Is ORBX FTX Global needed with P3D v5?

[level7 172]

28 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

As I understand it when you install FTX Global using either method the default textures are overwritten and running the Uninstall option in ORBX Central will not restore them. You need to secure them yourself although interestingly no mention is made of exactly which files need backing up.

I find the lack of any warnings about this very concerning.

This is how I thought it would work because I didn't understand how Orbx Central would make some symbolic reference for this core P3D folder.

Edited March 10, 2022 by level7
typo

[Sparkrite 188]

3 hours ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

As I understand it when you install FTX Global using either method the default textures are overwritten

I suspect you are mistaking Ray. As I understand it none of my default textures were overwritten when I installed Global Base outside of P3D main directory.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

32 minutes ago, Sparkrite said:

I suspect you are mistaking Ray. As I understand it none of my default textures were overwritten when I installed Global Base outside of P3D main directory.

Just to prove a point would you mind uninstalling using the ORBX Central utility and confirm that.

Nothing from ORBX staff in my commas with them have confirmed that.

[Sparkrite 188]

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Just to prove a point would you mind uninstalling using the ORBX Central utility and confirm that.

Ok Ray, just did that and, as suspected, all the ORBX Central UNinstaller did was to remove the GB dir in the ORBX Library folder.

My P3D installation was totally untouched either by the installer or the Uninstaller.

Now here's a thing, the ORBX uninstaller did not remove it's entries in the P3DV5 addons  (xml's) folder and I had to do this manually.

 

One thing I think I was wrong about though is that it would appear that just unclicking the GB entry within P3D is not enough for P3D to stop using ORBX's textures as the pic below would attest to. It is the same area (EDFH) as I posted yesterday but now with GB TOTALLY Uninstalled. Looks very different and IMO a lot better.

Edited March 10, 2022 by Sparkrite

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

@Sparkrite, thanks. The way you’ve installed is different to me as I never saw a GB folder in the Orbx Library folder. Maybe that’s only for external installations. Or are you talking about a different product for GB?

I’m confused because EDFH is Frankfurt. How does that relate to Britain?

Finally, you’ve confirmed the Uninstall option doesn’t uninstall to allow the default textures to show.

It’s as though ORBX never considered people may one day decide to use the default textures so they thought why bother with backing them up first. Or even describing the actions needed for the user to do it themselves. Some might call that arrogant. I couldn’t possibly comment.

[Sparkrite 188]

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

The way you’ve installed is different to me as I never saw a GB folder in the Orbx Library folder. Maybe that’s only for external installations

I suspect that might be the case.

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Or are you talking about a different product for GB?

No GB = ORBX Global base.

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

I’m confused because EDFH is Frankfurt. How does that relate to Britain?

It doesn't, I have EU England installed as well so no point looking there for any difference with GB removed. Hence just some random airfield in the middle of nowhere, purely for a comparison of textures.

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Finally, you’ve confirmed the Uninstall option doesn’t uninstall to allow the default textures to show.

Not so Ray, a full UNinstall does allow default textures to show as I have proven. All I said was that just unselecting GB within P3D appears not to allow default textures to show.

1 hour ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

people may one day decide to use the default textures so they thought why bother with backing them up first.

Absolutely no-need to back them up first if GB is installed into the ORBX library folder, I forget where I heard that this is the desirable method of installation but it has been for a while now.

Edited March 10, 2022 by Sparkrite

[BostonJeremy77 519]

OK, I have never done this before (I know some people have multiple VERSIONS of P3D running, like 4 and 5), but I suppose it's not possible two different INSTANCES of P3D v5.3HF2 installed on the same machine, am I correct? (I would think because of both locations using the AppData/Roaming/LM folder... Come to think of it, how does 4.5 and 5.3 coexist without them fighting for those user folders?

I am asking because at this point I really want to install JUST the clean, vanilla 5.3HF2 and see what it actually looks like. May be the way I HAVE to do it is... fly right now with Orbx everything somewhere, take screenshots, then uninstall EVERYTHING clean (including hidden files) and reinstall 5.3 vanilla and take screenies then, eh? 😉

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

1 hour ago, Sparkrite said:

Not so Ray, a full UNinstall does allow default textures to show as I have proven. All I said was that just unselecting GB within P3D appears not to allow default textures to show.

Then why have Orbx staff said the uninstaller doesn’t restore the default textures? This is very confusing.

1 hour ago, Sparkrite said:

Absolutely no-need to back them up first if GB is installed into the ORBX library folder, I forget where I heard that this is the desirable method of installation but it has been for a while now.

Thanks. I’ll bear that in mind should I change my mind. On a flight this morning from Palms to Rome both Corsica and Sardinia were browner than I expected. But then this afternoon positioned at Norman Manley, Jamaica they looked good.

I’m not going to dive back in to FTX Global. I’ll see what ORBX say as there are things I want them to clarify.

1 hour ago, BostonJeremy77 said:

but I suppose it's not possible two different INSTANCES of P3D v5.3HF2 installed on the same machine, am I correct?

You are. Only one instance of any major version is allowed. That’s why you can have v1, v2, v3, v4 and v5 all installed simultaneously if you so wished. They all have unique entries in the Registry plus separate folders under My Documents and App Data\ Roaming.

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

1 hour ago, BostonJeremy77 said:

I am asking because at this point I really want to install JUST the clean, vanilla 5.3HF2 and see what it actually looks like. May be the way I HAVE to do it is... fly right now with Orbx everything somewhere, take screenshots, then uninstall EVERYTHING clean (including hidden files) and reinstall 5.3 vanilla and take screenies then, eh? 😉

I uninstalled the Scenery, Content and Client.

I then located scenery\world\texture and deleted all remaining files. There were a few thousand presumably related to FTX Global.

Then a full install using setup.exe. Do not touch any cfg files or add-on.xml files. Everything will be as it was before and a clean install. Any Orbx installs such as airports will remain. If you have any other Orbx product that should be okay. I had AUS2 for Australia and those textures remain.

[Sparkrite 188]

22 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

Then why have Orbx staff said the uninstaller doesn’t restore the default textures? This is very confusing.

I can only assume this is if you have installed GB directly into the P3D folder(s) and not externally, where there is no need for restoration as they (default textures) remain untouched and will display whenever GB is removed.

Edited March 10, 2022 by Sparkrite

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

11 minutes ago, Sparkrite said:

I can only assume this is if you have installed GB directly into the P3D folder(s) and not externally, where there is no need for restoration as they (default textures) remain untouched and will display whenever GB is removed.

Well you’ve clarified that but a staffer and beta tester have made no mention of it.

I do know they’re reading this topic so maybe there’s a nudge for them.

[BostonJeremy77 519]

25 minutes ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

I uninstalled the Scenery, Content and Client.

I then located scenery\world\texture and deleted all remaining files. There were a few thousand presumably related to FTX Global.

Then a full install using setup.exe. Do not touch any cfg files or add-on.xml files. Everything will be as it was before and a clean install. Any Orbx installs such as airports will remain. If you have any other Orbx product that should be okay. I had AUS2 for Australia and those textures remain.

OK... I am not TOO worried about a full reinstall cause I have ZERO airports outside of the ORBX ones and those are in the external Orbx library which is NOT going to be linked/synced until I am done with my vanilla test. FSLabs are good guys and they install their aircraft to Addons directory external to P3D root, which makes it simple. RealTurb is also that way, which is great. So is RXP. The only aircraft addons I need to bother with are PMDG and Captain Sim and MilViz. And TU-134. Those are the only things that install into root that I use. Oh yeah, the Pilot's flying Boeing boat, but I never fly it, so I will probably not bother installing anything until I need it. Basically PMDG, FSLabs, CaptainSim, and A2A account for 99% of all P3D flying I do. So the entire reinstall should't take more than an hour. But I want to start COMPLETELY vanilla + PMDG and FSLabs and do a few legs of the tour to see what things look like. I am in Africa right now, so that's a good indicator for things to check out outside of Europe etc (currently at Kilimanjaro Intl which is situated by a tiny mountain in Africa. 😉 )

Ray, and anyone... While I have the virgin, vanilla P3D install, any areas/airports you want screenshots of? PURE vanilla 5.3HF2. I may not have this opportunity again for a few months IF I end up touching Orbx again. 

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

@BostonJeremy77, my PMDG installation was unaffected. The Uninstall only removes files the setup has installed. You’ll be the same for your 3rd party aircraft.

As I’m back to vanilla I don’t need any screenshots, thanks.

[BostonJeremy77 519]

1 minute ago, Ray Proudfoot said:

@BostonJeremy77, my PMDG installation was unaffected. The Uninstall only removes files the setup has installed. You’ll be the same for your 3rd party aircraft.

As I’m back to vanilla I don’t need any screenshots, thanks.

I see. I actually delete the entire directory with whatever was left in it, PMDG included. 🙂

[Ray Proudfoot 8,954]

46 minutes ago, BostonJeremy77 said:

I see. I actually delete the entire directory with whatever was left in it, PMDG included. 🙂

Noooo. 😳 I didn’t delete anything other than the files in scenery\world\texture.

If you delete the entire P3D root folder you’ll have to reinstall everything. Not necessary.

The beauty of the P3D install is it’s modular so when you run setup.exe it just installs the core files required. All your 3rd party stuff is already there.