Classic British Flight Sim

Hi Chaps

Does anyone out there have an FSX install with GenXv3 and NO Earthsims scenery?

Reason I ask is because I've recently done a fresh install of FSX and all is not quite as it should be. After installing FSX, I added GenXv2 (all three parts) then upgraded it using the v3 upgrade discs.. again, for all three parts. Next came UK2K VFR Airfields followed by ES Alderney, IoS, Shawbury and finally.. Guernsey.

As is always the case (for me anyway).. the ES scenery didn't go on without a fight despite them being fresh installs (not dragged from another install). Being careful to install Alderney before IoS appeared to make not one jot of difference. I installed the compatibility files from ES and the tower at Alderney remained missing as well as other buildings on the island until I dragged the ES-3D folder off another install (my E8400). Everything now seems pretty much as it should be on Alderney and IoS although some buildings (greenhouses in particular) are not at the correct angle to match the ground tiles.. 90deg off or thereabouts.

At some point while this was going on.. St Michaels Mount (part of the v3 GenX upgrade) has disappeared I've had this happen before and presumed it was the payware Penzance Helicopter scenery that was the cause as by removing it.. St Michaels Mount reappeared. In this instance, I don't have this scenery installed. I've also done a new install of Brian's Nimrod and this is missing smoke. Another instance.. after GenX and Uk2k were installed, I loaded up Flying Stations Victorious.. again, a fresh install. First time I flew to it, the infamous FLOLS lights were lit (although not functional) and looked a treat. Having installed the ES scenery.. I tried the same flight and the FLOLS were missing

If all this seems disjointed, I'm not surprised.. it is However, the common denominator as I see it is the ES scenery. Reason being that IT changes the default autogen files When you install your first ES scenery, it backs up the default Autogen files (3 of them anyway) so I have a starting place to fault find. Unfortunately, there are more than 3 files in Autogen and across the current installs I have, there are differences between the dates and sizes of these files.. hence my original question.. does anyone have a reasonably fresh install of FSX with only GenXv3 installed. GenX may change other Autogen files though I can't be sure.

St Michaels Mount was definitely there early on as I saw it in the distance having taken off from St Just so one of the ES sceneries has killed it. Logically, this would be the IoS (being the closest to it) but it may also be Alderney or the ES compatibility files.

For scenery that looks so darned good.. it sure seems to cause problems elsewhere

If anyone has FSX with GenXv3/UK2K and no ES scenery, could you list what files are alive in your Autogen folder and the size/date of those files please

ATB
DaveB

I've got a clean backup of FSX with no add-ons at all if that helps. I don't think GenX would alter any of the autogen files

Hi Dave

I'm honestly not sure. I don't know how many files are in the 'basic' install but looking through the versions I have.. some dates may be attributed to FSX ACC. Throughout all the files I have.. 5 have common dates and sizes:
AutogenDescriptions_Mid.spb - 26.9.07 - 287kb
AutogenDescriptions_Min.spb - 26.9.07 - 273kb
Extrusions.spb - 4.9.06 - 152b
Materials.spb - 26.9.07 - 48kb
TerrainAutogenClassDescriptions.spb - 4.9.06 - 15kb

This leaves 3 that have been changed along the way.. probably by ES
AutogenDescriptions
default
RoofDescriptions.

Each install gives different dates for these so I presume AutogenDescriptions.spb and default.xml reflect the install date leaving RoofDescriptions.spb as a default file (4.9.06@54kb) which gets changed along the way.

Flying over the 'missing' St Michaels Mount caused FSX to hang this morning

ATB
DaveB

Hi Dave,

The autogen files shouldn't make any difference, ES just add some extra types.

St Michaels Mount is in VFRGenX-V1-3DO-StMichaelsMount.bgl together with textures which is in the Horizon high-res inserts for Volume 1.

Just looked at my clean backup, & the files are the same as you posted above.
The others are

default.xml 22/08/07 7408 kb
AutogenDescriptions.spb 26/09/07 344 kb
RoofDescriptions.spb 04/09/06 54kb

Is it not something to do with the order in the scenery list and the scenery density setting mate?

Thks Dave

George..
Yup.. I know where it is mate. Point is, after installing the ES scenery, it's now gone.. just a few tree's and not the awful ones that come with SMM

Ben..
I dunno about scenery density or order. The ES scenery is 'standalone' if that makes sense so it should work with however many or however few you have. The exception to this 'was' The IoS and Alderney which battled a little if one was installed before the other. I don't know if this is still the case but to avoid it.. I installed Alderney first this time and it made no difference at all. Having installed Alderney (GenXv3 and UKVFR Airfields already installed).. it spat the sim out immediately. I added the compatibility files (these are changed Autogen files).. the sim started fine but the tower and a few other buildings were missing. I added IoS in the hope that the updated ES-3D files would sort it but they didn't. The ES stuff is just a pain in the proverbial. The latest error today was visualfx.dll while flying around IoS I'm rapidly losing the will to continue with it

ATB
DaveB

Hi mate,

some sceneries require that they are in a specific order in the scenery library. If they aren't in the right order, some scenery wont show properly.

Hi mate,

Just checked mine, and I'm not seeing St.Michaels either, is it part of GenX? And it is that Castle type place on the mound East of Penzance?

I don't see how IOS could interfere with St. Michael's Mount.