Not sure if this is the best place to start in the Forums for this topic.  I just loaded KATL and noticed that there were no terminal buildings present - rwys, aprons, parking spots, some AI aircraft, jetways even traffic moving on the interstates were all there.  Tried a number of things without success.  KCLT which is a complex airport is there.  KDFW is also missing terminals.  So, I suspect complexity of the AP has something to do with it.  Tried setting my scenery to max without success.  I haven't had any other issues with FSX like framerates or other things that would suggest a video memory problem.

 

Default scenery and addon scenery are "at the top".  Using a older nVidea GT 610 with 1 GB on board.  Thanks for any suggestions.  Gary

That seems to happen if an addon adds an older version of FSDT's Addon Manager than the current one (I believe the QW757 does that as an example). The cure is usually to download and install the latest version of the standalone Addon Manager.

 

EDIT: I just re-read your post, and I am not sure if the above will apply. Do you have any FSDreamTeam airports installed? If yes, the above should indeed fix your problem.

If you're talking about default airports only, probably something has changed in your scenery settings, so that some aiport buildings are no longer displayed. In this case it would be strange that the jetways appear, though.

Edited October 15, 201312 yr by FloG

FloG

 

Thank you much for your reply Florian.  This is a relatively new install of FSX.  I had just started adding some add-on airports (three, two small airports and one fairly large, KCLT) to enhance them - all came out o.k. with all buildings, rwys, jetways, etc.  Then I added an add-on for KATL and when I went to the airport to see how it looked it was missing the buildings.  Unfortunately, I had not looked at the airport prior to the install so I can't say whether it was like that prior to the install.

 

Prior to posting this ask for help I tried turning up my some of the settings like scenery and texture thinking that that very "busy" airport demanded more but that didn't help.  In researching last night I ran across several postings from several years ago about this problem and one posting suggested turning down some of the settings like autogen and scenery. That doesn't make sense to me but I'm going to try that today.  Incidently, there are no other add-ons of any type installed.

 

I would appreciate any further thoughts on this issue, and, thanks again!

 

Gary

What addons are we talking about?

 

Can you post specifics like zip file name and download location?

 

Default scenery and addon scenery are "at the top".

Not sure what this means, are you saying that you have default scenery above the addons in the Scenery Library?

 

regards,

Joe

Joe:

 

What I meant "at the top" was that in the Scenery Library I had those set to the very top of the Scenery List so as to give then the highest priority.

 

I wouldn't think that the two add-ons I have installed, one for KCLT and one for KRIC, would have any effect on the stock KATL.  Incidently, not only does ATL not show buildings but also KORD and KDFW.  But, other busy airports like KMIA, KCLT and KJFK show all of their buildings - doesn't make sense.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Gary

Gary, it would most likely help us to help you, if you could tell us the developer/publisher of your sceneries, or in case they are freeware the filename and source, as Joe pointed out earlier. This way someone of us could see if the problem is the same for us.

Also, if you use addons that are not simply placed in the AddonScenery folder, it is advisable that those scneries have higher priority than Default or AddonScenery.

I only have three add-ons in my Addon Scenery ("Addon Scenery/Scenery") which I've listed below.  No KALT, KORD or KDFW addons are in the folder so apparently the stock files in FSX for these busy airports are missing their buildings.  Remember, other very busy airports like KMIA and KJFK show all of their buildings.  Could the addition of these three addons below in any way affected the airports that are missing their buildings?  One other thing, I have the Default Scenery listed first in the Scenery Library, followed by Eastern North America followed by Addon Scenery.

 

 

KCLT - Charlotte/Douglas Intl - North Carolina by Ray Smith

This airport update is for KCLT with two optional files made only for the FSX default airport: one version with the Crosswind runway 5/23 activated and in full operation where all 4 runways will be used for takeoff/landing and one version as the default runway operation: assigned parking now updated as per their website with extra parking, extension added to Concourse E, taxiways and taxi signs updated to the latest charts, helipad added, extra fuel trucks, support vehicle roads rebuilt and many other improvements, airport views are from the roof of the control tower (when in tower view) please view the readme before installation

There are 4 BGL files: KCLT_RS.BGL, KCLT_CW_RS.BGL, KCLT_CVX.BGL and a KCLT_OBJ.BGL file

(Only KCLT_CVX.BGL and KCLT_CW_RS.BGL are placed in the "Scenery" folder)

 

 

Richmond Intl - KRIC - Virginia by Ray Smith

I have given this airport a total makeover designed with the latest version of ADE(v1.37) and made only for the FSX default airport: one file with the Crosswind rwy's activated and in full operation, now activated by ADE where all 3 rwy's will be used for takeoff/landing and one file as the default rwy operation: assigned parking with extra parking, new control tower, extra fuel trucks, lighted helipad, support vehicle roads rebuilt and many other improvements, airport views are from the roof of the control tower (when in tower view) please view the readme before installation

There are 2 BGL files: KRIC_ADE_RS.BGL and KRIC_ADE_CW_RS.BGL

(Only the KRCI_ADE_CW_RS.BGL is placed in the "Scenery"  folder)

 

 

KROA - Roanoke Regional Airport (Woodrum Field) / Roanoke, VA

This airport update was made with the latest version of ADE (Airport Design Editor) and made for FSX as a replacement for the stock (default) airport. I've made several changes to the airport which are listed below.  All these enchancements are as close to the real airport as I can get with stock library objects.  I've used satellite images, terminal photos and maps throughout the whole process so building locations are as accurate as possible.  Happy landings in scenic Virginia!

Features:
*Parking apron corrections
*Minor taxiway corrections
*Main terminal building with parking area for commercial traffic
*Seperate parking area for GA traffic
*Misc airport buildings added
*Airport vehicles and objects throughout the airport
*Fuel tanks and fueling vehicles
*Fire station
*Runway 15/33 renumbered correctly to 16/34
*Taxiway signs updated to reflect runway numbering change

(KROA_ADEX_JD.bgl placed in the "Scenery" folder)

 

I sure appreciate you all helping out here!  GLB

I have the Default Scenery listed first in the Scenery Library, followed by Eastern North America followed by Addon Scenery.

All addons should be above the default entries in the Scenery Library.

 

Placing addons below default files will cause problems.

 

regards,

Joe

I have the Default Scenery listed first in the Scenery Library, followed by Eastern North America followed by Addon Scenery.

Put it Addon Scenery on top, that could be the cause of your problems. Addons should always have higher priority than default.

 

EDIT: Beaten to it by Joe.

Gentlemen:

 

O.K., that was the way I originally had it configured, but I don't seem to have issues with the several airports in the addon, only several large airports from the default scenery like ATL and ORD and DFW yet JFK and MIA look fine.

 

In any case, I went and put addons back first as I originally had them before - jetwys, vehicles, planes; no buildings.

 

Could the scenery files for each of the affected airports be corrupted OR are buildings placed @ an airport via another way?  It would help if I knew how microsoft assembles the code in building the database when FS loads.

 

Gary

FloG and Joe:

 

Today I solved the "missing buildings" problem.

 

Here in the U.S. Atlanta-Hartsfield is considered "eastern U.S.", but it is towards the central to western part of the state of Georgia.  Even though it is considered east and is in The Eastern Time Zone apparently Flight Sim has placed it in the "Central North America" scenery group rather than the "Eastern North America" group.  As soon as I moved the Central and Western scenery groups up near the top in the Library, voila, KATL, KORD and KDFW all showed buildings!  They were only about ten slots from the top before, but that must have been enough.

 

I can't thank each of you enough for spending your time trying to help me out here!  FloG - I backpacked around Europe about 25 years ago and ran out of time (and money) before I could see your beautiful country; someday!  Joe, where are you?

 

Could each of you send a reply that you got this thanks 'cause it's important to me that I know that it got to you guys.

 

Gary

KATL is in the center 1/3 of North America, which includes Canada. There is a bunch of Canada that extends East of the USA.

 

I hate to break your bubble, you may have put a bandaid on your problem, you did not fix it.

 

Some file in one of the folders you leapfrogged is excluding the default terminals.

 

Entries are placed in the Scenery Library in a specific order and moving around the default files, while it may have "fixed" your problems today, will most likely cause more problems in the future.

 

I will download the three addons and see if I can recreate you missing terminals.

 

Until then I would recommend that you stop moving the default files around in the Scenery Library.

 

FYI, FSX loads scenery from the bottom of the Scenery Library to the top.

 

Scenery addons are created with files that tell FSX to exclude objects with lower priority in the Scenery Library and replace them with objects from the addon. This is why 99% of the time we want our addon sceneries located above the default files in the Scenery Library. There are very specific conditions that justify the other 1% and we won't go into them today.

 

I suspect one of your addons has some errant excludes that removed your terminals and I will test them as time allows.

 

You may want to reorder the Scenery Library back to it's original order and that is relatively easy to do.

 

To do that I would need to know what Operating System, or OS, you have on your computer as it will affect file location.

 

regards,

Joe (rusting away in the great Pacific Northwest)

Joe:

 

Well, an old dog can learn - with previous editions I always thought that the load of the library was from top down.  That would explain why one would want the default below the addon, so it will take priority.

 

Also, now that you mentioned that I should have been thinking N.A. rather than U.S. ATL would be further west considering the Canadian Maritimes.

 

BTW, the OS is WIN 7 64 Ultra.

 

Gary

If you want to restore the original order in the Scenery Library do the following steps.

 

First click on Start > Control Panel. In the upper right corner set "View by:" to small or large icons. Then click on "Folder Options".

 

Click on the "View" tab. Select "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types".

 

Now navigate in Windows Explorer to C:|ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX.

 

Make sure FSX is not running.

 

There you will find a file named scenery.cfg. This file is in essence, the Scenery Library.

 

Delete this file and, if it exists, oldscenery.cfg too.

 

FSX will generate a new scenery.cfg with the Scenery Library entries in their original order the next time you start FSX.

 

As for the addons you installed, a few words.

 

Ray Smith gives you some options for his airports and it is vital that you follow some of his instructions. Make sure you read the install instructions pertaining to crosswind runways carefully.

 

I do take issue with one of his instructions and that is the one where he says to place a file in ...\FSX\Scenery\Global\scenery.

 

I disagree with this, a bunch. That file works fine if you place it with the rest of his files. Placing it where he says can cause problems if you decide to use another addon for one of his airports and forget to delete this file. Keep it with the rest.

 

I tested your addons installed the way I suggested and had no problems at any of the airports as you described.

 

If I were you I would let FSX build a new scenery.cfg, make sure the addons are installed properly and go test KATL and KDFW.

 

Make sure the "Scenery Complexity" slider in your FSX scenery settings are at Normal or higher. Anything lower and the terminals will not display.

 

regards,

Joe

Joe:

 

On your note "I do take issue with one of his instructions and that is the one where he says to place a file in ...\FSX\Scenery\Global\scenery" (the "KCLT_OBJ.BGL") - where should it be placed?

 

Gary