41 minutes ago, Tuskin38 said:

think GSX needs to read the BGL files, if they're encrypted, I don't think it can do that. I'm guessing it would read the default BGL instead.

We added a provision to overcome this problem (which of course doesn't affect just GSX, but every product that needs to read the complete airport data, like flight planning utilities ), but it will require some support from the scenery developers:

If a unencrypted version of the airport .BGL file is placed in the %APPDATA%\Virtuali\GSX\MSFS folder, the same place where custom GSX profiles are found, GSX will read the file from *there*. The simulator will ignore it entirely, since it's outside the Community/Official folders, and will continue to use the standard one for its own use, while GSX will take the information from the unencrypted version.

When GSX is installed, we'll put such files for each FSDT scenery that is found to be installed in the Official folder in its encrypted form, so all users that bought any of our sceneries on the Marketplace can use GSX from day one, and FOR FREE, because GSX is free to use at all our sceneries. We cannot clearly provide this form of automation for 3rd party sceneries, so it will up to scenery developers to provide users with unencrypted versions of the airport .BGL file for GSX users. Those files are unusable without the rest of the files/textures, so there shouldn't be any objections about copyrights, but the files should be made available by developers, we surely can't do that.

Note that, this will be likely a temporary workaround, until the new improved Facility Data API will be completed. That will allow add-ons to access data directly from the simulator, so it should solve the encryption issue. It has just been released with the latest SU10 Beta, so it's likely GSX will switch to it at some point. Assuming it contains all the data we need (still doesn't, according to some reports) and doesn't have bugs (we'll see when we'll try using it).

Edited August 9, 20223 yr by virtuali

Hey everyone, Gabriel here. I don't often comment around here, but just wanted to comment on a few things and answer some of the questions above. 

2 hours ago, abrams_tank said:

I wonder when this will come out in the MSFS marketplace. Aren't people saying the MSFS marketplace is much faster now, with new products releasing faster, and also product updates are also much faster now?

We already discussed this on our Discord, but the situation is the following: The MSFS marketplace is still VERY slow. Yes, they have outsourced some of their testing and is getting faster, but the process still takes 1-2 months. This doesn't only happen with new releases, updates also take from 1-2 months to process. IMO the Marketplace is great for people just getting started or using Xbox. Products on the marketplace often lack features (eg. Configurators), get updates less frequently and are, sometimes, slightly pricier.

 

Regarding the pricing/upgrade/discount questions: 

• Back in late 2019, we offered free upgrades to MSFS to FSimStudios.com customers ONLY who bought CYEG during the release period. This was promoted only once on our media, but was up on our website until 2021 (we forgot to remove it, to be honest). Edmonton was the first product that we sold directly from our store, and this was the strategy we used to attract people to our new website. 
• ORBX/SimMarket/Contrail customers were not offered the free upgrade.
• We have offered cross-platform discounts to all our customers on all sceneries to date. Edmonton is not the exception, all P3D and XP customers are entitled to a 30% discount, no matter where the product was bought. 
• Since then, many things have changed. CYEG took +2 yrs before we released it due to other priorities. When we started working on CYEG, we noticed that the scenery was not on-par with our current standard (and current MSFS Standards). For that reason, the terminal building was completely retextures, ground poly significantly improved, GSE and Clutter redone, hangars are being improved, etc. We are selling a product that has been significantly redone. 
• Upon release, a general email (ALL CYEG customers from FSimStudios.com, SimMarket and other marketplaces) was sent offering such Upgrade discount. A disclaimer was put on our website (specifically targeting those customers who were promised a free upgrade), inviting them to claim the free upgrade by contacting us directly. All requests for a free upgrade have been verified and issued, and we have even issued refunds for orders that should have been upgraded for free. 
• That being said, those who decide to, instead of claiming the free license, pay for the product as a form of support to our efforts (and to help continue financing our developments) have access to the 30% discount. 

If you are unsure if you are entitled to the free discount, or have bought the product and want a refund, contact us. We are very happy to help.

Edited August 9, 20223 yr by fsimstudios_

17 minutes ago, virtuali said:

We added a provision to overcome this problem (which of course doesn't affect just GSX, but every product that needs to read the complete airport data, like flight planning utilities ), but it will require some support from the scenery developers:

If a unencrypted version of the airport .BGL file is placed in the %APPDATA%\Virtuali\GSX\MSFS folder, the same place where custom GSX profiles are found, GSX will read the file from *there*. The simulator will ignore it entirely, since it's outside the Community/Official folders, and will continue to use the standard one for its own use, while GSX will take the information from the unencrypted version.

When GSX is installed, we'll put such files for each FSDT scenery that is found to be installed in the Official folder in its encrypted form, so all users that bought any of our sceneries on the Marketplace can use GSX from day one, and FOR FREE, because GSX is free to use at all our sceneries. We cannot clearly provide this form of automation for 3rd party sceneries, so it will up to scenery developers to provide users with unencrypted versions of the airport .BGL file for GSX users. Those files are unusable without the rest of the files/textures, so there shouldn't be any objections about copyrights, but the files should be made available by developers, we surely can't do that.

Note that, this will be likely a temporary workaround, until the new improved Facility Data API will be completed. That will allow add-ons to access data directly from the simulator, so it should solve the encryption issue. It has just been released with the latest SU10 Beta, so it's likely GSX will switch to it at some point. Assuming it contains all the data we need (still doesn't, according to some reports) and doesn't have bugs (we'll see when we'll try using it).

Hey Umberto,

any news on the GSX release date? Still this summer season?

1 hour ago, Fiorentoni said:

any news on the GSX release date? Still this summer season?

We already confirmed in another post here, not only is coming this season: it's coming this month.

4 hours ago, Tuskin38 said:

I could be mistaken, but I think GSX needs to read the BGL files

I believe it did in P3D but it is possible MSFS has a different file structure or that Umberto has found a way around it. But it would be a real shame if it cannot as the vast majority of airports I fly to are payware.

51 minutes ago, Cognita said:

I believe it did in P3D but it is possible MSFS has a different file structure or that Umberto has found a way around it. But it would be a real shame if it cannot as the vast majority of airports I fly to are payware.

Please re-read my previous explanation:

- GSX reads the airports .BGLs, in MSFS, both default, 3rd party, payware and freeware.

- Yes, of course, the structure of the file is not the same in MSFS, but we figured it out this a long time ago...

- The difference was the airport files of Payware airport sold in the Marketplace, not "payware" in general or any kind of other 3rd party airports. Those are ENCRYPTED, this is a very well known problem, because scenery developers don't have any control over what is being encrypted so, there's no way for ANYONE to read these files, not GSX, not Flight Planners (like Little Nav Map), nobody.

- In my previous post, I have explained what can be done, to allow using airports bought on the Marketplace with GSX, but it requires some cooperation by other scenery developers.

- In my previous post, I also explained why this might not be a problem in the future, after the new Facility data API of the SDK will be released, after we'll test it to be sure it has everything we need to replace the requirement of reading the airport .BGL directly, it works without bugs, etc. This will take a while, so we'll release GSX as it is now, taking information from the .BGLs files directly, using the workaround I explained in my previous post.

Edited August 9, 20223 yr by virtuali

7 hours ago, abrams_tank said:

I just like to keep as many add-ons that I can in the MSFS marketplace. It makes it so much easier for me to manage.  That's not to say that I don't have add-ons in my Community folder. I do. But where I can keep my add-ons in the MSFS marketplace, that's my preference.

I also dislike having to download various install programs from the add-on maker.  This part, I find the most annoying. Especially if I move to a new computer, I have to also run the install program from the add-on maker.  In the MSFS marketplace, I just click download on a new computer, and it's there. Nice and tidy. I don't have to worry about 20 different install programs from the add-on maker.

 

To each his own. The addons are the least of my worries. Managing the hOme cockpit stuff way more of a pain. I’d gladly use addon linker and a few stand alone scenery management programs than have addons that are locked down and limited compared to same versions on other mediums.  I don’t even see it to be that more complicated to open orbx and click uodate than to click thru marketplace and update.