Antialias Mode?

[captainkman]

Hello,

Sorry if this is in the wrong location, but I'm just wondering what the Antialias mode in the Options menu in Trainz means. I heard it can improve the look of objects like board-style trees with alpha textures, and a forum search revealed not much else.

I'll do a bit of experimenting myself if I get a chance.

Kieran.

 

[fran1]

It reduces the stair step effect sometimes seen along the edges of 3d objects (quote nvid control panel). Does nothing for my track though.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Adjusting for Quality ... does adversely effect Performance (framerates) with AA and AF

 

[Lataxe]

An interesting thing is that, the higher the screen resolution you use, the less you need anti-aliasing to avoid those jaggies and such. You just don't notice them at higher resolutions.

I am the happy owner of a 30" 2560 X 1600 monitor set to 100 pixels/inch screen resolution, in which no jaggies ever appear despite the anti-aliasing being set to zero (in Trainz and on the GPU). The PC I just replaced (Phenom II 955, Radeon HD 6670 GPU) would run at 20 - 50 fps at 2560 X 1600 (depending on the route) with AA set to zero. Turning AA up even one notch in Trainz immediately caused the jerkies to begin, in all routes.

In other words, getting a better look to Trainz by using a higher rez screen setting might be better than using AA.

Anyone else played with these settings (screen rez & AA)?

Lataxe, currently enjoying a new & real whizz-bang of a PC.

 

[Dermmy]

Agreed. Too much AA is counter-productive...

 

[captainkman]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies. I decided to mess around with it. My screen's highest resolution is 1366 x 768. With antialiasing set to 4, I saw a hyge improvement in the look of foliage. No more ugly edges! I can take screenshots from the ground at lineside without fear of spline/billboard grasses messing up my screenshot!

There's only one problem: spline plants do not load as far away. I'll try snti-aliasing on 2 as a compromise.

Kieran.

EDIT: What's "Disable Hardware TL" and what does it do?

 

[shaneturner12]

Avoid the Disable Hardware TL option unless your graphics card is one of the Intel type, or otherwise cannot handle Hardware Transform and Lighting.

Shane