I've started a new install of FSX on a new machine, the first time I've been through this in nearly 4 years.  Last time, it was all GEX and UTX as the basic scenery.  This time around it's FTX Global base, and FTX Vector, as I will eventually want to use these in P3D with their cross-compatible licenses, and I am brand spanking new to these products. 

 

So far, I've added in the FTX compatible version of FS2010 Global Mesh as the base.  Then FTX Global base.  Then FTX Global Vector.

 

The airfields are a little wonky, and I'm aware that FTX Vector is applying flattening meshes in an only partially successful attempt to correct elevation errors of runways that are sloped in real life.

 

Now I'm going to add in MyTraffic 2010.  Mytraffic does it's own modifications of airfields.  I've come across a few posts around the web where people have had some kind of a problem using Mytraffic and FTX Vector together, but frankly, while I'm a long time user of MyTraffic 2010,  I'm too new to Orbx products to really know what they are talking about.

 

In an attempt to anticipate problems in my new FSX build before they arise, what do I need to be concerned about when using MyTraffic with FTX Vector?  Am I better off getting a different AI Traffic program?

Just make sure that the MyTraffic entry in the FSX Scenery Library is below FTX Vector.

Thanks Mike.  Unfortunately, I think I'm going to scratch the idea of using Vector and go back to UTX, but if I decide to ever revisit it, I'll remember to do that.

I have gone back to UTX for vector data as well; I do use Global base for textures though.

How is that working out, Mike, FTX Global + UTX?  Since my last install was hosed, before wiping it and starting over, I manually uninstalled Vector, and then installed UTX USA, just as a quick experiment.  It looked "OK", but I'm a little hesitant about pitfalls or incompatibilities I might encounter later, since Global changes things in the guts of FSX that GEX never would have touched, and of course UTX and GEX were designed from the very start to go together.

 

In my frustration with Orbx, I was tempted to say the hell with all of it, going back to just plain GEX + UTX, but then I discovered a beta UTX program that allows the use of FTX street lights to replace the frame hungry UTX street lights, and the night lighting experience is now transformative, so if there are otherwise no problems with UTX+FTX Global, then I think I'm going to do that too.  That derails my plans to have a fully cross-compatible software suite with P3D, but I guess that's another topic, and I'll worry about that when I actually buy P3D.

I much prefer the look of FTX Global + UTX as opposed to GEX + UTX.

 

That being said I don't fly at night so I have street lighting disabled in both FTX and UTX; so if night flying is your thing this might be something to consider.

FTX Global + UTX, it shall be then!