Jump to content

Like some, I've switched to P3Dv4


Kirk

Recommended Posts

I don't know if it's my rig or my technical inability but it seems like I've spent more time troubleshooting FSX:SE than I have flying with it. I'm hoping I have a better experience with P3Dv4. A professional license was a huge chunk of change (my expected Christmas bonus is now gone) but I'm really falling in love with this new hobby and FSX:SE was becoming more of a discouragement for me than it was enjoyable. I'm not knocking it by any means. I know many people have used it for decades and love it and swear by it. And I think that's great. And who knows, maybe I'll have trouble with P3D too, maybe that's just the nature of the beast, but somehow I don't think I will. Having said that, there's a thread around here describing a "popping" noise problem I was having with a Carenado C172 in FSX:SE and unfortunately that problem also exists in P3Dv4. So, since I purchased FSX:SE I don't think it's a problem that I ported over the default C172 and am using it instead (which sucks because I like the Carenado C172 :( )

 

The View Group Management tool in P3Dv4 alone is worth the price of admission. It made setting up 3 monitors and aligning them a breeze. And the fact that I can use my Orbx scenery is an added bonus.

 

Anyway, I hope this move proves to be a positive one and I can continue learning how to fly... virtually anyway. :)

Prepar3d v4: HP Omen Desktop. Intel Core i7-8700K (6 Core, 3.7GHz), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (11GB dedicated GDDR5X), 16GB RAM, 2TB Hard Drive, 1TB SSD, 512GB SSD, Windows 10.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The C172 was an early Carenado aircraft. Not intended for P3D, and certainly not for P3Dv4.

 

I don't know how you could have missed our advice in this very forum, USE ONLY P3Dv4-intended aircraft in P3Dv4, and this particularly applies to P3Dv4.3 and esprcially the current P3Dv4.4.

You should NOT use ANY aircraft for example, that install into the `Airplanes` folder as that is NOT where P3Dv4 aircraft should be installed or you are asking for exactly the trouble you fear.

 

By installing FSX-intended aircraft and scenery into the `wrong` sim, and badly-implemented portovers, you are just asking for trouble: Carenado can't be used in P3Dv4 without lag, installation problems, and incompatibility with other software. At the present moment they ALL install just like in FSX, so regardless of their claims that are NOT conforming to the SDK... Buyer Beware!

 

And FWIW ORBX are NOT yet fully compatible with P3Dv4.4. Yes, you can USE ORBX scenery, but it does not permit the use of the different Autogen files, nor is ANY of their scenery yet PBR-compliant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mark's being a little overcautious Kirk - although installing addons outside of the root p3d folder is RECOMMENDED - it is still not mandatory. They will work just fine, the major issue being the need to reinstall after udpates.

 

That said - unless it's something you MUST have go with addons that do not install in the root folder and use the addon.xml method. Sooner or later it WILL become mandatory so, if you can, follow Mark's advice.

 

To give yo an idea of what I mean. I just did a complete update to 4.4 - Client, Content and Scenery and it took all of 1/2 hour - that's with ORBX, GEP3D, UTX , UTL and various payware and freeware aircraft.

 

Most of all - do not apply any of the old FSX tweaks to P3d - either they have been incorporated into the sim or they are not needed.

 

Enjoy,

 

Vic

P3D Rig

I7 7700K @ 5.0ghz Asus Maximus X270 16G G.Skill 3600 15-15-15-18 2T EVGARTX2080ti Corsair 1000W PSU 1TB Samsung SSD for P3D - 2 - 256G OCZ Vector SSD - HAF X - Corsiar H100i V2 Liquid Cooler W10 64 Pro.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the information and support. The last thing I want is to botch things up. I found this on Prepar3D's website: http://www.prepar3d.com/add-ons/ so I assume, as long as I don't go crazy, I can keep myself out of trouble. I really don't want any other aircraft right now but the C172, so I don't see me moving any others over. As far as the Orbx stuff I trusted the installer in FTX Central (almost everything had to be updated before it would install in P3D). So if that's messed up I'll clean everything out and do a reinstall without those until they're updated.

 

Anyway, I do appreciate the replies and will keep my guard up.

Prepar3d v4: HP Omen Desktop. Intel Core i7-8700K (6 Core, 3.7GHz), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (11GB dedicated GDDR5X), 16GB RAM, 2TB Hard Drive, 1TB SSD, 512GB SSD, Windows 10.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the information and support. The last thing I want is to botch things up. I found this on Prepar3D's website: http://www.prepar3d.com/add-ons/ so I assume, as long as I don't go crazy, I can keep myself out of trouble. I really don't want any other aircraft right now but the C172, so I don't see me moving any others over. As far as the Orbx stuff I trusted the installer in FTX Central (almost everything had to be updated before it would install in P3D). So if that's messed up I'll clean everything out and do a reinstall without those until they're updated.

 

Anyway, I do appreciate the replies and will keep my guard up.

 

Well, ORBX installers CAN and WILL install into P3D4.4, but I cannot say what that does to the new autogen, the new autogen options, any PBR recognition for ORBX airports, or precisely what their overly-complicated installation system does for compatibility with future addons - their system cannot recognise dll.xml-installed addons, yet continues to place FTX in the `old` scenery menu, for example.

I may forego ORBX beyond FTX Global until they can provide a fuller picture.

 

Or else resign myself to a complete reinstall some time in the future, when they eventually overhaul their integration to bring it PROPERLY in line with P3Dv4.4. Certainly replacing default files is no longer acceptable (to L-M) as their underlying reinstallation system is all about ensuring default files are left untouched. It really depends on the bulk of my supported user base - all have v4.3 with ORBX of all types, (Global, Libraries, Regional and Landclass) so I had little option but to follow their lead, despite misgivings.

It's really an outmoded system in 2018, modifying and overwriting default files, but I see no indication they have any intent to do anything about it... and they are supposedly close-tied partners of L-M!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's really an outmoded system in 2018, modifying and overwriting default files, but I see no indication they have any intent to do anything about it... and they are supposedly close-tied partners of L-M!

 

Totally in agreement. I use GEP3D in lieu of FTX Global - doesn't replace core files and looks much better, IMHO. I use UTX rather than vector for the same reasons and less performance impact. I still use some of the orbx regions though and everything plays nice.

 

I would like to see Orbx stop overwriting core files but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Vic

P3D Rig

I7 7700K @ 5.0ghz Asus Maximus X270 16G G.Skill 3600 15-15-15-18 2T EVGARTX2080ti Corsair 1000W PSU 1TB Samsung SSD for P3D - 2 - 256G OCZ Vector SSD - HAF X - Corsiar H100i V2 Liquid Cooler W10 64 Pro.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... I use UTX rather than vector for the same reasons and less performance impact. I still use some of the orbx regions though and everything plays nice.

 

I would like to see Orbx stop overwriting core files but I'm not holding my breath.

 

Vic

 

Aren't GEP and UTX higher priced than the equivalent coverage with ORBX?

Win 10 Pro, MSFS Premium Deluxe Steam, i7-8700, 32 GB RAM, GTX 1070ti, hardwired 950 Mbps, wifi 5 Ghz 50+ Mbps, Gsync 27-in 2560 x 1440 Dell monitor, Logitech 3D Pro joystick, and Quest 2 VR
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Aren't GEP and UTX higher priced than the equivalent coverage with ORBX?

 

Sort-of. They don't use the same coverage profile as ORBX, but have detail akin to FTX Regions for each coverage area.

 

The issue is that having made the choice for one over another, they (GEP/UTX and ORBX) are effectively mutually incompatible, thanks to the landclass migration carried out by ORBX. Some files from UTX CAN be combined, but not at reasonable cost.

 

It's one or the other.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, when it's said that Orbx overwrites core files, we're talking about P3Dv4 files? I assume if an area is then uninstalled, those files are replaced with the originals. Right? I'm not keen on core P3Dv4 core files being overwritten.
Prepar3d v4: HP Omen Desktop. Intel Core i7-8700K (6 Core, 3.7GHz), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (11GB dedicated GDDR5X), 16GB RAM, 2TB Hard Drive, 1TB SSD, 512GB SSD, Windows 10.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, when it's said that Orbx overwrites core files, we're talking about P3Dv4 files? I assume if an area is then uninstalled, those files are replaced with the originals. Right? I'm not keen on core P3Dv4 core files being overwritten.

 

Well then the only advice is avoid ANY scenery package for areas or regions: For example, PTA (and all other shader file modifiers) ALL change the `core` files. Some installers allow one to change them back having saved a backup of the default, but ORBX makes irrevocable changes to those files, which can only be changed back by a fresh, clean install of P3D.

FTX Global Base, FTX Global Vector, FTX Global openLC and the core FTX library files ALL make changes to default, as do such addons as FTX Global Trees and the FTX Central installer, with it's modifications to LCLookup.

 

But as Vic says, if all you want is a pretty simulator to fly in, as long as you saved the P3D installer, it's all recoverable to default in half an hour or less - it's the addons that take longest, although it has to be said that FTX Central is excellent in that regard, reinstalling it's modified files automatically - although they seem the same as they were for previous versions of P3D as they are in v4.4, despite the changes for this version.

 

It's always quickest to just reinstall the sim than remove the `bonded` and modded addon files and that should be your goal for any `return-to-unmodified` status, along with deletion of any files created by the sim (prepard .cfg, shaders files and the like) Again, the P3D forum has details including how to manually remove FTX files to prepare for a default reinstall...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's some good information, mallcott. I appreciate it.

 

I'm at a crossroads right now with my Orbx installations. I think they do what they're intended to do very well. And someone looking to improve the scenery and appearance of their simulated world would do OK with their products. I'm just not sure I want to keep using them right now. I don't have a super strong computer and the compromises I have to make in the settings in order to keep a decent FPS might not be worth it. I mean what good is pretty scenery when you have to run at low to medium settings? I may have a much better computer at some point in the future, but right now I have what I have.

 

I'm super happy with the stability I've found in P3Dv4. Maybe I need to be happy with that for a while and not stir the pot any more with extra stuff. :) I'll figure it out.

Prepar3d v4: HP Omen Desktop. Intel Core i7-8700K (6 Core, 3.7GHz), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (11GB dedicated GDDR5X), 16GB RAM, 2TB Hard Drive, 1TB SSD, 512GB SSD, Windows 10.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's some good information, mallcott. I appreciate it.

 

I'm at a crossroads right now with my Orbx installations. I think they do what they're intended to do very well. And someone looking to improve the scenery and appearance of their simulated world would do OK with their products. I'm just not sure I want to keep using them right now. I don't have a super strong computer and the compromises I have to make in the settings in order to keep a decent FPS might not be worth it. I mean what good is pretty scenery when you have to run at low to medium settings? I may have a much better computer at some point in the future, but right now I have what I have.

 

I'm super happy with the stability I've found in P3Dv4. Maybe I need to be happy with that for a while and not stir the pot any more with extra stuff. :) I'll figure it out.

 

Limit the installation to just FTX Global Base/Library and add any regional elements or local airports and you have the best option using ORBX until they upgrade...

 

Add FTX Vector and any landclass files at your leisure, knowing that you are now bu@@ring the clean installation and you will need a fresh clean installation in future. It is stupid to just add Base if you already possess landclass and Vector.

 

Simples.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...