01.12.2009, 18:50
#5 Benchmarking-Preparation Phase For ATI and NVIDIA
This is where you become more familiar with things and be ready to beginning Benchmarking after this. Do not skip these preparation posts here and before this because you can only be sure to Optimize IL-2 for your computer if you come the prescribed way, and perhaps be clearer in your mind to learn a few things which will help you with IL-2 and computers later.
Well, you have used your PC resources to monitor and take note of the following: Having experimented with both OpenGL and/or DirectX, made Executable Profiles with file path, taken note of the FPS in a control mission, and satisfied with your improvements thus far, then you are ready to wrap the final issues in preparation before Benchmarking.
The stage of Benchmarking after this post should probably be done with some paper and a pen or pencil. Alternatives are to type comments into NotePad or similar program or to make screen captures for your own reference in the future. To prepare for benchmarking, you should do some research on the IL-2 Hardware Setup settings and the il2set.exe folder settings. In the il2set.exe folder contains the application which controls the IL-2 graphics card settings in the bigger program. For nHancer users, the nHancer program will control, or in some cases, over ride these settings.
Several things must be established by you at this point.
The il2set.exe PC Compatibility Mode
If you have had major issues with IL-2 right now, then try Compatibility Mode. Go to the il2set.exe folder in the main directory listing of your IL-2 1946 folder. Right click on il2set.exe and click the Properties tab. The go to Compatibility and set it for Compatibility Mode for Windows XP Service Pack 2. See if this makes any difference. If no difference, then you should uncheck the Compatibility Mode box. You must restart IL-2 for any changes at this file/folder level to be sure that it is applied. This can also be done for il2fb.exe folder.
Texture Mipmap Filter and Texture Compression with Windows Task Manager Resource Monitor
With the Resource Monitor you can see the effect that choosing a Texture Mipmap Filter and Texture Compression has on the number of threads in a CPU, as well as CPU overall usage. The issue to be handled here is to decide what Texture mipmap filter to use. This feature is found in the il2set.exe folder by clicking on it to open the IL-2 Setup window.
Go to your il2set.exe folder in IL-2 and open it to find the Texture mipmap filter in the Setup window. The TM Resorce Monitor showed me how much demand was specifically put on my CPU by different settings.
Almost everybody, the vast majority, will be in one of two categories regarding the IL-2 Setup window.
1) Anisotropic Owners of very powerful graphics cards will probably use Anisotropic based settings.
2) Trilinear Users who have thoroughly tried anisotropic settings and have too much stuttering during IL-2 flying: These users will very likely be best served with Trilinear mode settings.
ilset.exe Settings
I use Texture mipmap filter: Trilinear with Texture Compression of S3TC for Performance online flying.
Highest Image Quality is achieved with Texture mipmap filter: Anisotropic and Texture Compression: NONE. I use this only for offline flying and making IL-2 movies and screen captures. Owners of powerful computer graphics systems should aim high and try Anisotropic settings.
![[Image: AccessingTheSetupBox_il2set_exe.jpg]](http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad244/1Fireskull/Setup%20IL-2%20Settings/AccessingTheSetupBox_il2set_exe.jpg)
__________________________________________________________________________________________
IL-2 Setup for Benchmarking
Highest Image Quality that is possible...Do not apply these now. Look and prepare for Benchmarking.
Use only with powerful GPU and watch the CPU and GPU core temperatures:
![[Image: IL-2SetupBestAbsoluteImageQuality-1.gif]](http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad244/1Fireskull/Setup%20IL-2%20Settings/IL-2SetupBestAbsoluteImageQuality-1.gif)
Magnify your browser window if you need for some of the print to be increased in size to read it.
Anisotropic Filtering Extension Defined with Image Example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisotropic_filtering
Those who find it necessary will reduce some of the settings above only if your system is starved for performance. This will become clearer after you examin my whole topic.
This will get you familiar with the things which I am bringing into this here. The above two images are repeated in this topic later because they are so very important to Benchmarking.
My graphics performance is good and the visual quality is amazing. However, some guys will be better served with something different. Try all the settings in Texture mipmap filter and Texture Compression. Since these are in connection with many aspects of graphics, testing these settings with IL-2 and settling on the best will conclude the Final Phase of Benchmarking.
The Benchmarking stage begins next!
Utilizing these crucial instructions will make things as efficient as possible for you. Have you done everything that you can here for the preparation of the next Phase 1 Benchmarking?
MISSION COMPLETE
This is where you become more familiar with things and be ready to beginning Benchmarking after this. Do not skip these preparation posts here and before this because you can only be sure to Optimize IL-2 for your computer if you come the prescribed way, and perhaps be clearer in your mind to learn a few things which will help you with IL-2 and computers later.
Well, you have used your PC resources to monitor and take note of the following: Having experimented with both OpenGL and/or DirectX, made Executable Profiles with file path, taken note of the FPS in a control mission, and satisfied with your improvements thus far, then you are ready to wrap the final issues in preparation before Benchmarking.
The stage of Benchmarking after this post should probably be done with some paper and a pen or pencil. Alternatives are to type comments into NotePad or similar program or to make screen captures for your own reference in the future. To prepare for benchmarking, you should do some research on the IL-2 Hardware Setup settings and the il2set.exe folder settings. In the il2set.exe folder contains the application which controls the IL-2 graphics card settings in the bigger program. For nHancer users, the nHancer program will control, or in some cases, over ride these settings.
Several things must be established by you at this point.
The il2set.exe PC Compatibility Mode
If you have had major issues with IL-2 right now, then try Compatibility Mode. Go to the il2set.exe folder in the main directory listing of your IL-2 1946 folder. Right click on il2set.exe and click the Properties tab. The go to Compatibility and set it for Compatibility Mode for Windows XP Service Pack 2. See if this makes any difference. If no difference, then you should uncheck the Compatibility Mode box. You must restart IL-2 for any changes at this file/folder level to be sure that it is applied. This can also be done for il2fb.exe folder.
Texture Mipmap Filter and Texture Compression with Windows Task Manager Resource Monitor
With the Resource Monitor you can see the effect that choosing a Texture Mipmap Filter and Texture Compression has on the number of threads in a CPU, as well as CPU overall usage. The issue to be handled here is to decide what Texture mipmap filter to use. This feature is found in the il2set.exe folder by clicking on it to open the IL-2 Setup window.
Go to your il2set.exe folder in IL-2 and open it to find the Texture mipmap filter in the Setup window. The TM Resorce Monitor showed me how much demand was specifically put on my CPU by different settings.
Almost everybody, the vast majority, will be in one of two categories regarding the IL-2 Setup window.
1) Anisotropic Owners of very powerful graphics cards will probably use Anisotropic based settings.
2) Trilinear Users who have thoroughly tried anisotropic settings and have too much stuttering during IL-2 flying: These users will very likely be best served with Trilinear mode settings.
ilset.exe Settings
I use Texture mipmap filter: Trilinear with Texture Compression of S3TC for Performance online flying.
Highest Image Quality is achieved with Texture mipmap filter: Anisotropic and Texture Compression: NONE. I use this only for offline flying and making IL-2 movies and screen captures. Owners of powerful computer graphics systems should aim high and try Anisotropic settings.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
IL-2 Setup for Benchmarking
Highest Image Quality that is possible...Do not apply these now. Look and prepare for Benchmarking.
Use only with powerful GPU and watch the CPU and GPU core temperatures:
Magnify your browser window if you need for some of the print to be increased in size to read it.
Anisotropic Filtering Extension Defined with Image Example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anisotropic_filtering
Those who find it necessary will reduce some of the settings above only if your system is starved for performance. This will become clearer after you examin my whole topic.
This will get you familiar with the things which I am bringing into this here. The above two images are repeated in this topic later because they are so very important to Benchmarking.
My graphics performance is good and the visual quality is amazing. However, some guys will be better served with something different. Try all the settings in Texture mipmap filter and Texture Compression. Since these are in connection with many aspects of graphics, testing these settings with IL-2 and settling on the best will conclude the Final Phase of Benchmarking.
The Benchmarking stage begins next!
Utilizing these crucial instructions will make things as efficient as possible for you. Have you done everything that you can here for the preparation of the next Phase 1 Benchmarking?
MISSION COMPLETE