[Ranavin]

Summary: when using FSP in 1024x768, the ship ANI on the ship selection screen plays at the right size for 1024x768 (!!), but the game bogs down massively.

Detail: At present, FSP only has ANIs scaled for 640x480 display; thus, when playing in 1024x768, they appear much smaller than normal. This is expected. On the ship selection screen, however, they display at the appropriate size for 1024x768, but the game slows down; the ANI framerate is ~2fps and the mouse is notably sluggish. The only explanation I can think of is that it's upscaling the ANI in software (and not cacheing rescaled frames in memory, so performance never improves). Presumably it should either cache scaled frames, prescale at load time, scale in hardware, or (consistently with other ANI display) not scale at all.
Using the -ship_choice_3d flag works as expected; the ANI is replaced with a 3d model and rendering speed is normal.

Specifications:
CPU: Pentium 4 2.6GHz (hyperthreading)
RAM: 1GB (2x256+512)
GPU: Radeon 9800 Pro, AGP
OS: Windows 2000
FS2: 1.2
FS2O: 3.6.7
FSP: 3.0.3
FS2O VPs in use: core models music textures adveffects
FSP VPs in use: core missions training glow shine highres gui_highres stu tango warble

[edit]
Having done some testing, this isn't unique to the FSP ANIs; it happens with vanilla FS2 data as well.

[taylor]

I'm not going to comment on the scaling or not since that's a content issue and something better directed at the FSPort forum rather than here.  Most likely the ANIs are pre-scaled however, converted to 1024x768 versions from the 640x480 versions and then resaved.  In that case the game would not do any scaling on them since they would already be the correct size.

But, ANI frames aren't, and won't, be cached.  They can't/won't be preloaded either.  It's just not possible to do since the memory usage would be insane.  Plus the frames aren't scaled by the game itself but the graphics API, so that is internal to the graphics card anyway.  If you are using D3D mode then switch to OpenGL and see if it makes a difference.  Some people have reported a similar issue, with the ship/weapon select screens having really show ANIs, and there is/was a Mantis bug on the subject, but pretty much no one except the original reporter was ever able to reproduce it.  The only advice I can give is: to use OpenGL; upgrade your video drivers if needed; try a newer FSO build (one of the CVS builds); find the Mantis bug and (reopen it if it's closed then) add your system specs and what you are seeing to the bug report.

[Ranavin]

I've done some testing, and some rummaging around in the VPs, and my initial assessment was wrong; the ANIs are properly scaled for 1024x768, it's just being terribly slow about rendering them - and only on the ship selection screen. This applies not only to FSP but also to FS2 retail data.
I'm already using OpenGL.
I'll try the latest CVS build and see how that goes. Failing that I'll reopen the bug, as this looks so far like the same thing.

[Ranavin]

Tested the latest CVS build. It's fixed ship selection ANIs at the expense of breaking movie playback. Argh.