The LOD on Series X after the “memory optimizations” of SU15 is non existent compared to what it was. While the CU Vegas, Northeast (DC), and now this WU UK look great when you’re right on top of it, everything else is struggling to render.
One of my favorite buildings in the London area, Strata SE1 is a prime example. Although this happens to many buildings that are 3D modeled, they will go completely white when at a distance, or even zooming your camera to a wide angle. They look like blank models that haven’t been painted yet. This happens with every building in the new DC CU. My mouse scroll wheel is now a on/off switch for LOD. Especially at night, zoom out and it turns off the lights. During the day zoom out and it turns off the building details. At airports vehicles go from photo realistic to 8bit arcade objects. (Cockpit cam, external cam, showcase drone cam, all exhibit this behavior after SU15.) As a heli simmer on ‘pancake mode’ on a 65” TV, I like my cockpit camera zoom set around 15-25 depending on rotorcraft. The wide field of view has been excellent until SU15.
As you fly closer to these areas the colors, details, eventually windows start to render. The wind turbines on top of the Strata tower won’t render until you are right next to it. See photos below.
Photo References
This side of Strata has a lot of trouble rendering. From far it’s a blue block. When you get closer the white blocks (I’m guessing curtains, window shades) pop in. Then grey stripes and white bars. Then when you’re right over head the white bars are completely gone and it’s just glass window textures. If you slide show and click through these images it really shows the popping of details.
White bars.
White bars and grey stripes.
White bars removed up close again.
Odd because those White blocks/curtains/shades are there in the real building. Also very odd that many of the other buildings that are modeled are holding detail just fine at multiple distances. (The Boomerang Tower on the left side of the frame.)
And again this is happening with all 3D modeled buildings. From US Bank tower in LA, to the Vegas hotels, to the Monuments and National Mall in DC. With rolling cache on or off, with complex or non complex aircraft.
Despite my gripes with LOD, and the water textures on the River Thames… This is another Knockout of an update. London was in dire need of a an update. The new modeling looks great, I am looking forward to 2024 if this really is the new look and feel going forward. We just need to restore those LOD sliders on Series X. 