Major scenery & scenery.cfg issues

[Zylx]

I started a flight in P3Dv5 at an airport gate and noticed that there where trees placed all over the place inside the airport parking areas, taxiways and runways, trees sticking out of the concrete and asphalt all over the airport area.

 

I don't know what heck happened, the last time I did a flight everything was fine, but I open up Lorby's P3D Addon Organizer tool to check out what's going on and all my scenery.cfg is totally messed up and out of order, especially the Orbx scenery.  Also, some of the other scenery folders that are still in the P3Dv5 Addons folder and yet the scenery is not showing up in the Addon Organizer.  Even when I click the "check OS" button it doesn't find any of those folders that are there like it used to.

For the Orbx scenery, I have it installed on a separate drive in a library folder.  When I use the Sync Simulator button in Central, it will add the Orbx scenery but it adds the scenery all out of order when I check the scenery library or the Addon Organizer, it's all out of order.  For example, it placed some regional sceneries below the default base scenery's way at the very bottom and it places other Orbx scenery in a random order that I've never seen before.  It places some things properly, but other things are way out of order no matter how many times I use the Sync Simulator button in Central, it doesn't fix anything.

I also tried using the Delete Generated Files tool which usually fixes issues that I can't resolve but this time it didn't help.  I also tried reinstalling P3D (I deleted my addons.cfg file as well as many other P3D files to install a fresh files) and deleted the Prepar3Dv5 folder in the ProgramData folder which contains all the scenery related files and the cache folder as well, that stuff didn't help either.

I keep having issue after issue with my scenery and I don't understand what keeps going wrong and it's frustrating the heck out of me, I just want to pull out all my hair and start screaming like a lunatic...  Usually I can fix whatever problems occur but this time I don't know how to fix it.  I don't know if P3D is completely broken or if something with Orbx Central is broken or maybe the Addon Organizer is broken.  I am at a loss as to how to fix this beyond doing a full and complete reinstall of P3Dv5 completely from scratch and reinstalling all my scenery, aircraft and other add-ons, god I dread the hours it would take to do that...

I would owe a great debt of gratitude to anyone that can please help me.

Thank you

[Dave_YVR]

Did you properly set your ORBX insertion points when installing Central? If that is done correctly AND then you start messing with the P3D Addon Organizer it helps to mitigate layering issues. Many users don't set the insertion points at all and then blame ORBX for resetting their layers even though Central is just doing what the user set it to. Often they'd then make it worse trying to move stuff around with the Organizer. 

 It's been a couple of years since I ran P3d but the standard placement for the Airports and regions Insertion point as recommended by ORBX was way way down set at below Randolph AFB. Global OpenLC naturally stays unchanged and set at below the ORBX airports and regions. 

Edited July 15, 2024 by Dave_YVR

[Rogen]

Yeah I see the same/similar with Orbx after adding airports etc.

Everything is all nicely configured, (including the Orbx insertion points) and the layers are looking good, I add an Orbx airport and the layering is messed, although all the Orbx stuff is in the right locations.

I then use the Lorby tool to correct the layers and do a save of the configs via Lorby's backup mechanism.

The Orbx log files are quite verbose, they might provide a hint as to what is going on, I suppose it's a bit like the layering in Besthesda games like Skyrim, where I have well over 100 mods and use a tool named LOOT to re-layer the mods.

I also recommend to raise such types of issues with Orbx, along with info on how to reproduce the issue, I noticed an Orbx product had changed it's layer position after I reported an install issue I was having, so it does appear they do use feedback.

Plus they resolved an issue of missing tree textures in TeraFlora v2 when I raised it with them.

https://forum.orbxdirect.com/topic/211734-terra-flora-v2-package-issues/

Cheers

 

[Zylx]

5 hours ago, Dave_YVR said:

Did you properly set your ORBX insertion points when installing Central? If that is done correctly AND then you start messing with the P3D Addon Organizer it helps to mitigate layering issues. Many users don't set the insertion points at all and then blame ORBX for resetting their layers even though Central is just doing what the user set it to. Often they'd then make it worse trying to move stuff around with the Organizer. 

 It's been a couple of years since I ran P3d but the standard placement for the Airports and regions Insertion point as recommended by ORBX was way way down set at below Randolph AFB. Global OpenLC naturally stays unchanged and set at below the ORBX airports and regions. 

What are insertion points?  I don't know what that is, can you please explain?  You mean adding them to the scenery library?  That happens automatically when I install the scenery or when I use the Synce Simulator button.

I've never had an issue before with trees showing up in the middle of airports before and I've been using Orbx scenery for a while now in P3Dv5 and never had this issue before.

Edited July 15, 2024 by Zylx

[Zylx]

3 hours ago, Rogen said:

Yeah I see the same/similar with Orbx after adding airports etc.

Everything is all nicely configured, (including the Orbx insertion points) and the layers are looking good, I add an Orbx airport and the layering is messed, although all the Orbx stuff is in the right locations.

I then use the Lorby tool to correct the layers and do a save of the configs via Lorby's backup mechanism.

The Orbx log files are quite verbose, they might provide a hint as to what is going on, I suppose it's a bit like the layering in Besthesda games like Skyrim, where I have well over 100 mods and use a tool named LOOT to re-layer the mods.

I also recommend to raise such types of issues with Orbx, along with info on how to reproduce the issue, I noticed an Orbx product had changed it's layer position after I reported an install issue I was having, so it does appear they do use feedback.

Plus they resolved an issue of missing tree textures in TeraFlora v2 when I raised it with them.

https://forum.orbxdirect.com/topic/211734-terra-flora-v2-package-issues/

Cheers

 

Yeah I did raise the issue with them, I started a thread there too.  The problem is I don't know for sure where everything is supposed to go.  I know airports at the top, then Regions, then True Earth scenery, next would be openLC's, then Base and finally Vectors.  It's the Trees HD and Terra Flora as well as Buildings HD that are in strange places now.  Also, I have some Orbx regions that are at the very bottom of the library, below the base sceneries.  They are certain only Regions, but they use different names than the normal names they use for their entries, also the normal entries for those Regions are where they are supposed to be so I have no idea what the ones at the bottom are about.

[Benzhangar]

Hi,
1)The TerraFlora trees and HD Buildings need to be place between.  "Default Textures" & "Default Scenery"
2)Place the "Vector_OBJ" & "Vector_EXX" between "Default Textures" & "Default Scenery" then place the "Vector_CVX"  ABOVE the default scenery layer.

All "_CVX" need to be between the "Default Scenery & "0000 Base"

3) If you have any Orbx scenery Elevation activated, It will also cause issues but that's only proven on my end.

 

 

Notice All "ORBX!OPENLC" are placed between the default sim base(ex. "1107 Base") and "Global, Generic and vehicles libraries"

 

The rest is my layers that's placed above.

 

Each package you install via ORBX Central, You need to re-organize the layers because Orbx just place them anywhere. Install Global first. Then openLC then Vector.

[Zylx]

7 hours ago, Benzhangar said:

Hi,
1)The TerraFlora trees and HD Buildings need to be place between.  "Default Textures" & "Default Scenery"
2)Place the "Vector_OBJ" & "Vector_EXX" between "Default Textures" & "Default Scenery" then place the "Vector_CVX"  ABOVE the default scenery layer.

All "_CVX" need to be between the "Default Scenery & "0000 Base"

3) If you have any Orbx scenery Elevation activated, It will also cause issues but that's only proven on my end.

Notice All "ORBX!OPENLC" are placed between the default sim base(ex. "1107 Base") and "Global, Generic and vehicles libraries"

The rest is my layers that's placed above

Each package you install via ORBX Central, You need to re-organize the layers because Orbx just place them anywhere. Install Global first. Then openLC then Vector.

Wow, thank you @Benzhangar so much for explaining all of this to me in such detail.  Now I have a much better understanding of the order much better now.  I was doing it all wrong the entire time.

One thing I notice which I thought was strange is that you have your Orbx Regions below your mesh?  I was always told mesh goes below landclass type sceneries or is it different with P3Dv5?

Edit: I forgot to ask, why do you have the Region sceneries below the mesh, shouldn't iit be above the mesh?  And so the Base and openLC scenery goes below the mesh too?  In FSX that scenery always went above the mesh. I also forgot to ask, do all elevation stubs go below the base scenery?

Edited July 15, 2024 by Zylx

[Zylx]

Has anyone ever had Orbx library entries just randomly move around by themselves?  That seems to happen to me frequently and I don't know why.

Edited July 15, 2024 by Zylx

[Zylx]

I also have another question (yes, I'm full of them), where do I put my photoscenery and VFR scenery?

I'm not sure that even matters but I want to be able to have the Orbx base, vectors, openLC and regional scenery to blend well with that type of scenery for when I fly from one area that uses Orbx scenery to another that uses photoscenery/VFR scenery.

Edited July 16, 2024 by Zylx

[Dave_YVR]

5 hours ago, Zylx said:

Has anyone ever had Orbx library entries just randomly move around by themselves?  That seems to happen to me frequently and I don't know why.

 They do that when you mess with the layering yourself and don't have the insertion points set properly. I haven't used P3d in a couple of years now, but when I did (every single version from 1-5), I only needed to set my insertion point and after that I never had to touch the layering EVER.. No need for the Organizer either. I've seen it cause untold number of issues from users that don't understand proper layering. It was endless at one point on these forums, all blaming ORBX of course for error's behind the keyboard issues. 

[Zylx]

3 hours ago, Dave_YVR said:

 They do that when you mess with the layering yourself and don't have the insertion points set properly. I haven't used P3d in a couple of years now, but when I did (every single version from 1-5), I only needed to set my insertion point and after that I never had to touch the layering EVER.. No need for the Organizer either. I've seen it cause untold number of issues from users that don't understand proper layering. It was endless at one point on these forums, all blaming ORBX of course for error's behind the keyboard issues. 

But if I just set insertion points I still need to move stuff to have it in the correct order.  Just setting the insertion points alone will still cause Orbx Central to place some things randomly and out of order so I have to use the organizer anyway.

You must not have a lot of 3rd party scenery installed besides Orbx otherwise you would need the Organizer tool.

It all really seems to depend on the kind of scenery you have installed.

[787flyer]

18 minutes ago, Zylx said:

But if I just set insertion points I still need to move stuff to have it in the correct order.  Just setting the insertion points alone will still cause Orbx Central to place some things randomly and out of order so I have to use the organizer anyway.

You must not have a lot of 3rd party scenery installed besides Orbx otherwise you would need the Organizer tool.

It all really seems to depend on the kind of scenery you have installed.

As @Dave_YVR mentioned, its best to have your insertion point defined for the bottom most 3rd party addon  that is not Orbx. Once done, anything new that Orbx Central adds (those that are truly Orbx developed, not their partner addons) will end up underneath the insertion point. Now the trick is not to mess around with that scenery that is defined as the insertion point. If that changes through your use of Lorby AO, then it is possible Orbx will move stuff around and be out of place.

I usually dont have any issues with the Orbx stuff when installing regions or Orbx developed add-ons.I just let Orbx do its thing. Yes sometimes the order looks peculiar, but it usually works nevertheless.

I do use Lorby AO , but its really not used for re-organizing Orbx addons. I am primarily using it to re-order other developers addons that I want to convert from .cfg entries to .xml entries or if new entries appear at the very top of the list which need to site a few places under in which case some re-ordering is needed.

[Zylx]

I finally have the scenery working as it's supposed to, at least in the few tests I've done so far but I think I finally figured it out thanks to all the help from you guys.

I initially tried what Benzhanger instructed to do but that didn't quite work, I still had scenery issues but then I read what Dave_YVR and 787flyer said about keeping the Orbx scenery order as it is with insertion points so I setup my library so all 3rd party stuff was at the top, then setting the Base, Vectors, openLC and Regions below that and I still took Benzhanger's advice of putting the libraries at the bottom and doing all of this together worked.

I think I finally have this scenery library stuff figured out.  It only took me about 2 days to get it right lol, FSX was so much simpler when it came to scenery library management, P3Dv5 is a pain in the rear end imo and is more difficult than it needs to be.

Either way it's finally working, and I can finally fly again.

Thank you all so much for all of your help, I really appreciate it.

[Patco Lch]

One question. ORBX Global Base always takes an insertion at the top of the scenery library rather than below the prescribed insertion point. Is this one exception to the rule or should it be manually moved down below insertion point?  (P3DV5.4)

[Zatoichi]