In my past life I was a computer and network security designer and analyst (45 years worth). I have worked on extremely large government programs whose security requirements would make most people pull their hair out.Having said that, FSDT makes the very same mistake that many developers make - security becomes the driving force of software development and the requirements to protect that development from theft rises to the top of priorities. People think that their "air-tight" security schemes reduce the amount of theft by large amounts. I can assure you, the more security you have the more thieves and hackers will attempt to get around your protection. And, when security measures begin to impact the user, a developer is going to suffer more loss from dissatisfaction than from theft.Everyone here is absolutely correct - Umberto is a fantastic developer and a patient and understanding person - not to mention he's a really nice guy. I, along with many users, have been trying to get him to abandon his current addon manager and get something that is still pretty good at protecting the software but not so intrusive a solution that the software being protected starts to become unstable.I, like many of you, have had to uninstall FSX many times due to problems with the addon manager. Yes, the issue always gets fixed. But the labor involved in a complete uninstall of my flight sim system is objectionable. FSX is already complex enough without adding management (security) software that is also complex AND has to play nice with all the things you add to your sim. BTW - back in the Cloud9 days, the addon manager was really unstable. At least it has been "fixed" somewhat that it presents less of a problem.So, I again add my voice to those pleading with Umberto to get rid of this manager and put something in its place that will protect the software without the damaging interaction the utility has with FSX.Frank

never had a problem with addon mgr from the c9 days to today. many tinker and break things and blam the addon mgr. silly.

So, I again add my voice to those pleading with Umberto to get rid of this manager and put something in its place that will protect the software without the damaging interaction the utility has with FSX.

The entire post is based on the assumption the Addon Manager is only needed for security reasons. Of course, it's easy for users to be mislead believing this, because the purchase-related features are the only ones with an user interface that users interact with.But the Addon Manager does a lot more than that and the security features are probably less than 10% of what it does now. Most of what it does is bypassing the .limitations of the .BGL format, to handle optimizations and things that the FSX alone simply can't do. In a thread about KLAX, very close to this one:http://forum.avsim.net/topic/357081-some-questions-on-fsdt-klax-fsx/page__view__findpost__p__2196508

While at Aerosoft EHAM I get 10FPS with the 737NGX, at UK2000 EGLL I get 15FPS, I have seen 18FPS at FSDT KLAX. I have no idea how they managed to do that, but I'm extremely happy.

So, either you have to accept the (unlikely) explanation that other developers are incapable of optimizing their sceneries, or you have to accept the fact that THANKS to the use of the Addon Manager and the Couatl programs, we can add more optimizations to make such large sceneries usable, you can't otherwise justify a an fps increase from 30% to 50% compared to other similarly big airports. Which don't include any features like intelligent docking system (without purchasing extra software), intelligent runway lights, rwls, thl, custom papi with faros that interact with user *and* AI airplanes. All of this is done under the hood by the Addon Manager and Couatl together.It's too long to explain it here, also because it was already explained several times what the Addon Manager does and why our newest sceneries are performing even faster than older ones (they use MORE Addon Manager/Couatl features), KLAX looks so much better and it's faster than KJFK, but they do, and we would use the Addon Manager+Couatl even if we released a freeware product, security is no longer its main reason of existence.Fact that updating the Addon Manager or Couatl might break older sceneries, is a side effect of the fact that, for the maximum efficiency, we have a single product handling dozen of sceneries at the same time, from multiple developers, with some released as far as 2005, and we had to keep backward compatibility with all of them, but we are constantly add new features (a lot were added for the upcoming GSX), But this also mean we have a lower memory footprint, because there's no code duplication that would happen if we had a separate module for each scenery and, since we are using product activation anyway, it simply make sense to handle everything, features, fps optimization *and* antipiracy in the same program.This requires user keeping the Addon Manager and the sceneries updated, and we added more easy to understand notifications options to it.As a general rule, whenever something doesn't seem to work right, downloading and installing the current Stand-Alone Addon Manager AFTER all the sceneries are installed will always fix everything, but many users try to fix things they own way, so the remove the scenery, remove the Addon Manager, wonder why other sceneries don't work anymore, so the install the Addon Manager, than they put a scenery on top of it using an older installer, and this could cause issues, depending how much older that scenery installer was.We are quite happy of our sales and, judging from what we always read posted by other developers (very few can afford to do flight sim development as full time job), people like our products, security included, and sales are going up, not down. Several developers have disappeared along the years, some of them even openly admitting because of piracy. People doesn't seem to understand that, it's a whole lot different being affected by piracy if your product is expected to sell several *millions* of units anyway. In the flight sim business, reducing piracy could just be what makes the difference between being able to pay your bills or not so IN ADDITION to make what we believe are good products, keeping piracy under control is exactly what allowed us to stay in this business for years, and keep doing better and better products. It took a year to develop KLAX, and during that period, all developers sustained themselves with sales of previous products. We haven't invested *any* money into FSDT, continued sales is what keeps us afloat, and fact that older sceneries like Zurich or O'Hare are still selling well today, 4 years after their initial release, it's surely due in no small part because of how we managed to reduce piracy.So no, the Addon Manager/Couatl are here to stay, because we couldn't do what we do without them, we'll only add more and more new features and try to make the installers and the information messages as easy to understand as possible so users would always know what to do in case of any problems, and of course we'll try to support everyone as best as we can.

So, either you have to accept the (unlikely) explanation that other developers are incapable of optimizing their sceneries, or you have to accept the fact that THANKS to the use of the Addon Manager and the Couatl programs, we can add more optimizations to make such large sceneries usable, you can't otherwise justify a an fps increase from 30% to 50% compared to other similarly big airports. Which don't include any features like intelligent docking system (without purchasing extra software), intelligent runway lights, rwls, thl, custom papi with faros that interact with user *and* AI airplanes. All of this is done under the hood by the Addon Manager and Couatl together.

Thanks for the explanation. I do hope you didn't see my post as criticism on the addon manager, did you?Anyway, I'm looking very much forward to GSX and upcoming sceneries. If they are going to be like KLAX (and they will be, if I understand you correctly), then I know I'm going to buy each one of them, simply because they work so well!

OK.. If it's good enough for Jim and Bob, it's good enough for me. My mind is changed. As the need arises (i.e. OrbX NOR & SOCAL) - I shall put my faith in Umberto.Everyone have a great holiday!

Thanks for the explanation. I do hope you didn't see my post as criticism on the addon manager, did you?

I've seen your post about KLAX as one of the best compliments we could ever get.We put lots of value in performances, is what we spent most of our dev time on: everybody can do a nice and slow scenery, many can do nice, fast and *small* sceneries, we try to do nice, fast and large sceneries, and your comment about KLAX was really appreciated.

In my past life I was a computer and network security designer and analyst (45 years worth). I have worked on extremely large government programs whose security requirements would make most people pull their hair out.Having said that, FSDT makes the very same mistake that many developers make - security becomes the driving force of software development and the requirements to protect that development from theft rises to the top of priorities. People think that their "air-tight" security schemes reduce the amount of theft by large amounts. I can assure you, the more security you have the more thieves and hackers will attempt to get around your protection. And, when security measures begin to impact the user, a developer is going to suffer more loss from dissatisfaction than from theft.Everyone here is absolutely correct - Umberto is a fantastic developer and a patient and understanding person - not to mention he's a really nice guy. I, along with many users, have been trying to get him to abandon his current addon manager and get something that is still pretty good at protecting the software but not so intrusive a solution that the software being protected starts to become unstable.I, like many of you, have had to uninstall FSX many times due to problems with the addon manager. Yes, the issue always gets fixed. But the labor involved in a complete uninstall of my flight sim system is objectionable. FSX is already complex enough without adding management (security) software that is also complex AND has to play nice with all the things you add to your sim. BTW - back in the Cloud9 days, the addon manager was really unstable. At least it has been "fixed" somewhat that it presents less of a problem.So, I again add my voice to those pleading with Umberto to get rid of this manager and put something in its place that will protect the software without the damaging interaction the utility has with FSX.Frank

45 years as a computer and network security designer.... that puts you all the way back to starting in 1966. Yikes! Back in those DOS and MSDOS days and when a nanosecond was discovered. Respectfully, it's hard for me to understand how anyone with your background in computers has problems with FSDT security. Why should they go to a security program you recommend? I have a security program I would like them to use too as I know how it works and exactly what registry keys it creates or changes. IMHO, if FSDT security is creating "damaging interaction" with FSX, then it's installed improperly. You need to make sure you have the latest dotnet software and Microsoft Visuals C++ redistributables all the way back to 2005 and make sure Windows update has updated all of those programs. I agree with you that back in the Cloud9 days and FS2K4 days, the Addon Manager was horrible. It has been updated though and it works perfectly for most computer users. When you install FSDT make sure UAC is disabled and any anti-virus program is disabled too. You need to try to make FSDT security software work for you instead of trying to fight it.V/R,Jim

Yes, 45 years. And yes, the start was before PCs - we worked on mainframes and what used to be called mini-compuiters.Let me clarify - I didn't say FSDT had poor scenery packages - I have them all and I love their work. But, as you can see above, the addon manager is handling a huge number of functions. To restate - the more complex the interaction the more trouble you can get into.Many here have mentioned that if you know what you're doing or know the technical details of this manager the less likely you'll have problems. To me this is wrong. A user of flight sim software should not have to become a technical expert on software that handles as much interaction as this one does. That defeats the purpose of enjoying the simulation experience. This is the same principle as some people liking the complexity of PMDG 737NGX as opposed to a Cessna C172. Not everyone wants to become a systems expert on a 737.I appreciate the stance FSDT takes and I know that I have to watch my system carefully lest some gremlins sneak into the system due to something I added that conflicts with this addon manager. I personally like to dig into the bowls of flight sim. Not everyone however likes to do that.Frank

I've seen your post about KLAX as one of the best compliments we could ever get.We put lots of value in performances, is what we spent most of our dev time on: everybody can do a nice and slow scenery, many can do nice, fast and *small* sceneries, we try to do nice, fast and large sceneries, and your comment about KLAX was really appreciated.

Then I'm glad ^_^Sometimes I find it difficult to "read" the tone of your "voice" due to the wording you use in some of your posts, which is why I asked. Just wanted to make sure :(

Yes, e-mail is a very difficult medium. You cannot know the intent of the poster nor can you hear inflections in their voice. Of course you also cannot see their faces. That is why it is in the best interest of a reader to ask questions of a poster when their meaning is not clear. Thus the clarification. I try very hard to specify my intent but as you can see, I sometimes fail. I apologize to any and all (especially to Umberto) if my intent was not obvious.BTW - MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL DEVELOPERS AND FLIGHT SIMMERS. OR JUST HAPPY HOLIDAYS IF YOUR FAITH IS DIFFERENT.Frank

As someone else said, the more security you put on it, the more somone wants to crack it, as it give a challenge.At the end of the day, you can put ALL the security you want..but as its not a physical padlock and chain as such, but rather writen code, the code is read, analysed, and re-writen...just like anything you can ever imagine ever created for a PC.You can put bumps in the road, drain the water from the engine so it overheats, and put diesel in the tank instead of petrol ( or 'gas')...but when the pirates cars stops...you dont stop the pirate..just his car...he simply gets out and walks.You will not stop piracy..Ever.Dont get me wrong i want as many developers as possible to stay in profitable buisness, they make my sim better :) to a level im happy to pay for.

This requires user keeping the Addon Manager and the sceneries updated, and we added more easy to understand notifications options to it.

No offence, but that doesnt sit very well with me.Why should i go out my way to update something i dont want, for your sakes?...i gave you my money...the transaction is closed.Aerosoft has a launcher...that updates itself with a single click.Maybe do that with yours? Its alot more user freindly i think.Anyway..Merry Christmas

I appreciate the stance FSDT takes and I know that I have to watch my system carefully lest some gremlins sneak into the system due to something I added that conflicts with this addon manager. I personally like to dig into the bowls of flight sim. Not everyone however likes to do that.Frank

Thanks Frank for the clarification. I thought you were still having issues and the reason I wrote.Best regards,Jim

just like anything you can ever imagine ever created for a PC.You can put bumps in the road, drain the water from the engine so it overheats, and put diesel in the tank instead of petrol ( or 'gas')...but when the pirates cars stops...you dont stop the pirate..just his car...he simply gets out and walks.You will not stop piracy..Ever.

The correct real world analogy, is that anyone determined enough to break into your house, can do it, regardless of how much security you might have. But that's not a good reason to keep your house door open...

Why should i go out my way to update something i dont want, for your sakes?...i gave you my money...the transaction is closed.

First, no software is ever sold, it's only licensed.And nobody forces you to update anything: the update might be needed only if you want to install something new, but when you install a new scenery, it also comes with all the necessary updates for the old sceneries.

Aerosoft has a launcher...that updates itself with a single click.Maybe do that with yours? Its alot more user freindly i think.

The Addon Manager has online update capability too, for the most crucial files, but some files are not automatically updated and come only with the Addon Manager installer. We are adding a complete self-update capability, which has already being improved compared to previous releases.When judging any protection system, you should judge what allows you to do and what it doesn't, regarding to your reinstall option.The Addon Manager allows the following features, which all together are simply unmatched by any other protection method in the Flight Sim business:- You have 6 activations per order, which can be active at any given time.It' not "6 activations for the product lifetime", it's a really a rotation around a pool of 6. Even if you consumed all your 6 activations, the oldest one with at least 90 days, will be AUTOMATICALLY reclaimed, without having to contact anyone when installing on a new hardware. This doesn't ever end, you can reactivate hundreds of times, if you stay in that limit. The only time you have to contact us for a reactivation, is if you consumed all your 6 in less than 90 days.- You can deactivate a scenery yourself, if you are planning to change hardware. This allows you to not even consume 1 activation, if you are smart enough to remember to deactivate your old system before switching to a new one. And if you *do* forget, it's really difficult to run into activation troubles with the ability to deactivate AND a pool of 6 activation with auto-reclaim every 90 days.With the deactivation under your control, it means you can reinstall your scenery on a new hardware even if you already used your all 6 activations, even if none is older than 90 days, and even if you are building a PC on Christmas Eve, without any chance to contact support.User Deactivation could even allow you to "lend" your scenery to a friend. You can deactivate it on your system, letting your friend use it for a while, then having him deactivate so you can reactivate it again on your system without even consuming 1 activation! Fact we are suggesting this, should tell we are not at all paranoid about what is considered to be fair use, and even more than that. We are only interested in stopping widespread piracy en-masse, not to limit your rights to enjoy the product.- We don't run the activation server, we use Esellerate/Digital River, which is as industry standard and reliable as you can get. Which means you'll be able to get new activations automatically even in the unlikely case we'll ever go out of business.- We offer a complete and 100% identical to the real thing TRIAL version. There are no distracting objects on the runways, nothing to download extra, you can launch the Trial an unlimited number of times, no expiration dates, and you can activate the scenery immediately without even having to wait for a confirmation email, because it activates automatically online from within Flight Sim.- We can have the full installer always available for free, since it's the same as the Trial version. There are no secret links, no download links that expire, no "download insurances" to purchase, no emails with download links that might not reach you for any reason.- If you don't like the scenery, you can just decide not to Buy it, which is better than any money back guarantee, because one thing is to download a Trial in complete privacy (we don't require any registration to download anything), test it and decide not to buy it, compared to buying it first, sending all your personal details to the vendor, paying for it, discovering it's not for you, and then asking (and waiting) for a refund.This is the user-friendliness that really counts. We can obviously keep improving the user-friendliness of the installers, of course...