FreeMeshX

[michael]

Rus/De/Eng
Hello.
I try to make the graphics in the game as good as possible. Was looking for different mods and came across this one. It's free and that's a plus. But I still did not understand what exactly he was doing. I added the folder with the addon files to the game folder and selected it in the scenery settings. It seems everything should work. But I don't get graphics like in pictures and on the forum. I don't see any changes at all. Why is that?
Do I have to download something else to make my graphics super realistic? Please, help.

[shadowgravy]

Mesh is elevation data points. Think of it like poles supporting your terrain textures. The more poles you have, the more contours your terrain can show. Some regions in FSX like the USA already have a good mesh (high resolution) by default so you may not see much change after you install FreeMeshX. Other regions have inaccurate meshes by default and FreeMesh corrects the elevation data points. You'll usually see the greatest improvements in mountainous or hilly regions.

Are you using any terrain texture replacement or landclass products, for example ORBX Global?

[JJ FSX]

If you have ALL of FreeMeshX here is a tip:

Due to it and photo-real textures being so large it can be beneficial to NOT always load all mesh/scenery at the same time as it uses more of the limited 4GB memory that FSX can access. If Flying in the USA no need to have all of EUROPE loaded for example.

So I organize FREEMESHX as shown below and personally end up most of the time with just USA and Europe (and Patches) activated unless I plan going elsewhere. So I have a parent directory named My Addon Scenery and I place and name my FreeMeshX folders below it, as Shown: (of course each having their own "scenery" sub-folders with the .bgls in them)

E:\My Addon Scenery\..

FreeMeshX - Africa
FreeMeshX - Antarctica
FreeMeshX - Asia
FreeMeshX - Australia and Oceania
FreeMeshX - Europe (always activated for my convenience)
FreeMeshX - North America (it's Canada)
FreeMeshX - Patches (always activated and at highest priority)
FreeMeshX - South and Central America
FreeMeshX - USA (always activated for my convenience)

My FreeMeshX version is pretty old (patched to 1.07) and by now they have re-packaged and may have eliminated the Patches folder. My USA package is current and came completely separate later on.

[michael]

Originally posted by JJ FSX:

If you have ALL of FreeMeshX here is a tip:

In principle, I installed everything that I need. It's just that the graphics are still not great and it seems there is not even a difference.
Here are some screenshots from the site where this mod is:

https://flyawaysimulation.com/images/downloadshots/24690-freemeshx-global-20zip-571-screen-2.jpg

https://flyawaysimulation.com/images/downloadshots/24690-freemeshx-global-20zip-581-screen-32.jpg

https://flyawaysimulation.com/images/downloadshots/24690-freemeshx-global-20zip-582-screen-9.jpg

Look, the water is dark blue, the clouds are real, the lights and shadows look very cool, the land (terrain) is dark green. It’s not at all like that for me. Maybe I don't understand why this mod (meshX) is needed at all? Maybe more than one mod is needed to achieve this kind of graphics?

[shadowgravy]

First off, it looks like the screenshots were all made in Prepar3D not FSX. I found the screenshots gallery[flyawaysimulation.com] on Flyaway Simulations. In some of them you can see the P3D "Academic License" watermark in the top right corner.

I suspect there are other enhancement products other than FreeMeshX used for these screenshots but I can't tell for sure. I use P3D v5 and even though its default terrain is superior to FSX I still immediately installed my ORBX Global products into it. The screenshots seem to have ORBX HD trees and HD buildings. I used to use REX Essentials in FSX and as I recall REX had options that customized water textures. The environment in the screenshots look to me like REX cloud textures but I don't know. I personally now use Active Sky clouds and Active Sky real time weather engines in both FSX and P3D.

Maybe I don't understand why this mod (meshX) is needed at all?

As I tried to explain above, FreeMeshX changes the sculpture of your terrain. Visit this link to see screenshots that explain much better the results you should see: http://c-aviation.net/freemeshx-mesh-for-fsx-and-p3d/

[michael]

Originally posted by shadowgravy:

Ok, I guess I understand. Then the question is - will I be able to achieve graphics at least about the same level as in P3D? What mods do I need to install to change not only the structure of the landscape but also the textures themselves?
And you didn't seem to say anything about light and shadow.
Thx

[shadowgravy]

For light and shadows, you'll need the DX10 Fixer mod. I believe there is a free version and a commercial version. I've never used either. It will enable cockpit shadows but I'm not sure what else.

P3D has been in active development for more than five years so with some features FSX will never catch up. 64-bit vs FSX 32-bit is a huge improvement for memory.

Getting back to FSX, you can replace the terrain textures. You should be able to find freeware if you want to go that route. I started with a commercial product called Ground Environment X, and it looks moderately better than default terrain. A landclass product or mod will improve placement of vegetation, cities and towns, rivers and roads. Ultimate Terrain X works well with GEX, they're designed to be compatible.

GEX+UTX were the reigning scenery mod until ORBX FTX entered the arena. You can download some ORBX demos from their site to give you an idea what it can do.

Another option is photo-real textures. These are based on satellite imagery. There are advantages and disadvantages to this method. You can find a lot of Photo-real freeware. There are also commercial products like the MegaScenery series.

[shadowgravy]

Best Free FSX & P3D Photoreal Scenery Add-Ons For 2021
https://flyawaysimulation.com/news/4948/

Steve's DX10 Fixer and DX10 Cloud Shadows addon
https://stevesfsxanalysis.wordpress.com/dx10-cloud-shadows/

[michael]

Originally posted by shadowgravy:

Best Free FSX & P3D Photoreal Scenery Add-Ons For 2021
https://flyawaysimulation.com/news/4948/

Steve's DX10 Fixer and DX10 Cloud Shadows addon
https://stevesfsxanalysis.wordpress.com/dx10-cloud-shadows/

Thank you very much for your answer!! I really appreciate that you are spending time with me and I am ready to cooperate.
Basically, I followed these two links. I already bought the DX10 fixer product and it gave me the opportunity to use the Dir-x 10 in the game and also the shadows from the clouds (to be honest, I still do not fully understand whether something has changed or not, except that shadows appeared). The graphics are much better now. It is a pity that there is no single mod that would include all the improvements. Also, I have not yet been able to find the instruction that explained all the stages of setting up graphics. Either no one wants to share, or the mods are outdated, or the settings are provided for very strong / weak computers. So far, I like the result that I have achieved. I will also try those mods that you recommended for the landscape (terrain).

My searches led me now to these mods:
-ENB
-FXAA
-SweetFX

Because I still want juicy HDR graphics, with bright blue skies and dark green terrain, this is something I really miss. I also cannot understand, does the time of day change itself in the FSX? It seems that someone has "nailed" the sun to the sky. As it does not look realistic. I have absolutely new sunset outside my window every new day, but in the game the colors are always the same...

[michael]

Originally posted by shadowgravy:

I have other problem now. I can't do it right now with 'reshade + sweetfx'. I try different versions and methods, but the overlay does not open in the game. It seems that the mod does not start at all with the game. Therefore, I cannot configure shaders on DX10 in any way.

[JJ FSX]

Originally posted by michael:

Originally posted by shadowgravy:

I have other problem now. I can't do it right now with 'reshade + sweetfx'. I try different versions and methods, but the overlay does not open in the game. It seems that the mod does not start at all with the game. Therefore, I cannot configure shaders on DX10 in any way.

I wouldn't use both of those at the same time. Sweetfx is very old and I would stay away from it. Plus Reshade is doing a similar effect but in completely different way. So either they would conflict or Reshade would just override Sweetfx I would think.

Besides the best thing you can do for your graphics performance and DX10 shaders is patch DX10 preview mode and turn it into DX10 +Fixer mode. Below is an excerpt from one of my previous helps to someone else, the link has all the info:

Patch FSX's DX10 mode with at least Steves latest freeware (or Payware even better), freeware version: "Shader Release 3.2.3" Read the description and/or readme.txt, it fixes a lot. Note, with the freeware there is no user interface you just install it per the instructions and it replaces the default DX10 "shaders" (and backs up originals), the payware version on the other hand has a user interface for more advanced specific object patching):

Read the description and download the free patch here:

https://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=DX10+shader&CatID=root

note: (you don't need version 3.2.2, the search above returned both versions in the results, download only v3.2.3)

Then enjoy DX10 mode that is no longer just "preview" in FSX. DX10 performs better and brings out the best in FSX. But be aware using some older aircraft and scenery conversions (from FS2004 or ealier) textures may display incorrectly (white/gray/transparent) and if they do display correctly, FSX will perform worse with those than it would in DX9 mode with those. Serious you SHOULD patch FSX's DX10 mode and stick with "native" FSX aircraft as much as possible or don't complain about the missing progressive taxi lights, flashing runways and others in the list of fixes. Even with the patch some older FS2004 models will display only as white or grey in DX10 mode because they aren't "native" FSX models, those can only be run in DX9 mode.

If you get DX10 patched, FreemeshX 1m mesh under some good 1m photo-real or other HD landclass textures you can get like these and better on newer machines:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E79w0AeF-mI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhUhFUPhTRw

[michael]

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[michael]

I just found out one important thing, Reshade does not work for me with only DX10. But with DX9 everything is fine!
I have a console and can control the effects. But why doesn't this work for me with DX10?

All I do is switch modes using the DX10-fixer. I also click on the DX10 item in the game itself (or turn it off). In any case, I cannot start the Reshade console with DX10

[JJ FSX]

Michael,

A clarification;
I didn't put a link to the other help I gave, I just copied text from it, the only link I gave was the link that gives the search results for the free Shader Release 3.2.3. AND you appear to have not understood; If you have the payware version of Steves Fixer, you DONT want to overwrite that with the freeware version. Again, you don't need the freeware version (Shader Release 3.2.3) at all if you already have installed the payware version.

[michael]

Originally posted by JJ FSX:

Michael,
A clarification...

Thank you. I understood. But basically it doesn't solve my problem. Read the message above please. Reshade with DX10 does not work for me for some reason.

[michael]

Friends! I hasten to share some good news. Everything worked out for me and Reshade works. It was all about the d3d11.dll file. I tried to replace reshade_32.DLL with different files (d3dx10, 9, dxgi.dll ...), but when I gave it the name d3d11.dll, everything started working. The console appears and all the effects work fine. I don't understand where DirectX 11 has to do with it. The game continues to work with DX10 I think, but the fact is it works.
I hope this helps someone else who reads this. I have already got a very decent picture with the help of many addons. I also added the shaking effect during takeoff and when passing turbulence using the mod OPUS fsi. My target right now is vectors, meshes and global street lights.
I believe that the game does not look much worse than P3D or Xplane 11.
Super! Thanks to everyone who helped.

Originally posted by JJ FSX:

Michael,
...

Originally posted by shadowgravy:

Best Free FSX & P3D Photoreal Scenery Add-
...