Any benefits to the newest P3D V2.5.12945 ?

[Kuragiman 227]

But this was supposed to be an Update, Jim, not a complete uninstall/reinstall. I thought it just updated the existing version.

I just went to my account and downloaded the version that is the Topic Title in this thread. Did not see a Hotfix, et al.

 

Even when updating there are some steps you have to take to preserve your add-ons as they are currently installed or else you will lose things like planes and scenery entries in your menus.  Rob had an excellent guide for doing that in the 2.4 days when they were patching it like crazy and it worked well for me.    When I jumped from 2.4 to 2.5 there was no hope then.  I had to re-install everything.    

[vc10man 732]

Thanks, Brian. I wish I had that link to Rob's guide.

The hotfix is available via this forum post only.

http://www.prepar3d.com/forum-5/topic/prepar3d-v2-hotfix-2-5-12945-0-2/

 

Your account page will have only the latest full install.

 

gb.

Thanks for that gboz. Wish I had seen that before.

[G-YMML1 582]

*95 update somehow uses + 100-200Mb additional VAS over *94. I keep recording the figures in the notes, so it's not just raw estimate, but rather a systematic measurement.

[JJJackson 22]

I don´t understand this. Ok updating from v2.4 to v2.5 needed som reinstalling but updating v2.5 with the fixes doesn´t need any fixing or reinstalling. Just unzip the fix and copy/overwrite the files in your v.2.5 library with the ones in the fix.

 

 

Jack

the Swede in Spain

[peppy197 165]

I used the update (only 31MB) which is actually a drag and drop.

Deleted my>> /Local/Lockheed Martin/Shader  folder

No need to delete prepar3d.cfg

 

Started it up and all is there, PMDG,ORBX, UTX, all there and working fine

[G-YMML1 582]

I used the update (only 31MB) which is actually a drag and drop.

Deleted my>> /Local/Lockheed Martin/Shader  folder

No need to delete prepar3d.cfg

 

Started it up and all is there, PMDG,ORBX, UTX, all there and working fine

 

Do I really have to delete Shader folder? Any viable benefits of that?

[GSalden 4,655]

Regarding VAS usage : where earlier v2.5 hotfixes better in handling VAS ?

 

I went from v2,4 directly to v2.5...45  and cannot finish 1 flight because of OOM.

With v2.4 I could finish my flights...

I even set some sliders further to the left, but unfortunately.

 

Just out of curiosity....

[Jim Young 2,356]

Do I really have to delete Shader folder? Any viable benefits of that?

It's just a temporary folder and AVSIM recommends it in the AVSIM CTD Guide, page 5.

 

I even set some sliders further to the left, but unfortunately.

This is certainly strange although many have reported it. I rarely get an OOM and I can go down to 300MB's of VAS and P3D still runs. I use the PMDG777, ASN, and MSE v2 photo scenery. I have UTX but do not use in in P3D as I like the default textures whenever I'm flying at 10,000 feet and do not have a State enabled for photo scenery. Seems like I see a lot of issues when some Orbx/FTX stuff is enabled. I like Orbx/FTX scenery and own most of it except for the latest GlobalLC and Vectored stuff.

 

When you get an OOM, you need to investigate "the scene of the crime". The VAS usage tools, like the one in FSUIPC, helps. I like the FSUIPC utility because it provides a log of my complete flight and shows VAS usage throughout the flight. It also shows fps and average fps for the flight. So, you could run a flightplan with certain things enabled for a flight and then on subsequent flights remove a addon, like a real weather program. I have the FSUIPC.log icon on my desktop so that I can open it up after completing a flight. I save it after indicating in the log what was enabled. I run P3D again without weather enabled and run the same flight plan. Then I compare. If there was no OOM, I then begin to look at my settings in my weather program (ASN). Perhaps a setting there is resource intensive so I disable that and maybe reduce some other settings that might be an issue.

 

Bottom line, I investigate my circumstances as it is NOT P3D but MY setup. What 'I' have installed on MY system. There are just too many individuals throughout the flight simulation community that are successfully using P3D 2.5 with no issues. Oh, maybe a periodic stutter but mostly no problems. I think everyone has to realize that Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, and DTG built their simulators for their default aircraft, scenery, and weather. Then, people started adding eye-candy made by many of our great add-on developers and things started to go down hill. You can run P3D 2.5 with all settings maxed out with just the default aircraft, weather, and textures but, when you add an addon from somewhere else, you have to reduce those settings to accommodate the eye-candy you just bought.  I know I'm preaching to the choir but those are the facts.

 

Best regards,

 

[GSalden 4,655]

Jim, imho v2.5 is handling VAS worse than v2.4.

If you look at the LM website they even advise to use Orbx FTX and Palm Springs.

They claim backwards compatibility.

 

Getting an OOM with the same airport as in FSX and further default scenery with modest settings show that there is something not working as it should be.

 

LM had asked for examples from us about the OOM isdues and many have responded to that.

Let us hope they can make things better.

 

With every new update the amount of free VAS at startup gets more , but the backwards compatibility becomes less...

[SteveW 1,792]

Do I really have to delete Shader folder? Any viable benefits of that?

If we look at the files and folders included with a hotfix, we may notice a folder named ShadersHLSL. We know this folder contains files that overwrite old ones when the hotfix is applied. These files are programs that define the way the temporary shader files are created, shaders paint objects in the sim. Missing shader files are recreated from the code of the shader definition files found in ShadersHLSL. If the shader definition files are changed then we must delete the Shaders folder (or files within it), so that the sim will recreate those missing shader files. It's a really important step to make when we update the sim with a hotfix.

[G-YMML1 582]

If we look at the files and folders included with a hotfix, we may notice a folder named ShadersHLSL. We know this folder contains files that overwrite old ones when the hotfix is applied. These files are programs that define the way the temporary shader files are created, shaders paint objects in the sim. Missing shader files are recreated from the code of the shader definition files found in ShadersHLSL. If the shader definition files are changed then we must delete the Shaders folder (or files within it), so that the sim will recreate those missing shader files. It's a really important step to make when we update the sim with a hotfix.

 

Steve,

 

Since I have *95 update already installed, would it be safe for me to delete Shaders' folder now and let P3D to rebuild it. I hope none of my add-one sceneries will be affected.

[HUSSAR 261]

Yes, you can safely delete the shaders folder, it is in the Username\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3d v2 folder.  I have not upgraded to v2.5 so it may fall under a different location now.  Make a backup of the Shaders folder if you are concerned that it may affect your add-on sceneries but there is nothing to worry about.

[Guest]

They claim backwards compatibility.

 

That's a sweeping statement, but actually no they don't make any claim for 100% backward compatibility ... it would be impossible for LM to make any such 100% claim of compatibility as some products go outside of the SDK.  The thread was informing those developers that use of such a process (of going outside the SDK) will NOT be supported: http://www.prepar3d.com/forum-5/topic/notice-on-asm-based-scenery/  

 

 

 

Prepar3D furthers the development of Microsoft® ESP™ while maintaining compatibility with Microsoft Flight Simulator X, allowing many thousands of add-ons to be used within Prepar3D.

 

Sorta like modifying a cars engine by adding a Turbo, tuned ECU, Exhaust, pistons, cams, etc. etc. and then when it blows up going back to the dealer and saying "fix it under warranty" ... just not gonna happen.

 

 

 

With every new update the amount of free VAS at startup gets more , but the backwards compatibility becomes less...

 

Does it?  If so, why is it very hard to replicate an OOM in a base no add-on P3D V2.5 12945 (even with maxed out settings)?  I've ran into 3rd party BGL issues that caused stutters and VAS issues, solution was to remove the offending BGL and/or give them the extension .OFF ... since LM didn't produce the BGL it wouldn't seem fair to hold LM reponsible for the BGL.

 

The more productive course of action would be to let the 3rd party know and take it from there.  What seems to be happening is that if 3rd party don't respond to OOM claims, people just point the finger at LM.  That's really not going to be as productive as it could be.  

 

Since LM obviously can't purchase and install 1000's of add-ons and test every single one of them with each new release and/or hotfix, what I've asked LM for is some tools end users can use to help identify VAS issues with 3rd party products and verify scenery files are or are not ASM based.  Problem resolution will come from problem identification ... and we need to tools in place to perform that identification.

 

Cheers, Rob.

[G-YMML1 582]

 

Since LM obviously can't purchase and install 1000's of add-ons

 

Sure they can. They're the biggest military contractor in the world

[GSalden 4,655]

Just a simple question Rob : why are there so many people having OOM issues with v 2.5 and not being able to finish a flight , when they were able to do so in V2.4...

 

Surely v2.4 had it's issues but at least free VAS didn't drop that quick till OOM.

 

LM does not need to look for OOM on a vanilla P3D v2.5.

They need to check with addons.

Like I wrote above : they advise to use FTX global and Palm Springs airports to use.

So you could say that they are advising a turbo or intercooler on the P3Dv2 car...

 

There are 15 pages already about OOM in v2.5 at the LM forum.

And more people are complaining about v2.5 OOM at other Fs Sites.

And almost all of them are getting it when descending or at approach.

Then from one moment to the other free VAS suddenly drops with hundreds of mb and then OOM.

 

Some people went back to v2.4 , which they had configured in a way, so they could finish a flight.

That is with same addons as in v2.5...

Why was v2.4 able to handle it better ?

 

LM has a 3 monitor C-130 cockpit for training.

I am curious if they are using addon software with that...