NZCH & ORBX

[Terblanche]

Good morning -

1. Something wrong with the ground textures at NZCH, or are they correct as I see them?
2. I've uninstalled reinstalled NZCH with latest version (v105 - Airport only)
3. The manual mentions: CleanUpOrbxNZCH.exe in Godzone\Otherinstallers folder but there is no such file
4. I have ORBX's NZNI and NZSI installed but Vector is uninstalled
5. As far as I know and can see that my VLC libraries are correctly installed and activated [for me, this is still a very confusing process to install and maintain]

For some or other reason the FPS are fluctuating wildly up and down when approaching or taxiing

Warm regards from Cape Town
Terblanche

[toprob]

I've moved your post to the Godzone support forum, which makes it easier for me to keep track of.

Just a couple of questions:
Which sim version?
Is your Orbx scenery installed in the default (old) location, or did you use the new Orbx Central to migrate it or otherwise install it in a different location that the Prepar3d installation path?

(You'll find CleanUpOrbxNZCH.exe only if you have migrated/moved Orbx NZSI outside of Prepar3d.)

-Robin

EDIT:
Sorry, forgot to cover the VLC Libraries -- the Libraries installer should be simple in practice, in that it only runs if an install or update is required, and it will manage versions itself -- for example, if won't install an earlier version that the one which is currently installed. All my payware installers manage the Libraries installer themselves, so no external version-finding is required. Much of the confusion, I think, comes from the fact that the Libraries used to be part of VLC, so I have thought that the install process should be more transparent now that VLC no longer exists.

[Terblanche]

Thanks for the reply Robin ...

Which sim version? P3D4.5 (HF3)
Is your Orbx scenery installed in the default (old) location ... ? It is installed in the Prepar3d folder because the original installation works better (for me) than the add-on.xml route.

Thank you for the VLC explanation.

[Terblanche]

EDIT:
Sorry, forgot to cover the VLC Libraries -- the Libraries installer should be simple in practice, in that it only runs if an install or update is required, and it will manage versions itself -- for example, if won't install an earlier version that the one which is currently installed. All my payware installers manage the Libraries installer themselves, so no external version-finding is required. Much of the confusion, I think, comes from the fact that the Libraries used to be part of VLC, so I have thought that the install process should be more transparent now that VLC no longer exists.

I've checked now and VLC libraries are NOT active because at LGSK (Skiathos) you can easily see if VLC libraries are doing its thing in the background because it loads all the houses and trees in the little village and I have none.
♦ VLC is installed outside P3D folder and linked to an add-on.xml file in ***Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\VLC_libraries\ and it is activated in P3D. I will include the add-on.xml file and maybe you could see if there is any problem with it.

============

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
<AddOn.Name>VLCLibraries</AddOn.Name>
<AddOn.Description>Vector Land Class Libraries.</AddOn.Description>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Effects</Category>
<Path>C:\P3D4 External\Scenery\VectorL\VLC_Libraries\Effects</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Autogen</Category>
<Path>C:\P3D4 External\Scenery\VectorL\VLC_Libraries\AutogenX</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Scenery</Category>
<Path>C:\P3D4 External\Scenery\VectorL\VLC_Libraries</Path>
<Name>VLC Libraries</Name>
<Layer>650</Layer>
</AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

[toprob]

I'm not sure what the relationship could be between VLC Libraries and LGSK, the libraries are simply that, a collection of NZ objects for use in New Zealand scenery. However at one point (Prepar3d v4.3) it became obvious that Lockheed Martin's new method of handling autogen via add-on.xml didn't really work, and I was one of the first developers who put his hand up saying that my NZCH version of the Libraries may have caused problems for those who had installed NZCH plus any other scenery addon which added their own Autogen object library. However this was fixed with NZCH v1.05. I suspected that the confusion arose when my scenery was offered up as the culprit for ALL autogen library issues, which is certainly not the case, it was just one of many, and one of the first to be fixed.

My only suggestion is that you:

Uninstall NZCH completely;
Uninstall the VLC Libraries completely;
then reinstall NZCH 1.05, which will put the libraries back.

I'm aware that recent changes to Orbx Central mean that it is a lot easier for users to mess up third party scenery like mine. I'm not too sure what the solution is for this, I am considering a number of options, ranging from quitting support for Orbx compatibility, to quitting development for Prepar3d (which accounts for most of the issues with Orbx.) Of course this shouldn't affect the current scenery in my store, so I'll continue to offer support while I still can.

[cowpatz]

I wouldn't be too hasty to drop ORBX support Rob. It is widely used. There won't be too many simmers who will fly around NZ with default scenery.
This issue has come to a head and I'm sure will be fixed sooner rather than later.

[toprob]

This issue has come to a head and I'm sure will be fixed sooner rather than later.

I'm not too sure, there is really nothing to fix as far as Orbx is concerned. Third party developers -- like me -- are the ones 'breaking' Orbx to get things to work, so really it is in Orbx's interest that they stop us doing this. In the past only a re-install would affect scenery like mine, and the main reason to reinstall was a new flightsim version, so it would be necessary to re-install Orbx, then other addon airports, which would give a good result. Now there's the 'verify' button, which puts Orbx scenery back to the original/correct install, so a simple 'verify' acts like a reinstall as far as third party airports are concerned. I can imagine that the next step is an automatic 'verify' every month, or whenever you run Orbx Central.

I don't blame Orbx at all, it's LM who really need to cater for developers like me by making it possible to exclude all elements based on scenery priority only. Currently that only works with most elements, leaving a few awkward features which need to be disabled to overwrite them. One of these is the flatten when the elevation needs to be changed -- which is most Orbx airports, for some reason.

Don't worry, though, I won't make any hasty decisions:) Come along to next week's get-together and change my mind...

[cowpatz]

I thought the issue was to do with the addon.xml method of having scenery located outside the P3D root directory. There seems to be particular problems with elevations and which add on (last loaded) determining the airport altitude (well according to my limited knowledge). It was this I thought that LM might address.

[toprob]

Yeah, don't get started on that! One thing I've liked about Orbx Central (back when it was FTX Central) was the way it handled priority. I'd just point out to my users that they'd need to set the FTX priority first, and then once set, it shouldn't be a problem. I was quite surprised the first time I discovered that they now edit ALL add-on.xml scenery files to set a priority. Ok, I know I change their files willy-nilly, but a heads-up would have been nice. Funnily enough, putting my add-on.xml files back the way they were doesn't upset anything, I suspect because I've set the FTX priority correctly.
By the way, another option might be that I ONLY support Orbx NZ in the future. That way I can leave their files as-is, and only match their elevation. Some things still can't be fixed that way, such as ground polys, but I might cross that bridge when I get to it.

[Terblanche]

Yeah, don't get started on that! One thing I've liked about Orbx Central (back when it was FTX Central) was the way it handled priority. I'd just point out to my users that they'd need to set the FTX priority first, and then once set, it shouldn't be a problem. I was quite surprised the first time I discovered that they now edit ALL add-on.xml scenery files to set a priority. Ok, I know I change their files willy-nilly, but a heads-up would have been nice. Funnily enough, putting my add-on.xml files back the way they were doesn't upset anything, I suspect because I've set the FTX priority correctly.

I'm so happy to find someone else who believes that the whole add-on.xml route is nothing but a labyrinth of problems and I believe the reason why P3D will terminally suffer the stutters because not even a million angels know where the hell the hundred thousand files in ten thousand folders are that all relate to Pee3Dee ...

I've done some extensive research on this issue after I've uninstalled all your NZ scenery, as well as LGSK (that also uses VLC_libraries) and then I started the one after the other reinstall and the same problem was there that was the reason of this thread. Then I uninstalled again (trust the OCD in me to NOT give up) and so began the process of applying the one after the other tip, suggestion, recommendation, and fix that I could accumulate. AND FINALLY I stumbled upon a thread somewhere that suggested that you open the add-ons.cfg that is located in ***AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\ and move the VLC_libraries and GodzoneRealNZ to the top. You have to do it manually and then painstakingly rename them all to make sure the package numbers are correct.

HOLD and BEHOLD ... and so everything was fixed. All the NZ airports are correctly displayed as well as 29Palms' LGSK. This is what my first three lines (of 121) in the add-ons.cfg file look like:

[Package.0]
Path=C:\Users\Terblanche Jordaan\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\VLC_libraries
Active=TRUE
Required=FALSE
[Package.1]
Path=C:\Users\Terblanche Jordaan\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\GodzoneRealNZ
Active=TRUE
Required=FALSE
[Package.2]
Path=C:\Users\Terblanche Jordaan\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\29Palms - LGSK - Skiathos
Active=TRUE
Required=FALSE

Maybe this will help someone else with the same problem.

PS: It seems to me that everyone is now selling their scenery on ORBX Central which will make it more and more difficult for devs like you to think and work outside the box. Be assured, your scenery is right up there with the best of devs and we will keep on supporting you.

[Terblanche]

SORRY ... I forgot to mention

I also added the AutogenX folder to the add-on.xml file in ***Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons\VLC_libraries\
It now reads:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="AddOnXml" version="4,0" id="add-on">
<AddOn.Name>VLCLibraries</AddOn.Name>
<AddOn.Description>Vector Land Class Libraries.</AddOn.Description>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Effects</Category>
<Path>C:\P3D4 External\Scenery\VectorL\VLC_Libraries\Effects</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Autogen</Category>
<Path>C:\P3D4 External\Scenery\VectorL\VLC_Libraries\AutogenX</Path>
</AddOn.Component>
<AddOn.Component>
<Category>Scenery</Category>
<Path>C:\P3D4 External\Scenery\VectorL\VLC_Libraries</Path>
<Name>VLC Libraries</Name>
<Layer>650</Layer>
</AddOn.Component>
</SimBase.Document>

[cowpatz]

Whjat about using Lorby's add on manager to move them to the top?

[Terblanche]

Whjat about using Lorby's add on manager to move them to the top?

I just checked and you will have to move in up and down in the PACKAGES tab in Lorby and I only now saw that you are able to do it. Fourth tab from the left.

For some unknown reason, there are two add-on.cfg files in two different locations just like we have two exe.xml and two dll.xml files in two different locations.
[Hitting head against the wall]

[cowpatz]

The good thing is that you can activate and deactivate large areas of scenery very easily with improved load times.