Golf Sim Clubhouse Forum

I was wondering if there is any info floating around regarding the best graphics settings for the game. I was undewhelmed by the default settings available in the game and increased a number of them anticipating more detail; however, on certain courses containing certain types of trees and foliage I see this "over sharpened" look (see attached example). This reminds me of what I have seen, when oversharpening a pic with photo editing software. This artifacting may also be related to my Graphics Card settings. I have my Anti Alaizing slider set to mid to reduce the jaggies in bunkers and at the horizon for Links2003.
Thanks, Dave

I'm not sure what to tell you. Unfortunately the trees, etc. in the tropical libraries leave a lot to be desired but no one ever made better ones. I commented several times to my testers that the plantings lacked depth of field and just seemed an almost amorphous blur at times, especially when they're compared to some of the wonderful pines that are available. I can only say I'm sorry it doesn't look better, but I have no idea how to fix it short of new libraries.

As far as "cutting off jaggies" on the horizon, I tend to vary my settings whenever these show up. Generally I use 600 yards for both horizon and shadows and use high detail for panorama and objects. I don't think I've actually messed with my graphic card settings to try and get a better look.

Indy; Please don't apologize for this issue. The jaggies I referred to are in Links2003, which I think, being more photo realistic, uses a very different rendering engine than PGA2000 (hence the need to adjust Anti Alaizing for Links2003. I haven't run across any jaggies in PGA2000. Also, I just happened to select a pic from your course because I was playing it when I realized this was something I was seeing on some other courses, and I began to wondered why.
It appears to be less obvious on the original older courses and more obvious on some of the later designer courses. I'm thinking the few links and desert courses I have played looked fine because they have very little foliage, also I've only played about 15 courses so far (mostly originals) so I'm hardly an expert on how they should look. I just assumed others had run across this problem. Basically there appears to be way too many sparkling white pixels in the foliage, which I, being familiar with photo manipulation, recognized as a sign of "over sharpening". Now that I know it is not a know issue with the program, I will check out and modify my graphics settings to see if I can Identify what might be causing it. I'll let you know how it goes.
Cheers, Dave

Mmm, okay. But I'll just voice my own disappointment about the quality of the tropical libe graphics and that no one ever improved them. I talked a lot with Jimi/Martijn Hover who made some really nice libraries years ago trying to get him to make some better trop objects, but other than some grass planting and a pretty nice African pano he never got around to it.

I think this is what you're talking about right... the white spots and grain look? This is a course called Amaroo Island:

I would say it is a bi-product of only having 8-bit images. You lose quite a bit of detail with such low color information.

Indy Anna Jones wrote:Mmm, okay. But I'll just voice my own disappointment about the quality of the tropical libe graphics and that no one ever improved them. I talked a lot with Jimi/Martijn Hover who made some really nice libraries years ago trying to get him to make some better trop objects, but other than some grass planting and a pretty nice African pano he never got around to it.

I think this is what you're talking about right... the white spots and grain look? This is a course called Amaroo Island:

amaroo.JPG

Hi Judy;
I'm a little confused by you response. Were you unable to view the pic I posted? The pic you posted has some minor atifacting, but when compared to my screen shot it looks pretty good to me. I found that this type of artifacting is reduced if in Course Options>Object Detail is set to Low.
I must say I like the fact that you can call this module up during a round and directly compare the changes you make. I tried the switch (Low to High and back) at a distance and close up several times at various locations and could not distinguish any significant difference in the details of say tree trunks or flowers etc., but the artifacting was slightly reduced, so currently I'm going with Objects on Low.
Cheers, Dave

I'm not sure but optimizing children may have some effects as far as graphics go. I try to optimize all objects after I've planted eveything but sometimes a few may not get optimized.

SteveHorn wrote:I'm not sure but optimizing children may have some effects as far as graphics go. I try to optimize all objects after I've planted eveything but sometimes a few may not get optimized.

Steve;
Since I started this thread (and am not a designer) I figure I can request that you explain the meaning of the term "optimizing children". Sounds to me like you could get arrested for that.
Cheers, Dave

Umm, Steve... you better go sit down now.
Just kidding!

Dave I guess I'm not sure what you're talking about about. I thought you were referring to the lack of definition and contrast in the trees and other plantings, but now I'm not sure if you're referring to that or the playing textures (if I'm making sense.) And I am curious so please don't give us up as lost and ignorant... uh, children... because maybe you can help us all get a better look to our own games.

(Btw what Steve is talking about is optimizing (removing excess points from) objects inside of objects (ie sand inside a lip inside a rough or a green inside a first cut inside a fairway inside... etc.) If they're not optimized and smoothed they get a look like wrinkled paper or big splinters of wood (spikes.) Check out the pictures of Celtic Manor on the download page for some good examples.)