Reports of Update - P3Dv4 Going to 4.4 w/ PBR

PBR goodness!!!

Prepar3D SDK

New Features


  • Updated modeling tools to support creating Physically Based Rendering (PBR) content.
  • Added material scripting support to PBR materials.
  • Added PBR support to autogen tools utilizing Materials.xml/spb.
  • Engine supports mixed materials enabling content to have PBR and non-PBR materials on the same object.
  • PBR materials can be previewed in real time within 3DS Max.
  • Model version will automatically update if PBR is used to prevent models from loading in previous versions.
 
dhazelgrove said:
Does anyone know the route/method for updating P3D?

Dave
Click to expand...

This is a continuing subject of debate from one update to another. I usually wait several weeks after the release until there has been lots of experience feedback. One way to update is to replace the old "client" with the new "client". If there is new content like the Captain Sim C-130, one needs to also update the "content". If I recall correctly, last time there were scenery updates, so the "scenery" also needed to be updated. We may be looking at a wholesale replacement.

Here's a link to the LM update instructions - https://www.prepar3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=120861 .

A quick internet search will give you numerous results for this subject. I also read the LM instructions and a couple others before I venture into my update. (I won't mention my success rate because I do not want to be jinxed.)
 
Will any aircraft, scenery, or add-on that is working in 4.3, be compatible with 4.4? This is really going to suck, if not. Especially when talking about older aircraft and scenery. NC

If my favorite aircraft, i.e. A-7E, will not work in 4.4, then I might have to reconsider the update.
 
The addition of PBR will not have any impact on any aircraft/scenery/object/effect that is not "PBR aware".
Objects that do not include any PBR features will just display as they always did.
Objects that got modified to include PBR textures will look fabulous.

Concerning the correct method to update P3D:
- Go to your windows control panel and navigate to the screen where you see and can uninstall your applications
- There will be 4 entries corresponding to P3Dv4. Select the one that explicitly mentions "client".
- Uninstall it
- If you want to get the updated default planes with PBR effects, you can also uninstall the line that mentions "content".
- In your account on the Prepar3D website, download the latest "client.msi" after clicking the line that says "+ Individual components".
- If you have uninstalled the content, please also download the content-related files: content.msi, cont1.cab and cont2.cab.
- Launch the content.msi to install the 4.4 content.
- Launch the client.msi to install the 4.4 client.
- Your P3D is now successfully updated.

You'll have to check your various addons to see if they work well and if they didn't get any file overwritten. This is only for addons that were installed inside the P3D folder. "External" addons will be fine. And to be honnest, "internal" addons will most likely be fine as well :)
 
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...well, moving to PBR may be a good reason for me to abandon FSX compatibility.
It is getting harder and harder to maintain backward compatibily as this basically means not being able to use the any of the new features that LM has introduced over the years - and that very few people utilize.
 
When a new version comes out I usually wait a few weeks for my favorite add-on to update themselves and then do a full uninstall and reinstall, installing just the client means you don’t get the fixes in the aircraft or scenery. All the other add-on installed in the main folder remain so you don’t need to reinstall them.
 
...just my two cents on the PBR.
PBR is definitely a step forward, but I have seen a lot of unrealistic expectations and some statements that are technically wrong.
First thing is that PBR is a generic name for the approach in rendering the materials, but the implementation may vary quite a lot. For one, DCS implementation is great, X-Plane implementation is good...and FSW had PBR and almost nobody noticed.
Second thing, upgrading aircrafts or objects to PBR is doable but requires some work. Some of the texture sheets can be reused, others must be redone. It is not necessary to change UVW coordinates, nor it is mandarory to use Subtance Painter or similar applications (although they help A LOT!). And in the end the result will depend on the skill of the artist.

PBR will allow us designers to make a significant step forward...but do not expect P3Dv4.4 to look much better than from P3Dv4.3 right from the start.

Then, for the compatibility, for my planes there will be the usual delay with Tacpack - I guess it will take some time to get it updated...so updating to P3Dv4.4 will mean a (temporary) inability to use weapons and sensors.
 
I wonder if the upgrade will break Tacpack again?

I'll be waiting a bit, in particular to see how the new texture and photo rendering rendering updates effect Orbx scenery,
but it looks like there's lots of useful fixes.

As far as the updating itself goes, if all is ok, I'll update client and content; that didn't effect any of my third party add-on
planes in the past (apart from the ones that required Tacpack), and so hopefully won't this time either.

As for updating scenery, I won't bother: the fixes and updates are all for default P3Dv4 scenery, and my flight sim world
is covered in Orbx, in some places 3 or 4 Orbx layers deep.

From previous experience when I did the scenery update once before, upgrading the P3Dv4 scenery component will over-write
Orbx Global and Orbx HD trees, so both of those would need to be re-installed, and that's just not worth the time to me.

- Rob
 
Hopefully one or more default aircrafts have been updated with PBR materials so we can sample it right away.
 
...the update is almost granted to break Tacpack compatibility. We'll need VRS to update it again.

I'd expect that all of the existing content and add-ons will render exactly the same as they do now.
 
Montie said:
Hopefully one or more default aircrafts have been updated with PBR materials so we can sample it right away.
Click to expand...

Looking at the release notes, seems that the F-16 model will be updated to support PBR, but it may be just a "quick" update. May be it will not that meaningful in terms of what the PBR can achieve.
 
Dino Cattaneo said:
...just my two cents on the PBR.
PBR is definitely a step forward, but I have seen a lot of unrealistic expectations and some statements that are technically wrong.
First thing is that PBR is a generic name for the approach in rendering the materials, but the implementation may vary quite a lot. For one, DCS implementation is great, X-Plane implementation is good...and FSW had PBR and almost nobody noticed.
Second thing, upgrading aircrafts or objects to PBR is doable but requires some work. Some of the texture sheets can be reused, others must be redone. It is not necessary to change UVW coordinates, nor it is mandarory to use Subtance Painter or similar applications (although they help A LOT!). And in the end the result will depend on the skill of the artist.

PBR will allow us designers to make a significant step forward...but do not expect P3Dv4.4 to look much better than from P3Dv4.3 right from the start.

Then, for the compatibility, for my planes there will be the usual delay with Tacpack - I guess it will take some time to get it updated...so updating to P3Dv4.4 will mean a (temporary) inability to use weapons and sensors.
Click to expand...


This. :encouragement:

I am literally going to copy this entry modify it a little and stick it in as a response to help desk emails. Perfectly worded. Thanks. :applause:
 
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