Hi Pete,
I've completed the tests you requested of me. My test flight was the same I've used for a few years for testing anything I do is FS... 3500" above S.F bay, clear weather, no wind, heading due north. In this case I used the default C-172. Unregistered FSUIPC 3.07 is the dll I tested with.
First, an explanation of the "stutters". I timed them today, and the closest I could get was 1 1/2- 2 seconds apart (probably closer to 1 1/2). The pause itself only lasts for a fraction of a second. The net result is a subtle jerky motion, as if the sim stops for an instant and then catches up exactly where it should be. But there is that instant of frozen motion that presents itself as the stutter.
Before testing I made sure there were no other FSUIPC options running, and removed the only other non-MSFS dll from the Modules folder (FS Nav 4.6.0.0).
Test #1... added the "Debug" and LogExtras" lines to the .ini file. I started by making sure that "Debugging Data" was set at 0. Stutters present. I then set the field to 6. Stutters present. Went to 12, and the stutters were less noticeable. At 16 I could no longer see the stutters. Went in the reverse order, and the stutters reappeared in much the same fashion as they disappeared. Back at 0 and 6 they were present as always.
Test#2... I usually fly with AI set to 30-50% (depending upon my start and destination airports). I can't remember the last time I set AI to anything above 50% (too much of a resource hit). "Debugging Data" was set to 0 at the beginning of testing.
Before testing I checked my "TrafficScanPerFrame" setting in the .ini file... it was 10. I first flew with AI set to 0%, and observed the stutters as usual. I then tested at 50%, and saw the same stutters. Went to 100% AI, and the stutters were present. No change no matter what the AI setting was. Then tested the above parameters again with "TrafficScanPerFrame" set to 1. I observed the same result as with it set to 10... stutters present and consistant at the above 3 AI settings.
Sys specs:
AMD 2400XP @ 2700
ASUS A7N8X Rev. 2.0 w/ ASUS 1.16 drivers and 1005 BIOS
1 Gig Corsair XMS 3200
ATI 9700 Pro w/ Omega 2.4.78
Windows XP w/ SP1. Minimum start-up apps... Desktop, Virus Scanner and Video Card tweaker. Disabled VS and tweaker for testing purposes. All MS live updates disabled. This has proven to be a very stable system.
After running these tests I removed the FSUIPC .dll from my Modules folder and reflew the test. No stutters present, even after enabling FS's Jepp download weather.
Keep in mind that the stutters are rather subtle. One must be looking for them to see them. It was difficult to see the gradual changes in Test #1. But what I saw at settings of 0 and 16 was very easy to see... stutters and no stutters respectively.
Feel free to let me know if I can do any further testing,
Greg
