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SimDirector Fails to Load with Some Orbx Packages


Ace-9

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Posted

Operating system:  Win 10 1909 (19363.592)

Simulator:  P3D v4.5 (13.32097)

Orbx Log:  Attached

 

Hello. :)

 

I went to use Sim Director and it failed to start, last time I used it it loaded without issue, since then I have installed Orbx Central and some new Orbx packages, ie. Alderney and installed my Orbx scenery to a Library  outside of the P3D folder. P3D it self has no issues.

 

I have uninstalled P3D and Orbx Central (manually deleted the appdata folders) ran cCleaner to clean the registry, then reinstalled. No other add ons were installed, just P3D, FSUIPC5 and Orbx

 

The procedure to diagnose the issue was to install 1 Orbx product starting with Global and test it in P3D and SimDirector, then move on to the next product, Vector, Europe, Buildings, Trees, OpenLC - Europe, then moved on to England, North & South Germany. SimDIrector was taking about 2 minutes 30 seconds to be ready to work.

 

It all went pear shaped when I installed Ireland, Sim Director started but after 30 minutes there was no sign of it starting, all that was happening was the Loading Catalog sign.

 

lX68BKs.jpg

 

I closed SimDirector by the cross in the top right corner, I was asked if I wished to shut down, 

 

HKNxGqq.jpg

 

I affirmed this and another window SimDirector Window opened, showing the airport map only, after affirming several message dialogues, windows not closing, I ended up closing by way of the Task Manager.

 

I uninstalled Ireland and tried again, it worked like a charm. I moved on to Northern Island and got the same problems, I repeated the procedure many times (Ive been up all night) and found SimDirector suffered the same with: - Scotland, Wales, Southampton Airport, and the new Alderney airport.

 

Next I installed NOrway and it worked a treat, as did all of the North American Regions, Central Rockies, Northern California, Northern Rockies, Pacific Fjords, Pacific North West, Southern Alaska and Southern California.

 

The areas I tested which failed before giving up were NZ North & South Islands. There is obviously an issue with these packages I am afraid to say.

 

Beware, there are more packages I have not tested or verified either way.

 

Another issue is if SimDirector is started from within the Flight Sim, it hangs loading Terrain 69% the (Task Manager has had a lot of use tonight to close down stuck SimDirector windows.)

 

 B0vUkn6.jpg

 

So to confirm after a 1 hour wait in one case, I never got to see the catalog window,

 

o5LG20b.jpg

 

The C & GPU were banging away but there were no disk reads...

 

m2wcEII.jpg

 

I have too many Orbx packages to mention but the only way I can get SimDirector to work and have all my Orbx scenery installed is to disable most of it in the Add On Dialog, the lesser pain over uninstalling.

 

Sc4AI0K.jpg

 

Hope this can be resolved soon please, I've done my best to bring significant details, Log attached, and sorry to bring this bad news, by the way I'm loving Orbx Central.

 

0600z hrs now, it's been a long night after a long day. I have posted on P3D Forums, but Its an Orbx Issue because all is fine with no Orbx running, or the ones that fail disabled.

 

 

central.log

Posted

Hello,

Sim Director is outside my experience.

However, if it can be used for certain areas without the remaining areas

being loaded, would it make sense to load just the areas required?

Posted

Hello Nick,

 

Thanks for the reply and a good point you make, however one of the many tasks I wish to undertake for example, is to add the Power Station building to the Fawley chimney near EGHI, one of the areas that fail to load as mentioned above. 

 

I suspect the problem ultimately lies with SimDirector, but it is Lockheed Martin who state on their web page General Debugging Steps  specifically: - 

 

Item 6 "Install/reintroduce each add-on and attempt to confirm the error is present. If an issue is discovered with an add-on, we recommend directly working with the third-party developer to resolve the issue. If the third-party developer finds an issue they need support with, they should reach out to the Prepar3D team directly with details"

 

I believe I have fulfilled this and am passing it over to Orbx, because P3D will not deal with me, see, my post at Lockheed Martins P3D forum and more to the point the issue only occurs with selected Orbx scenery. Weird?

 

Nestled between two pictures I mention that  I have already arrived at the conclusion you suggest. "I can get SimDirector to work and have all my Orbx scenery installed is to disable most of it in the Add On Dialog,") What I did not make clear is that If it is switched off in P3D Add On manager, or Lorbi P3AO, it is not available in SimDirector; and (Obviously) before switched off add ons can be used in P3D they must be switched on again, I am sure you will agree that in this day and age manually switching over 100 sceneries on and off is not acceptable. The only significant change is upgrade to Orbx Central and install all my scenery the prefered LM method via Orbx Central, in to a library.

 

Briefly SimDirector does not change the Orbx files, rather it adds the additional scenery to a separate new add-on file that loads with the given scenario, or can be created to load when ever a flight is nearby. Its very useful and has enabled me to adjust things like the missing buildings without troubling you guys at Orbx. :D 


P3D and SimDirector were designed to work as a team, they are an integral corporation, with SimDirector serving and creating scenery, scenarios (Missions) etc. for P3D. It is designed to be started from within the P3D Flight Sim and switchable between both applications ad hoc, also it can be started by it self.

 

However the errors each method of starting SimDirector delivers different errors as described.

Posted

Yes Please Nick, I was not sure where to post this for the best, as there is no SimDirector forum :)

Posted

Ace-9,

 

In reply to this topic, I recently upgraded / re installed to ORBX C4 and transferred library to a separate drive and sim director does not work.  It was a total uninstall / reinstall so no arguments on hidden files etc.  I gave this a shot with some black squares with a tick as opposed to a grey square with a tick I could do nothing with...However, if i switch off my ORBX in add ons; it loads immediately, but then tick the add ons; it never loads.  Not an expert in this area and having struggled with the new ORBX vs loading P3D V4.5.

 

Hope that helps

Posted

Thanks for the reply Kn0cker, when you say "total uninstall / reinstall" was that both P3D and Orbx Central? 

Posted

Hello Orbx Developers, 

 

Please can you address this issue, I have completed the GEneral Debugging Steps required by P3D as detailed above. 

 

On 1/17/2020 at 9:47 PM, Ace-9 said:

I suspect the problem ultimately lies with SimDirector, but it is Lockheed Martin who state on their web page General Debugging Steps  specifically: - 

 

Item 6 "Install/reintroduce each add-on and attempt to confirm the error is present. If an issue is discovered with an add-on, we recommend directly working with the third-party developer to resolve the issue. If the third-party developer finds an issue they need support with, they should reach out to the Prepar3D team directly with details"

 

Many thanks,

Roger

Posted

To greatly speed up the loading P3D SimDirector when you have scenery entries with large number of objects you can turn off "Load Friendly Names For Catalog Object Models (Requires Restart)" in the Settings tab of the File menu of SimDirector.

 

The appalling optimisation and caching of SimDirector's handling of library objects has been a problem since its release.

Posted

Hey Paj,

 

Many thanks for the information, I have done this and yes it works. But although everything loads, in most cases the GUID is the only description, which is not helpful when looking for a specific item. see pics below. 

 

It it possible please, for Orbx to talk to Prepar3D about this issue so Prepar3D can resolve it. As mentioned, I don't believe it is an Orbx an issue to resolve, but the issue occurs with Orbx loaded in to P3D and SimDirector and not otherwise. SimDirector fails to function with Orbx, whilst the FLight Sim P3D works without issue. SimDirector is there to support P3D Flight Sim otherwise it has no function.

 

An operator should not have to switch off friendly names or unload Orbx scenery to get SimDirector to function.

 

Having reached out to P3D at their forums on this issue already, the reason this post is on the Orbx web site is because of the Prepar3D General Debugging Steps  Item 6 "If the third-party developer" (this would be Orbx) "finds an issue they need support with, " (This would be the issue outlined in this topic) "they should reach out to the Prepar3D team directly with details."  

 

Load Friendly Names switched off

MF1OqVM.jpg

 

Unfriendly Names

dJW2BJd.jpg

 

Friendly Names

8IQpyKZ.jpg

 

 

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