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Are LODs broken in FSX?

S

Skydvdan1

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germany
I keep seeing people mention that LODs don't work in FSX and FSXA. So my question is do they work or not? If so is there a trick to them that makes them different than in FS9? I've done a search but come up with limited results on the subject.
 
testing is easy - use a different texture colour for different LOD's.

FSX SP2 has broken LOD's for scenery items due to it's batching of draw calls to improve performance.
 
LODs in FSX SP2 do not work for scenery.
I have tested this and have been told the same direct from a very reliable source.
 
Sorry,
I just realized a complex terminal building loded and obviously it works. Compiled with sdk-sp2.
Will double check
 
Last edited:
Obviously someone is wrong.

So...

I'm thinking that I want to limit my draw distance by including a dummy (invisible object) LOD for my scenery. Is this possible or not?
 
Well let me try to be clear:
LODs work in fsx-sp2. But you cannot lod to a dummy. You need to have at least a single poly.
Nota: Lods to dummy compiled with sdk-fs9 work fine.

So the answer is no. You need to include not a dummy but a single poly.
 
ALain152 said:
Well let me try to be clear:
LODs work in fsx-sp2. But you cannot lod to a dummy. You need to have at least a single poly.
Nota: Lods to dummy compiled with sdk-fs9 work fine.

So the answer is no. You need to include not a dummy but a single poly.
Click to expand...

Even a single poly is better than a full model.
 
Try a test for yourself with a simple cube.

They worked for SP1 but the SP2 update introduced batching of draw calls which broke LOD's

LODs do work if you add an object with the Object Placement tool but once the BGL is built and the sim restarted they stop working.
 
Well I designed a terminal with gmax and 4 levels of LOD. I compiled mdl using skd-sp2. Then add the object with xml procedure generating a bgl file. LODs are efficient.
I stopped the computer and restart, launch fsx, LODs are still OK.
 
I have proved LOD's don't work with "simple" objects (high poly count but only 1 draw call) I will test again tonight with a multi draw call object.

The message I had that LODs were broken in SP2 came directly from an ACEs developer.
 
decapod said:
I have proved LOD's don't work with "simple" objects (high poly count but only 1 draw call) I will test again tonight with a multi draw call object.

The message I had that LODs were broken in SP2 came directly from an ACEs developer.
Click to expand...

Please report the results either way.
 
LOD works in FSX.

If you have big objects, use high numbers.
In my scenery for Halifax http://www.simaddons.com I use
1. xxx (dummy)
2. xxx_LOD_50 empty
3. xxx_LOD_990 low res
4. xxx_LOD_1000 high res

For a apron scenery I have up to LOD 1800

Gmax - be shure you have the update script for LOD
 
source link


Find this code in the LODandNameTool.ms script:

(
hide $*
global dummyString = 0
for obj in allLOD.selection do

Change it to add one line:

(
max unhide all
hide $*
global dummyString = 0
for obj in allLOD.selection do
 
From what i have been able to work out after completing my YMML.

LODs work fine using GMAX using either the Dummy node and miltiple levels of LOD, or just calling some thing XXX_LOD_100 which seems to be a way to control viewable distance (but only one level of LOD). With no Parent Node multiple levels of LOD also work fine.

However LODs do not work with 3DS MAX. the 3DS models seem to have better drawcall efficiency based on texture loading lag which is virtually none existant on my 3DS models

So this begs the question.

Which is better. LODs with GMAX or better Drawcalls with 3DS?

Added to that why is there a difference between the two? Surely and MDL from Gmax and 3DS should be identical?

My next project poses a bit of a problem. Should i do it 100% with 3DS knowing LODs won't work but perhaps get good performance anyway and seeminly better texture loading, or go totally with GMAX knowing i can use full LODs but risk slower Texture loading.
 
Hi,

This is getting interesting. I have also heard from ACES that they do not work, but have also seen some objects that still work.

For objects that are used a lot, the efficiency of the drawcall batching can beat the effect of a LOD. But the batching is done by the engine, it is not in the MDL file itself. So I don't expect a difference between 3DS and GMax there.

Would it matter when there are no drawcalls to batch for the LODs to work or not? Just a braindump...
 
Hi,

the only 100% working solution to have working LOD´s in FSX SP2 (ACC) is to add a simple FSX animated polygon somewhere down the object (place it -5m that it is unvisible). The new "batching" engine of Sp2 will skip the batching process if it founds an animated part inside the BGL file and displays LOD´s. (Animated objects simply cannot be batched due to their different shape, position etc).
The animated object does not really need an animation, assigning one in the animation tool is sufficient.
(Am using 3dmax, but should basically be the same behaviour with gmax files)

Thorsten
 
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