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    Planespotter Ultra | Realism ReShade Preset | w/ Atmos Core and Active Sky compatibility - Image 1

    Description

    📸 The Authentic Plane-Spotter Look

    This preset is designed to capture the authentic look of a real plane-spotter photograph (good DSLR + telephoto lens).

    • Best Paired With: REX Atmos Core + Active Sky FS.
    • The Philosophy: Relies on deep lighting, micro-contrast, and geometry-based effects rather than just simple color grading, delivering a highly realistic, photographic look without heavy Instagram-style filters..
    • The Result: Great for external spotting shots, while enhancing cockpit views at the same time.

    ⚠️ This Preset is Unique - but still being worked on

    Expect this Preset to currently be a matter of reguarly changes and updates - some of them being broken. Why would you still use it? Most of the other Presets do basic color grading / correction aka. "Fix the yellowish weirdness", but this Preset is actively improving the graphics with all power and features that this stack can offer.

    As the Philosophy of this Preset States - the focus of the preset IS and will be to 1. being fully compatible with Rex Atmos Core and Active Sky and more importantly 2. going beyond color grading. Even though this Preset does some light & color correction in order to reach the best visual result in combination with Rex Atmos Core, i am actively exploring modern and unique Shader Technologies like (upcoming) Additional Raytracing Lighting, Bloom, Lens Flare and so on.

    🛠️ 1. Installation Guide
    1. Download ReShade 6.7.3 (latest stable version recommended) from https://reshade.me and install it for MicrosoftFlightSimulator2024.exe (choose DirectX 12).
    2. Select "Copy preset file" during installation and point it to the included .ini file (PlaneSpotter_UltraMax_MSFS2024_v1.3.ini).

      • 👉 Recommended: This ensures ReShade automatically downloads all required effects/shaders on the first launch.

    3. Download METEOR shaders (MartysMods / METEOR collection) from GitHub → click the green "Code" button → "Download ZIP".
    4. Download iMMERSE shaders (MartysMods / iMMERSE collection) from GitHub → click the green "Code" button → "Download ZIP".
    5. Extract & Copy: Extract the ZIPs and copy the contents of both the Shaders and Textures folders into your game directory:

      • %GAMEPATH%\reshade-shaders (usually C:\Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\reshade-shaders or C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\MSFS2024\reshade-shaders)

      • ⚠️ Important: Overwrite any existing files when prompted. This guarantees you have the latest iMMERSE and METEOR versions.
    6. Launch MSFS 2024. The ReShade overlay will appear (default key: Home). Load the preset via the dropdown menu.

    💡 Recommended (but optional): In REX Atmos Core, use the presets beginning with ".Planespotter" for weather, atmosphere, and environment. They match the color balance perfectly. (The preset still looks very good without them).

    ⚙️ 2. Included Filters: Why & Performance
    • MartysMods Launchpad + LocalLaplacian + Clarity

      • Why: Subtle micro-contrast and material definition.

      • Cost: Very low impact.
    • RadiantGI (PCGI)

      • Why: Gentle indirect bounce lighting for realistic shadows.

      • Cost: Low samples = ~3–5% FPS hit.
    • qUINT Lightroom + prod80 Selective Color + Shadows/Midtones

      • Why: Precise color tuning without destroying the REX Atmos Core mood.

    • MartysMods NvidiaSharpen + MXAO

      • Why: Light edge enhancement + contact shadows.

      • Cost: ⚠️ MXAO is the biggest performance user – see FAQ below.
    • MartysMods FilmGrain + Vignette

      • Why: Classic analog film character + slight tele-lens corner falloff.

    • Debanding + FakeHDR + Levels

      • Why: Clean, banding-free image + gentle exposure lift.

    📊 Overall Performance Impact: On an RTX 4090 @ 1440p, expect a 7-14% FPS loss depending on weather/scenery.

    ❓ 3. Quick FAQ

    Does it work in MSFS 2020?

    Possibly, but depth buffer issues are more common in 2020. Some effects (GI, MXAO) may be weaker or might need to be disabled entirely.

    Performance is too low on my system. What can I do?

    • Fix 1: Disable MartysMods_MXAO (this is the biggest FPS eater).
    • Fix 2: Remove one of the Sharpening Filters
    • Fix 3: Decrease MartyMods Launchpad Settings
    • Result: Most users regain near-native FPS after making these two changes.

    Is this compatible with DLSS + AMD Sharpening?

    Yes! The preset is explicitly tuned for this combo. Sharpening is kept conservative on purpose.

    Enjoy flying! ✈️ Screenshots and feedback are very welcome – I am happy to update the preset based on community input.

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    Comments(18)

    M
    Middi25

    4 months ago

    Reshade gives me error on this: MartysMods_LONGEXPOSURE.fx , why?
    F
    FabianZAuthor

    4 months ago

    Is there a more detailed error you can find? Is it about the Shader missing, or another error?
    M
    Middi25

    4 months ago

    shader issue only
    F
    FabianZAuthor

    2 months ago

    So you do need the newest version of the MartysMods Shaders Immerse (the free pack at least). https://github.com/martymcmodding/iMMERSE however the LongExposure Shader is usually not included within this Shader Preset (it is a paid MartyMods Shader, but there is no point in using it for a realtime shading anyways, since that one is only for screenshots) - i will check in the uploaded files if it accidently slipped in, however you can remove that from the Preset File on your disc yourself (just remove the section that begins with that shader name)
    c
    callsign121

    5 months ago

    cflow.fx failed to compile. help. please add the tutorial. thanks
    F
    FabianZAuthor

    5 months ago

    cflow should not be included in your ReShade Installation if you followed the tutorial.
    c
    callsign121

    5 months ago

    could you explain what point 2 means: "Select "Copy preset file".... i might have made a mistake there. thanks
    F
    FabianZAuthor

    2 months ago

    When you are installing ReShade for MSFS you are able to select the Preset you want to use during installation (so the .ini file that you can download here on flightsim.to). If you select that one during installation, all the needed Shaders and Effects will be automatically selected for installation (and all the ones you won't need will just not be installed).
    n
    newtonlums

    5 months ago

    This ReShade Preset is fantastic. Great work
    a
    ado_L

    6 months ago

    where do i put the configuration settings file?
    F
    FabianZAuthor

    6 months ago

    First you want to select it while installing ReShade. This makes sure, all necessary Shaders are downloaded.
    If you install ReShade with the .ini File selected, it should be placed automatically and be select.

    Otherwise you can put it pretty much anywhere and then select it in ReShade ( the hotkey to open ReShade Ingame is usually the Home / POS1 Button.
    s
    simsuper80

    6 months ago

    instructions are not that clear. do I put the METEOR-main into the game directory? (C:\XboxGames\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\Content) or into the reshade directory.

    or do i put the contents into (C:\XboxGames\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\Content\reshade-shaders).

    its confusing
    F
    FabianZAuthor

    6 months ago

    Thank you for your feedback.
    You can find a tutorial on how to install the additional shaders on the page of MartysMods (the owner of METEOR and iMMERSE):
    https://guides.martysmods.com/reshade/installing/reshademanualshaderinstall/

    Also there will be a update soon, since currently the preset seems to be too bright at mid-day bright daylight.

    If you are comfortable tweaking the values yourself, the Shader that leads for too bright daylight is Fake HDR, you can lower the second threshold (as i said: everyone has a slightly different simulator setup, so there is no ONE setting that is pretuned for all)
    M
    MagicAviation

    6 months ago

    Don´t look realistic. Just the real reshade nowadays that works and make difference is notpic 2.3
    F
    FabianZAuthor

    6 months ago

    Notpic is for MSFS2020 and is 3 years old. This preset uses up-to-date Shaders and is still being actively worked on. Did you even test the preset? Your comment is not very helpful besides that.
    2
    2LOW

    6 months ago

    could you please add more pics to show the difference. Thank you.
    F
    FabianZAuthor

    6 months ago

    Adding one more now, more to come
    F
    FabianZAuthor

    6 months ago

    More images added now :)
    MSFS 2020MSFS 2024

    Planespotter Ultra | Realism ReShade Preset | w/ Atmos Core and Active Sky compatibility

    This ReShade preset authentically recreates the look of real-world planespotter photography using subtle adjustments for highly natural results. It is fully optimized to work alongside REX Atmos Core and Active Sky FS, while seamlessly supporting DLSS and AMD sharpening. The precise filters enhance micro-contrast, realistic lighting, and gentle color tuning, keeping both external shots and cockpit views perfectly clean. While the visual upgrade carries a noticeable performance impact even on high-end rigs, easy adjustments are included for mid-tier and low-end systems.

    Downloads1K
    Version1.6
    File Size2.5 KB
    Published5 months ago
    Updated5 months ago
    Classification
    CATEGORYReshade Presets
    User Content4.5 (2)
    FabianZ
    FabianZ

    Community Creator

    1 addons • 4 followers

    User Reviews

    4.5

    2 reviews

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    Version History

    * Active Sky must be in Passive Mode * - Reverted some changes back to v1.3 - Reintegrated RadientGI - Adapted Preset to Fit better for ReShade Presets