GSX Level 2 editor freezing p3dv4.3 **SOLVED**

[DVA12924]

Further information regarding the issues: As I stated in the past, I felt these issues were connected. If I attempt to edit a gate where the gate number shows correctly, I have no issues at all other than other random gates not showing gate numbers correctly. HOWEVER, when I try to edit a gate position whos gate number is a black box, THAT is what is causing P3D to become unresponsive. I'll try to find a recording software online and upload a video and attach the GSX log file to this message when they are ready. I will walk you thru every step I'm taking and I guarantee you 100% I can reproduce the error 100% of the time.

[virtuali]

I have no issues at all other than other random gates not showing gate numbers correctly. HOWEVER, when I try to edit a gate position whos gate number is a black box, THAT is what is causing P3D to become unresponsive

That's what I always said, right from the start: there must be something wrong with your video card drivers/settings, because that's the only thing that can freeze the sim, and it's the same which is causing the black numbers.

So I'm wondering whom should I be contacting about a faulty product now? Lockheed Martin whos simulator platform has worked fine for years

I tried to explain this to you several times, but it seems to keep ignoring it, or decided not to hear it, because you didn't like the answer.

What creates the black numbers is a relatively NEW feature, called "Render To Texture", which has been introduced sometime in P3D 2.5, but nobody used it. It was updated many times, usually following OUR feedback, because it had issue in P3D3, and it was updated again, many times, with P3D4.

Again, please note, GSX Level 2 is probably the first released addon which use this feature so, we are the first putting this feature to the test, in the real world.

It's highly interactive with video drivers, so it's potentially exposed to issue with them, or their settings. So, it's very much possible that, under certain conditions, it might fail, and maybe you are just discovering an unknown bug in the simulator that, if you could just STOP blaming GSX for this, it might be useful for everybody (even other developer) to report it to LM, assuming it CAN be reproduced ( I can't, for example ).

WHICH IS WHY, I believe I asked you to DISABLE it, to see if this is in fact what causing your problems. The "Disable RTT" option in the Addon Manager does just that: it turns off a feature that, since it's brand new and not much tested, might cause problems with some configurations.

Have you tried doing what I already suggested, to turn it off, and see if the sim doesn't freeze anymore ? Note that, you *must* restart the simulator after you turn it off. OF COURSE, you will not seeJetway Numbers anymore: that's precisely what the option does.

[DVA12924]

Which video driver do you use and I'll custom clean install that one? If we are using the same drivers and I can still reproduce the problem, then we can rule-out a driver conflict. I am running the latest from Nvidia (custom clean install after deleting and uninstalling all NVIDIA components all the way back to how it came out of the box. the current version is 411.70 and out of the box was 398.?? (I didn't catch the last 2 numbers).

Here are the videos showing the errors in real time. The recording software has a 5 minute limit so It's 2 videos. It took me 2 times to get gate 222 to cause the sim to stop responding, but it did happen. I'll test again a few times with spots where the gate number works, test functions at P3Dv4.3 default KATL (I don't have a AFCAD for this airport anymore, but its big enough default to test for errors without AFCAD addon), and I'll test with RTT on and off. Those Videos will be posted as they are completed.

For the record tho, seeing jetway numbers is a feature that required me to have to pay real money to use, so IF disabling RTT fixes the issue, I'm still not getting what I paid for because I have to disable the paid feature to get a working product which I could have gotten from GSX L1. Yes, there are other features to L2 that I look forward to eventually being able to use, but the product is still not complete as paid for.

Video 1 -

Video 2 -

The FS Labs folder is in place, but I have not downloaded and reinstalled the FSLabs A320 yet. The other addons in the addon folder is where all addons are kept. Aside from the ZBAA, all other files are only being read by ADE at this time, not P3D or GSX.

And as promised, attached is the log from the testing done with the videos listed here. I did not see anything unusual in the log, except that it was looking for scenery that isn't installed ... not sure if it is just searching for FSDT scenery or if it thinks there should be scenery somewhere when it was deleted prior to reinstalling P3D.

[virtuali]

Which video driver do you use and I'll custom clean install that one? If we are using the same drivers and I can still reproduce the problem, then we can rule-out a driver conflict. I am running the latest from Nvidia (custom clean install after deleting and uninstalling all NVIDIA components all the way back to how it came out of the box. the current version is 411.70 and out of the box was 398.?? (I didn't catch the last 2 numbers).

As I've said, several times by now, it might not just be a "driver" problem, but simply a driver tweak or setting. I couldn't see black numbers with ANY driver but, FYI, I'm using 416.11 right now, which is the current version, according to the GeForce Experience software.

and I'll test with RTT on and off. Those Videos will be posted as they are completed.

Testing by disabling RTT is likely the most meaningful test you can do now.

For the record tho, seeing jetway numbers is a feature that required me to have to pay real money to use, so IF disabling RTT fixes the issue, I'm still not getting what I paid for because I have to disable the paid feature to get a working product which I could have gotten from GSX L1. Yes, there are other features to L2 that I look forward to eventually being able to use, but the product is still not complete as paid for.

RTT is a FEATURE OF THE SIM. So, whatever money you paid to get this feature, you paid it to LM so, if this feature has a problem ( on YOUR system ), it should be your own interest, as a LM customer, to report it. If we find problem, we'll report it too, of course.

You might have had a point if we FORCED you to use it, and crashing your sim because of it but, if the feature is bugged in the sim, the most we can do is to ALLOW you to disable it, which is what we do.

[virtuali]

And as promised, attached is the log from the testing done with the videos listed here. I did not see anything unusual in the log, except that it was looking for scenery that isn't installed ... not sure if it is just searching for FSDT scenery or if it thinks there should be scenery somewhere when it was deleted prior to reinstalling P3D.

Your log doesn't show any errors (those that looks like "errors" about the not installed sceneries are not errors, they are normal), other than a minor issue of not being able to find a deicer for the airplane you are using, which I don't think it's a problem, however, I always customize an airport with a fully supported default airplane.

Other than that, the log simply shows GSX didn't cause any errors, and it correctly detected the sim has crashed on its own.

[DVA12924]

I didn't see your post about the testing with RTT disabled until after uninstall took place. I tested with RTT disabled using the modified AFCAD at different gates just now, using different textures and models and more than 1 jetway at a gate and I couldn't get the sim to become unresponsive.

This seems it is an RTT issue. A clean install wasn't a bad idea anyway, ruled out other issues and made things more organized. So now that we know what is causing the issue, the question is how does it get fixed and how does it get prevented from happening the next time Nvidia releases a new driver (every month of so it seems). or better yet, which driver was this tested with and I can just install that driver and update later. Nvidia loves to release drivers that are more toward VR which I don't have, and for games I don't play. I can do without having the latest driver, but which driver version do I need?

I will take a moment and apologize for being frustrated. I purchased L2 and had high hopes of being able to quickly customize airports and enjoy the product, but was severely let down and frustrated when the errors began and would not stop. I'm sure you and the team will come to a solution and in the mean time, I'll have to leave RTT disabled to use the product.

Does having RTT disabled remove any other features?

[virtuali]

Does having RTT disabled remove any other features?

For the time being, the jetway numbers and the display on the battery charger in the power unity.

[DVA12924]

I'm running Windows 7 64-bit and newest driver I can get is 411.70 ...  so maybe this is a driver version limited by windows issue? If you are able to get a higher driver than I can, it can only be because of the windows version, and if your driver is working and mine is not, then it may a limitation with windows 7 and Nvidia?

Here is what nvidia website shows me for latest available driver:

GeForce Game Ready Driver
 
Version:    411.70  WHQL
Release Date:    2018.9.27
Operating System:    Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8.1 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit
Language:    English (US)
File Size:    469.19 MB
   
download    

Release Highlights
Supported products
Additional information
Game Ready Drivers provide the best possible gaming experience for all major new releases, including Virtual Reality games. Prior to a new title launching, our driver team is working up until the last minute to ensure every performance tweak and bug fix is included for the best gameplay on day-1.

Game Ready
Provides the optimal gaming experience for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Forza Horizon 4, and FIFA 19

Gaming Technology
Includes support for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti graphics cards

[virtuali]

Good news, I downloaded the AFCAD you posted earlier, and I think I found the issue. Yes, I think we can fix it, I'll keep you updated.

[DVA12924]

awesome! thanks! Was it the AFCAD? I tried 2 different AFCADs for ZBAA and before disabling RTT both would freeze the sim. I also recall starting to have the issue of black gate numbers prior to uninstall when I was working with either KSNA or KSEA, both had AFCADs downloaded from AVSIM and modified as stated above.

I was just reading the P3D forum posts about RTT issues with Windows 7, going back to July this year. I guess it would have helped you to know I was on windows 7 when the issues first came up so you would have probably at that moment known it was for sure RTT conflict with windows. But I also don't see LM looking to fix that bridge.

it's almost 6AM here and I've been awake for 24 hours at work followed by finishing reinstalling P3D and GSX and testing since. I'll look for a reply when i wake up.

Oh, BTW, the AFCAD I uploaded, has library objects that if you do not also have, will display black boxes in ADE. I have all the library objects and can send them to you if needed. I think they were compiled into the original AFCAD (link somewhere above) but I extract them and make a new bgl file for just the models and place it in the main install folders under Scenery/Global/Scenery ... that way if another airport AFCAD I download wants to use them, they are there. Ray Smith makes a lot of AFCAD files that are easy to convert to P3D4 usable but he also loves to reuse a lot of static objects in them. So the uploaded AFCAD I don't think has the objects compiled into it. I wish there was a way to keep them intact, but once an original AFCAD is decompiled, which it must be to apply changes so P3D4 will read it properly, there is no way to recompile with the objects still intact except for extracting the objects to their own bgl file. So each AFCAD would have 3 files once completed: XXXX_ADE4_SD.BGL (main airport) XXXX_ADE4_SD.CVX (ground poly to flatten and exclude autogen) and XXXX_ADE4_SD_OBJ.BGL (kept in the main P3D install folder and contains only the object models from the original AFCAD. The other 2 files are USUALLY kept in a folder outside the main P3D install folder in a folder only for AFCAD addon which has the Scenery folder for all the AFCAD and the texture folder for any textures that may need to go there, then the Addon AFCAD folder is activated in P3D as addon scenery). This method has worked true for me, up until RTT came about, if it is in fact what is causing the break.