The truth about FTX Global vs GEX World

[CFIJose 5,485]

UTX lighting causes a major drop in fps. FTXG is not only textures worldwide, but the night lighting is easy on fps.

 

I use Scenerytech LC and I'm very happy. FTXG is an exceptional addon.

[alainneedle1 97]

 

 

speaking of which, there are two questions you haven't answered yet.

 

What addons, that have been made in accordance with the SDK don't work with FTXG?  specifics please.

 

How exactly do ORBX "control the scenery market" with this product?

 

These below are the concerns users have come across with ftx does the uninstaller address these concerns to make removal clean.  

 

- AutogenDescriptions.spb

- default.xml

(- Extrusions.spb) – not sure if FTXG

- lclookup.bgl

(- Materials.spb) – not sure if FTXG

- RoofDescriptions.spb

- terrain.cfg

 

Be nice to have two computers with similar hardware and software settings to see pre and post install and removal of gex and ftx to see which files are affected and if the effects are minor or need manual removal or install or remove artifact errors. 

 

Orbx haphazard way of doing things, adding an installer and uninstaller one month after release kind of leaves some questions. Did not buy ftx because wanted to see what problems under the surface would entail as they been accused in the past by minority of users of using underhanded tactics.  Seen posts from 2008 and 2011 about Orbx using a switcher system to make it difficult to use certain add ons in the custom region. 

 

Still, if the ftx uninstaller removes ftx and restores it to pre-fsx system settings, or at least provide a warning that reinstall of fsx software is required to restore pre-ftx settings then debate can cease at this point as the user got the information to make a informed decision.  Never install a ftx product as my flying style moved over to photoreal now and only keep gex for Mexico and Canada.  Orbx fix their software with small airfields and made their ga fields usable for photoreal scenery owners,  I would buy an airport from them, but do not want the regions just inside the airport fence.  If the user has all the facts by each side, and no point on either side argue the issue further as both sides are laid out.   Sometimes I do come across loonie, but nothing personal again you or anyone here just want the information laid out. 

 

 

 

If you have a question for them just ask it if you really care that much, if you dont want to ask them then shut up.

 

I think the question was asked here...

[gandy 18]

yep and here is the wrong place to ask as i could answer the question or anyone else could but we would never know how trueful that answer is.

 

If gizmo does not want to ask im sure there is people on here that will ask on his behalf

[UlfB 7]

I'm a bit concerned. The FTX uninstaller is 47MB. Seems the uninstaller contain files that will be installed on my system.

 

I've got image backups of original FSX SP2, FSX with GEX/UTX and with FSX with FTX Global. FTX Global was installed over FSX with GEX. I will test the FTX Global uninstall and compare to the backup taken prior to the FTX install. I have no other FTX add ons installed and the instructions in the FTX Global Uninstaller PDF file are:

------

"If you do not have any other FTX Regions or Airports installed:

 

Manually restore your backed texture files from where you saved it to the

Scenery\World\Texture folder. We recommend that you delete the contents of the

Scenery\World\Texture folder before restoring your files, that way you are not left with

surplus FTX Global files.

 

Delete the FTX Central shortcuts form your desktop and start menu.

Delete the Orbx folder from FSX/P3D (optional). Please note that if you do wish to delete this

folder, you will need to remove the FTXAA_ORBXLIBS entry from your FSX/P3D scenery

library prior to deleting the Orbx folder."

----

 

In my case this won't be any problem since I didn't install any other scenery after FTX Global. But I wonder about the action to "delete the contents of the

Scenery\World\Texture folder before restoring your files, that way you are not left with

surplus FTX Global files."

 

What surplus FTX Global files could that be? Shouldn't the uninstaller uninstall all the FTX Global files? And if a user did install some other add on that installed files in the Scenery\World\Texture folder? Not smart to delete that folder in that case.

 

I don't get this. With GEX I have the option to uninstall and all texture files that GEX replaced will be restored. No need to delete all files in the Scenery\World\Texture folder. Why do ORBX recommend me to delete all files in this folder? Why no warning that I might delete files installed in that folder by some other add on?

[UlfB 7]

Does anybody know of a smart tool that will make it easy to compare and identify file differences in several folders, such as the FSX folder structure. I would appreciate any good advice since that would make my test of the FTX Global uninstaller much easier.

[Kaboki 437]

  deleted :Peace:

[dighost 25]

I was on the fence about buying FTX (have GEX), but this thread and it's many pointless ramblings, and this product versus the other product chest-thumping, brought me no closer to a decision.   So I came to my own conclussion based on my care or don't care personal test:

 

Care:

 

1. Performance-- how does it run

2. Does it break FSX with bugs

3. Is the developer still working to improve it

 

What I don't care about because it's subjective:

 

1. Price-  I know what I can afford and what I am comfortable paying

2. How it looks.  I'll judge the screen shots according to my own taste and demand

3. Implied wrong doings by this developer, their intentions with the marketplace, etc.  Don't care..

 

So based on my own findings, I will be purchasing FTX!

[CFIJose 5,485]

  deleted :Peace:

I'm glad that you saw you had the wrong person. I'm an ORBX "SUPER" fan! :wub:

[PIC007 82]

 

 

I don't get this. With GEX I have the option to uninstall and all texture files that GEX replaced will be restored. No need to delete all files in the Scenery\World\Texture folder. Why do ORBX recommend me to delete all files in this folder? Why no warning that I might delete files installed in that folder by some other add on?

 

One of the reasons I am staying with GEX, too many potential issues

[Spartan0536 49]

From another perspective; if you (me) do not often if at all fly to USA, and rarely visit Europe, would you recommend that I get FTX Global (given I already have some ORBX local sceneries) over GEX?

 

My main areas of operations are China, SEAsia, Australia/Oceania with occasional visits to major European airports (EGLL, LFPG, EHAM etc.).

 

Given you have ORBX sceneries, I would have to ask how often you fly in those ORBX areas or around them, it all depends upon usage for me at least.

[UlfB 7]

Just tested. The ORBX FTX Global uninstaller removed ORBX\FTX_OLC\OLC_NA1\SCENERY-folder but not the library entry in the scenery.cfg, which gave me an error when launching FSX after the uninstall.

 

The ORBX Libraries are still the there even if I have no other ORBX sceneries installed.

 

I used the ExamDiff Pro to how well the uninstaller worked and compared the FSX folders after FTX Globe uninstall with backuped FSX folder prior to the install of FTX Globe.

 

In the Autogen folder the files Extrusions.sbp and Materials.sbp folders are different. I have no idea if this is a potential issue or not.

 

In the folders Effects, Scenery\Global\Scenery, Scenery\Global\Texture and Sound there are several ORBX files that wasn't removed by the uninstaller. Probably no problem.

 

In the Texture folder there where many diffs listed by ExamDiff regarding the BLD-files (different building objects). The files in the FSX folder where all time stamped the 5th of May 2013, so I guess they are FTX Global building files, that wasn't removed and replaced with the files from my previous version.

 

Conclusion: FSX is runnable after the uninstall of FTX Global, even if you get some scenery.cfg errors. Your previous building textures wasn't restored by the uninstaller (probably this was the cause of the delay for ORBX to publish the uninstaller). Plenty of orphan ORBX files still remain in some folders, but shouldn't cause any problem.

[gandy 18]

Plus Orbx are not the only developer to leave stuff behind when you uninstall so its a normal thing for files to be left behind so we must make that clear as almost all addon developers leave traces and its been accepted for years and years and years as the normal with simmers so it should never be an issue for any of us. Just encase anyone complains about the uninstaller leaving traces or files.

[PigsInSpace 21]

I'm a bit concerned.

 

With all due respect, why don't you take your "concern" over to the ORBX forum and ask for help there, or at least be kind enough to start your own post instead of hijacking this one.

 

Thanks  :Peace:

[UlfB 7]

With all due respect, why don't you take your "concern" over to the ORBX forum and ask for help there, or at least be kind enough to start your own post instead of hijacking this one.

 

Thanks  :Peace:

I did a test my self and the uninstaller is far from perfect. Scenery config error after uninstall and some orphan ORBX files all over FSX. No problems running FSX though. But I've rolled back my backup image of FSX with GEX and all is perfect. I need no support :-)

 

I was curious on how well the ORBX long awaited unistaller would work. And with some manual actions, as described in the ORBX uninstaller manual, such as deleting all files in the scenery\world\texture folder manually copy the files from the FTX installer backup folder, you should end up with FSX working pretty OK, except some scenery.cfg errors. Pretty much the ORBX standard with some fatal errors here and there. FSX will still run ;-)

[Phred98765 2]

My there's a lot of concern flying about in all directions and at different velocities.

 

That last post coming just after some actual truth was posted in the thread with "truth" in its title is a bit amusing. :rolleyes:

 

And with that truth (about the files being affected / not affected) sinking in, my curiosity's getting the better of me so I think I'll get off the pot and pick up Global.  After running a baseline backup and getting ExamDiffPro too....