Changing Aircraft causes SLX Crash

[pinsel 1]

Hi Maarten,

 

i lately installed the Majestic Dash 8Q400 into the standard P3D airplanes folder.

In SLX i did a rebuild of the a/c database. If i switch to the a/c tab and select e.g. a C-130 in the standard a/c folder everything is fine, if i select one of the 8Q400, SLX crashes to desktop.

And here are some lines from the SLX-log:

 

20160328111229 Active pane: xAircraftPane

20160328111254 Aircraft variation changed to: CS C130Extra1 6

20160328111254 Validating flight plan KNYG to KMVY

20160328111254 Flight plan KNYG to KMVY has errors

20160328111343 Aircraft variation changed to: MJC8Q400_BER

20160328111343 Validating flight plan KNYG to KMVY

20160328111343 Flight plan KNYG to KMVY has errors

20160328111343 Fatal error "System.ArgumentException: The path is not of a legal form.

   at System.IO.Path.NormalizePath(String path, Boolean fullCheck, Int32 maxPathLength, Boolean expandShortPaths)

   at System.IO.Path.GetFullPathInternal(String path)

   at System.IO.FileInfo.Init(String fileName, Boolean checkHost)

   at System.IO.FileInfo..ctor(String fileName)

   at MaartenBoelens.Utilities.StringExtensions.IsFileLocked(String file)

   at MaartenBoelens.SimLauncherX.ViewModel.AircraftVariationsViewModel.<get_Open3dModelCommand>b__72_2()"

 

Cheers, Walter.

[mawibo 33]

Hi Walter,

 

I will release a fix shortly.

 

Apparently SLX could not find the .mdl file for the Dash-8 Q400. I look for the [aircraft folder containing aircraft.cfg]\Model[."model" value if specified in the aircraft.cfg file]\model.cfg file. Inside this model.cfg file, I look for the normal= setting to locate the .mdl file. Can you please check the folder structure of the Dash-8? I would like to know why the .mdl file could not be found. The .mdl file contains the data for the 3D model feature that I have added to the latest version.

 

thanks, Maarten

[pinsel 1]

Hi Maarten

i checked the model.cfg and saw the difference to other model.cfg's:

 

At the entry "normal" they wrote the full filename with extension "mjc_q400_ext.mdl", i changed it to "mjc_q400_ext" and SLX don't crash anymore.

 

Cheers, Walter.

[mawibo 33]

Hi Walter,

 

Thanks for looking into it! I have changed the .mdl file detection now to allow for the .mdl extension in the normal= setting in the model.cfg file. I just need to check a couple of other things before I release the fix.

 

Maarten

[pinsel 1]

Hi Maarten,

that's OK now, no crash anymore.

 

Now i can select the Dash. If i then click on the Show VC button i get an alert: "Textures could not be found"

 

In the log-file i see the following:

 

20160329091530 Aircraft variation changed to: MJC8Q400_BER

20160329091530 Validating flight plan KNYG to KMVY

20160329091530 Flight plan KNYG to KMVY has errors

20160329091543 Loading VC model for  MJC-8 Q400, Air Berlin

20160329091544 Error loading textures "System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the path 'D:\FluSi\P3Dv3\simobjects\airplanes\mjc8q400\texture'.

   at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)

   at System.IO.FileSystemEnumerableIterator`1.CommonInit()

   at System.IO.FileSystemEnumerableIterator`1..ctor(String path, String originalUserPath, String searchPattern, SearchOption searchOption, SearchResultHandler`1 resultHandler, Boolean checkHost)

   at System.IO.Directory.GetFiles(String path, String searchPattern, SearchOption searchOption)

   at MaartenBoelens.SimLauncherX.Model.BitmapDictionary.<>c__DisplayClass10_0.<LoadTextures>b__1(String x)

   at MoreLinq.MoreEnumerable.ForEach[T](IEnumerable`1 source, Action`1 action)

   at MaartenBoelens.SimLauncherX.Model.BitmapDictionary.LoadTextures(List`1 textures, List`1 folders)"

20160329091545 3D model for MJC-8 Q400, Air Berlin loaded

 

The texture line for that plane in aircraft.cfg is:

texture=BER

 

The texture-folder is named: Texture.BER

 

The same problem exists with the exterior model.

 

================================================================================================================

 

Another one: I switch to a CS C-130, both 3D buttons are greyed.

 

In that model folder is no .mdl file, they are saved elsewhere:

 

model.cfg:

 

[models]

normal=..\model\c130-5

interior=..\model\c130-5_interior

 

Cheers, Walter.

[mawibo 33]

Hi Walter,

 

I will look into it this evening.

 

Thanks, Maarten

[mawibo 33]

Hi Walter,

 

Both issues should be fixed now. Please check the latest version.

 

thanks, Maarten

[pinsel 1]

Hi Maarten,

yes, they are fixed now.

The SLX-log shows the next issue:

 

20160330091006 Loading exterior 3D model for  C-130T, US NAVY 'Blue Angels'

20160330091008 Unable to load texture with name: C130_GLASS_T.DDS

20160330091008 Unable to load texture with name: C130_GLASS_T_SPEC.DDS

20160330091009 3D model for C-130T, US NAVY 'Blue Angels' loaded

 

That is, because the texture files are stored in the "fallback" folders.

 

texture.cfg:

 

[fltsim]

 

fallback.1=..\..\CS_C130\texture

fallback.2=..\..\CS_C130\texture.spec3

fallback.3=..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture

fallback.4=..\..\..\..\..\..\Scenery\Global\texture

 

Cheers, Walter.

 

PS. Could you do me a favour? I often make small changes to the flight (e.g. just changing time) and then want to rebuild the database. That is not possible, because flight has unsaved changes. I have to click OK, as i don't want to save the changes, i must select another flight to select "don't save" and then i'm able to rebuild. In my opinion there are too many clicks. The most times i know what i'm doing and when i should save a flight. It would be nice to rebuild the datebase without a confirmation (or fewer ones).

[mawibo 33]

Hi Walter,

 

Thanks again for your help! I already planned to process the texture.cfg file, but I did not have enough time yesterday. I'm going to the theater this evening, so most probably it will have to wait until tomorrow evening. I will also have a look at the confirmation dialog when starting a rebuild of the database.

 

Btw: why do you want to rebuild the database that often? It's really only needed when you add new scenery or new aircraft.

 

Thanks, Maarten

[pinsel 1]

Hi Maarten,

thanks for your quick response and have pleasure at the theater tonight.

 

I just made a fresh install of P3D on my new computer and now i'm building my world with several sceneries. So i install something and make tests, so i have to rebuild the db from time to time.

 

Cheers, Walter.

[mawibo 33]

Hi Walter,

 

I had a good laugh with Eric van Sauers, a Dutch comedian!

When I got home, I quickly added the texture.cfg processing and replaced the alert dialog with a confirmation dialog when you start a rebuild of the database and the selected flight/flight plan is dirty.

 

Hopefully all your issues are solved now, but if not, please let me know.

 

thanks, Maarten

[pinsel 1]

Hi Maarten,

the texture processing with the fallbacks is OK and the new dialog is helpful.

 

But: Processing the path was the easy part, now it becomes a little bit more complicated.

 

20160331082826 Loading VC model for  MJC-8 Q400, Air Berlin

20160331082829 Unable to load texture with name: VC1Q400

 

20160331083000 Loading VC model for  737-200, Alaska Airlines

20160331083003 Unable to load texture with name: $B737_VC_OVHD_1

 

20160331083054 Loading VC model for  Howard 500 - 105, Civilian

20160331083057 Unable to load texture with name: VC03

 

Most of the interior models uses textures that are hidden in the gauges.

 

 

Cheers, Walter.

[mawibo 33]

Hi Walter,

 

Can you confirm that there's no more errors messages in the latest version related to the gauges? I can only display gauges properly when they are either full 3D objects or when the panel.cfg file has a 'file =' key in the [Vcockpit..] sections.

 

thanks, Maarten

[pinsel 1]

Hi Maarten,

now i get an alert "Textures could not be found", which seems to be the wrong message. The logfile shows there is missing a "FreeImage" DLL:

 

20160405084152 Loading exterior 3D model for MJC-8 Q400, Air Berlin

20160405084153 Error loading texture file: D:\FluSi\P3Dv3\simobjects\airplanes\mjc8q400\texture.BER\q400ext1_night.bmp "System.DllNotFoundException: Unable to load DLL 'FreeImage': Das angegebene Modul wurde nicht gefunden. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007E)

   at FreeImageAPI.FreeImage.GetFileType(String filename, Int32 size)

   at FreeImageAPI.FreeImage.LoadEx(String filename, FREE_IMAGE_LOAD_FLAGS flags, FREE_IMAGE_FORMAT& format)

   at FreeImageAPI.FreeImage.LoadBitmap(String filename, FREE_IMAGE_LOAD_FLAGS flags, FREE_IMAGE_FORMAT& format)

   at MaartenBoelens.SimLauncherX.Model.BitmapDictionary.<>c__DisplayClass10_0.<LoadTextures>b__0(String x)"

 

Cheers, Walter.

[mawibo 33]

Hi Walter,

 

Ok, that's a different issue. I made some mistake when creating the installer. I will fix it this evening.

 

thanks, Maarten