So Jim, with that many states under your belt, how much disk space we talkin' about for ya?

 

Drive D:  34 States = 852GB, 18,389 files in 101 folders.  (1TB HDD)

Drive E:    4 States = 173GB, 3,559 files, 10 folders. (1TB HDD)

 

 

 

Yeah, Orbx PNW definitely doesn't stop Portland. It doesn't go all the way down to the Oregon / California border, but a fair way down (OR73 / OG41)

 

I stand corrected.  I did look at Google Earth before posting above but obviously my knowledge of geography is totally out of whack.  I pulled up Google Earth again and cannot believe how far wrong I was!  Thanks Dave for correcting.

 

Best regards,

Jim

Not as bad as I thought.  Dang... 38 states!  That could take up your entire simming career just to explore those.  Ok, now for the real test.  Activate up all 38 states and see how long it takes to load, ha! :lol:

 

A question I have is will MSE add Alaska?  Not even sure if imagery is available for the entire state?

Wow, Looks like I'll need a 3TB - 4TB drive then for all the stuff I'd like to have.

It doesn't swap out the textures so to speak, but if a photoreal section doesn't have a lightmap defined it uses the default lightmaps of the tiles beneath it. So it'll still be MSE stuff, just with the default lights (glowing ground) overlaid. It shouldn't be too distracting beyond having lights in the wrong spots. 

 Ah, ok.  Thank you for the info. 

 

Can anyone provide a pic of what the MSE looks like at night?   

 

 

Not sure I understand this statement as any scenery higher in the Scenery Library should trump out anything below it.

 

Jim, unfortunately in FSX photo trumps landclass even when below in the library.  If it's active, it overrides.  Check the compatibility forums at Orbx for further information as they address this specifically.

 

At one point before NRM and CRM came out, someone posted which MSE v1 Washington tiles just nudged up against PNW so that you could disable the rest and have Orbx and MSE Washington.  The edges lined up quite well from the screenshots I recall.  I'd like to do the same thing with Wyoming and MSE v2, but Orbx CRM does quite a few zigzags along its eastern boundaries so it won't be simple.  One of these days I'll probably take the time to go through it, but I sure wouldn't mind if someone were to beat me to it! :-)

 

Scott

Ok, now for the real test.  Activate up all 38 states and see how long it takes to load, ha!  :lol:

 

I'm not sure I'd ever have the courage to do that! :lol: ....... I only even have a few neighbouring MSE states activated at a time, and loading times are really fine; couple of minutes. :smile:

 

 

A question I have is will MSE add Alaska?  Not even sure if imagery is available for the entire state?

 

Funny, I was just wondering that today, whether they'll do Alaska, after they finish the lower 48. :cool:

So today I bought Orbx OG39 (Longview Ranch) and tried to get flying there..... in my MegaSceneryEarth Oregon. :smile:

 

No such luck!

 

Now considering all the good reviews, I was certainly expecting it to have some buildings :wink:   :-

 

 

 

.......So of course, they're supposed to be there, but are missing.

 

I tried downloading and installing the standalone "Orbx Libraries".... but still got the same result as above.

 

So it turns out that you cannot have the FTX Airports installed, without the requisite FTX Region installed too....  

 

I wanted to use my FTX Airports, solely with a backdrop of MegaSceneryEarth, but it appears I have to install CRM, to deavtivate it, in order to get the objects from OG39 to display.      :rolleyes:

 

As in often the case, there is no doubting Orbx's beauty - but sometime a lot of hassles are involved in getting Orbx products to play nicely, especially alongside other projects.

 

For now, I think I'll just concentrate on my MSE Oregon scenery, and just fly to the default airfields, within it.

So, my summary of how things work out, using ORBX Airfields, with MSE (Oregon in this case) Scenery?

 

Don't bother.

 

I've just reached the limit of my patience with Orbx and their confusing, frustrating setups, configurations and problems.

 

So, I bought OG39 (Longview Ranch) today, installed it, and headed off there.

 

Now considering all the good reviews, I was certainly expecting it to have some buildings :wink:   :-

 

 

 

 

.......So of course, they're supposed to be there, but are missing.

 

I check the Scenery Library to see that OG39 has not been added.  Strange, all seemed to go well with the Orbx installer.....

 

Now you know how Orbx Airports state "you must have the FTX region" ....... well, they mean it.

 

It appeared that despite buying a Payware airport add-on, it doesn't ship with the actual library assets........  :rolleyes:

 

Ok, no problem, I'll head to Orbx and manually download the Orbx Libraries.... So I do that, and install them, and still there are no buildings whatsoever at OG39............

 

I'll point out hear that I do own FTX CRM region - but, I don't want to install and use CRM.   It's a large install and I won't be using it, so isn't it insane that I should have to install it, to then deactivate it.

 

I want to use my MegaSceneryEarth Oregon, with my newly purchased OG39.

 

Can't ..................... Have to install CRM apparantly, to then deactivate it.

 

:rolleyes:

 

I have to say, I hate the way Orbx approach configuration and setup of their products.    I'm done with them.

 

I'll fly my MSE without Orbx airport, and throw OG39 into the pits of my HD.

 

Not worth the hassle! ........... just bear this in mind guys.       I know I post this at the peak of "FTX Fever" but I done with Orbx.     4 hours spent trying to download OG39, and now it can't be used at all seemingly, without CRM being installed.        

 

Quite happy and prepared to be slated and grumpified by the Orbx crowd.   It will be worth it, to have gotten this frustration off my chest :wink:

 

did you make a support post at Orbx about it? At least that way you'll get some sort of response about if it works without CRM or if something went wrong

Ok, I know this thread has become a bit long and convoluted, but if you only read one more post, read this one!

 

I installed FTX CRM, purely to be able to use the Orbx OG39 payware airfield, which states "a copy of FTX CRM must be installed in order to use OG39".

 

However, the fact is, OG39 will not display it's objects unless FTX CRM is both installed and activated.

 

Therefore, it is not possible to use ORBX Airfields, with MegaSceneryEarth........... As I found out to my great expense today.

 

There comes a point where you have to say enough is enough concerning Orbx, and their product's (which are stunning visually) lack of flexibility and stubborn non-integration with other products.

 

The Orbx sales page for OG39 said "FTX CRM must be installed in order to use OG39", but this is entirely untrue;  CRM needs to be installed and activated, and when it is activated, the whole CRM region replaces the MSE scenery.

 

You may well disagree, but to me, this is pretty dire.

 

Nothing more to say or test on this one.

Ok, I know this thread has become a bit long and convoluted, but if you only read one more post, read this one!

 

I installed FTX CRM, purely to be able to use the Orbx OG39 payware airfield, which states "a copy of FTX CRM must be installed in order to use OG39".

 

However, the fact is, OG39 will not display it's objects unless FTX CRM is both installed and activated.

 

Therefore, it is not possible to use ORBX Airfields, with MegaSceneryEarth........... As I found out to my great expense today.

 

There comes a point where you have to say enough is enough concerning Orbx, and their product's (which are stunning visually) lack of flexibility and stubborn non-integration with other products.

 

The Orbx sales page for OG39 said "FTX CRM must be installed in order to use OG39", but this is entirely untrue;  CRM needs to be installed and activated, and when it is activated, the whole CRM region replaces the MSE scenery.

 

You may well disagree, but to me, this is pretty dire.

 

Nothing more to say or test on this one.

 

I just found a thread at Orbx that looks exactly like your problem and it said Objectflow is the issue 

 

Have you tried this?

 

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/61790-missing-buildings/

 

I remember some other people having this problem with other airports, weird module issue

 

 

The Orbx sales page for OG39 said "FTX CRM must be installed in order to use OG39", but this is entirely untrue; CRM needs to be installed and activated, and when it is activated, the whole CRM region replaces the MSE scenery.



You may well disagree, but to me, this is pretty dire.

 

While I understand your frustration - you can't do what you want to do - I do think you're standing on a turn of phrase rather than intent.  Orbx is nothing but clear that their airport sceneries are designed and intended for use with their regions.  You may be able to get them to work standalone, but you'll also likely have issues as you've seen.  The fact that they didn't specifically say the region has to be active is standing on a technicality.  The intent is clear enough.

 

That said, if your intent is to use MSE in the NW, I can understand why you wouldn't buy Orbx in the future.

 

I would also disagree with your comment about Orbx' "stubborn non-integration with other products".  I have and use a number of other products in conjunction with Orbx in NA, and the Orbx compatibility forum has a wealth of information on what does and does not integrate.  In particular, photo and Orbx are generally non-compatible as I mentioned earlier, though I still expect you'll find some of their airports "work" with potentially some other, different glitches.  Jim, for example, seems to have KJAC working.

 

I would also point out that while I have, enjoy and recommend a growing number of MegaScenery photo sceneries (X, Earth v1 and v2), they're not always compatible with other products themselves and in fact, one could claim that they're not even compatible with standard FSX scenery elements and don't always work with standard FSX airports (try, for example, to fly in or out of Salida Colorado with either MSE v1 or v2).  When I first ran into some of these issues, I was a bit annoyed and stopped buying, feeling that if a product rendered a standard FSX airport unusable, it was the developer's responsibility to fix it.  In time, I accepted that using photo involved tradeoffs, decided those tradeoffs were often worth it (though still not always) and come back on board - though I still wish there were better answers for some of photo's issues.  So as you can see, I don't think this finger points just one way.

 

Anyway, sorry to hear it worked out badly for you.

 

Scott

Hi Scott, all fair points; ....all I'll close on is;   (i) I totally put up my hands and accept full responsibility for buying an Orbx FTX Airfield, with the intention of using it with MegaScenery, and not FTX Regions.   I saw the stipulation but guessed that it was referring to possible issues perhaps with mesh, or alignment, or colour matching.    I did not think that "you must have the CRM region installed" meant;   there will be no objects unless, you have CRM installed and activated.    

 

But hey, the key words there are ".... I guessed".

 

(ii). Notwithstanding the above fact that I purchased the airfield, having read the 'region' stipulation, I still maintain that it is (on a subjective level, I admit) a very poor deal that you buy an airfield but cannot use it with other surrounding scenery.   If I buy the airfield, I would expect that airfield to be there in my FSX installation, whether or not I am choosing to have a FTX region activated.   That's just my view, and I know you won't see it that way.   That's cool.   :smile:

 

I own around $400 of Orbx products and have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of them.   But they have also been the products that have caused the most frustration of all add-ons I've bought, in terms of FTX Central;  how the rest of Europe distorts badly while ENG is activated (preventing cross-country flights), and other issues of that nature.  

 

So Orbx;  Sirloin Steak, no question  -  but served in a pretty shabby restaurant in my opinion.   :lol:

 

I'll leave it there - the genuine purpose of this thread was to report on (and show screenies of) Orbx Airflields integration with MSE; but as we know, it can't happen.  

 

@e51f8e040 (etc) ....... thanks for that, I will look into it, and if this is a techie problem that has a solution; fantastic!

I just found a thread at Orbx that looks exactly like your problem and it said Objectflow is the issue 

 

Have you tried this?

 

http://www.orbxsystems.com/forum/topic/61790-missing-buildings/

 

I remember some other people having this problem with other airports, weird module issue

 

Hi,

 

Just looked into this further.   Thanks for the suggetion but no, this is not the same issue.  These guys were getting no buildings with the FTX region activated.   As you said, this was due to the ObjectFlow failing to activate.  My ObjectFlow is activated ok in the DLL, and the airport is performing normally, when the FTX CRM region is activated.

 

However, when the CRM region is not activated, the OG39 airport does not appear at all (not just buildings; the ground image and everything is not there).

 

Basically, what I've learned here (which I never realized in 5 years of buying Orbx airfields), is that (for CRM at least), when you de-activate an FTX region, the FTX payware airfields in that region also deactivate, and do not show in FSX.

 

 

Ok, now for the real test. Activate up all 38 states and see how long it takes to load, ha!

 

This is why I discussed this issue in a lengthy post elsewhere in the FSX Forum regarding MSE scenery (I might have moved it to the Photoscenery Forum where I plan to move this topic soon).  I use the SceneryConfigEditor.  This way I can disable/enable whatever scenery I plan to use during a flightplan or during a FSX session.  Only that scenery loads when FSX starts up and it is fast.  When I had 34 states all enabled and loading, it took around 20 minutes to select an aircraft.  Once an aircraft was selected, I had to wait longer to see the aircraft in the window then I could select the airport I wanted to depart from, time, and weather.  Once completed and hitting the FlyNow button, it took another 10 minutes (hey! I could be a little off on the time here but anything over a minutes loading and I think it's 10 or 20 minutes but I'm pretty sure the 20 and 10 minutes are pretty accurate).  Then, once you got into the air, the fps would suffer as the HDD's were thrashing trying to load all 852 GB's (or whatever).  Sometimes I saw a freeze or FSX was simply unplayable until the loading stopped.  So the SceneryConfigEditor is the way to go (you can use the Scenery Library too but this way you can make the changes BEFORE starting up FSX so things are quicker).

 

I also used the SceneryConfigEditor to place my States in Alphabetical order to make it a little easier to select the states I want to activate.  It also has a function where you can select the states you want to fly then save the config as something like the flightplan - KPDX to KSEA.  I tried this function but it worked sometimes and sometimes not.  Still the SceneryConfigEditor is a nice tool to have when you have a lot of photoscenery.  If you have ASE, it gets extremely upset when you disable the airports you had configured in ASE but I don't see any reason to activate FSDT KORD or KLAS or KJFK if I'm not going there as those airports WILL be loaded if activated in your Scenery Library.

 

Best regards,

Jim

 

 

Basically, what I've learned here (which I never realized in 5 years of buying Orbx airfields), is that (for CRM at least), when you de-activate an FTX region, the FTX payware airfields in that region also deactivate, and do not show in FSX.

 

I saw this problem this morning with FTX PNW and the Portland City scenery.  I deactivated all of the PNW but left Portland City activated.  When I went to KPDX, my aircraft was sitting on top of a mound on the runway and everything around me was corrupted.

 

As I stated in my post#33, I deactivated CRM and was still able to see FTX KJAC.  Strange.

 

Best regards,

Jim