Shadow settings and cockpit appearance

[cruster]

I've been messing around with the shadow settings (XP10.11), trying to see what looks good but doesn't kill my FPS too much. I noticed that the different settings have a dramatic effect on how the virtual cockpit appears. Has anyone else seen this? I haven't messed with it in any other aircraft, so maybe this is the expected behavior.

For instance, if I set the shadows to 'static', the instrument panel becomes a lot (lot!) brighter. As I move to overlay, then 3D on Plane (sorry, going from memory here) and into 3D low/med/high, the cockpit becomes progressively darker. Is this normal? Was this cockpit designed (textured?) with a particular setting in mind as 'preferred'?

[cessna729]

I've been messing around with the shadow settings (XP10.11), trying to see what looks good but doesn't kill my FPS too much. I noticed that the different settings have a dramatic effect on how the virtual cockpit appears. Has anyone else seen this? I haven't messed with it in any other aircraft, so maybe this is the expected behavior. For instance, if I set the shadows to 'static', the instrument panel becomes a lot (lot!) brighter. As I move to overlay, then 3D on Plane (sorry, going from memory here) and into 3D low/med/high, the cockpit becomes progressively darker. Is this normal? Was this cockpit designed (textured?) with a particular setting in mind as 'preferred'?

That, IMHO, if why X-Plane is so "fun" because you have so may ways to change how you view things! But because ther are so many conbinations or OS, X-Plane version, and mod state, graphics and computer hardware and graphics driver versions, just because I can get 50-70fps on my machine (just updated to GeForce NIVIDIA 310.7 drivers ), by having X and Y settings on the Render Options page is no garentee that you will get the same effect on yours (just by copying my settings) .

But if you start from the same position: X-Plane menu, Settings, Render Options, note down your current settings (or take a screen shot of that page as a backup), then go "set all render options for maximum speed", then change one thing at a time, re-loading the aircarft each time. Then using exactly the same "Views" to note the effect on fps.

It's a personnal thing one person "must have more than xx fps" or they are not happy, where I couldn't care less what the figure was as long as the movement is fluid and smooth.

 

So the actual settings will depend on what and where you like flying most (day/night, low level/High Alt, small dirt strips of big complex international airports), just pick what works best for you... and have fun!

cessna729.