cheeselo

Well, I am tickled to report that the world's Guiness Book record-holder support ticket can be closed. God-only know what was wrong or what was fixed or how --since over the past month we've individually tested every possibility cause, but the computer goblins have apparently voted to grant us a reprieve! For now. They're always there somewhere. I started testing --serially-- after each application, beginning with the installation of Base, then Vector, LC North America, region Pacific Northwest and finally TE Washington. Although, of course, its too early to know if its a complete fix, but when I tested with all of the airports you and I have used, there were no crazy elevations, levitating buildings or tarmac-burrowing airplanes! Looks great! Thank you so much for your generous provision of time and expertise. It turns-out that the most likely answer is that it was the Russians! Thanks again.

OK; I've re-formatted the hard drive, re-installed the operating system w/ latest & greatest, and re-installed P3d "bare bones" (Orbx not installed). I checked-out Palm Springs, 29 Palms, W04 here at Ocean Shores, KELN at Ellensburg (all the ones we've been using), with P3d's default scenery (ugly as it is!). The only elevation issue was a slight levitating of some buildings at W04 (as viewed from parking spot 1). But, all the elevation issues were otherwise not present. I was next going to re-install Orbx, but thought I'd best check with you first to see if there was any order or technique you wanted me to try.

Sorry. Was away from my computer for a few days. Okay; I searched for the airports. Found only 3 shortcuts. A 2d search returned nothing. I uninstalled/reinstalled TE SCA region, the CRM region, and TE Washington. Verifed. Tested. Same thing. I also uninstalled and reinstalled (as administrator) P3d into its default folder in Program Files. All Orbx is in the P3d folder except the airports, Orbx Libraries and ObjectFlow, which are in Central libraries. Sadly, planes still sunk into tarmac at W04, and still 50' in the air at KELN. Weird stuff, like buildings under water, forests in the Pacific, etc. in other sceneries, but we've been using those 2. Do you think maybe its something in the registry? I dread a re-format and start-over, but I'd like to avoid it if I can.

Ok; great. I’ll be able to do that in a little while. I thought I’d do a “short-style” (i.e., w/o removing scenery) uninstall/reinstall of P3D, as well… for the heck of it. I’ll report-back once complete. As an aside, you seem to have both NA SoCal & TE SoCal installed. I didn’t install NA SoCal because I assumed it would conflict w/ TE SoCal. Is that a mistaken assumption? Also, in case it might be diagnostically significant, I’m seeing forests of trees in the Pacific Ocean off W04 Ocean Shores, and Puget Sound near Seattle always has what appear to be cities under the water.

This is a real brain-teaser, isn't it?! I uninstalled/reinstalled, then verified openLC North America, TE Southern California, NA Pacific Northwest, and TE Washington. Then, for good measure, re-synced simulator. No dice-a. Parked planes still buried in the tarmac at W04 Ocean Shores WA, and still up in the air at KELN Bowers Field WA and KTNP 29 Palms CA. Doesn't seem to make sense. Stumped.

Season's Greetings! I was away a few days for the holidays. Now I'm back to haunting you. First of all, I am soooooo jealous of your screenshots. Ahh... fond memories of 29 Palms as it was artfully created! We may be getting warmer. Choosing KELN Bowers as a non-Orbx test, a PC search using the search term "keln_bowers.bgl" brought-up 5 files: However, if I search the folder FTX_NA using the search term "keln.bgl" it finds these: You'll notice that each of 2 folders have 2 KELN_Bowers files: one with "CVX" and one without. The lower 2 folders have "WA" before KELN in the folder name. I'm assuming that I should test by re-naming one or more file extensions, but I wanted to check with you first as to which one(s). Choosing KTNP 29 Palms as an Orbx test, I did a PC search with the search term "ktnp.bgl": Same thing: which of the file should I re-name the extensions?

Drats! I was really anticipatory on that one, but no-go. I ran the same airports: 2 Orbx: KPSP (aircraft still in the air), KTNP (still elevated taxiway), and 2 default: KELN (taxiway elevated) and W04 (airplane sunken in parking area). I am so sorry. I am nervous that I am monopolizing your time. You must suspect me of being a mental institution escapee, but... If it's diagnostically significant, it doesn't occur at all Orbx airports. For example, I noticed no problem at KHQM Bowerman in Hoquiam (only six miles from W04 here), and I flew yesterday out of KFHR Friday Harbor, without the problem. I've only had my computer a hair shy of a year, and I had it built and the software initially installed by the flight sim nuts at Jetline Systems, who Virtual-Fly's American outlet and deal with high-end sims. Its a real stumper. I am so sorry for how difficult its been. I do appreciate your expertise. Win10 Home, Gigabyte Aorus Z490 Pro AX, LGA 1200 motherboard, Intel Core i9 10850K (5.2 G/Hz boost clock) 10 Core processor, Corsair H100i Pro XT 240mm liquid-cooling RGB, 64 GB Corsair DDR4 SDRAM, 3200MHz RGB, 8G Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070, Super GDDR6, 1000W Seasonic Focus Gold power supply, (1) 4TB Sabrent Rocket MVNe PCIe SSD drive, and (1) 4TB Samsung 860 Evo, V-NAND SATA SSD drive

Well, as soon as I think I may have breached the surface of Win10, something like this happens and I'm back to kindergarten! Path 0 is the only path with files. Path 1 was there, but empty. I deleted it. The remainder were no longer there. They no doubt had been at one point (I've tried several re-installs over time trying to fix this issue), but no longer exist. I'm thinking that you got those addresses from the files I sent you. So, I've again attached the 3 files you requested in case they now have updated data. You'll remember I had un-installed and re-installed P3d. I installed everything into the default Prepar3d folder. The only files not installed there were the airports, which are in their own Orbx library, and ObjectFlow & TerraFlora, which you suggested I move to their own Orbx library. I have now done a re-Verify on all Global and all Regions files, although my technique when I download from Central is to one-by-one install, then verify. I probably over-kill, but... I then tested. The devil continues to elude us. Maybe the answer is golf? Please don't give-up on me. BTW, if I might dastardly sneak-in an unrelated question: is there any disadvantage (memory, etc) in leaving all the Orbx scenery files checked, other than loading time? add-ons.cfg scenery.cfg scenery_add-ons.xml

Wow! That is confusing! I did not install them that way. All of Orbx was installed into the Prepar3D folder, except ObjectFlow, Terraforma and A2A. All Orbx airports were installed into an Orbx library on D drive. I’m guessing this is leftover stuff somehow. Let me clean it up and I’ll get back later. thank you.

Sorry about the pix. Yes; that's the nose. But, its not zoomed; the point-of-view is moved forward in order to show just above the dash on the screen. That's because I have a physical panel for the instruments. You're right; outside views are better. Thanks for your patience and persistence. I do enjoy my sim. I hope these shots help. They're all taken with your settings profile. The 2 Orbx airports (Palm Springs and 29 Palms) are taken with SoCal loaded. The 2 (non-Orbx) WA shots are w/ WA loaded. KPSP Palm Springs. This was set at "active runway". There appear to be 3 different layers here: the one the aircraft is on, the black flat area below it, and then the street and parking lot areas. Notice the yellow line behind the aircraft: KTNP 29 Palms. Everything black appears to be its own layer, and all appear to be about 50-75 feet above the airport buildings below: KELN Bowers Field. Notice the curved double yellow line to the left. From it, you can see that the taxiway appears to disappear into infinity. The buildings appear again to be 50-75 feet below the taxiway: Home airport W04 (about 6 miles btw from Orbx's free KHQM Bowerman). Same shot; same location, just shows the sunken parked aircraft better: CYYC Calgary. Only sent this because I assumed you might be quite familiar with it. The runway appears to be on its own layer, and appears to angle to the left right over the top of that building below. Hoping that it may be diagnostically helpful, the next (last) shot shows that if I actually follow that taxiway, I will crash into a building: I also followed your suggestion re ObjectFlow and TerraForma Library files. Thanks again for trying to resolve this.

(Sorry; I didn't mean to send that first one. I wasn't yet done). But, this is from Calgary (not Orbx). The Display settings are in my "Orbx Doug's" profile, btw: The one from Palm Springs, btw, was simply set for a small plane parking lot. I didn't do anything to pose the shot. I particularly liked that one myself! The next one shows a helicopter below grade at Orbx KTNP 29 Palms, same underlying software as Palm Springs. On the left you can see the taxiway signage up in the air: You had asked about KELN Bowers Field (not Orbx) w/o NA or WA checked. This is w/ your P3d settings. Same air buildings/taxiway, etc: scenery.cfg scenery.cfg add-ons.cfg scenery_add-ons.xml

I guess if one is to whine and whinny about Orbx scenery elevation issues, it makes sense to use an Orbx scenery in the tests. Yes; good catch! I just used those because I regularly use them. Duh. Let's try these instead (I have a smaller monitor upon which I place ATC, an internet browser, etc. It is hopefully much better for the purpose than my 49" curved one). The first one is Orbx KPSP Palm Springs, lying atop TE SoCal, Vector, and Base: This one is on a taxiway at CYYC Calgary:

No-go. I created a profile w/ your settings, and I tried to un-check re-check of TE WA, but the curse remains. I’ve got great equipment, great software, apparently proper installation and organization, yet floating runways, etc.,. Computers are like women, methinks: fascinating & and insanely frustrating, all wrapped-up in the same beautiful package! would you be so generous as to share your NVIDIA settings, please? The delicate dance between the Win10 graphics settings, the sim graphics settings, the NVIDIA settings, and the monitor settings, like the rumba, is something that has always eluded me. Maybe there’s a conflict there. Your screenshots are so very tantalizing, yet vary wildly from mine. ’I have tried isolating various layers, like serially un-checking/re-checking each of PNW, Washington, even Pilot’s mesh. No-go. Sure is purdy in the air, though! thanks for all your suggestions. Sorry to be so needy.

Oh MAN! I'd give-up a testicle to see it that way!! Very very nice. Thank you; now I'm miserable! I don't have anything remotely as nice as yours (neither does the real one!) This taxiway is facing West approaching Runway 7, which is the distant grey line recessed on the right. Floating building obvious. I know you asked I not send night shots, but I wanted to show you how deep the drop-off was, and you can see it here. Same exact spot. That must be the floating building down there, somehow no longer floating. This last one shows the sunken aircraft (poor bastards) at W04. Thank you for your reply and your settings. I'll try those and let you know Monday. Go Seahawks!

Thank you, Doug. I had feared Orbx had given-up on my sorry troublesome butt. Yes; I hadn't read your reply, but I knew about and had considered the shorter method of uninstall/reinstall, but elected to do a full uninstall/reinstall of P3d as well as my Orbx software. Here's what I did: after the prescribed uninstall, I ran a disk defrag, ran CCleaner, did a re-boot, turned-off Win10 "Real Time Protection", and did a full re-install of P3d as administrator, this time placing everything in the P3D folder, except the airport and ObjectFlow, which i put in Central libraries (I put ObjectFlow in its own library because it seemed that somewhere Nick had once suggested that to someone as a fix (I have faulty memory, but I figured it couldn't hurt). I re-installed Base, Vector, OrbxLibs, and ObjectFlow, and Orbx Libraries, verifying each after each reinstall. I then re-installed North America, Pacific Northwest, and Washington. Then I un-installed and re-installed Base (seemed redundant, but my shrinking, fast-disintegrating brain reminded me that I had read to do that from someone somewhere sometime in the forum; again, I figured it couldn't hurt). I then verified Libraries, and ran Orbx Central sync. Then I tested. Holding my breath, I flew from KELN Ellensburg (because it was the one from which I happened to have taken the pix). No-go. The scenery from the air was gorgeous (as it always is), but the elevation problems remained at the airport (buildings in the air, grossly elevated runways, etc.). I also ran a test from my home strip, W04 Ocean Shores, and there was an added feature: a couple of parked aircraft half buried in the tarmac (to my knowledge, they hadn't even crashed!). I really enjoy Orbx scenery. Once I'm off the ground, even now, it is enormously enjoyable. Excellent work. Kudos to Orbx. But, P3D default airports "suck"; it really needs scenery add-ons, IMHO. But, I have no clue how to fix this persistent problem. I have I have researched until my eyes burn (after awhile the posts are dealing with really old versions of P3D, and one begins to wonder whether the advice given is applicable). You have certainly tried your best, as well. At this point, I'm circling the wagons. My choices seem to be: 1) put-up with the airport problem, but otherwise enjoy Orbx once I'm in the air, 2) go backwards and revert to my huge library of MegaScenery gathering dust (I had long ago switched to Orbx), 3) give-up on P3D completely in favor of XP or MSFS, or 4) continue trying to solve the problem (although I'm at a loss as to what next to try). Logically, I can't see how, but is it possibly caused by my P3D settings? Short of running naked thru the neighborhood, I'll try anything...