It looks like that with WOI map we're again pushing the boundaries just like we did with original CAN_Channel before.
Let me share some tricks that might give you enough memory to enjoy WOI and other heavy maps:
- Try to enable 4 GB address space in selector settings. For me that is all that was needed to get rid of paratrooper errors or other errors with heavy maps, and I think all others with 64bit Windows, at least 4 GB RAM and nVidia GPU should also get rid of these issues with this trick (I haven't tested with ATI/AMD GPU, so you can try it). For others with more than 2 GB RAM it is also worth trying and if it works OK you'll get enough memory available also for the heaviest maps.
- Lower RAM usage setting in selector might help when loading heavy maps. I really mean lower setting here since that selected amount of memory is reserved for Java objects, and large textures of heavy maps should fit outside that memory. If you can get 4 GB address space for IL-2, then using 1 GB of it for Java is not a problem, but even 512 MB may be too much Java memory for loading large maps when you are limited to that standard 2 GB for IL-2.
- Texture compression helps for sure if you are ready to play with lower texture quality since it makes textures use less memory. For weaker PCs with less than 2 GB RAM this is the only easy option to enjoy those heavy maps. You can also consider enabling texture compression if you can load the map but are suffering severe stuttering while flying because of too small graphics memory for all needed textures. First two options won't help with stutters caused by too small graphics memory, but texture compression will help a lot.
- If you have money, you can get more RAM now that it's pretty inexpensive. Also a GPU with 1 GB graphics memory can help a lot if you have 512 MB or less currently, suffer from stutters without texture compression and can upgrade. Less RAM may be needed for loading heavy maps when graphics memory is large enough for textures.
- If you have time and want to use heavy maps on weaker PC without texture compression (or with texture compression on a very old PC barely capable of running IL-2 at all), you can always extract textures with sfs extractor, find the right textures in load.ini and downscale them with Photoshop, GIMP or other suitable program. You can then make a lower resolution texture mod and also share it for others with weaker PCs.
- If you are getting crashes while loading maps, in flight or when taking screenshots instead of paratrooper error, then check how many planes you have installed in your #DBW folder. If you have many planes installed, you may be running out of Java memory instead (not the total Java memory in selector settings but a certain part reserved for permanent objects that you currently can't adjust). When you are just at the limit (you use the maximum number of planes you can have without CTD at 70% loading or crashes in simple missions), you may run out of Java memory with a complex mission on a heavy map although your Il-2 seems to work OK otherwise. For that situation the fix is to disable some planes you have installed (at least comment their lines in air.ini by adding // in the beginning of them). You can always test with clean #DBW folder that just has files of DBW pack and your favorite JSGME options to check whether the issue is caused by a heavy map in DBW or your additional mods. Note that none of the previous tricks helps with Java memory limit, the only way to avoid it currently is to keep number of additional planes small enough. Other reason to keep number of additional planes small enough is that too many planes may cause FPS drop even below Java memory limit. In future DBW builds some planes will be merged and some made optional to allow installing more additional planes without these issues.
I hope these tricks can help you to get stable IL-2 and enjoy all content available in DBW.
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Topic: DBW Current Build All Bug Reports (Read 122551 times)
