VLC Libraries/ NZCH and FSUIPC

[iwik]

Hi Rob,
Just done a reinstall of Win 7 and moved to P3D V4.5. Installed Dunedin and ChCH.
Here is my problem.
Enabling both VLC libraries and Real NZCH stops FSUIPC from closing some programs when exiting P3D.
Enabling only one all is ok. It seems that when closing P3D that these two packages are not closing properly
thus preventing FSUIPC from doing its job.
Other than your packages listed all i have installed is Orbix NZSI and NZNI.
In P3D addons i have gone thru and systematically disabled programs and without fail it is only the combination of the two
stated packages that cause the problem.
Hopefully this can be resolved.
Thanks
Regards
Les

[toprob]

Les, I'll have to mull this over, as I've never come across anything like this before. What sort of thing does FSUIPC start for you? I must admit I've never used it, so I'm not sure how it works.
Both NZCH and the Libraries are simply scenery files, so there's nothing to 'close', although NZCH does use SODE, which is run separately. VLC Libraries in the past called the Autogen Config Merger tool when the sim starts, but with Prepar3d 4.5 this should no longer happen, and I'm not aware of any issues with it preventing shutdown.

[iwik]

Hi Rob,
Thanks for coming back.I have a hardware cockpit which i use FSUIPC to launch software to drive it.
Fsuipc has the ability to start and close programs when Fsim closes.
I have SODE disabled so it does not seem to be this although i did at first point the finger at it.
I can run VLC libraries and Dunedin and its ok.
The log in FSUIPC tells me it waiting for a stop dll to be loaded.
If you can't shed any light on this problem i will ask the dev of FSUIPC for any leads.
Regards
Les

[toprob]

Les, I have had a look around for something which may offer a clue to this, but haven't found anything. So yeah, it might be a good idea to ask someone who knows FSUIPC a lot better than me. Sorry about that.

[iwik]

Hi Rob,
Thanks, i talked with Pete Dowson(FSUIPC dev). He thought a corrupt library file.
I systematically went thru the VLC library and found the culprit.. GZAUTOGENTREES.BGL.
Removing this file and all is well with closing programs in FSUIPC.
Hopefully this will help.
Regards
Les

[toprob]

Hmm, that is interesting. It is hard to imagine how a corrupted library file could affect anything, after all it is just a handful of scenery objects, it doesn't actually 'do' anything except hold objects. Still, one thing which may be worth looking at relates to the fact that this particular library includes the trees which are added as custom autogen (although not all of the custom autogen trees are in this library.)
Can you check your VLC Libraries installation, and let me know if there is an 'autogen' folder or an 'autogenX' folder? Or both?

[iwik]

Hi Rob,
IN the VLC library folder there is a Autogen and a Autogenx folders containing xml files. In the scenery folder there is one file
called Autogenlib.bgl.
Regards
Les

[toprob]

The two different autogen folders are normally caused by reinstalling without uninstalling first. Shortly there'll be an update to prevent this from happening, but in the meantime you can just delete the 'autogen' folder, leaving the 'autogenX'.
I wonder if this is causing the issue -- with Prepar3d v4.4 and later, LM allows developers to add custom autogen without having the 'merge' it with the default. Before that, we needed the Autogen Config Merger Tool (ACMT), which runs whenever the simulator runs, and merges any custom autogen. The merger tool looks for any folders specifically called 'autogen', so if my installer knows you have Prepar3d v4.5, it'll add an 'X' to the folder name, so AGMT can't find it. (Prepar3d will still use the custom autogen, as I tell it to look for the 'autogenX' folder.) It may be that having both confuses Prepar3d enough to cause your issue.
There's an update for NZCH coming very soon, and this will also update the VLC Libraries, so this should tidy up your system. The NZCH update only fixes some issues such as this, it doesn't add anything new to the scenery. Further details within a few days, I hope.
The only 'major' update is the addition of a separate version of NZCH, just the airport itself, so that those who use Orbx NZSI and don't want the photoscenery can just have the airport blend with Orbx NZSI just outside the airport bounds. This will be a separate installer, I just need to figure out how to add it to everyone's current download list in the Store.

[iwik]

Hi Rob,
I deleted that file but no difference. Is there an editor i could you use to delete these trees one by one to see which is causing the problem.
Do you not use FSUIPC?
Thanks
Les

[toprob]

I do have FSUIPC installed, as it was used by a few scenery development tools back in the day, but most now use Simconnect. According to the log file, mine was last called back in January:)
Speaking of the log file, does this give any clue to what might be happening?

I'm not sure how a 'corrupt' library file would happen, and I've never come across anything like that before. Looking at the file, the only thing I notice is that there is one seasonal texture missing -- this was on purpose, as the hard winter Willow texture would never be used in my autogen. I can't think of any reason why FSUIPC would worry about a missing seasonal texture, but you could try adding it back. I've zipped it up, just put the WillowAgHW.dds file into the Vector Landclass\VLC_Libraries\Texture folder.

The other thing might be a damaged file on your system, so I've also included the GZautogenTrees.BGL file which you could try if the texture doesn't help. This goes in Vector Landclass\VLC_Libraries\Scenery. Maybe add a 'bak' extension to the old one first, so that it stays where it is, in case it is sitting on a damaged drive location.

/Download WillowAgHW.zip

[iwik]

Hi Rob,
Will add those files shortly. Do you run win 7 or 10. Im running win 7.
Regards
Les
P.S Just loaded those files but no change. Here is what Pete Dowson had to say.
https://forum.simflight.com/topic/87549 ... -programs/
Tired a complete reinstal win 7 P3Dv4 and only nzch. Still the same.
How do feel about giving me GZautogen trees with only half of the files. Maybe we can find out which one is the culprit?.

[iwik]

Hi Rob,
Are you able to offer any more help to resolve this issue?
Even if i can find out which tree files is the culprit and delete it.
Thanks
Les