Bad stutter EVERY SECOND during Peak User Activity...

[GuiltyKey06482]

I’ve discovered a nagging issue that perhaps the author can advise upon… (I posted this in the MSFS forum too, to see if other users are experiencing it).

As will be seen, it may be an all new one due to the increasing number of users. Pardon the long post, but it’s such a fantastic app, it deserves a detailed description…

Firstly though, I wish to note that I LOVE THIS APP. It’s clean combination of simple UI and several mapping choices, and the option to easily stream to a second device via a simple browser put it clearly above the other basic VFR maps out there. The clever concept of server-side tracking and multiplayer ability is awesome too. Having Open Topo Maps is wonderful! In a nutshell, I simply LOVE it.

The issue I’m having is during times of peak activity, i.e. when there are clearly several dozen or more other flyers around the globe utilizing the service (as evidenced by their many plane icons on the map), the FPS in the sim dips by 2 to 10 FPS - ONCE EVERY SECOND - resulting in a prominent stutter (sometimes a short freeze) that happens AT EXACTLY ONE SECOND intervals. You can time them, there are exactly 60 per minute.

The reason for this I can only assume is the one second data refresh rate (as clearly specified in the javascript code). As other VFR maps that track your plane (but no other aircraft) don’t have this issue, I can only speculate it may be caused by the large incoming packet of data from ALL THE OTHER MULTIPLAYER AIRCRAFT that are sent from the server to populate the map?

The stutter is much reduced (and often nearly unnoticeable) when there is less activity on map from other players, i.e. when there are only a few others populating the map. Is it because the incoming data packet is much smaller during times of less activity perhaps?

I do not think it’s a matter of my system resources, I have a top-of-the line computer with an i9-10900KF CPU, RTX3090/24GB, and 64GB of 3400 Mhz RAM on an AW R11 computer with NOTHING ELSE installed on it but MSFS. The rig is a monster, and my internet speed is about 50 mbps.

I have tested this hypothesis over the last few days, and I can beyond-a-doubt confirm the following:

Advanced VFR-Map is definitely the cause of the “once every second” stutter. Disabling the map in the pop-up menu settings results in IMMEDIATE relief from the stutter. FPS become rock solid. Re-enabling it causes the stutter to return - immediately.

The stutter is worse when there are lots of simultaneous users. I have tested this for several days (from mid-day to the middle of the night) and it is unquestionably clear that when fewer other planes are on the map the less the serious the “every second” stutter is. Indeed, with only a few players on the map at a given time, it essentially disappears.

So my question to the author is: Is there a way to avoid this issue? Perhaps add a new button in the UI that disables the INCOMING MULTI-PLAYER PLANE TRACKING DATA PACKET, and only puts YOUR AIRCRAFT on the map? I imagine the vast majority of users fly alone to be sure, and don’t care or need to have any other planes on the map. So if this is indeed the issue, then the feature designed for a small minority of (multi-player) users is unfortunately beginning to impact the majority of single-players.

Naturally, if the foundational design of the app is for a single user’s data to go to the server first then ALL THE PLANES get I-FRAMED back to the app window from the server I can see where it might present a problem to do what I suggest without serious re-coding of the whole shebang maybe, but if that’s the case, aw shucks, that’s too bad, because everything else about the Advanced-VFR-Map app is just perfect!

Lastly, I felt compelled to point issue out, as it may not have reared its head until the number of user grew to a particular threshold and that if the author hadn’t been informed of this (theoretically new) issue yet, they should probably know and look into it.

Is there any chance for a fix? Or a “workaround” maybe?

[toorop]

Hi,

Each plane on the map need ressource to be displayed.
-> more planes needs more ressources, if there is no enough ressources for the map and the sim, both runs slowly

Why each second ? Because map is updated each second.

Workaround: minimize the ingame map (do not close it) and open the web version on another computer/phone/tablet
The idea to display only your plane is good, but if it's what you want there other addon for that.

[GuiltyKey06482]

Hi Poroot,

Thanks for the reply. I've posted a more in-depth reply on the MSFS forum for you to consider. I appreciate you're workaround suggestion but it doesn't solve the issue though. Even when map is minimized, the in-game stutter persists. So long as it ACTIVATED in the toolbar settings, there is stutter. And I fly in VR ONLY so the option to open it on another device is out.

Please re-consider re-activating the app. It works beautifully, except for high traffic times. It seems rather harsh to throw out the whole thing simply for a small bug that only is a problem for a small percentage of the time.

Cheers.