resolved INSTALLING INTO LIBRARY OVER A NETWORK

[Banananav]

I have a multiple PC network, using fixed IP addresses and full sharing enabled down, where necessary, to individual folder level.

My Orbx Library is on PC A, and has a P3D v4 folder for that sim on that PC.

PC B also has P3D v4 on it, and downloads all the Orbx add-ons correctly from the networked Orbx Library which it accesses through a "mounted" drive.

I have now installed P3D v5 Pro (HF2) on  PC B.

There are, obviously, separate copies of the latest version of Orbx Central on both PCs.

When I select P3D v5, my products, and try to install one (Buildings HD) into the Orbx Library I get: Install Orbx Libraries.

On pressing either Yes, or Not now I just get ERROR.

So I can not install any P3d v5 scenery into the Orbx Library on PC A, which does not have P3D v5 on it.

Rgds

Chris

 

 

 

Operating system:  W10Pro

Simulator:  P3D v5

Screenshot:  

Issue:  

 

central.log

[Guest Josh Koz]

Hi @Banananav

 

Please see the 'Libraries at a network location' section of the user guide here: https://Orbx.to/central-guide

 

The provided log file indicates that the network path is set to  \\Main\d\Orbx Library\. Due to an operating system limitation, we can't check disk integrity for network locations that aren't mapped to a drive letter. Mapping your network path to a drive letter works around this limitation and still allows you to use the network path for your library.

[Banananav]

Hi Josh

As I said above, the drive is mounted, as the Z drive on PC B. 

However, when you use Central to locate the Orbx Library on PC A it shows as \\Main\d\Orbx Library in the search window.

Substituting Z manually for Main does not work.

Furthermore, there is no problem accessing the P3Dv4 library from PC B as it is set up on PC A which also has P3Dv4 installed on it.

So, the issue appears to be an inability of Central on PC B to create a P3Dv5 sub-folder in the Orbx Library on PC A which does not have P3Dv5 installed on it.

Rgds

Chris

 

[Guest Josh Koz]

Hi @Banananav

 

15 hours ago, Banananav said:

Substituting Z manually for Main does not work.

 

Is it rejecting the path with an error? You shouldn't need to manually Substitute 'Z' for 'Main'.

Orbx Central libraries that have the Library Path starting with '\\' won't work and result in the issue you're experiencing. You should be able to remove that library and create a new one. Using the 'Change' button, select your mapped Z: drive and then navigate to the folder within it that contains the library. i.e  this path may be z:\\Orbx Library or z:\\d\Orbx Library or z:\\Main\d\Orbx Library depending on which folder on PC A you've mapped PC B's Z drive letter to.

 

 

Let me know if I can provide further clarification or if you run into any further errors.

[Banananav]

Hi Josh

I just tried substituting Z manually to see what, if anything, happened.

I have already tried to re-create the library as you suggest but,

To recap:

1. The Orbx library is on PC A (Main)in the d drive.

2. The path on PC B is through a mounted drive Z

3.  The path shown in Orbx Central is \\Main\d\Orbx Library

4.  It works perfectly with P3Dv4, which is installed on both PC A & PC B

5.  P3Dv5 is only installed on PC B

6.  When I try to create a p3dv5 library on PC A, from PC B by installing global Buildings HD from my my P3Dv5 Products I get:

7.  Install Orbx libraries for this to work.

8. I click on install and get ERROR on a red banner.

So if the library path works correctly using P3Dv4 the problem must lie in P3Dv5 not being on the same PC as the Orbx Library.

Rgds

Chris

[Guest Josh Koz]

Hi Chris,

 

11 hours ago, Banananav said:

2. The path on PC B is through a mounted drive Z

3.  The path shown in Orbx Central is \\Main\d\Orbx Library

 

The problem exists here between these two steps resulting in the error you're encountering. Whilst you indicate that the path to PC B is mounted on drive letter Z: (a mapped drive letter), the library path set in Orbx Central doesn't contain any drive letter(a UNC path). Orbx Central won't work with with UNC paths but will with mapped drive paths, even if they're pointing to the same location.

Can you open File Explorer, navigate to the mounted drive Z: then into the folders within until you reach your Orbx Library? Then provide a screenshot of this folder as well as the path displayed in the bar at the top of File Explorer. This should help me determine exactly what folder on PC A you've mapped the Z drive letter to on PC B and in turn determine what the exact library path you need to set to make this work.

 

 

 

 

[Banananav]

Hi Josh

Here is the screenshot you asked for, CJF PC B

I'm having problems uploading a second jpg so will att to a separate post.

However, what it shows is that when I use Orbx Central to browse for a new library location it opens a File Explorer window which does not show PC B drive Z but the networked PC MAIN, which is PC A.  And that gets me to the Orbx Library on PC A's D drive - and that works for P3Dv4 (which is on both PCs).

So the problem is not the network id of the library - it is that Orbx Central on PC B will not allow me to create a p3dv5 folder in the Orbx library on PC A.

I am not going any further with this as I am going to put a spare SSD on PC B and set up  the P3Dv5 library on that.

Thanks

Chris

 

 

 

[Banananav]

Here is the other screenshot.

[Guest Josh Koz]

Hi @Banananav

 

Thanks for providing these screenshots. According to your PC A screenshot what should work is setting your Orbx Library path to "Z:\Orbx Library\" instead of "\\Main\d\Orbx Library\". If for some reason this path doesn't exist in the file picker you could set it manually in the file picker or through the settings file.

 

 

[Banananav]

Hi Josh

This problem is also stopping aivlasoft efb from updating its airport layouts.

The file picker won't show the ZDrive nor let me manually specify Z:\d\Orbx Library

So, where is the Orbx Central settings file pse, so I can modify it.

Chris

[Guest Josh Koz]

Hi Chris,

 

You can find the Orbx Central settings file at C:\Users\chris\AppData\Roaming\Orbx\Central\central.json. They'll be a section called libraries we're you'll be able to manually set a path.

 

However if you can't find the Z: drive in the file picker this would suggest that there is some issue with the drive letter mapping. Can you confirm that the drive was mapped using the following steps?  https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/help/4026635/windows-10-map-a-network-drive ?

[Banananav]

Thanks Josh

They are correctly mapped, I've been using this method successfully for many years.

I'm coming to the conclusion that this is a W10 group permissions or similar issue - deep joy.

Will try the manual path set-up and let you know how I get on.

Rgds

Chris

[Banananav]

Hi Josh

central.json didn't work.

So, I used the Regedit fix and can now see the mapped Z Drive in the explorer window Central opens.

Even better, Z:\Orbx Library comes up when "Scan for Libraries" is used.

However, it now sticks at FoundLibrary1 with the SIZE circle just going round and round.

There is full access to the Library from PC B, which I checked beforehand, so no apparent network issues.

Turning both Bullguard and Windows firewalls off has no effect.

Also, task manager shows no network activity on Orbx Central on PC B.

Rgds

Chris

[Guest Josh Koz]

Hi Chris

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the loading circle on the disk size. If the library appears in the list then it should be correctly added.

 

Are the products in the library working as expected on PC B within the sim?

[Banananav]

Hi Josh

Regret not, the selected library is not completing selection.

Image CJF PC B 3 shows how, using "create new library" I can now "see" the mapped Z Drive in the Central-generated search window.

Image CJF PC B4 shows what then happens when I select the identified drive to create a library.  The loading circle just goes on for hours, if i let it.

Image CJF PC B5 shows what happens if I highlight the Z Drive first in W10 file explorer and then use "search for libraries! in Central - this only works if Z Drive is highlighted first in W10 file explorer.

I also attach the latest central log file for Central on PC B.

This is now becoming a matter of academic interest as I am installing a 1 TB SSD on PC B tomorrow to hold a new P3Dv5 Library, and not going to use P3Dv4 any further on that PC.

I will, however, be interested to see if there is a solution to this problem.

Rgds

Chris

 

CJF central log 29 Sep 20.log

[Guest Josh Koz]

Hi Chris,

 

The error that now appears in the log is as follows:

 

2020-09-29T10:25:24.400Z [INFO] [Saturn] - [ERROR] Failed to save add-on Z:\Orbx Library\p3dv4\Global VECTOR\add-on.xml, layering may not work as expected.
2020-09-29T10:25:24.400Z [INFO] [Saturn] - System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path 'Z:\Orbx Library\p3dv4\Global VECTOR\add-on.xml' is denied.
2020-09-29T10:25:24.402Z [INFO] [Saturn] - [ERROR] Failed to save add-on \\Main\d\Orbx Library\p3dv4\LDPL Pula Airport\add-on.xml, layering may not work as expected.
2020-09-29T10:25:24.402Z [INFO] [Saturn] - System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path '\\Main\d\Orbx Library\p3dv4\LDPL Pula Airport\add-on.xml' is denied.
2020-09-29T10:25:24.403Z [INFO] [Saturn] - [ERROR] Failed to save add-on Z:\Orbx Library\p3dv4\LDPL Pula Airport\add-on.xml, layering may not work as expected.
2020-09-29T10:25:24.403Z [INFO] [Saturn] - System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path 'Z:\Orbx Library\p3dv4\LDPL Pula Airport\add-on.xml' is denied.
2020-09-29T10:25:24.404Z [INFO] [Saturn] - [ERROR] Failed to save add-on \\Main\d\Orbx Library\p3dv4\Global VECTOR\add-on.xml, layering may not work as expected.

 

This indicates that the user Orbx Central is running as doesn't have permission to read the files on the Z:/ drive even though it can see them.

[Banananav]

Hi Josh

This is not a W10 network permissions issue as I see it;  the Orbx Library folder is fully shared, including network and security permissions.  

Furthermore, the P3Dv4 library works across the network, as does the Orbx back-up folder which I have just used to create a separate P3Dv5 library on a new ssd on PC B.

So it looks to me to be a specific Orbx Central/P3Dv5/network issue.

However, as I have adopted a hardware solution with P3Dv5 running on just PC B and P3Dv4 on PC A, both with separate Libraries, this issue is, from my perspective, Resolved.

Thanks for the help.

Chris