FTX Global Questions

[altstiff 71]

I have a few questions about FTX Global. It looks fantastic and seems to be an all in one solution to fix the crappy global textures.
 
Does it wreck autogen from other add ons? As most simmers know anything with custom AG needs to be kept intact (Autogendescirptions.spb for example).

Over the years I have installed many scenery's that have wrecked my AG files (replacing the entire file instead of adding to it). This can be very frustrating (keeping an all in one AG file that supports all the addons with custom AG) to say the least.

 

I was wondering if FTXG trashes this file or uses it's own (rendering custom AG useless at places like France VFR, some of the Aerosoft Greek Airports and Iceland X for example)
 
On Kostas blog he says how great FTXG is but also warns how AG can appear at some airports. How common is this issue?
 
Link

http://#####.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/ftx-global-what-is-it-really-about/

And lastly, the FTXG page says with hybrid mode you do not need to switch regions. Could this be explained a little better? Can I set it and forget it? Or do I need to switch regions as I have in the past if flying from CYVR (Orbx PNW) to YMML (Orbx OZ)?

 

Thanks in advance....

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[DeskPilot518 15]

Hello,

I will try to answer the best I can, since only owning FTX global since Christmas.

I do not know specifically about the AG files other then FTX Global ask if you would like to back up files should you want to re-install the old FSX default files.

 

I can Atleast give some information about my experices with the hybrid mode though.

 

1st, FTX Global installs a new version of FTX Central on your computer.

This includes a new check mark setting labelled hybrid mode.

 

When hybrid mode is checked, FTX Global is active along with all Orbx Regions. Also, all other addons should be active. Personally I can not say which specific addons should or should not work.

 

But from my experience so far, my Aerosoft Niagra X, and Flytampa ST Maarten worked perfectly in hybrid mode! Infant, my test flight was perfect from ST Maarten to SABA was amazing. SABA island was now covered In very nice looking Global textures with the Flytampa airport on the island.

 

Now, when hybrid mode is unchecked, you can choose between making select regions active or just FTX Global. I believe this is for people obtaining Out of memory issues. Personally I like the set and forget use of hybrid mode.

 

While I do not know is the specific addons will conflict like VFR France I would say you will still be more then happy with FTX Global. Because:

 

A. It is very easy to turn off or on with FTX Central.

 

B. The change in the simulator is simply amazing! My home state of NJ now looks very similar to an ORBX region! I originally had planned a trip to explore Africa in a GA type plane. But give the default FSX textures wrote it off. Now with the new Global textures that trip looks like a possibility!

[altstiff 71]

Thanks for that info desk pilot. It does look nice but FSX being the house of cards that it is I hate to upset it.

[EngineRoom 205]

I believe this is for people obtaining Out of memory issues. Personally I like the set and forget use of hybrid mode.

 

This isn't quite true. Whatever region you have activated in FTX Central it still leaves all the regions/airports active in your scenery library. It's one of my pet peeves with FTX Central.

 

Hybrid mode in FTX Central allows you to have all the FTX regions activated at once but with a caveat:

 

Some of the region specific textures and autogen won't be used, in such cases the "generic" FTXG textures and autogen will be used.

 

If you want the full effect of FTX regions, with all the custom textures and autogen, you'll still have to activate the individual region in FTX Central. Hybrid mode is a compromise to allow people to be able to fly into and out of FTX regions without the issues we had before.

 

 

@OP

 

I've read that FTX Global does indeed overwrite the autogen description, I believe it was one of the complaints when FTX Global was released. I don't use any addons with their own custom autogen so can't comment on whether or not FTXG messes this up.

 

With regards to autogen - specifically trees - at airports. I seem to remember reading that this was down to Orbx changing the default airport grass texture so it could eventually be used by their new landclass as something else. Don't know how true this is as I've never noticed it myself. I've got a feeling that at least some of the cases reported of autogen on airports was down to FTX Central putting the new OpenLC at the top of the scenery library above everything else - on the couple of reinstalls I've done since FTXG was released when I came to install Global FTX Central always seems to put the landclass above everything else, which is obviously going to cause problems.

 

As you can tell I'm not a great fan of FTX Central.

[DickB 6]

 

 

With regards to autogen - specifically trees - at airports. I seem to remember reading that this was down to Orbx changing the default airport grass texture so it could eventually be used by their new landclass as something else. Don't know how true this is as I've never noticed it myself.

 

I can confirm this. It seems FTXG does indeed change a base texture which is commonly used for airport pads. The change means that the texture can now have autogen (e.g. trees) when previously it couldn't. If an airport using this texture for the pads doesn't have excludes defined, then trees can/will sprout up almost anywhere, including through runways. So it depends on how any given airport was made. Some will exhibit the problem, some won't. On my system, the only airports I've seen with the problem so far are some WW2 airfields, which the developer has been kind enough to change to avoid the problem. 

[altstiff 71]

Thanks for this guys. Sounds like I will avoid it as my FSX install is like a house of cards and I do not want to upset it.