[Fireskull]

Phase 1 is Benchmarking IL-2 Setup and Highest FPS This is like the shoemaker sizing the shoe and only making fundamental cuts. (All the previous posts prepared you for this like the shoemaker getting his tools and plan in order.)

Now is when you really begin to take major, direct action to improve your IL-2 performance and image quality.


Keeping IT Clear
1) Preparation is for getting ready to configure IL-2
2) Benchmarking - Setup - finding the basic graphics setup need for IL-2, using at most few numbers.
3) Optimization - Control Panel - discovering the extent and limits of graphic traits, using some numbers.
4) Tweaking - Conf.ini - making finish adjustments to IL-2 graphics and the conf.ini file is 100% about number values.




Objectives of this Benchmarking:

In Benchmarking, you are focused on raising the highest FPS while you create acceptable image quality. Since settings will be made later to improve image quality at the expense of some performance, you need here to seek the highest Frames Per Second with Vertical Sync OFF at an amount of image quality which is acceptable to you at this point. Only if the lowest FPS is unacceptable, should it be considered here. Mainly, it is the highest FPS which matters in Benchmarking.


NOTE: Any changes to your graphics settings in the Setup, Graphics Control Panel, or conf.ini should be made AFTER you undo the conf.ini READ-ONLY. Doing this will allow many settings to effect the conf.ini file graphics command line values. When you reach the point that you think ALL graphics settings are made that you should at this time, then set the conf.ini file to READ-ONLY.



STARTING: Go to your graphics card control panel. Definately have Vertical Sync OFF for this Phase 1. I recommend that while you are in the panel, set Multi Core ON and Multi Threading ON. Run the Black Death, below, with and without Multi Core and Multi Threading. Determine no later than this Benchmarking Phase-best to do it before any Benchmarking-whether or not to use Multi Core and Multi Threading.

Multi Core and Multi Threading only are useful to some people and this varies from computer to computer. For example, in some computers Multi Threading is only activated with OpenGL. On the other hand, you can force Multi Threading with the use of nHancer and activated Multi Core, however, perhaps only with manual activation. More on these issues later. You must discover this for yourself. It works for me.

IMPORTANT: For Multi Core and Multi Threading, I highly recommend examining this whole help topic to determine if it is for you and how to either activate it ( conf.ini and/or nHancer ) or compensate for not using Multi Core.

Determining what core or cores to run IL-2 should have been determined in the Benchmarking Preparation Phase before this. In case you haven't done it or if your core assignment needs to be changed, here is a review:


ProcessAffinityMask Core Assignments - found in your conf.ini file of IL-2.


Only owners of a single core CPU should not change the ProcessAffinityMask. All others (owners of multi-core CPUs) should change it.


In the command lines of the conf.ini file:

Core 0 is the 1st core
Core 1 is the 2nd core
Core 2 is the 3rd core
Core 3 is the 4th core

This is because of the bit system that computers use.


ProcessAffinityMask=

=1 - core 0
=2 - core 1




ProcessAffinityMask=2 assigns IL-2 to the second core. This is a good standard in case the reader is confused after a bunch of reading and has yet to decide.

Again, the idea is to get IL-2 to be processed in any core but the first which is being used most of the time by the Operating System. The ideal is to assign IL-2 to a core by itself, then have the Operating System stay in the first core while the other programs related to IL-2 such as HyperLobby, TeamSpeak, or Fraps run in a different core than IL-2 as well. This eliminates or reduces the competing for processing among different programs and IL-2 in the same core. Stutters are reduced this way.






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[size=150]The Black Death Track demo movie in IL-2 has been the standard for Benchmarking toward the benefit of comparing setting results among IL-2 tweakers.

Start The Black Death before you begin Benchmarking Take a couple minutes to observe the FPS in various viewing angles. Take notice of the stuttering throughout the mission. Record on paper or in your computer the results before Benchmarking, after Benchmarking, and after Optimization. As you progress, this will reveal many things to you as you change graphics settings.

For other missions, about 23 to 100 FPS is the best that I achieve in Benchmarking with Vertical Sync OFF and forward-across the cockpit-view in the 40s FPS. Contrast that with the somewhat demanding Black Death...

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The Black Death Vertical Sync ON for me:

DX: 23 FPS to 59 FPS in panning around view with DirectX Performance Settings of nearly perfect image. I see only very few soft stutters-about 40 FPS in forward cockpit view.

GL: 12 FPS to 45 FPS in panning around view with OpenGL settings for perfect water and textures. There were a few hard stutters during explosions but the rest is mostly smooth-about 28 FPS in forward cockpit view.

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The Black Death Vertical Sync OFF for me:

Both OpenGL and DirectX have slightly lower minimum FPS and significantly higher maximum. Overall stutter is reduced because of increased upper and average FPS. However, stutter is common in OpenGL near towns, forests, much cloud cover, and many firing guns. Tearing of image is slight in forward cockpit and severe at a slight angle and some views.

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Keep in mind that every different computer model will see a unique set of graphics characteristics apart from others.
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The CPU usage, indicated in percentage, is very useful to see the exact demand that IL-2 settings have in your chip. Use the ctrl + alt + delete to bring the Windows Task Manager. In the Performance tab of TM, you can see all your cores and the percentage of CPU usage. Below is the button for the Recource Monitor which includes information in the CPU catagory row-push the button at the right-which reveals information on exactly what processes are running, how many threads each is using, and the percentage of CPU usage that each process occupies. This is a fairly quick method of getting the exact information about IL-2 demand in the CPU.

Having used these PC tools to compare CPU demands of different settings, I have learned what I want in settings. Look at the Frames Per Second and take notice of the image quality in your mission.

You will also need to settle on a program such as Fraps which provides Frames Per Second displayed during your flights. Turn it ON now.

Practice
Fly The Black Death and compare with my results, taking into consideration different computers. Write your Fraps FPS and take note of your stuttering and image quality.

This was practice. Now choose a group of settings based on the information below this and repeat the Black Death while making observations.

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Benchmarking Setup Settings for Performance Preference Considerations in IL-2 ( DirectX or OpenGL )

This is for IL-2 users who need a performance boost because of low Frames Per Second, Stuttering, or Input Device Delay-such as mouse, TrackIR, and joystick.

A reminder may be needed that Vertical Sync OFF should be set by you in the graphics card Control Panel by now.

In the il2set.exe of the main IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 folder, near il2fb.exe, are the Setup Settings for IL-2. Open il2set.exe by clicking on it.


Setup is the essence of Benchmarking This is like the shoemaker creating the basic size of the shoe on the bench.

Using the Task Manager tools and Fraps, I have the following performance settings for all my versions of IL-2, which of course you can use if you have an obvious need for performance improvement in your own simulation.

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Driver: DirectX when you need better performance shown by FPS and input device delay reduction, such as the mouse or TrackIR.

Video Custom, trilinear, S3TC, Use Dither, Use Vertex Arrays, Polygon Stipple, Multitexture, Combine, Secondary Color, Vertex Array Extension, Clip Hint, Use Palette, Texture Anisotropic Extension, and Texture Compress ARB Extension.

Sound Note: This does compete with visual graphics for performance. I have mine set to minimalize this.
Settings: Custom, Playback channels: Default, Speaker type: Headphones, 3D engine mode: Minimal (fastest), Sampling Rate: 22050 (This setting seems to make a throatier, deeper aircraft engine sound while eliminating distortions), and Audio enhancements and hardware acceleration (Because want to maintain realistic sound).

NOTE: For Highest Image Quality as your settings, then the OpenGL Maximum settings are below this, unless you have an older or weaker graphics card in your computer. Of course, you may try Performance DirectX or High Image Quality OpenGL for comparison or simply just for fun. You choose one, apply the settings, test, decide, and move to the next post about Optimization after this.
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Benchmarking Setup Settings Preparing for OpenGL Best Image Quality Preference in IL-2

Vertical Sync OFF set by you in the graphics card Control Panel because OFF is for Benchmarking.

The Easy Settings with the Biggest Effect on IL-2:
The largest change " out the box " would be to switch between OpenGL and Direct X (with Prerendered Frames). The second most influential is your choice of Texture Mipmap Filter. The third biggest influence is your choice of Texture Compression. Forth is Vertical Sync as ON or OFF. For the Benchmarking stage upto this point, you should set Vertical Sync OFF for Benchmarking.



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1) Mode selection: OpenGL or DirectX. Choose OpenGL for greatest image or DirectX, generally, for best performance.
2) Texture Mipmap Filter: Bilinear, Trilinear, or Anisotropic. Many guys use Trilinear, but set Anisotropic if your computer can handle it.
3) Texture Compression is None, 16 bit, and S3TC.

Best Image... Texture Compression: None will give you best image and perfect water when choosing Anisotropic, and select Perfect Textures in your Mods Enabler if you have JSGME. ( If you have JSGME.exe, then you would know it. ) For perfect water, see the confi.ini section.

Balanced Image and Performance...Texture Compression: 16-bit is generally a balance of image quality and performance. Turn ON: USE Dither, USE Palette, Texture mipmap filter: Trilinear with Texture Compression 16-bit. These are all found in the same command box.

Performance Need...Texture Compression: S3TC which generally should be used with Texture mipmap filter: Bilinear or Trilinear. Most people needing performance should use Trilinear, though a few would go further with Bilinear.

4) Vertical Sync OFF for helping stutters and Benchmarking. (Vertical Sync ON with Optimizaton and High Quality Image-Do this at the beginning of the next post.)


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Benchmarking Focus on Stutter Reduction: These work together very well when the user settles on Trilinear:

1) Graphics Control Panel - set Force Mipmaps: Trilinear

2) Setup window, click on il2set.exe file - Texture Mipmap Filter: Trilinear, Texture Compression: S3TC, Texture Compression ARB Extension

3) Conf.ini file - make sure TexCompressARBExt=1 is enabled. HardwareShaders=1 is enabled.

4) IL-2 Hardware Setup - Main Menu - Set all your Video Mode options to Custom settings, including Texture: Excellent and Detailed Clouds, and so forth.

5) Option A: Graphics Control Panel Texture Filtering - Trilinear Optimization should be tried. Leave all other settings in place and test with it and without it. In my online missions with NVIDIA while using DirectX, this gives me the best trilinear image and performance. Both OpenGL and DirectX users could try this. You test it to see for yourself when you need performance and stutter reduction.

6) Option B: IL-2 Setup window, click on il2set.exe file - Texture Anisotropic Extension will allow the rendering of the best possible textures of any configuration that you create. Using this extension will decrease performance. Activate it during this Benchmarking Phase if your computer system seems to be able to handle it with at least good FPS.

Remember to push OK and Apply for those settings to be accepted which require it. Restart IL-2 after you complete a set of changes.

IMPORTANT: All of these in the above lines are specifically designed to work together. For those who need one level less than the best image quality because of stutters and performance necessity, then this probably is the base from which you would make other graphics adjustments.

Getting excellent clouds, textures, water, and other popular graphics features - "eye candy" - requires making the progression of Benchmarking, Optimization, and finally Tweaking as revealed in this tech topic.


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For the absolute ultimate, more technical information comes later for those with strong desire to get the very best image quality from a very powerful graphics card. That comes after this. Everybody can enjoy the reading.

IMPORTANT: The following IL-2 Setup configuration in the image below this is a compromise for those users who need a simplification. It is a shortcut for those who will not any time soon be digging very deep into the technicalities. For you, it is the best image quality configuration. When the need for change becomes obvious, then it will leave a base configuration intact for you for the sake of keeping things easy.

Mainstream IL-2 enthusiast: The best that you might expect, streamlined for your convenience and quickness to setup:



Above settings can be adjusted for those needing more performance. Gradually reduce settings until you get the right balance for your computer. Especially, performance need would have you reduce the Texture mipmap filter and increase the amount of Texture compression. Doing this will decrease image quality and increase performance.

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Setup - il2set.exe - Best Image Quality Analysis

If Highest Image Quality is what you seek and you have a very high performance graphics card, willingness, and interest in the details, then go to the webpage of this link:

by Covino

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IMPORTANT Best Image Quality Advanced Information

These allow the achievement of the best image quality:

A) Texture mipmap filter: Anisotropic
B) Texture compression: NONE


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Extra Image Quality Considerations from the Experts:


1) Uncheck the Use Palette box to get the best color. Palette is an inferior substitution of a limited number of colors instead of using virtually unlimited colors. Palette will slightly improve performance but limit the colors that are used.

2) Uncheck the Texture Compression ARB Extension. Exception: Texture Compression ARB Extension should only be used with S3TC Texture Compression. Texture Compression should be set at NONE for Best Image Quality and Texture Compression ARB Extension should be unchecked for the best, as well.

3) Polygonal Stipple is a graphics pattern which allows shadows to be simulated. Unchecking this will increase performance a little bit but make a black shadow. Using Polygonal Stipple is the only way that some people are satisfied with the way shadows are rendered, so I recommend checking it. Also use shadows=1 in the conf.ini file.

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The Image Quality Settings put into words here for the advanced enthusiast to add to the skills and others to learn. Yes, " a picture is worth a thousand words", but when it comes to IL-2, this is not always true, for the sake of clarity. :wink:


IL-2 Setup for Benchmarking
Highest Image Quality that is possible...
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.
Test using The Black Death.



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Be sure to remember to watch your Fraps Frames Per Second shown in yellow on your screen when you have Fraps open. You never want to settle on less than 20 FPS. I consider 30 FPS to be the minimum in most situations. If I am flying a mission of low demand on FPS, such as desert-medium altitude-clear skies, then 20 FPS is satisfactory for forward cockpit view, in my opinion. For lower altitude, you need higher FPS than that. I typically have 30-70 FPS in forward cockpit view. Watch your Task Manager and you will see a definate correlation of FPS and CPU usage %.

The reason why I use Fraps for FPS is because it is a bit more of a hit against performance than the simulation FPS function. This means that I will have even smoother flying and picture performance when in a mission and it also substitutes for higher demands of more complex missions, as far as performance is concerned.

This concludes the Benchmarking. Did you examin and apply everything that you could in this Phase 1 Benchmarking?


MISSION COMPLETE

Optimization is next.