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Stutters P3D


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Urs,
 
here are screenshots of my settings:
 
Prepar3D:
http://prntscr.com/b3w10p
http://prntscr.com/b3w1c9
http://prntscr.com/b3w1gm
http://prntscr.com/b3w4mr
http://prntscr.com/b3w4qa
 
DataProvider:
http://prntscr.com/b3w4xj
http://prntscr.com/b3w517
http://prntscr.com/b3w544
http://prntscr.com/b3w58k
 
I haven't used EFB before Prepar3D v3 so i cannot say if it is working on older versions of Prepar3D.
 
I made another testflight without the add ons i usally use (ActiveSkyNext, FS2Crew, ProATC) and the stutters are still occuring. The only external application in use was the DataProvider on one PC and the DisplayUnit on another.
I'm using the PMDG 737NGX (latest version) and Prepar3D v3.2.
 
Here are some videos from another user which are showing the behaviour:
 
Stuttering in the air:
https://youtu.be/gL60Ay_Jp6Q
 
Stuttering on the ground:
https://youtu.be/9TKLOBjAAJ4
 
Stuttering airport vehicles:
https://youtu.be/-bEWGmtSVbA
 
Here are my dll.xml and exe.xml files:
 
dll.xml from C:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3:

<SimBase.Document Type="AceXML" version="3,0" id="dll">
    <Descr>AceXML Document</Descr>
    <Filename>dll.xml</Filename>
    <Launch.Addon>
        <Name>Flight Recorder</Name>
        <Path>Aerosoft\Flight Recorder\AS-FlightRecorder.dll</Path>
    </Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>

exe.xml from C:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AceXML" version="3,0" id="exe">
	<Descr>AceXML Document</Descr>
	<Filename>exe.xml</Filename>
	<Launch.Addon>
		<Name>XHT.APController</Name>
		<Path>C:\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\Aerosoft\AirportController\APController.exe</Path>
	</Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>

 
dll.xml from C:\Users\Flight\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">
  <Descr>Launch</Descr>
  <Filename>DLL.XML</Filename>
  <Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Addon Manager</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>bglmanx.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>ObjectFlow</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>ORBX\FTX_AU\FTXAA_ORBXLIBS\Scenery\ObjectFlow_P3D.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>PMDG HUD interface</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>PMDG\DLLs\PMDG_HUD_interface.dll</Path>
    <DLLStartName>module_init</DLLStartName>
    <DLLStopName>module_deinit</DLLStopName>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>RAASPRO</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>.\RAASPRO\RAASPRO.dll</Path>
    <DLLStartName>module_init</DLLStartName>
    <DLLStopName>module_deinit</DLLStopName>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>SODE DLL</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>SODE\SimObjectAnimationModule.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>FSUIPC 4</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>Modules\FSUIPC4.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>as_connect</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>as_srv\as_btstrp.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>

exe.xml from C:\Users\Flight\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">
  <Descr>Launch</Descr>
  <Filename>EXE.XML</Filename>
  <Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>as_btstrp_config_manager</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>as_srv\as_btstrp_config_manager.exe</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Couatl</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>fsdreamteam\couatl\couatl.exe</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>EZdok camera addon</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\EZCA\EZCA.exe</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>SODE</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>SODE\SimObjectDisplayEngine.exe</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>
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Florian,

 

thanks for the information. Regarding the exe.xml and dll.xml files could you please verify which of them are the active ones? Only one pair of exe.xml and dll.xml can be the active one. The other ones you can delete, if they are no longer in use.

 

I have watched the videos from Richard, and I can see the one-second interval when the DataProvider is requesting the aircraft state from SimConnect. Obviously SimConnect limits the overall performance of P3D while it is trying to answer to the external requests. From my point of view you should try to reduce the demand for resources of P3D. I suggest that you try to reduce the target frame rate from unlimited to 32. Then I further suggest to try to reduce other settings like texture resolution from 2048x2048 to a lower value, or texture resolution and terrain resolution in the terrain settings. If this is not enough, try to figure out which settings can be reduced by losing the least of the image quality.

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Thanks Urs!

 

Regarding the xml files both of the files are active - i don't know if this has introduced in Prepar3Dv3 but as you can see in their docs the two files are merged together:

http://www.prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/add-ons/add-on_configuration.html

 

 

 

Libraries and ExecutablesThe priority for how add-on library and executable configuration files differs from content and is initialized as follows:

 

 

  • ProgramData: Configuration files named dll.xml or exe.xml found at: %PROGRAMDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3
  • Roaming: Configuration files named dll.xml or exe.xml found at: %APPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3
If multiple configuration files are found, then the list of paths are merged together when processed according to the above priority. When an add-on library is initialized, the dll is loaded. When an add-on executable is initialized, the executable is started.

 

Thanks for the info regarding the SimConnect calls - what i don't understand is that i'm normally using ProATC, ActiveSky and FS2Crew as well as other add ons which are using the SimConnect API. I would assume that ProATC needs the same amount of information from SimConnect as EFB (and it also updates every second) but even if i only use EFB the problems remain. I've never experienced such issues with other add ons... It's so frustrating as EFB is absolutely awesome but currently i cannot use it because of the stuttering.

 

I'll make a test flight with other settings and let you know the results asap.

 

Thanks and best regards!

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Hi Urs,

 

i made a test flight with the following settings:

-> Global Texture Resolution to 1024x1024 (was 2048x2048)

-> Target frame rate to 32 (was unlimited)

-> Terrain Texture Resolution to 60cm (was 15cm)

 

Unfortunately the same stutters are occuring. To be honest, i'm very unhappy with lowering my settings for an add on as all my other add ons are working absolutely fine. I would have no problem with just lowering the texture resolution but if i had to lower all my settings, just to get EFB to work as it should, is nothing i'm willing to do.

 

Maybe you could take a further look into the SimConnect connections - i would really appreciate that! Don't get me wrong - EFB is awesome work and maybe it's just some little crap which has changed in Prepar3D and thats why these issues are occuring. If i could assist with some testing please do not hesitate to contact me (btw i'm a software developer too and so i know how hard it is to reproduce such kind of issues).

 

Last question: I read that version 2 of EFB will use FSUIPC instead of simconnect - do you think that these kind of issues could be a thing of the past then?

 

Thanks in advance and best regards

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Hi Florian,

 

I understand if you are not happy to lower the settings. It was just a suggestion to figure out what could be the cause for the problem. From my point of view it must be something with SimConnect which has changed with P3D v3.x but also something that only happens on certain computers as a combination of these two things, because there are no complains from all the FSX users. Even other P3D v3.2 users that I know who don't have any problems. I have had another look into the source code but there is nothing that could be easily changed without the risk of side effects. Since you are a programmer too, I know that you understand that one cannot change the code without having the proof of certainly knowing what exactly must and can be changed, especially when 99% of all customers do not report problems. EFB v2 is using FSUIPC and the already running alpha tests (with P3D v3.2) did not bring up any problems.

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Hi Florian,

 

I understand if you are not happy to lower the settings. It was just a suggestion to figure out what could be the cause for the problem. From my point of view it must be something with SimConnect which has changed with P3D v3.x but also something that only happens on certain computers as a combination of these two things, because there are no complains from all the FSX users. Even other P3D v3.2 users that I know who don't have any problems. I have had another look into the source code but there is nothing that could be easily changed without the risk of side effects. Since you are a programmer too, I know that you understand that one cannot change the code without having the proof of certainly knowing what exactly must and can be changed, especially when 99% of all customers do not report problems. EFB v2 is using FSUIPC and the already running alpha tests (with P3D v3.2) did not bring up any problems.

 

Hi Urs,

 

yes - i totally understand that! :) I'm fine with waiting for v2 - if you need a beta tester for verifying that the issues from v1 are not occurring anymore i would be happy to help!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi,

 

as per the forum rules, please sign your posts with your real first name. Thanks.

 

 

 is V2 due for release this year?

Currently it is still in alpha test, not yet beta. We will announce the availability in this forum as soon as it is possible.

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Hi,

 

Just flew into KDEN this afternoon and was getting strong stutters.  I shut down the data provider and everything was immediately smooth as silk.  I'm the OP and can confirm this has been happening since at least P3D v3.2.  I'm using 3.3 with the hotfix now.  I have FlightBeam KDEN and this problem is definitely more pronounced around bigger scenery.

 

I also would prefer to keep my settings the way they are and not use EFB as much as it pains me.

 

I'm no programmer but the simconnect bottleneck sounds right.  Maybe limit the simconnect call frequency if that makes any sense?

 

Looking forward to a fix.

 

Thanks,

Doug

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Hi,  

 

I just flew the KDEN flight again but this time I assigned P3D to cores 1-X and EFB to core 0.  Flew great with no stutters.  Give it a try.  Use set affinity mask under task manager on the details tab.  Right click set affinity.

 

Good luck.

 

Thanks,

Doug

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Doug,

 

I cannot reproduce it here. Have P3D 3.3.5 professional installed along with many other add-ons, flying the B777, with r/w weather (FSGRW), but I do not experience stutters in P3D :?.

Test rig:

- Win7 Prof, 64bit

- ASUS Z97 board

- CPU: I7 4790K

- SSD: Samsung EVO 850 Pro

- Memory: 16GB DDR-3 1600 MHz

- Videocard: Nvidia GTX970 Strix, 4GB

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Urs,

 

Thanks much for taking the time to test.  I'm using Windows 10 if that makes any difference.  There must be some other addon conflict etc.  Closing the data provider is the only thing I can do to eliminate the problem.

 

Thanks again for checking into it.

 

Doug

 

W10/64

i7 4820K 3.7GHz

2 GTX 980's

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Also, from reading other forums this seems like it's only a problem with the NGX which is what I'm using when I have the issue.  That's the same forum where I got the idea to separate the cores but this didn't work for me.

 

Thanks,

Doug

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Hi Doug,

 

when I read "NGX" it reminds me to an issue with frame rates which happened at the time when the NGX was released. Then it was because of an activated VSD (vertical situation display). Does this play a role when you experience the stutters?

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Hi,

 

I made a couple of test flights without the VSD on the NGX and there is no problem with stutters while using EFB.  However, with the VSD on, closing the data provider does stop the stutters.  

 

I miss the VSD but can live without it because I miss EFB more.

 

Thanks for your help,

Doug

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  • 1 month later...

Hi, any news about fixing this problem? Yesterday I was doing an approach with the NGX and got stutters every 2-3 seconds. I turned the VSD off and the stutters remained, got rid of them only after shutting down the data provider (I have the display unit on a networked computer). Thanks.

James

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