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Dynamic View Distance
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Data Type: Mod
Mod Type: Mechanics
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7.473 KB
27 Oct, 2016 @ 9:40am
27 Oct, 2016 @ 4:45pm
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Saint Anthony
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Dynamic View Distance

Description
Saint Anthony and The Knights of the Thorn claim No rights to this mod. Original location http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=13304

Dynamic View Distance (DVD)

by
tpw, Das Attorney

Description:
Here's a very simple dynamic viewdistance addon which does a few useful things:

What it does:
1 - It dynamically and smoothly adjusts viewdistance according to your framerate.
2 - It prevents the framerate from dropping and staying too low in areas of scenic complexity or lots of AI.
3 - It stabilises the framerate so that there are less noticeable FPS changes.
4 - It increases the viewdistance when using scopes/binoculars, or when in aircraft.

How it works:
The addon launches a background process to monitor the average FPS over a user specified time period (eg 10 seconds). This is then compared to the average from the previous 10 seconds, and if the FPS has decreased then the viewdistance is dropped accordingly. Conversely, if the FPS increases, the viewdistance is increased. It's set up so that it won't cause large oscillations in viewdistance/framerate.

DVD also checks if you are using a scope or binocs and increases the viewdistance to simulate being able to see further and with more detail than with the naked eye.

DVD works on the assumption that in areas of high scenic complexity such as the middle of Zargabad or in a dense forest, you won't really notice that the view distance has been dropped. Similarly, if there are a lot of enemy AI trying to smoke you, you're probably more interested in getting a smooth bead on them than in admiring distant scenery. Another assumption is that increasing viewdistance when looking down a scoped weapon doesn't actually negatively affect FPS most of the time.

You'll notice the viewdistance changing if you look for it, just like you'll notice lod switching or clutter popping in if you look for them too. After a while you simply stop noticing.

Installation: Since some users don't need and won't want this mod it is HIGHLY recommended that you do NOT install this on your server. Rather, place the key located in this mod into your server's keys folder and have the users that need it download it and run it with the other mods required to load your server. Remove the userconfig folder from @DVD and paste it into your base Arma 3 folder. Go to Arma 3 -> userconfig -> DVD and edit dvd.hpp in the notepad of your choice, to your preferences.

Configure: userconfig\DVD\DVD.hpp allows you to set the values most appropriate to your system. It's heavily commented so should give you no trouble.
10 Comments
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Saint Anthony  [author] 8 Jan, 2019 @ 7:46pm 
@Malcain, Thank you for the info. I probably hadn't realized that because I always had it for a different mod at the time. I'll see if I can tweak the required items for this mod.
Malcain 8 Jan, 2019 @ 4:27am 
This addon is great and it works. But it has always required and requires CBA_A3 to work!
https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=450814997
Saint Anthony  [author] 19 Oct, 2018 @ 1:33pm 
@Bansheevod,
Remove the userconfig folder from @DVD and paste it into your base Arma3 folder. Go to Arma 3 -> userconfig -> DVD and edit dvd.hpp in the notepad of your choice, to your preferences.

Configure: userconfig\DVD\DVD.hpp allows you to set the values most appropriate to your system. It's heavily commented so should give you no trouble.
Saint Anthony  [author] 7 Feb, 2018 @ 3:29pm 
@Isthatyoudave? If it's working correctly and you've set it up properly you may well not notice any change other than a slight fps improvement. It can be hard to see any difference but it's most noticable if you encounter a lot of AI in an open field you'll see the view distance cut down. However, if you are already getting good fps you won't notice any difference anyway. However, this isn't my mod and Arma has updated many many times since its release. It's entirely possible that for whatever reason it isn't working anymore. I really can't say, nor could I fix it if it has stopped functioning correctly. I would assume, given how it works, that either it isn't setup correctly, you don't actually need it, or it IS working and you just can't tell as the differences are hard to notice. It was intentionally designed to be as unnoticeable as possible. I would use a program to visibly display your fps on screen and track any sudden changes. I'm sorry I can't be of more help.
Isthatyoudave? 7 Feb, 2018 @ 2:54am 
Doesnt seem to be working at all, mod loaded but nothing happens in game maybe needs updating.
Saint Anthony  [author] 24 Nov, 2016 @ 7:55pm 
@Emton Since DVD alters your view distance according to your fps, I would change your ingame view distance to be something of an average between your high and low DVD settings. It will override your ingame settings when it determines that you can handle the max defined in DVD.hpp
Gubernaut 24 Nov, 2016 @ 11:30am 
What should I be setting the ingame video setting distances to? Should it be set the same as DVD_max_dist ?
lunatic SMC-1(Kraut) 14 Nov, 2016 @ 10:16am 
Oh I did adjust it. But still there can be certain situations where you have the feeling that you would need a littlebit more view distance. That's what I tried to discribe.

Oh ok, well then my credits should go to the original creator as well ;-)
Saint Anthony  [author] 13 Nov, 2016 @ 7:10am 
@lunatic SMC-1(Kraut), Make sure you've tweaked the DVD.hpp settings to your liking. You might be able to get a little more distance out of it if you left it at the default settings. Also, I appreciate the compliment but this isn't my mod. I just posted it to the workshop to give it the attention it deserves. :)
lunatic SMC-1(Kraut) 13 Nov, 2016 @ 5:01am 
Nice Mod! Should definately get more attention.

It works absolutely fine.

I've got just one suggestion for improvement: It would be great to have the possibility to disable the aut adjustment (or switch to default settings). In some cases I wished for more view distance to get a better overview of the situation. e.g. sitting on a high spot and having an overview on a wide area filled with AI - in my case - having weak hardware - the set view distance by DVD seemed juuuuust a bit to low.
That is a very specific situation, I know. And therefor it doesn't reduce the great work done with this mod. It just would be a nice to have feature - maybe with future versions ;-)