Real NZ NZCH/Christchurch support

[toprob]

Post-release support has been a bit of a dog's breakfast, as there has been no centralized support hub, and I've been zapping back and forth, from Facebook to email to other forums. So I'll go back to the old days, using my own support forum here on NZFF:)

This is just to get started, I do have a lot to post here, as the release was actually a mess. I'm getting too old for this.

There is a FAQ on my website, and I'll work to keep it up to date, but for the moment this is the place to come if you have any issues.

A few issues will be covered shortly:

• Issues with GSX, especially Level 2 support
• The flashing ground textures at NZCH.
• VLC Libraries install issues.

[toprob]

VLC Libraries installation issue:
In previous Real NZ releases, I've included the VLC Libraries installer which runs during the Real NZ scenery install. This adds a bit of work for the user, and asks some questions -- like which sim, and where to install -- which the Real NZ installer has already asked.
With NZCH, I have made the VLC Library installer a bit more invisible. The NZCH installer passes the VLC Libraries installer the sim version and install location, so you don't have to go through the chooser screens again. You may not even know that it has run, so I actually added the 'exit' screen so that those who had previously installed a Real NZ scenery would know that it had worked.
However....
I have had one report that the VLC Libraries installer wasn't able to gain the elevated privileges necessary to install to the user's 'protected' location, so it couldn't install any files. I am not sure why this would happen, as NZCH installed ok to the same protected area, but I am looking at a solution.
I am working on a stand-alone VLC Libraries installer for Prepar3d v3 and v4, so that those with this issue can run this first, as administrator, and then the NZCH installer won't need to install or update the Libraries. Not sure when this will be ready to go, if there's thing I've learnt over the last 24 hours is that you can't rush a fix!
If anyone has this issue, let me know and I'll get you to test this fix when it is ready.

[toprob]

Flashing ground textures at NZCH.

These appear on the tarmac mainly, centred around the International gates. As you move the view, textures will pop in and out.
This first showed up right before release, I'd finished the final scenery work -- adding a phototextured runway at West Melton -- and then I went to my favourite gate, the dual gate 30, and the ground started flashing. I reverted to a previous good install, and added files one by one until I found the culprit -- the West Melton runway. Don't ask me how, it doesn't make much sense at the moment, but I have some ideas.
So I removed West Melton entirely from the release version, rather than hold it up any longer. The initial release didn't have it, and didn't have the flashing textures, but it did have one little lower-case 'o' rather than an upper-case 'O' in the add-on.xml file, which Prepar3d itself didn't mind at all, but GSX did. So I quickly fixed this and reuploaded.
Except for some stupid reason, and I still can't believe I did this, I edited the install script from before the NZWL removal!
This is now fixed, and I'm happy with the current installer, but those who downloaded the version with NZWL can either redownload, uninstall and reinstall NZCH, or do a manual quick fix themselves.
If you do reinstall with the fixed installer, you must run the uninstaller first, and make sure that the GodzoneNZCH folder doesn't include any reference to NZWL! The uninstaller will also put the deactivated Orbx NZWL files back.

So, what's the quick fix?

Go to the GodzoneNZCH folder where the installer put the scenery. You should see the Scenery and Texture folders there.
In the search box, type '*nzwl' -- that '*' is shift-8 on your keyboard. This should find all the files with 'nzwl' in the filename.
Then click on a blank area of the file list, to give it focus, and Ctrl-a should select all the files, or you can select them any other way, and press 'delete' to remove them. You can also select and delete them one by one if you want.
Then clear the search box, and do the same with '*westmelton'.
Once again, delete these files.

Make sure you are only deleting westmelton files, don't just search for 'west'!

That's it. This will put your NZCH install back to where it would be if you redownloaded, uninstalled and reinstalled.





If you use Orbx NZSI, and plan to visit West Melton at any time, you should really do the uninstall/redownload/reinstall way, as this will put the Orbx files back for West Melton. You can also do this yourself, if you know what you are going, just remove the extra extension I've added to the Orbx file names so that they end with '.bgl'

[toprob]

The Real NZ runway/taxiway textures
These were a bit of an experiment. Initially I started with the aero club, and I wanted some way to preserve the old mixture of surfaces, without having access to high resolution photos. (I didn't even ask if I could send a drone up, they would have been ideal, but permission would have been unlikely:)
So the texture is a simple aerial photo texture, with a high resolution 'detail' map. This actually suited the aeroclub well, but at first I didn't intend to do the main airport that way. However, it was worth a crack, I though, so I did it that way just to have a look. I have changed my mind a few times during the development process, but by then I was running out of time, so in the end I just ran with it. This is a 'curate's egg' solution -- good in parts. There are some normal textures used as well, like the parking pads, but even some of these are a similar solution, an actual photo base with a detail map. This preserves the real dirt and grease stains that are there. The aerial images were all post-earthquake, so show a lot of damage and dust.
If I was starting over two years ago, I would stick with my original plan and leave this for the aero club only. One feature of 'Real NZ' has always been photographic texture when possible, and sometime the ideal photos are impossible to get, so I go with what I have. I don't think I'll ever do a 'computer game' scenery, will hand-crafted textures, I don't have the talent or interest to do this.

[toprob]

Issues using Real NZ NZCH with GSX.

I'll elaborate on this shortly, but in the meantime please refer tothis FAQ question on my site.

[baron494]

Heyo,

I recently reinstalled the scenery as I was having the texture popping, and saw the new installer fixed this.
Since doing this, the scenery for NZCH has completely broken, showing no autogen, and the textures missing on terminal buildings and the runway.


Any ideas?

Thanks

[toprob]

Have you tried restarting the simulator?

EDIT: One of my testers had a similar issue, and it took a reboot or two to come right. I suspect this could be some sort of scenery cache issue, when you reinstall Prepar3d might just get confused if things change.

[baron494]

Yeah Ive tried restarting several times, along with restarting computer

[toprob]

That actually looks like it does while the scenery is loading, and sometimes it shows up under the loading screen. Black objects normally means missing textures, but that terminal with the strange glossy textures is different. Not too sure what is going on, but might be worthwhile doing another uninstall/reinstall.

[baron494]

After several restarts, reinstalls, and reloading scenery, still the same.
I also noticed that I don't have permission to access the texture folder? might be the issue..
The scenery has worked fine in the past with the first release installer..

edit:
I checked the properties on the textures folder, and its saying its empty

[toprob]

I also noticed that I don't have permission to access the texture folder? might be the issue..

O...k...
That is something I haven't found before, where did you install the scenery?
If you right-click the texture folder, then 'Properties', then the 'security' tab, do all groups have read access?
I wonder if it is an anti-virus tool which is doing this? What type of anti-virus do you use?

[toprob]

Ok thanks for the screenshot.
I will give this some thought, but if I think through the process, the original install must have put the textures there, then the uninstaller deleted them, but somehow made the folder read-only, so the second time around it skipped the textures?
This isn't your main Prepar3d program installation location is it?
All I can suggest at the moment is that you uninstall again, make sure that the texture folder has gone, if not change the permissions on the Properties screen before deleting the textures folder, then reinstall.

EDIT: further musing... if this is your Prepar3d folder you've put the scenery into, maybe install it somewhere else the second time around? It is not recommended that you install any addons into Prepar3d itself, I know developers still do this, but they will eventually all change to an external location.

[baron494]

I use Avast, and tried adding the folder to the antivirus exceptions but still nothing.
Says I don't have read permission, even though I can access every other folder..
And yeah the properties say it doesn't contain anything. Might be saying that because of the read permissions.

[baron494]

AHA! got it working
It was originally installed my the P3D root folder.
If i install it somewhere else (I put it in my documents/p3d add-ons) it works fine

[toprob]

Glad you got it sorted, I'll bear that in mind if anyone else has issues. I did consider having a special note in the manual, saying that the P3D folder is out of bounds.

[chopper_nut]

Been trying to download Rob but can never get stable internet for long enough. Is there anyway you can allow download resuming?

[toprob]

The downloads are delivered by amazon Web Services Cloudfront, so not something I have much control over.
I can probably supply a temporary link if you continue to have problems, but tricky at the moment from my phone.

[chopper_nut]

No rush Rob

[MichaelBasler]

Hi,

not a support request, but just saying "thank you". You've made a great CHCH, Robin. I am not going to judge correspondence to the original as I've been there only once in my life. However, it's really detailed and looks very good. Installation was without any issues given VLC, ACM, and SODE being old friends of mine. Plus, the airport fits nicely into my (ORBX) environment.

I just made a first flight from Christchurch to Nelson which was real fun (aside the weather... which I finally set to "fair" ).

Very very well done.

Given NZAA will be completed by FB within the foreseeable future as well, and perhaps Invergargill being added by ORBX, NZ is very well represented now, in my mind (of course a few more smaller airports wouldn't hurt). The downside I foresee: Within a year or less, we'll supposedly see Prepar3d5 and the new MFS, so you scenery makers and we users have to start over... but that's life.

Kind regards, Michael

[Liam Senior]

Hi Robin,

Sorry in advanced if I'm mistaken, but I believe the glideslope for RW 20 is in the wrong place.
When I flew the approach, the autopilot was bringing me down short of the runway.

Regards, Liam