[03OCT15] Read This if you have trouble in Prepar3D v3 (updated)

[rsrandazzo 6,353]

Captains-

 

(After a night of collecting data, I have updated the guidance in this thread...  If you are having trouble with P3D v3, please read this item and let us know if it solves the issues for you?  We are working on some softare updates, but we need some input from Lockheed Martin to understand a few changes that they made that are apparently undocumented...(

 

The good news is that Lockheed Martin has released Prepar3D v3 this week!  The bad news is that it leaves us with a couple of things we must fix to give you a trouble-free simulation in P3D v3.

 

While we work to sort out a few issues, we have four fool-proof steps to get you running your PMDG product quickly and effortlessly in Prepar3D v3.  These steps are listed here, and explained in detail a bit further down.  Please try them before you open a ticket, as we are confident that these steps will work for almost all users:

 

1. Make certain your PMDG product is the only airplane that P3D loads into memory.


2. Be sure to get the latest version of your PMDG product by downloading from your PMDG user account.


3. Make certain you have all of the older simconnect versions installed.


4. Turn off and ignore "Error Logging" in P3D.

 

 

Step 1: Make certain your PMDG product is the only airplane that P3D loads into memory:  We have had some users report back that parts of the Virtual Cockpit were not clickable, and/or that the displays in the airplane failed to initialize and load.  We have found that users can solve this by taking the simple step of making certain that their PMDG product is the ONLY aircraft that gets loaded into the P3D before flight. 

 

What To Do:  Launch Prepar3D v3 and navigate to the "Prepar3D Scenario Setup" menu.  On the lower right corner, next to the "OK" button, click on the "Show At Startup" box.  Now close and restart Prepar3D.  (This is important!)  When the sim launches again, you will be taken directly to the Scenario Setup menu, from where you can choose your flight.  This prevents P3D from launching another aircraft first, thus creating the problem you experienced earlier.

 

Background:  We have always recommended that when using a PMDG product, ours be the only aircraft that has been loaded in the simulator- but that was due largely to superstition that that the simulation platform didn't do a very good job of clearing out data from previously run aircraft.  Here we seem to have proof that "something goes amiss" so we are reinforcing that guidance in the short term.  In the long term, we are working on a solution and we will update you once we have one!

 

 

Step 2: Make certain you have the latest version of your PMDG product:  Using your PMDG product with Prepar3D v3 will require that you grab a new copy of the product installer from your account here at PMDG. 

 

What to Do:  Simply log in, go to your account history, and download a fresh copy.  We updated the installer so that it recognizes this new version of P3D.

 

Background:  Larger updates to the product lines are coming, but these were put together in order to simplify your installation process.

 

 

Step 3: If Steps 1 and 2 above do not solve your problem, you need to check your SimConnect installation:  We want to stress that 99% of users will have their problems solved by following Step 1 and Step 2. 

 

What to Do:  If you are still having trouble, please open the README file that came with your installer, and follow the steps outlined for installing the older versions of simconnect on your computer. 

 

Background:  Simconnect is a process that runs in the background and allows our products to talk to the simulator.  Simconnect is controlled by the sim platform, and occasionally it is handy to have the older versions present in case the product needs them.

 

 

Step 4: Turn Off and Ignore "Error Logging" in Prepar3D.  Lockheed Martin has reintroduced a horribly bugged process that first appeared in FSX back in 2006, "Error Logging."  This device was originally designed for developers to help identify problems during product development, but it was such a weak system that it proved to be largely useless as the information it provided was often misleading.

 

What to Do:  Launch Prepar3D v3, then go to OPTIONS, SETTINGS, GENERAL.  On the top left quadrant, you will see two check-boxes:  "Scenario Error Logging" and "Content Error Logging."  Uncheck both of these boxes.

 

Background:  While the information provided by this error logging process can prove useful to developers, the information often traps proper configurations and behaviors that are not actually errors, thus leading users to be confused as to whether there is a problem with their product.  For this reason we recommend turning the error logging off.  If you have concerns about your product, bring them to us here and we will help you to sort them out! (And yes, we do track these log files during development!)

 

If you still have trouble, please let us know!

 

 

[pride545 30]

Robert, could you please tell me where the readme file is located. It is not in the zip file I downloaded?

[77west 139]

Hi Robert thanks for that info, any updates on the landing lights issue that's affecting a few people?

[sgreen91 182]

In the NGX you can actually get the Landing lights to work by loading the default aircraft (F22) then load the NGX.  The lights will then work. Also the clickspots will still work unlike the 777.

 

Of course this will not work for the 777 unfortunately.  The lights show up in external view just no lights within the flightdeck.

 

 

Sorry I was wrong.  Some switches on the ngx work not all.

[77west 139]

Hmmm very strange. I am holding off on any serious flying at all until Orbx catches up with the rest of the FS developer world and releases updated installers, but I sure hope that we can get to the bottom of this landing light issue by then. I shall continue to test and see if I can find a pattern, and report to PMDG if I do.

[pilotphilip 1]

Loading even the F22 causes the problem with the switches for me. Good to know in the meantime.

[77west 139]

Che

 

Hi

 

How could I verify the old simconnect is installed? Any files I need to look for to confirmed? Thanks.

 

Check installed programs list. There should be 4 entries, 1 for ESP and 3 for FSX.

 

PS read this as well: (Number 1)

 

http://www.avsim.com/topic/458101-guidelines-for-participation-in-the-pmdg-forum-please-read/

[Matt Webb 171]

I installed Simconnet, but not all versions after activation didn't work.  This solved that problem.

 

But then I had a few knobs and buttons not working (one was the active button for the NAV frequencies), I didn't have all SimConnect versions installed.  After installing all of them, issue was resolved. So thanks for the tips!

 

Cheers,

Matt.

[elmucki 32]

i did all the suggested steps, but i get lags lasting about 5 seconds every 30 seconds. Only P3Dv3 and PMDG installed. thats it, plus the steps above of course..

[scandinavian13 5,192]

i did all the suggested steps, but i get lags lasting about 5 seconds every 30 seconds. Only P3Dv3 and PMDG installed. thats it, plus the steps above of course..

 

When you load P3D, describe what happens.

 

Does it load directly into the F-35 at Langley?

[elmucki 32]

IT loads super fast. It loads the default plane (F35) and airport (Langley). I can fly it all day long without issues. The issues happen with the 737 and 777. They both load fine, and for a few minutes everything is smooth, but the there is a short stutter or freeze and it lasts maybe 5 or so seconds and then it resumes. It gets worse during cruise and landing. Landing is the worst where it happens withing seconds. Freeze recover, freeze recover and so on. 

[scandinavian13 5,192]

IT loads super fast. It loads the default plane (F35) and airport (Langley). I can fly it all day long without issues. The issues happen with the 737 and 777. They both load fine, and for a few minutes everything is smooth, but the there is a short stutter or freeze and it lasts maybe 5 or so seconds and then it resumes. It gets worse during cruise and landing. Landing is the worst where it happens withing seconds. Freeze recover, freeze recover and so on. 

 

Then you didn't follow the suggested steps  :wink:

 

See step 1. In order to accomplish step 1:

Launch Prepar3D v3 and navigate to the "Prepar3D Scenario Setup" menu.  On the lower right corner, next to the "OK" button, click on the "Show At Startup" box.  Now close and restart Prepar3D.  (This is important!)  When the sim launches again, you will be taken directly to the Scenario Setup menu, from where you can choose your flight.  This prevents P3D from launching another aircraft first, thus creating the problem you experienced earlier.

[elmucki 32]

i apologize i should have clarified, when P3D launches it loads into the scenario screen but shows the defail stuff.

[elmucki 32]

My NGX and 777 work in terms of loading and functionality, but produce horrible stutters.

[duggy35 4]

Gday all

 

I had the no click spots issue (not all switches/knobs, about half I reckon)in both 2d and vc after uninstalling the 737 from P3D v2 and downloading/installing the new version for P3D v3. I followed the readme, even down to installing the simconnect.msi's. Still no click spots.

 

It occurred to me it might be a registry issue since during install I had to move the prepar3d.exe from the v2 root folder for the installer to find v3 (I've still got v2 installed until I have v3 fully up & running). So I ran CCleaner to scan for registry issues, selected fix all, then reboot.

 

All good! Everything works.

 

Thanks PMDG for a swift transition to v3 and great support. Cheers

 

Steve McLaren