Correct Way to Save Flights

[silentsage 19]

I'd like to confirm the correct way to save a flight in P3D V4.  I'm having problems with flights previously saved and then reloaded.

What I'm doing is: 

1.  Pause the simulation, making sure that that the aircraft is in a stable condition (e.g., wings level, power steady, etc.), time compression is off, and the simulation is paused.  I'm using the standard P3D drop-down menu selection for saving flights.

2.  Exit P3D.

3. Return at a later date and start P3D, and then select the saved flight from the scenario screen.  I never start a PMDG flight without a clean restart of the sim.  The default flight when the scenario screen loads is the default F-22, engines off, parked on a runway (some aircraft from third parties (e.g., Milviz) are very sensitive to the default scenario even if it is never loaded or used).

4.  When the flight loads, about 70% of the time it never enters the countdown for initialization.  Instead it simply starts flying, but all displays are blanked and the aircraft ignores all inputs.

I've tried using the panel state save feature, hoping that if the restart fails, I might be able to load the saved state.  But since the controls and displays are unresponsive that won't work.

I'm trying to practice hand-flown instrument approaches, and it would be nice to be able to reliably save/load a flight prior to TOD.

I'm running P3D V4 with all the latest updates, and the PMDG aircraft with all the latest updates.  This problem is common to all of them (e.g., 737, 747, and 777).  I use FSUIPC, and I've disabled autosave, and use the P3D save feature exclusively. 

Any suggestions will be welcome, thanks. 

[DaveCT2003 1,820]

Do you have Panel Serialization set in P3D?

 

[silentsage 19]

No, it causes problems in various aircraft.

[downscc 1,327]

19 hours ago, silentsage said:

Any suggestions will be welcome, thanks. 

I usually do not save scenarios with the simulator in the paused stated. I do only save when the aircraft is straight and level (no accelerations) and there is no change is heading for at least 10 nm, and time compression is off; but, other than that it works 99.9% of the time and I use it often.  According to the Introduction, panel serialization should be off as you confirmed. Therefore, the only difference seems to be that I always start P3D from the Scenario Setup screen (my default scenario is B58 at my home KCRP but that isn't relevant) instead of letting the default scenario load.  There are many that argue very convincingly that this shouldn't make a difference but I am stubborn and hold to the belief that it might be relevant.  Give it a try.  Also this assumes you are running P3D with admin rights.

[regis9 4,004]

I'm hoping to find out this answer too, in the past I was able to use the FSUIPC autosave and then load those flights without issue.  However in P3Dv4 doing that results no countdown and black displays like the OP.  I contacted PMDG support and they said they don't support FSUIPC autosave flights because they don't save all the data PMDG aircraft require.  It worked in the past, so I'm not sure what changed, but fair enough I decided to try manually saving my flights.  The result was once again no initialization countdown and blank displays.  

I don't use panel serialization as I understand PMDG recommends it not be used.  AM I correct in that?

How exactly can we save flights and resume them?  I wish I didn't have to, but the occasional CTD makes it necessary.

Thanks,

Dave Reage

[downscc 1,327]

23 minutes ago, regis9 said:

I don't use panel serialization as I understand PMDG recommends it not be used.  AM I correct in that?

My post one above yours answers this, why do you ask?

I save flights and load those saved flights almost daily. My post above describes how.

[silentsage 19]

regis9 -

The problems I have occur whether the sim is paused or not.  I can confirm that autosave using FSUIPC causes problems.  This is not unique to the PMDG aircraft.  Also, on my system at least, the problem is limited to the PMDG 737.  The PMDG 747 and 777 work fine using exactly the same procedure.  Another thing (for me at least) is that saved flights for the 737 on the ground work fine - the problem happens only in flight.

The 737 is the oldest of the three products,  and I assume the bug is an artifact of the older code.   

[Ephedrin 418]

I use to fly with PVACARS, a flight following program of my VA, and they have a built-in saving button that uses FSUIPC and I have never had any problems with neither any of the PMDG airplanes, nor with the FSL airbus or the aerosoft CRJ. Only the Majestics Q400 doesnt work but I did expect that when I tried it... only the autosave function of FSUIPC leads to problems on my side... that’s strange.

[regis9 4,004]

19 hours ago, downscc said:

My post one above yours answers this, why do you ask?

I save flights and load those saved flights almost daily. My post above describes how.

I saw what you wrote, and it mirrors what I do except I can’t reload the flight so i’m trying to figure out if I should be doing something different.

Dave Reage 

[downscc 1,327]

4 hours ago, regis9 said:

I saw what you wrote, and it mirrors what I do except I can’t reload the flight so i’m trying to figure out if I should be doing something different.

Dave Reage 

There's two different Dave's posting here, and I don't think I've read your explanation of how you save a scenario and how you load a scenario.

[regis9 4,004]

My process for savings mirror's what you wrote " I do only save when the aircraft is straight and level (no accelerations) and there is no change is heading for at least 10 nm, and time compression is off"

In terms of loading I load the saved scenario from the start up menu.

Thanks,

Dave Reage

[downscc 1,327]

2 hours ago, regis9 said:

In terms of loading I load the saved scenario from the start up menu.

Try this (recommendation in at least one of the Introductions): On the P3D Scenario window, check the Show at Startup box to the left of the Cancel button.  Restart P3D and the Scenario Setup window will open first before your default scenario and select the saved scenario here.  Make sure the default scenario includes a default aircraft.

[regis9 4,004]

Thanks i will try that.  PMDG support also suggested not saving over an old save file (i was using one file name over and over again as my most recent save) so i will try that too.

Dave Reage

[downscc 1,327]

8 hours ago, regis9 said:

Thanks i will try that.  PMDG support also suggested not saving over an old save file (i was using one file name over and over again as my most recent save) so i will try that too.

Dave Reage

Really?  For example, I have a saved flight file named "_NGX ENR" and I over write it before every takeoff and before every TOD and I have never had problems loading it.  I guess if a problem creeped into the file..., but no it problem should be over written. Interesting advice from support.  Of course I also have _744 ENR and _77X ENR... been doing this a long time with only one odd thing happening once out of many many.