Renderer better for Hardware or Software

[VitroOliveira 17]

Renderer better for Hardware or Software... please help...

[CorinaMarie 29,569]

If your computer graphics card can support the hardware renderer then that is best because is relieves the CPU (Central Processing Unit) from the workload related to graphics. If the hardware renderer does not work on the first try, let us know and there are some threads we can link you to that can help troubleshoot that part. Often times (at least on Windoze comps) the hardware option will simply work by selecting it.

[jeffryfisher 2,176]

If you have graphics hardware, then try to use it. If your first try has problems, then see our threads about DirectX and coaxing SC4 to recognize newer cards.

[VitroOliveira 17]

Thanks for reply... I note that since Ive installed some plugins, the game is more slow... and for load a city take some more time...

 

[matias93 7,535]

Use hardware rendering, it works with that GPU reasonably well and clearly better than the software.

About the slowness, it's not related to the GPU, but to the storage: when adding plugins, you force the game to open more files from the hard disk to open a city tile. There are 3 solutions:

1. Datpack your plugins in an ordered way to reduce the number of files the game opens. The ideal size for a file is 350 Mb.
2. Defrag your disk, prioritising the plugins folder to put it on the top of the physical disk, reducing the time needed to find the sectors on which the files are stored.
3. Buy an SSD disk exclusively to save your plugins on it, increasing notoriously the loading speed. If you do this, it is still useful to datpack, but not to defrag (indeed, you can ruin an SSD disk by defragging it too much).

  Edited May 12, 2018 by matias93  
speed, not loading time ;)

[VitroOliveira 17]

Thank you very much... saluts from Portugal...

 

[jeffryfisher 2,176]

On 5/12/2018 at 12:49 PM, matias93 said:

Buy an SSD disk exclusively to save your plugins

If you take this step, then I think you have a config step to tell the game where its program data is (because it will no longer be in the default folder location). From the Shortcut Parameters tutorial:

Quote

Change Path -UserDir:path

Specifies the directory where the user's game directory is. If the default subdirectories of "Regions\", "Plugins\", and "HTTPCache\" aren't found, then SC4 creates an instance of, (in the case of Regions, it copies the default set over). The default game data directory defaults to being the same directory as the game installation directory. Quotes are necessary if the path name contains spaces. Make sure there is a "\" on the end of your path or else SC4 creates directories like "testPlugins\" and "testRegions\"

This will have the knock-on effect of relocating ALL program data (e.g. regions and their saved cities, which then will also load a bit faster).

[nombex 26]

im using sc4 launcher and its set to directx for render mode however in game the renderer is set to hardware. in steam im not using any parameters because im using the launcher, i thought maybe there would be conflicts. is this the right way or.....

[CorinaMarie 29,569]

1 hour ago, nombex said:

im using sc4 launcher and its set to directx for render mode however in game the renderer is set to hardware.

Those refer to the same thing. DirectX is the method used to directly access your GPU hardware.