ANNOUNCEMENT Prepar3D V3 - free multi-installers coming for Orbx regions, Vector, OLC

[John Venema]

We're not chaning the location of, or how our products are implemented, period.

To enjoy the visual world Orbx-style requires us to overwrite core system files. It's been that way from day one eight years ago, and it was sanctioned by ACES, thus FTX Central and the need to switch. LM came to the party many years later.

LM recommending that no sceneries live inside the root sim folder is basically eight years too late for us to do anything about it, and there is no difference to performance with our file locations as they are.

To begin chanting the magical OOM/VAS words as potential pitfalls is just naive. Please stop with that nonsense.

Come to think of it, I'm surprised we haven't had a customer register on the forums with the username OOMVAS

[Phil Manhart]

That's good to know, Phil, but I'm a little surprised concerning Global Base which becomes core, by nature,  once installed and for the elevation adjustments of scenery\world\scenery .

 

Does reinstalling the client leave the Global textures untouched contrary to a repair which would bring back the default ones for instance ?

 

 

Hence, the ability to only uninstall and reinstall the CLIENT, and leave the SCENERY alone.

 

To answer your question, yes, uninstalling and reinstalling the Client does NOT touch the Global textures. You would have to uninstall and reinstall the Scenery.

 

 

[dominique]

Thank you, Phil. I understand better the concept of client now.

[TymK]

Hi,

 

Thanks John and Phil for the clear and to-the-point explanation. I was experimenting a bit with manhandling the scenery to install outside the core P3D folder and using the various CFG files to make it work, but this is absolutely pointless given Phil's clarification. Please disregard my previous message to Ben.

 

May I suggest making Phil's post a sticky? It seems that OutsideTheMainFolderism is becoming a new religion on a certain other forum, so I guess it'd be a good idea to make this clarification more visible.

 

Cheers,

Tym

[Phil Manhart]

It seems that OutsideTheMainFolderism is becoming a new religion on a certain other forum, so I guess it'd be a good idea to make this clarification more visible.

 

You ain't kidding.

 

I've tried to clarify it over there as well, but it seems Rob and Bill are the only people anyone listens to in that hothouse...

[Shrek25]

Hopefully It won't be too long for the new installers

[Culley44]

why does it matter where orbx gets installed as long as it works, in all honesty and i am not an ass kisser, but if i was orbx i would have at least charged 2 or 3 bucks per addon for the time it takes to upgrade the installers to 3.0. aerosoft feels the same way as orbx. aerosoft has made it clear they will not be creating 100's of new installers to be located outside the root p3d folder.i personally like it the way it is and don't mind reinstalling addons through each update.

[be77solo]

You ain't kidding.

 

I've tried to clarify it over there as well, but it seems Rob and Bill are the only people anyone listens to in that hothouse...

 

This couldn't have been said better ha. Lots of great info buried over there, but sure takes a bunch of shoveling.

 

Thanks for the explanation. I couldn't figure out all the fuss either, but you clarified it for me.

 

Loving v3 so far, thank you guys for your hard work, look forward to the updated installers.

[pmb]

Brett, I totally disagree here. I own the complete ORBX collection plus several dozens of airports and stuff. A complete reinstallation takes me several days, and it's nothing you can do serious work besides when you're asked "Do you really want to...?" every 5 minutes.

 

Summerized, I spent perhaps a week with reinstallations during the last year, maybe more. This are 5 days out of 365. I'm 63 (still working with a tight time budged for simming) and really thinking how to use the remaining years (months?) I have on this planet.

 

Kind regards, Michael

[John Venema]

Geez, first world problems ...

[jmorvay1971]

We're not chaning the location of, or how our products are implemented, period.

To enjoy the visual world Orbx-style requires us to overwrite core system files. It's been that way from day one eight years ago, and it was sanctioned by ACES, thus FTX Central and the need to switch. LM came to the party many years later.

LM recommending that no sceneries live inside the root sim folder is basically eight years too late for us to do anything about it, and there is no difference to performance with our file locations as they are.

To begin chanting the magical OOM/VAS words as potential pitfalls is just naive. Please stop with that nonsense.

Come to think of it, I'm surprised we haven't had a customer register on the forums with the username OOMVAS

Then we are left to install as normal and if we need to reinstall the sim for any reason, we have to reinstall scenery...if that's the decision, then that works for me.  There's no point in arguing, as that is wasted time that can be spent getting back up and running! 

 

-Jim

[AUA9085]

Hi all,

 

thanks for updating the installers

Is there no current workaround how to get orbx workable with the latest v3 ?

[NoLonger]

Hi all,

 

thanks for updating the installers

Is there no current workaround how to get orbx workable with the latest v3 ?

You don't seriously think Orbx will support you on possible illegal workarounds, do you? Just wait for the new installers.

[TymK]

Then we are left to install as normal and if we need to reinstall the sim for any reason, we have to reinstall scenery...

 

I'd say the chances of having to reinstall the default scenery part of P3Dv3 are rather slim, so I think Phil's point still stands: you can uninstall the "Client" bit and then reinstall just that (there are now separate MSI files in the downloaded ZIP, with copies placed in "C:\ProgramData\Package Cache"). This leaves both the default scenery and the add-on scenery (such as Orbx) intact.

 

It may still be an issue when you need to reinstall your OS and everything with it, but it may just as well be possible to leave the sim in place as long as it's on a separate drive, and then just reinstall the client to ensure registry entries, licenses, etc. are put in place.

 

EDIT: As I was experimenting a bit with placing various add-ons outside the P3D folder, I came to realize that re-adding all the custom entries across 18 additional CFG files (as required with the "out of the main folder" approach) may well turn out to be more hassle than it's worth.

 

Regards,

Tym

[tareksalman]

Brett, I totally disagree here. I own the complete ORBX collection plus several dozens of airports and stuff. A complete reinstallation takes me several days, and it's nothing you can do serious work besides when you're asked "Do you really want to...?" every 5 minutes.

Summerized, I spent perhaps a week with reinstallations during the last year, maybe more. This are 5 days out of 365. I'm 63 (still working with a tight time budged for simming) and really thinking how to use the remaining years (months?) I have on this planet.

Kind regards, Michael

You still young guy long life ahead of you.

Sent from my LG-D959 using Tapatalk

[NoLonger]

Brett, I totally disagree here. I own the complete ORBX collection plus several dozens of airports and stuff. A complete reinstallation takes me several days, and it's nothing you can do serious work besides when you're asked "Do you really want to...?" every 5 minutes.

 

Summerized, I spent perhaps a week with reinstallations during the last year, maybe more. This are 5 days out of 365. I'm 63 (still working with a tight time budged for simming) and really thinking how to use the remaining years (months?) I have on this planet.

 

Kind regards, Michael

You might consider installing only the addons you actually use...? Or install an addon when you want to use it? Instead of spending a week doing nothing but installing? Do you visit each and every addon airport daily? I have quite a load of Orbx addons but after a reinstall I am up and flying within no time since I only install what I actually use.

[TymK]

I own the complete ORBX collection plus several dozens of airports and stuff. A complete reinstallation takes me several days, and it's nothing you can do serious work besides when you're asked "Do you really want to...?" every 5 minutes.

 

Hi Michael,

 

I fully understand your frustration as I usually have very limited simming time myself. However, please have a look at my reply to Jim. It may need some testing, but I think the very fact that the installer is now split into three parts may save us a lot of these headaches -- even without having to place things in an entirely separate folder.

 

Regards,

Tym

[xxd09]

Hi All

Does FSCubed FSX P3D from SDG Sim Design Group have a place here for the more impatient types?

xxd09

[pmb]

Hi Michael,

 

I fully understand your frustration as I usually have very limited simming time myself. However, please have a look at my reply to Jim. It may need some testing, but I think the very fact that the installer is now split into three parts may save us a lot of these headaches -- even without having to place things in an entirely separate folder.

 

Regards,

Tym

Thanks Tym, for the kind words plus for the clear explanation . If this will work out indeed in practice - which has to be seen - I'll rest my case. I don't care if stuff is installed inside or outside of the Simulator as long as I don't have to loose another 3 days installation with each dot version.

 

And sorry tareksalman, you might look upon things a bit differently if you lost your sister, mother and father to cancer not long ago.

 

Kind regards, Michael

[Culley44]

Hi All

Does FSCubed FSX P3D from SDG Sim Design Group have a place here for the more impatient types?

xxd09

i was looking at this tool today, according to what a friend has said, you can snapshot your addons and put them back accept for ftx vector and fsdreamteam airports.pmb you are not old,63 may have been old 20 years ago,but people are living longer these days,noone wants to sit and take along time installing all the addons each time an upgrade happens. i am 38 and what i do is sit down at 6am and start installing and if i don't stop, it takes me roughly 7 hours,of course my head is turned and watching the television part of the time lol.i wasn't trying to offend anyone.i was upset that orbx has already done enough by not charging for an upgrade.i understand bost sides here, but more with orbx because it would take probably dozens of man hours to put installers outside the p3d folder. try fscubed, i am gonna give it a try.

[ridinroun]

Been flying in V3. Must say it is weird without ORBX scenery down there.

[a340500]

Brett, I totally disagree here. I own the complete ORBX collection plus several dozens of airports and stuff. A complete reinstallation takes me several days, and it's nothing you can do serious work besides when you're asked "Do you really want to...?" every 5 minutes.

 

Summerized, I spent perhaps a week with reinstallations during the last year, maybe more. This are 5 days out of 365. I'm 63 (still working with a tight time budged for simming) and really thinking how to use the remaining years (months?) I have on this planet.

 

Kind regards, Michael

I am in the same boat but not too chuffed. As JV rightfully said.. First world problems ,.... ) I plan on moving to P3Dv3 in the new year - once most of the addons have cought up to P3dv3.1 or 2 (given the way this sim is progressing ahead :-D).

Cheers to all for keeping flight simming alive !!!

[NeilG]

Any of you guys tried FScubed yet? I got it yesterday and have taken a 'snapshot' back-up of my FSX Orbx installations so that in future I just click twice and let the program get on with re-installation. Reports are that it re-installs all perfectly except for vector. I cannot verify yet as I have only done the backup for the purposes of having to re-install in future but I am like everyone else often in a position where I have to take days to do this normally. If you have a snapshot of P3D version 2, apparently, you can reinstall it into v3. I've bought v3 but unfortunately didn't know about this when I uninstalled my v2.

 

Take care

 

Neil

[ejoiner]

The new installers will also allow for parallel installations of FSX:Boxed and FSX:SE

 

So glad for this thread because I logged on today to ask a very similar question.  I have FSX acceleration boxed edition installed on its own drive with lots of excellent FTX stuff installed    I am planning to move to P3D 3.0 however.    I purchased a brand new 3TB drive to hold P3D so I could have both FSX and P3D on dedicated drives under windows 10.     I had wondered what technique to use to have Orbx products used in P3D.   I suppose now I will just wait til the new multi installer will come to install my various products.

 

Am curious how FTX Central manages dual installations?  Does it have two instances etc?

 

Very much looking forward to having all my toys in one box with the new sim.

 

Eric

[Crusader]

Been flying in V3. Must say it is weird without ORBX scenery down there.

I agree with you for sure . Got used to seeing it too . Very unnatural to see the default although it does seem to have improved from v2.5 or it could just be my imagination . Hopefully we will see FTX Global before too long this month . Enjoying V3 .

 

Rich

[slsnet]

Hi! How soon will be updated installer FTX Global Base for Prepar 3D v3? Thank you.

[Todd Harrell]

Any of you guys tried FScubed yet? I got it yesterday and have taken a 'snapshot' back-up of my FSX Orbx installations so that in future I just click twice and let the program get on with re-installation. Reports are that it re-installs all perfectly except for vector. I cannot verify yet as I have only done the backup for the purposes of having to re-install in future but I am like everyone else often in a position where I have to take days to do this normally. If you have a snapshot of P3D version 2, apparently, you can reinstall it into v3. I've bought v3 but unfortunately didn't know about this when I uninstalled my v2.

 

Take care

 

Neil

 

I would use caution.  Yes, it will install all sceneries you had in v2.5 in v3, including Orbx sceneries, but it will also install Global textures without backing up your default P3D textures.  I might also add FSCubed backs up other files as well that you may not want installed. So, a big limitation of FSCubed is you cannot select what files from the snapshot you want installed. Most importantly, being that FSCubed is not an Orbx product, you use it at your own risk. I say be patient. 

[NoLonger]

I agree with you for sure . Got used to seeing it too . Very unnatural to see the default although it does seem to have improved from v2.5 or it could just be my imagination . Hopefully we will see FTX Global before too long this month . Enjoying V3 .

Rich

That's just your imagination. Default sucks just as much as it did before. It hurts my eyes. I can't wait for at least Global. And then FTX Norway, please.

Hi! How soon will be updated installer FTX Global Base for Prepar 3D v3? Thank you.

Updated installers usually are released when they are ready. No one knows yet when that will be but John Venema said he expects all main big addons to be updated and released within a month. Global will be the first one. Could take days, could take weeks. Either way, it takes patience.

[NoLonger]

Any of you guys tried FScubed yet? I got it yesterday and have taken a 'snapshot' back-up of my FSX Orbx installations so that in future I just click twice and let the program get on with re-installation. Reports are that it re-installs all perfectly except for vector. I cannot verify yet as I have only done the backup for the purposes of having to re-install in future but I am like everyone else often in a position where I have to take days to do this normally. If you have a snapshot of P3D version 2, apparently, you can reinstall it into v3. I've bought v3 but unfortunately didn't know about this when I uninstalled my v2.

 

Take care

 

Neil

I rather spend days installing addons (although I usually never do that: I only install what I need instead of installing everything I own in a row) then use these kind of addons which promise a lot but where you never have real control over... You said yourself already that apparently Vector isn't restored well...? You never know what else it may screw up. I also always download the latest installers whenever I reinstall the sim. With an addon like this you might be restoring old stuff. All in all I rather have complete control over what I am doing. It's the same with that migration tool: no way I would ever use that. I will happily wait for compatible new installers.

[NeilG]

I would use caution.  Yes, it will install all sceneries you had in v2.5 in v3, including Orbx sceneries, but it will also install Global textures without backing up your default P3D textures.  I might also add FSCubed backs up other files as well that you may not want installed. So, a big limitation of FSCubed is you cannot select what files from the snapshot you want installed. Most importantly, being that FSCubed is not an Orbx product, you use it at your own risk. I say be patient.

I have to say that I would agree and would rather use an ORBX tool, one that is specifically designed for this job. This was just an intermediate solution because it was not too expensive and had a good review from Jordan King.

Neil

[cfso1518]

Thank you

[chadblack]

Updated installers usually are released when they are ready. No one knows yet when that will be but John Venema said he expects all main big addons to be updated and released within a month. Global will be the first one. Could take days, could take weeks. Either way, it takes patience.

 

Or even months to MANY months. Typically when ORBX gives us a timeline in terms of "a month or so" that means more like 6 months. lol!  I'm in no hurry, and will gladly wait. Their work is always worth it, But lets be honest here... ORBX isn't known for following through on their promised timelines. 

[Phil Manhart]

Or even months to MANY months. Typically when ORBX gives us a timeline in terms of "a month or so" that means more like 6 months. lol!  I'm in no hurry, and will gladly wait. Their work is always worth it, But lets be honest here... ORBX isn't known for following through on their promised timelines. 

 

 

Good things come to those who wait!

[Jocko Flocko]

I simply temporarily renamed a few directories as well as temporarily modified my reg. All scenery works fine, no issues...

[Striker]

Any of you guys tried FScubed yet? I got it yesterday and have taken a 'snapshot' back-up of my FSX Orbx installations so that in future I just click twice and let the program get on with re-installation. Reports are that it re-installs all perfectly except for vector. I cannot verify yet as I have only done the backup for the purposes of having to re-install in future but I am like everyone else often in a position where I have to take days to do this normally. If you have a snapshot of P3D version 2, apparently, you can reinstall it into v3. I've bought v3 but unfortunately didn't know about this when I uninstalled my v2.

 

Take care

 

Neil

 

I've used it to move all Prepar3D 2.5 over to Prepar3D v3, generally speaking it does a good job. Some of the ORBX scenery are missing library items such as fences etc, but until the installers are availabe it creates a happy meduim. The only scenery it wont move is FSDT, all of my Fly Tampa and UK2000 and Addon scenery was copied over and works fine. It's a time consuming process, about 4 hours to copy the files and 2 to move into P3Dv3, but the folder and file structures are maiintained. The recently released FTX central sets the region without any problem.

[John Venema]

Or even months to MANY months. Typically when ORBX gives us a timeline in terms of "a month or so" that means more like 6 months. lol!  I'm in no hurry, and will gladly wait. Their work is always worth it, But lets be honest here... ORBX isn't known for following through on their promised timelines.

This is precisely the reason we don't promise timelines for any product releases, because of comments like these.

We will be releasing the core products mentioned as V3 multi-installers this month; the other 100+ products will follow in a timely manner. All at no cost to you, but at a real cost to us (lost development time and paid compensation to some developers).

Please remember we did not ask LM to release a new point version and change folders and paths, nor could we preempt the final P3Dv3 structure during the beta stage, that's too risky as other vendors have already found out.

In this instant gratification McDonalds drive-thru generation, people want things "NOW!". The reality is different. Get used to it.

[Penzoil3]

ChadBlack doesn't speak for your devoted fan base J.V.   We know the OrbX team is burning the midnight oil for us on updates. It will be worth the wait !

Sorry a fellow Arizonan is such a loud mouthed jerk. Kids, as you say...

 Sue

[franck66]

"new multi-installers to add the Orbx content. "

 

To be clear, when you talk about multi-installer, you talk about re-download all the entire regions not only a specific V3 installer (means many many GO vs ligh file) ? 

 

I ask this question because it means for me many days of downlaod, but i'm patient

 

Thanks for your efforts for the orbx customers

[NoLonger]

"new multi-installers to add the Orbx content. "

 

To be clear, when you talk about multi-installer, you talk about re-download all the entire regions not only a specific V3 installer (means many many GO vs ligh file) ? 

 

I ask this question because it means for me many days of downlaod, but i'm patient

 

Thanks for your efforts for the orbx customers

 

I'm interested in this too although I hope the opposite as you: I'd like to have new multi-installers with all add ons completely up to date! Including no more Central v1 and so on. That would be great. But in the end whatever solution Orbx comes up with will be great. Can't wait to get at least Global and FTX Norway in v3!

[John Venema]

Yes you will need to re-download all the installers because we'll patch them to the latest version and add support for FSX: Boxed, FSX:SE, P3Dv1, P3Dv2 and P3Dv3 - this needs a re-compile of the old installers.

 

Had LM released V3 with an option to install it to the legacy P3Dv2 registry/paths it would have saved us many months and thousands of man-hours of headache.