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Author Topic: VSYNC  (Read 1279 times)

I3erent

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VSYNC
« on: November 19, 2007, 01:06:00 pm »
What the heck is it for ? better on or off? in conjunction with what video card settings?
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Core Xii

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Re: VSYNC
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2007, 01:33:00 pm »
Your monitor draws the screen line by line from top to bottom. After this, there's a small pause as it prepares to draw the screen again from the top.

Vsync means that the game will copy the graphics into video memory during this pause. As such, it's slower because the game will wait for this pause to continue each frame, and if the game just misses the vsync it could end up waiting a long time.

Not having vsync means the game copies its graphics at its own leisure oblivious of monitor state, this causes tearing.

With a game like DF, however, tearing is negligible since there aren't any fast, smooth -moving elements on screen.

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Freddybear

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Re: VSYNC
« Reply #2 on: November 19, 2007, 01:40:00 pm »
VSYNC ON is for preventing flicker by synchronizing video updates to the video refresh rate of the screen. Most flat-panel monitors are immune to the effect, so for those it's definitely better to turn it OFF. If you do turn VSYNC on, it might impact the performance of the game if G_FPS_CAP is set high. Also try setting G_FPS_CAP to 10 (which is probably a good idea regardless of VSYNC).
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Geofferic

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Re: VSYNC
« Reply #3 on: November 19, 2007, 02:06:00 pm »
Yeah I've never heard that VSYNC prevented tearing, but I'm not saying it doesn't.

The main purpose is to sync the video fps with the refresh of the monitor.  It reduces the noticeable flicker.  There also isn't any point to FPS higher than your refresh rate unless it's a multiple of the refresh rate (or very very close).

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Freddybear

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Re: VSYNC
« Reply #4 on: November 19, 2007, 06:44:00 pm »
Video updates are controlled by G_FPS_CAP instead of FPS_CAP. FPS_CAP now just throttles the rate at which the game ticks happen. Ten "ticks" equals one step for an unburdened dwarf with normal agility.
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Core Xii

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Re: VSYNC
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2007, 05:17:00 am »
Check your terms.

Double-buffering eliminates flicker.
Vertical synchronization eliminates tearing.

And flat panels are not immune to tearing.

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Casca

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Re: VSYNC
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2007, 09:15:00 pm »
Confirmed.  VSYNC is, as previously described, an option which prevents "tearing" (affects all monitors, analog+digital, regardless of flat panel or crt) by updating video memory only between screen refresh, and does not affect flicker.
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Freddybear

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Re: VSYNC
« Reply #7 on: November 21, 2007, 10:24:00 pm »
Ok, I understand what you're saying.
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