Why is it so dark in the cockpit

I can be noon on the server and I still can't see any of the switches. Cockpit shadows are ridiculous.

I know the instrument lighting is bugged but it's more than that, ambient light is nonexistent. It's like someone painted the inside of the cockpit with vantablack, there is zero reflected or global illumination.

Screeshot please.

What is your gamma setting ?

It's not too bad if you can afford to use

• Cockpit Global Illumination = ON

and add a little low level cockpit flood lighting.

For info: Options>System --> Gamma = 1.6, Shadows = Low

Tested Open Beta 2.5.6.50979 but IIRC, M-2000C lighting should be good in Release as well.

I can be noon on the server and I still can't see any of the switches. Cockpit shadows are ridiculous.

 

 

I know the instrument lighting is bugged but it's more than that, ambient light is nonexistent. It's like someone painted the inside of the cockpit with vantablack, there is zero reflected or global illumination.

Been posted about several times before, but you'll get no sympathy for not being able to see some switches. For me, the worst one is the AAR switch for day/night. (Can't remember what it's called.)

I think some people don't have the issue as they are not using shadows. If shadows is off, then the problem is not so bad, but IMO, it is crazily dark in patches, even with the lighting switched on.

Just turn on the floodlight s little. The cockpit is indeed a dark color.

Guys, I don't know why this seems to be misunderstood. It's not about the floodlights or any other lighting. The cockpit looks great having an overall dark feel, and of course, the lights work nicely. However, the Mirage cockpit stands out in DCS as being too dark in places compared to any other module.

It's not a gamma or monitor issue as will no doubt be suggested. All other modules are perfectly fine. For me, there are certain switches that are almost impossible to read, e.g. the refuelling transfer switch. I have to pause the game, boost up the gamma to see what the switch is set to, then put the gamma back to normal.

As I said above, I feel shadows has got something to do with some people not seeing the issue as that changes the whole dynamic of the lighting.

Here is the perfect example. Screenshots in the same mission (FF Caucasus) at more or less the same time with high shadows and without shadows.

The first, impossible to see the refuelling transfer switch, on the second, no problem at all.

This is partly where I see that some people see the issue and some don't.

Tbh i can't understand/reproduce the "dark cockpit problem" anymore after the cockpit rework. Before that rework i would agree but after....looks fine for me.

I use a Gamma of 2.2(DCS default?) because HB said thats (physical/PBR?) correct and all their artwork is done for that gamma value.

Attached are two pictures, first with shadows on medium and the second with shadows at high(also turned the Mirage so the shadows in cockpit are the darkest), i use medium because for VR performance reasons, and i have no problems with a dark cockpit. Mirage2k Caucasus FreeFlight IA mission.

To get my cockpit as dark as in imacken's picture i have to reduce my gamma to 1.5 or lower.

You've posted a comparison between medium and high shadows. Look at my post above showing shadows on and off. That shows the issue perfectly.

A gamma of 2.2 will of course, lighten up the cockpit, but it blows the terrains and every other module pit out completely.

You've posted a comparison between medium and high shadows. Look at my post above showing shadows on and off. That shows the issue perfectly.

A gamma of 2.2 will of course, lighten up the cockpit, but it blows the terrains and every other module pit out completely.

So contrary to your previous declaration, it's indeed a gamma issue.

Don't fly at noon in the summer, pretty harsh light too IRL.

Gamma 2.2 is the norm for any computer graphical application, 3D, photography, movies...

So contrary to your previous declaration, it's indeed a gamma issue.

 

Don't fly at noon in the summer, pretty harsh light too IRL.

 

Gamma 2.2 is the norm for any computer graphical application, 3D, photography, movies...

Good grief! No, it's not a gamma issue. Please read the posts.

OK, then i don't get it.

.....For me, there are certain switches that are almost impossible to read, e.g. the refuelling transfer switch. I have to pause the game, boost up the gamma to see what the switch is set to, then put the gamma back to normal.

As I said above, I feel shadows has got something to do with some people not seeing the issue as that changes the whole dynamic of the lighting.

You've posted a comparison between medium and high shadows. Look at my post above showing shadows on and off. That shows the issue perfectly.

A gamma of 2.2 will of course, lighten up the cockpit, but it blows the terrains and every other module pit out completely.

You say you have to crank up the gamma to see the switch and turn it back to "normal", but normal in DCS is 2.2 and for that value all developers "calibrate" their artwork for their PBR materials. And then you tell me 2.2 is way to high and "blows the terrains and every other modules pit out completely". So you don't use the DCS normal value it seems. While i can partly agree with the terrain issue i can't agree with the other modules cockpits, they are all perfectly fine with gamma set to 2.2. And lowering the gamma to 1.9 or 2.0 on my side "fixes" the "blows the terrains..." part for me if i want it a little darker without cousing any visibility issues in any module for me.

Yes, i compared shadows med/high because you said:

Here is the perfect example. Screenshots in the same mission (FF Caucasus) at more or less the same time with high shadows and without shadows.

The first, impossible to see the refuelling transfer switch, on the second, no problem at all.

This is partly where I see that some people see the issue and some don't.

that you have no problems with shadow=off but with shadows=high. And i can't reproduce this on my end because i use shadows=med for VR performance and testet with shadows=high to see if i can reproduce the "problem" and i couldn't, so i posted my results. Works fine in VR and on my monitor with a gamma of 2.2 and the only way i can reproduce this is by lowering the gamma to 1.5 or lower, so i agree here with jojo that it looks like wrong calibrated monitor/gamma settings for me if you encounter this problem.

:beer:

There is probably no point in continuing this discussion really, but let me try again.

Firstly, you say that 2.2 is 'normal in DCS', but it's not. It maybe for monitors, but adjusting for different apps, doesn't change your monitor gamma. Wags uses 1.7 I think, and others are mostly 1.5-1.8 from what I have seen in the past. A lot of people are using even lower values for the latest patch or two which blows out terrains and some cockpits.

My monitor is calibrated to 2.2 outside of DCS, and I am a graphic designer and know there is nothing wrong with the calibration of my monitor.

Let me try and make a useful analogy here. Let's say, you have spent months watching hundreds of programmes on your TV and are perfectly happy. Then, you watch something like Ozark which is so dark, it is difficult to see anything in many scenes. You don't then go and yank up the TV brightness to make up for the deficiencies of one programme.

The Mirage cockpit and the related issues of seeing some switches has been posted about several times here, and yanking up the gamma, is not the answer to the problem. It exhibits lighting issues that no other cockpit in DCS does.

For me, and most others from I have experienced, using a gamma of 2.2 is like flying in a nuclear fallout zone. If you're happy, that is great, but there are lots who struggle only with the Mirage cockpit in DCS.

I can't say any more on this, so I'll leave you to it now.

- it's black

- not it isn't

- it's black

- no it isn't

- ok, whatever...

I'm not an artist myself, but I do remember reading someone in the know pointing out that RB have errors in their textures definitions and something missing in them (can't remember what exactly, but I'm trying to find that post again) that makes everything very dark.

IMO this is clearly not a gamma issue, as it's been well described that DCS requires a lower than usually gamma because of the lack of contrast adjustment. Most people have a gamma between 1.6 and 2.0, because otherwise the colors are washed out. IIRC this is actually something ED was suggesting to do back when the big merge happened (2.5).

There must be something with the direct sunlight. It is quite noticable on the screenshots I took. One is below the cloud layer - the cockpit is bright, and it should be darker (since there is less light, or it should be). The other is above the clouds, and the cockpit is very dark, almost dark like it is night time. The cockpit lighting is exactly the same on both pics. Even the orientation of the plane is same (210 deg). And this issue has nothing to do with the gamma settings you are using. It's more like you are constantly blinded with the sun.

....

IMO this is clearly not a gamma issue, as it's been well described that DCS requires a lower than usually gamma because of the lack of contrast adjustment. Most people have a gamma between 1.6 and 2.0, because otherwise the colors are washed out. IIRC this is actually something ED was suggesting to do back when the big merge happened (2.5).

There were several lighting issues in DCS where you had to play with the gamma to compensate. I was running 1.7(like Wags) and 1.9 for a long time. After reading from HB that all their artwork is calibrated to 2.2 i used that and found for myself that i don't suffer the lighting problems anymore(cockpits!). ED changed something with 2.5.6 again(talking about terrain/haze) but every cockpit works/looks absolutly fine with a 2.2 Gamma despite what imacken says "A gamma of 2.2 will of course, lighten up the cockpit, but it blows the terrains and every other module pit out completely." -> i can't confirm this on my end. Fun "fact" for me/on my side i only see this "problem" imacken is talking about if i lower my gamma to 1.5 or even lower! With 1.6 or above i have no problem seeing that described switch in the Mirage cockpit, he also never said what gamma setting he is using in DCS.

But who cares, he said the problem must be tied to shadows setting to high(his pictures), i tested with shadows medium/high and had no problems. He has his opinion about it, i have mine and i think he and i will agree that we will disagree about that topic. Thats fine for me, because everybody can test for himself and make up his mind. :thumbup: :beer: