Benny Posted February 6, 2020 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Hey guys, I just read that line on the TE Florida release page, does that mean MD won't be available for all ORBX product? Thanks Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Correia Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 We have made the decision to no longer support manual downloads for a number of reasons: The manual download was originally created as the original FTX Central was not efficient in handling large files downloads back in 2016 Orbx Central is stable, has reliable download capability and supports resumes There is also the backup function in Orbx Central which is recommended if people are prone to uninstalling/reinstalling products or sims There is a very small minority (less than 2%) of customers utilising the manual download Creating the manual download takes more time and uses more space on our servers Steam, Origin etc. don't offer it, so it's pretty standard in terms of deploying game content Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Heaton Posted February 7, 2020 Share Posted February 7, 2020 I wish LM would adopt it for P3D - zip files went down with the ARK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny Posted February 7, 2020 Author Share Posted February 7, 2020 19 hours ago, Ed Correia said: There is a very small minority (less than 2%) of customers utilising the manual download Thanks for the explanation Ed. Well, I am in the 2%. Limited bandwidth and speed at home. I'm lucky that I have a fast connection at my shop, but that also mean I will have to carry my rig at my shop. Now I need a case with a good handle. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmw Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 On 2/7/2020 at 1:13 AM, Ed Correia said: We have made the decision to no longer support manual downloads for a number of reasons: The manual download was originally created as the original FTX Central was not efficient in handling large files downloads back in 2016 Orbx Central is stable, has reliable download capability and supports resumes There is also the backup function in Orbx Central which is recommended if people are prone to uninstalling/reinstalling products or sims There is a very small minority (less than 2%) of customers utilising the manual download Creating the manual download takes more time and uses more space on our servers Steam, Origin etc. don't offer it, so it's pretty standard in terms of deploying game content I'm also one of the 2%. 50 GB will take a long time for me and can only be downloaded on my sim machine so that resume function in Orbx Central will get some heavy use. I'm wondering if it's possible to run Orbx Central at the same time as a simulator provided they are not the same. In other words I use two versions of P3D and also X-Plane so could I download and install an X-Plane scenery while flying P3D? That would at least make it easier to download the big photo-sceneries over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Hello, yes, you can do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlaycock Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Hi I am also in the 2% How do you create a backup using ORBX central if I did not do it when I installed the Florida? I have read the manual and it does not explain it to me Best wishes Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmw Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Thanks Nick, I've also found for myself that indeed I can. One problem though, I had assumed that the download would run to completion and then the file processing would start. Not true! Every few minutes the texture processing workers kick in to convert the downloaded files which hammers the CPU, not viable when running a sim at the same time Restricting the affinity of the parent Orbx Central process doesn't help, the texture processing workers seem to run on any core regardless. Oh well, seems I'll just have to dedicate the machine to downloading and installing for a (very) lengthy period. The problem for me is that my broadband is quite slow for 2020 so I'm at a real disadvantage here. There is a glimmer of hope. Seems BT may soon finally get round to installing fibre in my street and my ISP will offer me a cheaper package overall for VDSL than I'm currently getting with my slow ADSL package. Now if BT would just get on with it. Edit - Restricting the affinity of the OrbxCentralWorker executable helps. The texture conversion processes get spawned from this. So although installation itself will be slowed down at least my machine is generally usable at the same time, it most certainly isn't otherwise. Since my download is so slow anyway this is at least acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmw Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Bob - You can't after installation. Backups are created and managed automatically in Orbx Central at the time of download and installation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlaycock Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Hi Thanks I tried that but nothing happened. I changed the folder to a external drive Made it unlimited size Ticked Automatically backup product install files But nothing is happening. Thanks in advance if you can help Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmw Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 Hi. I'm actually in the processing of downloading Florida (HD) and have around 4GB worth of the product after a couple of hours of downloading. I can see that the install location has around that size of files and the temp location is also being used. However the backup location shows nothing yet. I can only assume that the backup is made at the end of the installation process from the completed download. If you tick that option after already downloading and installing it will have no effect at all. You need to download the whole thing again I think. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlaycock Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 I think you may be correct, but that is not very user friendly I always downloaded the Orbx Central Manual Download then installed via manual Download. I do this to save both Orbx and me band width. I often need to uninstall or re install and last year had a SSD fail. As I own every true earth region for X plain and all the regions for P3D V4 this takes a very long time. A question to any Orbx team members who may be watching Is there no way that Orbx will consider re creating the Manual down load option? Or make a way of creating a back up if we did not make one when originally installing the product? Best wishes Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmw Posted February 8, 2020 Share Posted February 8, 2020 14 minutes ago, rlaycock said: I think you may be correct, but that is not very user friendly I always downloaded the Orbx Central Manual Download then installed via manual Download. I do this to save both Orbx and me band width. I often need to uninstall or re install and last year had a SSD fail. As I own every true earth region for X plain and all the regions for P3D V4 this takes a very long time. A question to any Orbx team members who may be watching Is there no way that Orbx will consider re creating the Manual down load option? Or make a way of creating a back up if we did not make one when originally installing the product? Best wishes Bob +1 If you look at my post #8 above you'll see I've found a way to make it manageable but I'm still not happy about losing the ability to download directly. Most people have fast connections these days so I suppose it isn't cost effective to incur extra expense holding additional downloads for a very few of us. But if you are at the receiving end (literally ) of that decision you may see it differently. I must say that over the years I've generally gone with the flow of changes that Orbx have made but this is the first one that I've felt the need to speak out about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachow Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 A step in the wrong direction. I am also not happy about losing the ability to download manually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack the Swede in Spain Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 I agree with pachow. This is ridiculousl. I don´t see the problem with the manual downloads for ORBX, BUT it is a problem for me and many others. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robmw Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 You'll see from my earlier posts that I wasn't happy about this either. I'm on 10Mb ADSL and it takes a while to download these large TE regions. I have all the XP TE regions, all of which I downloaded directly at work using a fast connection. However, since I had no choice with TE Florida (having overlooked the information that it wouldn't be available directly) I gave it a go using Orbx Central. The whole thing took around 12 hours to download over a few days, while I wasn't using my sim PC for flying. I found that pausing the download, closing Orbx Central then restarting another time seemed to work without issues - Orbx Central seems pretty robust now in this regard. The one thing I needed to do was restrict the texture conversion process to use minimal resources as otherwise it takes all the CPU capacity you have available. With the long download time the extra processing time didn't make great deal of difference but meant that I was able to keep using my PC, although not for flying. I'm also fortunate that others in my household didn't need much access to the internet during the time I did most of the downloading. If you have a slower or intermittent internet connection the issues will be greater for you but I found that at least in my case it's workable although not desirable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iban Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 I have the same problem. With my connection, it is simply impossible for me to download some Orbx products at home (I only have 10Gb / month...) I usually download the files at my office, and then take them home to install them manually in my sim pc. It is already inconvenient to have such a bad connection, but if you remove the option of manual download, your are only worsening our conditions. And we have all pay the same for the products... I have just had a problem with my pc and will have to reinstall every orbx product. I will not be able to do so if there is no manual installation. Please, reconsider your decision. That 2% have the right to continue using the products we have paid for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Sierra Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Being also a member of the so-called 2%, I'm, too, greatly disappointed to have to resign from manual downloads. I name it 'so-called 2%', as I believe that all those using manual downloads and store the files at a private medium (I, e.g., do in double backup on external 6-TB-harddisks) will NOT USE the manual download AGAIN, unless there is a problem with their files, while the so-called 'other 98%' will have to re-download EVERY TIME they change something with their installation. This behaviour - and I'm sure about this! - distortes the relations between manual-downloaders and online-installers. Thanks to a change to a glass-fibre-provider some days ago I'm now able to d/l (e.g.) 8GB within 12 minutes, but please bear in mind, that especially in rural regions of central Europe - and surely not only there! - download speeds about 8 KILO-bits per second (!) are still the standard. And then 8 GB last for up to several hours.... And even with (theoretical) 200Mbit (actually not more than 100Mbit at max at the moment) I can write this whole statement, while Orbx Central manages the installation of Australia v2.1.0 - if I had it pre-downloaded, I'd still be faster... Nevertheless: Please keep up Orbx - despite all odds about MSFS2020 - this kind of scenery is simply quality style! Michael, Austria, Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 20 minutes ago, Iban said: I usually download the files at my office, and then take them home to install them manually in my sim pc. Hello, another customer with the same limits as you has decided to take his PC to his shop and install the files there. I agree that a limited and/or slow internet connection is an inconvenience, having had such a thing here in rural England for years, but there is always a solution, however inconvenient that it might be, if the will is there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iban Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Thank you for your reply, but that is not a solution for me. I have a 45 min bus trip to the office, so I cannot take my pc there... And I will not be allowed to do so in the office either. One thing is to use a pen drive to download your files, and another very different thing is to take your pc to the office to do so... If Orbx does not reconsider their decision, my only solution in the long range (and the internet providers are not interested in improving their services where I live) would be to forget Orbx and look for other options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello, I empathise entirely as I also used to take a memory stick to work and download files that I wanted. Which products do you own that you have not yet installed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iban Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello Nick, These are the products that I own. So far, I have only installed Libraries and Global Base Pack... Global Global BASE Pack Global VECTOR Global openLC Europe Global Trees HD Region TrueEarth Great Britain South EU England EU Germany South Airport AYPY Jacksons International Airport EGHI Southampton Airport ESSA Stockholm Arlanda Airport LDDU Dubrovnik Airport LEBB Bilbao Airport LOWI Innsbruck Airport NSTU Pago Pago International Airport TAP Tapini Airport Cityscape CityScene Barcelona Thank your for your interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 2 hours ago, Nick Cooper said: another customer with the same limits as you has decided to take his PC to his shop and install the files there. Yep, but now I feel that I need a more portable computer case (the big scare one) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello, as I write, these are still available as manual downloads. GlobalGlobal BASE Pack YESGlobal VECTOR YESGlobal openLC Europe YESGlobal Trees HD YESRegionTrueEarth Great Britain South NOEU England NOEU Germany South YESAirportAYPY Jacksons International Airport YESEGHI Southampton Airport YESESSA Stockholm Arlanda Airport YESLDDU Dubrovnik Airport YESLEBB Bilbao Airport YESLOWI Innsbruck Airport YESNSTU Pago Pago International Airport YESTAP Tapini Airport YESCityscapeCityScene Barcelona YES So there is time to download most of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 7 minutes ago, Benny said: Yep, but now I feel that I need a more portable computer case (the big scare one) Hello Benny, Do you have a low loader? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benny Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share Posted February 15, 2020 26 minutes ago, Nick Cooper said: Do you have a low loader? Good thing ORBX was not there 50 years ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlaycock Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hi all I managed to get Florida working. However in the past I always chose to use the manual downloaded This is my issue with the move to removing the manual download option 1/ Up to now I have bought and installed the HD version of all true earth products 2/ I am rapidly running out of SDD space 3/ When South California is released It may just about fill all my space up if it actual fits 4/ My plan was to remove some of the HD versions 5/ Replace with the SD versions 6/ When I get more space re install the HD versions As I also downloaded the SD versions in the past this would have been relatively painless However now I cant even make a back up of what I have already installed as I did not do it when I installed them Also this would not seam to be cost effective for ORBX or me, as it will be using lots of Bandwidth, which for me at least is not free, perhaps it is for ORBX? Can ORBX consider re activating this option or at least giving a way of making a back up to a external drive if this was not chose during the original reinstall? Best wishes Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Sierra Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Orbx Central already makes 'backup copies' of those scenery packs installed directly (without manual download). But what shall I do with 150 (!) zip-files (for Australia v2.1), all called something like "002de199-e3fa-4aec-8513-bacxa2120639.c.zip"? If that is a backup - how to use it? Which file to choose for re-installing? If I knew an answer to these questions, it would be all right for me OrbX obliterating the manual download channel.... Michael, Austria, Europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello, I don't think the system has changed at all since I wrote this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iban Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello Nick, Yes, the option of manual download appears there, but when you try to do it, it does not work, It starts downloading the file from internet... Or at least that is what happens for me... Regards, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello, is that not what you want? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlaycock Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hi all Can you make a backup of a individual region after you have already installed it? Thanks in advance if you can help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello, disk space being as reasonably priced as it is, perhaps the best backup method is this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlaycock Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Thanks Nikk However I don't seam to have a ORBX folded in X plain 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello Bob, indeed not. In the case of X Plane 11 it would seem to be even easier: Install all the Orbx products into an Orbx Central Library and back up that library. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rlaycock Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hi Nick That makes sense. I installed directly into the sim when I installed all the regions. I will have a go at the "migration thingy" and see how I get on. Thanks for your advise. Best wishes Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Sierra Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 6 hours ago, Nick Cooper said: Hello, I don't think the system has changed at all since I wrote this: Hi Nick, Thanks for pointing out that feature - I remember that OrbxCentral v3 and earlier offered the option to 'install from backup'. v4.x now still has the settings for Backups and the option to activate the automatic backup to a specified path, but.... ... I can't find the option to INSTALL FROM BACKUP.... That has either gone down the drain - or I'm struck with partial blindness - any help welcomed! ;o) Michael Austria, Europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hello, perhaps the best thing is to refer you to the User Guide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Sierra Posted February 15, 2020 Share Posted February 15, 2020 Hi Nick, Obviously it's the old RTFM - topic. ;o) Thanks for pushing me onto that. This (read page 20ff!) indeed makes manual downloads obsolete. Michael, Austria, Europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Cooper Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 This seems to be the relevant text. Page 17. Quote Installing from a manual download zip If you prefer to download products via a third-party application, Orbx provides manual download zips files. These contain the product files and can be with Orbx Central. Pressing the advanced install, underneath the Install button on a product page will open a file dialog. Simply select the downloaded zip file from the dialogue to begin the installation. The manual download zips can be found on the OrbxDirect site. Visit orbxdirect.com/account and log into your account. Select a product from the list of which you want to download the manual zip. At the bottom of the product’s information page you can find a ‘MANUAL DOWNLOAD’ button. Pressing this button will initiate the download via your web browser. You can copy the download link to perform the download in another application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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