A long scenery library - any disadvantages?

[Mork 34]

Well i don't really need a solution, because the loading times are acceptable. I just wanted to check with you guys if deselecting or removing scenery would help shorten the loading times AND if it would affect the frames per second you are getting. I was basically wondering if FSX does anything with scenery in your library where you don't fly (arports/regions).

[Jim Young 2,356]

It will slow down start up and loading a flight.  If you download and run Process Monitor, start it up first then start up FSX and load all the way up to your flight.  Then pause and look at the Process Monitor report and it will show you that FSX loaded all of your scenery whether flying there or not.

 

Best regards,

Jim

[Mork 34]

Thanks a lot for that clarification Jim. Much appreciated.

 

Best Regards,

Mark

[NGXfanatic 85]

Yes Jim, your discussion here and in another thread on the impact of the size of a scenery library on the load times of the sim are eye opening to say the least.  I always knew that the bigger the library, the longer the startup, but I was hesitant to do anything about it because it is such a headache to enable/disable individual checkboxes in the library.  I do try to make it a habit to disable some payware airports not being used in areas notorious for frame rate hogging if I'm not using them in my flightplan (i.e. close Gatwick payware when flying to Heathrow) but then I also have to remember to add them back to the library when I'm done, and what if I forget?  I have all the world's airports, UTX and other non airport scenery items loaded at all times, but for the last year or so, I have never left the U.S. in the sim.  Why should I have all those European airports loaded?  

 

I'm going to give this software a try, I'm very hopeful it will speed up loading, and maybe it will reduce FSX's memory footprint as well?   Leading to fewer OOMs?

[Jim Young 2,356]

I'm not sure if the Scenery Config Editor program is working properly as discussed above.  Last night set up a flight from LAX to Phoenix.  Just had to enable FSDT KLAX, MegaSceneryEarth Arizona and MegaScenerySoCal.  Simple.  Saved the setup in the Scenery Config Editor as KLAX_KPHX_Scenery, then saved the Scenery.cfg (or thought I did).  When I took off from KLAX I immediately noticed MegaScenerySoCal was not activated.  Went into the scenery library and the old configuration I had on a previous flight was still active.  Might be best to simply deactivate all addon scenery; load FSX; open Scenery Library and activate whatever my flight plan.  Just reporting this as I'm having occasional issues with the Scenery Config Editor doing what I told it to do.

 

Best regards,

Jim

[pinlifter 502]

I use that same program Jim and it's a very handy little tool.

[NGXfanatic 85]

I just wanted to drop by and say that this program is a godsend, especially for those with big scenery libraries like myself.   I have seen a noticeable improvement in FSX startup times, as well as initial flight loading times.   Run, don't walk, to get this handy tool!

[Jim Young 2,356]

Glad it is working for everyone.  BTW, I accidentally looked in the directory where SceneryConfigEditor is located and there's a MANUAL!  Might be helpful to some.

 

Best regards,

Jim

[NikkiA 7]

Hey Jim,  do you use the custom groups you can set up?  I have but always find after about every other flight SGE loses all the custom groups I set up.  :mad:  Then I have to use the back-up restore.  Then every so often even that gets lost and there is no back-up anymore! :angry: :angry:  This is using it in Prepar3d btw.

 

Gave up using the custom groups option, but agree it is  simple tool to activate/deactivate before loading the sim.

 

You use ORBX scenery don't you? FTX Central throws away all the meta-information that SCE hides in the scenery.cfg file for it's groups, whenever you run it.

[barryoo 0]

I have almost every MegaSceneryEarth for the USA installed. I had them all enabled. It took me 15-20 minutes to just load a flight and Go Fly. I started studying this program called the Scenery Config Editor v1.1. It allows you to disable/enable any scenery you want BEFORE you start up FSX. So, if I'm flying from Chicago to St Louis, I'll disable all of my MegaSceneryEarth except for the airports for KORD and KSTL and enable the States of Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Indiana and maybe Wisconsin (you can see the states of Iowa, Indiana, and Wisconsin at altitude even though you will not be flying over them). In the Scenery Config Editor I can save the scenery configuration as KORD_KSTL_Scenery. I also have to save the configuration too so the changes can be made to the working Scenery.cfg. Startup time is now down to maybe two minutes at the most. I don't have to save a scenery configuration and just set up the States I'll be flying over, save the configuration to the FSX Scenery.cfg and go fly but this way I can call up any flight I have set up and the configuration will instantly show up in the Scenery Config Editor. I then save it to the Scenery.cfg and go fly. May sound complicated but it really is a simply process (and it works!).

 

Best regards,

 

Jim

[barryoo 0]

Yes I really appreciate the Scenery Configuration Editor, it's basic data entry design requires the user to prioritize each scenery. FSX without prioritization is a disaster. Creating categories to reduce the amount of scenery loaded is a nice bonus. My only problem is saving my categories, I edit each scenery for priority, file location, and create the categories, then do a default SAVE which creates addscenery.cfg. The FSX program automatically reads addscenery.cfg and writes the information into scenery.cfg. FSX now runs very efficiently with my edited configuration. MY PROBLEM: When I want to select or deselect check boxes to a new configuration I open Scenery Configuration Editor, selecting the default load, scenery.cfg file only to find all configuration information has been lost. Therefor, Firehawk44 has solved a problem that I could not resolve myself. My new Rule of Thumb: Never reopen Scenery Configuration Editor to its default file open location which is scenery.cfg. Always open a saved file that is configured for flight plan, state or whatever your desire. make and mods you want and do a default SAVE which goes to the addscenery.cfg.

[Capt Richardo 12]

My loading time (ngx at uk2000 EGGD with Orbx England, Opus WX with REX Textures, My Traffic X AI) - 3min 10 seconds with a 1tb WD HDD.

 

I replaced the HDD with a Samsung 512gb SSD, same flight loading time now - 25 seconds

[Jim Young 2,356]

 

 

When I want to select or deselect check boxes to a new configuration I open Scenery Configuration Editor, selecting the default load, scenery.cfg file only to find all configuration information has been lost. Therefor, Firehawk44 has solved a problem that I could not resolve myself. My new Rule of Thumb: Never reopen Scenery Configuration Editor to its default file open location which is scenery.cfg. Always open a saved file that is configured for flight plan, state or whatever your desire. make and mods you want and do a default SAVE which goes to the addscenery.cfg.

 

Glad I was able to resolve a problem you had but I'm not sure if I understand as Scenery Config Editor will always open up to your last scenery.cfg settings (that's the only file it reads when it first opens).  I found saving a config for each flightplan can be done but not really required and it could lead to complications.  What I do now is disable all addon scenery (except MyTrafficX, addon airports, and AES), then when I open up the Scenery Config Editor, I'll enable the scenery I want to fly during a FSX session.  In this way, not all of the addon scenery will be loaded and it will save time loading.  I have most of the FTX scenery too so use FTX Central for that operation.  One just has to be sure they do not disable any FTX scenery within the Scenery Config Editor.

 

Best regards,

 

Jim

[barryoo 0]

I am still loading new scenery in a new build and have tried to follow both the programs instructions and Canadian Express Airlines great PDF instructions on setting up the Scenery Configuration Editor. I find their information to bypass configuration and load problems so this is enlightening information. Thanks for the feedback. It will take me a couple of days to play with the system, watch for loss of configuration settings, ect. and reply.

Re-reading your Firehawk44 post: Question, are you loosing your Scenery Configuration Editor configuration data when you bounce back and forth with scenery.cfg. like that?

Re-reading your Firehawk44 post: Question, are you loosing your Scenery Configuration Editor configuration data when you bounce back and forth with scenery.cfg. like that?

Re-reading your Firehawk44 post: Question, are you loosing your Scenery Configuration Editor configuration data when you bounce back and forth with scenery.cfg. like that?

Sorry, quickly pushed post three times to get three posts.

[Jim Young 2,356]

  :lol: