Reading on various forums about the importance of the Terrain_Max_Vertex_Level setting (for FS9 this is).. I had a look at mine this morning and it's 20. I've absolutely no idea where this came from Conventions point to either 19 or 21 Is there any advantage in going either up or down?
EDIT: I think I've answered this question myself Default is 19, some higher detailed mesh call for 21 so I'll stay at 20 as a compromise
It's in the fs9.cfg hidden away in Documents and Settings\User\Application data\Microsoft\FS9 mate
Trying to decide exactly which is best is like trying to predict the weather. The FS9 default is 19 which matches the default mesh. Some sceneries use higher res mesh and call for 20.. others (VFRPhoto for one) uses higher res mesh still so to get the best, you need it on 21. 21 is the highest setting FS9 can handle so it's pointless being clever and putting a higher number in. Simply put.. 19 gives you much rounder, softer peaks and hills.. 21 gives much sharper peaks. While this may be desirable in mountainous regions.. a trade-off is sharper, steeper 'cliffs' giving a greater plateau effect at some airports.
If you're happy with what you're seeing.. I'd leave well alone. I've still no idea where my setting of 20 came from but some scenery or other must have asked for it along the way. I see some pretty undesirable 'cliffs' at certain airports as it is and I'd not want to make that worse by upping the setting to 21.. even if this isn't exactly the recommended setting for VFRPhoto so I'm staying put
ATB
DaveB
Dave, my FS9.1 Classic install used the VFGM Photoscenery and the matching VFR 20M Terrain mesh. That needs TMVL=21, or you have sea running up cliffs, as well as wedges of water alternating with land textures, on steep coastlines.
The CalClassic Orly airport models the road underpass through the facility, but unless you use 21, as the readme says,it is just a mess.
There is a scenery for Victoria Falls in Africa, which again recommends TMVL=21. If you set it to 19, it looks passable until you are close and then it just sort of disintegrates. Set to 21, and you can sideslip into the gorge and fly under the bridge.
I have meshes for Iceland, Norway, and Alpine Europe all calling for TMVL=21. I don't recall any addon calling for TMVL=20
I tested TMVL=20 as a compromise, because I was concerned that 21 would spoil the other scenery; but it did not provide what I wanted, where it mattered, did not improve the default mesh, or seem to make it worse. Similarly, TMVL=21 did not banjax default mesh, as far as I could see, but it made the add-on stuff work perfectly. I wouldn't use any other setting in FS9, if there is scenery that can take advantage of it.
Just my tuppenceworth. BTW, to get the best out of the VFR Terrain, the trick was to disable the MS default airport flattens. I used Alan Fidler's EGGD as my UK base, and he did a nice blending job to get rid of that awful 5km aircraft carrier deck that MS gave us.
Cheers Dave - Not long before the mobo in BigBeast blew, I had installed nearly all of Gary Summons' UK airports. Up until then, I had a choice between airports that looked good from the air, but showed chasms between runways and taxiways when I was on the ground, and airports that looked b****y awful from the air, but 'sensible' from ground level. Since it is a flight simulator, after all, I chose the one which best fitted with where I spent most time in the sim....and of course a 20' dropoff at the runway edge is a fine incentive towards accurate ground handling
Time I was in bed.
MikeW
EDIT: I spelt Gary's surname wrong.My apologies.
Hi Dave.Only just looked at my setting which is 19'.I have Horizon's VFR Terrain installed as well as some VFR Photographic Scenery and some of Gary Summons' British Airports.I haven't tried altering the TVML setting yet but I might give it a go to see if it stops the angular coastlines around northern France and the Channel Islands.My FS version is 9.1 EricT
Now at the age where I know I like girls but can't remember why!
I can't remember now who it was exactly who was responsible for the angular coastlines but I've a feeling it was the French Seriously.. there's a French bit of scenery that went far outside the bounds of the scenery area causing this phenomina. I believe there was a patch made to make it right again
In theory.. 19 is the default setting for FS9.. it matches the default mesh. The JF/VF/Getmapping VFRPhoto requires 21 so you may see a slight improvement by changing it to that
I have VFRPhoto v2 which came bundled with GenX so my current FS9.1 install uses this version. It was supposed to have all the previous (v1) patches included so seemed a better option as I didn't have to go chasing all the previous patches down. I'm not sure if that was wise or not because v2 is far from perfect I still have FSGenesis loafing somewhere and may try that again. We'll see
Eric - Sounds like you need the NOK Freeware Coastlines, which was the patch provided for the JFGM scenery.
It is in a Patches and Updates zip which I put together ages ago for Shep: http://shepsshed.com/vfrpatch.htm
Conventions point to either 19 or 21 
Is there any advantage in going either up or down?
Default is 19, some higher detailed mesh call for 21 so I'll stay at 20 as a compromise 
EricT
I still have FSGenesis loafing somewhere and may try that again. We'll see