🚀 go-pugleaf

Walter,

PMJI, but the following may help to lend some perspective to the overall
FS98/3D/Sound issue.  I made this post to another thread, but I think it may
be relevant here.  Pardon the secondary posting.

There appears to be several "stuttering" issues that are actually quite
different, even though they manifest themselves in the same way.

The first lies in occurance-specific (my term <g>) incidents.  This includes
sounds like the horn, flaps, and gear.  These can occur in any system
configuration types, regardless of sound card, video card, or other factor,
with the most common thread being 3D accelerated mode.  To alleviate this,
there is no question that a change (or patch) to FS98 itself might help
mitigate these occurances.

Another lies in the general environment, affecting sounds like the engine,
which is pretty much a static or "environmental" entity.  While it is true,
of course, that more efficient multimedia management can reduce this as
well, there is an issue with MANY video cards, whose drivers attempt to
squeeze a few extra WinMarks out of their products by shortcutting how the
card handles its instructions on the system bus.  Some vendors have
selectable switches in their drivers that can either reduce or eliminate
this, others have .ini entries (not generally known to the user community)
which can override this, and many more have no facility for addressing this.
Through either a software adjustment, (FS98), or hardware driver solution,
it may be possible to better manage throughput enough to eliminate it
entirely.  The solution will come from which entity may provide a "fix",
keeping in mind that FS98 itself may not be doing anything "illegal", but it
may be revised to produce greater efficiencies, removing the need for a
video driver fix.  (Although, personally, I intend to keep hounding my video
card manufacturer(s), because PCI issue that may cause the stuttering that
occurs in FS98 also manifests itself in other Windows applications as well.
A software fix from FS98 would not address these external issues.)

Others, of course, may also occur, varying from system to system, and device
to device.  For example, the latest AWE64 drivers cured virtually all of the
occurance-specific stuttering problems on my PC with a Monster 3D.

Well, I've spent a lot of words to say that I have no answer. <g>  The point
is, however, that there are two sources (FS98 and hardware) from which a
solution may arise.  I have to believe that each is aware, and in good
faith, working on it.  One factor that may be worth considering also, is
that
a solution from the video card vendor(s) may involve slowing the card's
performance by eliminating this shortcutting.  Although this may be a
negligible decrease, it is hardly the kind of thing that they want to
promote
in a world where performance is everything.  In FS98 terms, the stakes
are far less dear.

Please, keep in mind, these are solely my opinions,
and I expressly reserve the right to be wrong. <g>

I hope this helps!
--
Kindest Regards,

William R. (Bill) Hoscheit
Pacific Presentation Graphics

Walter J. Bertram, Jr. wrote in message
<66pjn5$a80@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net>...
>Bob,
>
>If Tim Gregson said MS is working on a fix, then it sounds
>like an FS98 problem, not a Hercules problem.  Why knock
>Hercules? (and, as you have stated many times, just about
>every 3D card made has the problem).
>
>Walt
>
>Bob Cardone wrote:
>>
>> randyb@qconline.com (The Shadow) wrote:
>>
>> >In article <66lqpn$9vd$1@godzilla.gol.com>, durst@axtek.com says...
>> >>
>> >>I run the FS98 with 200MMX and Stingray 128/3D card in 800x600x16 in 3D
mode
>> >>and in 2D mode and have no sound issues at all with all scenery level
as
>> >>detailed as can get. I get frame rates as high as 40+ and lowest is
about 28
>> >>or so. I have the latest Stingray drivers v1.19 and also I run a Sound
>> >>blaster 16 PNP card with the newest drivers. No matter what scenery,
plane,
>> >>panel works fine!
>> >>
>> >>David
>> >>
>> >consider yourself lucky...many of us are having problems in 3D mode...
>>
>> Tim Gregson posted on this NG 2 days ago that they are working on a
>> fix for the 3D sound problem and information on that should be out in
>> a couple of weeks. Let's keep our fingers crossed cause it looks like
>> a fix from Hercules will occur the day after they are ice skating in
>> Hell. <g>
>>
>>              Bob Cardone
>>
>> Most Crashes are caused by Pilot Error
>>
>>                 (*)
>>      ************************
>>          (*)           (*)
>> Noble Airlines
>> Boston HUB
>> Commercial Captain
>> #2139