Would an expanded Geoconvert Helper eliminate popping scenery tiles?

  • Hello folks, and I hope you are enjoying the holiday season.

    I have been thinking a lot about the issue of scenery tiles popping-in late, and also about the resolutions we use. I wonder if I might have a possible solution.

    First, let me admit that I only use the Geoconvert helper program. Therefore, if there are solutions already available in the SDK (outwith using the helper), I confess my ignorance of them!

    So, that said, here are my thoughts.

    Where I see the popping-in most, is when I am flying over personally-created Geoconverted, high-resolution scenery, that is sitting on top of areas of low-resolution AFS2 base. So, I might see it in New Zealand, or in Canada for example. The higher the altitude, the more it is noticeable because my virtual line of sight to the horizon is greater of course, and the closer I get to the border of my Geoconversion, the more it becomes an issue.

    So, here's the first basic question. Why do we notice this situation in the first place? Answer.. Because the source images we are using for higher-resolution Geoconversion are most likely different from the source images IPACS used in creating the lower-resolution global base. The shading and coloration is different, and that's one of the most important issues causing the jarring contrast that we're all talking about. Keep that in mind.

    The second question is this. At what "level" do scenery tiles become visible? Clearly, the smaller the level-number, the greater the visibility distance. At a given altitude, an area of Geoconversion level 9 will display further away from the aircraft than an area of Geoconversion level 12.

    So, how about combining these two bits of knowledge?

    What would happen if the Geoconvert helper tool was expanded to enable conversion at levels much lower than 9? - (While still keeping the current higher-level options of course).

    We could then go to, (for example), New Zealand South Island, in FSEarth Tiles, and capture the entire island at maybe resolution 5 or 6, and then convert that at a Geoconversion level of 5, or 6, or 7.. Obviously some experimentation would have to be done to find the balance. But, the result of such experimentation would be a broader range of Geoconversion, where the same source images would be displayed further out to the horizon. Would this stop the popping-in of tiles? No - That's a function of the program. HOWEVER, the popping-in would not be so noticeable if the images used for both lower and higher resolutions were consistent.

    Just remember, you'd still need to go back into FSET again and re-sample images at higher-resolution for the higher Geoconversion levels too.

    What do you lot think?

    Regards

    Kenneth

    Edited once, last by KJKsimmer (December 27, 2017 at 6:48 AM).

  • I was wondering the same thing. The color of the very low detail level used by default for my area in FS2 is kind of a light tan, like burnt grass. The high res is a bright green, so it makes for a stark dividing line that can be seen in the distance. If it was the same color, it would not be as noticeable. Interesting idea. Can we do lower than level 9 and replace the stock textures?

    Andrew