FSUIPC differentiated VAS Monitor?

[EgbertDrenth]

Hi Pete,

On several forums there is a debate about VAS usage of add-ons (Scenery, Aircraft) and some people suggest it would be nice if publishers/developers state the VAS usage of their add-on.
Since this requires all publishers to cooperate, I was wondering the following (just brainstorming):

• I know (and use) the LUA script showing the VAS usage in WideFS.
  However this display the overall VAS usage of all add-ons combined.
  
  Is it possible to develop in FSUIPC somekind of VAS monitor that differentiate VAS usage by add-on?
  Maybe it can be done by (scenery) directory or something, I don't have enough knowledge of the inner FSX/P3D architecture to know if this is feasible.
  You do however, so maybe you can shed your light on it.

The advantage by doing it differentiated is that weather settings etc and other add-ons do not matter because the VAS usage will be splitted out.
 

Regards,

Egbert

 

 

 

[Pete Dowson]

2 minutes ago, EgbertDrenth said:

I know (and use) the LUA script showing the VAS usage in WideFS.
However this display the overall VAS usage of all add-ons combined.

That's because it simply counts the free space.

Quote

Is it possible to develop in FSUIPC somekind of VAS monitor that differentiate VAS usage by add-on?

No way possible as far as I can see.  Simple things like Add-In DLLs and GAUges (these are just DLLs too) can be counted, because they are loaded into memory with their own IDs associated -- which is why specific DLLs can be identified on a crash. But those are small fry. Memory that is allocated for their data isn't back-trackable to any specific owner, it has no owner ID attached but is only known by its "handle" (which is its virtual memory address). With scenery and textures and AI and the like it is worse. The system loads and discards them into allocated memory as it wishes.

I very much doubt whether any add-on has a specific VAS "footprint" in any case. For instance, how much of a scenery package needs to be in memory at any one time will depend on the exact position, the current view and its zoom, the LOD radius, the complexity slider settings, etc etc. Also there is always a variable amount of use made by scenery packages of standard parts, parts installed with FS in any case, such as World/Scenery and Global/Scenery, Effects and Sounds,

To get some idea of a package's VAS usage the only way really would be to test with and without it in exactly the same circumstances. but even then the amount would be conditional on all those settings. This is why Mathijs is very reluctant to even attempt to publish any such thing for Aerosoft packages. It really is an impossible request to answer in any sensible way.

Pete

 

[EgbertDrenth]

 This is why Mathijs is very reluctant to even attempt to publish any such thing for Aerosoft packages. 

I fully understand this (and most likely it is also true for any other publisher)
Hence my question for differentiated VAS usage so other settings/add-ons/conditions can be isolated.

But I understand from your reply that it is pratically/technically impossible to differentiate.
Thanks for your prompt reply!

Egbert