ReInstall Many ORBX Sceneries-time consuming?

[nudata 10]

After a "PC Event" I have to re-register my several ORBX scenery items into P3D 2.5. Is there any method, other than individual item manual installation, to get these into the P3D scenery database?

[louisdecoolste 12]

No

[JJJackson 22]

Yes, if you made some backups BEFORE this happend. 

 

Jack

[louisdecoolste 12]

No, because the `PC Event` will have wiped out the original registry entries and keys, so backups won't help in this case. And the P3D install will have put all original textures in place.

 

I have looked at alternatives as I've done several reinstalls of P3D over the past few months. A full reinstall of the FTX stuff, one at a time is the only way to go - and the opportunity to make sure the installers are all up-to-date.

[Jimm 437]

Isn't it so much fun to do this?  Almost as fun as giving yourself a root canal.  :Big Grin:

 

I've reinstalled so much over the past few years, I can do it in my sleep but yet, every time I do it, the wife always wonders why I walk around the house, mumbling obscenities to myself.

 

-Jim

[nudata 10]

Maybe someday Lockheed will allow ORBX to make a simple program that does this automatically.

[whoispankaj 51]

I am not sure why lockheed would prevent it.infact with ftx central tool they should have added the ability to download the sceneries automatically and reinstall them in a particular order.and perhaps provide some customization for installation..

[Guest]

 

 

Lockheed will allow ORBX to make a simple program

 

Lockheed does not prevent Orbx from making backups.  Orbx have FTX Central 2 and "I think" they plan to further expand on that utility ... I would recommend you make a formal suggestion over on the official Orbx forums. 

 

I think what you might be looking for is something like the MSE (MegaSceneryEarth) folks provide that allows multiple products to install unattended.  Seems like a good idea, certainly worth provide Orbx with feature request.

 

As far as backup - depends on the type of backup you make ... if your backup software can make drive images then it would restore any necessary Orbx registration keys and/or hidden files.  If you have a very complex environment you can't afford to lose, then I highly recommend you look into drive imaging software and schedule a regular backup process.  But it depends on your "PC-Event" ... if you have to change motherboards and/or CPU they drive image restore will probably NOT work unless you boot into SAFE mode (after image restore) and basically rest all your hardware profile so that you don't load incompatible MB/chipset drivers.

 

Cheers, Rob.

[phoenixphire 50]

You guys have really hit a sore spot. I can never understand why it takes so long for the installers to be unpacked. I have re-installed many times as well. It usually takes me several days to complete. I have become overly obsessive on a few occasions installing early in the morning till the wee hours, unable to eat, drink or sleep until I have a fully running sim. I used to install mesh and UTX as well which also takes a very long time. I installed ORBX Vector to try and save myself time instead of installing all the UTX installers but Vector gives me OOM's so until there is a solution I trashed it . I concur that a megascenery installer would be great. 

[whoispankaj 51]

You guys have really hit a sore spot. I can never understand why it takes so long for the installers to be unpacked. I have re-installed many times as well. It usually takes me several days to complete. I have become overly obsessive on a few occasions installing early in the morning till the wee hours, unable to eat, drink or sleep until I have a fully running sim. I used to install mesh and UTX as well which also takes a very long time. I installed ORBX Vector to try and save myself time instead of installing all the UTX installers but Vector gives me OOM's so until there is a solution I trashed it . I concur that a megascenery installer would be great.

Haha..same here..get up earlyin the morning to start the P3D reinstallation ritual

[louisdecoolste 12]

Stop looking at the reinstall as a marathon and start looking at it as a `holiday` - a chance to de-stress your bloated sim, give it a rest by removing all the old tat and allow it space to relax.

 

i had the same view as you guys in the bad old FSX days, but P3D is a constantly-evolving product, there is no no consistent baseline, and with OS, hardware and software changes you are almost BOUND to have to reinstall sooner rather than later, so I treat it as an opportunity not a chore.

 

You need a different mindset with P3D and the addons you use with it. If you are truly slogging away from sparrows fart to put back all the bloat, then did you really need it in the first place ? I run a far leaner sim with higher standards than I ever did in the FSX days. I already have a short list of `things to probably leave out` of my next reinstall.

[wwdavis 44]

I clone my drives...Just in case.

[Jimm 437]

I'll tell you one worse, installing your ORBX scenery in P3D and constantly getting red X errors, ignoring them because "it'll be ok", only to find they didn't install ok and then finding out later in a post on ORBX forums that Lockheed decided to pull a fast one and move the terrain.cfg file somewhere else...THEN reinstall everything once you move the cfg file where it belongs.  Happened to me last night and fortunately, I hadn't had a lot of ORBX scenery installed yet.  Yeesh.

 

-Jim

[nudata 10]

Very good point on Image reinstall. It is very easy to forget that there is software specific to the motherboard, and possibly other components, that very few ever see or realize are there. While a motherboard replacement is one of the times these configuration files become needed, I also had  that Event require me to redownload the motherboard specific "drivers/config" files. No, I had lost the motherboard CD/DVD to answer that obvious question and why you should keep it safe.

[Guest]

 

 

ignoring them because "it'll be ok", only to find they didn't install ok and then finding out later in a post on ORBX forums that Lockheed decided to pull a fast one and move the terrain.cfg file somewhere else...THEN reinstall everything once you move the cfg file where it belongs.  Happened to me last night and fortunately, I hadn't had a lot of ORBX scenery installed yet.

 

There are solutions to this ... 3rd party provide intelligent installers that can self update.  A few 3rd party devs have already done this and realized that the FS platform is changing and going to continue changing.

 

There are various development tools that can also be incorporated into one's development environment to make this happen with minimal effort from ClickOnce to InstallShield to Wise to one's own custom AutoUpdate code.

 

I've used all of them -- ClickOnce is the easiest to implement but has many restrictions.  InstallShield is the most flexible and most expensive and the most difficult to use.  But in most cases I've gone with my own AutoUpdate code ... code can be a little tricky but not too painful.  As always OS security context tends to want to default to blocking this type of code so more work and cost are involved (CA code signing certs, etc.) to work "with" OS security.

 

Not a trivial process, but definitely something I think many in the FS world would appreciate but I'm not sure how many would be willing to pay a higher product price (more development time = more cost).

 

Cheers, Rob.