Wow, I've never seen such a confusing and convoluted install.  PlaySims Treescapes series for the UK and Scotland ... eventually it'll get the job done, but oh my what a mess along the way ...

 

1.  Apparently the animated arrow on the right pane is where one should go to install the product (after running the Autorun).

 

2.  There is an animated progress circle in the main area top center -- this apparently means nothing, but the animated progress bar in the right small pane does indicate progress of installation and/or communicate with ESI?  (what's ESI??)

 

3.  There is an "Unlock" button on the far right pane ... apparently one must click this button (after communication with ESI) and they are then prompted to enter an 32 character serial number (found in the DVD case on the reverse side of single piece of paper).

 

4.  The main pane has a big "Install Now" link (under some web tab), apparently one does NOT click on this link to install Treescapes.

 

5.  Installer keeps going on about ESI packs as if we're supposed to know what they are, hey I just ordered the DVDs, why am I being shown this?

 

6.  There is a Web and Library tab ... not sure why they are there and what they do, seems to have nothing to do with the installation process?

 

7.  The Autorun shows a PDF as soon as the it starts, this is apparently the manual, but it just says "follow on screen prompts" - not really much of a manual is it?

 

8.  Eventually when the install starts is displays a window to "touch nothing" except you have to hit the OK button to continue?

 

9.  While it performs the installation another window pops up in the background saying "The process has completed successfully" ... yet the main installer is still running?  Huh?  (warning: do NOT click the Ok button on that window, let installer finish)

 

10.  It launches the dreaded command window to process a task -- guess they haven't figured out that if you MUST use this route to install something you can hide the window via command line options ... instead they just say "don't touch anything" ... oh boy!

 

I've seen plenty of bad FSX installers in the past, but this ranks #1 in my list of really bad installers.  Certainly doesn't encourage me to buy any more products from Playsims.  The installer really only needs one user prompt, "where to install", beyond that everything else is a "known" condition and a nice simple install screen with a single progress bar and a "done" button when complete would do it.

 

On the plus side, once everything is installed, the trees look great!!  Add much more realism to UK.  So if you can successfully navigate the install process, you're good to go.

 

Cheers, Rob

Hi Rob,

 

I really laughed out loud when I saw your post, because I've just had to do a re-install of UK VFR Scenery, along with the PlaySims (ESI - Earth Simulations) Treescapes   

 

 -  and boy, do I agree with you!

 

The whole 'web' driven this is so cluttered and unclear, and then batch files running in the background and whatever else.    It's not for the faint hearted!

 

I guess they do it because of piracy.

 

I do love the product;  but boy I wince every time I have to re-install an Earth Simulations product!

I think funniest part is the big "Install Now" text in the middle pane (Web Tab) is something that I never actually want to click on ... install is accomplished via upper right corner of the side pane.  But I wonder just how many support inquiries this installer must generate?

 

I'm not sure what it is with many of the FSX 3rd party developers, but their "installers" and user interfaces to the product configurations are terrible ... a good user interface will require NO manual.

 

But yes, the trees do look great once installed.

+1!!!!!!!

 

I really thought I was losing the plot when I installed Treescapes.

 

Has totally put me off buying anything else off them even though their software I EVENTUALLY managed to install (after an hour of banging my head against a wall) is actually really nice.

 

Think I'll email them tonight with feedback. Hopefully you guys will (have done?) do the same.

 

Adam

How right you are, the worst example of human-computer interaction that I have ever seen; a travesty.  Lovely trees, but oh dear, the installer :-(

I ran into one today, a 'freeware' plane. There is no 'readme', the instructions to unzip it and install it are in the zip file, so you have to unzip it to see the unzip instructions LOL