FTX with other add-ons, scenery and softwares??

[bassjace]

HI all,

I am kind of new to the FS scene and FTX. I have a copy of FSX installed with SP2 and various scenery add-ons. What I would like to know is how well FTX co-exists with these various software.

I have FSX Vector Australia installed. Will I need to uninstall this before adding Blue and Gold.

I have Shockwave 3D lights, will this be OK? Does the night component of FTX over-ride 3D lights? Will it have to go?

The same with Ultimate Night Envoroment X?

CLS Sydney? Should this go for the Blue freeware airport pakage?

I have various AeroFiles add-ons like Airport ground Details, Sky Enviroment, Texture Booster Packs, will these be OK with FTX?

I appreciate any replies, I know there is a bit to answer.

Jason

[bassjace]

Just wondering if anybody that is in the know here is going to help.

I read all about the great support that FTX give........

Surely there must be somebody else out there that has other scenery add-ons installed for Australia and various other bits and pieces that are touted to do the same as FTX who might be able to help?

Anybody??

Or do I just install and hope for the best??

[Aceshigh]

Hi..

I have the MegasceneryX  Hawaii amd Southern cailfornia add on's and have no problems with FTX.  When I fly with these USA add ons I make sure the FTX mode is set to "off".  When I install any thing new I make sure it is set to off as well..    Flying inside the FTX area, FTX mode is set to "On".  So far no clashs.

hope that helps... 

[Geoffman]

Yeah, I had cloud9's Xclass Australia installed, but I found after installing with AUBlue that I had problems with a "dual road" effect happening which was only solved by disabling Xclass. (Yes I made sure Xclass had a lower priority than all the FTX entries in my scenery library, before anyone suggest it   )

[John Venema]

Hi Jason, apologies for not answering sooner.

Quick answer: FTX works with any other addon you might have, as long as you respect FTX Mode, which is the little application we use to switch our custom Orbx files in and out. In a nutshell, turn FTX Mode [ON] when flying in an FTX region, then FTX Mode [OFF] when outside it. In particular, you must turn FTX Mode [OFF] when installing any new software *after* you've installed FTX.

The first time you install an FTX region, all your settings and files we overwrite are safely backed up for you, so you've nothing to fear.

Now to specifics about your installed addon:

1. FSX Vector Australia is based on public and GPS data and general very poorly implemented. You will find the roads don't have traffic on the correct sides of the roads and most intersections are very jagged and roughly implemented. FTX completely replaces FSX Vector Australia with our own much more detailed roads. Conclusion: Uninstall it.

2. Shockwave 3D lights as far as I know only applies to aircraft lighting effects, and won't be affected by the 3D lights in FTX. Someone correct me if I am wrong on that count. - Conclusion: do nothing, leave it installed.

3. Ultimate Night Environment overwrites default FSX lighting and is design for default textures only. It won't be affected at all by FTX. The good news is that you can now take off your sunglasses when flying at night!   ;D - Conclusion: do nothing, leave it installed.

4. CLS Sydney (FSX) version has not been tested with FTX, and generally it's received mixed reviews. I won't pass my judgement on it though. I guess you will need to see how it works with FTX, but being an airport addon only, and given that FTX does not enhance YSSY, it should work fine. - Conclusion: do nothing, leave it installed (and wait for Orbx YSSY later this year

5. Airport ground details addons, affect default: - Conclusion: do nothing, leave them installed. However, FTX does replace the bridge roads textured to match them to our road. Good news is FTX Mode switches our bridge roads in and out, so won't affect environment texture addons.

6. Sky Environment - affect default only: - Conclusion: do nothing, leave it installed.

7. Texture booster packs - affect default only: - Conclusion: do nothing, leave them installed.

Bottom line: Respect FTX Mode and it respects you and *all* your addons.

Hope this helps you make a decision.

P.S. If you purchase AU BLUE and AU GOLD before the AU BLUE Service Pack 1 is released this week, simply install BLUE first, then GOLD.

[Barry Meiklejohn]

I have FSX Vector Australia installed. Will I need to uninstall this before adding Blue and Gold.

I haven't used this product - I think it's roads? so yes you should uninstall or else you will have duplicated road files with associated FPS hits.

I have Shockwave 3D lights, will this be OK? Does the night component of FTX over-ride 3D lights? Will it have to go?

Unknown.

The same with Ultimate Night Envoroment X?

FTX provides its own night textures for each of our sets. You should see FTX night textures in FTX regions and other texture packages outside of the FTX region - so should exist ok. Make sure to FTX mode OFF before updating or installing other scenery or texture packages.

CLS Sydney? Should this go for the Blue freeware airport pakage?

Never used this but it is only airport scenery? So should work ok.

I have various AeroFiles add-ons like Airport ground Details, Sky Enviroment, Texture Booster Packs, will these be OK with FTX?

Unknown. FTX lives outside the normal FSX addon structure so these addons should not harm FTX. However FTX needs some customised FSX files swapped in to display properly - this is the function of FTX mode. Most conflicts appear to occur if users install new addons without switching FTX mode to OFF. Some problems appear if FTX is installed after other programs which modify these same 'control' files. In these cases it is generally a simple matter of FTX mode OFF and then re-install the other addon.

[bassjace]

Thanks for all the replies. I am now much clearer on these issues.

Can I ask with the scenery library when I install another scenery package or Airport add-on outside of the FTX region, say London Heathrow or MegaScenery X Las Vegas and it puts itself at the top of the list, is this an issue?

Who should be at the top? FTX always or does it depend on where you are planning on going? Do you move them up and down depending on what scenery you are using?

I installed BLUE and then GOLD with the FTX region off. Then realised that I should have the HolgerMesh installed so I did that. Its above the FTX scenery regions on the list as well as the FTX_Freeware which I installed after the BLUE aqnd GOLD regions.

How does the scenery library work on precenence?

I purchased a copy of FSX Tips Tricks and Trips to get an understanding of the features in FSX. Hope it helps!

Anybody got a copy?

Thanks again

Jas

[John Venema]

The FTX library entries are auto-sorted by our installers and it's best they are kept in that sequence. However, FTX does not have to be at the very top of your scenery library entries, so Heathrow etc can quite happily be at the top.