-- READ FIRST -- Common issues and solutions

[Keven Menard 658]

In an effort to help as many people as possible, we combined a list of common issues we observed through our one-to-one support. Make sure you try those before creating a post on the forums!
 
Have you read the Manual for specific conditions required for the effects to show?
Required conditions for each effect is described in the User Manual for your product. Optimal settings and limitations are also described in there.
 
Are you using the Default Weather menu to test wing condensation?
The default FSX/P3D Weather menu is tricky to play with. We find that the "Gray and Rainy" preset is the best for testing Wing Condensation and other precipitation-related effects. You can also user Active Sky Next to enter custom weather METARs while making sure the dew-point matches the ambient temperature. If you really want to use the Default Weather menu, make sure you use multiple temperature layers as they need to interpolate for the temperature to work.
 
Are you using the latest version of your simulator?
Some older versions have issues related to visual effects and might result in glitched visual effects. Updating to the latest version might resolve the issue.
 
Have you tried reinstalling your effects package?
Running VFXCentral will should fix most configuration-related issue automatically but a reinstall of your effect package might solve your issue!
 
Do you have any other add-ons modifying the panel.cfg files?
Our Immersion Packages requires the addition of multiple gauges to the VC of the aircraft. If you have another add-on modifying this file as well, the might be conflicts. Contact us through the support page if you are having issue resolving this issue.

Are you using a Migration tool?
Using a Migration tool might prevent the effects from installing properly. Make sure you turn off any Migration tool before installing any of our product.
 
Are your simulator paths registered correctly?
VFXCentral includes a Registry Editor that allows you to see and fix registry paths. make sure the paths are pointing in the right direction and aren't all pointing in the same directory. Installing any of our products in the same directory may lead to unexpected behaviors.
 
Do you have the latest version of FSUIPC installed?
Our products require the latest version of FSUIPC to work properly. You can get it from here: http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html The paid version is not required.
 
Do you have FSX running in DirectX10 mode?
Some of our effects requires that you convert them through the SteveFX Scenery Fixer if you are using them in DirectX 10 environment. You can get it here: https://stevesfsxanalysis.wordpress.com/how-to-purchase/ Our effects do not require conversion when using DirectX 9
 
Have you tried setting your "Special effects detail" to Medium instead of High?
Some systems have this weird bug where the effects aren't showing when set to the highest settings. Try the Medium setting and see if the effects are working again!
 
Are default effects working within your simulator?
If default effects aren't working (i.e. Contrails or Wheels Spray) when our products are uninstalled, you should contact Lockheed Martin or Microsoft/Dovetail about the issue. A simulator reinstall might also bring back the effects.
 
Have you tried deleting the Shaders cache files?
Some effect files might get corrupt for various reasons. Deleting the cache files might fix your issue. Cache files are located in the corresponding folder:
FSX: %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\FSX\
FSX:SE: %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\FSX-SE\
P3Dv2: %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v2\
P3Dv3: %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\
P3Dv4: %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\
 
Running your simulator with a clean Config file?
Some config manipulation might have broken your effects. Try to run FSX/P3D with a clean configuration file by renaming the fsx.cfg or prepar3d.cfg file located in the directory corresponding to your simulator:
FSX: %appdata%\Microsoft\FSX\
FSX:SE: %appdata%\Microsoft\FSX-SE\
P3Dv2: %appdata%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v2\
P3Dv3: %appdata%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\
P3Dv4: %appdata%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\
 
Running your simulator with a clean directory configuration?
P3D v2 introduced dynamic directories and one of it's configuration file might be corupt. 
The configuration file for the effects is located in the following folders:
P3Dv2: %programdata%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v2\effects.cfg
P3Dv3: %programdata%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3\effects.cfg
P3Dv4: %programdata%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\effects.cfg
Make sure entries are existent and that the default entry pointing to "PATH=Effects" is present and active.
 
Are you using the latest drivers for your graphics card?
Some Graphics Card Drivers might affect how effects are displayed in your sim. Try updating them to the latest version if you are having issues with the effects.
 
If none of the above worked, create a thread on this forum with a detailed explanation of the issue or contact us through our support page directly (https://oldprop.com/sim/support/)
 
Regards,
Keven

Edited October 16, 2018 by Keven Menard