Does anyone recommend Black Marble?

[SAS443 1,723]

1 hour ago, dgraham1284 said:

Black Marble + Black Marble Vector

 

These shots are very - very nice!

But the size of majority of the lights are just way out of proportion.  Can those be tweaked? :)

[Cruachan 705]

1 minute ago, SAS443 said:

These shots are very - very nice!

But the size of majority of the lights are just way out of proportion.  Can those be tweaked? :)

Looks fine to me but, to answer your question, yes they can. The Black Marble Manager offers a whole host of options. You will be hard pushed not to find a configuration to your liking 😀

Regards,

Mike

[Cruachan 705]

16 minutes ago, Matthew James de Bohun said:

I can't seem to install it. On the installer it keep coming up with "Invalid simulator directory"! What is the specific path name I should point the installer to?

I don't think I've ever had so much hassle trying to install an add on! Sheesh!!! 

Hi Matthew,

Installs to Prepar3D v4\CDS

Regards,

Mike

[Matthew James de Bohun 55]

1 hour ago, Cruachan said:

Hi Matthew,

Installs to Prepar3D v4\CDS

Regards,

Mike

I can't find a Prepar3D v4\CDS. Where should it be located exactly?

[Cruachan 705]

3 hours ago, Matthew James de Bohun said:

I can't find a Prepar3D v4\CDS. Where should it be located exactly?

Sorry, perhaps I should have said the Black Marble installation installs into the root folder 'Prepar3D v4'. If the install has been successful you will find the folder 'CDS' which contains the Black Marble installation folders and files. The folders are CDSBMV and CDSEXX. Also, 2 new entries will appear at the top of the P3D Scenery Library where they should remain to ensure continuing appropriate priority.

I don't recall having any difficulties with the installation. Either the installer will detect the path to Prepar3D v4 automatically or you will have to set the path yourself by browsing to the Prepar3D v4 folder.

For example, in my case the path is D:\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

Mike

[HighBypass 2,339]

6 hours ago, Mitch24 said:

So from my understanding it is $160 + $5/year just for support for the product? Is anyone else thinking this is absolutely beyond ridiculous????

The first two years have a discount, but thereafter it is $5 per year. As I said, $5 for 365 days support is far from beyond ridiculous - one penny per day for as long as you wish to have support - it is optional. Just because Creative Design hasn't hiked the price to include support doesn't make it any less of a business model, just different. It isn't as if you have to shell out $160 all in one go either. For example I just run BM Base on FSX:SE at the moment. That alone has greatly improved the night flying look of my sim, and that's just with the default roads. Vector would show me all the roads as and when I buy it. I would then have to reconfigure Black Marble due to my system specs no doubt, but that's why the BM software is designed to be configurable in the first place.

It's up to the prospective customer - to buy or not to buy. Flight simmers opinions are many and varied. I for one find it ridiculous to be expected to pay full price, again, to buy a product just to move up the next version of software, no discount no nothing.

[Mitch24 194]

1 hour ago, HighBypass said:

The first two years have a discount, but thereafter it is $5 per year. As I said, $5 for 365 days support is far from beyond ridiculous - one penny per day for as long as you wish to have support - it is optional. Just because Creative Design hasn't hiked the price to include support doesn't make it any less of a business model, just different. It isn't as if you have to shell out $160 all in one go either. For example I just run BM Base on FSX:SE at the moment. That alone has greatly improved the night flying look of my sim, and that's just with the default roads. Vector would show me all the roads as and when I buy it. I would then have to reconfigure Black Marble due to my system specs no doubt, but that's why the BM software is designed to be configurable in the first place.

It's up to the prospective customer - to buy or not to buy. Flight simmers opinions are many and varied. I for one find it ridiculous to be expected to pay full price, again, to buy a product just to move up the next version of software, no discount no nothing.

Ohh, I pity you and for those who fall for the marketing and pay extortionist prices for products like this. Their marketing has done them well. I'm not saying the product is bad.

Since when has paying for support been extra on top of the already expensive product?? 

Quote

Just because Creative Design hasn't hiked the price to include support doesn't make it any less of a business model, just different

Ohh, this statement makes my head hurt.

[Cruachan 705]

HI Mitch,

Leave it alone, will you. This has been done to death already. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion and if that opinion denies you the pleasure of owning this great product then so be it. The rest of us have accepted the pricing structure and so-called 'business model' as being reasonable, have taken the plunge and are now enjoying the experience. We should be allowed to make up our own minds without others trying to persuade us towards their point of view by using emotive language which could be interpreted as intended to discourage us from trying the product.

The Developer has demonstrated great faith in the value of his creation by offering a refund, no questions asked, should you be at all unhappy. Seems to me that this is both generous and reasonable. What more could we ask for or expect?

Regards,

Mike

[Matthew James de Bohun 55]

11 hours ago, Cruachan said:

Sorry, perhaps I should have said the Black Marble installation installs into the root folder 'Prepar3D v4'. If the install has been successful you will find the folder 'CDS' which contains the Black Marble installation folders and files. The folders are CDSBMV and CDSEXX. Also, 2 new entries will appear at the top of the P3D Scenery Library where they should remain to ensure continuing appropriate priority.

I don't recall having any difficulties with the installation. Either the installer will detect the path to Prepar3D v4 automatically or you will have to set the path yourself by browsing to the Prepar3D v4 folder.

For example, in my case the path is D:\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

Mike

From the support ticket I have open with them it seems their installer doesn't like the fact that I have P3D split between two drives. I really don't fancy having to reinstall everything into one so I guess I'll have to throw in the towel on this. :(

It's weird as no other add on has given me this problem. Thanks for the help anyway.

[Cruachan 705]

3 hours ago, Matthew James de Bohun said:

From the support ticket I have open with them it seems their installer doesn't like the fact that I have P3D split between two drives. I really don't fancy having to reinstall everything into one so I guess I'll have to throw in the towel on this. :(

It's weird as no other add on has given me this problem. Thanks for the help anyway.

Hi Matthew,

That's an odd one to be sure. I wouldn't have thought it mattered. I have components of my 200-300GB (might be more, haven't checked recently) P3D installation spread over 3 drives C:, D: and E:. The core installation - Client, Content and Scenery - is on D:. Assuming your installation is not that different I'm finding it hard to understand why the installer can't be pointed to the Prepar3D v4 root folder. As far as I am aware, all the Black Marble installer needs to know is the location of that folder in order to achieve a successful install of the CDS folder and its content at the correct location.

Please let us know the outcome....and don't you dare throw in the towel!   There will be a solution.

Regards,

Mike 😀

[ssair1 92]

3 hours ago, Matthew James de Bohun said:

From the support ticket I have open with them it seems their installer doesn't like the fact that I have P3D split between two drives. I really don't fancy having to reinstall everything into one so I guess I'll have to throw in the towel on this. :(

It's weird as no other add on has given me this problem. Thanks for the help anyway.

Although I'm not familiar with the details of your installation issue, I had a similar issue when attempting to install NE, with BM Base and Vector already installed. I went to my add/remove programs panel and repaired my installation of Prepar3dv4. Afterwards, the installer did manage to "locate" my Prepar3dv4 folder. 

Regards, 

[ssair1 92]

On 11/25/2017 at 2:13 PM, GSalden said:

Black Marble is the best you can get regarding nightlighting. I own it and also I have Night Environment and FTX Global. I have disabled all FTX lights in favor of BM and Ne. More realistic than BM and NE you cannot get.

 

 

 

 

Your images “compelled” me to go ahead and purchase practically all of BM and its add-ons. But as a businessman, I was a bit frustrated about buying BM Traffic, finding out afterward that it isn't "available" to download yet. Can you please tell me what light settings, in terms of size, have you used on the top image? I think the default main street lighting that comes with BM Base and Vector is far too excessive.

Regards,

[Chris Bell 165]

@Cruachan

our files are an exact replicate of sim native files and simply add more data directly to sim native folders,
our CDS folders are the result of patching our original native design moving part of the files needed to CDS folder,
initially we need to see all sim root directory and make sure we are installing to the correct location prior to installing,
the setup is very complicated and involves all Simroot Scenery folders!!!
breaking Sim native structure will stop our installer from installing files if the structure is not as expected,
we have to assume something isn't right and prefer to stop and have platform repaired (in some cases) prior to adding more files to a potentially corrupt platform and potentially compounding existing issue,

some developers/publishers don't run any checks prior to installing;
as these could render an unhappy customer experience when their installer stops for any reason!
we all came to this as simmers; we have a slight different take on installer priorities, we prefer the more responsible route!
it does cause some inconvenience to some customers; most often than not this inconvenience saves allot more headaches down the road,

now a word about our support format, you all need to stop acting like baby's!
just because we allow you guys to choose instead of including this in the price in advance doesn't make this weird or taste bad!
we thought we were being cool about this allowing anyone with virtually any budget to enjoy our work, simple as that!
taking our efforts and trying to spin it as anything but our efforts to make our work affordable is ridicules,

for some it makes a difference, maybe not to all but there are plenty out there that even saving $5 make the difference for them to enjoy little bit of our work to not at all, not everyone here makes a salary, many young simmers invest off their weekly/monthly allowance when they can afford it; we all were there at some point, we are not being greedy nor selfish, we simply trying to conform to every budget we can,
please try see the good in our ways instead of condemning our ways for no good reason,

[Cruachan 705]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the clarification. I confess I hadn't realised that the installation was far more complex - I just assumed (incorrectly as it turns out) that BM was simply installed into the CDS folder along with all the necessary exclusions, and the two entries at the top of the P3D Scenery Library ensured priority.

Good to have you back! Roll up your sleeves, ignore the trolls and naysayers. Your genuine customers, prospective and actual, eagerly await!

Cheers!

Best regards,

Mike 🍺🍺

[GSalden 4,656]

3 hours ago, ssair1 said:

Your images “compelled” me to go ahead and purchase practically all of BM and its add-ons. But as a businessman, I was a bit frustrated about buying BM Traffic, finding out afterward that it isn't "available" to download yet. Can you please tell me what light settings, in terms of size, have you used on the top image? I think the default main street lighting that comes with BM Base and Vector is far too excessive.

Regards,

Use the BM Plus profile , but :

- resize all lights to 0.7 and work up ( 0.8 - 0.9 - 1.0 till it looks good on tour system )

- replace all Vol Lights to Normal lights with the same color