FSX Steam Edition is the Answer to Your OOM Problems!

[Jordan King]

Simply put, FSX Steam Edition is the answer to your OOM problems. Period! 

 

So I know there have been some wild claims about the frame rates that FSX Steam Edition yield. I for one did not have the time to test the two sims at lower settings and configurations so I cannot attest for those results but very reputable folks such as Pete Dawson swear that there are tangible gains. 

 

The one thing I have been testing extensively is VAS/WS memory usage and the general stability of the sim. Many of you may have seen my other thread here: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/458260-ms-fsx-vs-dt-fsx-se-the-conclusive-performance-benchmark/ where I did a head to head between MS FSX and FSX SE in a stress test situation. 

 

After those results, I made the conclusion that VAS/OOM performance of FSX SE is remarkably better than the old FSX. Many continued to have questions about the validity of that claim so I decided to step it up a notch. I installed DX10, REX Essential + OD textures, AND Orbx Palm Springs to my stress test. So just to make it clear, in about a 150 NM area, I have the following addons:

• Orbx FTX Global
  
• Orbx FTX Vector
  
• Pilots FS Global 2010 Mesh
  
• Aerosim 787
  
• REX Essential Plus OD Cloud and Sky Textures
  
• Gizmos 4096 Water Animations
  
• Aerosoft My Traffic 2013
  
• FSDT GSX Ground Services
  
• KLAX by FS Dream Team
  
• KLGB by Shehryar Ansari
  
• KONT by Shehryar Ansari
  
• KPSP by Orbx/Jarrad Marshall
  

Then I maxed the settings to unheard of levels which you will see in the video. 

 

I have tried this test with much lower settings in FSX for years as part of my stress flying just between KLAX, KLGB, and KONT without KPSP and couldnt complete the flight. If you have flown FSX for more than a day you know that 4 Mega Airports in this small of an area, ORBX Vector and Global, a Photoreal Region, REX Texture, and maxed out sliders will create an OOM before you probably even get off the ground. 

 

But not in FSX SE. You can visit all 4 airports, load the entire region, and cruise along at 250 kn without a single ping. 

 

Dont believe me? See for yourself. I have included skip points in the description of the video if you dont want to just sit around a listen to me talk. 

 

FSX Steam Edition - *The Ultimate Stress Test!* Pt 1 ->  http://youtu.be/4YONKVA8c00

 

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YONKVA8c00

 

FSX Steam Edition - *The Ultimate Stress Test!* Pt 2 ->  http://youtu.be/lZdcLgqAnhE

 

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZdcLgqAnhE

[Bruce Hamilton]

I never had OOM issues with FSX Acceleration.  SE is still 32 bit

[matthew47]

I agree Bruce.  I thought the HIGHMEM=1 (something like that) fixed the OOM issue.  I will say that it happen to me only once but never after I added the "HIGHMEM=1 (thingy).    Also, I heard that FSXSE improved its multiplayer but thats about it. 
 
If I were to use FSXSE wouldn't I have to uninstall FSX Gold, reinstall FSXSE and ALL of my add-ons?  That would take weeks.  NOT worth it at this point.  If anything I'll probably be transferring to P3DV2 or 3 within the next year or so. 
 
Matthew

[kiwi stu]

Also me..I had my last OOM about 4 years ago...never been an issue for me.

 

StU

[dominique]

No offence to you Ironkidz but I mistrust any post  with an opening statement in bold and large characters closing with a "Period !  "  .

 

Anyway, I'm happy for you. Never had an OOM in FSX  myself either.

 

BTW I made, over 30+ years, the general observation that any new install made properly works always  better than an an older one. 

[Triplane]

I've never had an OOM either (except self-induced when testing VAS useage) but that's not the point. Anyone running the high-density stuff that Ironkidz is describing WILL experience OOMs in the boxed edition. There seems to be ample evidence across several forums that VAS headroom has been improved with FSX SE. Simply saying that "I never had one" doesn't, IMNSHO, negate the truth of the matter.

 

Doug

[Culley44]

which heavy are you flying in the second video?787 developer, nvm i found it

[RJ]

No offence to you Ironkidz but I mistrust any post  with an opening statement in bold and large characters closing with a "Period !  "  .

Couldn't agree more. Looks like one of those "Prevent hair loss in JUST ONE DAY with our magical mystery pill..."

[Jordan King]

I never had OOM issues with FSX Acceleration.  SE is still 32 bit

 

 

I agree Bruce.  I thought the HIGHMEM=1 (something like that) fixed the OOM issue.  I will say that it happen to me only once but never after I added the "HIGHMEM=1 (thingy).    Also, I heard that FSXSE improved its multiplayer but thats about it. 

 

If I were to use FSXSE wouldn't I have to uninstall FSX Gold, reinstall FSXSE and ALL of my add-ons?  That would take weeks.  NOT worth it at this point.  If anything I'll probably be transferring to P3DV2 or 3 within the next year or so. 

 

Matthew

 

 

Also me..I had my last OOM about 4 years ago...never been an issue for me.

 

StU

 

 

If OOM's arent an issue for you, then this thread probably isnt the place to be fellas. Lol. But for those of us who fly in and out of mega airports on a regular basis, its a burden. Low and Slow flyers at one airport dont have this issue so it probably isnt relevant to you. 

 

It is far more than multiplayer improvements however. Infact Pete Dawson (the developer of FSUIPC) said that it is the most efficient code he has ever seen and has significant changes under the hood. Some of the few examples are:

 

* Built using the VS2013 compiler for better optimisation and performance. (Still makes use of VS2005 libraries for backwards compatibility.)

* Increased Vertex and Index Buffers and the number of buffers.

* Fix to particle emitter controllers which were not being updated properly.

* Fix to flush all levels of detail in terrain cache.

* Fix to Texture Composition preventing fail and crash.

* Increased TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD to 4096 up from 1024

* Changed HIGHMEMFIX=1

* UIAutomationCore.dll work-a-round is now supplied by default with FSX:SE. This fixes a number of crashes relating to UI interaction on 64-bit versions of Windows.

* Prevent default colour mode for Windows 7 and above (enable automatic display composition).

 

I see drastically reduced VAS usage, most users see significant FPS increases (including Pete Dawson) in comparative tests, the platform is more stable and outside of some new installers that have to be built, it is a great step forward, albeit not 64 bit, for the FSX platform. 

I've never had an OOM either (except self-induced when testing VAS useage) but that's not the point. Anyone running the high-density stuff that Ironkidz is describing WILL experience OOMs in the boxed edition. There seems to be ample evidence across several forums that VAS headroom has been improved with FSX SE. Simply saying that "I never had one" doesn't, IMNSHO, negate the truth of the matter.

 

Doug

 

Exactly, small airport regional flyers need not apply. But try turning up the eye candy with 2048x2048 textures from KPSP to KSFO and you will have a serious problem. 

[Tim Harris]

OK, so the bold extra large font is starting to irritate me a bit, we are not into 'advertising' in big letters here, say what you have to say in a normal responsible everyday manner, and if you cant, dont

 

Please remember this the Orbx forum, a commercial scenery vendors support forum, and not a general flight sim forum

[Jordan King]

OK, so the bold extra large font is starting to irritate me a bit, we are not into 'advertising' in big letters here, say what you have to say in a normal responsible everyday manner, and if you cant, dont

 

Please remember this the Orbx forum, a commercial scenery vendors support forum, and not a general flight sim forum

 

Really??  I thought that was the point of the General Discussion forum: "Please use this forum to discuss any topic related to flight simulation in general, Orbx Simulation Systems' products or plans, FS community topics or to field general questions (not support related) to the Orbx team."

 

John stated ORBX support of the platform and after extensive testing of the only advancement in FSX in the last 8 years, I wanted to share those results with the community of those who frequent these forums. I thought that would suffice the "General/Non-Support" parameters of this part of the forum. 

[Tim Harris]

Please read my post again, no issues with your results and testing, that is great, there is just no need to use huge bold text to get your point across.

[Spacey]

Hi Tim,

I have all the Orbx Sceneries and it would be a nightmare to have to reload. But if I get to a point where I want to reload and P3D is just not for me yet, are all my Orbx sceneries compatible with this new FSX. If the answer is no ... well can't go there, but if the answer is yes, and more reports come in about improvement in performance ( my PDMG 737 can fly from Brisbane to Ztullamarine without losing Orbx's beautiful scenery), then ...WOW! ( sorry about the capitals ... I'm kinda of really excited)

I'm not rushing to change till I hear more positives, but it does potentially give me a great option for flying heavies in the heavy memory Orbx airfields. Time wil tel as more and more, testing the system on a range of computers, but it it a potential yes so let's be thankful the testing has started.

[Holi]

Ironkidz,

maybe you forgot to mention that you have to be online and logged on to Steam if you want to start the sim!

This would be a kill criteria for me, I would never sell my soul to such companies like Steam!

[Jordan King]

Ironkidz,

maybe you forgot to mention that you have to be online and logged on to Steam if you want to start the sim!

This would be a kill criteria for me, I would never sell my soul to such companies like Steam!

 

Dovetail said that they are going to included offline mode compatibility in a future patch (thats right, updates) but if you dont like steam you probably should stick to regular FSX

[ChaoticBeauty]

Ironkidz,

maybe you forgot to mention that you have to be online and logged on to Steam if you want to start the sim!

This would be a kill criteria for me, I would never sell my soul to such companies like Steam!

 

What have Valve done to you?

[Guest M31]

I dont have any OOM problems with vanilla FSX, but if Pushed FSX Steam ver to limit I could have.

 

Stop trolling.

 

I guess one unfurtanate side effect of Steam adpoting FSX is we'll see more posts like this, patience is needed.

 

Honestly! I do like Steam but the forums there are absolutly rabid and manic, please dont let this happen here.

[Stewart Hobson]

Simply put, perhaps the topic should be:  "FSX Steam is the answer to your oom problems if you fly the big jets over detailed urban areas."  Maybe??

[Guest M31]

LOL ... I should probably shut up, but i remember Avsim and the owner himself  saying MS Flight was the nirvana, some other sites too, if you disagreed you got banned ... absolutely stupid.

 

Personally I welcome this, have it installed on same PC but on different drive and there it will sit while I watch and see what develops, at less than £4 on Steam sale that's an easy move.

 

I'm utterly stunned by some long termers here saying they have un-installed their current FSX for this though?   I tried my old Horizon photo scenery and it does not want to know, it see's my original FSX install with no other options and that was expected ... but I tried.

 

Its far too early to be saying this FSX Steam edition is the definitive BASIC FSX install, even ORBX are at early discussion with them, they had discussions with Microsoft over the Flight game and we all know what happened there.

 

Lets just wait and see what happens with FSX Steam, dont expect miracles and were on the right track IMHO.

 

Honestly the last thing we need just now is another ver of 32 bit FSX ... its just milking it.

 

LM need to move to 64 bit if they can and soon, and no worrys about buying add ons here again, we did it for 2 year intervals for MS Flight sim for decades.

[Guest M31]

But not in FSX SE. You can visit all 4 airports, load the entire region, and cruise along at 250 kn without a single ping.

 

 

 

A Ping?

[Fredrik Johnsson]

OOM warning. FSUIPC let you know before you are out of memory with a ″ping″ sound

[Jordan King]

I dont have any OOM problems with vanilla FSX, but if Pushed FSX Steam ver to limit I could have.

 

Stop trolling.

 

I guess one unfurtanate side effect of Steam adpoting FSX is we'll see more posts like this, patience is needed.

 

Honestly! I do like Steam but the forums there are absolutly rabid and manic, please dont let this happen here.

 

 

Simply put, perhaps the topic should be:  "FSX Steam is the answer to your oom problems if you fly the big jets over detailed urban areas."  Maybe??

 

Look guys, if you have never had an OOM with your simulator, then why would you click on a thread that talks about OOM? For those who have computers powerful enough to run the sim with eye candy on but have been plagued by the VAS limitations of this ancient simulator, this is a god send. No need to stop by and insert your critical 2 cents of facetious banter. 

[Stewart Hobson]

Not being critical of you, mate.  Don't take it personally.  To be charitable, it's clear the jury is still out on whether this is the "god send" you, and apparently others, think it is.  Anyway, can't blame a guy for being curious about what all the fuss is about, since I don't understand why someone would spend a ton of money on eye candy scenery and then fly at 30,000+ ft., where you can't even see the eye candy you have installed, except when you take off or land.  Just MHO. 

[Spirit Flyer]

Well now,

 

I have been around FS this and that, FSX and variants a wee bit, and have pronounced, from time to time, a few exclamatory statements that, more times than not I ended up eating. After being around the block (a few thousand times) I read the OP's breathless claims as sort of a ritual hazing for the exuberant, expressive, and the soon to be initiated into the realm of the cynically unaligned*. 

 

Kind regards,

 

Stephen

 

* or misalligned

[Dibidut]

Oh, The philosopher's stone....again

Henrik

[Spirit Flyer]

Oh, The philosopher's stone....again

Henrik

I like that!

[Rob Newman]

Just playing devil's advocate here, I purchased the steam edition when it was on introductory sale for 5 bucks... still have to install it.

But although changes are minimal to the boxed version, one thing that was mentioned in the change log was a fix for the terrain cache system...

FSX has always had a problem "forgetting" scenery items which is why over time during a flight, the vas usage slowly increases and if you're using high end scenery, eventually past the tipping point and into a vas error. Maybe the scenery cache fix somehow lets the sim flush the memory more effectively as we fly?

Just a theory, mind you...

[Dibidut]

I've Googled "is Valve part of Lockheed Martin?" And it seems that LM have a lot of trouble with Valve...Steam and Anti-Ice Valves that is...

I thought that LM had bought the lince from MS ? 

If it is so good and legal, i will maybe buy it some day...no promises though.

Henrik

[Guest M31]

OOM warning. FSUIPC let you know before you are out of memory with a ″ping″ sound

 

I see and I do have the latests registered FUIPC, not had an OOM error yet though.

 

Thanks for the tip

[Rob Newman]

I've Googled "is Valve part of Lockheed Martin?" And it seems that LM have a lot of trouble with Valve...Steam and Anti-Ice Valves that is...

I thought that LM had bought the lince from MS ?

If it is so good and legal, i will maybe buy it some day...no promises though.

Henrik

Lockheed Martin aquired the training licenses from Microsoft. To be precise, the software formerly known as ESP (Microsoft's commercial, training version of FSX).

Dovetail Games aquired the entertainment licenses from Microsoft, in other words FSX.

As for Steam, they are simply the store front used to sell the repackaged "steam version" of FSX... the company behind the steam version is Dovetail Games.

It's all legal and above board

[Dibidut]

Thanks Rob. Thats for the explanation, i was a bit confused there.

Henrik

[Guest M31]

Look guys, if you have never had an OOM with your simulator, then why would you click on a thread that talks about OOM?

 

Erm, because we are enthusiasts perhaps ... who like to keep up to date on every possible avenue ... what do you think? I mean really?

 

I'm seriously wondering where you are coming from? We had the exact same problem when MS Flight was released, it split the community apart with some saying it was the second coming of Christ of sims and some arguing it was nothing of the sort ... and we all know how that panned out

 

My take is and I love Steam (and no way does this version perform better than a new vanilla FSX install with same .cfg tweaks) Its just a diversion, do we really need another ver of 32 bit FSX <-------- because that's what P3D v 2 and FSX are.

 

Does this new version of FSX bring anything new to the table, fixed multiplayer perhaps ( and that was always grim) ... but otherwise it does not, if anything it brings more problems and headaches for those that want to add to it third party wise.

 

My guess is Dovetail got this licence dirt cheap, good luck to them ... but lets think about this, are ORBX really going to go update their software for quad installations now??? are all the the third party's going to do the same? Some are still struggling to keep up with P3DV2.

 

Given Dovetails past history I predict this Steam FSX will fizzle out in months, and then towards the end of 2015 we'll get the inevitable ... "Did anyone try that Steam version of FSX?" Posts.

 

No Doubt PC Pilot magazine will review this and give it another Platinum award and ultimately only serve to confuse matters further ... hehehhehehe

 

Its getting silly

[MarkH]

But although changes are minimal to the boxed version, one thing that was mentioned in the change log was a fix for the terrain cache system...

FSX has always had a problem "forgetting" scenery items which is why over time during a flight, the vas usage slowly increases and if you're using high end scenery, eventually past the tipping point and into a vas error. Maybe the scenery cache fix somehow lets the sim flush the memory more effectively as we fly?

Ah, information. I almost missed that! Ironkidz, keep up the good work, it's disappointing to see your methodical work trashed.

My only worry is if Valve are fixing problems we'll get a divergence between versions. I don't know what their development plans are but it would be regrettable if this led to incompatibilities. Then again, if the Valve version pulled ahead I guess FSXers would eventually switch to it, especially as the source of boxed versions dried up.

[Rob Newman]

My only worry is if Valve are fixing problems we'll get a divergence between versions. I don't know what their development plans are but it would be regrettable if this led to incompatibilities. Then again, if the Valve version pulled ahead I guess FSXers would eventually switch to it, especially as the source of boxed versions dried up.

The latest issue of PC Pilot has an interesting mini-interview with Dovetail Games. In which current compatibility was raised along with future advances for the frachise...

Dovetail mentioned that as far as the FSX steam version was concerned, the only real compatibility block was the new install location, and of course they have the boiler plate declaration of "we can't guarantee compatibility with 3rd party addons" to protect themselves, but they apparently made specific efforts to maintain current compatibility. They also mentioned that as far as FSX goes, this is pretty much it as far as changes. Future updates will probably take the form of a new sim, building on what FSX brought to the table.

As for the future, they're staying pretty tight lipped about it... but they did specifically mention how their other software, Train Simulator, has always maintained backwards compatibility with addons despite big changes to the main program... and that this was a core feature of their software... it's hardly a definitive statement, but it looks as if they are at least aware of it.

[Dibidut]

Great Rob, i will wait for "Future updates will probably take the form of a new sim, building on what FSX brought to the table." the new Sim in eagerness.  

Henrik

[MarkH]

Dovetail mentioned that as far as the FSX steam version was concerned, the only real compatibility block was the new install location

I'm sure that's what they intend, but life's not like that! I guess that's part of what's behind the decision to leave it alone, if indeed that is what they're going to do. (And yes, I meant Dovetail not Valve!)

[Jordan King]

Erm, because we are enthusiasts perhaps ... who like to keep up to date on every possible avenue ... what do you think? I mean really?

 

I'm seriously wondering where you are coming from? We had the exact same problem when MS Flight was released, it split the community apart with some saying it was the second coming of Christ of sims and some arguing it was nothing of the sort ... and we all know how that panned out

 

My take is and I love Steam (and no way does this version perform better than a new vanilla FSX install with same .cfg tweaks) Its just a diversion, do we really need another ver of 32 bit FSX <-------- because that's what P3D v 2 and FSX are.

 

Does this new version of FSX bring anything new to the table, fixed multiplayer perhaps ( and that was always grim) ... but otherwise it does not, if anything it brings more problems and headaches for those that want to add to it third party wise.

 

My guess is Dovetail got this licence dirt cheap, good luck to them ... but lets think about this, are ORBX really going to go update their software for quad installations now??? are all the the third party's going to do the same? Some are still struggling to keep up with P3DV2.

 

Given Dovetails past history I predict this Steam FSX will fizzle out in months, and then towards the end of 2015 we'll get the inevitable ... "Did anyone try that Steam version of FSX?" Posts.

 

No Doubt PC Pilot magazine will review this and give it another Platinum award and ultimately only serve to confuse matters further ... hehehhehehe

 

Its getting silly

 

Please provide the source to your statements. Because many developers, including Pete Dawson have said the contrary. The code is significantly different. The core sim is still there but there are far more than ".cfg" tweaks and I would challenge you to replicate this test with your FSX and .cfg tweaks if you believe thats all it is.

 

Orbx doesnt need to make quad installers, just needs to update the objectflow.dll to hook properly in the new code. Global and Vector work just fine, FSDT, Flightbeam, Flytampa, etc all work fine. Its just the animations from Orbx that need a little updating. There will still be triple installer.  

 

I am coming from a more informed place than you. I own both sims, have used and benchmarked both sims in identical configurations, and I can tell you with certainty that the Steam Edition is a significant evolution of the old platform. You cant make the assumption that because they look similar on the surface that they are indeed the same. They are not. Plain and simple. 

 

Why would if fizzle in months when it is an easier to install, easier to fly without hours of tweaks, backwards compatible, more stable, better VAS managing, cheaper version of FSX? MS Flight did none of those things. It was a watered down sim, thats why it failed. To make an association between the two is ridiculous. 

 

So if you dont have evidence to support your empty claims, you make blind assumptions when you dont own both, and you dont keep up to date on the facts as you said you did as an "enthusiast". Thats the only thing I see silly here. 

 

 

<MOD NOTE: Topic has run its course>