X-Plane 8.50 RC-2 is here now, Mac, Windows, and Linux!
 
http://www.x-plane.com/ beta.html
 
We are just tuning and tuning and tuning to get every last little bit
of frame-rate we can out of this one, and get every tiny little bug-
let or inconsistency addressed!
 
Read on!
 
austin
 
New for RC-2:
 
The hydraulic pressure gage can now be customized to show up to 9,999
psi.
 
Seaplanes always make a wake now.
The rotor-slapping sound for helos is now improved a hair to phase
with the actual angle of attack of the rotor, not just the collective
position.
The Space Shuttle Orbiter is now tuned a hair to give more realistic
re-entries.
The King-Air and other planes have their vacuum systems functioning
normally.
Non-standard temperatures are now remembered from the last time you
ran X-Plane.
The tires rotate in replay mode.
The VEH1 and VEHA structs that you can send in to control X-Plane are
now handled properly even if you send them
in at a framerate that is higher than the frame-rate of X-Plane itself.
There should be no more cracks (or at least smaller ones) between
terrain tiles. See http://xplanescener y.blogspot. com/ for details on
mesh cracks.
No more crash after flying away from ENV scenery.
Plugin loader fixed. Goodway plugin and others should work in 850 now.
Rain effect changed... hopefully it looks right at most viewing angles.
Tweaked anisotropic filtering to improve framerate. Pick your
anisotropic filtering level now in the rendering options screen.
Added a standard framerate test.
Airport taxiway lines are hidden when far away to help framerate.

jcp@phoenix64 /mnt/divers/donnes Xplane $ ./Installer-i586
X-System Error:
Your graphics hardware cannot support X-Plane. X-Plane requires a graphics card with 16 MB of VRAM and multitexuring.
 
First, try updating your graphics drivers.
 
If this does not help, check your graphics card specifications.
 
For tech support, email info@x-plane.com
 
Sorry.
Abandon
jcp@phoenix64 /mnt/divers/donnes Xplane $ glxinfo | grep rendering
direct rendering: Yes

log.txt for X-Plane 8.50 Beta 8 - Installer/Updater build 85008 compiled on Aug 21 2006 16:25:39
This log file is generated automatically by Laminar Research applications
and contains diagnostics about your graphics hardware, installatoin, and
any error conditions.  If you need to contact tech support or file a bug,
please send us this file.  NOTE: this file is rewritten every time you
start ANY of our applications.
 
processor : 0
model name : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3400+
cpu MHz  : 1000.000
MemTotal:      2060184 kB
X-System folder=  case sensitive=1
CPU count = 1
OpenGL Situation :
OpenGL Vendor    :NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL Render    :unknown board/AGP/SSE2
OpenGL Version   :2.1.0 NVIDIA 96.25
OpenGL Extensions:GL_ARB_color_buffer_float GL_ARB_depth_texture GL_ARB_draw_buffers GL_ARB_fragment_program GL_ARB_fragment_program_shadow GL_ARB_fragment_shader GL_ARB_half_float_pixel GL_ARB_imaging GL_ARB_multisample GL_ARB_multitexture GL_ARB_occlusion_query GL_ARB_pixel_buffer_object GL_ARB_point_parameters GL_ARB_point_sprite GL_ARB_shadow GL_ARB_shader_objects GL_ARB_shading_language_100 GL_ARB_texture_border_clamp GL_ARB_texture_compression GL_ARB_texture_cube_map GL_ARB_texture_env_add GL_ARB_texture_env_combine GL_ARB_texture_env_dot3 GL_ARB_texture_float GL_ARB_texture_mirrored_repeat GL_ARB_texture_non_power_of_two GL_ARB_texture_rectangle GL_ARB_transpose_matrix GL_ARB_vertex_buffer_object GL_ARB_vertex_program GL_ARB_vertex_shader GL_ARB_window_pos GL_ATI_draw_buffers GL_ATI_texture_float GL_ATI_texture_mirror_once GL_S3_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_env_add GL_EXT_abgr GL_EXT_bgra GL_EXT_blend_color GL_EXT_blend_equation_separate GL_EXT_blend_func_separate GL_EXT_blend_minmax GL_EXT_blend_subtract GL_EXT_compiled_vertex_array GL_EXT_Cg_shader GL_EXT_depth_bounds_test GL_EXT_draw_range_elements GL_EXT_fog_coord GL_EXT_framebuffer_object GL_EXT_gpu_program_parameters GL_EXT_multi_draw_arrays GL_EXT_packed_depth_stencil GL_EXT_packed_pixels GL_EXT_pixel_buffer_object GL_EXT_point_parameters GL_EXT_rescale_normal GL_EXT_secondary_color GL_EXT_separate_specular_color GL_EXT_shadow_funcs GL_EXT_stencil_two_side GL_EXT_stencil_wrap GL_EXT_texture3D GL_EXT_texture_compression_s3tc GL_EXT_texture_cube_map GL_EXT_texture_edge_clamp GL_EXT_texture_env_combine GL_EXT_texture_env_dot3 GL_EXT_texture_filter_anisotropic GL_EXT_texture_lod GL_EXT_texture_lod_bias GL_EXT_texture_mirror_clamp GL_EXT_texture_object GL_EXT_texture_sRGB GL_EXT_timer_query GL_EXT_vertex_array GL_HP_occlusion_test GL_IBM_rasterpos_clip GL_IBM_texture_mirrored_repeat GL_KTX_buffer_region GL_NV_blend_square GL_NV_copy_depth_to_color GL_NV_depth_clamp GL_NV_fence GL_NV_float_buffer GL_NV_fog_distance GL_NV_fragment_program GL_NV_fragment_program_option GL_NV_fragment_program2 GL_NV_half_float GL_NV_light_max_exponent GL_NV_multisample_filter_hint GL_NV_occlusion_query GL_NV_packed_depth_stencil GL_NV_pixel_data_range GL_NV_point_sprite GL_NV_primitive_restart GL_NV_register_combiners GL_NV_register_combiners2 GL_NV_texgen_reflection GL_NV_texture_compression_vtc GL_NV_texture_env_combine4 GL_NV_texture_expand_normal GL_NV_texture_rectangle GL_NV_texture_shader GL_NV_texture_shader2 GL_NV_texture_shader3 GL_NV_vertex_array_range GL_NV_vertex_array_range2 GL_NV_vertex_program GL_NV_vertex_program1_1 GL_NV_vertex_program2 GL_NV_vertex_program2_option GL_NV_vertex_program3 GL_NVX_conditional_render GL_SGIS_generate_mipmap GL_SGIS_texture_lod GL_SGIX_depth_texture GL_SGIX_shadow GL_SUN_slice_accum  
tex_clamp_avail=1
add_env_avail  =1
combine_avail  =1
dis_fog_avail  =1
tex_comp_avail =1
vbo_avail      =1
pbuffer_avail  =0
vshader_avail  =1 (512)
fshader_avail  =1 (4096/4096/4096/4096)
automini_avail =1
aniso_avail    =1
fsaa_avail     =1
sprites_avail  =1
depth_tex_avail=1
occlude_avail  =1
max tex units    :4 (16/8)
max iso filtering:16.000000
max texture size :4096
max pbuffer_avail:0
max point size   :63.375000
Your graphics hardware cannot support X-Plane. X-Plane requires a graphics card with 16 MB of VRAM and multitexuring.
First, try updating your graphics drivers.
If this does not help, check your graphics card specifications.
For tech support, email info@x-plane.com
(/home/austin/design/HLutils/OGL/OGL_extensions.cpp line 383)

New for RC-3:
 
Vacuum systems function properly.
 
FDR files open at the beginning of the file, not the end.
 
Clock indicates smoothly, not in steps.
 
If you are in a water-bomber with an instructor station and drop your
water payload, the payload does go to 0 unless the
instructor has his weight-and-balance screen up, in which case he is
controlling the payload of your craft.
 
IOS controls the center of gravity properly.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 06, 2006
 
 The X-Plane 850 Framerate Test  
Now that I've covered how to use X-Plane with command-line options and how to write up performance bugs, we can discuss the framerate test, why it exists, who should use it, etc.
 
The X-Plane built-in framerate test serves three purposes:
To let us compare our current performance to past performance easily (so we can detect code that hurts sim performance early in our development cycle). This also lets us rapidly determine whether bug reports of "my framerate sucks" are valid or not.
To allow graphics-card driver writers to use X-Plane to benchmark and regress changes to their drivers.
To give us an easy way to get "hard numbers" in-field - that is, when a user emails us with a tech support request saying "my sim is slow", the fps test allows us to determine whether the problem is based on configuration.
I've spent a lot of time in the X-Plane 850 release cycle looking at performance, both with the help of users (e.g. instructing users on how to look at their own machines) and my own. For all the complaining I've done I must say: THANK YOU to all of the users who have helped with performance analysis. These users put in a lot of hours doing mundane test after test and they did a great job of emailing me back information, fps reports, screenshots, and even a Shark profile or two! Even when the result is "hrm - everything is normal", this kind of information is valuable in helping us prove that our release is solid. (And all of the indications I've found indicate that 850 is solid.)
 
But the process was very time consuming and error-prone. The frame-rate test simplifies things for everyone; the test is standardized and requires no user intervention; it runs the exact same settings every time and is not subject to software configuration issues. The reports are automatically printed out and require no observation.
 
We are adding the test into 850 so that in the next release we can compare to 850 and be sure we're on track. I only wish we'd have the test in 840!
 
Should I Be Using the Framerate Test?
 
If you are not a developer/programmer and you are not asked to use the framerate test by a programmer (for example, in response to a bug report or after emailing tech support) there is no need for you to run the framerate test. You can run the test and email your friends (especially if you have higher framerate than they do) but if you have problems with the framerate test and you are using it "recreationally" please do not file a buf report or query tech support for help. The framerate test is an internal development tool; X-Plane is meant to be used to fly!
 
What the Test Does:
 
The framerate test runs X-Plane with preference reading/writing disabled, and it changes the 'default' configuration (e.g. X-Plane's configuration without preferences) based on command-line input. This gives us a specific setup of the sim regardless of how the sim was last used. The preferences are not saved to disk when the test is done, so there is no need for a user to delete preferences to get solid test numbers. User alerts are not shown (just logged) so that the test can be run from a shell script automatically. The sim logs info and quits when it finishes.
 
The performance test can run in two modes: analysis mode and pass-fail mode. In analysis mode, the sim is run in three 30-second tests: panel view, forward view, and forward-view paused. These three numbers help us tell the relative framerate loss due to the panel and the flight model. The fps-test is primarily aimed at the 3-d rendering engine, but on a CPU-limited machine the flight model can have a huge impact, and on a PCI/AGP bandwidth limited or VRAM-limited machine the panel can cause a noticable slowdown. (The panel also hurts if a machine is extremely blend/fill-rate limited, like a Rage 128, but you shouldn't be using X-Plane 8 on a Rage 128!)
 
The pass-fail test runs a single test, paused with the panel to gauge pure framerate, and returns 0 or 1 (as a command-line shell app) to the calling script based on whether the sim passes a minimum framerate. The pass-fail test is designed for automated testing; you can put X-plane into a series of standardized tests and automatically send an email if the sim's performance falls below a certain minimum.
 
How to Use the Framerate Test:
 
First, see my instructions on how to use X-Plane with a command-line option. In these examples I will simplify the X-Plane executable name; refer to the instructions for your specific operating system.
 
To run the frame-rate test, use this:
X-Plane --fps_test=2
Where the number is a fps-test "test number". (I will explain the numbers in detail below.) This will run the 3-part analysis test and quit. You can add other command-line options as well; for example, to compare performance with and without VBOs you can do this:
X-Plane --fps_test=2 --no_vbos
(Side note: on fps-test 1 pass-fail I see 71 fps on my MacBook Pro with VBOs and 59 without. Turning off VBOs definitely hurts performance, so only users with serious driver bugs should be using the --no_vbos option.)
 
To run the pass-fail test, you add a second command-line option:
X-Plane --fps_test=3 --require_fps=20
This will run the pass-fail test and return a positive result if the frame-rate is at or above 20 fps. For example, you could write a test like this:
X-Plane --fps_test=2 --require_fps=20 || echo We were below 20 fps!
Test Numbers:
 
The framerate test number is up to 3 digits controlling various aspects of the sim:
The ones digit can be 1-3 and selects the rendering settings; 1 = very low and 3 = very high. You can view the rendering settings while the fps test its running (it will ruin your test results of course to put up dialog boxes).
The tens digit can be 0-6 and programs in a variety of weather and visibility conditions.
The hundreds digit can access a few special features: 100-series tests use a far view angle and 200-series tests run at night.
We may invent more tests later on but this initial set lets us run the sim in a wide enough envelope to gather the data we need.
POSTED BY BENJAMIN SUPNIK AT 8:59 AM  2 comments

FRAMERATE TEST phase 1:time=30frames=782fps=26
FRAMERATE TEST phase 2:time=30frames=816fps=27
FRAMERATE TEST phase 3:time=30frames=922fps=31