resolved TE GB Central - autogen trees

[kevinfirth]

Just taken a flight around Liverpool, and was disappointed to see that despite tree density being at maximum, there were hardly any trees in urban areas at all.  Sefton Park, Princes Park, Stanley Park, all just flat photoreal.....   There are trees in the scenery outside of urban areas, but it just looks weird with only buildings...

 

On the plus side performance is massively improved, GPU mem use particularly.  Even LOD radius can now be at max without impacting fps.

 

Could we have a look at the trees please, either there's something missing/wrong on my end or

[Sascha Normann]

This doesn't look right. Can you try reinstalling the ORBX libs and see if that helps?

Also important to know: Do you see churches in smaller villages and suburbs?

[kevinfirth]

Orbx Libs v19.6.2 installed ok - no change

[Sascha Normann]

1 hour ago, kevinfirth said:

Orbx Libs v19.6.2 installed ok - no change

 

Uninstalled and installed again?

Can you see the churches?

[F737MAX]

8 hours ago, kevinfirth said:

Just taken a flight around Liverpool, and was disappointed to see that despite tree density being at maximum, there were hardly any trees in urban areas at all.  Sefton Park, Princes Park, Stanley Park, all just flat photoreal.....   There are trees in the scenery outside of urban areas, but it just looks weird with only buildings...

 

On the plus side performance is massively improved, GPU mem use particularly.  Even LOD radius can now be at max without impacting fps.

 

Could we have a look at the trees please, either there's something missing/wrong on my end or

Have you ever installed Autogen Configuration Merger?

If so, I've been having problems with various libraries not displaying all of the relevant library objects since v4.5HF2.
A clean re-install of P3D and of all scenery is the only fix according to someone on Avsim.

[kevinfirth]

10 hours ago, Sascha Normann said:

This doesn't look right. Can you try reinstalling the ORBX libs and see if that helps?

Also important to know: Do you see churches in smaller villages and suburbs?

will check where I know there are some...

[kevinfirth]

10 hours ago, Sascha Normann said:

 

Uninstalled and installed again?

Can you see the churches?

 

Confirmed I do not see churches either...

[Nick Cooper]

Hello,

do you have the TEGB Libraries and are they active?

[kevinfirth]

39 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

Hello,

do you have the TEGB Libraries and are they active?

 

@Sascha Normann

@Nick Cooper

Orbx Libs are active (up to date and uninstalled and reinstalled)

I have the GB_All library active as well.

All four folders for South, Central and North are active

I also have an Orbx libraries lookup entry active

 

Video uploading

 

Pics showing churches missing

 

[roland_lfor]

Hello, 

I have exactly the same issue with GB South. Most of vegetation autogen is missing.

Installed with Orbx Central, external option (out of P3D)

[Nick Cooper]

Hello,

it will, I think, be connected with autogen descriptions, which is

why some see what is intended and some do not.

It seems that the latest P3D version does not read all autogen descriptions

but only one, at least I think that is happening

[roland_lfor]

Actually I was using GBS v1 externally also, installed with FTX3 and manually set as an extern addon.

I installed in a fake P3D folder and manually wrote the suitable "add-on.xml" and it was working fine with the Orbx autogen extern definitions (Orbx Library).

 

Now I'm using OrbxCentral as it is supposed to handle external installation through add-on.xml recommended method (by LM) and [DiscoveryPath.x]

 

Something strange in OrbxLibs installation I see also is that texture files are in the autogen description folder.

[Nick Cooper]

Hello,

are your Orbx Libraries installed outside the P3D folder and if so, could you try again with them inside?

[kevinfirth]

11 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

Hello,

are your Orbx Libraries installed outside the P3D folder and if so, could you try again with them inside?

good idea, I'll give that a try

[roland_lfor]

1- I tried first to add the external path as a new autogen.cfg entry without success:

[Entry.1]
PATH=F:\JEUX\ORBX_P3D\p3dv4\Orbx Libraries\ORBX\Scripts\custom.gb_base
TITLE=ORBX Autogen
ACTIVE=true
REQUIRED=false

2- I manually copied the autogen definition files directly inside P3D autogen folder

=> no success

 

3- Following your advice I uninstalled/reinstalled Orbx Libraries with Central choosing the internal P3D option

=> no success

[kevinfirth]

25 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

Hello,

are your Orbx Libraries installed outside the P3D folder and if so, could you try again with them inside?

Was any similar issue identified during beta testing please?

[Nick Cooper]

Hello Kevin,

no, I don't think so.

There is a long internal list of things identified and fixed during testing and this problem was not seen.

[kevinfirth]

4 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

Hello Kevin,

no, I don't think so.

There is a long internal list of things identified and fixed during testing and this problem was not seen.

Thanks Nick

is there any particular order the libraries need to be in perhaps?

[Nick Cooper]

No, I don't think so.

Also there does not seem to be a universal reporting of this problem,

it seems to be affecting a few customers but not all.

[kevinfirth]

9 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

No, I don't think so.

Also there does not seem to be a universal reporting of this problem,

it seems to be affecting a few customers but not all.

interesting, I'll have a little further look and try with a default installation, see if that makes a difference.  Before I do, is there anything in TE GB that relies on assets in any other Orbx product in any way?

 

Clearly there's something that affecting me and some other customers, let's see if we can work out the common factors?

[kevinfirth]

12 hours ago, F737NG said:

Have you ever installed Autogen Configuration Merger?

If so, I've been having problems with various libraries not displaying all of the relevant library objects since v4.5HF2.
A clean re-install of P3D and of all scenery is the only fix according to someone on Avsim.

I have in the dim and distant past.  I have reinstalled 4.5HF2 from scratch a couple of times since then though so I'd be surprised if that is a factor.  How do you theorise that ACM might have an impact?

[Nick Cooper]

To be honest, I am not sure if it needs the Orbx Libraries as well.

I would suspect that despite having its own library, it probably does,

if for no other reason that the autogen descriptions are added by the library installer.

Otherwise, it needs nothing else.

[Nick Cooper]

It seems a complicated discussion that I confess I have not fully grasped but

I think that it is the autogen descriptions that are the key.

It looks like P3D does not look everywhere for them but only in one place.

here is the article that goes into detail.

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/add-on-autogen-bug-in-p3d-4-4-and-4-5-workaround.446495/

I am assuming that you have disabled speed trees.

[kevinfirth]

1 minute ago, Nick Cooper said:

It seems a complicated discussion that I confess I have not fully grasped but

I think that it is the autogen descriptions that are the key.

It looks like P3D does not look everywhere for them but only in one place.

here is the article that goes into detail.

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/add-on-autogen-bug-in-p3d-4-4-and-4-5-workaround.446495/

I am assuming that you have disabled speed trees.

Thanks Nick yes I have speedtrees disabled and I'll go read the link.  Can't help but observe it might have been useful for Orbx to take up my offer to help beta test it! :p

[Nick Cooper]

You would probably have had no problem, like those who did test it.

[kevinfirth]

3 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

You would probably have had no problem, like those who did test it.

Haha, Orbx could have saved me a lot of time if so!

[kevinfirth]

22 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

It seems a complicated discussion that I confess I have not fully grasped but

I think that it is the autogen descriptions that are the key.

It looks like P3D does not look everywhere for them but only in one place.

here is the article that goes into detail.

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/add-on-autogen-bug-in-p3d-4-4-and-4-5-workaround.446495/

I am assuming that you have disabled speed trees.

ok I take it TE GB adds additional autogen definitions over and obove the general Orbx ones?

[Nick Cooper]

I should add that I am a little hampered with support for this problem.

Normally, I would try to replicate the problem but the products are huge and

at the moment, Orbx Central is enjoying a somewhat steady download speed.

For this reason, I am loathe to uninstall any of it and attempt a reinstallation

to match yours.

I hope you will be understanding.

 

 

 

 

[Nick Cooper]

I understand that it does, yes.

Autogen is not my specialist subject.

[kevinfirth]

5 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said:

I understand that it does, yes.

Autogen is not my specialist subject.

No worries, it's not exactly the most critical problem on the planet, appreciate any input you or Sascha are able to make

[F737MAX]

58 minutes ago, kevinfirth said:

I have in the dim and distant past.  I have reinstalled 4.5HF2 from scratch a couple of times since then though so I'd be surprised if that is a factor.  How do you theorise that ACM might have an impact?

 

ACM interferes with the library definitions, especially now that v4.5 is supposed to be designed to handle multiple libraries simultaneously natively.

Going by that FSDeveloper thread, I may need to use the ACM beta.

 

Sorry if this was thread drift. Usually when only some objects are missing it relates to the wrong library being used.

 

[kevinfirth]

1 hour ago, Nick Cooper said:

It seems a complicated discussion that I confess I have not fully grasped but

I think that it is the autogen descriptions that are the key.

It looks like P3D does not look everywhere for them but only in one place.

here is the article that goes into detail.

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/add-on-autogen-bug-in-p3d-4-4-and-4-5-workaround.446495/

I am assuming that you have disabled speed trees.

From the link:

Integration Method 1: Add-on.xml package:

• An Add-on.xml package including an Add-on Component in with 'Category' set to 'Autogen', and 'Path' set to a folder which contains autogen definition files as described above.
• The path can be either absolute, or relative to the add-on.xml file location.
• The path must be to a folder, NOT a specific autogen xml file.
• The package can then be installed in 1 of 3 ways, corresponding to the location of the respective add-on.cfg file, Local, Roaming, or ProgramData (default):
  • Local:
    • Install the add-on package by running the appropriate P3D configuration command, e.g.:
      • Prepar3D.exe "-Configure: Category=Add-on Package, Operation=Add, Title=REVX_LIGHTS, FileLocation=Local, Path=C:\MyAddons\REVX_LIGHTS"
    • This will result in a corresponding add-on package entry in the 'Local' add-on.cfg file located at "...\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\add-ons.cfg".
  • Roaming:
    • Install the add-on package by either placing the add-on.xml file in a folder monitored by P3D for auto-discovery, or by running the appropriate P3D configuration command, e.g.:
      • Prepar3D.exe "-Configure: Category=Add-on Package, Operation=Add, Title=REVX_LIGHTS, FileLocation=Roaming, Path=C:\MyAddons\REVX_LIGHTS"
    • This will result in a corresponding add-on package entry in the 'Roaming' add-on.cfg file located at "...\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\add-ons.cfg".
  • ProgramData (Default):
    • Install the add-on package with either an add-on manager (e.g. Lorby-Si P4AO), or by running the appropriate P3D configuration command, e.g.:
      • Prepar3D.exe "-Configure: Category=Add-on Package, Operation=Add, Title=REVX_LIGHTS, Path=C:\MyAddons\REVX_LIGHTS"
    • This will result in a corresponding add-on package entry in the 'ProgramData' add-on.cfg located at "...\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\add-ons.cfg".

I can see on my machine that:
C:\Users\Kevin\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4 does not have an add-ons.cfg file so nothing can have been added to it

C:\Users\Kevin\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4 does have an add-ons.cfg file with nothing Orbx related added to it

C:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4 does have an add-ons.cfg file with the following Orbx non airport related entries:...

  [Package.10]
  Path=C:\Users\Kevin\Orbx Library\p3dv4\Orbx Libraries
  Active=TRUE
  Required=FALSE

  [Package.30]
  Path=C:\Users\Kevin\Orbx Library\p3dv4\TrueEarth Great Britain South
  Active=TRUE
  Required=FALSE
  [Package.31]  
  Path=C:\Users\Kevin\Orbx Library\p3dv4\TrueEarth Netherlands HD
  Active=TRUE
  Required=FALSE
  [Package.33]
  Path=C:\Users\Kevin\Orbx Library\p3dv4\TrueEarth Great Britain Central
  Active=TRUE
  Required=FALSE
  [Package.34]
  Path=C:\Users\Kevin\Orbx Library\p3dv4\TrueEarth Great Britain Libraries
  Active=TRUE
  Required=FALSE
  [Package.35]
  Path=C:\Users\Kevin\Orbx Library\p3dv4\TrueEarth Great Britain North
  Active=TRUE
  Required=FALSE
  [DiscoveryPath.0]
  Path=C:\Users\Kevin\Orbx Library\p3dv4
  Title=Orbx Main Library
  Active=true

 

The overall priority of the Autogen add-on component is governed by 2 factors:

• 1: The location of the add-on.cfg file in which it is installed:
  • An add-on component defined in the Local add-on.cfg file will always have a higher priority than those defined in in the Roaming add-on.cfg file.
  • An add-on component defined in the Roaming add-on.cfg file will always have a higher priority than those defined in in the ProgramData (Default) add-on.cfg file.
• 2: The corresponding package level within each add-on.cfg file:
  • [Package.0] has a higher priority than [Package.1], and so on.
• Note: the scenery layer prioritisation system is separate and has no bearing the prioritisation of other category add-ons (including autogen).

 

So it can be seen that the Orbx libraries will take precedence over the TE GB libraries.

I will try reversing the order of the libraries to see if that makes a difference to me, and if not, I'll remove the TEGB entries from the programdata addons.cfg and create an addon.xml file to add TEGB into the roaming addons.cfg….

[roland_lfor]

14 minutes ago, kevinfirth said:

1: The location of the add-on.cfg file in which it is installed:

• An add-on component defined in the Local add-on.cfg file will always have a higher priority than those defined in in the Roaming add-on.cfg file.

 

Do you mean only?

"An add-on component defined in the Local  ProgramData add-on.cfg file will always have a higher priority than those defined in in the Roaming add-on.cfg file."

 

I don't have any addon.cfg in "Local"

[kevinfirth]

Me neither, my post was a direct quote from Nicks link

[roland_lfor]

Ok,

Interesting as I did not know that package id meant priority.

 

I've moved my Orbx Libraries entry in first place [Package.0].

It looks like my trees are back. I have to verify in other places like London Center and see if there is any conflict with my other external autogen addon.

[kevinfirth]

3 minutes ago, roland_lfor said:

Ok,

Interesting as I did not know that package id meant priority.

 

I've moved my Orbx Libraries entry in first place [Package.0].

It looks like my trees are back. I have to verify in other places like London Center and see if there is any conflict with my other external autogen addon.

Where was it before, and what was previously above it?

[roland_lfor]

It was at the end [Package.19].

Actually I think its because I tried many install/uninstall cycles, and the last installation from Orbx Central I've done was on the Orbx Libs.

 

EDIT: and another autogen addon was above in the package list.

[roland_lfor]

I confirm my trees are back also in London city 

[kevinfirth]

2 minutes ago, roland_lfor said:

I confirm my trees are back also in London city 

ok, so am I right in understanding that you did nothing apart from uninstall and reinstall the Orbx Libs?

What was the other autogen addon?  Does that one not work properly now?!

[kevinfirth]

1 hour ago, Nick Cooper said:

 

 

From your link:

The overall priority of the Autogen add-on component is governed by 2 factors:

1: The location of the add-on.cfg file in which it is installed:

An add-on component defined in the Local add-on.cfg file will always have a higher priority than those defined in in the Roaming add-on.cfg file.

An add-on component defined in the Roaming add-on.cfg file will always have a higher priority than those defined in in the ProgramData (Default) add-on.cfg file.

2: The corresponding package level within each add-on.cfg file:

[Package.0] has a higher priority than [Package.1], and so on.

Note: the scenery layer prioritisation system is separate and has no bearing the prioritisation of other category add-ons (including autogen).

 

It appears that all Orbx library files list in ProgramData.  if this information is correct, any addon introducing additional autogen through an addon.xml package, or being higher in the package list, could break TEGB, does that sound a reasonable conclusion?