New PHNL

[matthewpow]

Is the new PHNL going to be only MSFS or for P3D as well?

[Airmaz1]

I'm sure i read somewhere it's for MSFS p3dv4 & V5.

[virtuali]

It's still not decided if it will come for P3D as well.

The initial plan was to make it for P3D V5 but, since the original post on Simultech Facebook page was dated March 2020, it was reported by some media to be for P3D4, since at that time P3D V5 wasn't officially announced yet, but we planned to use some features that are only possible with V5, like PBR on ground textures.

However, during testing, we found it was basically impossible to run it together with OrbX Cityscape Honolulu with a video card with "only" 8GB of VRAM, because more of half of the available VRAM was already taken by the Default + OrbX scenery, and this was even before loading a complex aircraft and after lowering graphic quality quite a bit in the settings.

Considering how difficult is today to buy any video card, of any brand, with more than 8GB of VRAM and how insanely expensive they are ( assuming you find one ), releasing for P3D V5 would probably mean nobody would be able to use it without a DXGI crash and, of course, releasing for P3D V4 only + MSFS wouldn't make much sense either.

Note that, we couldn't fit the scenery in memory even BEFORE was completed. We'll surely try again once it will, perhaps the latest version of P3D V5 available at that time might handle VRAM better but, if nothing changes, I doubt we'll be able to magically squeeze the scenery in half of the memory we normally have, because the other half is taken by OrbX.

The problem with P3D5 and VRAM handling has far greater repercussions than what most users suspect. You all want to use OrbX ( because the default scenery is not very good ), you all want to use complex airplanes ( which are the point of using P3D ), but if there isn't enough VRAM left for the *airport*, it doesn't leave much room for us airport developers to...do the airport, which you rightfully expect to be way more detailed than it used to be in 2010, when the old version came out.

So, at this time, the only thing I can say is that, once the scenery will be completely modeled, we'll try again if it will fit in VRAM in P3D V5, using a complex airplane and at least one scenery in that area from OrbX, with the V5 version which will be available at that time, that's the only thing we can promise to do.

[sticky1202]

Wow, that many people use Orbx? I do not use it for the reasons you mentioned. Still hoping for a P3Dv4.....

Jim

[virtuali]

Wow, that many people use Orbx? I do not use it for the reasons you mentioned.

That's what most users say: without OrbX P3D is not very good.

While this wouldn't be *that* much of a problem up to V4, since the only result might be some slowdown due to VRAM exhaustion ( and CPU allocation raises a lot with OrbX vector installed ), but in V5 this is way more serious, since without enough spare VRAM, the sim will just crash and, users always put the blame on the airport they bought last.

Still hoping for a P3Dv4.....

We won't have a V4 version without a V5 so, either we do both, or none of them.

[matthewpow]

Thanks for the response, though this does seem like an interesting way of approaching this. Looking forward to seeing what happens.

[simsuper80]

too bad, I happen to be one of those people with a much greater the 8gb vram capable card. but i know im part of the minority here

[bcars]

Perhaps at least a new afcad and terminals and gates to bring it up to current layout.  I for one am not that interested in some of eye candy like terminal building's interiors with baggage carousel.
A great many of us flying in and out many airports don't drive the plane inside the terminals(on pupose)
We do however want an accurate visual model of the airport surface area, taxiways and terminals and gate numbers.
 
For those with orbx(or even those without orbx,but less robust video card) an option to disable some of the
Large vram objects/textures might address the issue.  I happen to be fortunate to have a 13gb graphics card, but still sometimes see stutters on approach when fast starts inserting greater detail objects when closer to touchdown.

I also run with multiple monitors and projectors and 220 degree wrap around visual for my cockpit. This negates my ability to run msfs2020.
I am disappointed that many airport designers seem to have abandoned p3dv5 because it is "to hard".
Msfs2020 has superior graphics, but currently lacks viable airliner aircraft. There is still a large community of customers  using p3d.

[Dave_YVR]

 Updating the ADE is pretty simple to do yourself.

[bcars]

Yes, I have updated mine. The more involved part is taxiways,signs, and gate markings. Thse are more involved since they are sim objects implemented.

[CorbiniansBear]

I would think people who want to fly big iron into PHNL are more interested in the airport than the city. I didn't even know ORBX made a "cityscape" for it. I have the card to run it fine, and, more important, Umberto, I have a credit card which is just aching for PHNL :-)