Prepar3D v4.2 has been released

[Julkensen 47]

All new install up and running, orbx, AS4 and various sceneries installed and working fine.

Only had a problem with the latest FSUIPC version (5.123c) giving me massive stutters. Deleted the content of the modules folder, installed v5.122 as suggested here and all is working fine.

Just waiting for fslabs a320 now.

 

[AdiR 27]

What about GSX, REX SkyForce 3D, EZDOK Camera and SODE?

I suppose NGX works fine as usually with new P3D releases.

[virtuali 4,419]

5 hours ago, Johnny19 said:

It is compatible, though the usual gang, AS, ChasePlane, Orbx, Couatl, FSLabs, probably SkyForce, are not yet compatible :)

I'm not sure why you think Couatl it's not compatible "as usual"...

First, Couatl was never tied to the precise version of the sim. It wasn't even affected by the move to 64 bit. Being an external .EXE and a fully compliant Simconnect client, is what saves the Couatl engine from being dependent on the version of the sim, and the one and only Couatl executable, can happily connect to FSX+SP2, FSX:SE, P3D 1, 2, 3 and 4.

If anything, it was our Addon Manager that, as a .DLL, used to be dependent on the exact version of the sim, because it used to peek in memory to get data which wasn't otherwise available by other means.

However, since more than one year, this is no longer the case, because LM has added the things we missed to be retrievable without using direct memory access so, starting with some version around P3D 3.x, even the Addon Manager is no longer version-dependent, the only difference (being a .DLL) it's if the sim it's 32 or 64 bit.

So, as far as FSDT is concerned, the requirements or the steps to update to P3D 4.2 are exactly None and, thanks to our usage of the add-on.xml method and our default install location outside the sim, you can even wipe out your existing P3D4 installation, and it wouldn't affect our software in any way, which will still stay installed and active.

In fact, P3D 4.2 fixes what was the most annoying bug for us, which was the random disappearance of textures when many addons were installed using the add-on.xml, introduced with 4.1 so, it would be best if anybody would update to it as soon as possible.

[Darcy 63]

Do you know if the pause upon loading access menu's in 4.2 is fixed.  Most annoying when landing and getting pauses everytime you access GSX menu.

 

Darcy

[SimonC 116]

6 minutes ago, virtuali said:

In fact, P3D 4.2 fixes what was the most annoying bug for us, which was the random disappearance of textures when many addons were installed using the add-on.xml, introduced with 4.1 so, it would be best if anybody would update to it as soon as possible.

Reason enough for me.

[Hilkiah 4]

50 minutes ago, SKIPS2 said:

Tempted to install 4.2 cuz of the skeletal issue. Anyone else can confirm this before i jump??

Made the plunge

Following these 2 guides to the T:

 

All my PMDG planes are ok along with their liveries.  My Ultimate Traffic Live works ok (can see AI planes).  I fired up AS and ASCA and simply had to install ASConnect.  ChasePlane is working perfectly.  CRJ workes (with its liveries).  

The A320 doesn't work (Unsupported P3d version)....but that has already been confirmed on the FSL forum.

Can't say much about performance as I haven't done a flight yet.  However I loaded up EGLL, LFPG and KLAX both during the day and at night and FPS seems a bit better (can't quantify though).  My config remains the same SSAA 2x and High on all other settings.

Note there may be issues with Envtex/envshade:

https://fselite.net/news/toga-projects-envtex-envshade-issues/

 

** edit **  I fired up envir and install my settings to sim (same as before), except the option to use envshade (kept it off0.  Then I fired up P3D and it looks amazing.  Gonna do some night flying to see if the DL tweaks have made a difference.

[virtuali 4,419]

3 minutes ago, Darcy said:

Do you know if the pause upon loading access menu's in 4.2 is fixed.  Most annoying when landing and getting pauses everytime you access GSX menu.

Yes, that has been fixed too. Didn't affect just GSX, but any other addon calling a menu.

[Darcy 63]

Great! Yes not just GSX.  Glad fixed.

 

Darcy

[Manny 1,293]

I did not update to 4.1 thinking I'll wait for the next.  Now, thinking of skipping this 4.2 too.

Unless PMDG 747-800 comes out saying it needs 4.1 or 4.2.  I am so contended with P3D v4.0  I am enjoying the P3D 64 bit version upgrade ...that is unbeatable!

and I am just lazy.

:)

[Guest]

24 minutes ago, virtuali said:

So, as far as FSDT is concerned, the requirements or the steps to update to P3D 4.2 are exactly None and, thanks to our usage of the add-on.xml method and our default install location outside the sim, you can even wipe out your existing P3D4 installation, and it wouldn't affect our software in any way, which will still stay installed and active.

Thank you Umberto, you've been at the forefront with the Add-On process and I appreciate your usage of it and sticking with it ... now that the Add-On process is more "stable" I hope to see it become quickly adopted for all the reasons/benefits you have listed.  Keep up the great work and support.

Cheers, Rob.

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Manny said:

and I am just lazy.

Uninstalling the 4.1 Client only and installing the 4.2 client only takes me about 3 mins and 42 seconds (I did it alot).  About the same time it takes to post a response on AVSIM :)

Conversely uninstalling the 4.2 client only and going back and installing the 4.1 client only took about 2 mins and 59 seconds (go figure) ... I did this A LOT over the past several months.

Going back and forth between 4.1 to 4.2 back to 4.1 and back to 4.2 and ... couldn't be more simple.

Cheers, Rob.

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

Well, I have an interesting problem with 4.2. I uninstalled content and client and then reinstalled the 4.2 versions. I went back to FSUIPC 5.122a. Everything worked great... except that any geographic  area laid out on a grid (cities, suburbs, etc.) has no autogen of any kind (buildings or vegetation). It's consistent throughout the globe. Non-grid areas have building and vegetation and all rural land classes have vegetation also.  The UI autogen settings have no effect on this. I started with new versions of the shader binaries, prepar3d.cfg, exe.xml and dll.xml.

I wonder if it is necessary to uninstall and reinstall the scenery? 

[joepoway 241]

25 minutes ago, Rob Ainscough said:

Uninstalling the 4.1 Client only and installing the 4.2 client only takes me about 3 mins and 42 seconds (I did it alot).  About the same time it takes to post a response on AVSIM :)

Conversely uninstalling the 4.2 client only and going back and installing the 4.1 client only took about 2 mins and 59 seconds (go figure) ... I did this A LOT over the past several months.

Going back and forth between 4.1 to 4.2 back to 4.1 and back to 4.2 and ... couldn't be more simple.

Cheers, Rob.

Rob

Can you provide any insight to the seemingly new single pass rendering feature for VR. If I understand this correctly P3D hasn’t enabled this prior to this revision and now it exists for VR. If this is correct I believe it significantly cuts the CPU usage down to render both eyes simultaneously for the Rift. 

If I am correct I also assume any 10 series Nvidia graphics card with recent drivers utilizing VRworks it will automatically take advantage of this new feature?

Please advise if you know anything about this topic as I have become an avid VR flier but predominantly with FlyInside since they have optimized rendering requiring lower frame rates and the ability to import windows and use things like opened CDUs etc.. But now with the new Oculus Dash version allowing windows to be imported and if P3D Native VR now takes full advantage of single pass rendering I believe Native VR will win out for me.

Thanks in advance

Joe

[joepoway 241]

39 minutes ago, joepoway said:

Rob

Can you provide any insight to the seemingly new single pass rendering feature for VR. If I understand this correctly P3D hasn’t enabled this prior to this revision and now it exists for VR. If this is correct I believe it significantly cuts the CPU usage down to render both eyes simultaneously for the Rift. 

If I am correct I also assume any 10 series Nvidia graphics card with recent drivers utilizing VRworks it will automatically take advantage of this new feature?

Please advise if you know anything about this topic as I have become an avid VR flier but predominantly with FlyInside since they have optimized rendering requiring lower frame rates and the ability to import windows and use things like opened CDUs etc.. But now with the new Oculus Dash version allowing windows to be imported and if P3D Native VR now takes full advantage of single pass rendering I believe Native VR will win out for me.

Thanks in advance

Joe

Here’s a response thread I got from my post on the Prepar3D forum:

P3Dv4.2  Single Pass Rendering Question

http://www.prepar3d.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6306&t=128467&p=174837#p174837

things are looking very positive for the future of VR take a look .

Joe

[Farlis 2,277]

7 hours ago, ErichB said:

That's up to third parties to do.  Time spent on generic airport layouts is a waste of time.  

So you think it is fine to have a professional simulation product out in 2018 that uses a database from 2003 for Navaids, Intersections and Airport layouts and leave the updating of that to third party companies?!