56 minutes ago, coastaldriver said:

Neil - are you able to share the shader edit you used - I have a couple of other sim aircraft that have the same issue ( including one which is a rebuild of an earlier FSX model for P3DV5.

You can find it here: Embraer E-jets V3 Cockpit windshield/light problem - FIX - Airplanes - The simFlight Network Forums. (Don't use the first linked file, use the one linked later down the page by Riky FSX.)

No idea if that's a generic fix, though, but it certainly works for the E-Jets v3. You might be able to get enough info from the changed shader to fix yours.

Edited March 21, 20215 yr by neilhewitt

6 hours ago, Fiorentoni said:

Use FSUIPC autosave, so a CTD after 8hrs only means you have to wait 5 minutes to reload. Anything else is just masochistic.

Can you post your autosave settings from fsuipc.ini? I’ve just set this up for the first time ever, and am wondering if i’m doing it the same way you are (including auto-deleting files)

1 hour ago, OzWhitey said:

Can you post your autosave settings from fsuipc.ini? I’ve just set this up for the first time ever, and am wondering if i’m doing it the same way you are (including auto-deleting files)

[AutoSave]
Interval=300
Files=10
SaveOnGround=Yes
AutoSaveEnabled=Yes

Be aware that, while it does keep max. 10 autosaves in the main save folder, on most add-ons like PMDG or FSLabs it will also create a panel state for each autosave and those won't automatically delete. You will have to do it every once in a while yourself. Just look into the add-ons "panel state" or so folders.

10 minutes ago, Fiorentoni said:

[AutoSave]
Interval=300
Files=10
SaveOnGround=Yes
AutoSaveEnabled=Yes

Be aware that, while it does keep max. 10 autosaves in the main save folder, on most add-ons like PMDG or FSLabs it will also create a panel state for each autosave and those won't automatically delete. You will have to do it every once in a while yourself. Just look into the add-ons "panel state" or so folders.

Hi Fiorentoni, thanks for your post.

I think the usual recommendation is to set up FSUIPC so that it autodeletes the panels.

Here is my current Autosave section (as a PMDG flier)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interval=300
Files=15
SaveOnGround=Yes
AutoSaveEnabled=Yes
AlsoManage1=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.0.rte
AlsoManage2=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.1.rte
AlsoManage3=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.2.rte
AlsoManage4=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.fxml.fmc
AlsoManage5=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.fxml.sav
AlsoManage6=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.0.rte
AlsoManage7=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.1.rte
AlsoManage8=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.2.rte
AlsoManage9=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.fmc
AlsoManage10=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.sav
AlsoManage11=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.0.rte
AlsoManage12=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.1.rte
AlsoManage13=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.2.rte
AlsoManage14=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.fmc
AlsoManage15=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.sav

----------------------------------------------------------------

Cheers!

2 minutes ago, OzWhitey said:

Hi Fiorentoni, thanks for your post.

I think the usual recommendation is to set up FSUIPC so that it autodeletes the panels.

Here is my current Autosave section (as a PMDG flier)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interval=300
Files=15
SaveOnGround=Yes
AutoSaveEnabled=Yes
AlsoManage1=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.0.rte
AlsoManage2=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.1.rte
AlsoManage3=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.2.rte
AlsoManage4=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.fxml.fmc
AlsoManage5=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 747 QOTS II\PanelState\*.fxml.sav
AlsoManage6=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.0.rte
AlsoManage7=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.1.rte
AlsoManage8=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.2.rte
AlsoManage9=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.fmc
AlsoManage10=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState\*.fxml.sav
AlsoManage11=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.0.rte
AlsoManage12=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.1.rte
AlsoManage13=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.2.rte
AlsoManage14=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.fmc
AlsoManage15=F:\Prepar3D v5\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState\*.fxml.sav

----------------------------------------------------------------

Cheers!

Yeah thank you, I knew about that but was too lazy to set that all up, since I also have A319, 320, 321, B787 etc. 😄

Neil - thanks for the information - seems only good for that issue - a follow up of the relevant threads does indicate that it is the model files for these other models that needs fixing. At least I know what to look for now!. Be nice if the developer just fixed it - they have been asked!

Edited March 22, 20215 yr by coastaldriver

7 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

Neil - thanks for the information - seems only good for that issue - a follow up of the relevant threads does indicate that it is the model files for these other models that needs fixing. At least I know what to look for now!. Be nice if the developer just fixed it - they have been asked!

Unfortunately, too many developers are happy to just leave their projects out there untouched and unfixed for years at a time and if asked will either not respond at all or say 'we can't promise anything' or the classic 'we won't say anything until we have something to say'. I know they have to make commercial decisions about priorities but if you make something and sell it to users then IMHO you have a moral responsibility to those users that doesn't end the moment you put their money in the bank. 

When you establish a business model based on selling add-on products for a software platform which you know is in active development with multiple annual releases, any of which may have a breaking change or require you to do work to make your existing products compatible, then you ought to ensure you have set aside some costed time to deliver those fixes on an ongoing basis. The 8-year period where FSX didn't change from SP2 until Steam Edition was the exception, not the rule. Too many developers got used to that glacial pace and we, as end-users, are suffering as a result. 

All just my $0.02, of course, but since I build and deliver software on a regularly-updated platform (not flight sim related) for a living, I live this experience every day. 

Edited March 22, 20215 yr by neilhewitt

And for those interested... Part 2 of my video, the filming of which started this whole rant off. Covers en-route, arrival, approach and landing, taxi, parking and de-boarding. 

I did have a tiny glitch on the ground that made me re-record the final part of the video (with a nasty jump-cut that I have to admit to on the video itself) but that wasn't down to a mystery CTD or anything, it was human error. I wasn't about to re-film the whole lot again. That was attempt #8 as it was!

https://youtu.be/RKfz8xQKkwU

Five year old flight computer, two year old bottom of the line computers for peripherals, windows 7 and P3Dv4.5 HF3.  No issues--no crashes, no nothing negative in 6 months and I fly every day for about two hours with a gazillion addons and controllers.

Ps-now flying A2A B-17 every day. What a gas!

On 3/16/2021 at 8:17 AM, W2DR said:

I no longer have any stress. I've gone back to FSX...where everything works!

I hope you're referring to FSX Steam.

On 3/15/2021 at 3:30 PM, neilhewitt said:

I'm not looking for advice here. I know how to troubleshoot, diagnose and work around. I'm a PC and software professional who writes code and wrangles hardware for a living...

What frustrates you about your sim? What makes you want to SMASH your PC and give up on simming altogether?

 

As a pro, you're likely aware of the kiss principle. Maybe you got carried away?  There's a saying... 'perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away'.

 

4 hours ago, oneleg said:

As a pro, you're likely aware of the kiss principle. Maybe you got carried away?  There's a saying... 'perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away'.

Heh. Well, yes. As I have a home cockpit my baseline for 'as simple as possible' is considerably higher than the average desktop simmer. I have to have a lot more stuff running just to have the sim running at all on my setup. I do make life more difficult for myself by having a generic simpit, rather than type-specific. But I could never restrict myself to one type. 

One of the SSDs on my host machine (which is where the vast majority of my crashes happen) is definitely unhappy - the diagnostic software from the manufacturer won't even test it, saying it has a firmware error, despite it working apparently normally in Windows. I've seen some unusual pauses lately which suggest file I/O problems. I think it's failing intermittently. So I bought a pair of 2TB NVMe sticks to replace the SSDs (because they're much, much faster), and while I'm fitting those I will rebuild the machines completely. A fun weekend ahead for me 🙂

11 hours ago, oneleg said:

I hope you're referring to FSX Steam.

Nope. My trusty old FSX Gold. I don't do Steam anything.

16 hours ago, neilhewitt said:

...while I'm fitting those I will rebuild the machines completely. A fun weekend ahead for me 🙂

Best of luck to you. I think I've reached my life time quota of building my own machines. The last pre-built PC's I bought were a Corvus 286 and an IBM PS/2. The latter made me swear to never buy a pre-built machine again. But, times change and so must we. I'm hoping laptops will be good enough when I go over to MSFS.