MTM2 Beta Patch 0.47 - Improving from .46

[Fila]

PPS. One major difference between the two pcs is the one with the 6650 XT uses fast access memory for graphics via the AMD driver, and the one with the 5600 XT does not. Dunno if it's relevant.

Might be... especially since one has flickering and one doesn't. But to what extent I do not know.

[Fila]

I bet it was stadium model's size.

I wonder if there's a fix patch for TWA drag stock track.

Once I can figure out how to even test this.

[Ford-chan]

Speaking of these stadiums, prior to the hotfix, one track I was driving around, in this case JackMProductions's Motor Madness Atlanta, GA 2000 (https://mtm2.com/%7Etracks/dl.php?dl=5936), part of the stadium model was giving out some transparent scissors cut out effect to where there's this hole in one section of the model. The hotfix sorted it out now, but I can imagine some other tracks with stadiums as normal objects were also affected at the time.

[Ford-chan]

Also, in regards to the MTM1 drags when played on MTM2, I wrote this in my wishlist too.

Fix that god awful bug in MTM1's B.C Place and RCA Dome where hitting the second set of cars causes the truck to become stuck/snagged on the cars to the point of losing as a result. This doesn't really happen a whole lot in MTM1, so this may tie into the bridge bug as well. MTM1's crush car objects don't operate in the same manner as in the case of certain MTM2 replica tracks where crush cars are set to "No collide" with ground boxes used to create jumps upon impact.

There's nothing more in this game right now that makes me just as angry compared to this bug, which I'm only assuming it's also tied into the fact to how trucks landing on bridges causes them to get stuck/snagged upon impact.

Side note: Use soft suspension to stop the likelihood of getting stuck on the second set of cars for now, but too bad my OCD driven brain keeps seeing it as an utter inconvenience just to keep doing it every single time I drive on those tracks.

[Fila]

http://www.mtm2.com/~mtmg/misc/Beta0.47_Rudee_test2.zip

Rudee a few things:
- in advanced graphics now there is an additional button, AMD Shadow Fix. Toggle that to see if the shadows return (must be used together with advanced shadows, won't do anything on its own)
- flicker in QuidPro should be fixed

And now for your testing:
- do the same aidiag.txt tests. Remember to first delete the old files before running a new test. Run them on both your systems, about 15-20sec, do your best not to move your own truck (use H to stop them from moving it etc etc)

- after you are done with that, try the sound issue again. Now the game also spits out a sndperf.txt so before checking for sound, go back out and delete the existing sndprf.txt (it makes one every time you run the game). Run the track until you get slow downs again. Stop, exit and send over the .txt file
If you are not getting any more slow downs great... still send over the file just in case

And just for my own sanity check, you were not using the sonic truck option right? (important to know for test parity)

[OG_RuDeE]

Here are three files from my 6650 machine: https://drive.google.com/file/d/12pmg8b ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NOZO3F ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DiFN-7 ... drive_link

The 6650_aidiag is just me at the start line. The one 6650wsnd... is a new one that was generated at the same time as I did the sound test. I'm not sure if the stuttering I saw was sound related, but there was definite hitching on my screen. Shadows were back on Bobsled.

I will have to test my other machine later today when I'm back from work.

PS. I double checked, no sonic trucks on either machine.

[Fila]

http://www.mtm2.com/~mtmg/misc/Beta0.47_Rudee_test3.zip

Here's a new one for the truck testing thing. Do this one on both instead. The Sound log... it's interesting, the issues that were there originally are gone but you still have the stuttering. So the sound might just be coincidental... try doing the splash thing in the water again (after you do the AI test) to see if it still hangs as it usually did.

Also this AI test has to be a bit more annoyingly precise so:

-tell me your garage settings and skill level (whether pro/inter/rookie)
-run it in clear weather
-handpick all the 7 computer opponents (the stock ones are fine obviously) and tell me which ones you picked
-which truck did you use
-what driver aids you have on (auto shift, auto break etc) these should also be the same

Has to be same on both your machines and mine. Right now the trucks still diverge on our systems before they even start moving and the question is whether it is planned (and it's buried somewhere deep in code and easy to miss) or whether it's non-deterministic math based on CPU.

Then after you are done with the AI, again, go back out and this time you will have a hitch.txt file. Delete that and run a normal race in which you have the stuttering. The previous log file found that sound should be fine now but it did pick up your stuttering, so now I'm trying to find out which one is the culprit (further tests will be needed after this).

Oh and do you see shadows cast by groundboxes? Forgot to check if i did the AMD change for those or not (pretty easy to check, their shadow works just like the objects)

[OG_RuDeE]

AI Test: 6650 XT Machine
Garage: TG = 1600, Tire=medium, Susp.=medium, Skill=Pro
Weather: Clear
My truck: Monster Patrol HD
Aids: Auto shift = On, Brake / Throttle = None
AI (no HD): Boogy Van, Bearfoot, Bigfoot, Bulldozer, Carolina Crusher, Grave Digger, Executioner
File: 6650t3_hitch

Links: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GKisBC ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JfYLee ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pVcpeW ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q1sY6o ... drive_link

For stuttering, it happens on all tracks. Uploaded files for Bobsled, Quid Pro Quo, and Zoon MX. Water seems not to be an issue. Yes, I have shadows on / under ground boxes.

[OG_RuDeE]

Oops. Need to upload aidiag.txt originally. Need to rerun the test. Running into some issue now with dx9. Give me a few.

PS. Flickering is mostly gone on Quid Pro, but fences touching / near water still flicker.

[OG_RuDeE]

Ok, got it straightened out. Hitch files should still be good. Plenty of stuttering when turning with newest patch (applies to hitch tests above).

AI Test: 6650 XT Machine
Garage: TG = 1600, Tire=medium, Susp.=medium, Skill=Pro
Weather: Clear
My truck: Monster Patrol HD
Aids: Auto shift = On, Brake / Throttle = None
AI (no HD): Boogy Van, Bearfoot, Bigfoot, Bulldozer, Carolina Crusher, Grave Digger, Executioner
File: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DZxFSh ... drive_link

[Fila]

I initially said fast access memory should not be a problem but that was when I thought it was purely related to sound which based on the hitch test, it looks like it's more than just sound. Can you disable fast access memory for mtm2? I think you can do it per program and don't have to do for the whole system and run bobsled again with it off (and delete hitch.txt first).
Actually wait, before you do that lemme give you a new hitch version.

[Fila]

http://www.mtm2.com/~mtmg/misc/Beta0.47_Rudee_test4.zip

Ok, new hitch test. First disable the fast access memory please, delete old hitch.txt, then run bobsled (no need to run the other tracks, bobsled seems to hit you well enough). Then come back out and look at it. If there is barely anything in there we found the problem. You can still send me the hitch file.
If that is the root cause but you want to try and find more details, you can run the same test again with fast access turned on and send over the hitch. If the memory was not the root cause then having both would be helpful.

The hitch test is more detailed now into which part of the code gives you the slowdowns.

For reference, I ran bobsled on my machine and I got 1 single line of code from the hitch test.

There's also a perf.txt file now too, send that one over (and delete it every time you do a new hitch test)

[OG_RuDeE]

I looked for disabling this per game in the MTM2 settings in the AMD driver software, doesn't look possible. I have to go into bios to disable it systemwide. I can come back and test this in 30 minutes or so.

[Fila]

Oh darn. Apparently it used to be able to do it but they removed it. Yeah let's do it whenever you have the time. At least this way we know for sure what the issue is.

In the meantime work is progressing on the DX11... i don't know if it's going to help or not but fingers crossed.

[Fila]

If you downloaded the test before you posted, re-download it please. I made an updated version with very likely the last aidiag test.

Made some slight changes to the code and it's very likely that the divergence has been fixed. So do it one more time and send it over. One thing though, what version of monster patrol you running? It's MPSS.trk but ideally it would be if you run the stock one.

[OG_RuDeE]

Ok, all still with smart access on: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hvN9Zj ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/10P60-t ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lsGVEm ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cYlpaJ ... drive_link

I noticed after running 6650tf, that the corresponding hitch had lots of lines but didn't save it. I then ran bobsled, driving normally... this is bobsled_hitch, and it was much shorter. So, I reran the ai test and am including the hitch file for that too, both 6650t4v2...

Settings are the same as above except that I changed my truck to the stock, non-HD, Monster Patrol.

Edit: All of this is with your updated link.

[Fila]

I'll get right on it. Juggling between this and fixing the flickering. Found the final culprit for quid pro (and most likely many other tracks), the water reflection messes up objects that are only partially submerged but not fully submerged. Fixing that now.

[OG_RuDeE]

With smart access off (nosam), same ai test and corresponding hitch file. Then a second test with me racing bobsled with corresponding hitch file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J5_cmd ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KtI-wy ... drive_link, https://drive.google.com/file/d/18-v_6y ... drive_link

Edit: no rush on my end. Will probably sign off for the night soon. Had a very long, and hot! day.
Edit 2: Over 100 degrees in Brawley, CA today where I was working. Phew!

[Fila]

Did you have any sutttering with NOSAM?

[Fila]

Brawley... oh yeah no wonder. oof