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Image quality of rear/side mirrors

Discussion in 'Automobilista 2 - General Discussion' started by CJRacing, Jun 8, 2021.

  1. CJRacing

    CJRacing Member

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    Is there an explanation why the mirror quality is so low, even with enhanced mirrors on?

    I'm getting about 120fps with 2k resolution and MSAA on high, but the mirrors are always at a quality of 480p or lower. The contrast of image quality looks a bit ridiculous, especially in the formula cars and Brazilian stock cars. I would gladly spare some fps for mirrors that look somewhat realistic instead of playing snes f-zero!

    Is it a madness engine issue or what?
     
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  2. CJRacing

    CJRacing Member

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    Ok, no responses. Is it because people don’t know why the mirrors are so bad or is something wrong with my settings?

    Is enhanced mirror the only adjustable mirror setting?
     
  3. Kuku Maddog

    Kuku Maddog Flying Kiwi AMS2 Club Member

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    I guess it’s just catered to the average, that being that it’s costly for weaker systems, and due to not much chat about it, it’s good enough for now in enhanced mode.
    What you really need is an ultra setting on top of that, because a big step up would render them too taxing for those with mediocre set ups. Some of us can’t even get 120fps at high settings :(
    Still looks good though.
     
  4. torsteinvh

    torsteinvh Steam: Nietzroth AMS2 Club Member

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    1920x1080, 100%
    upload_2021-6-9_11-20-33.png

    200%
    upload_2021-6-9_11-21-17.png

    Here's a couple of screenshots from the 911 GTE. Enhanced mirrors ON.
    When zoomed in the resolution in the mirrors/rear monitor is noticeable less than the rest of the image, but this is something I have never noticed or been distracted by when driving.
     
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  5. SaxOhare

    SaxOhare Well-Known Member AMS2 Club Member

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    Because It has a very very low priority for me,
    I can barely see the mirrors.
    And I'm focused on the road in front of me, not on the mirrors.
    When I can see the mirrors I think the image is good enough.
    I don't want to spend fps on a better image in the mirrors.

    20210609113131_1.jpg
     
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  6. tk84

    tk84 Member AMS2 Club Member

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    I agree with the OP, especially as there is already an enhanced mirrors option so its something than can be disabled if you need the fps.

    The thing I find most odd is the difference in mirror quality from car to car, does anyone else notice that? Some cars have much higher resolution in the mirrors that others, I guess its something to do with the size of the mirror, that possibly they all have the same fixed resolution set and its just getting stretched for larger mirrors?

    Also while on about larger mirrors, the rear view in the stock cars? (2019 is the main one I use), the mirror is physically massive so I'm guessing the image is getting enlarged massively but its quite distracting as it would appear the car behind me is actually inside the cockpit with me whenever it gets close as the rear view gives such an extreme close up, compared to side mirrors..

    Whilst I would like for the enhanced mirrors to give a resolution closer to the one I have set for my monitor, I do agree that in most cars I can rarely see the wing mirrors and even if I do the 'angle' they are set at is pretty useless too.
     
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  7. CJRacing

    CJRacing Member

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    Yes, it is less distracting on the RSR. Here are the new BMW GT4, Brazilian Stock Car and F3 20210609073401_1 BMW GT4.jpg 20210609073551_1 F3.jpg 20210609073747_1 Brazil SC.jpg
     
  8. CJRacing

    CJRacing Member

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    I sort of understand catering to the average, but it seems weird we have 4 grass detail setting, essentially 7 particle setting, 4 track/car/environment detail settings eacn, etc. but mirrors are only on/off and enhanced (which isn't very enhanced).

    Rearview mirrors might be the single biggest fps drain, outside of perhaps shadows. Oh well, maybe I'm suffering from using a widescreen and picking some of the bad cars in particular.
     
  9. torsteinvh

    torsteinvh Steam: Nietzroth AMS2 Club Member

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    Is this with Enhanced Mirrors?
    My BMW GT4 looks a lot better I think:
    BMW_M4_GT4.jpg
    200%:
    BMW_M4_GT4_enlarged.jpg
     
  10. CJRacing

    CJRacing Member

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    Weird. That is my enhanced mirrors. Yours looks much better than mine. Maybe I‘ll try deleting the AMS2 folder. I’ll post if that changes anything.
     
  11. torsteinvh

    torsteinvh Steam: Nietzroth AMS2 Club Member

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    Here's my graphics settings for reference:
    upload_2021-6-9_15-24-44.png
    (This isn't my gaming PC by the way)
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2021
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  12. CJRacing

    CJRacing Member

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    Mine still look bad after deleting AMS2 folder in documents. In fact, it looks worse in person than what these images convey, especially when they start moving (except for F3 which is pretty accurate) 20210609210747_1.jpg 20210609211010_1 F3.jpg 20210609074741_1 Stock Car.jpg 20210609210921_1 M4.jpg
     
  13. torsteinvh

    torsteinvh Steam: Nietzroth AMS2 Club Member

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    Strange...
    I'll see if I can take screenshots from my gaming computer later today, I have the same resolution screen as you and similar settings. What track are your shots from?
     
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  14. CJRacing

    CJRacing Member

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    Hockenheim (2020)
     
  15. torsteinvh

    torsteinvh Steam: Nietzroth AMS2 Club Member

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    Same settings:
    Settings.jpg

    Mirrors:
    F3.jpg
    Stock.jpg
    BMW.jpg

    Seems like they are more similar now?
    Looks like the mirror image quality drops when the screen resolution increases?
     
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  16. CorvusCorax

    CorvusCorax Active Member AMS2 Club Member

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    From memory (pCARS dev forums) the mirrors work something like this:

    The game renders a single backwards facing view image to a memory buffer, using reduced quality / resolution compared to the main view render (I guess the specifics of that depend on the enhanced mirrors setting).

    Portions of that image are then mapped as textures to the various mirrors in the car, and to the HUD mirror if enabled.

    I guess that if one car uses a smaller part of the view image for a given mirror than another car (or if that mirror is just larger), then that mirror will appear to be lower resolution - because fewer pixels are being "stretched" to fill the space (or the same number to fill a larger space), if that makes sense.

    It is also why some of the mirror blindspots are different to reality - because each mirror is not really showing its own view, but rather just slices of a single view rendered from a single viewpoint.

    I think this sort of approach is pretty common, for performance reasons.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2021
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  17. CJRacing

    CJRacing Member

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    Just noticed a vastly different image quality between the McLaren GT4 (really good) and the Brazilian Stock Car (horrible) despite them both being larger size mirrors. The McLaren is much better than the F3 as well, which uses smaller mirrors, albeit two of them. I'm guessing they could further improve mirror quality for certain cars.
     
  18. Gauthier

    Gauthier New Member

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    I agree, i noticed the same problem with the polo RX. Physical miroir inside the car is very big and image is very pixelated even with enhanced mirors.
    I think the image is stretched to the miroir size in car so if the miror is big, image is awfull

    This would explain the varying image quality depending on car
     
  19. Lab Pong

    Lab Pong OG Sim'er

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    Your responding to a 2.5 year old post. But yes there are several cars with messed up looking mirrors, mainly the rear-view mirrors on some cars are way too big and stretched out.
     
  20. Gauthier

    Gauthier New Member

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    • Funny Funny x 1

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