Scenery Spikes

[Alpine Scenery 1,609]

Using both addons simultaneously should not cause any issues, the Mapamundi fix is using the virtual file system to override the base CGL mesh files. Whereas, the fix I provided is just add-on polygons. Nearly every third-party airport uses polygons (or at least aprons), so the answer is the fixes should not conflict in any way. It does not cause a performance issue as this game can handle millions of polygons. Even a single vehicle or complex object in the game is often over 2000 polygons, and my entire fix is 500 polygons (but without any textures even). So yah. it's literally nothing in performance or conflict possibilities, too simple. 

The Mapamundi fix has larger coverage area because it is the raw files he used, but it is still missing some fixes for the US (and a few other places).
For instance, Roanoke is still messed up in his version, but I corrected it. 

There is some overlap between our addons even when flying in the US, but it doesn't hurt anything because they are two different types of addons, and there is no order needed. That said, I will possibly update the addon again when I find out more places that may still need to be fixed.

It is best to use his addon as the base, and if you fly in known bad areas (like Roanoke), try mine as well, or if you see any places that may be unfixed with his in the US.
 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Alpine Scenery

[Denwagg 191]

2 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

Good question!

It isn't entirely clear to me, but from discussions I have seen, the mappamundi file is better if you fly in Europe, and Alpines is better if you fly in North America.

Having both might lead to one taking precedence over the other if they are not set up in the right way.

For instance if the North America file loads last (takes precedence), will it obliterate all of the European fixes in mappamundi's file?  I just don't know.

Until we have clarification, I would just load the file you want for where you want to fly for now. 

It is becoming easier to do with these new add-on managers - takes just a second. 👍

 

disreguard

regards

Edited January 4, 2021 by Denwagg

[Denwagg 191]

15 minutes ago, Alpine Scenery said:

Using both addons simultaneously should not cause any issues, the Mapamundi fix is using the virtual file system to override the base CGL mesh files. Whereas, the fix I provided is just add-on polygons. Nearly every third-party airport uses polygons (or at least aprons), so the answer is the fixes should not conflict in any way. It does not cause a performance issue as this game can handle millions of polygons. Even a single vehicle or complex object in the game is often over 2000 polygons, and my entire fix is 500 polygons (but without any textures even). So yah. it's literally nothing in performance or conflict possibilities, too simple. 

The Mapamundi fix has larger coverage area because it is the raw files he used, but it is still missing some fixes for the US (and a few other places).
For instance, Roanoke is still messed up in his version, but I corrected it. 

There is some overlap between our addons even when flying in the US, but it doesn't hurt anything because they are two different types of addons, and there is no order needed. That said, I will possibly update the addon again when I find out more places that may still need to be fixed.

It is best to use his addon as the base, and if you fly in known bad areas (like Roanoke), try mine as well, or if you see any places that may be unfixed with his in the US.
 

Alpine Scenery

Do you thing this is something that Asobo can fix in one broad stroke or are we going the have these re-occurring spikes in the future.

Regards

[Alpine Scenery 1,609]

Yes, but the issue that remains a mystery is that they should have already fixed it, it only takes a few minutes. I do not know why, and have no explanation as to why it remains unfixed this long.

They have released bad mesh files multiple times, even many many patches ago (it started with Canada and Central US around Missouri river and Norway, and various other places), then it spread to the Eastern US and finally to the ENTIRE world, like many of the major airports. Before it was mainly Alasks, Canada, and Norway and some splotchy issues, but the last patch was just like crazy. They have enough of the working CGL files to patch it right now to 99.9999% fixed, but so far no patch.

For some reason, the mesh guy was generating invalid data and not checking his work, and it remains 100% a mystery as to what the holdup on the permanent fix is.

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Alpine Scenery

[bobcat999 8,465]

Thanks for clarifying that Den. 👍

Looking at the text it seems familiar now, and I probably read it at some stage then forgot what I read! 😕  Getting old!

[bobcat999 8,465]

7 minutes ago, Alpine Scenery said:

For some reason, the mesh guy was generating invalid data and not checking his work, and it remains 100% a mystery as to what the holdup on the permanent fix is.

I agree.  They have the forums to look at (they say they read them), they have all of the reports I have been seeing at the official forum, they should have loads of zendesk reports, then they could even download and reference the files that you and mappamundi have worked on.

They need to jump on it and get a fix out quick time!  The fact that they haven't seems to show it is not as important to them as it is to us unfortunately.

Saying that, I would expect a hotfix / small update tonight or maybe tomorrow night (normally a patch / update day), but I wonder if my expectations are too high? 🙁

Edit:  Thinking about it, I wonder how difficult it would be to reverse the landscape morphing / coastline destruction bug they introduced - that would be nice, as its's almost as bad as the spikes issue in terms of disrupting the nice visuals in the sim.

Edited January 4, 2021 by bobcat999

[DylanM 1,069]

10 minutes ago, Alpine Scenery said:

Yes, but the issue that remains a mystery is that they should have already fixed it, it only takes a few minutes. I do not know why, and have no explanation as to why it remains unfixed this long.

They have released bad mesh files multiple times, even many many patches ago (it started with Canada and Central US around Missouri river and Norway, and various other places), then it spread to the Eastern US and finally to the ENTIRE world, like many of the major airports. Before it was mainly Alasks, Canada, and Norway and some splotchy issues, but the last patch was just like crazy. They have enough of the working CGL files to patch it right now to 99.9999% fixed, but so far no patch.

For some reason, the mesh guy was generating invalid data and not checking his work, and it remains 100% a mystery as to what the holdup on the permanent fix is.

 

This thread has over 800 votes!

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/spikes-on-terrain-and-and-mesh-problems-global/338732

Asobo should really reach out to you to get a fix in...

 

[Alpine Scenery 1,609]

1 minute ago, DylanM said:

This thread has over 800 votes!

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/spikes-on-terrain-and-and-mesh-problems-global/338732

Asobo should really reach out to you to get a fix in...

 

They don't need me, it's really really amazingly simple. It's literally taking the version of the CGL files from previous patches that were working, and not mixing it into the corrupt ones they keep sending out.

 

Edited January 4, 2021 by Alpine Scenery

[Alpine Scenery 1,609]

6 minutes ago, bobcat999 said:

Edit:  Thinking about it, I wonder how difficult it would be to reverse the landscape morphing / coastline destruction bug they introduced - that would be nice, as its's almost as bad as the spikes issue in terms of disrupting the nice visuals in the sim.

I think the morphing mountains is a result of some algorithmic experimentation they are doing (not sure), so that might not work, but I would have to experiment to know. The morphing coastline could probably be fixed though with the older CGL files, I don't have the backups though, Mapamundi was lucky in that he found some old backups.

Edited January 4, 2021 by Alpine Scenery

[DylanM 1,069]

3 minutes ago, Alpine Scenery said:

They don't need me, it's really really amazingly simple. It's literally taking the version of the CGL files from previous patches that were working, and not mixing it into the corrupt ones they keep sending out.

sigh...but I think they do 🤦‍♂️

If you guys can correct both the spikes and coastline glitches, you'd be even bigger heroes than you already are...

Edited January 4, 2021 by DylanM

[Denwagg 191]

I think perhaps they might think there are more important issues for the man hours they have available. The problem is no matter whether you are using a desktop, or virtual reality those spikes destroy the immersion factor. For someone who does not follow the official website or AVSIM and does not know how to temporarily fix this issue. Those people have to be really put out. All this leads to less enthusiasm and accolades for the sim. In truth how many people have purchased 2020 and are put off buy the spikes and airplanes that do not work, the air traffic control and so on. Where would the sim be without all of the good mods available right now. Asobo is slowly but surely sticking a dagger in their hard work.

Do they have any idea how this is hurting sales in the long run. And without sales we could be left with an unfinished sim. I worry

Regards

Edited January 4, 2021 by Denwagg

[Alpine Scenery 1,609]

13 minutes ago, Denwagg said:

I think perhaps they might think there are more important issues for the man hours they have available. Do they have any idea how this is hurting sales in the long run. And without sales we could be left with an unfinished sim. I worry

Regards

Yah, there is a serious complacency issue with this. They have really hurt their rep, it will be fine as long as they fix it. It's literally 2 hours of work max if you have the backup files, but someone familiar with the files could do it in 15 minutes, so it's not a question of labor. It's complacency.

[Blackthorn 12]

The area just north of Manchester city centre (UK) is particularly bad. I counted about 25 spikes/pyramids/mounds within a few square miles - and there were probably quite a few more that I didn't count. I would go so far as to say that they completely dominated the landscape. A little further north (in the Pennines) was fine, however. I haven't seen any in my home area (Sussex) so far.

[betelgeuse 41]

Scenery spikes go back a long time in MS flightsims - as far back as FS2002 at least.

[MorrisMinor 47]

13 hours ago, Ian C said:

The area just north of Manchester city centre (UK) is particularly bad. I counted about 25 spikes/pyramids/mounds within a few square miles - and there were probably quite a few more that I didn't count. I would go so far as to say that they completely dominated the landscape. A little further north (in the Pennines) was fine, however. I haven't seen any in my home area (Sussex) so far.

The mappamundi mod has removed these spikes - highly recommended if you've not installed it already.

Edited January 5, 2021 by MorrisMinor