Hi Guy's

 

so after 200+ hours of happy flying I finally received my first ever OOM (OMDB - EGLL)  it actually happened on roll out so I still managed to enjoy the trip.

 

The only difference between this flight and all the others is I enabled the external model  so VC shadows could work in DX10.

 

I can appreciate many love to look at the external view during flight, it is a very good model but personally I have no need for it.  My time is 100% on the flight deck 

 

My question is how hard would it be for PMDG to have a basic external model for those that don't care for wing views, in flight fly by's etc?

 

I wouldn't mind if it was completely  basic like a low res AI model.    Strange thing is the PMDG model doesn't reduce performance for me, it is just hogging memory, even in DX10

 

edit - just a thought, maybe it's not the model? Maybe it is the textures loaded with the aircraft?

 

Kind regards

I thought the external model wasn't loaded to the VAS until you switched to external view? Might be wrong.

 

 

My question is how hard would it be for PMDG to have a basic external model for those that don't care for wing views, in flight fly by's etc.

 

Hi, Rob,

 

You can do this yourself by just aliasing an appropriate existing AI model and accompanying textures or copying its model and textures into your PMDG folder, adding an entry for the low res aircraft with the model= entry pointing to the new low-res model file and the texture= pointing to a texture appropriate for that model.

 

For better results, you might want to create a new folder that starts with PMDG 777-200LR and then add something additional such as "low res".  This would enable you to copy over the aircraft.cfg file and air file, and then change the contact points settings in the aircraft.cfg file so the model doesn't sit half-way into the ground or float in the air (when on ground).  You would probably still have some animation and lights issues, but you probably can live with them.  Of course if PMDG did it you wouldn't have such issues.

 

Mike

I have no idea..  I didn't switch outside once for the whole trip, even at the gate in Dubai.  Previously I have flown EDDP - VHHH  left the sim running overnight and then flown back to EDDP.   The sim is still smooth and no OOM  

 

When I have the external model it crashes for the first time after a 6 hour flight!  

 

@ Mike, cheers mate! will give it a try.  I honestly don't care if the external model is big cardboard box

 

 

I honestly don't care if the external model is big cardboard box

 

Rob,  I believe some people have had success eliminating the external model entirely.  There's a thread on it somewhere.  I'm not sure if the "model=" entry in the aircraft.cfg file has to point to some actual model folder with a model file inside for the aircraft to load.  Try renaming the model file inside the PMDG 777-200LR folder to something other than "model" and see if the aircraft will still load.  You will probably get an error message but it might still work.

 

Mike

Hi Mike, I did have the external disabled.   The only reason I re-enabled it was for VC shadows to display properly.  without the external model sunlight  bleeds through the overhead panel.

 

I my case I don't need a hi res model, any low res model will do.

 

To disable you simply edit the model.cfg to look like the one below

 

[models]

\\normal=PMDG_777_200F.MDL

interior=PMDG_777_VC

 

edit - Ok... I may have jumped the gun here..  I checked my scenery library and I forgot that I ticked Manhatten X  after my last flight a few day's ago.  This is photo scenery that should be off with the PMDG 777

 

I had only ticked it for a quick flight with the default trike.  

Rob,

 

I just tried substituting a Fruit Stand model but I lost the VC (and external view as well) even though the model.cfg file was set up properly and the TFS model and PMDG VC/interior model were in the same folder.  I think this would only work if the TFS model were a native FSX model as I've seen similar issues before when trying to use Opensky visual models.

 

At any rate if you are missing VC shadows with a removed PMDG external model, I would guess it's unlikely they will be restored with some other model as they are probably textures associated with the PMDG external visual model.  So PMDG would have to do the low res model.

 

Mike

 

BTW I wasn't thinking too clearly before when I suggested eliminating the model folder - no model folder, no VC, no cockpit!

Hey Mike, thanks for all your help!  I now have a strong feeling this is my error due to accidentally enabling some New York Photo scenery.  

 

Am  pretty sure if you enable photo scenery it will load into memory no matter where you fly!

 

I will have to do a test flight back to Dubai in a day or two.

 

Cheers

Hey Mike, thanks for all your help!  I now have a strong feeling this is my error due to accidentally enabling some New York Photo scenery.  

 

Am  pretty sure if you enable photo scenery it will load into memory no matter where you fly!

 

I will have to do a test flight back to Dubai in a day or two.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

without the external model sunlight bleeds through the overhead panel.

 

Hi, Rob,

 

I have a working merge using an Opensky model -- I will check later to see if sunlight bleeds through.  Not an AI model, but lower res than the PMDG, judging by the number of bytes.

 

Don't use much photoreal scenery as I have a rather modest system.

 

Mike

Cheers mike, I would still like to change the model if possible.  I don't use photo scenery either, just bought it because I'm new to FSX, wanted to see how good it looks compared to FS9

 

 

I would still like to change the model if possible.

 

Hi, Rob,

 

I did the merge to get a 200ER -- strictly for my own use while awaiting the PMDG version.   The main problems are that the spoilerons on the wrong side animate (as well as the correct side) and the landing lights sometimes flash on and off.  It should work using an Opensky FSX (no VC) 200LR model and appropriate external textures.  It would be necessary to use the Opensky contact points.

 

Mike

On the topic of merging.....777 or 747 for that matter.

Anyone successfully merged B747 PMDG panel (2D and VC) with a SkySpirit B748 model?

 

 

 

Kin M.

(Klax)

Just an update.  Flew the return trip and had an OOM on roll out into Dubai. The issue is definitely the external model..

 

I am pretty convinced it is the texture.  I just had a look and they are 80mb each. The model itself is only 11mb

I am pretty convinced it is the texture. I just had a look and they are 80mb each. The model itself is only 11mb

 

Hi, Rob,

 

I just looked through several of my installed textures and the folders are more typically 68/69 mb (and of course they use texture.cfg to include various shared textures as well).  I once found that a repaint I downloaded had textures that were too large, and that put the whole folder in the 89 mb range.  From looking at most installed textures, the max size should be 16,385 KB per texture (some are much smaller).  But some of the textures in the 89 mb folder were 21,846 KB.  I fixed them using DXTBmp.  So this might be one thing to check. 

 

Mike

 

PS- I discovered this when I hooked up my computer to my 46" flat screen TV -- the large textures looked terrible, but they looked fine on my normal laptop screen and on my normal 17" external flat screen monitor. 

 

PPS - Your system should run circles around mine! 

You can also use DXTbmp to reduce the texture size of normal textures and see if they still display acceptably to you.

 

Mike