Installation via DVDs

[Brian Monks]

My old highly reliable FS9 and XP and excellently performing VozAustralis system finally wore out. A major hi spec hardware replacement followed. So far other software upgrades and introduction to match new capabilities and FSX SE have succeeded very well. But my Orbx intentions struggles and disappoints.  

 

I recently purchased nine airfield DVDs from PC Aviator Australia. But the download of the essential PNW repeatedly stalled and failed. (Another story.) Finally resolved only recently and FTX Central v3 installed. DVD installation of various airfields was then attempted. But failed. Turning Puget Sound into a vast forest. Unusable as a simulation. Orbx then advised v3 cannot handle DVD installation. But v2 could. I uninstalled PNW and returned the region to default. I  have spent very much time trying to locate an Orbx legacy download source for v2. So that I can install from DVDS. Searching unsuccessfully. Can anyone help please?

 

I have seen mention dated November 2016 about an imminent provision of something called the 'cross grade function'? Which may address the DVD installation issue? Again can anyone help with the advice that this suggested? Where is it please?

 

After failing with my PNW intentions I switched the focus to Australia. I installed from the disk FTX Australia for FSX and the base textures etc seemed to work. But on testing with three airfield sceneries I found only one would install. Lilydale succeeded but Lanceston and Redcliffe both failed. Several attempts. Although FTXC tells me they are all installed and up to date. No way.

 

Questions

1. Where to get FTXCentral v2 so that I can install my recently purchased local airfields based in PNW? Is this the solution? What else?

2. Can I be reasonably hopeful that if I reinstall PNW that Puget Sound will not become totally forested again?

3. Has provision of the 'cross grade function' come about? Where?

4. Is the disk copy installation of FTX Australia no longer supported? Why not?

 

Thanks,

Brian Monks

New Zealand

 

 

 

 

[Nick Cooper]

Hello Brian,

welcome to the forums.

 

!. You don't need FTX Central v2 but if you really want it here is a Download link

 

2. As with any product, if it is installed correctly into a correctly installed simulator, it will work.

If you are trying to install from a DVD with no FSX-SE installer and you don't have FSX DE,

the remedy is to install FSX-SE correctly and use the FSX installer.

 

3. No, not yet.

 

4. The installation of products on DVD remains entirely unchanged. The only thing that has changed

is that a product installed from a DVD cannot be updated using FTX Central v3.

However, it can be updated from this page.

[Brian Monks]

Hi  Nick, 

 

Thanks. Incidentally I spent a week or so in York some while back. Good spot. 

 

My problem is not in any with FSX-SE installation. It was installed professionally as a bedding-in exercise by the folk who put my very satisfactory new rig together. Fully tested and OK'd all round. In the short time since I have also installed several non Orbx scenery and aircraft add ons. No problems at all. And all flight functions great. But currently my broadband is marginal. So nursing any downloads. 

 

But:

 

1. After my first failure to download PNW as the essential base for several DVDs my 'first contact' communication with Orbx was very frustrating. I now realise I was being shovelled off to a forum process via a wall of silence. After several broken weeks of attempts I eventually got an answer from the Purchasing Dept. But again installation failed. Being told FTXCv3 would not install airfield add ons from DVDs. I needed v2. But I could not find it anywhere on the Orbx site.  

 

2. You supplied v2 - thanks. But said I did not need it. I tested it anyway. It failed and reported via a full page of obtuse explanation - an Error 131. 

 

3. Then I reverted to v3. Having already gone through a tedious download of PNW it was sitting on my desktop. So pressed 'Install' in FTXC. The blurb suggests v3 is all knowing and does not need prompting. But after some time realised it was downloading the entire 4 gig PNW all over again. Why? 

 

4. Installed PNW but not sure it is correct. Central saying it was successful. There is no indication in the FSX-SE scenery library priority list that PNW is present - and activated. There are several entries suffixed by AU suggesting my Australian base is there but no PNW. Is it 'hidden'? Is the 'activation' process with Orbx automatic through FTXC? 

 

5. Flight observation does suggest PNW is installed over the default Seattle region. But several airfields have 'flatten' faults. PAE, Olympia, McCord, and Grey all look like medieval fortresses. With sunken or disappeared runways. And the PNW Control Panel is greyed out. The 'blued' scenery update button invites attention but refuses to reveal any details on any update. While FTXC says the PNW installation was successful and up to date? But if I immediately require relevant updates then presumably it isn't? And the minutes old download is out of date? But no explanation of what the update is, nor its size - perhaps concealing an gigantic download of stuff I don't need? A right click revealing details and size would be helpful? At present I do not know if the update will fix the PNW shortcomings or some region of say Montana?

 

6. The 'Migration' panel invites attention. And tells me this is a oncer. I press and its says 'success'. But every time I start FTXC it requires a further "migration'? 

 

7. In testing the set-up only one of my downloaded Orbx airfields add-ons in Australia works - two don't. On my DVD installed Australian base Orbx. You mention an update of DVD site under your comment 3 above. Thanks. I had actually tracked down this source a few days ago. But owing to the somewhat obscure Orbx file labelling system not actually sure which updates apply? Are they the two (?) in the long lists that have the suffix AU? And how big please? Nor do I wish to install the wrong or conflicting stuff. 

 

8. My nine DVDs - covering PNW and SI NZ - were purchased from PC Aviator Australia this year. I have since learned Orbx have pulled the plug on this source so do I now need to 'licence' this purchase? By just adding an email address?

 

9. As Orbx has decided to dispense with any distribution of data via DVDs - a commercial, let alone flight sim community, mistake I believe - would not a size tag on your downloads be helpful? 

 

10. Finally, if the installation of FTXC v3 continues to be flawed then is there any way PNW can be installed manually? The unintelligible identity of the PNW zip file sitting on my desktop comprises zips within zips within zips within zips, etc. Is there any workable way this can be safely extracted to reveal an installer? 

 

11. I will hold my breath and shortly attempt a reinstall of one or two PNW DVD airfields. But my last attempt was wholly unsatisfactory.  

 

Thanks so much for your help so far. 

 

Cheers,

Brian Monks 

[Brian Monks]

Later, 

 

Hi Nick, 

 

See my earlier post today regarding installation. 

 

Took extensive flight all around Seattle area. T and Gs at numerous fields. Confirmed 'flatten' problems that occur after Orbx PNW installation.  Also some of the smaller paved fields runways would disappear on short finals. And the surrounds would 'mound up'. But grass fields OK. 

 

Then returned to default flight out of Friday Harbour. All seemed normal. 

 

Landed, closed down and exited FSX. All normal. Checked FTXC and settings. All normal. 

 

Then loaded DVD and installed Cresswell 77S. By clicking the install instructions contained when the DVD became active. Was advised that installation was successful. 

 

Did not attempt to use Cresswell but immediately loaded the default flight above Friday Harbour. Useless. Area was totally unrecognisable and entire Puget Sound a massive forest.  No value at all as a visual backdrop to a simulation. 

 

So I am back to square one. 

 

Back to my first question. Is it possible to install Orbx airfields from recently purchased DVDs? If so - how please? 

 

Have just checked my FTXC controls again. At present FTXC says I have installed Cresswell, the image is not longer greyed, but it needs an update. When I go to the update it says I have no licence. And directs me to two websites. One which invites me to buy my recent purchase all over again - although at May's discounted price of $17.46. The other to migrate from my FSS purchase - I did not buy it from FSS, nothing to do with them - I bought the DVDs on 9 January 2017 from PC Aviator Pty Ltd, PO Box 109, Rochdale South, Queensland, AUSTRALIA. 4123. Invoice number 41923A. How/where do I register a licence from them? Why? Each of the DVD boxes are sealed products from Orbx Simulations Systems Pty Ltd. No licence issued. Not some pirated outfit. Or are these guys unrelated to Orbx direct etc? Who are we trying to p .... off the most here?

 

And how can I choose which drive to store the scenery? The process seems to insist on C which is an SSD containing my system and FSX. I would prefer to put scenery on my D drive.  For obvious reasons. How please?

 

Am still trying to smile. 

 

Cheers, 

 

Brian Monks 

[Nick Cooper]

Hello Brian.

here are some answers.

 

 

1. After my first failure to download PNW as the essential base for several DVDs my 'first contact' communication with Orbx was very frustrating. I now realise I was being shovelled off to a forum process via a wall of silence. After several broken weeks of attempts I eventually got an answer from the Purchasing Dept. But again installation failed. Being told FTXCv3 would not install airfield add ons from DVDs. I needed v2. But I could not find it anywhere on the Orbx site.

 

Answer. This is what you saw where you went to create the ticket.

For any account issues or payment support, please create a ticket. Do not use this for technical support related to

products.

 

 

2. You supplied v2 - thanks. But said I did not need it. I tested it anyway. It failed and reported via a full page of obtuse explanation - an Error 131. 

 

Answer. Two versions of FTX Central will not work at the same time

 

3. Then I reverted to v3. Having already gone through a tedious download of PNW it was sitting on my desktop. So pressed 'Install' in FTXC. The blurb suggests v3 is all knowing and does not need prompting. But after some time realised it was downloading the entire 4 gig PNW all over again. Why? 

 

Answer. Here is how to install a manually downloaded file.

 

4. Installed PNW but not sure it is correct. Central saying it was successful. There is no indication in the FSX-SE scenery library priority list that PNW is present - and activated. There are several entries suffixed by AU suggesting my Australian base is there but no PNW. Is it 'hidden'? Is the 'activation' process with Orbx automatic through FTXC? 

 

Answer. If the simulator and the registry entries are all correctly installed, FTX Central will indeed write scenery library entries to the library.

 

5. Flight observation does suggest PNW is installed over the default Seattle region. But several airfields have 'flatten' faults. PAE, Olympia, McCord, and Grey all look like medieval fortresses. With sunken or disappeared runways. And the PNW Control Panel is greyed out. The 'blued' scenery update button invites attention but refuses to reveal any details on any update. While FTXC says the PNW installation was successful and up to date? But if I immediately require relevant updates then presumably it isn't? And the minutes old download is out of date? But no explanation of what the update is, nor its size - perhaps concealing an gigantic download of stuff I don't need? A right click revealing details and size would be helpful? At present I do not know if the update will fix the PNW shortcomings or some region of say Montana?

 

Answer. PNW has no control panel. The latest version is 008. If you click on the PNW icon and then hover your mouse over the white tick in the white circle, a tool tip will appear with the version number in it.

If you read the text in the  'blued' scenery update button, does it perhaps read that the Orbx libraries should be updated?

If so, please do that, none of the FTX products will work unless the libraries are installed.

 

6. The 'Migration' panel invites attention. And tells me this is a oncer. I press and its says 'success'. But every time I start FTXC it requires a further "migration'? 

 

Answer. This may be connected with the libraries not having been installed.

 

7. In testing the set-up only one of my downloaded Orbx airfields add-ons in Australia works - two don't. On my DVD installed Australian base Orbx. You mention an update of DVD site under your comment 3 above. Thanks. I had actually tracked down this source a few days ago. But owing to the somewhat obscure Orbx file labelling system not actually sure which updates apply? Are they the two (?) in the long lists that have the suffix AU? And how big please? Nor do I wish to install the wrong or conflicting stuff. 

 

Answer. The file naming system is not very obscure.

AU = AUstralia, PNW= Pacific North West, NZSI=New Zealand South Island and so on. Airport files are named after their ICAO codes.

 

 

8. My nine DVDs - covering PNW and SI NZ - were purchased from PC Aviator Australia this year. I have since learned Orbx have pulled the plug on this source so do I now need to 'licence' this purchase? By just adding an email address?

 

Answer. You can install DVDs in the same way as they have always been installed. They will show up as installed in FTX Central v3 but you will not be able to update them using FTX Central v3.

 

9. As Orbx has decided to dispense with any distribution of data via DVDs - a commercial, let alone flight sim community, mistake I believe - would not a size tag on your downloads be helpful? 

 

Answer. Possibly. There is some useful information here.

 

10. Finally, if the installation of FTXC v3 continues to be flawed then is there any way PNW can be installed manually? The unintelligible identity of the PNW zip file sitting on my desktop comprises zips within zips within zips within zips, etc. Is there any workable way this can be safely extracted to reveal an installer? 

 

Answer. As this is a repeat of your question three, the answer is the same.

 

Now your second post of questions.

 

Took extensive flight all around Seattle area. T and Gs at numerous fields. Confirmed 'flatten' problems that occur after Orbx PNW installation.  Also some of the smaller paved fields runways would disappear on short finals. And the surrounds would 'mound up'. But grass fields OK.

 

Answer. Please check that you do not have residual files from previous versions of airports in the area but not the installation is complete.

 

Then loaded DVD and installed Cresswell 77S. By clicking the install instructions contained when the DVD became active. Was advised that installation was successful. 

 

Did not attempt to use Cresswell but immediately loaded the default flight above Friday Harbour. Useless. Area was totally unrecognisable and entire Puget Sound a massive forest.  No value at all as a visual backdrop to a simulation. 

 

Answer. Until it can be confirmed that the libraries are installed and the scenery library entries added, comment on this is of little value, except to refer you back to the answer to question two. If you have run versions of FTX Central found on DVDs, damage may well have been done. It might be a good idea to re-install and run FTX Central v3 after the last DVD product has been installed. This should remove any other FTX Central versions and avoid confusion.

 

Back to my first question. Is it possible to install Orbx airfields from recently purchased DVDs? If so - how please? 

 

Answer. Already given.

 

Have just checked my FTXC controls again. At present FTXC says I have installed Cresswell, the image is not longer greyed, but it needs an update. When I go to the update it says I have no licence. And directs me to two websites. One which invites me to buy my recent purchase all over again - although at May's discounted price of $17.46. The other to migrate from my FSS purchase - I did not buy it from FSS, nothing to do with them - I bought the DVDs on 9 January 2017 from PC Aviator Pty Ltd, PO Box 109, Rochdale South, Queensland, AUSTRALIA. 4123. Invoice number 41923A. How/where do I register a licence from them? Why? Each of the DVD boxes are sealed products from Orbx Simulations Systems Pty Ltd. No licence issued. Not some pirated outfit. Or are these guys unrelated to Orbx direct etc? Who are we trying to p .... off the most here?

 

Answer. There is at present no means to transfer your licence from a DVD to Orbx Direct. This is clearly stated on the page of DVD updates which I linked you to and you stated you had already visited.

The DVD products will install and continue to work exactly as they did when you bought them.

The whole point of a DVD is to allow installation where there is no internet connection.

The licence is included on the DVD which simply installs without further checks, doesn't it?

Your comments about piracy are both unwarranted and incorrect.

 

And how can I choose which drive to store the scenery? The process seems to insist on C which is an SSD containing my system and FSX. I would prefer to put scenery on my D drive.  For obvious reasons. How please?

 

Answer. FTX scenery products install to an ORBX folder in the root folder of the simulator. The installers, whether FTX Central or whether DVD are directed to this location by what is recorded in the Windows registry.

If you want the files to be installed to your D drive, the simulator should ideally be there and the Windows registry entries amended to reflect this.

It is possible to use a symbolic link to achieve the files on another drive and a link to them in the simulator root folder.

Here is a topic containing how to do this.

 

 

 

 

[Brian Monks]

Thanks again Nick, 

 

Updated the scenery libraries - although initially blind to what the goal, content or the size of the library download was - and tested around Friday Harbour area generally. Vast improvement, the false forest disappeared and Puget Sound returned. Might I suggest that a great deal of effort would have been saved if, as I commented earlier, the scenery update button promising details actually gave some details? Rather than just launching into a major download? A sentence or two indicating size and corrections could have saved a lot of sweat and delay? Key words, flatten, elevations, roads or whatever? And steered me towards a much earlier solution. And as 'aircraft' seemed prominent in the file progress title it did little to suggest 'scenery' was its prime focus? But maybe I missed that during the lengthy download. 

 

Then I downloaded and installed PNW SP05 and SP08 from the page you identified as necessary to update DVD installed add on products. My comment about obscure is that there is no indication of what the patches do so that no judgement can be made. As it is one or the other, or both, have created problems. And I used the installers not Central. To satisfy the updates FTXC indicated were necessary for Cresswell. Did not immediately check the results as I had to close down and attend to other matters. But FTXC does not realise the patches have been applied as it keeps telling me to get them. 

 

On my return and firing up the computer then found FSX-SE would not start! Since purchase of my replacement system in early April and very considerable use since this is the first time it has failed to start. Nor ever on my old rig over 10 years. Trawling the forums has so far not provided me an answer. But after some considerable time managed to get FSX going again by working through the Steam site. But every time I load FSX a panel now comes up about a faulty file entitled 'Dynamic Object Placement' telling me it is better to be removed. Specifically "ObjectFlow. dll". I have hunted and hunted but cannot find this file. Including using the Search on FSX. Any ideas? This has only arisen since installing the patches for Cresswell. 

 

Later I tested the Seattle PNW area. But I now have major OOM problems. Only in PNW since applying the patches. As prior to the patches going in I flew for an hour a day or so ago out of Cresswell - (when Puget Sound was covered in forest) - now after as short as 5 mins I get 'spikes' and then all displays freeze. In four flights out of Cresswell and 15 mins maximum before FSX shuts down. All since installing the patches. How do I remove them?

 

My rig has more than enough grunt. Kabylake i7-7700, 16GB, and two GTX1070s. And I can fiddle with the settings. But 5 minutes?

 

The OOM problems only occur in Orbx PNW region. Even out of Friday Harbour - I can only stay airborne for about 5 minutes - FSX then CTDs. But not in Orbx Australia. Where I have just tested for 50 mins in four states and several airfields and demanding scenaries. Nor anywhere else in the World. What were the patches supposed to resolve? And I have no idea what caused FTX to fail to start. 

 

Incidentally my copy of FTXC was a download from Orbx not from a DVD. 

 

Brian Monks

[Nick Cooper]

Hello again Brian,

 

I see nothing ambiguous in this message.

 

 

As your copy of PNW is digital, I wonder why you would apply updates to it that

are for DVD copies and earlier versions?

A digital copy from Orbx Direct is up to date and if it becomes out of date FTX Central will

infom the customer of this.
There is no associated detail because such updates are redundant and provided

only as a service for customers with DVD versions of those products.

I see no update for 77S Cresswell on the DVD updates page.

 

You will find objectflow.dll in ORBX\FTX_AU\FTXAA_ORBXLIBS\Scenery, it is part of the

library download. You can click on Yes to the message.

 

"Grunt" has nothing to do with Out Of Memory errors. You may have to lower your settings

to allow for the additional detail present in PNW.

 

FTX Central version 3 is not available on DVD.