Error Switching To DX10 ... Questionable Installation?

[RKillins 1]

I am having uncertain difficulty with my installation of DX10 Fixer 3.4. I have never had an issue before, so I'm a bit freaked out.

First, after installation, I had to initiate an Emergency Change of FSX Directory. After install, the libraries were installed and up to date, but there was nothing in the FSX path, nor was the Change button available.

When I managed to direct the app to the FSX installation, switching to DX10 resulted in this error "Error Copying File DX10 envmap..(0) System error was 3" during the reenabling DX10 Effects and Reflections process. The process completes, but I fear that this error may manifest unexpected behaviour.

Do I need to be concerned, or can I proceed business as usual?

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by RKillins

[RKillins 1]

*EDIT - Disregard, I uninstalled the libraries, and and after a multitude of errors and a restart of a crashed application, I was able to reinstall the libraries and now everything is functioning normally.

The only thing I have found, is that i am missing part of the DX10SF Initial Installation Dialogue. I have the three options for product features, however, I don't have the selection menu for the 5 addons.

[SteveFx 258]

Hi firstly I am sorry that you had some issues.   

Its probably easiest if I first explain how the fixer works.

When you "install the libraries"  the fixer

1. Copies in some libraries into FSX (hence the name of the command!)
2. If option is selected will  change the FS8 (legacy) reflection texture (envmap)  as it doesn't work in DX10  and so legacy aircraft would not have any reflections
3. In versions prior to 4.0 if option is selected will make changes to the effect files (this can be several hundred files) 
4. In versions prior to 4.0 if option is selected will install a replacement light package etc etc. 
5. In version prior to 4.0 replaces the blue DX10 missing texture with a dark texture.

The fixer maintains a state file in the program data area which records what it has done - this includes the path to FSX, and which of these steps were taken.  As its possible to have dual installs (FSX DVD and FSX Steam) the state file can include this information twice for the two different systems.

When you uninstall the libraries the changes are backed out and the state file updated to reflect this.

The fixer has some rules based on the state file - you cannot change the FSX path whilst the libraries are installed.    This is to prevent you  creating an orphaned FSX installation with installed libraries and modifications made but no way to back out those changes.  Only if the libraries are uninstalled can the path then be changed.

If FSX is to be relocated or reinstalled then the required procedure is that you first uninstall the fixer libraries - then make the change to FSX and then install the libraries to the new FSX system or location.  This ensures that everything remains consistent.

If this isn't done then the fixer state file and the FSX system will not match - depending on what change actually happened.  There is no way at this point of avoiding error messages  but there are ways to fix it (as you found)  and provided you uninstall the libraries and install them everything should eventually be sorted out.

There are some extra checks and options into the fixer to reduce the pain in this circumstances.  So when you run the controller it checks whether when the fsx path is still valid (contains an fsx.exe)  and if not it blanks the path which prevents trying to uninstall from a non existent system which will generate 100s  of meaningless errors.

There is as you found an emergency change of path option which lets you override the logic which locks the path when libraries are installed - but that doesn't then mean that the rest of the state file will then be correct - the fixer cannot at this point know whether the FSX installation at the new path really  has the libraries installed and other changes made or not. 

The best thing to do at this point is uninstall and install the libraries (again as you found) - although there may potentially be errors from the uninstaller  they have been written such that they should always get things back to a consistent state.

On the envmap error can you just check these two files in fsx\textures and tell me their sizes - DX9envmap.bmp and envmap.bmp.

Seeing three product features in Version 3.4 is correct.   You should only see the extended version on the very first library install after the fixer is installed for the very first time - it was intended as a fast start for new customers to adjust their initial setup before they have read the manual.  So the PMDG NGX option turns on the NGX option in shadows, the Active Sky turn on the ASN Missing texture options in the cloud dialog etc.   Since these are preserved over an uninstall/install and are all documented there seemed no need to show the initial setup options again.

Note that in version 5 I redid the GUI and moved all the 3rd party options into their own permanent dialog as this has always seemed to cause a small amount of confusion.

I presume by the way that you purchased from the Flight SIm Store and haven't bought the Cloud Shadows addon which would patch 3.4 to 5.0.  If I am correct then you need to contact me by email and request a replacement 3.4 installer as the Flight Sim Store installers no longer work.

Update: Having written this I then went and had a look at the code to see if I could improve this.   I see that  in version 4.0  I added an extra check into the controller in the scenario where it finds that the fsx path has become invalid.  In that situation it now pops up a message box to ask if you have reinstalled fsx  at a different location - if you say yes then it assumes that the libraries will no longer be installed and resets the dialog accordingly, if you say no it assumes that you have moved the existing FSX setup with the libraries still installed. 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2019 by SteveFx

[RKillins 1]

Thanks Steve for the very detailed explanation. Appreciated by me for sure, and I'm sure others now and in the future will benefit.
I found it odd that after installation

I am hoping that although the interface seems "normal" now, that it's functionality and end results are to be expected.

Perhaps its time to purchase Cloud Shadows to take advantage of Version 5 of the fixer. Where can I purchase this?

[ppo 67]

Personally I think you should get Cloud Shadows. Steve fixer has brought a brand new experience to FSX-SE.

I am having a blast enjoying the "new" simulator: cloud shadows and cockpit light reflections to name a few.

Cheers,

Pierre