Low definition clouds for FSX

[AlisterC]

Hi FSX peoples
Can anyone suggest a plan to help me ease the burden of FSX on my humble computer? I would like to get the file size of the default FSX clouds down to a smaller, higher performance versions. On FS9 this is easy, as there are a couple of free options for installing DXT3 clouds, or cloud textures reduced in size.
Does anyone have any ideas of how I can go about doing just that in FSX? I've not been able to track any down. I can run a steady 30-40fps in a world with few clouds, but once I turn on bad weather, I can expect to see 20 fps generally. Would be nice to have a swift, simple, (free), fix if possible
Let me know if you do.
Thanks,
Alister

[Dion500]

Have a look at these.

http://sites.google.com/site/aimecreations...uds-screenshots

You can choose from HD 2048 x 2048 clouds, right down to 128 x 128.
The clouds still look like clouds, maybe not to the same extent as REX, but this gave me a 10 - 15 fps increase in major thunderstorms, which i was very happy with.

[ZK-MAT]

Thanks for the link Dion, there are a few interesting texture replacements on that page

Cheers!

Edit: When you click the AVSim link it leads to all his files, but the Clouds download is not listed?

Edit Two: Search for oscarcl3.zip on Flightsim.com - or Click here

[AlisterC]

Ahh perfect guys thank you! Downloading now. I am a fan already of "TreeX" by this guy, so I will be happy to have his clouds as well. Great stuff. Thanks Dion and Matt for the FS.com link.

[AlisterC]

Unfortunately I wasn't a fan of his work this time, the clouds just look like giant cotton balls in the sky. So I tried something, I replaced his cumulus01.bmp file with mine from FS9 (from that freeware HD package). NOW it looks like I want, and what a huge difference in FPS! I've obviously done a couple of other things to help, but I'm now running 40-60fps in the trike, at nelson, weather "building storms". Couldn't be happier

[ZK-MAT]

Hi Al,

Did you use one from the FS9 - FSX folder, what version did you use, 1024/ 512 / 256 ? I flew last night with the 128k version and it make a diff, but the clouds were rather cotton wooly!

[AlisterC]

I used a 128 file, and yes, very cotton wooly. So I looked at the pictures in all the other folders, and they all looked the same. Instead of using one from that package, I'm now using a file straight out of FS9 (cumulus01.bmp)
And that is straight in from the freeware FS9 HD clouds package (a 128 file as well)

Later today I might try and use more files from that package in FSX and see how I go (will back up first though!)

Currently fairly nice weather enroute, but the view out the window is this:



Other things I am using to help:
fps_enhancement_package_v2_267188.zip by Tom Knudsen @ avsim
TreeX - high performance textures (at that site above)
fsx_waterfix_v2.zip by Tom Knudsen @ avsim
Autogen is set to "SPARSE" (looks much the same as FS9 at that setting)
Scenery complexity "Normal"
FSX with Acceleration - a good defrag. That's about it!
Currently getting between 30 and 100fps in the cockpit

Core2Duo 6400, Gforce 7950GT 512mb gfx, 4gb ram, win XP

One more from on approach...