrade but P3d always has issues crop up and this one seems to be unsolvable. Unfortunately I have a small fortune invested in P3d in scenery and planes.

[BMW969]

What solution is found?
Indiana , SUMMER , MegaSceneryEarth , P3D 4.5

[Sky_King]

Any further comments from LM? I am using P3D 4.5F1, Megascenery with no Envshade or other 3rd party textures. The desert areas in Nevada for instance look like overexposed snowy areas which of course they aren't. I do use PTA but no difference with or without. Below is a screenshot...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/96lnnb7m02tw6 ... e.jpg?dl=0

[egnurlaup]

It's frustrating, but it appears LM doesn't know how to fix this or doesn't view it as a priority. I have gotten my install to work now. Lot's of scenery settings tweaking, but looks decent. No idea how I did it. All ORBX. Here's the settings lineup I am using for what its worth:

Image and Texture - FXAA:On, AA:4SSXA, Texture Filtering:Anisotropic 16x, Texture Res:Ultra 4096x4096
Full Screen - 3840x2160x32 , all boxes blank
VSynch - On / Triple Buffering / Unlimited
View and Panel Settings - WIdeview Aspect Ratio checked, Mipmap VC Panels unchecked

Options World - All maxed right

Lighting - Enable HDR Lighting: Disabled, Dynamic LIghting/Landing Lights/Display Lensflare: All Checked

[JorgenSA]

I will take the liberty to quote: "it appears LM doesn't know how to fix this".

Now, that is assuming that this a problem with P3D, and therefore L-M's problem.

Then of course the question comes up: "How do you know that?"

I have a lot of freeware photoscenery (amongst others from Blue Sky), but no ORBX or Megascenery products, and I do not see anything like what has been published in this thread. Therefore I tend to be somewhat sceptical of statements that say that this is a P3D problem. But, of course it is easier to blame L-M than the manufacturer of your beloved add-on, which seems to be a tendency in these threads.

But then again, I am on P3D version 4.5 with the hotfix now. If the people complaining about this issue want something done about it, they need to get on v. 4.5 first (if they haven't already) and then see if the issue remains. The reality of life is that there aren't going to be any fixes for v. 4.4, because resources are limited, and those available are going and will be going into v. 4.5 only. The complaints also need to go to any and all 3rd party manufacturers (ORBX, Megascenery etc etc) in case of compatibility issues.

And for those who wants comments from L-M about progress in this matter (or others), given the nature of tech support, the most you will ever get is that this is being worked upon. One of the very first things you learn when you start working in tech support is "Never, ever set customer expectations" - if you don't meet set expectations there'll be hell to pay... but that's another story.

Jorgen (waiting for the shitstorm to break loose)

[egnurlaup]

Very funny. You are right, who knows what ORBX/LM are doing on this, Haven't noticed an update from either recently. Just for reference, the "...overexposed in 4.4...." was the original posting before 4.5 release. I have 4.5 and assume most are quick to update...but I don't know that for sure either. The issue still persists, but i have found a sloppy way around it. No foul there I assume? Review the thread and you may understand that, after more than a year waiting and approaching from ORBX and/or LM angles, nothing much has been resolved.

As far as keeping customer service expectations low - now that made me smile! I am sure there is a rule about that everywhere! Even if some issues are likely "operator error". If the sports at LM or ORBX knew the answer, I am sure they would let us all know, right?

Anyway...back to bush flying on FSXSE with my morning coffee...!

[rockliffe]

Oh dear, this is frustrating. I posted about this problem back in 2018 after moving to 4.4. There was no problem with any other versions, just since going to 4.4 and now 4.5 the issue remains. To summarise: it is only apparent on photosceneries and photoscenery textures. It happens across every addon I have, including Flytampa, Orbx, Simware etc. The issue has been tiresome and has made me consider binning P3d all together. Before doing so, I decided to do a complete reinstall of P3d v4.5! With more than 150 sceneries it was going to be a pain. I started last weekend, also deciding to keep addons and things to a minimum. So no Envtex or shaders installed. And hey, let me bang my head against a brick wall once again... the same darn issue has reared it's head again. This is clearly destroying my flying enjoyment. Has anyone from LM come up with an answer? Here are the screenies which are self evident...
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[egnurlaup]

Rockcliff:

Boy do I understand your frustration with all this in P3Dv4.5. I have a lighting setup solution that provides me a decent experience on 4K HD screen (or I just can't tell anymore!?). I have a pretty high end hardware setup too, so lucky there. Millions of dollars in ORBX only scenery. And "sliders" set to the max.

One thing that worked decently was to NOT use HDR Lighting. It's probably not as perfect as you want, but it's good enough for me for now. Still keep FSXSE ready to go for bush flying in Alaska (Tongas / Misty installation for P3D requires PhD level installation skills!), and MS FSX 202? seems to be now just around the corner - in which probably none of my ORBX scenery and add-ons will work - so back to square #1 again anyway in the future!!

As someone told me some years ago on one of these forums "...stop screwing around with the sliders and just fly...!" Probably good advice at the end of the day...

[rockliffe]

It seems no one from LM want to continue with this thread. I'm sure it would be appreciated if someone form LM simply took ownership of this problem and shed some light on things. Is it being looked into? Is the issue accepted as being a P3d problem? Has it been replicated elsewhere? Is it fixable? I don't think it's too much to ask.

[JorgenSA]

I am probably going to stir up a hornet's nest now, but so be it.

How on earth are you going to shove the responsibility for a third-party add-on photoscenery issue off to L-M, who has not developed it?

It is the responsibility of the third-party developers to ensure that their product is fully compatible with the various versions of P3D, before they state that is is compatible.

Many of the P3D users spend a ton of money on third-party add-on sceneries, only to find this issue. You need to demand from the third-party manufacturers that either they bring their product into line, or they refund your money.

It cannot ever be the responsibility for the developer of the base product (L-M and P3D) to ensure that third-party add-on manufacturers confirm to the standards necessary for compatibility. That is where these third-party manufacturers are failing you - the users - in doing the proper job that they should have done in the first place. The blame needs to be shifted to where it belongs!

And that goes not only for photoscenery, as in this thread, but for all other products also.

Jorgen
40 years or so in tech support, hardware and software