Need some assistance...

I have two issues, both of which pretty much negate any pleasure from an FSX experience. The first problem is that apparently FSX SE will not "close" when I shut it down because it will not restart until the computer is shut down to a cold start. Note: I knew there was a reason why I was dissatisfied with the Steam edition and why I have stayed with tried and true FS9 all this time. Still, I'd really like to resolve this issue (by the way, FSX, although it claims to be running, is tightly closed and impossible to open).

 

The second issue should be easier to fix. Some time ago, I downloaded "FTX Global NA Airport Pack" (freeware) and tried to install it. I met with no success and shelved the project, forgetting thereafter the issues I had trying to install it. This morning, at zero dark thirty, I found the file innocently sitting on my hard disk taking up space. I decided to install it but met with the same resistance I encountered on the first attempt. The sip file opens just fine, and the installer opens the file to C\A\Fox\ORBX. My question is: does it stay there, or do I move the contents to somewhere in FSX? I have FSX SE.

 

Thanks for your assistance...

 

KCD

You need to go here: https://orbxdirect.com/support and get support from ORBX.

 

DJ

Since you updated you post, here's a good thing to read through for question #1.

 

https://steamcommunity.com/app/314160/discussions/0/492379439672207293/

I'm not familiar with the ORBX Global NA demo. They have the FTX Global Iceland, NA Pacific Northwest, and AU Tasmania demos. They also have some freeware airport packages, some of which are for FTX Global, some for NA (North America) and some for Oceania. You said the installer opens to C\A\Fox\ORBX, but where is your FSX installed and where is your downloaded installer located?

 

If memory serves (and it's been a long time) the installer first goes to some folder where it can extract the stuff it needs before installation, but will then install everything else under {FSX root}\ORBX (my root is D:\FSX). But I've read that some things in steam are located in a different location than in the MS versions of FSX, so that might affect your install. If that's the case it might need a special version of the installer.

 

I don't have steam, but with FSX Deluxe, when it would hang as you describe (rare for me), I'd open the task manager and select the fsx.exe and End Process.

Zippy...

Nice read, but no help.

 

Larry...

The proper name for the PRBX file is "FTX Global NA Airport Pack". I've corrected the original post

OK, that Airport Pack is designed to be used with FTX Global, so if you install it you may see a few anomalies, but it can be an improvement even so.

 

On the install, is "C\A\Fox" the location for your steam? Are the airports expanded out in that folder structure? If the latter is so, you may need to use the scenery library to enable them (I'd have expected the install to do that). All ORBX stuff (as far as I know, and I've got a lot of it) goes under the ORBX folder that is in my root FSX folder. The scenery library, though, doesn't HAVE to have its scenery under the sim's root folder, so you could enable it in place, or you could move it under you add-on scenery folder or under ORBX in your root sim folder before activating it.

 

All this is assuming it didn't get activated and that the ORBX folders are fully expanded in the location you mentioned. If this doesn't get you on the right track, perhaps some more detail about what you see there might help us understand your dilemma a bit better.

 

Note to DJ: ORBX doesn't provide support for their freeware when not installed with/in the payware it's designed to supplement.

I have no idea about the Orbex stuff, but...

I have some of their freeware, and it works great for me. Mine auto-installed to D:\steam\steamapps\common\FSX\ORBX, in other words, in my main FSX folder, and is added into my scenery Library, like all my regular scenery add-on's, just not in ...\FSX\ADD-ON SCENERY folder.

Also, the original version of AICarriers has a known problem with not closing when FSX is closed, making FSX appear to still be open, or running. Best way to fix this is to use AICarriers.NET, the newer version written by Orion Lau of FSDT. It's also known to be better on FSX:SE by a long shot. Uses much less in computer resources, and I personally have never had a problem with it not closing, nor seen anything on the AICarriers thread in the FSDT forums about that sort of thing happening.

I can provide a link to Orion's main download page for AICarriers.NET, if you want.

 

Don't know if this has anything to do with your particular problem, but there it is...

Pat☺

OK, that Airport Pack is designed to be used with FTX Global, so if you install it you may see a few anomalies, but it can be an improvement even so.

 

On the install, is "C\A\Fox" the location for your steam? Are the airports expanded out in that folder structure? If the latter is so, you may need to use the scenery library to enable them (I'd have expected the install to do that). All ORBX stuff (as far as I know, and I've got a lot of it) goes under the ORBX folder that is in my root FSX folder. The scenery library, though, doesn't HAVE to have its scenery under the sim's root folder, so you could enable it in place, or you could move it under you add-on scenery folder or under ORBX in your root sim folder before activating it.

 

All this is assuming it didn't get activated and that the ORBX folders are fully expanded in the location you mentioned. If this doesn't get you on the right track, perhaps some more detail about what you see there might help us understand your dilemma a bit better.

 

Note to DJ: ORBX doesn't provide support for their freeware when not installed with/in the payware it's designed to supplement.

 

I have the Orbx freeware NA airport package installed with the F1 sceneries with no problem. I tried Orbx global once and my FSX got so screwed up I had to do a reinstall.

Well, problem #1 solved, thanks to you all and trial an error. It was all in the task manager all along; all I had to do was figure out which one of the many items listed to close out, and trial and /or error solved that.

 

Not sure about question #2 yet. I've copied all the files from the ORBX download to:

"C:\steam\steamapps\FSX\Addon Scenery\ORBX\FTX_FTXG AIRPORTS". That seemed the logical thing to do, but as I had no other ORBX scenery, I had to create the ORBX folder in Addon Scenery first. I've not had a chance to test the results, but hope to do so today.

 

If I've screwed up, please advise, and thanks for your help so far!

Well, three hours of messing about has brought no joy. No matter what I do I cannot get this Orbx freeware Airports to make any impression on my steam install at all. The installer places the files in "C:\A\Fox", and there seems to be no way to change that, or point it properly towards the steam install.

 

Here is what I see in C:\A\Fox...

 

When the installer is done, several files are found in the C:\A\FOX folder (see above0. Logic tells me to copy these files, in tact, and place them in the "addon Scenery" folder. That I have done in a multitude of different configurations, but to no avail.

 

Perhaps someone who has installed this software ("FTX Global NA Airport Pack") has some answers? At least I hope they do.

 

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

Try moving that ORBX folder to C:\steam\steamapps\FSX (your FSX root folder) which is where the ORBX stuff resides in my FSX ( D:\FSX ). Then add that ORBX folder in the scenery library.

 

There is also a chance that something in the registry needs to match this, but if so I don't know what it might be.

I moved the ORBX folder to my FSX root directory as you suggested. The original copy of the ORBX folder that I had placed there was still there so I didn't move it again. Result? Negative. So far no ORBX! Nice try but it didn't work!

Hi Klee! Just a quick question. Have you ever opened up FTX Central and clicked the box to use ORBX Scenery as opposed to the default?

Hi, Zippy...

The answer is NO! How do I do that?

Hi, Zippy...

The answer is NO! How do I do that?

 

OK, here comes the fun part! You will have to look through your ORBX folders, probably the FOX one. Mine was labeled BATFOX, but I got rid of all of my ORBX stuff because it was starting to have issues. Now I'm prepping for a full uninstall/reinstall....Oh, Joy!

 

You are looking for this little bugger!

 

Good luck with your reinstall, zippy. Thanks for trying to help, but I've got nothing like that in either of the ORBX files I have.

Good luck with your reinstall, zippy. Thanks for trying to help, but I've got nothing like that in either of the ORBX files I have.

 

OK, keep in mind that what I showed is what comes up when you run the FTX Central .exe. So you are looking for and executable file.

 

You may need to install the Demo version of ORBX PNW. That's where I got FTX Central from and the .exe file.

 

Better yet! Download and install this: https://orbxdirect.com/ftxcentral

Zippy, if all he's installing is the free airports, he won't have FTX Central, and it won't help anyway with these airports. They should show up as long as the priority in the scenery library is higher than the default stuff.

 

KCD, where is this set of folders in the scenery library priority? At the top, above the world stuff, or...?

 

Or if using the scenery library isn't clear to you, you could just take all the .bgl files you find in the ORBX folders and move them to {root}\Addon Scenery\scenery, using no other sub-folders. That one is already activated in FSX by default.

Zippy, if all he's installing is the free airports, he won't have FTX Central, and it won't help anyway with these airports. They should show up as long as the priority in the scenery library is higher than the default stuff.

 

 

Looking through the ORBX site and what Klee said he downloaded, it all states that FTX Central is needed plus things like freeware PNW or other prerequisite products. Bummer for me since Windows XP is no longer supported!

Ahh, yes -- I'd forgotten that they changed their distribution mechanism so that everything has to use the new FTX Central 3, even for initial installation (I don't have that version yet). Even if it worked enough to display the airports, a lot of things wouldn't work well, since he'd need the ORBX libs. Perhaps installing one of the demo sceneries might make it useful, but there's no way I can check that out, since I've had lots of ORBX stuff for several years now.

 

Certainly I find that the FTX Global Base (especially with Vector too) helps a lot around the world, and those airports will definitely work with it. But that's payware. The demos - well I don't know.

 

Maybe that need for FTX Central 3 is why the "Fox" folder was used.

 

I'm out of ideas.

I have noticed my FSX:Steam will not shut down in Steam because my VFXCentral is open. I do not know why VFXCentral is opening up when running FSX. It does not do that with P3D. If Steam can not close FSX check your task manager and see if there is any add on that might be loading and not closing when FSX closes.

 

I would also suggest the ORBX Forums. You do have ORBX Global installed? I don't think they will work without it.

FTXCentral 3 is the latest. Great tool as you can buy and download and install. Almost like a Steam client but it does not have to remain open.

Thank you all for trying to assist. Since this is the second attempt at this, and the second attempt without success, I've decided to bag the project. While I like what I see in the screen shots of ORBX by others, FSX is not (and will never be) my primary flight sim. I have too many years and dollars, and too much time, invested in FS9 to abandon it; FSX is/was a folly; serious flying gets done in FS9. Anyway, I appreciate all the help you have provided; it was worth the effort to try. I fault ORBX for the most part, this software they offer is freeware, yet they provide no instructions for installation, nor will they respond to a simple question. As a 35 year veteran of the general business community, at no company with whom I have been associated could we have treated a potential customer like that. ORBX may be pretty, but their ethics are lacking.

ORBX mentions very clearly it is freeware for existing customers that already bought at least ftx global or vector.

 

No need for being so negative about ORBX. Customers who have Global or Vector, get this (and much more) for free. A lovely treat.

 

If you want this, buy one of those from ORBX.

Egg all over my face!!! I don't know what I did, but with the last attempt, I managed to get most of the ORBX freeware activated. No, you don't get it all, but you get enough to have an idea what it might be like if you had the payware elements installed as well. I have no idea what actually made it work as I was trying all sorts of ideas and I tried them in groups. So what got it going I cannot say. All I can say is I'm sorry for my comments to ORBX earlier (although I don't think it would hurt their bottom line to be a little more understanding). Thanks again to all.