Upgrading to Orbx Global triad

[Archive82]

I am considering upgrading my FSX scenery to your Global Base/Vector/OpenLC North America system. I already am using your NA Blue USA/Canada-PacNW and NA Blue USA/Northern Rocky Mountain software and am impressed with their high quality. A few questions (and, yes, I’ve read your documentation):

1.     If I stage the purchase and the installation of the Global triad, (buy Global Base and install it, then buy Vector and install itlater, etc) will that reduce the quality of my current NA Blue PNW and North Rockies software between each installation? Perhaps not if the NA Blue USA software is merely a regional, not global, version of the geographically-more-broad Base/Vector/OpenLC software. A corollary to this question: Once installed will the Global triad be better in detail than the NA Blue USA regional software, which itself is very good?

2.     I installed Flight 1’s Ultimate Terrain X - USA, Ground Environment X – North America and GE-X Europe scenery software before I bought your NA Blue regional scenery. Should those programs be uninstalled before I install the Base/Vector/OpenLC North America system? I assume not since the NA Blue software seems to work fine overlaying the still-present Flight 1 scenery. But why keep them?

My reason for staging the installation is to spread out the expenditures – but I want to be able to continue to use my current Orbx Regional NA Blue USA scenery as I upgrade to the Global system over a few months.

If the Base/Vector/OpenLC North America system installs well, I will go on to the OpenLC Europe software.

Archive82

[Nick Cooper]

Hello,

the FTX Global product will have no effect one way or the other on your FTX regions.

Most people, including me, find that it does make a dramatic improvement to everywhere else.

This is what the FTX Global user guide says about GEX

 

Quote

GROUND ENVIRONMENT X (GEX)   GEX is a default texture replacement product just like FTXG and is therefore not compatible at all. When you install FTXG you will replace any GEX textures which may have been active in Scenery\World\Texture. We do recommend that you firstly uninstall your GEX before installing FTXG, then also using the backup option from our installer to make a backup of the default textures. Please check the compatibility forums at the above link for more information. 

 

You can download the user guide from the product page if you wish to read more about it.

[Archive82]

Nick:

Thank you. That answers my questions re: the previous Flight 1 installations. As I thought: I could leave them in place or uninstall; the latter makes more sense.

And it's good to know that I will be able to enjoy, unchanged, my current Orbx Blue PacNW and Northern Rockies scenery after I install a new FTX Global Base package and delay installing the FTX Global Vector package until a later time and then even later install the final Global OpenLC USA as a third step. I do understand that correctly, right?

Then on to purchase.

I understand that Orbx will have its own 'store' as of Nov 1, which will permit direct download of ordered programs instead of going through the FlightSim store...? And finally - will BASE/Vector/OpenLC each be available as a CD as well as direct download? 

-=dcp=-

[Nick Cooper]

Yes, your first paragraph is exactly correct.

 

I believe that the option of purchasing a DVD copy of the software is not to be continued

into the new store and that the suggested solution is to download the files via your own

or another internet connection and then transfer them to DVD or a memory stick.

[Archive82]

Wonderful.

Now to place the first order and get Base installed.

I thank you for your rapid and helpful replies.

Class outfit.

BTW - a fine city you live in. Spent some, but far too little, time there a few years ago. Love the Shambles.

-=dcp=-

[Archive82]

Nick:

One last comment: regarding your statement that Orbx would not be providing a DVD copy of any order. I think that's a bad error. I've so far been unsuccessful in 10 attempts to download directly my order for the FTX Base program, even with a download accelerator or helper program. The whole thing just times out and breaks the connection before the entire 4.4 GB has arrived. Happily I did order the DVD copy from FlightSim store so I will get it installed eventually. But without that disc, I'd be very unhappy with my order - and if it were directly from Orbx with no DVD option I don't know what I'd do, except throw a fit. And be hesitant to order anything else. I am using ADSL and a reasonably fast connection, but service varies enormously. I think you need to offer a DVD option to keep your customer base intact and/or growing.

-=dcp=-

[John Dow]

1 hour ago, Archive82 said:

Nick:

One last comment: regarding your statement that Orbx would not be providing a DVD copy of any order. I think that's a bad error. I've so far been unsuccessful in 10 attempts to download directly my order for the FTX Base program, even with a download accelerator or helper program. The whole thing just times out and breaks the connection before the entire 4.4 GB has arrived. Happily I did order the DVD copy from FlightSim store so I will get it installed eventually. But without that disc, I'd be very unhappy with my order - and if it were directly from Orbx with no DVD option I don't know what I'd do, except throw a fit. And be hesitant to order anything else. I am using ADSL and a reasonably fast connection, but service varies enormously. I think you need to offer a DVD option to keep your customer base intact and/or growing.

-=dcp=-

 

What download program are you using?  I use Free Download Manager and if the connection is lost, it just resumes and finishes off the download next time it connects.  If your download manager doesn't do that maybe there's a setting that needs to be changed?

 

[Archive82]

John:

I tried loading Free Download Manager directly from the FlightSim Store page - it loaded and then I immediately got a message that said (something like) "this download manager is a fake.")...do this...do that...then do this...and then..." so I closed it and tried another one which somehow could not even find the FTX Base file I was trying to download from FlightSim. Neither could the other option. Hopeless. I think that's why I sent the message to Nick that I did. I cannot think that my experience is unique. And so, planning for worst outcomes would predicate that Orbx offer a solid alternative - a DVD with the program on it .And, yes, I've been at this computer stuff for a long, long time, so I'm no amateur:  just to be clear about it, since I'm labelled a 'Newbie' by Orbx. I even tried changing to a different computer. No joy. I think I have to wait for the disc.

Oh, I had little trouble directly downloading the smaller Orbx programs some months back. But this large 4.4 GB file just won't fly...at least not in my direction.

Thank you for the interest.

-=dcp=-

[John Dow]

That's not right is it?  Something's wrong, perhaps you've got a hidden problem in your computer?

 

When you open Free Download Manager (FDM) you will probably just get a small square icon on the desktop (mine sits in the bottom right corner) :

 

 

Double clicking on that will open up the main window, where you will find an icon of a white cross in a blue circle.  Clicking on that opens the Add download window.

 

If you have already copied the download link for the product you need into memory, the Add download window will auto-fill the link for you.  Or, you can copy and paste the link into the URL window.

 

If you're following these steps and getting messages about the download manager being fake you definitely have a problem, possibly a trojan or something nastier.

[John Venema]

If you have a good ADSL connection then you'll never need a DVD ever. 4.44GB is quite a small download by today's standards.

 

i use the GetRight download manager, have done so for 10 years. Never fails, and you can download four concurrent streams at once to increase the download speed.

 

We won't be continuing the DVD option once the OrbxDirect store is opened.

[Archive82]

John Dow and Nick Cooper: 

I may get disconnected since we are getting battered here in the PacNW by the leftovers from a Pacific storm near Guam, but will to give it try since you deserve a reasonable response considering your interest and help with my problems.

It’s been an interesting several days. Partly my fault since I should have gone directly to the Free Download Manager website instead of using the link on the download page of FlightSim Store. Once I went to the FDM website, John, their program downloaded perfectly and intercepted my Orbx FTX Base download coming in on Chrome. Sat back and later found the FTX Base downloaded intact. Great! Then went to drag and drop it onto a 125 GB USB3.0 v2 flash drive to transfer to the desktop machine with the FSX program. Got a message saying that, “there is not enough room on the (flash) drive for this program.” Huh. 4.4GB on a 125GB drive? OK, tried a 60 GB USB2.0 flash drive, same message. Tried a 16GB USB flash drive. Ditto. Well, only thing to do is reproduce the same efforts directly on the desk-top with the FSX program. So downloaded FDM on that and restarted the FTX Base download again and went to bed. This morning, voila.

Bottom line it’s now installed and working just fine.

But. I think this illustrates my contention that a DVD disc should be available for purchasers. I’m patient. At age 82 one learns patience. But other customers may not be so inclined.

I mention this because I think you have a class organization and fine products. I want you to thrive and bring to the flight sim world more improvements to the experience. I’m not privy to, nor should I be, your organization’s decision to not provide a disc if requested, but I think it may result in purchaser’s having the same problems I had and not having the background to figure out solutions, ask for assistance or have the patience to cope with difficulties (present generation seems not to deal well with anything that doesn’t go perfectly – an old guy’s perspective that) Those frustrations will be compounded if there is no assurance that relief is in the mail in the shape of a disc.

So enough. Things are up and running and looking good.

I thank you both for the hand-holding and look forward to downloading FTX Vector after a time and then the getting the final OpenLC layers.

Don Pearson (Archive82)

[Jon Clarke]

I suggest that you keep your download on your C drive and install it from there if you have room on your drive that is. It will currently unwrap and place it in the C drive temporary folder. Once installed it will delete the temp folder copy so you are not stuck with twice the downloaded gigs on your C drive. You could then transfer the unwrapped and extracted folder of your download to your USB Flash drive for storage purposes. However, please note that your current stored FTX/Orbx files will soon become redundant ( currently as of 1st November) with the new upcoming Direct Store from Orbx. Take a look at the topic here: 

You will see that downloads will be performed through the new FTX Central v3 and that storage copies can be chosen also as an option. Those storage options downloads can then be kept for any further reinstalls you may require without having to download the addon again. And yes it will do a "resume" download should you ever get cut off your internet. So it is going to be a quicker direct download, with an option to make a storage copy , and will resume downloads just like FDM or Get Right currently does. Good news all round really. It should also negate the need for a DVD.

[Archive82]

JJaycee1:

Ah, Progress.Way ahead of this old guy. I now see the reason for 'no disc'. Makes sense and hope it works without too many glitches...have to be some.

Oh, didn't know about any senior discount. Have birth certificate, will forward.

Look forward to some notice of when the new system actually becomes 'Official'. (I always assume some slippage.)

Thanks for the information.

-=dcp=-