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X-Plane 11 on Mac - TrueEarth UK question


muso7

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Hi guys

Apologies if this has already been covered.

I am about to buy the TrueEarth UK for my X-Plane 11 on my iMac

Orbx website states this will be available in a week for Mac OSX but I already see videos etc of Mac people with it installed.

So is it now fully available for me?

Also, as I don't have FTX central, how is it installed?

 

Many thanks

 

Pete :-)

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49 minutes ago, muso7 said:

Hi guys

Apologies if this has already been covered.

I am about to buy the TrueEarth UK for my X-Plane 11 on my iMac

Orbx website states this will be available in a week for Mac OSX but I already see videos etc of Mac people with it installed.

So is it now fully available for me?

Also, as I don't have FTX central, how is it installed?

 

Many thanks

 

Pete :-)

 

Simple - buy it, go to your account, click on it, and then download the cross-platform version at the bottom of the page.  Cheers.

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There is but it's a bit ambiguous.  

 

(1) I was under the impression that a Mac user had to use Terminal if it were a Manual Download, as was originally explained to me.  Now that there's a Cross Platform download, I (perhaps mistakingly) understood that to be download and install - but that isn't the case?

 

(2) After installing the folders inside my Custom Scenery folder I got a message indicating that the files could not be found, so I presumed that I, in fact, WOULD need to to this process with Terminal.

 

(3) I received, on my FB page, a video file by Ben McClintock showing what to do - which differs from what is stated in the printed instructions (first thing that made me scratch my head).

(4) Following the written word, after running the _mac_1_conversion script (in Terminal) there is no mention in the text as to what one should see... where to look... etc.  

 

At best the instructions, when compared against the video file that was part of a response to my query, make little sense.  

 

Can there be one COMPLETE set of instructions that also alerts the user as to what to expect and where to look?

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Below is the text I received on my FB page for your reference (when it was posted yesterday it indicated to do a MANUAL download).  I do not know if the Cross Platform download came out since then.

 

=============

 

TrueEarth GB South is now Mac ready! We have had a couple of technical hiccups resulting in delays, however we have a workaround that will get you all up in the air.

To get started, follow these steps:

Go into your OrbxDirect account and click on TE GB South
At the bottom of the screen click the manual download option for Mac/Linux users
Extract the 3 TE GB folders to the /Custom Scenery/ folder

Now it's time to convert textures which may take awhile. To do this:

Open Terminal
Also open the X-Plane 11/Custom Scenery/Orbx_C_GB_TrueEarth_Orthos folder
Type chmod +x followed by a space. Then drag and drop the _mac_1_conversion file onto Terminal. You should then see the full path to the file.
Press enter
Type chmod +x followed by a space. Then drag and drop the nvcompress-osx file onto Terminal. You should then see the full path to the file.
Press enter
Add scenery entries as per this walkthrough.

And you're done! 

If you're still stuck, Ben made a video of the texture conversion process that you can find here:

https://streamable.com/b8bt0

If you need assistance, please visit our X-Plane support forum here: https://orbxsystems.com/.../260-x-plane-11-support-forum/

 

 

 

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Thanks.

Is "To get started, follow these steps" a further explanation of the enclosed

readme or is the incorrect or is the enclosed readme not correct?

 

Or if you do this:

 

Quote

 

This Cross-Platform Zip file will contain the following folder(s) for TrueEarth Great Britain South:

Orbx_A_GB_South_TrueEarth_Custom
Orbx_B_GB_South_TrueEarth_Overlay
Orbx_C_GB_South_TrueEarth_Orthos

To install:
1. Locate your X-Plane folder on your hard disk
2. Open the '/Custom Scenery/' folder inside your X-Plane folder
3. Extract the TrueEarth Great Britain South folders into the Custom Scenery folder
4. Run the _mac_1_conversion script to covert the textures **Note that this process will take some time** You may need to adjust your security prefernaces to run this script
5. Once completed, run the _mac_2_cleanup script to delete jpg files
6. Launch X-Plane.

 

 

is the product installed or not?

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It is not right now.  I deleted it and started from scratch again because, as I've stated, I am unsure of how to proceed.

 

Let's start with this... should I do the MANUAL download as originally indicated or the CROSS-PLATFORM?

 

 

 

(and if the latter then shouldn't it, similar to Chicago Meigs, be drag-and-drop into the scenery folder?)

I am currently in-process of re-downloading the Cross Platform unless you suggest otherwise.

 

This is becoming too much work... really.

 

John

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Hello,

 

You need FTX Central to do both the download and installation and to install the manual download.

 

if you are using a Mac or Linux operating system, FTX Central is not available to you, as it does not work

in those environments.

 

You cannot therefore use either FTX Central or the manual download to install this product.

 

For this reason, the cross platform download is also provided for users of Mac and Linux operating sytems only.

It is the means to install the product without using FTX Central which, as mentioned already, does not work on

Mac and Linux operating systems.

 

The installation instructions in the included readme are:

 

Quote

 

This Cross-Platform Zip file will contain the following folder(s) for TrueEarth Great Britain South:

Orbx_A_GB_South_TrueEarth_Custom
Orbx_B_GB_South_TrueEarth_Overlay
Orbx_C_GB_South_TrueEarth_Orthos

To install:
1. Locate your X-Plane folder on your hard disk
2. Open the '/Custom Scenery/' folder inside your X-Plane folder
3. Extract the TrueEarth Great Britain South folders into the Custom Scenery folder
4. Run the _mac_1_conversion script to covert the textures **Note that this process will take some time** You may need to adjust your security prefernaces to run this script
5. Once completed, run the _mac_2_cleanup script to delete jpg files
6. Launch X-Plane.

 

 

and these are apparently expanded upon by Ben
 

Quote

 

To get started, follow these steps:

Go into your OrbxDirect account and click on TE GB South
At the bottom of the screen click the manual download option for Mac/Linux users
Extract the 3 TE GB folders to the /Custom Scenery/ folder

Now it's time to convert textures which may take awhile. To do this:

Open Terminal
Also open the X-Plane 11/Custom Scenery/Orbx_C_GB_TrueEarth_Orthos folder
Type chmod +x followed by a space. Then drag and drop the _mac_1_conversion file onto Terminal. You should then see the full path to the file.
Press enter
Type chmod +x followed by a space. Then drag and drop the nvcompress-osx file onto Terminal. You should then see the full path to the file.
Press enter
Add scenery entries as per this walkthrough.

And you're done! 

If you're still stuck, Ben made a video of the texture conversion process that you can find here:

https://streamable.com/b8bt0

If you need assistance, please visit our X-Plane support forum here: https://orbxsystems.com/.../260-x-plane-11-support-forum/

 

 

 

 

I cannot help you with what to do, other than to closely follow the instructions step by step.

 

 

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The instructions are NOT complete.  I will annotate as follows as to why they are not:

 

1. Locate your X-Plane folder on your hard disk
2. Open the '/Custom Scenery/' folder inside your X-Plane folder
3. Extract the TrueEarth Great Britain South folders into the Custom Scenery folder

 

>>>We are good to this point.<<<


4. Run the _mac_1_conversion script to covert the textures **Note that this process will take some time** You may need to adjust your security prefernaces to run this script

 

>>>What should I be looking for?  What is this process to convert - is it the video as provided by Ben? If so, what should I be seeing in the Terminal window? Will there be nothing? How will I know when it's completed so I can follow Step #5 below? For this reason your instructions are incomplete to a non-tech user.<<<<


5. Once completed, run the _mac_2_cleanup script to delete jpg files

 

>>>Again, what should one see and how will one know when this is completed? Again... the instructions are incomplete.<<<<


6. Launch X-Plane.

 

Duh.  

 

I'm trying to smile... but the expectation set was "oh... this is easy!" and it's been anything but which is why I'm very frustrated.  The only other scenery I have from ORBX, Chicago Meigs, went directly from the download into the \Custom Scenery folder and worked like a charm.  

 

So please... more-complete instructions, maybe even illustrated for non-tech users.

 

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I do see what you mean but if you just follow the written instructions, or the video

the product will be installed.

 

I don't have the right OS or I would run through it with you but I am reading not a lack of

instructions but an unwillingness to just follow them and see what takes place.

 

I would therefore ask you to complete the download of the cross platform file,

follow the instructions and wait and see what happens.

 

I don't know what Terminal is but I would have thought it would tell you when it has finished.

I have read from other customers that the conversion can take a very long time.

You might like to set it off and leave it overnight, as some customers have done.

 

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When your own product is advising me to uninstall by removing a folder from a DIFFERENT scenery altogether it can make one wonder who is on their game.

 

I fear I made a mistake in getting this - but I do thank you for trying to help.  Perhaps a dedicated Mac person (or team) would be better since they know how it operates.

Screen Shot 2018-11-03 at 3.56.00 PM.png

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If you mean KVOU, please ignore KVUO and delete the three folders.

I expect that it is a typing error.

 

The download  and installation of this huge amount of data will take an

amount of time that some will find unacceptable.

The process for me took in the region of five hours, using Windows and FTX Central.

 

Some Mac and Linux users have reported up to 20 hours for the file conversion.

I can only ask you to follow the clear instructions and wait until it has finished.

 

 

 

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Hi John,

I've combined both instructions.  Could you let me know what step has been completed or what step you are having issues with and we can guide you through the rest of the process:

 

  • Go into your OrbxDirect account and click on TE GB South
  • At the bottom of the screen click the "cross-platform download" option for Mac/Linux users


This Cross-Platform Zip file will contain the following folder(s) for TrueEarth Great Britain South: 

  • Orbx_A_GB_South_TrueEarth_Custom
  • Orbx_B_GB_South_TrueEarth_Overlay
  • Orbx_C_GB_South_TrueEarth_Orthos 


To install:

  1. Locate your X-Plane folder on your hard disk
  2. Open the '/Custom Scenery/' folder inside your X-Plane folder
  3. Extract the 3 TrueEarth Great Britain South folders into the /Custom Scenery/ folder

Now it's time to convert textures, which may take a while. To do this:

(A video of steps 3-6 can be found here: https://streamable.com/b8bt0 )

  1. Open Terminal (https://www.wikihow.com/Open-a-Terminal-Window-in-Mac)
  2. Also open the X-Plane 11/Custom Scenery/Orbx_C_GB_TrueEarth_Orthos folder
  3. Type chmod +x followed by a space. Then drag and drop the _mac_1_conversion file onto Terminal. You should then see the full path to the file.
  4. Press enter
  5. Type chmod +x followed by a space. Then drag and drop the nvcompress-osx file onto Terminal. You should then see the full path to the file.
  6. Press enter
  7. Add scenery entries as per this walk through.
  8. Run the _mac_1_conversion script to covert the textures **Note that this process will take some time** You may need to adjust your security preferences to run this script
  9. Once completed, run the _mac_2_cleanup script to delete jpg files
  10. Launch X-Plane. 

Thanks,

Matt.

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John, it is a little complicated probably because Orbx is still coming to grips with XP and with Macs.  But believe me, if an old fart like me can get it right, anyone can, and boy is it worthwhile.  Please keep at it because I would hate you to miss out.  Cheers.

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17 minutes ago, Lizat said:

Hi, just wanted to follow up on this topic.

Purchased the product today and am also wondering about the conversion as nothing happens when i press enter in terminal.

Should i just wait?

Did you follow Matthew's steps 3 posts above?  And BTW there is a SPACE after "chmod" ie between "chmod" and "+x".  Hope this helps.  Cheers.

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Hi Frank,

 

The three ORBX folders are in the custom scenery folder.

 

This is what it looks like in terminal : 

iMac:~ user$ chmod +x /Users/user/Desktop/xplane\ 11/Custom\ Scenery/Orbx_C_GB_South_TrueEarth_Orthos/_mac_1_conversion

iMac:~ user$ chmod +x /Users/user/Desktop/xplane\ 11/Custom\ Scenery/Orbx_C_GB_South_TrueEarth_Orthos/nvcompress-osx

 

Thanks in advance!

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9 minutes ago, Lizat said:

Hi Frank,

 

The three ORBX folders are in the custom scenery folder.

 

This is what it looks like in terminal : 

iMac:~ user$ chmod +x /Users/user/Desktop/xplane\ 11/Custom\ Scenery/Orbx_C_GB_South_TrueEarth_Orthos/_mac_1_conversion

iMac:~ user$ chmod +x /Users/user/Desktop/xplane\ 11/Custom\ Scenery/Orbx_C_GB_South_TrueEarth_Orthos/nvcompress-osx

 

Thanks in advance!

I think that looks OK.  Now press ENTER and the loooong conversion process should start.  Cheers.

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Just now, Lizat said:

Ok! Do you know how i will see when its completed?

It will stop running and say Process Completed or something like that.  Mine (and others) took about 20 hours!  Keep at it because it is great. Some philosopher said "deferred joys purchased through sacrifice are the sweetest" - that applies here!!!  Cheers.

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I gave up converting after 12 hours and haven't been home for 20 hours in a stretch to let the computer run, it can be quite demoralising watching lines of Terminal text hour after hour. I have asked the question before, is there going to be a FTX Central for Mac in the future? I did hear it muted that it may come out when the UK central scenery is released, any idea when that might be?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello All,

 

Same problem as you John or Lizat, when i wrote the command "chmod +x" nothing happens.

 

So I'm trying something simple like : right click on the "_mac_1_conversion" file => open with... ==> Terminal.

 

And the conversion is starting in the terminal, I Lauched it 10 min ago, I will let you know tomorrow if it's work with this simple way...

 

But like you there is difference between the "read me" file and what there is explain on the forum, after that step I don't know if we have to install "nvcompress-osx" file or "_mac_2_cleanup" or both of them... If someone know :) 

 

677840078_Capturedcran2018-11-1423_48_55.thumb.png.5d9bd40746ca7f497fbe9fde620dacaa.png

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
1 hour ago, Chris Wilson said:

I was looking forward to buying this product, but having read all these messages for mac os, I am giving it a miss.

 

Can the company not produce an easier way of installation?

 

54 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

Hello,

welcome to the forums.

The Mac installation consists of unzipping one file, copying three folders and a file and running one utility.

I am sorry that this is too difficult for you but until FTX Central for Mac is ready, it is all that there is.

 

...... and if an old buggar like me can manage it, anyone can ...... and it is sooooooo good.  Cheers.

 

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I installed it to my MacBook pro and it's quite a simple manual installation with a few scripts to run.

 

But please allow 5-6 hours for the decompression script to finish though.

 

We hope to have FTX Central available for Mac in the new year which will automate all this for you.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 12/9/2018 at 12:03 PM, Nick Cooper said:

Hello,

welcome to the forums.

The Mac installation consists of unzipping one file, copying three folders and a file and running one utility.

I am sorry that this is too difficult for you but until FTX Central for Mac is ready, it is all that there is.

Will let you know if its too difficult tomorrow. Its clear that other people are finding it difficult.

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Hi, all.

 

Well, downloaded in 25 mins, converted in an hour and installed.

 

I would say to anyone, do not read about issues before you download, as I did. Instructions in the download are straightforward.

 

All I had to do was get rid of addon scenery I had, (couldnt actually remove them from the ini file for some reason) so just changed the order and it all worked in the end.

 

Very pleased.

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